Meet Josie Pace

Detroit has always been home to raw and original talent. We are a breeding ground for strong artists who have a vision that they can carry through to the stage and present to the world. We created Motown and made major impacts on hip hop and rock and roll, we were also a mecca for garage rock just a decade ago. A lot of people have speculated about what makes Detroit a melting pot for creative magic and they have come up with a lot of reasons, including our weather, our winters, and our deep connection to the car companies for the last century. But those are only contributing factors, the truth is that Detroit artists are unapologetic. They aren't afraid to have a vision and to carry it out, even if it's not what's popular right now. Why not make it the next big thing? The recipe is simple, mix some raw talent with ruthless drive and determination to get something that no one has ever heard before. The DMAs are an appropriate time of year to reflect on the local music scene and to explore who and what is going to make a major impact on the sounds of the city. So, we wanted to tell you about an up and coming Detroit artist that has already made a mark for herself by being nominated for one at this Friday's event, her name is Josie Pace.


Josie Pace is a Michigan born musical prodigy that cut her chops playing coffee shops before she decided that she wanted to take things a little darker. She is one of those artists that doesn't just write songs, she presents concepts and ideas using music, lyrics, and visuals that entice all your senses to bring you inside her world while you are listening or watching. Her voice is perfection, her style and presentation are dark and seductive and her collection of music videos is worthy of a good binge. You can check out her entire collection of music and videos by visiting her website here. We personally love the song "Battleground". We dig Josie's NIN meets Lady Gaga kind of vibe and can appreciate a strong sexy woman who isn't afraid to claim her talent and her space within this world. We can see why she was nominated for the Outstanding Alt/Indie/Punk Artist or Group at this year's awards ceremony. She has the talent and knows how to use it. She will be opening for Stabbing Westword at The Machine Shop in Flint on July 12th if you want to see her play live and in person, and you can follow her on Instagram or YouTube to stay in the loop. If she wasn't on your radar before she is now and you need to start paying attention.

The DMAs will take place at The Fillmore this Friday, April 26th. You can buy your tickets to attend the awards ceremony in person here. If you're lucky you might just see Josie and some of Detroit's other up and coming talents at the show!

~S

Don't Miss the Detroit Music Awards Friday Night at The Fillmore

This Friday night the Detroit Music Awards will take over The Fillmore to honor Detroit's amazing music scene. Now in its 26th year, the Detroit Music Awards and its foundation recognize and award musicians from all genres, from Gospel to Rock. They take submissions from the public, allowing a chance for pretty much everyone involved in music in the Detroit area. After rounds of voting, this Friday night it is time to announce the winners and celebrate the great music scene in this city.

Tickets to Friday night's party start at $32.50 and can be purchased in advance here or at The Fillmore box office. Doors are set to open at 6 p.m. and in addition to the awards, there will be performances throughout the evening. Some of this year's performers include Craig Brown Band, Royce 5'9", The Fags and more! For details on the event and to see who made it to the final round for awards, head over to DetroitMusicAwards.com.
.

~C

Submit Your Favorite Detroit Musician to the DMAs

For over 25 years the Detroit Music Awards Foundation has been recognizing musicians from our community with awards and one awesome night of Detroit music. This year the awards ceremony is set to be held on April 21, and will once again return to The Fillmore in Detroit. Artists that perform everything from Americana to Metal will be recognized and will receive awards throughout the evening. Even though the main event is a few months away, the process of deciding those award winners begins now. 

The Detroit Music Awards are currently in Phase I of of their three phase voting system. Phase I is what they call the submission stage. During this time, you can submit any Detroit musician that you would like. In the past, this phase was open to the public, but this year they are switching things up a bit! You now have to be a registered DMA voter to submit artists as well. Don't worry though! It's easy to register. If you are involved in the Detroit music scene, you can sign up to vote. According to the DMA's website, "Musicians, managers, booking agents, media representatives, club management, sound technicians and other music industry professionals are all eligible to apply." You can sign up to vote here. 

Once you are registered to vote you can submit your favorite Detroit acts. There are categories for best solo artists, individual musicians, bands, live acts, albums, and more. The good thing about Phase I is that you can submit as many acts as you want to each category! Just make sure you look at the list and see who is already on there. There's no need to submit an artist more than once per category. Phase I is open through January 22. Then, during Phase II, nominations will be made from those submissions. Finally in Phase III the voting begins. 

So make sure you head over to DetroitMusicAwards.com and register to vote. Then, get those submissions in! And once you're registered to vote, you will be able to participate in all 3 phases of the voting process. Make sure you also head over and "like" the DMAs on Facebook here to stay in the loop on showcases and networking events that they have coming up leading up to the awards show in April!  

~C

The 25th Annual Detroit Music Awards

This Friday Detroit will celebrate its amazing music scene for the 25th year in a row at the Detroit Music Awards. This award show recognizes musicians both young and old in every genre from Classical to Metal.

Over a span of about 6 months, musicians are first submitted by fans and fellow musicians. Then those submissions are looked over and nominations are made from that list by a panel of Detroit Music Awards voters. Finally, in the final round those voters cast their choice from the nominees. It's a long process, but it allows everyone to get involved, at least for the first round. If you want to be considered for a DMA, you can even submit your own name or band's name during that round. The voters that are allowed to participate in Phase II and III must register, but if you have any affiliation with the Detroit music scene, it's pretty easy to become a voter.

So, the months of work and deliberation are over and the 2016 DMAs are finally here! The award ceremony will be held this Friday, April 29th at The Fillmore in Detroit. Personal favorites like Zander Michigan and 1592 are up for awards this year, you can see a full list of nominees here. In addition to musicians, the DMAs also honor other aspects of the music industry in Detroit, like studios and record labels. Throughout the night awards will be given away and there will also be live performances. Some of this year's performers include Child Bite, Def By Stereo and Jill Jack.

If you would like to attend this year's DMAs, general admission tickets are available for just $20 here. Doors for the event are set to open at 6 p.m. For more information on the Detroit Music Awards and to find out how you can get involved next year, head to DetroitMusicAwards.com.

~C

Don't Miss the Chance to Help Decide Who Gets a Detroit Music Award this Year

For the last 25 years the Detroit Music Awards has prided itself on recognizing Detroit area musicians working on a national, regional and local level. Although there is a board that makes the final decision on who wins awards every year, there are 3 phases to the voting process that you can be a part of!

This Monday, January 4th is the last day of Phase I of the voting process. During Phase I, EVERYONE can nominate their favorite Detroit bands and musicians. All you have to do is head over to DetroitMusicAwards.com. There are a dozen different genres, with subcategories under them. Scroll through the categories and submit your favorite artists, and even people that work behind the scenes in Detroit's music scene, like the best sound guy or gal! You don't have to register to make submissions, all you have to do is double check that the band, musician, or person hasn't already been submitted!

During the next couple of phases only a select group is allowed to be involved. However, it's pretty easy to become part of that group. If you are part of the Detroit music scene in any way, other than just being a fan, you can register to vote. Musicians, media, managers, sound people, club managers, and more are all eligible to register to nominate and vote. If you would like to register to nominate and vote in Phase II and III, click here. For an extra $20 you can become a member of the Detroit Music Awards Foundation, but that is not necessary to be eligible to vote.

We all know that there are a ton of great musicians in Detroit, so now is your chance to help them get recognized! Head over and make your submissions before Phase I ends tonight! And while you're there, just take a few minutes to register so you can still be involved in the next two phases. It's just like they say for governmental elections, "If you don't vote, you can't bitch"!

~C

The 2015 Detroit Music Awards Happen this Friday at The Fillmore

This Friday, April 10th the Detroit Music Awards will be taking over The Fillmore in Detroit. Put on by the non-profit Detroit Music Awards Foundation, the mission of this event is to, "recognize Detroit area musicians working on a national, regional and local level." Over the years the DMAs have been on the receiving end of a lot of scrutiny, many saying that the group does not honor or accurately represent the Detroit music scene (yours truly included, in that "many"). However, over the past couple of year's they have made changes, tried to get a wider group involved in the submission and nomination phases, and are making strides in the right direction. We here at Hip In Detroit both submitted musicians names and voted in every phase. Not all of our choices made the final cut, but there are some good ones on the list and we are curious to see who will win awards this year.

The 2015 DMAs are giving awards away in over 60 different categories, covering the broad spectrum of music that this city has to offer. Take a look at all of the nominees in each category below.

Americana Artist/ Group
Billy Brandt and the Sugarees
Mark Reitenga
Rio and the Rockibilly Revival
The Blueflowers
Ryan Dillaha and the Miracle Men
Michael on Fire

Americana Instrumentalist
Brian “Roscoe” White – guitar
Bonnie Kay – violin
Billy Brandt – guitar
Joey Spina – guitar
Jason Dennie – guitar
Bryan Reilly – drums
Bob Monteleone – guitar
Audra Kubat – guitar

Americana Recording
Gia Warner “Say You Will”
Billy Brandt and the Sugarees “The Time is Now”
The Blueflowers “At the Edge of Disaster”
Michael on Fire “Healing Waters”
Longneck Strangler “Home”
Olivia Millerschin “Over the Weather”

Americana Songwriter
Michael on Fire
Jill Jack
Olivia Millerschin
Gia Warner
Billy Brandt
Mark Reitenga

Americana Vocalist
Gia Warner
Rio Scafone
Billy Brandt
Jill Jack
Kate Hinote

Blues Artist / Group
Eliza Neals and the Narcotics
Mainstreet Soul
Bobby Murray Band
Howard Glazer
Dirty Basement Blues Band
Laith Al-Saadi

Blues Instrumentalist
Bobby Murray – guitar
Jim McCarty – guitar
Howard Glazer – guitar
Motor City Josh – guitar
George Bedard – guitar
bugs Beddow – trombone
George Friend – guitar
Pete Peltier – guitar

Blues Recording
Johnny Rhoades “Waiting on the Sun”
Howard Glazer “Looking in the Mirror”
Mike Leslie Band “4am Blues”
Laura Rain and the Caesars “Closer”
Dirty Basement Blues Band “Coming Clean”
Paul Miles “Truth, Peace and Justice”

Blues Songwriter
Bobby Murray
Paul Miles
Eliza Neals
Laura Rain and George Friend
Motor City Josh
Howard Glazer

Blues Vocalist
Tosha Owens
Thornetta Davis
Eliza Neals
Kathleen Murray
Laura Rain

Classical Composer
Michele Ramo
Anthony Lai
Todd Schoeneman
Bonnie Kaye

Classical Instrumentalist
Takashi Iio - double bass
bugs Beddow – trombone
Stephen Vaglica – piano
Bonnie Kaye – violin
Michele Ramo - guitar
Sonja Lee – violin

Classical Recording
Stephen Vaglica “Chopin”
Bonnie Kaye “Suite Overture”
Michele Roger “Separation of Body and Soul”
Todd Schoeneman “Asylum”

Classical Small Ensemble
Detroit Chamber Winds and Strings
Il Segreto String Quartet
Cassini Ensemble
New Music Detroit
Pebble Creek Chamber Orchestra
Nuclassica

Classical Vocalist
Anamaria Ylizaliturri
Amber Williams
Brian LeDuc
Heidi Hepler
Ramsey Valentyn

Community OrchestraAnn Arbor Symphony Orchestra
Dearborn Symphony Orchestra
Warren Concert Band
Orchard Lake Philharmonic
Motor City Symphony Orchestra
Birmingham Bloomfield Symphony Orchestra

Country Artist / Group
Annabelle Road
Ty Stone
Horse Cave Trio
Julianne Ankley & the Rogues
The Orbitsuns
Whitey Morgan & the 78’s

Country Instrumentalist
Joey Spina – guitar
Brian “ Roscoe White “ – guitar
Roger Noonan – bass
Mark Richardson – guitar
Bobby Black – guitar
Bonnie Kaye – violin
Maggie McCabe - guitar, mandolin, bodhran
Rich Browarski – guitar

Country Recording
Ty Stone “The Boulevard”
Billy Brandt and the Sugarees “Blue Baby Blue”
Kat Beal “End of the Line”
Michael on Fire: duet with Carlene Carter “Done this Dance Before”
Longneck Strangler “Front Porch Swing”
Whitey Morgan & the 78’s “Whitey Morgan Born Raised & Live from Flint”

Country Songwriter
Don Duprie
Julianne Ankley
Scott Dailey
Matt Dmits
Kat Beal
Maureen Hogan

Country Vocalist
Julianne Ankley
Joe Jaber
Joey Vee
Ricky Lentz
Kat Beal

Electronic Dance Artist / Group
Eprom Colony featuring Merideth Lorde
Flashcash
Carjack
N2 Submission featuring The Impaler
Electrocrush
Ghost Synthesis

Electronic / Dance DJ
DJ Pleasure Kitten
DJ Psycho
DJ Dock
DJ Moondancer
Barbara Jean
DJ Disc Detroit
DJ Maestro

Electronic / Dance Recording
Flashcash “Listen to the Music”
DJ Psycho + Ryan Start “Element 06”
Electrocrush “Orpheus”
Seven the General “The Go”
The Fuhrer Macabre “Fearless”

Electronic / Dance Writer / Producer
Jeff Rebrovich
DJ Maestro
The Impaler
Doc Colony
Jimmie Nitrez
Nabil “ DJ Sandman “ Ansara

GENERAL:
Anthology, Compilation/ Reissue
Scott Morgan “ Revolutionary Action “ ( Easy Action )
Various Artists “ Shady XV “
Various Artists “ Dirty Boogie: The Fortune Records Story “
Catfish Hodge “ Different Strokes: The Complete Westbound Recordings ”
Stoney and the Jagged Edge “ Chasing Rainbows “

Live Performance
The Infatuations
Howling Diablos
Mainstreet Soul
Rio and the Rockabilly Revival
The Ruiners
White Shag

Live Sound Technician
Randal Roy
Joshua Wizinsky
Neil T Sever
Cool Chris Panacki
Tom Lubinski
Craiger

Local Record Label
Detroit Music Factory
Static Records
Mack Avenue
Musart
Funk Night Records
Jett Plastic Recordings

National Major Label / Distribution Album
Bob Seger “Ride Out” ( Capitol )
Regina Carter “Southern Comfort” ( Sony Masterworks )
Jack White “Lazaretto”
Aretha Franklin “Aretha Franklin Sings the Great Diva Classics” ( RCA )
Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. “Produce Volume 1” ( mixtape )
Jaded Inc. “The Big Knock” ( Casablanca / Republic )

National Single
Bob Seger “Detroit Made“
Jack White “Lazaretto”
Aretha Franklin “Rolling in the Deep” ( The Aretha version )
Various Artists ( Eminem, Royce Da 5’9”, Big Sean, Dej Loaf, Trick Trick, “Detroit vs. Everybody”
Eminem “Guts Over Fear”
We Came as Romans “Ghosts”

National Small / Independent Label Distribution Album
Jessica Hernandez & the Deltas “Secret Evil”
Bobby Murray “I’m Stickin With You”
Critical Bill “The New Eternal”
The Verve Pipe “Overboard”
Frigid Pink “Made in Detroit”
Brandon Williams “ XII “

Record Producer
Chuck Alkazian
Peter Jay
Al Sutton
Bryan Reilly
Tino Gross
Andy Patalan

Recording Studio
Pearl Sound
Funky D Studios
Metro 37 Recording Studio
The Tempermill
Rustbelt Studios
Peter Jay Audio Post

Video/ Independent Budget ( Under $ 10,000 )
Michael on Fire “100 Years from Now”
Artifical Agent “Master Blaster”
1592 “Think”
Critical Bill “Alone or Lonely”
Kaleido “Degenerate and Young”
Ben Sharkey “What You’ve Given”

Video / Major Budget ( Over $10,000 )
Jack White “Lazaretto”
Eminem “Guts Over Fear”
Passalacqua “The Baptism”
Bob Seger “Detroit Made”
Eminem, “Headlights”

Tribute Band
Whoremones ( All Girl Ramones )
Danny D. ( Rod Stewart )
The Polka Floyd Show
Al McKenzie ( Chick Licks ) (Chick Corea Tribute)
Raputa – J. Geils Tribute
In the Flesh – Detroit

Gospel/ Christian Act
The Gideon Crew
Sacred Heart Gospel Choir
Sweet Crystal
Arielle Crosby
Sounds of Imani
Joe Kidd & Sheila Burke

Gospel/ Christian Musician
Devon Whitehead – drums
Keith Lawrence – keyboards
William B. Pope II – bass
Pete Peltier – guitar
Bill Blatter – guitar
Al McKenzie – keyboards
Jay Caver – guitar

Gospel/ Christian Recording
Ty Stone “Backslidin”
Sounds of Imani “Must Be an Angel”
Speechless “100 Voices to Save 100 Souls”
Sweet Crystal “Foot of the Cross”
One Achord “Dream”

Gospel/ Christian Songwriter
Sonnie Day
Amy Susan Heard
Al McKenzie
Joe Kidd & Sheila Burke
Sharon Love Jones

Gospel/ Christian Vocalist
Ortheia Barnes
Al Jaquez
Amy Susan Heard
Sonnie Day
Tasha Page- Lockhart
Joe Kidd & Sheila Burke

Jazz Composer
Gary Schunk
Wendell Harrison
Kris Kurzawa
James Hughes
Tracy Kash
Scott Gwinnell

Jazz Instrumentalist
Ralphe Armstrong – bass
Gary Schunk – piano
Damon Warmack – bass
bugs Beddow – trombone, flute
Kris Kurzawa – guitar
Mike Jellick – piano
Andy Wickstrom – trumpet
Scott Gwinnell – piano
Demetrius Nabors – piano

Jazz Recording
Rodney Whitaker “When We Find Ourselves Alone” ( Mack Ave )
Ron Kischuk & The Masters of Music Featuring Curtis Fuller “ Alamode “
Michele Ramo World Jazz Orchestra “A Cigar & A Scotch”
Planet D Nonet “ Just a Sittin and a Rockin”
Meri Slaven “Get Out of Town”
Epic Movement “Project One: A Dreamer”

Jazz Vocalist
Meri Slaven
Joan Belgrave
Trish Shandor
Ben Sharkey
Sheila Landis
Penny Wells

Modern Jazz Artist / Group
Hot Club of Detroit
Ben Sharkey Quartet
Carl Cafagna and North Star Jazz
Muruga Booker & Mark Hershberger
Dave McMurray and the Cover Collection
Scott Gwinnell Jazz Orchestra

Traditional Jazz Artist / Group
Metro Jazz Voices
Planet D Nonet
Craig Strain Orchestra
Ron Kischuks’ Masters of Music Band
John Trudell Orchestra ( Small Ensemble )
Gary Schunk Trio

Rock Instrumentalist
Wolf - guitar
Joey Fava –drums
Erik Gustafson – guitar
Dennis Burr – guitar
Jim McCarty – guitar
Brian Lord – guitar
Johnny Bee Badanjek – drums
Eddie Baranek – guitar, keyboards

Rock Recording
Bristol Street- Saul Goodman “Feelin Strong”
Alyssa Simmons “Now or Never”
Bulletproof Snow “Here We Come”
Tiles “Off the Floor”
Dave Edwards band featuring Jimmie Bones “Bring It on Home to Me”
Kaleido “Unbreakable”

Rock Songwriter
Christina Chriss & Joey Fava
George Aneed & Evan Maguire
Carolyn Striho
Alyssa Simmons
Gia Warner
Robert Libres, Dana Forrester, Brent Hall, Peder Seglund, James Trunko

Rock Vocalist
Trey McLaughlin
Laura Mendoza
Gia Warner
Barbara Payton
Christina Chriss
George Aneed
Steven Tuthill

Heavy Rock ( Metal, Industrial, Goth , Thrash et al. ) Artist / Group
Artificial Agent
Chrome Mollie
Harlow
Dead in 5
Critical Bill
Wilson

Alt/ Punk/ Indie Artist/ Group
Flint Eastwood
Royal Blackbirds
Choking Susan
Bristol Street
The Ruiners
Crud

Rock/ Pop Artist Group
White Shag
Kaleido
The Infatuations
Bulletproof Snow
Hatchetmen
Citizen Zero

Urban Artist / Group
The Infatuations
Tmoney Greens Roadwork
Mainstreet Soul
Tosha Owens
Gabe “ Undisco Kidd “ Gonzalez
Howling Diablos

Urban Musician
Kat Orlando – sax
Johnny Evans – sax
George Friend – guitar
Wolf – guitar
Brandon Williams – bass
Kris Kurzawa – guitar
Tmoney Green – bass
Gabe Gonzalez – drums

Urban Songwriter
Gabe Gonzalez
Brandon Williams
Shotgun Soul
Tino Gross
The Infatuations
Tmoney Green

Urban Vocalist
L’Renee
Tino Gross
Laura Rain
Tosha Owens
Caleb Guiterrez
Tmoney Green

Urban Recording
The Infatuations “Detroit Block Party”
Various Artists “My Home Detroit”
Third Coast Kings “West Grand Blvd.”
Paul Miles “Strawberry”
The Blackman featuring Shirley Hayden “Stop Being Messy”

World Artist / Group
Victor Peraino’s Kingdom Come
Tumbao Bravo
The Process
Zap Toro
Michele Ramo World Jazz Orchestra
1592

World Instrumentalist
Sean Blackman – guitar
Javier Barrios – percussion
Lynn LaPlante – piano
Kris Kurzawa – guitar
Michele Ramo – guitar
Muruga Booker – percussion
Harper – Peter D. Harper – harmonica

World Recording
The Muruga Band “Michigan Mud”
1592 “Think”
Roots Vibration “Only Yu” ( reggae / dancehall )
The Process “Fire is Burning” ( Scientist vocal mix )

World Songwriter
Michele Ramo
Eric Abbey
Kris Kurzawa
David Asher
“Harper” Peter D. Harper
Dave Edwards
Bob Monteleone

World Vocalist
Ping Spells
Eric Abbey
David Asher
Maggie McCabe
Dave Edwards
Heidi Hepler

Rap Recording
Passalacqua “Church”
Hush “Sprinklers”
David Bigham “Dolla Bills”
Magnanomus “Roy G. Biv”
GB Cortez McGhee “Imported from Detroit”
Profit “Motor City Miracles”

Rap MC
K-Squeez
Hush
Microphone Phelps
Seven the General
Doc Waffles
Powerdise

Rap Composer
Eddie Logix
Volcano
Seven the General
Jon Conner
K-Squeez
Profit

Rap Producer / DJ
Seven the General
Nabil “ DJ Sandman “ Ansara
Denaun Porter
Nick Speed
Eddie Logix
Volcano

If you would like to see who will win a Detroit Music Award this year, head to The Fillmore this Friday night. Admission is $20-$25 and tickets can be purchased in advance here. In addition to announcements of award winners, there will also be live performances. For a full list of who will be hitting the stage, click here. For more information on the Detroit Music Awards and to see a list of who won after the awards ceremony on the 10th, click here.

~C

Here's Your Chance to be a Part of the Detroit Music Awards!

Any of you that have been following Hip In Detroit for a while know that we have mixed feelings on the Detroit Music Awards. Yes, many of the same artists and bands have won year after year. And yes, some say that it isn't an accurate representation of the Detroit music scene. However, we did see some advances last year and it seems as though the people behind the DMAs are making an effort to make this year's awards even better and more inclusive. Here are some changes that they have made:

• After winning the same category for two consecutive years, an act will be exempt for the following year but will be eligible again the year after that.
• What was formerly the Acoustic/Folk category will now be known as Americana.
• The Rock field will now include the categories Rock/Pop, Heavy Rock and Alt/Punk/Indie.
• The Blues/R&B field will now be known solely as Blues.
• The Urban/Funk field will now be known solely as Urban but will still include Funk, Soul and other sub-genres related to that heading.
• A separate Rap field has been added, with the categories of Outstanding Rap Recording, Outstanding Rap MC, Outstanding Rap Composer and Outstanding Rap Producer.
• The World/Reggae/Ska field will now be known solely as World Music, but will include Reggae, Ska and other sub-genres related to that heading.

Last year we were definitely happy to see a wider variety of people from the Detroit music community at least nominated, and that all starts with you. The Detroit Music Awards are ultimately decided by a designated group. However, there are 3 stages on the road to a DMA, with the first being the submission phase. During Phase I anyone can submit anyone from the Detroit music scene. So that means you, yes you, can submit your band or your favorite band. There are actually a number of different categories to nominate people in. The main categories are the genres of Americana, Blues, Classical, Country, Electronic/Dance, General, Gospel/Christian, Jazz, Rock, Urban, World Music and Rap. Within each of those categories there are subcategories for everything from bands to individual musicians. Basically the only rule is that you can't submit someone that has already been nominated. So read the list to see who is already on it! For all of the rules and to get started, click here. The submission phase runs from now 'til January 30th. So make sure you get on it soon!

If you would like to be included in more than Phase I and actually have an opportunity to vote, all you have to do is apply. Basically, if you are involved in the Detroit Music Industry, you can register to be able to vote. This goes for musicians, managers, booking agents, sound guys, and pretty much everything in between. To register and see if you are eligible, click here.

This year's Detroit Music Awards will take place on Friday, April 10th at The Fillmore in Detroit. Prior to that, the DMAs will be holding networking events, with the first on January 27th at the new Fowling Warehouse in Hamtramck. Entry is only $5 for DMA Voting Members and $10 for the public. There will be music provided by Blue Snaggletooth, F. Patrick James, Harlow, The Royal Blackbirds and Stereo Jane, appetizers, drink specials, a raffle, and of course, fowling. This is a great way to get involved with the DMAs and meet the people behind the scenes.

If you can't make it out to the event, at least submit your favorite artists now during Phase I. If you really want to get involved, try to register to vote. It's just like they say when it comes to political elections, if you don't vote, you can't complain.

~C

The 2014 Detroit Music Awards

The 23rd Detroit Music Awards were held at The Fillmore in Detroit last Friday. This year's winners included Emily Rose, The Infatuations (winning 4), 1592, and Wilson. Yes, that Wilson. The kings of fuckery actually took home a DMA. Christie and I attended the festivities and talked to some of this year's nominees and winners.

First, we caught up with producer Matt Dalton who is co-owner of 37 Studios. He was nominated with his partner for the Award of Best Studio as well as Outstanding Record Producer.

Next, we talked to Josh from The ILL Itches. He put out a record this past year with Lee Majors, called The Pathetic Sounds of Detroit. The album was a compilation of artists in the area including The HandGrenades, White Shag, and Emily Rose. Josh talked about the making of the album and what he is working on next.

Finally, we chatted with Kyle Landry from Wilson about winning his first DMA. He was surprisingly talkative and exceptionally funny. After the interview he spent the evening carrying around a baggie with a DMA and a package of travel Cottonelle wipes. Watch the interview, you'll get it.

We saw some positive changes this year and you could definitely tell by the vibe and people in the room. Although the atmosphere wasn't completely different from when we went a couple of year's ago, the DMA team is moving in the right direction and we're anxious to see more changes and improvements for next year. We would like to see even more great acts get the attention that they deserve too. For a full list of this year's winners go here.

~S&C

Help Shake Up The Detroit Music Awards at Small's This Friday!

Some of you may know that I am not a fan of the Detroit Music Awards. To be honest, I think that they are one of the most meaningless parts of the Detroit scene and do not capture the bands that are really out there making moves. Instead they seem to be a weird popularity contest that recognizes who can write a good entry form and who can rally enough people to vote for them. For me to think it was legit, it would have to nominate bands based on something like tangible records sales or who can actually fill a venue on a Friday night. But, since it doesn't seem eager to revamp the model I guess we have to work within it and try to at least shake it up. I would love to see some of the talented bands that we cover win a few awards and for people to actually see the bands that are out there playing in the city and across the country every weekend.

That's where we come in, apparently Small's is hosting a DMA listening party this Friday that is actually being thrown by the people that run the DMA Foundation. The idea is that you can come and hear some music and register yourself to vote for this year's winner. You can also register your band to be considered for one of the awards this year. If all the people that normally come to Small's come out and put their two cents in, I think we might have a chance to actually see the DMAs represent what's actually happening in this city. Wouldn't it be neat to see Wilson, The HandGrenades, Break Anchor, James Linck, or Tunde win an award instead of the Howling Diablos this year? (No hate to the Diablos, but you guys have won a lot!).

Small's is located at 10338 Conant in Hamtramck and doors open at 8 p.m. Admission is free and drinks containing Tequila Cabresto will be only $3 all night long. Come out, get a drink, and let's shake up the Detroit Music Awards from the inside out this year.

~S

Detroit Music Awards- Who Are All These People?

Last week we told you about the Detroit Music Awards. We were very excited to go and check out this event. As I mentioned before, we love awards shows and we love music.

Unfortunately, after attending the event we do not understand why they are called the Detroit Music Awards. There was no one there from a local band that we have even heard of (other than FLASHCLASH) and there weren't really any awards being announced. The winners were projected onto a screen in the entrance way of the Fillmore before "the show" even started.

The event seemed more about Vitamin Water then it did about music. I really don't like to hate on an event, especially when they were nice enough to let us come, but you can't expect us to lie to people and say that it is any representation of the amazing music that we have here in Michigan. There is a whole new scene of musicians in this area playing out weekly, recording and releasing music that are not even being represented. I think for this event to become legitimized, they need to find a better way to pick nominees. It would be nice to see a real representation of what Detroit music is about today, not what it used to be.

Here is some video we took at the show, sorry we are such caddy bitches, but it's just so fun!

Condolences to FLASHCLASH and Miz Korona. If it's any consolation to you, we do not think winning these awards will make or break anything for you. You're already killing it and doing your thing!

~SBC

FLASHCLASH Does It Again!

The nominees have been announced for the 2012 Detroit Music Awards and the amazing FLASHCLASH have been nominated for four, count it, four awards. We kind of want to say we told you so, but I guess we’re not that bitchy. We have been trying to tell you that this is some futuristic, bad-ass, amazing shit. And finally, FLASHCLASH may be able to get the acclaim that they deserve.

FLASHCLASH was nominated in four categories at this year’s awards: Best Electronic Musician, Best Electronic Recording for “Born of Astronauts," Best Live Act, and Best Electronic Live Producer, Dilan Wade. The awards will be handed out at The Fillmore on April 27. We personally believe that they deserve to win every one of these titles, but would be saddened to hear that they did not win best live act because we have never seen anyone else do what they do. The production, lighting, sound, and decor of their stage show only adds to the fact that they write great music and play it well.

You have to register to vote. You must either already be a member or submit for approval to be registered. Detroit Music Awards voters need be able to demonstrate their involvement with the music industry. Musicians, managers, booking agents, media representatives, club management, sound technicians and other music industry professionals are all eligible to apply.

Sign up today and vote for FLAHCLASH!

I was able to briefly contact Astronaut Bryce Carroll-Coe to ask him about the nominations and impending awards. Here's what he had to say;

HipInDetroit- The nominees for this year's Detroit Music Awards have been announced and you were nominated in 4 categories, including best album and performance. Two huge categories. How does it feel?

Bryce- It's great that we're up for these awards. I'm particularly excited and honored for the Best Performance category. From the start our General, Yorg, has had a vision of something that people have never seen live. We've been able to take that vision and have it come to fruition. It's a point of pride for me primarily because of the hard work it takes to put out our performance from day to day or show to show. It's anywhere from 2 1/2 to 4 hours to get our show up and running. Lots of heavy lifting and lots of trouble shooting from venue to venue. Plus, seeing it all light up with a crowd up front is erection inducing.

HipInDetroit- Over the weekend you let your followers in on a little secret, the Mayans were wrong and the world won't end. Since you're from the future, do you know the outcome of the awards? Want to share it with us?

Bryce- I've made it a point to not know too much about what's already happened. Keep in mind that The Holt has done everything in their power to rid us of any real historical documentation. We only know the Mayans were wrong because we're still here in 2987. Also, did the Mayans even bother accounting for Leap Years? We have some items of historical importance but, nowhere near enough to aid us too heavily. The temptation to check what we do have is always there, though.

HipInDetroit- Will you be able to attend the awards on April 27 or do you think The Holt will stop you from being able to make an appearance?

Bryce- It depends on whether or not they've gotten wind of what we've got coming up. There's lots of promotion here in this time period but, they don't see everything we're doing here. If someone here is following us and returning to them with information concerning our whereabouts, then we might be in for a fight. I am not worried about it. As long as they don't notice we're not currently in 2987 on that night if should be safe for us to attend.

HipInDetroit- Who comes up with the concept for your videos? I specifically love "Spiraling" and "Don't Let Them In." You should have been nominated for best video! That chick with the leopard print skin is f-ing hot, by the way!

Bryce- Yeah, that's actually a really good friend of ours from this time period, Helena Kirby. Her FA's (future ancestors) asked us to look in on her and show her the ways she can help now. Being in the videos and helping us write music is only the beginning for her . . .
The concept for DLTI was kind of how Yorg started the concept for this mission. The song was one of the first ones he designed. Once we received our marching orders from Chann (our mother) Yorg decided that for a revolution to begin, people had to be shocked. We researched and looked for the things that shocked people from this time period. This is the year we needed to start this revolution.
Spiraling's video was a concept designed by a small task force of revolutionaries that go by Axis Media. They've been good enough to listen to and support our struggles. They're extremely smart and extremely well stocked in their arsenal. Lots of firepower. It's for them that I feel bad about missing out on this nomination. Their preparation and execution were second to none on that shoot and they pulled out the ideas they were most excited to portray.
 
Never give up. Never surrender.
 
We are hoping to get into the Detroit Music Awards and get a sneak peek at the astronauts winning an award or four. I truly wish them the best and congratulate them on all they have accomplished so far. We continue to support you in your fight against The Holt! Music makes the world go round. 
 

~S