Best Local Recording 2002 | The Ugly People vs. The Beautiful PeopleThe CzarsBella Union Records | Best of Denver® | Best Restaurants, Bars, Clubs, Music and Stores in Denver | Westword
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Best Local Recording

The Ugly People vs. The Beautiful People
The Czars
Bella Union Records

We all know the altitude is to blame for everything, from a cheap pop-up at Coors Field turning into a tape-measure home run to the somewhat sorry state of sushi. But since when did it cause locals to become hard of hearing? What else could explain the release of a disc as engaging as the Czars' The Ugly People vs. The Beautiful People receiving less local coverage than John Elway's latest post-retirement hobby? Much of Europe is already wise to this release, which has landed the Czars in the pages of cross-Atlantic publications from Time Out to Mojo. On the disc, lush, melancholy vocals beautifully color such stellar tracks as the lilting "Lullaby 6000" and the hypnotic "Drug." Hometown crowds should join the Beautiful People.

Best Musical Recommendation of the Mile High City

Denver
Andy Monley
Velveteen Records

Former Jux County frontman and current Czar Andy Monley released Denver, his first solo CD, in January. A collection of songs Monley wrote in his downtime over a couple of years, the album features guest cameos from a fine group of local players, including guitarist Janet Feder, Mike Serviolo, Monkey Siren's Glenn Taylor and Mark Harris and the Czars' John Grant and Chris Pearson. Denver is melodic, moody and nearly perfect. We wish the whole city sounded this good.

Best Pop Recording

Sound Go Round
Dressy Bessy
Kindercore Records

Those who've resisted the charms of Dressy Bessy in the past complained that the four-piece's music was too cute, too sweet, too cuddly. But on Sound Go Round, too much feels just right. Each ditty here is an irresistible hook-o-rama whose allure is magnified by lead singer Tammy Ealom's winsome crooning and guitarist John Hill's unfussy production. Anyone who can listen to this disc without smiling has some issues in need of resolving.

Best Power-Pop Recording

Stop
34 Satellite
Hideaway Records

Singer-songwriter/guitarist Marc Benning understands that power pop only succeeds when its two primary components are kept in perfect balance -- and on Stop, he achieves his aim more often than not. "Get Out Alive," "Caroline," "Smoke From a Funeral" and many other tracks here are compulsively hummable without seeming wimpy, and they rock with conviction that never degenerates into mere dopiness. This Satellite is flying high.

Best Punk Recording

Live Plus One
All
Epitaph

When the members of All relocated to Fort Collins, many observers of the scene didn't expect them to stay there for long -- but seven years later, they're still in place, and they've created quite a scene around their studio, the accurately named Blasting Room. Live Plus One, their latest effort, definitely provides bang for the buck. Its first disc is a relentless rendering of 22 songs recorded at Fort Collins's Starlight Lounge last year; its second finds punk demigods the Descendents (three current members of All plus original vocalist Milo Aukerman), blitzing through another 21, including classics such as "My Dad Sucks," during a gig at L.A.'s Whiskey A Go-Go in 1996. Punk rock lives!

Best Roots Recording

Closed
Drag the River
O&O/Upland

Drag the River's Chad Price is the lead vocalist of All, and colleague Jon Snodgrass hails from Armchair Martian -- so Closed must be high-energy punk, right? Not even close. The album is filled with hard-drinking tales of life and loss accompanied by plenty of cohort Zach Boddicker's pedal-steel. It's not country, it's not rock, and it's not a combination of these genres that any of the Eagles could relate to. Instead, it's gutsy, sincere music straight from the heart -- and the bottom of a bottle.

Best Ska Recording

Electric Boogaloo
Five Iron Frenzy
5 Minute Walk Records

During Five Iron Frenzy's years of existence, ska has gone in and out of style (and given the success of the No Doubt single "Hey Baby," it may be on the rise again). But the band has stayed steadily on course, developing a tight, exciting variation on the style. The membership's Christian beliefs sometimes surface overtly, as on "Far, Far Away," but tunes like "Pre-Ex-Girlfriend" ("She said she hated Kenny G/That girl is way too good for me") will hit the pleasure spot for listeners of every stripe.

Best Brand-New, Decade-Old Red Rocks Release

Live at Red Rocks
Artemis Records

The concert that singer-songwriter Rickie Lee Jones gave at Red Rocks on July 5, 1990, is brand-new all over again, thanks to Live at Red Rocks, Artemis Records' recent release. Although On Hold at Red Rocks might be a more accurate title, the CD is authentically enjoyable, a quick trip back to the late '80s, when Jones released her classic Flying Cowboys. Chuck E.'s in Love -- and so are a lot of other people who listen to this.

Best Metal Zine

Throat Culture Magazine
www.throatculture.net

Every few months for three years running, writer/editor/publisher Rod Brown has unleashed a new edition of Throat Culture Magazine, boosting its distribution and circulation with each press run. Brown's passion for "abrasive music" fuels this beast, a dense glossy loaded with articles, reviews and interviews regarding all things headbanging. In the case of this Throat Culture, the results usually come back positive.

Best Red-Eyed Return of a Local Zine

Modern Drunkard

As long as it pertains to getting ripped to the tits, local filmmaker/writer/boozebag Frank Rich prints all the news that's fit to drink. Whether it's the wisdom of forty-ounce philosophers, true stories from the sozzled

side or the savvy drunk's guide to low-cost quaffs, Modern Drunkard -- which took a hiatus in 1998 after a dozen issues -- covers the town like a cheap suit. Consistently funny, the monthly publication celebrates the passionate affair between language and liquor with regular columns from Giles Humbert III and the Concerned Cad. A filmic extension of the Drunkard campaign is currently in production under Rich's guidance; his prior credits include the noir-caper Nixing the Twist. The paper version includes cocktail recipes, obscure trivia and the occasional drunken doggerel from Joe or Jane Barfly. Li'l stories 'bout drinky an' hap -- hic! -- pee hour. Whudderya lookinat? Hahhgh? Gizadringk!

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