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And the AMP goes to .... Alejandro!

Our panel of Austin Music Pundits overwhelmingly pick 'Real Animal' as the record of the year

Wednesday, December 24, 2008

If we had a Comeback of the Year category, Alejandro Escovedo would've won that one, too. By a landslide. Just three years ago, Escovedo was so weakened by the ravages of hepatitis C that he didn't know if he could ever rock again. The time off from the road, where he's always made his living, ended up being a boon to reflective, cobweb-destroying songwriting. With collaborator Chuck Prophet, Escovedo looked back at his life under the influence of rock 'n' roll and created "Real Animal," an album that our panel of Austin Music Pundits has overwhelmingly voted as the best Austin album of 2008. Ten of our 12 Austin music insiders listed the album in their Top 10.

This "Animal" howled and ripped, but also touched on a tender side with "Sister Lost Soul," which tied with the Springsteenish "Always a Friend" as the song of the year.

Having returned to full strength, Escovedo was also named Best Live Act. The Dedringers, the New Braunfels duo turned alt-rockers, easily won the Best New Act, as some critics no doubt regarded White Denim as older than new.

— Michael Corcoran

Best Austin LP of 2008

Our 12 Austin Music Pundits either used a weighted system, giving 15 points for No. 1, 14 points for No. 2 and so on, or they used the John T. method, evenly distributing 10 points for each of their top 10 records.

1. 'Real Animal,' Alejandro Escovedo (106 points)

2. 'Just Us Kids,' James McMurtry (74)

3. 'Rook,' Shearwater (68)

4. 'Trouble in Mind,' Hayes Carll (66)

5. 'Exposion,' White Denim (64)

6. 'Let's All Go to Bed,' the Mother Truckers (47)

7. (tie) 'Sweetheart of the Neighborhood,' the Dedringers; 'The Stand Ins,' Okkervil River (43)

9. 'Two Men With the Blues,' Willie Nelson/Wynton Marsalis (36)

10. 'The Band of Heathens,' the Band of Heathens (35)

11. 'Beautiful World,' Eliza Gilkyson (33)

12. 'Miss Understood,' Carolyn Wonderland (32)

13. 'Sonidos Gold,' Grupo Fantasma (31)

14. 'The Black and White Years,' the Black and White Years (30)

15. 'Rivers Arms,' Balmorhea (23)

16. 'Peace, Love & BBQ,' Marcia Ball (22)

17. (tie) 'Voices of a Grateful Nation, Vols. 1 and 2,' various artists; 'Rear View Mirror' reissue, Townes Van Zandt; 'No Small Feat,' Foot Patrol (15)

20. (tie) 'Total Abuse,' Total Abuse; 'Dual Hawks,' Centro-matic/South San Gabriel; 'Nothing Happens for a Reason,' Pompeii (14)

Songs of the Year

Each voter chose five local tunes that moved them in '08. Here's the consensus, though it should be mentioned that McMurtry had the most songs mentioned, with four from 'Just Us Kids.'

1. (tie) 'Always a Friend,' 'Sister Lost Soul,' Alejandro Escovedo

3. 'She Left Me For Jesus,' Hayes Carll

4. 'Rooks,' Shearwater

5. 'Just Us Kids,' James McMurtry

Best New Act

Each music insider selected three, with the Dedringers mentioned on six ballots and the other four listed getting two votes a piece in what proved to be a wide-open category. Look at all the fresh talent getting nods.

1. Dedringers

2. (tie) White Denim, Belleville Outfit, Steps, Dana Falconberry

Others receiving votes: Kathleen Taylor, Goldcure, Sideshow Tragedy, Drew Smith's Lonely Choir, Foot Patrol, the Daze, Eastern Sea, Leatherbag, Black Joe Lewis, Sunny Sweeney, La Tampiquena, Suzanna Choffel, T Bird and the Breaks, Future Clouds & Radar, Betty Soo, We Go To Eleven, Balmorhea, the Young, Naw Dude, Dikes of Holland, Austin Collins, Mario Matteoli and Cayce Rose.

Best Live Act

Escovedo picks up another one by being able to back up his red pointed shoes.

1. Alejandro Escovedo

2. White Denim

3. (tie) Hayes Carll, Shearwater

5. Many acts received one vote, including the Gourds, Ghostland Observatory, Carolyn Wonderland, Grupo Fantasma, Terri Hendrix, the Lemurs and Okkervil River.

Favorite concerts

AMP voters pick their favorite concert, local or national, of the year:

Michael Corcoran (AA-S): Ryan Bingham at Austin City Limits Music Festival

Joe Gross (AA-S): Killdozer at Fun Fun Fun Fest

Paige Maguire (Austinist): Akron/Family at Emo's during SXSW

Jody Denberg (KGSR): Sam Baker & Gurf Morlix at the Cactus

Jesse Strub (Waterloo Records): Manu Chao at ACL Fest

John T. Davis (AA-S): Robert Plant & Alison Krauss at ACL Fest

Brian T. Atkinson (AA-S): Todd Snider at the Cactus

Sean O'Neal (the Onion/decider.com): Swell Season ACL taping

V. Marc Fort (AA-S): Reivers at the Parish, Swervedriver at Emo's

Richard Skanse (Texas Music Magazine): Swell Season at ACL Fest

Lynn Margolis (freelance): Joe Ely, Guy Clark, John Hiatt, Lyle Lovett at the Paramount

John Kunz (Waterloo Records): (tie) Alejandro Escovedo at the Continental, Brownout! at the Mohawk, Shelby Lynn at Antone's

A look at some individual ballots for top records of 2008 from our Austin Music Pundits:

Joe Gross, Austin American Statesman

1. White Denim, 'Exposion' (15 points)

2. Total Abuse, 'Total Abuse' (14)

3. Harlem, 'Free Drugs' (13)

4. Shearwater, 'Rook' (12)

5. Faithealer, 'Bound and Chained' (11)

6. Hayes Carll, 'Trouble in Mind' (9)

7. Golden Boys, 'Goodbye Country' (8)

8. Doom Siren, 'Homeland Insecurity' (7)

9. Alejandro Escovedo, 'Real Animal' (6)

10. James McMurtry, 'Just Us Kids' (5)

Paige Maguire, Austinist

1. Shearwater, 'Rook' (15)

2. White Denim, 'Exposion' (14)

3. Mediums, 'Altogether' (13)

4. Okkervil River, 'The Stand Ins' (12)

5. Leatherbag, 'Love & Harm' (11)

6. Human Milk, 'Grapefruit Clouds' (9)

7. Balmorhea, 'Rivers Arm' (8)

8. Silent Land Time Machine, '&hope still' (7)

9. The Sword, 'Gods of the Earth' (6)

10. My Education, 'Bad Vibrations' (5)

Michael Corcoran, Austin American Statesman

1. Black and White Years, 'Black and White Years' (15)

2. Mother Truckers, 'Let's All Go to Bed' (14)

3. Okkervil River, 'The Stand Ins' (13)

4. Hayes Carll, 'Trouble in Mind' (12)

5. Alejandro Escovedo, 'Real Animal' (11)

6. Shearwater, 'Rook' (9)

7. James McMurtry, 'Just Us Kids' (8)

8. White Denim, 'Exposion' (7)

9. South Austin Jug Band, 'Strange Invitation' (6)

10. Dana Falconberry, 'Oh Skies of Grey' (5)

Richard Skanse, Texas Music magazine

1. The Dedringers, 'Sweetheart of the Neighborhood' (15)

2. Alejandro Escovedo, 'Real Animal' (14)

3. Terri Hendrix, 'Left Over Alls' (13)

4. Graham Weber, 'The Door to the Morning' (12)

5. Kathleen Taylor, ''Defy the World' (11)

6. Goldcure, Portuguese Prince' (9)

7. The Mother Truckers, 'Let's All Go to Bed'' (8)

8. Gurf Morlix, 'Birth to Boneyard' (7)

9. Joe Ely & Joel Guzman, 'Live Cactus' (6)

10. Maggie Walters, 'Midwestern Hurricane' (5)