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AMP Awards 2004: The best year ever? For Jon Dee, yeah

'The Great Battle' wins the top spot in the Austin Music Pundit Awards

By Michael Corcoran
Dec. 30, 2004

Photo by Traci Goudie

With 'The Great Battle,' Jon Dee Graham's combination of solid musicianship, salt-of-the-earth songwriting and gravelly-voiced delivery scored with critics.

'This year's gonna be the best year ever ... just wait and see," Jon Dee Graham sings on the title track of "The Great Battle," then concedes, "For about 45 minutes, then watch it sink into the sea."

Here are part of your 45 minutes, Mr. Graham: Our panel of critics, music directors and insiders who voted in the eighth annual Austin Music Pundit Awards has declared "The Great Battle," a hardened, unflinching, yet ultimately sweet exploration of the human condition, the best Austin album of 2004.

Produced by Charlie Sexton and engineered by Jared Tuten at the Top Hat and Wire studios in South Austin, "Battle" is so consistently good that the AMP crew voted individually for four of its tracks as the best Austin song. A perennial critics' fave, the gravel-throated guitar ace has consistently placed high in AMP voting, but with "The Great Battle" Graham put it together like never before.

Edged from the top spot, but renewing last year's victory in the best song category, is Patty Griffin, the Hyde Park thrush who was the top-selling local act of '04. "Impossible Dream" had reviewers all over the country falling over themselves to best describe the beauty in that shimmering voice.

Critics also have pointed to Terri Hendrix's edgier-than-usual "Art Of Removing Wallpaper" as the best work of her career. While noncorporate radio stations have been all over the Clear Channel-bashing "Monopoly," voters chose "One Way," a poignant song about romantic deception, as the LP's standout cut.

Bob Schneider is another longtime local fave who had his best year with AMP voters; with the movie star girlfriend out of the picture, critics are perhaps starting to take him more seriously as an artist. Plus, "Come With Me Tonight" was an irresistible local radio hit on several formats.

The Best Live Act category shows just how much Latin-flavored rock has been a boost to the local scene. Del Castillo, who've grown from a Gipsy Kings knockoff to a Stonesian rock spectacle in a couple of years, nudged the Texas Springsteen Joe Ely and his Flatlanders for the top spot. Grupo Fantasma, whose "Movimiento Popular" CD just missed the Top Ten, finishing in the No. 11 spot, made the live act cut, as did Los Lonely Boys, who seem to have lost points, just like last year, because voters are not sure they can be considered an Austin act (must not have read Arnold Garcia's editorial notebook, which laid claim to the multiplatinum Brothers Garza.)

The Best New Act came out of nowhere this year; the Sword, a sludgy but often melodic metal band, was picked at No. 1 on two ballots and second on another to land at the top of a category whose votes were spread out over 16 new acts. Such fresh blood is a good sign, indication that although the Austin music scene has its slumps, there's still a pool of new talent to keep things creatively vibrant.

AMP Awards 2004

Austin Album of the Year

1. 'The Great Battle' Jon Dee Graham (New West)
2. (tie) 'Impossible Dream' Patty Griffin (ATO)
'The Art Of Removing Wallpaper' Terri Hendrix (Wilory Farm)
4. 'I'm Good Now' Bob Schneider (Vanguard)
5. 'Rise & Shine' Ian McLagan and the Bump Band (Gaff)
6. 'Wheels Of Fortune' Flatlanders (New West)
7. 'Greetings From Russia' Real Heroes (self)
8. 'Winged Life' Shearwater (Misra)
9. (tie) 'Land Of Milk and Honey' Eliza Gilkyson (Red House)
'Motion' Beaver Nelson (Freedom)

2004 AMP Awards

Best Austin Song

1. 'When It Don't Come Easy' Patty Griffin
2. 'It Always Will Be' Willie Nelson
3. 'The Great Battle' Jon Dee Graham
4. 'Come With Me Tonight' Bob Schneider
5. 'Been a Long Time' Ian McLagan and the Bump Band
6. 'El Cerrito Place' Charlie Robison
7. 'One Way' Terri Hendrix
8. 'Redneck Sex' Gibby Haynes and His Problem
9. 'We Can't Make It Here' James McMurtry
10. 'Country Soul Brother' Jesse Dayton

Best Live Act

1. Del Castillo
2. Joe Ely/Flatlanders
3. Tia Carrera
4. Grupo Fantasma
5. Los Lonely Boys

Best New Act

1. The Sword
2. Greencards
3. Grady
4. Maggie Walters
5. Hayes Carll

Favorite Austin Concert

(As chosen by our AMP voters)
Michael Corcoran (American-Statesman): Solomon Burke at the Austin City Limits Music Festival
Joe Gross (American-Statesman): D.J. Shadow, Blackalicious, Lifesavas, Lyrics Born, Lateef and the Chief at Stubb's
Lynne Margolis (American-Statesman contributor): John Hiatt at the Paramount, Elvis Costello ACL taping
John T. Davis (American-Statesman contributor): 'Por Vida' benefit at the Paramount
Melanie Shrawder (KUT): Dwight Yoakam, Drive-By Truckers at SXSW
Craig Stewart (South by Southwest): Ornette Coleman at Bass Concert Hall
Jody Denberg (KGSR): Brian Wilson at the Backyard
Richard Skanse (Texas Music magazine): Alejandro Escovedo at the Continental Club (SXSW)
Kevin Connor (KGSR): Dennis Kucinich rally with Willie Nelson, Bonnie Raitt etc. at Austin Music Hall
Jay Trachtenberg (KUT): Alejandro Escovedo at Texas Union Theater