2010 RFT Music Awards Winners

Best Americana/Folk Band (Indie-Leaning)
The Monads
“The quartet dreams of pirates and moonshine and shit-kicking and cornbread and still more moonshine, and it brings those weird dreams to life with a blasting, thrashing, in-your-face bluegrass-punk sound that’s as raw as the blisters on their collective fingers.” — Roy Kasten

Best Americana/Folk Band (Untraditional)
Brothers Lazaroff
“Backed up by the supremely tight rhythm section of Teddy Brookins and Grover Stewart — and pushed into the funkosphere by jazz and electronic maestro Mo Egeston on keyboards — Brothers Lazaroff can jam your ass and stir your heart.” — Roy Kasten

Best Blues Artist/Band
Alvin Jett & the Phat NoiZ Blues Band
“Jett’s classic, bending lead lines are backed by the funky, contemporary blues sound of his backing band, the Phat NoiZ.” — Shae Moseley

Best DJ
Spankalicious
“Spankalicious calls himself ‘the glitchy hippie’ on his MySpace page, and it’s an apt descriptor; but it’s not the only way to describe the DJ, who embodies — and cherishes — the genre-splicing and spaced-out electro tendencies of the jamtronica scene.” — Annie Zaleski

Best Electronic Artist/Band
Murder Happens
“[Paul Wood] and his bandmates pay tribute to the electronic rock music of the late ’80s while proving that the genre still has legs today.” — Christian Schaeffer

Best Experimental Artist/Band
Glass Teeth
“Glass Teeth mashes together ’80s hardcore with electronic music and displays a variety of influences.” — Nick Lucchesi

Best Funk/Soul/R&B (Group)
Funky Butt Brass Band
“Credit goes to the act’s three-pronged attack of stellar musicianship; an undeniable, good-time spirit; and a diverse repertoire that incorporates Tower of Power-style experimental funk grooves and adventurous arrangements.” — Shae Moseley

Best Funk/Soul/R&B (Solo Artist)
Lamar Harris
“Originally recognized for his talent as a horn player, Harris has since developed an unconventional fusion of funk, electronica, jazz and soul music that combines live instrumentation with electronic synths and drum samples.” — Calvin Cox

Best Hip-Hop/Rap Artist (Solo)
Murphy Lee
“With a quick smile and easygoing wit — along with tireless hustle and a Twitter account that can’t be beat — Murphy Lee is helping the St. Lunatics get its name back on the national map.” — Annie Zaleski

Best Hip-Hop/Rap Artist (Group or Collective)
Midwest Avengers
“Co-frontmen BC (John Harrington) and So’n’So (James Coleman) can rhyme, rap and sing in the proud tradition of STL emcees, but their bandmates add crucial heft with live bass, guitar and drums.” — Christian Schaeffer

Best Hip-Hop DJ
DJ Needles
“Although Nodzilla (a.k.a. DJ Needles) is one of the most consistent DJs around, he’s regarded just as highly for the quality of his music production.” — Calvin Cox

Best Indie Band
Troubadour Dali
“Troubadour Dali’s long-awaited 2009 album captures the band’s dreamy psych-pop live sound to a tee; lysergic guitars stretch out lazily, like a kite wending in the wind or a good morning stretch; stacks of harmonies and hints of distortion further add to the blissed-out psychedelic atmosphere.” — Annie Zaleski

Best Jam Artist/Band
Madahoochi
“Madahoochi has stayed vital for so long by constantly tweaking its style of feel-good rock & roll to absorb modern styles, while retaining its classic-rock leanings.” — Christian Schaeffer

Best Jazz Artist
Willie Akins
“He [has]established a sound — ripe, flexible, swinging and soulful — that is his alone and that still sets the standards for any jazz-band leader, in a town with a long history of masters.” —Roy Kasten

Best Live Band
Trip Daddys
“This band is really all about its live show, where Straubinger’s reverb-laden assault of classic guitar licks — and natural showman tendencies — takes center stage.”—Shae Moseley

Best Metal/Thrash Band
Dude Nukem
“The band favors tightly wound musicianship over apathetic slop, yet its riffs still maintain circle-pit adrenaline, and its blast-beats are downright violent.” — Ryan Wasoba

Best Modern Rock Band
Building Rome
“Building Rome has been a staple of the local emo/pop-punk scene for years; last year’s Alkaline Trio-influenced Nightmare, however, clearly shows a band shooting for the next level.” — Shae Moseley

Best New Artist
Sleepy Kitty
“Sleepy Kitty throws itself completely into its projects — whether it’s writing and performing gorgeous, experimental pop songs, crafting imaginative, screen-printed show flyers or being the newest and brightest addition to Cherokee Street’s thriving arts scene.” — Chrissy Wilmes

Best Punk/Hardcore Band
he Humanoids
“The Humanoids’ sense of dynamics, willingness to let riffs shine through and happiness in those sweet little ‘whoa-oh’ choruses make them the punk band to beat.” — Roy Kasten

Best Pop Band
The Blind Eyes
“Pop music needn’t be modest, but the Blind Eyes manages to be both unassuming and completely irresistible.” — Roy Kasten