Here is the complete list of 2016 Twirlie Award Winners, presented live on Twirl Radio, Saturday, January 30, 2016, in Sacramento, California, at Access Sacramento’s KUBU 96.5 FM. Congratulations to all, and more importantly, a big thank you to all the great independent musicians who make it possible for me to do this radio show.
The 2016 Twirlie Awards Show (1/30/2016) (length 1:45:45)
Album of the Year
Heiskell, for his album Arriving
Album of the Year Runner up
Jet Electro, for their album Tall Dark And Lonesome: The Story Of Slim Grinder
Song of the Year
Crooked Flower, for their song Too Broke To Fix
Song of the Year Runner up
Blake Jones & the Trike Shop, for their song At Every Train Stop
Female Vocalist of the Year
Gail George
Male Vocalist of the Year
Clay Howard
EP of the Year
Duncan Faure, for his EP 4
Ear Candy
The Corner Laughers, for their album Matilda Effect
The Ear Candy Award is given to an album that is a “go-to” album. You can pick any song, and it sounds great in any set of music, at any time.
Debut Album of the Year
Pop 4, for their album Pop 4
Best Seasonal Music
The Taters, for their Halloween album Don’t Scream
Best Songwriting
Craig Daniel of Jet Electro, for the album Tall Dark And Lonesome: The Story Of Slim Grinder
Best Interview, phone
Arrica Rose, 2/14/2015
Best Interview, in-studio
Sean O’Brien, 3/21/2015
Best Live Session
Bellygunner, 4/4/2015
Best Concert Performance
Crooked Flower, Berkeley, CA, 9/26/2015
Best Concert Performance: legendary, but non-Twirl Radio band
Brian Wilson Band, San Francisco, CA, 9/11/2015
Best Rock And Roll Moment
1. Eating Tex-Mex food with members of The Pengwins in Fort Worth, TX at Joe T. Garcia’s. (Lannie Flowers, Alan Petsche, Danny Wilkerson).
2. “Interviewing” Elvis Costello (ask me sometime for more details about the “interview”!).
3. Meeting Brian Wilson and Blondie Chaplin.
4. Reaching show #700 10/3/2015.
5. KUBU reaching one year on the air, celebrating at Nationwide Freezer Meats with our first live broadcast, 11/13/2015.
Wayback Award (aka “Whoa! A re-release of a great 1990 album!”)
Vulgar Boatmen, for their 1990 album You And Your Sister
Cover Song of the Year
1. Bart Mendoza and True Stories – Blue Chair (Elvis Costello cover)
2. The Pengwins – Shake Some Action (Flamin’ Groovies cover)
3. The Handcuffs – All The Way From Memphis (Mott The Hoople cover)
4. Kelley Ryan – Monkey To Man (Elvis Costello cover)
5. Nelson Bragg & Ken Cleveland – Beyond Belief (Elvis Costello cover)
Best Compilation Album
Beyond Belief, A Tribute To Elvis Costello, Executive Producers John Borack and Olivia Frain (Elvis Costello songs performed by today’s artists, proceeds to benefit Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation)
6th Man (or whatever they call it in sports) Award
Adam Marsland, of Karma Frog studios, for recording, promoting, and sending new releases my way, thereby keeping the show sounding fresh.
Reason To Live Award
New releases expected by the following artists in 2016: Maxi Dunn, Vegas With Randolph, Blake Jones & the Trike Shop, Felsen.
Top Albums of 2015:
1. Heiskell – Arriving
2. Jet Electro – Tall Dark And Lonesome: The Story Of Slim Grinder
3. The Corner Laughers – Matilda Effect
4. Gail George – The Barrio Sessions with Early Times
5. Kip Boardman – Boardman
6. Gordon Weiss – It’s About Time
7. A Don Piper Situation – What It is
8. HUGElarge – HUGElarge
9. Pop 4 – Pop 4
10. The Orange Peels – Begin The Begone
Top Songs of 2015:
1. Crooked Flower – Too Broke To Fix
2. Blake Jones & the Trike Shop – At Every Train Stop
3. Dennis Holseybrook – Uh-Oh! Uh-Oh!
4. Phyllis Johnson – Looking Up (From Down Below)
5. Jet Electro – Love Rides Alone
6. Pop 4 – Einstein And Sunshine
7. The Corner Laughers – Queen Of The Meadow
8. Duncan Faure – Back To The Day
9. Gordon Weiss – I’m Your Fan
10. Heiskell – Carharts
11. Herb Eimerman – Just Wishful Thinking
12. Play Date – Stevie The Fox
13. Deborah Crooks – India Street
14. Kip Boardman – Running Right
15. A Don Piper Situation – Aged And Wise
16. The Cherry Bluestorms – See No Evil
17. Gail George – You Are There
18. Pacific Soul Ltd. – Blue Summertime
19. Jason Berk – That’s Not You
20. Eric Peter Schwartz – Hot Liquor
21. Chandler Travis Three-O – Air, Running Backwards
22. HUGElarge – Sometimes Good Guys Don’t Wear White
23. Richmond – 1,2,3,4
24. The Orange Peels – Head Cleaner
25. Speed The Plough – Garden
26. Laurie Larson – Ha
27. Banjo Bones – It’s A Bomb
28. The Jangle Band – Kill The Lovers
29. Vanilla – Hai Karate Girls
30. Elliot Schneider – I’m Back In The USA
Top EPs of 2015
1. Duncan Faure – 4
2. Deborah Crooks – Something Special
3. Herb Eimerman – Five Dimensional Man
4. Kate Burkart – Save Me A Seat
5. Dennis Holseybrook – Merry Go Round
Twirl Radio 