21st Annual Boston Music Awards Voting Open Until December 5th

(UPDATE: Here is a bunch of photos I took at the 21st Annual Boston Music Awards plus links to all the winning bands’ websites.)

This year’s 21st Annual Boston Music Awards is a private industry event happening at The Roxy on December 7th. Fans can vote for their favorite local and national bands in twenty-six categories until December 5th. The event is a benefit for The Music Drives Us Foundation.

Some of my favorite Boston bands are up for awards including …

• Girls Guns And Glory (Act of the Year – Local, Album of the Year – Local, Outstanding Americana Act of the Year – Local)
• The Great Bandini (Best Song of the Year – Local)
• Aoifie O’Donovan / Crooked Still ( Female Vocalist of the Year – Local)
• John Powhida (Male Vocalist of the Year – Local)
• The Everyday Visuals (Outstanding Live Act of the Year)
• A.K.A.C.O.D. (Outstanding Rock Act of the Year)
• Mieka Pauley (Outstanding Folk Artist of the Year)

Here are some photos I took at last year’s 20th Annual Boson Music Awards at the Orpheum.

Cassavettes Holiday Party at Church on December 19th

A week after opening for a reunited Letters to Cleo at Bowery Ballroom in NYC, Cassavettes are hosting a holiday party at Church on December 19th. If their holiday photo is any indication — they are taking this festive party stuff seriously. I’m optimistic that the sweaters, mug and owl in the photo will be on stage during the show. Joining them that night are Age Rings, Rogue Heroes, and Quixote.

What: Cassavettes Holiday Party Where: Church, 69 Kilmarnock Street, Boston (near Fenway) When: Friday, December 19th Time: Doors at 8pm, first band at 9pm Ages: 21+ Cost: $10 at the door (buy tickets online until 4pm day of show) Be There: RSVP on Facebook

Connect with Cassavettes on the band’s blog and at MySpace, OurStage and Facebook.

Here’s a video of Cassavettes on Fox25 Morning News this past summer singing “Carolyn Don’t Leave Like This.” Because nothing says rock and roll like 7am.

The Blizzard of 78 Concert Photos and Preview of Book of Lies CD

When The Blizzard of 78 sent me their Where All Life Hangs album two years ago, I think I listened to it eight times in a row after putting the CD in for the first time. This is one of those bands that makes you think some music can almost be too good. A friend and I were talking about the different genres of music recently and he mentioned that with rock music, it’s always about the feeling — less about the story (compared to country music). But with The Blizzard of 78, they somehow get you hooked on both.

I’ve been looking forward to the release of their next album, Book of Lies, and it’s finally happening on December 9th. The band is based in Providence and Boston, so they’ve got two CD release parties planned: one on December 13th at Jake’s in Providence and then another in Cambridge at the Lizard Lounge on January 29th. You can hear Mercy, my favorite song on the new album, streamed in the photo album below and in their Reverb Nation player up above.

Connect with The Blizzard of 78 on MySpace, Reverb Nation, Facebook and last.fm.

Concert Photos: The Blizzard of 78 at Precinct, 9/26/08

The photos in the album below are from The Blizzard of 78’s September 26th show at Precinct, a new club in Somerville’s Union Square (the spot where Toast used to be).

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