The 1997 Dallas Observer Music Awards

Last year, the Toadies faced a lineup change that brought pin-up guitar hero Clark Vogeler in to replace Darrel Herbert, and the death of soundman and good friend David Kerher. Still, as a band, they have a new cohesion, and the new songs are said to be a product of the whole band, not just Lewis' twisted vision.

--Scott Kelton Jones

The Tomorrowpeople
Nominated for: New Act
From the ashes of Brutal Juice, a pop phoenix rose so quickly that few have had time to see and appreciate it, but those who have are unanimously blown away. From its past as a personal side project for Gordo Gibson to its present as a national buzz band (with former Toadies guitarist Darrel Herbert), the Tomorrowpeople have always seemed to have God's own seal of approval, as if it was meant to happen. To say it's a perfect Hollywood ending to a split between two bands and Gibson's troubled life would be cheesy, so let's just say it's more like the ending to the movie Say Anything, when John Cusack ends up with Ione Skye. From the rocked-out reminiscences of "Mercitron," which brings to mind all the good aspects of Cheap Trick's "Surrender," to the Big Star bliss of "Youth in Orbit," The Tomorrowpeople are the brightest thing on the horizon.

--Richard Baimbridge

Ras Tumba and Ashanti-I
Nominated for: Reggae
Ras Tumba's cover of "No Woman No Cry" sounds like true reggae, faithful to Bob Marley's pain-and-passion original. Next to it, the Fugees' version sounds like coffee-table background music for those who think reggae is all right as long as it's slick and sponsored. It's the difference between passion and fashion.

A regular to these pages--once a year--Ras Tumba and Ashanti-I always get the well-deserved nomination but no plaque, and it has nothing to do with some sort of Rastafarian karma. Maybe it's because the reggae category is skipped altogether by voters or filled out mechanically, but unless you hang out with the reggae elite, Ras Tumba's name isn't one you know.

This reggae renegade prefers to stay true to his roots. Instead of flogging his music--which to him is religion--to the weekend party crowd, he keeps it safely under his cap most of the time. For him, the spirit is more important than the commercial potential.

A native Jamaican who moved to Dallas in 1984, Ras Tumba plays pre-dancehall reggae because he grew up listening to it, and his love of roots rock and lovers rock is intact. More Mighty Diamonds than Shabba Ranks, he believes in mighty Rastafari rather than the almighty dollar; hip-hop beats and rap will never enter his repertoire. Even when he throws in the obligatory, recognizable Marley covers, he never fails to sound spirited.

--Philip Chrissopoulos

UFOFU
Nominated for: Most Improved Act, Alternative Rock/Pop
Too much has already been said about Joe Butcher's sordid life, so let's move on to better things--and thankfully there is something better to move onto...namely, UFOFU's music.

In many ways, this is a band that's never gotten a fair shake. Their music is so weird and complicated, yet so outwardly simple, that it tends to take the untrained ear a while to catch on. Perhaps that explains the whole "Most Improved Band" thing, which really is a joke. These are three of the best musicians in Dallas; yes, they are getting better--and perhaps less intoxicated--but perhaps that's just the effect of a good studio-produced CD versus a cheap demo tape. But again, semantics. It's probably gonna take a while for UFOFU to catch on, owing to their quirkiness and lack of PR initiative. But once they do--stand back, honey. Don't insult them or show your musical ignorance by voting them Most Improved two years in a row. Vote your heart. Vote your mind. Vote Butcher for sexiest male singer, if nothing else.

--Richard Baimbridge

Watusi
Nominated for: Reggae
It doesn't exactly hurt Watusi's collective feelings when they're referred to as a "party band." But Watusi is a lot more than boozers' background music. The group, which turns 15 this August, refers to their music as World Beat, and it is indeed a riddum-happy paella of Caribbean-Latin-African-Polynesian influences, all seasoned with jazz harmonics and Eastern flavorings. Along with club and festival dates, Watusi frequently performs at schools and colleges, promoting a theme of one world/one aim/one God/one destiny/one love.

"If you can reach kids," says founding member Jimi Towry, "and make them understand cultures, then they can move forward to appreciate and respect those same cultures. And maybe then we can overcome the racism so prevalent in their parents' generation; what we do is a bit of a wake-up call--it's just that you can dance to it."

--Rick Koster

Kirk Whalum
Nominated for: Jazz
Are there two Kirk Whalums? We can do without the one who makes those gloppy, awful albums awash with synths and simpery singing, but we'll keep the one who does the live dates.

Whalum is a student of Houston sax legend Arnett Cobb, who was so noted for his wild tones that his finesse with melody was often overlooked. Whalum certainly holds melody dear, and manages to be an advocate of pretty music without being a total wimp. His catchy, pleasant tunes will never gain praise from fans of the deep stuff, but his musicianship and tendency to field high-quality bands keeps him well above the pop-jazz norm. His break came in the mid-'80s when he opened a show in Houston for Bob James, who flew him to New York less than a month later to blow on his 12 album. Soon Whalum was cutting records of his own, and his fame got another boost when he backed Whitney Houston for much of '91 and '92.