Big D's Great Roar

For more than 14 years, Karwelis has managed Idol Records, putting out seminal releases from local semi-legends Old 97's, Hagfish, Funland and Brutal Juice as well as CDs by bands from as far off as Birmingham, England. Somehow, he has managed to keep things in the black while staying in the good graces of bands and fans alike.

"No one understands how difficult it is," Karwelis says. "They think the reason I've been remotely successful is that I don't promise anything that I can't deliver."

Karwelis has delivered more than 80 releases, pressing as few as 2,000 to as many as 10,000 discs per album. The next Idol release will be Orchestrated Kaleidoscope by The Crash That Took Me, a local conglomeration of folks from [DARYL], the Earlies and Black Tie Dynasty.

Karwelis seems content just making ends meet, steadfastly navigating through 200-plus emails a day along with an additional 250 solicitations from bands with MySpace pages.

"Too many people put out music now," Karwelis says. "Perhaps that has diminished the quality of music."

"But I've been lucky in Dallas," he adds. "I think I can stay afloat." —Darryl Smyers

Adventure Club
Best Radio Show

Josh Venable has hosted the Adventure Club radio program on KDGE-102.1 FM The Edge for nearly 15 years, and the follicularly challenged, golden-throated DJ is not shy about asserting the show's significance.

"The Adventure Club is very important to a lot of people, me included," says Venable. "There's always going to be folks who want to hear something different."

Whether it is his own musical heroes such as the Cure and the Smiths or more indie fare such as Austin's Voxtrot, Venable continues to be a staunch champion of music of distinction.

Every Sunday night for three hours, the verbose Venable digs deep into his personal collection and even finds time to feature a few local bands, if he finds them worthy.

"I don't try to look at bands as special simply because they are from here," Venable says. "I play local music when it's good." And whether it's a track from the hayseed heyday of the Old 97's or an obscure Shibboleth outtake, Venable knows he's doing a service to the independent-minded citizens across North Texas, those who crave the uncommon.

"I am glad to bring a small degree of happiness to listeners," says Venable, displaying a rare, but welcomed, humility. —D.S.

Lizard Lounge
Best Dance Club

What's left to be said about perennial best dance club the Lizard Lounge? Other than renaming it the Lizard King, as it continues its reign over Dallas' dancing denizens? Last year we mentioned the local and national DJs who hit the turntables, the risqué cabaret shows featuring schoolgirls and bikinis, and the established tradition of twice-a-week goth night The Church. In 2005, we wrote about pretty much the same thing. And take a guess what we wrote before that? Which goes to show, if it ain't broke, don't fix it, and Lizard Lounge has firmly planted itself as a Dallas clubbing icon. In this past year, the LL's roster has included the DJ collective Planet of the Drums, "America's favorite female DJ" DJ Irene, Telly's Trashy Lingerie Party and the fetish-fab Black and Blue Ball with U.K.'s Torture Garden. An upcoming concert by the techno dance pioneers Utah Saints lurks on the horizon. You won't find this stuff down the street at Purgatory or Blue, try as they might to be the premier dance club in the city. What other clubs in town wouldn't dare touch, Lizard grabs hold tight and doesn't let go. And after 16 years, we hope they keep holding on. —R.L.

DJ Merritt
Best DJ

For more than 13 years, DJ Merritt has been at the helm of the longest-running mix show in the country...and the highest-rated. Edge Club, airing from midnight to 3 a.m. Saturdays on The Edge, showcases Merritt's ability to play to just about any audience and spin any subgenre in the electronic music sphere. "I really don't like to claim that I have a total specialty," Merritt says.

Though he's often physically hidden behind an expansive system when he's playing out, Merritt's exuberant personality is ever-present. His humor and energy come across through his live mixes and recorded remixes and make him an obvious favorite on the electronic circuit. Recently, he's finished a round of remixes for locals Shock of Pleasure and reached out to the satellite world with mixes for Liquid Todd on Sirius.

Merritt plays the occasional one-off party or showcase but chooses not to go the resident DJ route in favor of breaking new music via Edge Club. "Dallas has always been extremely receptive to new stuff," he says. "And being on the forefront, that's what Edge Club is all about." The irony of his radio show's success isn't lost on him. "I'm an electronic music DJ. That's what I got into DJing for," he says, adding with a chuckle, "I play what they don't play on the radio." —M.M.