Leading up to our November 10 showcase, we'll be getting you familiar with some of our Dallas Observer Music Awards nominees, either via past features we've done on them, or new ones. You can vote for your favorite acts, venues and more right here.

On a Monday night, Dustin Cavazos invited me to carve pumpkins at his bass player's home. It was 8p.m. and I pulled up slowly as I cut my lights off. The house, located in Oak Cliff, was eerily quiet. Cavazos pulled up in a yellow minivan 15 minutes later, got out and greeted me with pumpkin and thrift store trophy in hand.

Dustin Cavazos never listened to music growing up. It wasn't until he was asked to fill in as a drummer at his local church that his musical evolution began. He started going to shows, eventually purchasing Fruity Loops to make elementary beats on. As demand for his beats grew, his confidence rose, inspiring him to try his hand at rapping.

"Everyone is in the back," he remarked as he formally introduced me to Marcitos Jacobs, known as The Internet Trap God, who had opened for Action Bronson just a few weeks before. His band mate, Danny, was cooking fajitas on the back porch under strategically placed Christmas lights, illuminating the group's faces.

"We're putting the pumpkins on Instagram and letting the fans pick the best one."