Me Gusta L'Independent Music Awards Finaliste...

Ahhh...another year of red, blue and green stickers behind us! The team here at MRG has put together the list of finalists for the IMA's!! Turns out, this year was more difficult than we could have imagined...hours of sitting around a table debating vocals, instrumentation, a bridge or who gets the last drop of coffee and Chips Ahoy. After discovering some pretty dope, up and coming, indie artists and falling for some new genres of music for my ipod library (seriously thinking of dropping e and going clubbing) we are all ready to dive back into our personal playlists.

Some of my favs from this year:
Pop/Rock:
Joel Plaskett Emergency- The "Fashionable People" track they entered is wonderfully poppy
The Parlotones
April Smith I love her, she's playing Blender Theatre 12/21 and NJPAC 1/24
The Redwalls (they are pretty mainstream now I think...but indie nonetheless)
Val Emmich (who submitted again, he is super poppy and won last year for this video
made an appearance as the gay hottie on 30 Rock (new episode tonight!!) and he's on Ugly Betty now....saw him live, he made us uncomfortable, but he's good. He's really pretty....in a gay way)
The Swimmers (Anyone on the Mad Dragon Record Label is great Indie Rock)
Elephone (wowza...the singer is the guy from Monster Squad!!)
Born Ruffians
BlueJuice
Fancey (album name = "Shmancey") <---- so clever =)

Rap/Hip-Hop:
Casual Projects The video for "Move Along" is weird...I want to make a music video


El Guante
Entell- My brother Sean would LOVE them! I will have to let him know, but he's busy getting married this weekend!! =)
Sweatshop Union They are from Canada...but they are REALLY good!
Wondur of Dynamic Vibrations

Folk/Singer Songwriter (if you're into it):
Anders Osborne
Kirsty McGee (That Tom Waits kinda thing...paired with Marie Couttliard (sp?) "La Vie En Rose")
Jim Boggia
Eric Wilson (lovely voice)

There are plenty others (in tons of other categories) you can discover for yourself....If you're really into it, you can check out the video finalists, (highly recommended), album finalists and design finalists!


Check out ALL the finalists & vote for the 2009 Independent Music Award Winners here