2007 Houston Press Music Awards Showcase

Lee Alexander Band Nominated In: Best Folk/Acoustic www.alexandersongs.com 4 p.m. Lee Alexander and his band are vegetarians, "but not because we're animal-friendly," he says. "It's actually because we really hate plants." They're not overly fond of Sansone's on Westheimer, either. "They booked us six months in advance, and then unwittingly booked an open mike in place of our show," says Alexander. "It all came to a head the night before the show, and management gave us the boot in favor of the open mike. It was insulting." Alexander has better things to say about LL Cooper, whom he calls his "mentor in the music biz," and the Press's Back Page ads — that's how they met. They hope to record an album in the fall. "We were hoping to do it as a joint album with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra," Alexander sighs, "but they won't return our phone calls."

Pride Kills Nominated In: Best Hardcore www.myspace.com/pridekills 5 p.m. Pride Kills, with an album due this year on Ground N Pound Records, identify with Telephone Road because "no one likes Telephone Road, especially after dark." They sure have some peculiar listening choices for a band that shouts out 30 Foot Fall, D.R.I., Sick of It All, Will to Live and Agnostic Front. "Paul and I got into a fistfight in Jacksonville, Florida, over the fact that I wanted to listen to Elliot Smith," says singer Gabriel Wells. At last year's multiband Fallcore show at Meridian, "tension had built all night between concertgoers and overzealous security meatheads," relates Paul. "It came to a head during our set when I threw a mike stand that hit a bouncer in the head." Small wonder, then, that Paul advises, "If you don't want to be physically involved in our show in some form, stand at the back."

Jack Saunders Nominated In: Best Folk/Acoustic www.jacksaunders.com 6 p.m. Sidewalk.com says Jack Saunders is "king of the singer-songwriter hill in Houston," and who are we to argue? After all, the southern California native has been a cornerstone of the local acoustic scene since the late '70s, on his own and collaborating with Shake Russell, Dana Cooper, Susan Gibson, Ray Wylie Hubbard, Hayes Carll and many more; he's won enough HPMA hardware along the way to make a solid case for the title. Since the mid-'90s, Russell has brought his practiced ear to bear as owner, producer and engineer at his White Cat Studios on the northside, but stepped back in front of the mike earlier this year for third album Living for the Sunshine.

Insect Warfare Nominated In: Best Metal www.insectwarfare.com 7 p.m. Insect Warfare's apt self-description is "elitist grindcore asshole whirlwind noise power death assault from North America." Houston, more specifically. Their Web site lists an address off Richmond, but we suspect they might have actually been spat out of the depths of Hell for stealing Satan's thunder. (Speaking of thunder, check out "Decontamination," "Zone Killer" and "Mind Ripper" on their "DeathSpace" page.) Freshly armed with new 625 Thrash CD World Extermination, IW's HPMA showcase should whet its appetite for more bloodlust on September's West Coast tour with Japan's Unholy Grave, provided they don't pulverize Slainte into smithereens first.

Blaggards Nominated In: Best World Music/Reggae www.blaggards.com 8 p.m. H-town's heir to the emerald throne of Phil Lynott and Shane MacGowan, the Blaggards have caused many a pint glass to be raised in celebration, and maybe a few tears to be shed remembering the old country as well. But it's hard to get too sentimental when their souped-up guitars are going full blast, Turi Hoiseth is sawing away at her fiddle and drummer "Earthquake" Edwards slaps out a double-time train beat that fits "Irish Rover" as well as "Folsom Prison Blues." The greenest reggae band you've ever heard.

Arthur Yoria Nominated In: Best Pop, Local Musician of the Year, Best Male Vocalist, Songwriter of the Year www.arthuryoria.com 9 p.m. Arthur Yoria may be mellowing with age. His current bandmates "don't seem to have short fuses like some of the previous guys, so I'm having a better time," the multiple HPMA nominee says. "I'm not writing songs about wanting to punch a bandmate in the face anymore." He's also picked up some interesting fans, who in turn tried to pick up other fans. "At the Vortex in Beaumont, a prostitute got up and sang some really cool ethereal vocals for me before getting thrown out for soliciting the patrons," Yoria swears. And if it's all the same, he prefers to do his drinking onstage. "It's usually not crowded up there, and the drinks are always at least discounted, if not free." One more thing: "We're looking for a piano/keyboard player that can sing backup vocals."

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