Houston Press Music Awards Winners

Best Indie Rock, Best New Act, Song of the Year ("Delilah") The Dimes Moments after ripping through an electrifying version of "Delilah," the song that would later net The Dimes a third statue to join their awards for Best Indie Rock and Best New Act, the Stratford quartet was happy to finally relax. "It feels good to be backstage," said guitarist Cley Miller as he, singer Carlos Sanchez, drummer Iram Guerrero and bassist Jose Sanchez crowded into one of Warehouse Live's tiny dressing rooms. "We get nervous before we play."

The Dimes agreed the Warehouse stage was cozier than their previous gig, preceding Saliva at the Verizon Wireless Theater at last Sunday's Music Awards Showcase. "It was weird," said Miller. "We never played on a stage that big before."

"We were so separated from each other," agreed Carlos Sanchez. "We don't like that."

Last year at this time, The Dimes — who formed in early 2004 — were preparing for the release of their debut EP, which launched them on their three-award trajectory. And although they were the night's big winners, their after-show plans would hardly betray them as such.

"I've got school tomorrow, so I've got to go home and go to sleep," Miller said.

"I have a job interview," offered Jose Sanchez.

"I have to go to work," moaned Carlos.

That left the drummer as the only wild card. "I might go out and celebrate," he allowed. "Maybe Poison Girl." (Hope he brought a fake ID.)

Besides, The Dimes didn't have to party all night to earn their rock and roll bona fides. They're pretty good at talking smack, albeit inadvertently: When naming off bands that helped them break into the scene (a list that also includes Flowers to Hide and the late Stolen Library), Carlos meant to say Bring Back the Guns — with whom they split a bill this Saturday at the Proletariat — but it came out "Bring Back the Buns." Everyone had a good laugh about that one.

If that's not enough, before a single award was given out Wednesday, Carlos had already bled for his art. "I was walking out and the sound guy, or one of the guys, hit me in the face with the door," he said, his T-Shirt pockmarked with blood and a decent-sized cut on his left eyebrow. "I was like, ‘aw, shit,' and that's when I started bleeding." — C.G.

Best Female Vocalist/Folk/Acoustic Katie Stuckey and the Swagger First-time candidate Katie Stuckey must have one helluva e-mail list. Winner of two awards in her first time on the ballot, Stuckey doesn't seem to have played enough gigs around town or have a high enough profile to have won — not that she isn't a legitimate talent. Anyone who has caught one of Swagger's infrequent shows knows Stuckey, trained at the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music, can belt 'em out with the best voices around. Her band puts some overdrive in the proceedings, making her "folk-acoustic" designation all the more puzzling. It also seems odd that someone trained at such a high level would choose country music as a vehicle, but Stuckey says it makes perfect sense: "Country just fits what I like to write, what I think about, how I put things together." She also reports that she's got an album "made with friends in L.A." that will drop in the next few weeks. So why base herself in Houston? "I believe if you're going to build a fan base in country music, you have to be in Texas," she says. "This is the place. And Houston's just great. I mean, come on, how thrilling is it for me and my band to be sharing the same stage with people like Devin the Dude and Million Year Dance? Not enough people understand how cool the Houston music scene is." — William Michael Smith

Best Male Vocalist Tony Vega The bluesmen did most of the cussin' in their acceptance speeches this year, and while he didn't quite match Little Joe Washington's Toastmaster theatrics, Tony Vega expressed his feelings at being voted Best Male Vocalist thusly: "You guys shocked the shit outta me!" In his rambling two minutes, the longtime local blues-circuit landmark also reckoned, "Houston fuckin' rocks!" Vega also took the moment to announce to a rapidly dwindling crowd that he is moving to Austin. "Not for the music, but my wife's got a job there," he swore. "And I want to thank my wife. Baby, you're H-H-H-HOT!" There's a song in there somewhere. — W.M.S.