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2012 Index of Winners

Best band to push Atlanta’s boundaries BOA Award Winner

Year » 2012
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2012 » After Dark » Critics Pick
Organized Noize

Best Burlesque Troupe BOA Award Winner

Year » 2012
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2012 » After Dark » Critics Pick
Backstreet Atlanta
For 30 years, Backstreet Atlanta was the city’s best-known all-hours nightclub. More than a gay disco, it was a landmark of Atlanta’s sanctified underbelly and a queer haven where the performing drag queens of Charlie Brown’s Cabaret reveled in giving straight patrons a reason to blush. Even beforemore...
For 30 years, Backstreet Atlanta was the city’s best-known all-hours nightclub. More than a gay disco, it was a landmark of Atlanta’s sanctified underbelly and a queer haven where the performing drag queens of Charlie Brown’s Cabaret reveled in giving straight patrons a reason to blush. Even before the city began its nightlife crackdown near the turn of the millennium, Backstreet served as an after-hours respite for late-night lurkers and off-the-clock bar workers after regular clubs stopped the music. But in 2004, the danceteria that never shut its doors did just that when sibling owners Vicki and Henry Vara ended their hard-fought legal battle against encroaching city legislators, stiffer liquor licensing laws, and a gentrifying Midtown constituency. Though the club at 845 Peachtree St. has been closed for eight years, Backstreet lives on as a symbolic reminder of the once-vibrant nightlife scene and celebrated subculture Atlanta lost in its rush to normalcy. less...

Best band to push Atlanta’s boundaries BOA Award Winner

Year » 2012
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2012 » After Dark » Critics Pick
Hampton Grease Band

Best Acoustic Music Club/Venue BOA Award Winner

Year » 2012
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2012 » After Dark » Readers Pick
Eddie’s Attic (Featured)

Best After Hours Spot BOA Award Winner

Year » 2012
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2012 » After Dark » Readers Pick
IRIS aka Rush Lounge (Permanently Closed)

Best Artist to Humanize the Struggle BOA Award Winner

Year » 2012
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2012 » After Dark » Critics Pick
Killer Mike

Best Local Music Blog BOA Award Winner

Year » 2012
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2012 » After Dark » Critics Pick
Maurice Garland
Name-dropping Southern hip-hop has become something of a hipster commodity on a national level in recent years, but nobody covers the music and the scene as thoroughly as Atlanta’s own Maurice Garland. With his self-titled blog, Garland is not only the undisputed authority on rap south of the Mason-Dixon,more...
Name-dropping Southern hip-hop has become something of a hipster commodity on a national level in recent years, but nobody covers the music and the scene as thoroughly as Atlanta’s own Maurice Garland. With his self-titled blog, Garland is not only the undisputed authority on rap south of the Mason-Dixon, his well-curated mix of new music, interviews, commentary, and music criticism has elevated him a level above tastemaker to cultural guardian. When Killer Mike decided to title his new album R.A.P. Music, it was in reaction to Garland Tweeting his thoughts about the state of “Rebellious African People’s” music. Has anyone ever named an album after one of your Tweets? www.mauricegarland.com. less...

Best Band Name BOA Award Winner

Year » 2012
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2012 » After Dark » Readers Pick
The Sexual Side Effects
www.thesexualsideeffects.com

Best Bartender/Mixologist BOA Award Winner

Year » 2012
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2012 » After Dark » Readers Pick
The Shelter (Permanently Closed)

Best Bar to Hook Up BOA Award Winner

Year » 2012
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2012 » After Dark » Readers Pick
Graveyard Tavern (Permanently Closed)

Best Local Producer BOA Award Winner

Year » 2012
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2012 » After Dark » Critics Pick
Mike Will Made It

Best Blues album BOA Award Winner

Year » 2012
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2012 » After Dark » Critics Pick
Black Cat Oil

Best Local Albums Best of Atlanta Award

The best local albums produced by Atlantans. | more...
This year, Delta Moon released Black Cat Oil, the Atlanta group’s seventh and most transcendent offering in an already respectable catalog. The collision of Tom Gray and Mark Johnson’s dual slide guitars push Southern twang to progressive new heights, crafting an unmistakable Delta Moon sound outmore...
This year, Delta Moon released Black Cat Oil, the Atlanta group’s seventh and most transcendent offering in an already respectable catalog. The collision of Tom Gray and Mark Johnson’s dual slide guitars push Southern twang to progressive new heights, crafting an unmistakable Delta Moon sound out of the humid Southern air. The album reveals its strengths through a series of dark and downtrodden tales that walk hand-in-hand with a molasses rhythm section on such songs as “Down & Dirty,” “Wishbone,” and “Neon Jesus.” Aside from a cover of Mississippi Fred McDowell’s “Write Me a Few of Your Lines,” Black Cat teems with captivating originals, which is a rare treat for blues music in the modern era. With a combination of experience, passion, and songwriting prowess, Delta Moon has churned out a round of songs that are screaming to become standards marveled by future generations. www.deltamoon.com. less...

Best Blues Club BOA Award Winner

Year » 2012
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2012 » After Dark » Readers Pick
Northside Tavern (Featured)

Best Bowling Alley BOA Award Winner

Year » 2012
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2012 » After Dark » Readers Pick
Midtown Bowl (Featured)

Best Burlesque Troupe BOA Award Winner

Year » 2012
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2012 » After Dark » Readers Pick
Blast-Off Burlesque
www.facebook.com/BlastOffBurlesque

Best College Bar BOA Award Winner

Year » 2012
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2012 » After Dark » Readers Pick
QUAD @ Spring4th Complex (Permanently Closed)

Best Concert of the Past Year BOA Award Winner

Year » 2012
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2012 » After Dark » Readers Pick
Music Midtown
www.musicmidtown.com

Best Concert Venue BOA Award Winner

Year » 2012
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2012 » After Dark » Readers Pick
Tabernacle

Best Bar to Hook Up BOA Award Winner

Year » 2012
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2012 » After Dark » Readers Pick
Johnny’s Hideaway

Best Local Country Music Act BOA Award Winner

Year » 2012
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2012 » After Dark » Readers Pick
Blackberry Smoke
www.facebook.com/BlackberrySmoke

Best Country Music Club BOA Award Winner

Year » 2012
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2012 » After Dark » Readers Pick
Wild Bill Wholesale (Permanently Closed)

Best Cover Band BOA Award Winner

Year » 2012
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2012 » After Dark » Readers Pick
Yacht Rock Revue

Best Cover Band Best of Atlanta Award

The best cover bands in Atlanta. | more...
www.facebook.com/YachtRockRevue

Best Local New Music Act BOA Award Winner

Year » 2012
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2012 » After Dark » Critics Pick
deadCAT

Best Dance Music Club BOA Award Winner

Year » 2012
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2012 » After Dark » Readers Pick
QUAD @ Spring4th Complex (Permanently Closed)

Best Local New Music Act BOA Award Winner

Year » 2012
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2012 » After Dark » Critics Pick
Night Sun
Back in November 2011, Black Lips singer/guitarist Cole Alexander and former Cee Lo Green collaborator Curtis Harding unveiled their spooky, low-fi soul project Night Sun with a show at 529 on an unseasonably balmy Tuesday night. Those who squeezed into the packed club experienced a spectral collisionmore...
Back in November 2011, Black Lips singer/guitarist Cole Alexander and former Cee Lo Green collaborator Curtis Harding unveiled their spooky, low-fi soul project Night Sun with a show at 529 on an unseasonably balmy Tuesday night. Those who squeezed into the packed club experienced a spectral collision of Southern soul and garage rock. For months, both Cole and Curtis had been talking about the “other project” they’d been kicking around. And when they took the stage that night, Cole’s grinding swamp melodies and Harding’s soulful wail cut through the stifling clouds of smoke and sweat that hung heavy in the air. With a slow and bluesy punch they created a mystique that, to this day, comes up in conversations at the bar. It was a helluva first impression. less...

Best Dive Bar BOA Award Winner

Year » 2012
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2012 » After Dark » Readers Pick
The Shelter (Permanently Closed)

Best Club/Party DJ BOA Award Winner

Year » 2012
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2012 » After Dark » Critics Pick
Sofa King Evil
Sofa King Evil’s idea of a killer transition: segueing from Lil Wayne’s Sir Mix-A-Lot reference in “The Motto” (“Oh my God, Becky/look at her butt”) to the original track, “Baby Got Back,” itself. His idea of a last-call sing-along: spinning ’90s middle-school dance fodder. Two Saturdaysmore...
Sofa King Evil’s idea of a killer transition: segueing from Lil Wayne’s Sir Mix-A-Lot reference in “The Motto” (“Oh my God, Becky/look at her butt”) to the original track, “Baby Got Back,” itself. His idea of a last-call sing-along: spinning ’90s middle-school dance fodder. Two Saturdays each month, he loosens up the MJQ crowd with his sense of humor and shamelessness. And when he cues up “Wannabe” by Spice Girls, even dudes can’t resist chiming in. www.soundcloud.com/sofakingevil. less...

Best Local DJ/Personality BOA Award Winner

Year » 2012
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2012 » After Dark » Critics Pick
Speakerfoxxx

Best Drag Queen BOA Award Winner

Year » 2012
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2012 » After Dark » Readers Pick
DAX exclamationpoint
www.modelmayhem.com/70385

Best Sound Guy BOA Award Winner

Year » 2012
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2012 » After Dark » Critics Pick
heRobust
The synth-laden soundscapes of heRobust have given Atlanta an earful in 2012. The young electronic producer Hayden Kramer merged his soulful glitch with jazzy melodies and warbling bass lines on his two-part February release Late Night and Morning After. Then, after bathing listeners in celestial sounds,more...
The synth-laden soundscapes of heRobust have given Atlanta an earful in 2012. The young electronic producer Hayden Kramer merged his soulful glitch with jazzy melodies and warbling bass lines on his two-part February release Late Night and Morning After. Then, after bathing listeners in celestial sounds, he switched up the vibe in June with a 10-track avalanche of trapstep remixes titled Busted - the best of which featured a haunted mashup of Ludacris’ and Field Mob’s “Georgia” with Ray Charles’ “Georgia on My Mind.” But the icing on heRobust’s multilayered cake came a couple of months later when he dropped the 5-track goonstep EP Rob & Hood with song titles like “Beanie Babymama” and “Malt Flickr.” On “Dirty South,” the last track on the EP, he takes the 1995 classic of the same name back to the future with enough trippy bleeps, pulses, and digital fuzz to make an old Georgia bulldog wonder if, in some alternate universe, ATLiens really do exist. www.soundcloud.com/herobust. less...

Best Local DJ/Personality BOA Award Winner

Year » 2012
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2012 » After Dark » Critics Pick
Kid Cedek
After Kid Cedek moved here three years ago, he learned to spin the electro, dubstep, and trap to which Atlantans are accustomed. But he also champions the latest genre to sprout from his native-area DMV (D.C.-Maryland-Virginia): moombahton. With a sound like reggae’s loose grooves spiked with housemore...
After Kid Cedek moved here three years ago, he learned to spin the electro, dubstep, and trap to which Atlantans are accustomed. But he also champions the latest genre to sprout from his native-area DMV (D.C.-Maryland-Virginia): moombahton. With a sound like reggae’s loose grooves spiked with house music’s nervousness, it’s helped Kid Cedek set himself apart from the rest of Atlanta’s nightlife lineup whether he’s spinning at Graveyard or co-hosting the Five Spot’s new 18-plus night DEF ATL. www.kidcedek.com. less...

Best Local Experimental Music Act BOA Award Winner

Year » 2012
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2012 » After Dark » Critics Pick
Faun and a Pan Flute
Best known for orchestrating layers of winding and bucolic rhythms that evoke equal parts Can’s hypnotic rhythms and the Grateful Dead’s hippie-dippie ways, Faun and a Pan Flute is the most engaging act of the last year to spring from Atlanta’s esoteric rock underbelly. With a lineup that generallymore...
Best known for orchestrating layers of winding and bucolic rhythms that evoke equal parts Can’s hypnotic rhythms and the Grateful Dead’s hippie-dippie ways, Faun and a Pan Flute is the most engaging act of the last year to spring from Atlanta’s esoteric rock underbelly. With a lineup that generally settles in at around nine players, the group has transformed from a ragtag math rock band into a much larger ensemble that knows no musical bounds. Since former Street Violence vocalist Suzanne Baker joined the group, her voice has become a calming agent that has redirected the Fauns to explore a nuanced kaleidoscope of sound where every horn, guitar, and drum arrangement is an essential component to the whole. Don’t let the saxophone and long hair fool you, there’s nothing jammy about Faun and a Pan Flute. Every note, every crashing melody, and every breath this group takes contributes to an unorthodox musical method that is distinct and deliberate. www.faunandapanflute.bandcamp.com. less...

Best Gay Bar BOA Award Winner

Year » 2012
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2012 » After Dark » Readers Pick
Mary’s (Featured)

Best Gay Bar BOA Award Winner

Year » 2012
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2012 » After Dark » Readers Pick
Sister Louisa’s Church of the Living Room & Ping Pong Emporium (Featured)

Best Hardcore Band BOA Award Winner

Year » 2012
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2012 » After Dark » Critics Pick
Bukkake Boys

Best Hotel Bar BOA Award Winner

Year » 2012
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2012 » After Dark » Readers Pick
Whiskey Park - Permanently Closed (Permanently Closed)

Best Music Kingpin BOA Award Winner

Year » 2012
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2012 » After Dark » Critics Pick
Tree Sound Studios

Best Jazz Club BOA Award Winner

Year » 2012
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2012 » After Dark » Readers Pick
Churchill Grounds Jazz Cafe (Permanently Closed)

Best Jukebox BOA Award Winner

Year » 2012
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2012 » After Dark » Readers Pick
The Righteous Room (Featured)

Best Karaoke BOA Award Winner

Year » 2012
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2012 » After Dark » Readers Pick
Sweetwater Bar and Grill

Best Latin Club BOA Award Winner

Year » 2012
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2012 » After Dark » Readers Pick
Loca Luna (Permanently Closed)

Best Lesbian Bar BOA Award Winner

Year » 2012
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2012 » After Dark » Readers Pick
MSR My Sisters Room

Best Live Band/Act BOA Award Winner

Year » 2012
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2012 » After Dark » Readers Pick
The Wheeler Boys
www.thewheelerboys.com

Best Local Blues Act BOA Award Winner

Year » 2012
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2012 » After Dark » Readers Pick
Joe McGuinness

Best Blues Band in ATL Best of Atlanta Award

The Best Blues band in Atlanta | more...
www.joemcguinness.net

Best Local DJ/Personality BOA Award Winner

Year » 2012
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2012 » After Dark » Readers Pick
DJ Snellvillain
www.soundcloud.com/snellvillain

Best Local Electronic Act BOA Award Winner

Year » 2012
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2012 » After Dark » Readers Pick
Heroes x Villains
www.soundcloud.com/heroesxvillain

Best Local Experimental Music Act BOA Award Winner

Year » 2012
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2012 » After Dark » Readers Pick
Gun Party
www.facebook.com/GunParty

Best Local Folk Act BOA Award Winner

Year » 2012
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2012 » After Dark » Readers Pick
Under White Pines
www.facebook.com/underwhitepines

Best Local Hip-Hop Act BOA Award Winner

Year » 2012
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2012 » After Dark » Readers Pick
The Wheeler Boys
www.thewheelerboys.com

Best Local Instrumentalist BOA Award Winner

Year » 2012
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2012 » After Dark » Readers Pick
Clay Cook
www.claycook.com


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