2008 Zemmy Awards

Zemmy’s the 2nd edition....

Yes for the song’s that I own through iTunes...Here’s the best mix of the year

Now back to the awards.


Best acappella song : I wanted to just pick So Much Grace again... but I’m going to go with Allison’s cover "Hard to say goodbye to yesterday"

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Best use of "Pissed Me Off" in a song for the second year in a row: Certainly Know Why by Kendel Carson written by Chip Taylor

Most envied Old Fart Musician award : Me, this last year I got closer to Heather Waters, Wil Maring, Hope Waits, Samantha Farrell, Kim Davidson, Kelsey Waldon, MJ Bishop, Sabrina Kufner, Angela Wilkins, and Allison Sattinger through emails and blog posts. My wife is wondering a little but I deflect her with my few male friends. Whew.


Best line "Do the skeletons in your closet have 20 pairs of shoes to choose from" in Soul by Dan Bern.






Best Music Video of the Year : This was no contest even while I’ve been watching more videos... The Beggars put together a fun video with a great song.





Smoothest Male Tenor Voice in Folk Music that can sing an early Dylan like song with so many words smoothly : End of World Blues by Alfonso Velez... There’s a line, "it’s on the Radio"... it should be.!



Best Duet: Love and Happiness, "Hard Not to Fall in Love with You" by Austin & Elliott Yes, most of my regular readers know that this is likely a mantra for me. I still have the greatest love for my wife Lori but boy I love so many more, and it’s Hard not to fall in Love again, again, and again.


Best Train metaphor song : Bound for Glory by Mat d.

Best song about a clothing article since This Old Shirt by MCC : Brown Jacket by Heather Waters






Best Lost a friend to a distant place like Alaska by Johnann Wagner. If this doesn’t touch your heart, and make you want to move there with her... have your heart checked for cobwebs.


Best Joplinesque voice in Canada : Robin by Sabrina Kufner



Best new folk song in the tradition of Bill Staines : Break Some Stones by Doug Spears


Best song about a date with a whore and an old girl friend at the same time: Just like Old Times by Todd Snider

Best sentimental song : Hold on to that Heart by Pierce Pettis This one really can squeeze the tear ducts.


Best erotic scene setting song: Oh My Dear by Lindsay Jane This is such a fun song, and she just gave it free on her site. Boy I owe her to buy some of her other material.



Best old song I rediscovered : Flying Red Horse by John Gorka Thanks to Allison for reminding me of it.




Best Ghost song : Ghost by Mark Erelli. I love when I can repeat categories between years... last year’s ghost song was great too.





Best song I can’t figure out : The Follies of Don Calandro by Jesse DeNatale. I love this song, kind of like I like Lillie, Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts.




Best Dylan cover: Ring them bells by Hope Waits







Best Christian song: I’ve got a Hope by Carolyn Arends written by Pierce Pettis & Eric Fiedor





Most Eclectic Cover : I’ve just seen your Face by The Paperboys







Best Sports song: The Dying Cub Fan’s last Request by Steve Goodman



Best Explicit Song : Work Song by Dan Reeder. Don’t play this in front of anyone who is sensitive to hear the F word.



Best Bluegrass song: Goodbye by The Paperboys. They aren’t traditionally a bluegrass band, but this song s/b a bluegrass standard.




Best Jack Johnson song: I Shall be Released... yes I know it’s not his song. This category is because MySpace Acoustic forums traditionally have a love / hate relationship with this guy. Give him a break, I wish more pop music sounded like Jack Johnson. No link... major record label... you’ll find him pretty much everywhere.

Most overrated CD: I thought the Dixie Chicks Grammy winner would win this forever; (this coming from a fan) but I would like to add the Eagles new cd. What awesome singing, what mediocre writing. Good thing that they put 20 songs on it, I could find 6 decent songs, and the best they didn’t write. Thank you JD Souther, you rock.

Best Song by an artist with Rose in their name : I really wanted Rose Reiter to win this one, but this kid
Ashlee Rose beat her out with the song "Walkin in the City of Angels". I really think she’s pulling my leg, she tells me she’s only 18 1/2. My God her future is as bright as that big smile she flashes.





So she didn’t win the song, let’s create a new category called Best Video by a performer with Rose in their name..

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Best shaved head Artist : Natalie Portman… you say she doesn’t sing… then it must be Angels every time I see her. I think she’ll win this every year. If I ever get elected I’m going to ask her to be my Secretary of State. She is short, cute, and smart and is not shy to speak to peace.


Best cover of a Kate Wolf song EVER: Across the Great Divide by Nanci Griffith...I think this will likely stay here until someone ace’s it out.? See the 2007 Zemmys for a video of Nanci's cover.


Best Dave Zeman Song: Actually is a Co-write with Kim and sung by her wonderfully strong vocal... yes it’s Opposite Destiny by Dave Schipper and Kim Davidson

Most played song on Dave’s iTunes: Shake by Samantha Farrell I absolutely love this song and I’m grateful to Samm’s mom to telling me the story behind it.

Freebie Award voted by my blog readers : So Down by Jane Rose. A talented singer songwriter in Kentucky with one my fine Guitar tattoo.

Best CD I bought this year: "Self Titled" Hope Waits by Hope Waits It is truly a gem mixing in 3 original tunes with some great classic and obscure covers. What a voice! Reminds a lot of Billie Holiday






When I learned a MySpace and Songwriter101.com friend Teresa Austin had died suddenly. She was the biggest supporter of the Zemmy’s and she had to be immortalized in these posts. The Austin Award was for friend who embodies her support for my musings.


It has to be Mora. She has been a friend since I discovered her on Sabrina’s page, and marveled at the way she wrote conversational prose. To be a Austin winner you need to have suggested a musician that I loved their song or just promoted the heck out of independent artists. Mora’s suggestion was Mumbo Gumbo’s song Doing Nothing. It’s wonderful because I do work hard at Doin’ Nothing.

I’m sure missing that I wanted to add... but this year I wanted to beat those other awards that reward those artists that really don’t deserve the recognition as much as the Zemmy Winners....

Plus for anyone curious, here was the inaugural Zemmy Awards:

Ok... I do have a cool link for all the winner to add to their page... I’ll send a text document to whoever wants it..