Tell me some things about the AAN award winners

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The Association of Alternative Newsweeklies (AAN: http://aan.org/) recently posted its 2005 AltWeekly Award Winners.

However--and please bear in mind I do not keep up with things like I should--I didn't really recognize any of the winners for Music Criticism, despite the fact that I really really should. Please tell me some things about these apparently wonderful writers.

MUSIC CRITICISM

Circulation < 50,000

First Place: Sound Patrol: Reviews of Ike Turner's "His Woman, Her Man," Wilco's "A Ghost Is Born" and Eminem's "Encore," René Spencer Saller, Illinois Times

Second Place: "Sound Poems" and "Buying Blare," Sara Bir, North Bay Bohemian (PDF file)

Third Place: "Untitled" and "Rock & Roll Digger," Steve Palopoli, Metro Santa Cruz

Honorable Mention: Latin Beat: "Sabado Gigante at Chino Latino," "Mundo Rico" and "Salsa's Sun and Lisbon by Night," Sylvia Pfeiffenberger, Independent Weekly

Circulation > 50,000

First Place: I'm All Ears: I'm All Ears: "Why Don't We Do It on the Road?" "Shake Your Tits," "Playing Doctor," Melissa Maerz, City Pages (Twin Cities)

Second Place: "Riddle Me This," "The Bomb Squad" and "Buy These Records," Jonathan Valania, PW-Philadelphia Weekly (PDF file)

Third Place: "Joiners In Believing," "A New Small Future," "Weddings and Funerals," Alec Hanley Bemis, L.A. Weekly

Honorable Mention: "Happy in Hoboken," "The Kids Are Alright" and "Whose Blues?", Chris Herrington, The Memphis Flyer

― Eppy (Eppy), Monday, 20 June 2005 20:34 (twenty years ago)

Jonathan Valania used to be in a somewhat successful neo-garage band called (I believe) the Psyclone Rangers. I seem to remember spotting his byline outside the altie world, but I couldn't tell you where. Alternative Press, maybe, years ago.

Chris Herrington has been at the Flyer for a while now.

I am given to understand that Melissa Maerz' sister is the music editor of L.A. Weekly.

― Floyd the Barber (Floyd), Monday, 20 June 2005 23:00 (twenty years ago)

Close. Jennifer Maerz is at Seattle Weekly. Melissa is at Spin.

― Rickey Wright (Rrrickey), Monday, 20 June 2005 23:02 (twenty years ago)

Ah. Knew it was something like that.

― Floyd the Barber (Floyd), Monday, 20 June 2005 23:09 (twenty years ago)

While I was genuinely interested in these folks' work, I was also curious what it meant that despite my ILM lurking I'm not familiar with them. Is it:

a) Something about the AAN awards, which of course I know nothing about?

b) Something about the ILM/blogosphere axis being a painfully self-contained bubble, where no one outside it gives two shits about the critics we wet ourselves over?

c) Both of the above?

d) None of the above, I'm just ignorant?

― Eppy (Eppy), Tuesday, 21 June 2005 14:57 (twenty years ago)

I can tell you some things about AVN award winners.

― Aaron A., Tuesday, 21 June 2005 15:04 (twenty years ago)

Well so could David Foster Wallace, but that's a different essay entirely.

― Eppy (Eppy), Tuesday, 21 June 2005 15:10 (twenty years ago)

While I was genuinely interested in these folks' work, I was also curious what it meant that despite my ILM lurking I'm not familiar with them.
a) Something about the AAN awards, which of course I know nothing about?
b) Something about the ILM/blogosphere axis being a painfully self-contained bubble, where no one outside it gives two shits about the critics we wet ourselves over?
c) Both of the above?

d) None of the above, I'm just ignorant?

Well, interweb notwithstanding, these folks are generally writing for local consumption, at papers with a physical distribution of limited size and scope. Unless these folks go out of their way to get national gigs or, consciously or otherwise, cultivate a web presence (hi Matos), you might never hear of them, despite the fact that they were judged among the best of their breed.

― Floyd the Barber (Floyd), Tuesday, 21 June 2005 18:04 (twenty years ago)

jennifer maerz is actually at the stranger. rene spencer saller's ike turner piece is incredible.

― Jams Murphy (ystrickler), Tuesday, 21 June 2005 18:08 (twenty years ago)

Also, I think Chris Herrington posts here, or at least used to.

― Floyd the Barber (Floyd), Tuesday, 21 June 2005 18:29 (twenty years ago)

All three of those Rene Spencer Saller pieces are incredible.

― Nigel (Nigel), Tuesday, 21 June 2005 19:03 (twenty years ago)

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