GGOOLLDD among winners at Radio Milwaukee Music Awards
Soul Low, Lex Allen, Chris Siegel, Strehlow also win
The Radio Milwaukee Music Awards spread the wealth Thursday night, with each winner picking up a single prize.
The ninth annual fête for local music, presented by WYMS-FM (88.9), selected synthpop group GGOOLLDD as band of the year and alternative soul singer Lex Allen as solo artist of the year.
The awards offered reassurance after some struggles in 2016. GGOOLLDD parted ways with co-founder and chief songwriter Tony Hunt this year, but retooled its songwriting process. Two new GGOOLLDD songs played at the awards Thursday quickly became crowd pleasers.
Allen, a member of local hip-hop collective New Age Narcissism, has been dropping promising singles ahead of his debut album next year. This includes the moving new ballad “Mama’s Boy,” which honors Allen’s late mother.
“I’m not going to cry,” an emotional Allen told the Journal Sentinel after winning his award. “It feels like hard work is paying off. It took me seven years to get to where I am today . ... I’m excited for 2017.”
Allen was also featured on the song of the year winner, “This is How,” awarded to electronic producers Strehlow and Chris Siegel.
Soul Low won album of the year for its ambitious, offbeat pop rock opus “Nosebleeds.” The band played album tracks and premiered a new song at the awards Thursday, at the station’s studios in Walker’s Point, along with New Wave band NO/NO, and alternative R&B singer and rapper D’Amato.
Also on the bill was experimental rapper Milo, whose heady album “Too Much of Life is Mood,” released under his alternative stage name Scallops Hotel, won the critics’ choice award, as selected by local music journalists and station staff.
Station staff and sponsor partners selected the winners after nearly 4,000 online votes determined nominees. Editor’s Note: Piet Levy voted for the critics’ choice award and co-hosts a weekly segment on WYMS.
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Find out about the week’s must-see shows, concert tickets and more in the newsletter “Piet Levy’s Music Picks.” Subscribe at jsonline. com/newsletters. Piet talks about concerts, local music and more on “TAP’d In” with Jordan Lee, 8 a.m. Thursdays on WYMS-FM (88.9).