6 Wammie Nominees that Knock It Out of the Park

Ahead of the Wammie Awards this Saturday, read which local nominated artists and albums are some of our favorites.

With 44 awards categories, over a dozen genres and styles, the annual Wammie (Washington Area Music) Awards on April 1 at Capital Turnaround makes it clear that there is a bounty of music in our area. So much sound that even industry veterans like those of us who judge the final nominees are likely to hear artists and tunes that we have never encountered before in our years covering music in D.C. These artists were a joyful revelation when we first heard them in the mix of dozens of others, standing out as remarkable exemplars of the artistic depths of our area.

Jackson’s Picks

Celebration Summer
Nominated for Best Hard Rock/Punk Album for “Patience in Presence,” Best Hard Rock/Punk Album

Admittedly, Celebration Summer was more of a rediscovery for me. When I was judging for the 2021 Wammies, I encountered this group for the first time with its single “Against the Gun.” It seemed like a strong D.C. hardcore punk response and soundtrack to the Black Lives Matter protests of 2020, but the track was a little too lo-fi and the group was still a little too heavy.

In that way, hearing “Patience in Presence,” the group’s debut album, was like hearing a new band. The D.C. punks wear their love for the heavy melodic crunch of 90s punk giants like Leatherface and Jawbreaker. The lyrics are, as in this city’s punk tradition, an incisive unpacking of the semi-ludicrous nature of supposed cosmopolitan life in a place like D.C., but also just plenty of good-old harDCore humanism and encouragement for a better life. celebrationsummer.bandcamp.com // @celebrationsummer

T.P.
Nominated for Best Rap Album for “THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY”

I love Celebration Summer and “Patience in Pestilence” deeply, it hits me in my inner teenager; but “THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY,” the new album by Prince Georges’ County rapper T.P. (Tyree Paul), still has my head spinning. Admittedly I am not the closest follower of DMV rap and hip-hop, but I have been waiting for D.C. to produce its “To Pimp a Butterfly” and “THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY” just might be it.

In a category filled with emcees and producers who continue to push the tired subwoofer-breaking trap beats and materialist message, encountering T.P.’s work was like Moses meeting the burning bush. In the first track alone, supported by a dark piano riff and buttressed by glistening strings, the rapper dramatizes a fight between voices – using four different flows at the drop of a hat – in his head about the role of ego in his performance. The album only goes further down the philosophical and psychological rabbit hole from there: it is a true, rewarding journey. @t.p.301

Jarreau Williams
Nominated for Best R&B/Soul Song for “Holding All The Cards”

Alexandria’s Jarreau Williams synthesizes the best of old-school R&B and the sounds of modern, WHUR-type radio stations on his song “Holding All The Cards.” Opened by and punctuated by a harmonica (I’m a sucker for a good reedy harmonic cutting through the synthesizers and beats like citrus in a rich plate of food), Jarreau’s track has that neo-disco, house energy of say a 2022 Beyonce while also the smoothness and playful charisma of Usher or early Jason Derulo. As a result, the production sits at an enthralling crossroads where it is both kinetic enough to make a great dance floor hit but also have the soothing tones and timbres to make it a relaxing listening experience.

Lyrically Jarreau hits the right notes too. It’s classic Motown sort of stuff and, refreshingly sans. The gratuitous bump-n-grind of so many similar songs: man is infatuated with woman, knows he wants to impress her but also knows she is holding all the power in terms of this potential love affair moving forward. It’s Smokey Robinson for the 21st century. jarreauwilliams.com // @iamjarreauwilliams

Nicole’s Picks:

Dogo du Togo
Nominated for Best World Music Artist-Group

Splitting his time between D.C. and Lome, Togo, Dogo du Togo is bringing the soothing and uplifting rhythmic beats of Togolese music to a new audience. His smooth vocals harmonize with the acoustic-dominated tracks. The album is in French but regardless of your fluency level, the sentiment of each song is conveyed to the listener. Take “Immigré,” the song carries a powerful tone through its intricate melody and chanting background vocalists, while Dogo sings about life as an immigrant and identifying with two places as home. dogofromtogo.com // @dogodutogo

Vintz Desert
Nominated for Best Folk/Bluegrass Album for “The Blue Journal”

Using Greek mythology and fantastical imagery, Vintz Desert weaves a story with satisfying metaphors. In “Sisyphus,” the song is restrained but quietly builds as Desert sings about a manipulative lover. Haunting and hypnotic, Desert uses melodic repetition and breathy vocals throughout the album to entrance his listener. He might just be the male equivalent of Lana Del Rey or Billie Eilish. vintzdesert.bandcamp.com // @vintzdesert

Pretty Bitter
Nominated for Best Pop Album for “Hinges,” Best Pop Artist Group, Best Pop Song for “The Damn Thing is Cursed”

Pretty Bitter dips into the edgier side of pop with their lyrics reflecting the strife of entering adulthood during the pandemic. Em Bleker’s sultry vocals are a constant through the album’s varying sound, from “The Damned Thing is Cursed’s” dizzying guitar riffs to “BDI / Love’s” electronic soundscapes. The album is experimental, but polished and has an addictive quality to it that will make you reach for it the next time you want to brood. prettybitter.bandcamp.com // @prettybitter.mp3

The Wammie Awards are on Saturday, April 1 starting at 5 p.m. at Capital Turnaround. Tickets are sold out. To learn more visit Wammie Awards’ website or follow them on Instagram at @wammiesdc

Capital Turnaround: 770 M St. SE, DC; capitalturnaround.com // @capturnaround

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Jackson Sinnenberg and Nicole Schaller