Best Music Poll 2001

The Worcester Phoenix has stopped publishing, but we can't call it quits without announcing the local winners in the 2001 Best Music Poll. Below are our first-place finishers and runners up, plus this year's crop of readers' picks (i.e. bands who received the most write-in votes). The results of our national poll will be online at thephoenix.com, on May 16. Our congratulations to the winners and our thanks to the thousands of Wormtown music fans who voted. And yes, we are having the party. See you at the Lucky Dog Music Hall (89 Green Street, Worcester) on Friday, May 11, when we'll be handing out awards at the Ho-Down Chili Barbecue. The Lucky Dog phone number is (508) 363-1888.

See photos of the 2001 Worcester Best Music Poll Awards Party at wormtown.org, your best remaining source of Worcester County music news.

Rock Act

First place: Hitch
Runners up: Dirt Junkie, Jason James and the Bay State House Rockers, Cosmo
Readers' pick: Clutch Grabwell

New Act

First place: Go!
Runners up: No Crime Done, Hunter Orange Overdose, Tunnel Drill
Readers' pick: Sidetracked

Pop Act

First place: Carry the Zero
Runners up: Huck, Curtain Society, Snakes and Ladders
Readers' pick: Gearhead

Solo Artist

First place: Bill McCarthy
Runners up: Jen Spingla, Joanne Geeze, John Burrows
Readers' pick: Jake Shore

Hard-Rock/Metal Act

First place: Red Mercury
Runners up: Officer Down, Controlled Aggression, Wunderlick/Capitol Seven (tie)
Readers' pick: HoKaHa

Rap/Hip-Hop/DJ

First place: Hank Scorpio
Runners up: DJ X-Kaliber, Mingo, Nytmare
Readers' pick: DJ Soup

Punk Act

First place: Flip 55
Runners up: Prizefighter, Musclecah, Villain
Readers' pick: True Biffs

Roots/Swing Act

First place: Fatwall Jack
Runners up: Little Red and the Riders, Bombay Jim and the Swingin' Sapphires, Jumpin' Juba with Steve Hurl
Readers' pick: Blind Tiger Swing Posse

Blues Act

First place: Shakey Steve and the BluesCats
Runners up: Wildcats, Soulcasters, British Yankees
Readers' pick: Troy Gonyea

Folk Act

First place: Jentri
Runners up: Valerie and Walter Crockett, James O'Brien, Patty Keough
Readers' pick: John Burrows

Jazz Act

First place: Cassandre McKinley
Runners up: Johnny Dollar Experiment, Kakalla, Jay Tyer Quartet
Readers' pick: Worcester Jazz Orchestra

Groove/Jam Act

First place: Krakow
Runners up: New Pond Fondle, Space'n, Oak Street Jam Band
Readers' pick: Jive

Hardcore/Rapcore Act

First place: Dr. Bewkenheimer
Runners up: Second Class Citizen, Bane, Change of System/Year of Our Lord (tie)
Readers' pick: Skulltoboggan

Country Act

First place: Rodeo Clowns
Runners up: Goldrush, Gale Force, Dave Pike and the Good Ole Boys
Readers' pick: Handles/The Revolution (tie)

Cover Band

First place: Uncle Wally
Runners up: Time Capsule, Group Therapy, Spit Shine
Readers' pick: Counter Attack

Recording

First place: Officer Down, "Pieces"
Runners up: Little Red and the Riders, Jumpin' for Joy; Curtain Society, Volume, Tone, Tempo; Thinner, The Roger Project/Valerie and Walter Crockett, Emily's Angel (tie)
Readers' pick: No Crime Done, No Crime Done