Best Local Band/Artist
The Houstons
Formerly a two-man band (literally Justin Faircloth played keys and a snare, while his brother, Matt, played guitar and worked bass pedals), The Houstons have dropped the brothers from the end of their name, but boast a slew of new songs, all of which finally get the full-on treatment they deserve. These days, the Faircloth brothers are joined by the able-bodied Vance Carlisle, Chris Lonon, Lindsay Beyer and Chris Walldorf. It was a good move, this forward-thinking expansion as great as the band was before, theyre even better now, and you cant use what some people saw as a gimmick as a conditional.