“ - For Immediate Release - March 25, 2012 Pauline Reese earns second Entertainer award at 10th annual awards show...Joe "King" Carrasco crowned with Lifetime Achievement Award LINDEN, TX Austin-based performer Pauline Reese was named Entertainer of the Year and Female Vocalist of the Year at the 10th annual Texas Music AwardsTM on March 24th at the newly named Texas Music Barn located inside the Academy of Texas Music building in Linden.To celebrate a decade of recognizing Texas talent, the co-founders of the Texas Music Awards and the retail outletMyTexasMusic.com Jinelle & Lucky Boyd bestowed a record 27 awards and presented over 30 nominated acts on 4 stages in 2 cities. It was a huge undertaking on a shoestring budget (the Academy of Texas Music, Inc. is a non-profit public charity) but we truly wanted the nominees to always remember this day - their day - and celebrate with their friends, fans and peers!" says Academy executive director Jinelle Boyd. Pauline Reese's Entertainer of the Year award writes a new chapter of history, as she is the first female to ever receive this honor twice. Reese collected two awards this year, and she also received the Album of the Year award in 2007 and was crowned Entertainer of the Year in 2010. After receiving the 2012 Lifetime Achievement Award, pop icon and Tex-Mex music legend, Joe "King" Carrasco took the stage with an impromptu band consisting of the show's director, Lucky Boyd on bass guitar, and Live Band of the Year recipient, Sammy Fox on drums. Carrasco put on an outstanding show with his exciting guitar playing and his famous antics, which included jumping off the front of the stage and running up and down the aisles while playing guitar.Carrasco also climbed into the crowd, walking the tops of the old church pews still being used as seating inside the Texas Music Barn, and finished the show with a stunning jump from the top of the venue's elevated drum riser, which is reported to be the tallest drum riser in Texas.Carrasco will be enshrined with an exhibit commemorating his musical achievements and his success with his band, The Crowns, in the music museum which will be housed in a portion of the Academy building at 301 E. Houston in Linden.Jinelle Boyd, one of the producers of the show, remarked on its success, "Our outstanding volunteers once again made this a wonderful show. Aside from a few gremlins in the technical area, all the performances went according to plan and the fans had a great time. It was also good to see a few hundred people in Linden that had never been here before. Several of them told us they fell in love with Linden and can't wait to come back."The Academy of Texas Music, Inc. is a non-profit organization and the Texas Music Barn is the venue located inside the Academy's building at 301 E. Houston Street in Linden. The Academy welcomes donations of any size, and encourages patrons to join the Music Friends program at the Academy website, www.academyoftexasmusic.org.For more information on the awards, visit www.texasmusicawards.org A list of the 2012 award recipients appears below:ProducerJohn Inmon for THE STATION (ShAnnie)Vocal GroupBrad Dunn & Ellis County (Austin, TX) RANCH CATVocal Duo ShAnnie (Fredericksburg, TX) THE STATION Studio MusicianBrad Davis - multiple instruments on I'M FALLING (Lou Ann Petty)Band MusicianCoby Tate - guitar on THERE IS NO FUN IN FUNERAL (Ben Morris & The Great American Boxcar Chorus)RecordAll My Best Friends (Are Behind Bars) Justin Haigh (Austin, TX) SongMonahans - Kevin Higgins, songwriter (Austin, TX) off PEOPLE LIKE ME (Justin Haigh)Female VocalistPauline Reese (Austin, TX) JUST GETTING STARTED (Pauline Reese)Male VocalistDave Fenley (Fredericksburg, TX) A MINUTE TO BREATHE (Dave Fenley & The Good Deal)AlbumGOOD TO SEE YOU Scotty Thurman & The Perfect Trouble Band (Whitesboro, TX) EntertainerPauline Reese (Austin, TX) Singer/SongwriterMichael Hearne (Bushland, TX) Rising StarBrad Boyer (Houston, TX) Live BandSammy Fox & The Intervention (Fort Worth, TX) Disc JockeyRoark Smith KPFT Houston, TXBroadcast Radio StationKHYI 95.3 FM Dallas, TXPopular Cover"Minnie The Moocher" off THE HIGH PRICE OF LOW LIVIN' - Randy Brown (Fort Worth, TX) Academy Award of DistinctionLEARNING AS I GO - Michael O'Neal (Paris, TX)Artistic Excellence AwardsGIRLS, GOOD & OTHERWISE - Jean Synodinos (Austin, TX)I'M FALLING - Lou Ann Petty (Commerce, TX)BI-POLAR SIX STRING - Casey Hubble (Austin, TX) Historical Significance AwardBLUES FOR STEPHEN FOSTER - Jim Stricklan (Austin, TX)Gone To Texas AwardSlim Bawb (Cedar Creek, TX via California)Lifetime Achievement AwardJoe "King" CarrascoPalmwood AwardDillon SteenMyTexan AwardsMark Allan AtwoodBrian Kalinec ” - Payline Productions
“Perhaps the hottest sounding performance of the day came from some unknown Texans billed asBrad Dunn & Ellis County. They’re an Austin bar band. Their CD shines with promise. Hands down, my DisCovery Award of the week.” - Robert K. Oermann
“Brad Dunn & Ellis Country's no-frills country is taut throughout Ranch Cat. Dunn aims his Strait-arrow approach on surefire country rockers like "Red White and Blue" and the multigenerational murder ballad "Feed the Chickens" with aplomb. Name-dropping Willie and Robert Earl doesn't hurt, either.” - Margaret Mosser
“The most successful country music vocalists seem to have an easy-going manner and a confident vocal delivery, and newcomer Brad Dunn & Ellis County definitely fit the bill on their new Texas country album "Ranch Cat. The 53-minute, 14-song album begins with the upbeat "3 Days in Mexico" that could easily find a home on both Texas and mainstream country radio. "Piece Of Me" has much of the same charm and offers a superb melody. "Gone" is a more heartfelt love song that should please female fans.The fourth track and current single "Red, White And Blue" is a hard-edged Texas country cut which radio stations should slurp up faster than peach tea at a church picnic. However, the comfortable traditional country style of "This Time" is even more pleasing as Dunn delivers a subtle but effective vocal performance.The honky tonk song "Barstool" fires on all cylinders and should prove to be a concert favorite, but it is the Americana/blues track "Feed The Chickens" which is the album's biggest surprise. Brad Dunn & Ellis Country have some soul, and it is on full display while they "Feed The Chickens." The final cut "Southern Wind" is probably the best song on the entire album, because the song fuses all of the best elements of the group - confident vocals, strong instrumentation, memorable melody and thought-provoking lyrics."Ranch Cat" is a triumph of the highest order, and fans of traditional and Texas country will want to run - not walk - to see Brad Dunn & Ellis County in concert. These country boys know how to make sweet country music, and here's hoping another 14 songs make their way out of the ranch real soon.TexasCountryChart.com”
“Brad Dunn and Ellis County release another spectacular Country album, "Ranch Cat." This CD shines with its finely crafted songs that are vibrant and upbeat, offers exceptional lead vocals and harmonies, and first rate instrumentation. Opening up the album, "3 Days In Mexico," charms you with its catchy melody and colorful flavors of Country tonality. Another song, "Red White and Blue," is Country Rock at its best as the lead vocals groove with an in your face attitude. The song, "Knock Em Down," is another great tune with a fun, bouncy beat and solid vocals. The last song, "Southern Wind," is a great acoustic song as the guitar, bass, and fiddle complement the charming vocals and harmony. If you are into Country music, then you will find this album to be absolutely entertaining. Fans of George Strait will really enjoy the fantastic collection of Country songs on the superb CD, "Ranch Cat.” - Dianne and the Radio Indy Country Team
