Photo: Jim Catalano/Journal Staff Hubcap's 'Between the Rails' garnered several 'Jimmies' this year. The band, including guitarist Peter Glanville, performs at Castaways New Year's Eve.

There were around 30 CDs released locally in the past year (plus a few more from neighboring Cortland), and while I didn't get to hear of all them, I did listen to the ones that made it to my mailbox at the Journal before early December.

As always, these award choices are entirely subjective and the categories are completely arbitrary. The winners (I try not to repeat them from the previous year) receive absolutely nothing except a handshake and a "Way to Go" next time I see them around town.

The envelopes, please:

• Best CD (all styles): Hubcap, "Between the Rails." Every year, one local release seems to stand out from the pack for me-- last year it was the Sutras' "Thousandaire"; in 2002, it was Elliot Martin's "Black Castle." This year it was Hubcap's long-awaited second CD, "Between the Rails." Comprising everything from mournful ballads ("Birthday Song," "TV at a Loss," the sublime closer "Untitled") and rockers ("Motionsick," "Engine") to country ("KSW") and outright weirdness ("Stuart Sutcliffe"), "Between the Rails" rode the many strengths -- Steve Gollnick's songwriting and stellar playing from guitarist Peter Glanville, drummer Ryan Cady and bassist Walt Lorenzut -- that have made Hubcap one of the best bands to come out of Ithaca in the past decade.

The rest of the local Top Ten for 2004:

2) The Sim Redmond Band, "Shining Through"

3) Rev1, "WMD"

4) The Thins, "Postcard Angels

5) Johnny Dowd, "Cemetery Shoes"

6) Sean Kobuk, "Angels in the Rearview Mirror"

7) Seth Feldman, "Proctor Boulevard"

8) Joejo, "Cowpunk from Willseyville"

9) Boy with a Fish, "Birds Fly Backwards"

10) Atomic Forces, "Americum 243" and IY, "Further Gone"

Here's the breakdown of the best in various categories; as you can see, Ithaca is particularly strong in roots-rock and acoustic music, but the rock, pop-rock and alt-rock genres are beginning to catch up.

• Roots-Rock CD: Sim Redmond Band, "Shining Through." The quintet's blend of lilting rhythms, Afro-Caribbean guitar lines and warm harmonies reached a new height on its latest CD. Honorable Mention: Joejo, "Cowpunk from Willseyville"; Boy with a Fish, "Birds Fly Backwards";Urban Horse Thieves, "Won't Be Long"; The Crooners, "Upstate and Downtown."

• Alt-Rock CD: (tie) Sean Kobuk, "Angels in the Rearview Mirror" and Seth Feldman, "Proctor Boulevard" A pair of impressive debut CDs. Kobuk's CD is highlighted by its punchy songs and hooky guitar riffing along with top-notch producing and playing from Matt Saccuccimorano, while Seth Feldman (a quartet of high schoolers, none of whom is named Seth Feldman) scores with a collection of catchy, well-arranged songs that belie the band's relative youth.

• Pop-Rock CD: IY, "Further Gone." Even though three of the four members are seniors at Ithaca High School, the band revealed a polished, professional sound on its debut CD, recorded in its home studio. Honorable Mention: Travis Rocco Band, "First Things Last."

• Jam Band CD: Revision, "What It Is." Actually, "jam band" probably isn't the best label for this versatile band, which ranges over a wide musical terrain: jazz, funk, fusion, rock, pop and more. All the members are great players, but unlike many jam bands, that doesn't get in the way of the songs.

• Rock CD: Johnny Dowd, "Cemetery Shoes." Ithaca's legendary moving man continued his streak of unleashing his unique, occasionally jaw-dropping, noir-ish goth-country upon unsuspecting listeners. Honorable Mention: Atomic Forces, "Americum 243"; Missing Marcus, "All That's Left"; Kiev, "Get of My Basement"; Hi Girls, "Nobody's Whore"; The Coopertones, "Greatest Hits, Vol. 1"; Punchclock, "Surprise Me."

• Acoustic CD: The Thins, "Postcard Angels." The power trio of AJ Strauss, Gabe Tavares and Brian Dudla whipped up a huge sound despite its minimalist setup, incorporating tribal rhythms and pointed lyrics into catchy songs. Honorable Mention: Paso Fino, "Into the Desert Plain"; Traonoch, "Macintosh Jon"; Kitchen Chair, "Kitchen Chair"; Marcy Prochaska, "What Child is This?"; Tom Mank and Sera Smolen, "Souls of Birds."

• Hiphop CD: Rev1, "WMD." Hard-hitting, timely and street-smart protest music (especially "Patriots Act") from Rev1, aka Che Broadnax. Ithaca's nascent hiphop scene seems poised for bigger things in the upcoming year, especially the newly formed collective Cypher:dissident (which includes a host of local hiphoppers, including Rev1).

• Heavy Rock CD: Feinstein, "Third Wish." David Feinstein, former member of Elf and the Rods, emerged from a long break with a collection of metal songs marked by all the classic flourishes -- elaborate arrangements, lengthy guitar solos, wailing vocals, etc. -- that made the genre so popular back in the 1980s and ready for a comeback in the 21st century. Honorable Mention: Pile of Heads, "The Art of Suffering."

• Solo CD: Linda Stout, "Good Luck Child." Working with Charlie Shew on most of the tracks, Stout (who produced the CD herself) combined jazz, pop and folk elements into a tasty whole, one marked by sophisticated arrangements and evocative lyrics. Honorable Mention: Margaret Wakely, "Perfect Strangers"; Michael Mazochi, "Michael Mazochi."

• Female Singer: Linda Stout. Showcased her impressive voice on her debut CD, "Good Luck Child," Honorable Mention: Jessica Flood, Missing Marcus; Maia Vidal, Kiev; Uniit Carruyo, Sim Redmond Band and Five2; Keli Carlson, Joejo; Savannah James, Egar Got Agitated and solo artist.

• Male Singer: Steve Gollnick, Hubcap. His voice is perfectly matched to his songs, whether he's rocking out or contemplating lost love. Honorable Mention: Sim Redmond, SRB; Chris Frank and Nate Terepka, IY; Benn Bartishevich, Seth Feldman; Tom Mank, Tom Mank & Sera Smolen.

• Best Producer: Billy Cote, for his work on Hubcap's "Between the Rails," which offers new sonic rewards upon every listen. The band members also Cote for helping them to think of the album as a whole, rather than just a collection of tracks--another reason why it's so strong.

• Best Song: (tie) Joejo, "Big Ship" and the Coopertones, "14850." Joejo's anti-Bush anthem served as a raucous backdrop to the presidential campaign while the Coopertones' "14850" nailed Ithaca in all its glorious quirkiness. Honorable Mention: Katherine Aelias Band, "Rain"; Hubcap, "Motionsick" and "Untitled"; Sim Redmond Band, "Shining Through"; Revision, "Ithaca Weather"; The Thins, "Clairvoyance."

As you can see, it was another great year for local releases. And there's no doubt that 2005 will bring us another outpouring of CDs from the Ithaca music scene. I'm particularly looking forward to new projects from Donna the Buffalo, Saint Low, John Brown's Body, Cletus and the Burners, the Mofos, the Splendors and many more.

Originally published Thursday, December 30, 2004