FRANK151 (turning on the tape):  Could you say that again?  SAM: Umm… about the categories? FRANK151: Yeah!SAM:  OK.  I was asked about Americana – there’s an Americana category, and I was asked if all of the bands in the category were representative of the category, and I said that none of the categories [at the 2008 PLUG Independent Music Awards] were being aptly represented by the artists.  I don’t know, I haven’t looked at hip-hop and metal so much – I mean, maybe that is.  Maybe that is.  It seems easier to do.  But with a lot of them, it kind of just seems like there’s a hundred artists, and they wanted everyone to be nominated, so they just put them all into these ten categories. FRANK151: I think you used the word “violated.�  Is that accurate?SAM:  I said that all of the categories were violated, that’s true.  I said that. FRANK151: Thank you.  

It should be noted here that, a few hours later, Sam Hillmer’s excellent Brooklyn band, The Z’s, lost the PLUG Award they’d be been nominated for, Avant Album of the Year, to The Liars. 

It should also be noted that The Liars are in no way “avant.�  

Weird, unique, interesting, occassionally experimental — maybe.  But avant?  As in, avant garde?  No. 

At best, they’re responding to more avant artists than most indie bands do. Doesn’t mean that’s what they’re doing too.

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