Yo, Kansas City! It's time to rock the vote!

Moiré
Singer Waylon Callahan has just announced his departure from Moiré, citing frontman fatigue and a desire to get a day job that doesn't suck. But he insists that this isn't the end of Moiré (Paul Kelley, the band's electro-whiz, may take over vocal duties), which is a relief because, with a lot of hardcore, a touch of industrial and some clever electronic samples, the band draws a diverse crowd -- including a 2-year-old who reportedly attended a show sporting ear plugs and a shirt that read "Forget the cookies and milk, where's the titties and beer?" Now that's metal. (www.moiremusic.com)

The James Dean Trio
As of press time, rumors of the James Dean Trio's demise had not been substantiated. If true, though, this hearsay would be bad news indeed. Of all the bands in the area that play progressive thrash metal under flesh-peeling vocals, the James Dean Trio (a quintet, actually) is the most accessible for people who aren't crazy about hardcore. Chalk up the band's appeal to its kitsch-free appearance, whimsical math-jazz breakdowns, and the lead singer's Jack Black-on-crack charisma. (www.myspace.com/thejamesdeantrio)

Chloe Bridges
Chloe Bridges concerts don't look like metal shows -- not with Kansas City's most attractive MySpace members in attendance. Groups that value technical riffs and aggressive intensity haven't always drawn a hearty female following, but fashionable yet brutal bands such as this Kansas City quintet have made screamo stylish. Chloe Bridges gigs prompt actual dancing as well as frantic pits, another sign of the times. Its inaugural full-length, The Black Heart Empire, long delayed by the band's perfectionist tinkering, should emerge later this year. (www.blackheartempire.com)

Adayafter
Adayafter lasted only eight months, but it clearly left an impression on those who happened to wander in front of its metal maelstrom. Comprising multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Nathan Church, a singer named Burns, Cameron Fitzmaurice on drums, Krista Julius on bass and Phil Mitchum on guitar, Adayafter collapsed when Church and Fitzmaurice moved on to create the machine-gun-guitar metal of Sicadis, which has already met in the studio with M. Shawn Crahan of Slipknot, who produced the new band's first demo track.

Best Jazz
Angela Hagenbach
In 1989, Angela Hagenbach, inspired by the music of Sarah Vaughan, traded in her successful career as a fashion model to become a jazz singer. A fortunate swap given that her exquisite contralto voice has been heard from stages ever since. Renowned for her versatility, flawless pitch and vocal range, she is also known for her unique ability to take on both jazz and Latin ballads. Hagenbach's sultry voice is only embellished by her commanding stage presence -- a blend of poise, sophistication and subtle sexiness. (www.angelahagenbach.com)

Bobby Watson
As the director of jazz studies at the University of Missouri-Kansas City's Conservatory of Music, Bobby Watson could teach most local up-and-comers a thing or two. But make no mistake -- checking out the alto saxophonist and composer live is about the furthest thing from sitting through a lecture. Having released Horizon Reassembled with his hard-bop quintet Horizon last year, Watson will school an audience at Lincoln Center when he travels to New York City and plays with the Julliard Jazz Orchestra in September. (www.bobbywatson.com)

Malachy Papers
It doesn't take a highly analytical mind to figure out that three of this year's nominees are either affiliated with or led by saxophonist Mark Southerland -- or to deduce why. Though Kansas City's taste for traditional jazz and bop will never diminish, the town's appetite seems somewhat dulled for the same old noodly swing standards. Joc Max (see Best DJ/Dance), vibraphonist Mike Dillon (now on tour with Les Claypool) and master of keyboard disaster and local production meister E. Clarke Wyatt have all joined in the Malachy, making it one of the most free-spirited and accessible avant-garde acts in KC history. (www.malachypapers.com)

Snuff Jazz
With a friendship that spans back to the early, heady days of local jazz-jam heroes and multi-Pitch Award winners the Malachy Papers, bassist Bill McKemy and saxophonist Mark Southerland continue to explore their mutual musical musings within the boundless confines of Snuff Jazz. In an improvisational setting where anything goes -- and often does -- McKemy and Southerland transform seven years' worth of mutual respect and audacious interplay into a sound that is unique for the more traditionally oriented KC jazz scene. (www.billmckemy.com)

TJ Dovebelly
As of last spring, the TJ Dovebelly Ensemble is, regrettably, no more. Born from Crossroads District hangout Y.J.'s Snack Bar, the four-piece was a constant presence at local fashion shows, house parties and gallery get-downs. It is remembered most for its innovative tape-scratching and multitude of horn inventions, courtesy of Mark Southerland, aka Mr. Dovebelly. Southerland, a heralded force of the experimental-music scene, can still be heard blowing away with Snuff Jazz, Malachy Papers, Mr. Marco's V7 and the Ssion. (www.tjdovebelly.com)

Best Latin
Son Venezuela
Proclamations can be dangerous, but when Son Venezuela's members describe themselves as "the Kansas City ambassadors of Latin music," you'd better believe it. For the past decade, this feisty nine-piece -- which features musicians from as far away as Brazil, Holland and Venezuela and as near as Lawrence -- has found fun and fame in bringing spicy songwriting, imported rhythms and a feverish live show to fans across the Midwest. If you don't know how to dance before the show, you will by the end. (www.sonvenezuela.com)