Winner
Kat Wright and the Indomitable Soul Band

Runner-Up
TallGrass GetDown

Kat Wright & the Indomitable Soul Band began as the Thursday-night house band at Burlington’s Radio Bean. Over the course of that weekly residency, they honed their fiery R&B chops, quietly emerging as one of the Queen City’s most dynamic live acts. But now the secret is out, and audiences far beyond the Bean’s cozy confines are discovering this soul powerhouse.

SEVEN DAYS: Billy Joel — overrated, underrated or just right??

KAT WRIGHT: Billy Joel is a guilty pleasure that you should allow yourself on a car ride when no one is looking, particularly while singing along to “Big Shot” while drumming on the wheel.

—DAN BOLLES