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

Ad Astra Per Aspera
Together since 2003, Ad Astra Per Aspera pummels its crowds with a huge sound full of scrambling guitars, intricate samples and mathematical drumming. The band's lush sound and musical complexity have the ability to inspire mental imagery within the listener in a way that few other rock groups can. Singer Mike Tulley's alternating fits of screaming and balladeering, strangely in harmony with the band's carefully organized chaos, create the highly imaginative, focused take on rock that sets Ad Astra far apart from any act KC has ever seen. (www.adastraperaspera.com)

Best Reggae/World/Ska
Sons of Brasil
As the de facto leader of the Sons of Brasil for over a decade, trumpeter and UMKC jazz pedagogue Stan Kessler has turned this sextet into a local institution on his quest to celebrate the unique, rich musical traditions of Brazil. Yet Kessler is far from alone in this endeavor; he has tapped the talent of bandmates Doug Auwarter, Danny Embrey, Wayne Hawkins, Greg Whitfield, and Gary Helm -- all notable local players well-established in their own right. (www.stantonkessler.com)

The Elders
Until their February 4, 2005, show was released as the Live at the Gem CD and DVD, locals just about had to travel elsewhere to get a swig of the Elders' stouty Celtic rock. The hard-touring band spends quite a few weekends out of town, having earned a reputation as a draw on the Irish-festival circuit. This November, however, fans have a chance to join the Elders on the road when the sextet takes a couple busloads' worth of people to go raise a pint together on a trip through Ireland. (www.eldersmusic.com)

Dwight Frizzell
From his beginnings as the classic Penny Lane record-store clerk to his current work at the Kansas City Art Institute and the UMKC Conservatory, the Rev. Dwight Frizzell continues to offer Kansas Citians the trickiest edges that art can offer. As a musician, he's spent decades corrupting innocent youth with the subversive world-funk of the astronomically named Black Crack Revue. These days, with the NewEar Contemporary Chamber Ensemble, he's debuting challenging new work by Krzysztof Penderecki. If it bends minds, the Reverend knows about it -- and then he teaches us. (www.newear.org)

Jonathan Ramsey
Kansas City native Jonathan Ramsey looks all of 23, but he has to be older, having debuted with Maid in the Myddle in 1993. Although his weekly Celtic marathons at Harling's are, regrettably, over, a recording of his last show (in May) should be available soon, with a children's CD and a Christmas recording fast on its heels. Whenever he drops by for an evening of folk favorites, fans raise their voices, slosh their glasses and just feel Irish for a while. (www.jonathanramsey.com)

AZ-One Reggae Band
Elisha Israel formed the AZ-One Reggae Band in 1990, and since then, it has become a fan favorite from the Lake of the Ozarks all the way to Minneapolis. Last summer, the band won the Midwest Entertainment Music Association award for Best Reggae/World Beat Artist, so a PMA nomination seems more than apt. AZ-One has turned on two generations of reggae fans to the heartfelt, socially driven message at the core of the best roots reggae, no matter where it's played.

Best Rap/Hip-Hop
CES Cru
Made up of three of the city's most verbally dexterous wordsmiths, CES Cru has attracted a strong underground following over the past year. Backing up their gritty performances with an exceptional debut, Capture Enemy Soldiers, MCs Ubiquitous and Godemis have held listeners hostage with their haunting, dark repertoire of battle-ready lyrics and panic-inducing beats. Showcasing their talents and unreleased material at events such as Minor Mixup and Major Meltdown, CES Cru has earned a place among the metro's hip-hop elite. (www.cescru.com)

SoundsGood
Channeling the chemistry of a buddy-cop action flick, Miles Bonny and Joe Good released a blockbuster sequel this year in Biscuits & Gravy. Working together like they came from the same crib, the two have kept audiences on their toes with a polished delivery of fresh tracks that are more dynamic, both onstage and in the studio. When Good isn't working the microphone over Bonny's innovative beats in SoundsGood or at the Peanut Downtown on Sundays, he's passing it to the public Tuesday nights at the News Room for Rappin' with Joe Good -- two of the best open-mike hip-hop nights in the area. (www.yourfavoritegroup.com)

Mac Lethal
With the confessional bent and irreverence of Eminem and all the rage and bitter humor of Henry Rollins, it's no wonder Mac Lethal appeals to rockers, gangstas and backpack kids alike. He's in Minneapolis laying down tracks for his debut on indie hip-hop flagship Rhymesayers, so we won't hear from Mac at the awards this year, but one thing's for sure: Wherever Mac Lethal goes, people are going to hear about Kansas City. The short, bald, white MC is downright stubborn in his refusal to disown his roots or sell out, and because of that, the world of hip-hop needs Mac Lethal just as much as we here at home do. (www.lethalville.com)