ashville, home of 1996 Grammy Showcase overall winners Stone Deep, once again proved a hotbed for unsigned talent at this year's first-round Grammy Showcase competition on January 23rd at 328 Performance Hall.

Nashville was one of 12 sites of first-round competition, with winners advancing to three regional competitions and then on to a national final in New York on Feb 22.

All five of Nashville's contestants proved worthy of national recognition with strong sets, but Joe, Marc's Brother (last year's Nashville runner up) walked away with the win and a chance to compete in the regionals in Austin.

The first act to take the stage was Comma 8 Comma 1. Playing trippy, moody, laid-back but infectious songs, one audience member joked that they should change their name to "Coma" 8 "Coma" 1. Truth be known, the band's brand of synth-based music with sparse guitars would be much better suited for home audio than the concert stage. Despite a flawlessly-executed performance, Comma 8 Comma 1 was a little sleepy for a high-strung battle of the bands.

The big surprise of the evening was the Diane Williams Group. Williams is virtually unknown to the Nashville music scene, at least to this reviewer. Williams earned attention with the strong demo tape that landed her in the competition. What's even more impressive is that she played every instrument on the demo. Mustering a group of talented musicians for her live show, Williams turned heads with a catchy and hook-laden variation of the "grunge" or "alternative" sound. Her vocals at times resembled Fionna Apple or perhaps Joan Osbourne, but really had a tone of her own. The most striking elements of Williams' music were anthem-like choruses that whipped the band into a frenzy with each repetition. A strong crowd response confirmed a well-played set.

This reviewer's favorite set came compliments of pop-rockers Shazam. The band wears their Cheap Trick influence on their sleeve, but that doesn't detract from instantly-memorable melodies, cool vocal harmonies and an over-the-top stage presence. The power trio clad themselves in velvety thrift store gems, wore their hair like early John, George Paul and Ringo and bashed about the stage as if their lives depended on it. Proof of their professionalism and musicianship came when the bass rig cut out mid set, yet the band didn't miss a beat (let alone stop playing) until the problem was remedied. The guitarist simply played even heavier. Highlights of their set included the band's expertly trashed rendition of the Friends theme.

Two or three songs into the set of TJ Zark would lead one to believe who the hands-down winner would be. The tight rhythm section, led by Epiphone Sorrento-wielding guitarist Doug Metz rocked hard while Zark confidently belted out anger-changed vocals of relationships gone bad. Zark had a commanding stage presence, and performed thoughtfully-crafted songs that walk a fence between "alternative" and acoustic-based rock a-la' Melissa Etheridge. Unfortunately, Zark's set lost steam mid way through, coupled with a tendency to cater to a small group of fans up front. This seemed to alienate the remainder of the audience. A luke warm response to her final tunes confirmed this, and possibly shut the door to a trip to Austin.

This reviewer is not quite sure what the appeal Joe, Marc's Brother has. But you can't argue with an enthusiastic crowd. The band possesses a "retro" style, perhaps reminiscent of early '60s "Brit pop." Almost everyone in the band sings, and they take advantage of this by treating the listener to impressive three and four-part harmony. Most band members play obscure pawn shop discoveries, which possibly contributed to their "old" sound. I still don't get it. They don't rock and they dress kind of goofy. But obviously they've "got it."

As the audience anxiously awaited the verdict from the judges, Stone Deep entertained with their brand of funk/hip-hop similar to The Red Hot Chili Peppers or perhaps Rage Against The Machine. Dressed in matching gas station uniforms, complete with name tags and the band's moniker printed on a patch, the four piece grooved way, way, way hard. Without question, people never bumped, jumped and shook their butts so much all night. If it wasn't so late, more people probably would have. Luckily for the other groups, Stone Deep couldn't compete two years in a row. Because if they had, they might have won again.