The OC Music Awards Put Out 'The Best of Orange County'

​Young the Giant's Sameer Gadhia's Q&A with Spencer Kornhaber last week may have gotten all kinds of reactions about the state of the OC music scene, but the OC Music Awards are definitely making a case for local bands.

Last week, the organization released a compilation featuring 14 songs from OC music award winners, including Atreyu, Thrice, Sugar Ray, Dusty Rhodes and the River Band and more.  The compilation is onsale for $9.99 at various Best Buy locations around Orange County.

According to publicist Ashley Eckenweiler, the compilation will be an annual release, adding, "the next compilation (2011)  will first be given to all attendees at the 10th Anniversary Awards on March 5, 2011."

A 25 percent of sales from the compilation will benefit Music for a Cure, the Awards' official charity. Artists receive 75 percent of the remaining proceeds.  Eckenweiler said the compilation was created so they could increase the exposure of the OC Music Awards and the participating artists beyond live showcases during Awards season.

Since Best Buy is an Awards partner, the CD launched for sale at their retail locations. It will also be available online at http://ocmusicawards.com beginning Oct. 1. 

 
Here's the track list:

1.   Atreyu - Bleeding Is a Luxury (Congregation of the Damned)
2.   BLOK - Get On It (The Early Recordings)
3.   Boogaloo Assassins - Watusi Boogaloo (Single)
4.   Duress - Never Be Alone (Stand Tall)
5.   Dusty Rhodes & The River Band - All One! (Self Titled Album)
6.   Electric Valentine - Body to Body (Automatic)
7.   Evan Stone and the Translucent Ham Sandwich Band - Postal Anne X (single)
8.   Free the Robots - Yoga Fire (Free the Robots EP)
9.   The New Limb - Birds and Stuff (Sounds People Can Hear)
10.   Roman Alexander and the Robbery - Highway Home (Self Titled Album)
11.   The Steelwells - El Capitan (Shallow On the Draft)
12.   STEREOFIX - Best Days (Warning Sign EP)
13.   Sugar Ray - Closer (Music for Cougars)
14.   Thrice - In Exile (Beggars)

The 2011 Showcase Series will kick off on Jan. 4; local artists can submit to participate in the Showcases online (click here) until November 15.