AmoChip Dabney
Two-time Grammy nominee, composer, multi-instrumentalist, producer and engineer, Dabney has crossed genres in bands that play everything from African to jazz. In 2005, Dabney played on the album "People of Peace," a Native American Music Awards winner and Grammy finalist with the R. Carlos Nakai Quartet. In 2006, Dabney was again nominated for a Grammy for his work with Will Clipman on the album "Beyond Words." Both albums were produced at Dabney's Completely Bare Studio in Tucson. He currently performs with The AmoSphere, Arthur Migliazza, The Wayback Machine, The R. Carlos Nakai Quartet and The Les Baxter Factor. This is Dabney's second year as a Battle of the Bands judge.
Helene Grotans
Grotans has been playing music since she was a 10-year-old in Kalamazoo, Mich. She came to Tucson in 1999 to study music at the University of Arizona. Grotans, 27, got her UA degrees in violin performance and music education. She now teaches orchestra and guitar at Flowing Wells High School. She's also a member of local fuzz-rock band The Okmoniks. That band formed in 2000 over a common love of "video games, pizza and rock 'n' roll," according to Grotans. In The Okmoniks, Grotans sings, plays the organ and goes by the name "Helene 33"— a nod to 33 rpm, the rate at which a record spins. The band released an album, "Party Fever," in 2007 and is currently writing new material. This is her first year as a judge for Battle of the Bands.
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Dan Hernandez
A self-described scenester, Hernandez got involved in the local music scene designing and making prints and posters for bands in 2001. He managed hard- rock act Chango Malo on tour from 2002 to 2004. A graduate of Casa Grande Union High School, Hernandez has been an entertainment booker at Club Congress since September 2007. He's currently into electro-rock, shoegaze and hip-hop music and is a longtime fan of English crooner Morrissey. He has three criteria for booking bands at Congress: the quality of the people who play in the band, the group's music, and how they play in front of a crowd. He's a supporter of local acts Young Mothers and Rcougar and says two national acts he's proud to have booked at Congress are Jaguar Love and Okkervil River. This is his first year as a judge.
Leila Lopez
Tucson native, folk singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, Lopez is one of the hardest-working unsigned musicians in town. She's been playing guitar since her parents bought her a miniature one when she was 8. She's been called one of the best guitarists in Tucson by Plush nightclub entertainment booker Kris Kerry. Lopez began writing her own guitar-based songs when she was in middle school. On her 2006 self-released album, "The Roots and the Crops," Lopez wrote all the music and played all the instruments. She will be playing a free show in the Plush lounge at 9:30 p.m. Tuesday. This is her third consecutive year as a judge.
Dr. Dan Twelker
Twelker hosts the weekly radio show "Locals Only" on KXCI (91.3 FM). He pulled duty on another KXCI music show, "Dr. Dan's Road Show," for nine months before taking over the "Locals Only" job in June from longtime host Don Jennings. Airing Mondays at 8 p.m. on KXCI, "Locals Only" features interviews and in-studio performances with Tucson bands and artists. Twelker didn't get his nickname "Dr." for nothing: He's also an optometrist at University Physicians Healthcare and a vision researcher. Twelker moved here in 2002 from California and is preparing to release his first solo album of singer-songwriter folk, "Recycled Love," under the name J. Daniel Twelker. He will be playing a CD release show at Plush on Jan. 21 in support of the album. This is his first year as a judge.
