Best Vocalist 2012 - Morgan Nusbaum
Anyone can sing, but it takes an electric cocktail of personality, talent and spark to front a band well. Morgan Nusbaum has it all in droves — so much so, in fact, that her energy and skills spill out of her two-piece punk band and into a singer-songwriter solo project that emphasizes her sweeter side, with honey-tinged vocals that ache. When teamed up with drummer Jason Potter, though, the two become Bruiser Queen, a noisy scuzz-punk duo that uses the "ooohs" of beach pop for an amalgamation of aural severity that has literally ruptured eardrums. Nusbaum elevates a simple, sunny croon with a sudden outburst of melodic shrieks that effortlessly explode from behind stylish sunglasses, blunt bangs and an adolescent grin. That voice comes in a cute package, but beware — it packs a punch.
