For years, hard rockers TK-421 have been near the top of The Roanoke Times Music Poll. The act has a big, supportive following and has won the best local album category twice, but it has never won the band category.

Until this year. And TK-421 did it in smashing style -- 1,825 votes -- nearly 1,500 votes in front of its closest competitor.

Voting came up big for the progressive/hard-rock band, whose lead singer, Chuck Johnson, won for the second time in the male singer category. This time, he had 1,955 votes. Johnson also won the overall musician category by a stunning amount, with 1,785 votes. Female singer winner Christy Bowles, of 7 Mile Ford, was another huge vote-getter. She received 1,779 votes.

Unfortunately, neither Bowles nor Johnson will be able to perform at this year's Roanoke Times Music Poll Concerts. Both TK-421 and 7 Mile Ford, which finished fourth in the band polling, are booked for that night. Fortunately, second- and third-place finishers Oakroot (formerly known as Commonplace) and Twelve O'Clock Knob will play. The shows are set for Jan. 29 and 30.

Best response yet

In all, we received more than 4,100 replies, the biggest response yet for the music poll. Last year, 1,119 votes were cast. Each of the top four bands received more votes than any single performer in the poll's seven-year history.

And again, voters were much more interested in local music than the national scene, though some of the questions seemed to elicit confused answers.

For example, the Taubman Museum of Art Battle of the Bands was selected best concert, with only 11 votes. "Any Electric Chameleon show" received 35 votes for best show -- maybe nightspot alcohol consumption dulled fans' memories of just which E.C. show they liked. And Electric Chameleon's album, "Dreamin' On," won the local album category for the second consecutive year, even though it's been around for a while.

Other live performance/venue categories were clearer. FloydFest again won best festival, and Martin's Downtown Bar & Grill again won the best place to hear live music category, with 168 votes. Kirk Avenue Music Hall, just a little more than a year old, tied for second with Awful Arthur's combined Roanoke and New River Valley locations. Each picked up 52 votes.

Another scene newbie, 106.1 Steve FM, won among radio stations. K92 finished second, just in front of 101.5 FM The Music Place, which began broadcasting in October. The Music Place wasn't everybody's place, though. A few voters wrote in that they preferred the station when it was The Planet -- last year's winning station.

Last time for nationals

The national scene polling was far more convoluted, save for the artist of the year and worst artist categories. Taylor Swift got 37 votes to win artist of the year. Kanye West was selected worst artist, with one voter noting that the nod was "for his manners." Lady Gaga finished second in both categories.

Swift's "Fearless," with 10 votes, scooted past Jay-Z's "The Blueprint 3" and John Mayer's "Battle Studies" to win best album.

There were a lot of categories where the winner had 10 or fewer votes, with smatterings of votes for smatterings of performers. If the national poll showed one thing clearly, it was that many well-known bands or solo musicians have a pack of four to six haters who are willing to take polls like ours. And they also have four to six fans who will support them in a poll. That kind of voting makes such categories seem useless in this already unscientific endeavor.

It also follows a pattern that's developed over the past couple of years. Only a few hundred of you have voted in the national scene poll, and this year, no category winner received even 50 votes -- and most of the winners got fewer than 20 votes. Meanwhile, the local response has grown each year.

So next year, we're dropping the national scene voting, and expanding the local categories. We're thinking of adding instrumental categories -- best bassist, best disc jockey, best keyboardist, best sound man or woman, etc. And that's where we'll need your help.

Go to blogs.roanoke.com/cutnscratch and look for the topic "Your music poll suggestions." Tell us what categories we should add. Or you can call or e-mail me your suggestions.

And don't forget to mark your calendars for the music poll concerts -- Jan. 29 at Jefferson Center's Recital Hall, and Jan. 30 at Kirk Avenue Music Hall. We suggest a $5 donation to come hear the music and look over the bands' merchandise tables.

We'll donate a little money for the band's expenses, then split the rest between the Music Lab at Jefferson Center and the VH1 Save the Music Foundation, which recently teamed up with Roanoke elementary schools to beef up the schools' musical instrument instruction.