For those of you who like your Rock "Straight up/Smash mouth" style, our  "Now Playing/Must Hear" Feature band for September is Emil Muzz. Hailing from Illinois with the CD "Superprimered" this Punk influenced, Grunge without the slacker mentality, Garage attitude of a Kick-Ass Rock 'N' Roll band pulls no punches. Right from the opening of "Grip 17" where vocalist Gina Crosley screams "It's OK" you know that it is, and as long as you're slammin', moshin', or head bangin', this full frontal assault on your senses will have you cranking every time you slap it on. Yet, for all its force, the band shows their technical instrumental skills, as well as Ginas vocal range; from full fledged punk screams accompanied by grinding guitars, fuzz-toned feedback, and gonzo drumming, right down to beautiful harmonic altos showcased by gentle complimentary chords (Form Devastator). Emil Muzz rocks with drenching guitars and drenching vocals, slightly hiding lyrics drenched in social consciousness ("I'm not one of them/I'm not one of them/I'm not so sure" - from Polaris Mine). They skate along Monster Rock territory ("Radium", "Missile", "Brownout") and show that even under the hard shell of their attacking guitars there lies a soft spot ("Lurge", "Choo Toy", "Luv Lover").

    Now that the '98 calendar is down, the eggnog is finished (along with the zambuca), and the gifts have been exchanged, What are we to do?
    Talk music.

    First up is our "IndepenDisc of the Year" for 1998. Sometime around mid-December we began compiling our Top 10 disc's of '98 list. An annual ritual that became very complicated this year. 1998 saw us here at IndepenDisc purchasing very little from the major labels due to the fact that we began forming IndepenDisc early in the year, so the independent releases that occupied our CD players out numbered the major releases by a margin of at least 10 to 1. Add in that 14 of these "Indies" we enjoyed so much that we are representing them through IndepenDisc, and you can see what we were up against. Yes, there were arguments & ties, yes, 1 or 2 major releases made the list, but in all honesty, to rate one above another is an individually opinionated process that changes with our mood and the weather. With that in mind, we will refrain from subjecting you to our complete list (which still changes daily) and jump right to Number 1.

            The "IndepenDisc of the Year" for 1998 is:
                       Emil Muzz - Superprimered.

    Simply put, IT ROCKS!!!
    We knew this was good, but the more we played it, the more we jammed. When we sat down to compile the list, we were a bit (but not totally) surprised to find it come in at #1. But that's where it is, and that's where it deserves to be.