Various Artists

Most of our local college radio stations make it their duty to support local bands. One of the most dedicated to this cause is John Carroll University's WJCU 88.7-FM. With 4,292 Seconds Thru Cleveland -- A WJCU Compilation, the second compilation of local acts the station's DJs have assembled (the first was last year's 3,128 Seconds Over Cleveland), they're giving local acts even more exposure. The compilation is an eclectic mix of songs by some of the more promising Cleveland area bands and includes everything from industrial to rockabilly, goth to punk, grunge to indie rock, and more.

Most of the highlights are provided by punk and metal acts. The Manimals, a veteran group that played shows in the early '80s with the Misfits, contribute their monster-metal masterpiece, "The Final Thrill." Bluto's Revenge, the only group also featured on 3,128 Seconds Over Cleveland, is one of the longest-running melodic punk bands in Northeast Ohio. Their song "Unsaid" is just as infectious as anything by Green Day or Blink-182. Madman Mike Martini's band, Green Merchant, plays an insane blend of music influenced by both Beck and Johnny Cash in "Out of My Mind," and Shot of M, a group composed predominately of college kids, mixes punk with funk in "On My Knees." Contributions from bands in other genres are just as strong. The goth act Midnight Syndicate delivers the dark, moody "Something Wicked/Chamber Mix," and rockabilly innovators Lords of the Highway celebrate the world of 18-wheelers in "Trucker's Lament." All in all, 4,292 Seconds provides an accurate survey of the variety of local acts thriving beneath the radar of Cleveland commercial radio.