X102.3’s Essentials Volume 8, the next in the compilation series featuring local artists, will be released on December 23.

On December 22, the station will host a release party featuring six of the disc’s artists - Descended, Sirface, the Migraines, Leeko, Cookie Puss and Matt Sturm Band - at Piere’s.

According to Matt Jericho, assistant promotion director at X102.3, 125 different bands and acts submitted material for consideration on the latest Essentials CD. “The bands were judged on musicianship, songwriting and lyrical content,” Jericho said. “There were no instrumentals on the disc this year. That doesn’t mean that if you submitted an instrumental and it was a great tune, then by all means, we’d put it on the disc. There are no genre restrictions. There are two rap songs on the disc this year.

“We’ve never had anyone submit a country song, but if somebody submitted just the best country song I ever heard in my life, we’d put it on the disc. It’s open to everybody in the Fort Wayne music scene.”

Those 125 submissions were narrowed down to 18 for the CD. Of these acts, the six that will be performing at Piere’s were chosen by X102.3 listener votes.

“The station has been around for nine years,” said Jericho, “and this is our eighth CD. We’ve done a release party every year, but the venue has changed. The first year it was at Columbia Street, but it was too small, basically, for what we were looking for. We moved it to Piere’s the next year, and it’s just gotten bigger year after year. We’ve also done a second release party show that’s all ages. We usually do that in the spring. We’re still in the planning stages of it for this year.”

What’s unique this year is that the proceeds from Essentials Volume 8 will go to help support Fort Wayne Community Schools marching band programs. The profits from the first and second Essentials releases had previously gone to charitable causes, but with disc number three the practice was discontinued. It was through the efforts of longtime station employees and the new owners of the parent company that the decision was made to reach out to the community.

“We thought it was a good idea to bring it back into the music programs,” Jericho said. “There’s a lot of ex-marching band kids who are now in local rock bands. We think it’s a good way to give back to the community, to hopefully encourage the next wave of young musicians.”

So, not only do the Fort Wayne Community Schools benefit from Essentials Volume 8 release, but the artists included on the disc will be getting more exposure to a wider fan base. And, considering that compilation discs of local talent often find their way to other markets outside the city and state, Essentials artists have a great promotional tool at their disposal.

The value of such discs as Essentials Volume 8 isn’t lost on Shawn Browning of The Migraines, who has been on several such releases in his career. “The Migraines are stoked to be on Essentials Volume 8,” he said. “It’s an honor to be chosen to represent such a varied and incredible talent pool. I’ve toured from coast to coast and had the privilege of seeing other town’s music scenes. So, believe me when I say we could do a lot worse than the scene we have here. The lineup and quality on Essentials Volume 8 is arguably the best representing Fort Wayne to date. There are so many wonderful people in bands around this town that The Migraines consider to be friends, and I’m proud to be a part of this scene.”

The diversity of the Essentials Volume 8 project is something Jericho is also extremely proud of. “You have every thing from the horror rock of Lurking Corpses, to the acoustic fun stuff of Mike Conley, to ska, to The Migraines, Matt Sturm, Sonny Taylor and others. We’ve also got King and Third Frame, which are the two rap acts on the album. They throw a different flavor into it, kind of mixes it up a bit. This is the first time we’ve had two rap or hip-hop acts on the same CD.

“I think we have more good bands per capita then most cities n the Midwest,” Jericho continued. “But the most important thing about the local music scene is, if you don’t get out there and watch the shows, if you don’t get out there and do your part, it’s not going to be there when you want it to be. You can beat that dead horse into the ground as much as you want, but it’s true.”

Essentials Volume 8 will be available December 23 at Borders Books, Barnes and Noble and at Sam Goody stores in Glenbrook, Huntington and Decatur. The disc will also be available through FWCS band directors. And, according to Jericho, you can also drop by the station at 2000 Lower Huntington Road in Fort Wayne to get a copy.

Essentials Volume 8 complete track listing:

Sunny Taylor - “Unresolve”

King - “Booth Magician”

Definitely Gary - “Hey Brown Shoes!”

Corporate Circus - “Can We Leave Now?”

Second Sun - “Innocent”

Matthew Sturm - “Fooling Yourself”

Sirface - “The Turning Point”

Rosemary Gates - “Brotherman”

Buttonhead - “Addicted”

Third Frame - “Mary”

Leeko - “King Of The World”

The Migraines - “See It When I Believe It”

Severence - “Falling Down”

CookiePuss - “Refugees Us’

Mike Conley - “My Little Secret”

Gloria Bates - “Fly On The Wall”

Descended - “All I Am”