With a list of bands that would make any independent music fan’s “must-see” list, a bevy of industry panels and enough parties and showcases to dizzy even the most ambitious socialite, the fourth annual Midwest Music Summit kicks off this week with its most ambitious undertaking to date.

You want buzz bands? Try The Sights, Brando, The Villebillies or one of literally hundreds more. You want music-industry chat? Execs from Sony, Universal Music and ASCAP will be on hand to gab it up on topics ranging from promotion to radio airplay. You want camaraderie with fellow music fans? Thousands will populate Broad Ripple and Glendale during the three-day event. Other, more far-flung venues include the all ages clubs: The Emerson, The House and United States of Mind, along with the not-so-all-ages club, The Melody Inn.

Benchmark Records, organizers of the MMS from the beginning, has worked non-stop (and, in these past few weeks, literally around the clock) to try and make this year’s MMS accessible to as wide a spectrum of people as possible.

“If you forget about the panels and trade show, you are left with 276 band and solo performers ranging the genres from folk and bluegrass and indie rock to hardcore and hip-hop,” says Benchmark’s Josh Baker. “I would suggest you invest in an all-access MMS badge so you can hop from club to club and check out all the bands without ever having to take out your wallet.”

The primary difference between MMS 2004 and previous years is that most of the events are centered in the Broad Ripple Village area, Baker said. The industry panels and trade show will take place at Glendale Mall, which will also feature a live music stage. The showcase performances will take place in the Village as well, although other key venues around the city will also be involved.

Music-industry bigshots will also meet and greet with the public at a series of VIP parties, including Friday’s NUVO-sponsored bash at the Patio, which will feature performances from Indy kingpins The Slurs and Louisville’s red-hot VHS or Beta.

For more information about the panels, showcases, showtimes, badges and individual performance tickets, visit midwestmusicsummit.com.

“Take a chance on a band you have never heard of,” Baker says. “You may just find your new favorite artist.”

While Naptown ... well, napped, one of the most important and influential hardcore bands of the 1990s erupted from the very bowels of the city. Ice Nine, named for the deadly chemical compound in Kurt Vonnegut’s novel Cat’s Cradle, made some of the most violent yet innovative and complex music ever produced locally.

A true test of their influence was their reputation for ridiculously loud, chaotic live shows forged over just a few years and five records. Several times I helped run sound for their shows at the Sitcom, the all-ages collective space where they played most of their local shows — though “running sound” was a misnomer. Usually this involved turning the vocal mics up as loud as they could go to try and match the deafening roar of the guitars, bass and drums, and wrapping Jon-Michael’s mic cable around my hand a few times to keep it from being ripped right from the mixer as he launched himself bodily into the crowd.

My own former band had the pleasure of opening for them a number of times, and when we hit the road, playing the punk rock basements of the upper Midwest, it seemed we could not escape their looming presence.

“You’re from Indy? Do you know Ice Nine? Man, those guys are killer.”

Yes, we did indeed know Ice Nine. And yes, they absolutely were killer. They helped spawn the relatively short-lived hardcore subgenre known as “power-violence,” and their members went on to national prominence in such bands as Burn it Down, Time in Malta, Majhas, Harakiri and The Dream Is Dead.

Now after seven years, the band is reuniting (minus bassist Todd Gullion, currently on a national tour with Time in Malta) to commemorate the release of their collected discography on Indianapolis-based Happy Couples Never Last Records. The releases collected on the disc are mostly out-of-print, and only available in the 7” vinyl format on a variety of now defunct labels like Bovine, Rhetoric and Ebullition.

Their first 7” was released by Indianapolis label OR, owned and operated by Missing Link Records proprietor Rick Wilkerson. Before the label folded, it released a few crucial pieces of 90s hardcore and punk wax by Ice Nine, The Problematics and Cheetah Chrome of the seminal late-70s Cleveland punk progenitors the Dead Boys.

Musically, Ice Nine resembled nothing before or since. Unlike much of modern hardcore, the songs didn’t just rip through Part A with the simple goal of getting to Part B. The progressions were justified; there was a very definite reason Part B followed Part A. The band wasn’t trying to be clever or show off their chops by cramming as many parts as they could into the shortest possible time frame. And the songs were brutally heavy, lashing out in a cathartic fit of self-loathing.

How did a band whose recorded output totaled one full length album, and whose tenure lasted only about three years, come to occupy a position of such significance? And how did a city like Indianapolis, better known for its sporting events and being the capital of the Nation of Mellencamp, spawn such nihilistic fury and innovation? Perhaps only the band members themselves know for sure.

One might guess that the anger that builds in the hearts of young people trapped in a sleepy little town that tries hard to be major league drove these five men to extremes of creativity and brutality. It could have been the chemistry and tension that existed between the various personalities. Or maybe it was that screaming about your own problems and the hypocrisy you see in the world makes you feel a little better, and they collectively did it better than anyone else.

Those who were there “back in the day” have the chance for a one-time-only unearthing of a band sorely missed and never equaled. Those who were too young or just missed out are even more fortunate, for they have the unique opportunity to see one of the most important bands ever to call this city home.

Ice Nine plays at The Emerson Theater on Friday, Aug. 13, as part of the MMS.

Kate Lamont

For pioneering Hoosier trip-hoppers Mab Lab, this is the best of times. They’re releasing A Mab Lab Reader, a stunning dictionary of soul capturing the best of their five years together. They’ve been playing high-profile shows at top venues across the United States. Their regional fan base is as large and as loyal as any in the Midwest.

In addition to getting slobbered over by the indie music press, Mab Lab is also playing a prime spot in Thursday’s Midwest Music Summit showcase at the Vogue.

So Mab Lab is celebrating all of these achievements by breaking up after the MMS and one last blowout show at the Patio next Saturday.

That’s right. One of the most influential and successful local groups of its generation is walking away at the peak of its powers.

Why? As with everything else surrounding this multigenre, multiracial, multidisciplined group, the reasons expressed from band members are complex and charmingly enigmatic.

“We probably could have maintained this level of success, but we haven’t felt like we could move beyond this as a unit,” says singer and keyboardist Kate Lamont. “We’ve agreed that we could grow better if we weren’t tied together. I compare it to a family. Some of the people you love most are your family, but very few people live at home forever.”

“We’ve never been about maintaining our success,” says MC Johnny Blevins, also known as Conscious Eye. “Ever since our inception, we’ve been about pushing ourselves, and we got to the point where that wasn’t happening anymore. It wasn’t something we sat and decided as much as something we realized.”

“It feels to me like we would be cheating the audience if we kept doing the same thing over and over just because we could,” Lamont says.

“This isn’t an end to us as much as it is a transformation,” MC and DJ Mike Graves says. “It’s not that we hate each other as much as it was that nothing new was happening with us.” He said the band’s well-known positive message would become fraudulent if the band continued playing just for money or recognition.

“Could we keep doing this longer and come up with that one good radio song or make our big break as Mab Lab and not keep liking each other?” he asks. “What’s the point of that?”

Mab Lab exploded onto the Indianapolis musical scene in the late 1990s when drummer and songwriter Eric Brown got together with Lamont and began recording four-track songs. Graves was quickly added to bring beats and sampling expertise. Blevins and Ande Shaul were added later, forming the key components of the group.

Over the years, many guest musicians have floated in and out of the group, including original bassist Scott Donavan and trumpeter/keyboardist Robert Wilson. The band recorded Features and Controls, their debut album, in 2000 and have released a live album and EP. A Mab Lab Reader is the first true collection of the group’s material.

During their peak, Mab Lab played extensively in Chicago, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Columbus and Philadelphia, with gigs also taking place in Washington, New York City, San Francisco and Toronto as well as just about every Indiana city.

Asked to describe the band’s best moment, Lamont points not to any of their high-profile gigs but rather a few shows at the Patio and Radio Radio where the band felt totally connected to the audience. “That’s something inherent in human nature, the need for someone to understand you and to feel understood. When you can do that on stage with music that you wrote with part of your gut, and the audience is giving that back to you, you feel complete.”

“We just started to think about it too much,” Graves said. “For the longest time, all we had to do is be in the same room and anything we played would fall into place. We’d make endless four-track tapes. But we’d gotten to a point where we had second thoughts, some kind of hesitation, where we began to question ourselves.”

In the past year or so, Mab Lab made an extra push to gain national attention. They contracted with an out-of-town manager and began to pursue ambitions outside the city. While all members agree that wasn’t a factor in the breakup, the pursuit took its toll on the band, both artistically and personally.

“Not that we were concerned with being famous,” says Blevins, “but at some point all that pursuit had to have an idea that we could make it or make some serious money. That mindset is kind of a bastardization of what music was actually intended for. That impeded the natural flow of things.”

An example would be going into a recording studio and being told that the way the group felt about a piece of music wasn’t commercial enough. “At that point, you have to sacrifice that feeling of how you want the song to comply with the pop form,” Blevins says.

“We weren’t trying to convert us to the radio,” Garves says. “We wanted the radio to convert to us.”

At their best, Mab Lab represented an organic, evolving being. Lamont’s vocals and keyboards punch in and out of the songs or drifted over the melody while Graves and Blevins contributed raps or hip-hop samples. Brown’s vastly underrated drumming, ranging from trip-hop to straight-up rock, gave the band its unique flavor.

All of that is captured on A Mab Lab Reader, a goodbye letter to their fans that contains several key new songs as well as songs from prior EPs and CDs. Two of the most notable tracks, “Thank You” and “Twelve O’Clock,” were recorded live at the Patio when Mab Lab opened up for Vernon Reid in 2003. Reid, the legendary guitarist from Living Colour, praised the group, something which thrilled each of them.

Meanwhile, each of the Mab Labbers have various solo projects. Lamont sings with the folk/alt-country group Blueprint Music as well as the bohemian collective Undefeatable Beats. Graves DJs and MCs at various clubs and the others have projects they’re not quite ready to discuss.

And while they’ve closed the door on any reunion shows for now, they’re vowing to remain friends and to continue to collaborate in the future. Their Patio show will be one big family reunion and musical lovefest to close the books on Mab Lab.

“This is the end of Mab Lab,” says Lamont, “but this is just the beginning for each of us.”

EXTRA BLUE KIND
With two EPs under their belt, the three piece band just got back into the studio to record their first full length album. Though the term “power pop” may be an easy way out when describing this band, think more along the lines of Foo Fighters meets The Cure. MD

DYSTALIS
Dystalis brings radio-friendly Metal that’s tailor-made for mass consumption. They’re among a handful of Indianapolis “buzz” bands that seem poised to shake the dust off this town and leap into the national spotlight — despite being on the scene a relatively short time. Last year saw them featured in several prominent showcases as well as opening for Anthrax during their stop at The Vogue. WB

DOG FASHION DISCO
Making the drive from Washington, D.C. is the demonic orchestra known as Dog Fashion Disco, a band that’s shared the stage with System of a Down, STP and Nothingface, among others. Expect a loud and energetic, if not off-center, metal show with distorted keyboards and sideways riffs. MD

SONUS VENTORIUM
This self-described “Rasta-Metal” band has been fusing metal, reggae and tribal rhythms with jam band sensibilities into a bizarre musical gumbo for years. Their current configuration features Josh and Dave Rich whose father founded the original incarnation over twenty years ago. A finalist in last year’s Benchmark Records at the battle of the bands “Sonus-V” can be counted on to leave a healthy crowd of moshing hippies in their wake. WB

THE MALCONTENTS
This year has been huge for these Midwest ska rockers, generating a lot of exposure from the debut of their first full length CD Never Enough. They mix fun, danceable ska tunes with intelligent, political lyrics that tackle racism, student loans and Bush’s Middle east policies. They recently appeared on the Ernie Ball stage at the Vans Warped tour and reportedly drew a larger crowd than several national acts performing on the main stage at the time. WB

PROJECT BOTTLECAP
Started as a side project to California Pop Punkers the ATARI’s. Project Bottle Cap has toured both coasts twice in support of their former bandmates. Project Bottlecap’s sound is raw and garage-influenced but with much more harmonized vocals than one would expect from other bands of this genre. WB

83 FEET
Often mis-described as everything from Ska, to funk, to jam-band these indie rockers have carved out a niche of loyal devoted fans on the nap town scene. A lot of the confusion surrounding their sound lies at the feet of trombonist Drew Darby who basically treats his trombone as the second Bass player rather than play a role traditionally associated with a brass section. WB

JACKSON PAIN
They have that neo-brit pop sound that brings frequent comparisons to bands like Oasis or Coldplay. They’ve played the side stage at Verizon several times this year — most recently for Dave Matthews Band and Alannis Morrisette. Earnest songwriting combined with solid musicianship has earned them a local following here in Indy. WB

ABOUT THE FIRE
About The Fire just released Rites of Passage... one of this year’s most powerful albums, local or otherwise. Expect an explosive set of punk rock with lots of growls and dirty guitars. Catch them on the Happy Couples Never Last stage at The Emerson. MD

ANGELVILLE
Earlier this year, Angelville’s Johnny Vania got pretty dinged up when the band’s van crashed while they were on tour. But the guys continue to rock forth in support of their debut Can’t Go Home with a style that ranges from euro-metal to old school thrash. MD

BREATHER RESIST
One of the most impressive metal bands to explode in the last year, at least out of Louisville, Breather Resist is screamcore at its screamiest. Look for big things out of this band in the next year and say you saw them first. MD

MAD POETS SOCIETY
Mad Poets Society combine live drums over samples and beats with both intelligent and hilarious lyrics from two MCs. If you’re familiar with MPS’s precursor, Big MF Stick, then you should already know what you’re in for. MD

THE ACADEMY
One of the most intriguing and tuneful pop bands from ‘round these parts, The Academy takes two shots of ‘80s pop and soul and mixes it with half a jigger of contemporary sensibilities to form a unique musical drink. SH

ARCADE
Passionate vocals, intricate harmonies and a heavy beat combined with an offbeat choice of song topics. Because they’re an all-female band, people have tried to compare them to such vastly different groups as Bikini Kill and the Go-Go’s. But neither of those comparisons hit the mark, because the Go-Go’s would never write a song about the Unicorn Killer and his girlfriend, or the kid who crashed a small plane into the Bank of America building in Tampa. SH

PEACHEAD
Peachead will probably spin your head a couple times. Having been together nearly a decade, they play an unconventional blend of punk and space rock with elements of jazz. The band will take time out of recording their third album to play Birdy’s. MD

MAX ALLEN
Max Allen already had street cred as a musician before graduating high school. His albums (No Way and Mr. Big Man) cover blues, jazz, rock and the gumbo blend of all the above the kids today call jam band. One of the solid local choices for this year’s summit. MS

PIZZLE
If you’ve never seen Pizzle, there’s no better place to bust your cherry than the Melody Inn. As far as punk goes, Pizzle is the soundtrack to waking up hung over in a gutter. They hit the stage Saturday at 9:15 and you damn well better have a PBR in hand. MD

THE FUGLEES
Their choice of humorous song topics (“Get The F Off The Stage,” “Crazy Girls”) disguises the fact that this is one intelligent and accomplished band. Musically tight as hell, lyrically laugh out loud funny, The Fuglees are immensely popular for a reason. SH

VOODOO KINGS
The name sounds like something mid-90s, but Chicago’s VooDoo Kings likes to stir a pot of blues, funk and American roots. Their latest album American Lights is a prime example of how the VooDoo Kings have become a Midwestern music staple. MS

HEIDI GLUCK
Pieces member goes solo with amazing results. Gluck is fortunate enough to have the voice of an angel while also being able to play the devil’s advocate. Smart pop music for smart people. SH

Note: Individual band blurbs were written by Wayne Bertsch (WB), Mel Duncan (MD), Steve Hammer (SH) and Matthew Socey (MS)

At last year’s Midwest Music Summit, the Songwriter Round was held at the Upper Room. In that small corner bar packed to the rafters, the stripped down singular power of the storyteller reigned supreme.

Because of the popularity of this very special showcase, it will be featured again: From 7:30 to 9pm on Friday, Aug. 13 at the Jazz Kitchen, the Songwriter Round will feature Otis Gibbs, Heidi Gluck, Tad Armstrong, Vess Ruhtenberg and Tim Jones.

Heidi Gluck is best known as the bassist for The Pieces as well as Some Girls with Juliana Hatfield. As a multi-instrumentalist songwriter with velvety intonation, Gluck straddles the line between ingénue and bombshell with each song.

Both Tad Armstrong and Otis Gibbs are crackerjack storytellers. Armstrong is a troubadour on loan from his rootsy alt-country band, Middletown, and Gibbs is known to traverse the country donning overalls and a mountain beard, spinning yarns with his guitar.

Filling out the showcase are Vess Ruhtenberg, currently of the Pieces and formerly of power pop gem, United States Three, and Tim Jones, an Indiana boy expatriated to Los Angeles after the fall of his band, Old Pike. Jones is a soulful modern crooner with a roots rock mentality. Whether wistful or exuberant, Ruhtenberg’s songs are wrapped with a sense of straightforward, open wound intimacy. Both artists grasp the ability to deliver scathing detail of heartbreak and things lost and found with palpable clarity.

The Songwriter Round at the Jazz Kitchen is guaranteed to be a highlight of the MMS. So, rather than allowing the possibility to let this showcase slip through your MMS schedule or be washed away by your vodka tonic, it may be best to mark this one with a sharpie somewhere on your person. — Danica Johnson