Wichita has a long and proud tradition of local music, and despite a ten-year slump precipitated by the unforgivable cancellation of KMUW's "After Midnight" show, there is currently something of a renaissance going on.

Whether you're into punk (Nowhere Fast, Skid Marx, No Tomorrow), country/bluegrass (Grandpa's. 38, Delano Bluegrass Pilots, Split Lip Rayfield), blues (Barry Harris, Terry Gwinn, so many others), experimental post-emo (And Academy, The Sick One), folk (Bryan Masters, Mackie Redd, Howdy), brutal rock (Big Bruiser, Killed by Robots, Big Block Hitchcock), hip-hop (Danoiz, Rapstar, Ballin' Ass Dame), or even the commercial horse manure you're so used to hearing on the radio (no need to name the bands...they know who they are), Wichita has something for every ear.

Much information about Wichita's band scene can be found at WichitaBandScene.com, a recently-launched website. They've got pictures, bios, schedules, links galore...so go check 'em out.

Here at the Dispatch, we've got a few favorites among the local musicmakers. Scavenge around below and see if you don't get yourself rocked.

CANDYMINE • catchy-as-hell pop punk guaranteed to cause tooth decay

DRUNKEN MONKEY TECHNIQUE • loud, weird rock music with a kung fu grip

SPLIT LIP RAYFIELD • speedgrass supergroup par excellence

ISTANBULLIES • surf music with a punk snarl

NOWHERE FAST • straight-up powerchord punk rock...yeah!!!

AND ACADEMY • cerebral, textural alt.rock

SKID MARX • songs of rape, incest, sodomy and life's other little horrors

7/8 QUICK • rock the way rock ought to be: no bullshit!

BRYAN MASTERS • jangly, folky acousticpop singer/songwriter

GRANDPA'S .38 • beautifully rustic pickin' and sangin'

BIG BRUISER • music to be beaten to death by

DANOIZ • the Madwest Connection...the ICT's preeminent hip-hop trio