These guys get five stars for their polished musicianship. A few less points, however, for originality. Their debut album, Things We Do, due out September 1, features soulful vocals and incendiary guitar riffs that are a tad too reminiscent of Santana and the late great Stevie Ray Vaughn. Nonetheless, the heavily blues-oriented melodies are dangerously infectious in a toe-tapping, Buddy Guy, sorta way. The band (two brothers, sister, and cousin), raised on the Yankton Indian Reservation in South Dakota, are members of the Nakota Nation. Although still in their early twenties, they sound like seasoned professionals. Take note of Indigenous, you'll be hearing of them, I'm sure. Just ask devoted fans Bonnie Raitt, Jackson Browne and Jonny Lang -- they're already hooked. Catch Indigenous live if you can. Despite a few oddly familiar strums, I doubt you'll be disappointed. You can find their CD at any major record store.

One listen to LLMF, Wayne Kramer's live recording, to be released September 22, and you'll see why his legendary band the MC5 (Motor City Five) and their monumental release Kick Out the Jams were considered the yardstick for all live rock recordings since. In today's world of grunge, goth, pop, heavy metal, alternative, nouveau punk, ska, hip-hop, disco, folk, funk (forgive me if I've missed a few), it's refreshing to return to roots rock'n'roll. Kramer's 30-plus years of experience and his distinguished yet simple style come off fresh when measured against today's artists. The new CD will be available at CD Now and most record stores across the country.

Hailing from New Hampshire comes a group of guys who call themselves Motorplant. No, they're not some miss-guided gang, but a strong-willed rock band. Since 1993, Motorplant have performed their insightful lyric-filled pop rock to over 800 audiences while countless college and commercial radio stations throughout New England spin the band's tunes. They recently released their second full-length CD, Inside the Walnut, which can be purchased at the band's Web site or Second Coming in Manhattan. If you're in the mood for a blend of pop-funk-hard rock with environmentally conscious lyrics, give their new CD a whirl. For the non-New Englanders among us, Motorplant will be breaking out of their shell in Fall '98 to tour and entertain the rest of America.

If you prefer your environmentally conscious lyrics delivered with the scorched brutality of, say, a machine gun, have a listen to Earth Crisis's latest, Breed the Killers. It's pure militant activism -- at least that's what the liner notes say. I'll be damned if I can make out the lyrics and I wouldn't exactly call the vocals "vocals." They're clench-fisted guttural screams that are impossible to understand. So, I don't know how well their heartfelt political message of the world's doom and destruction will get through, but hardcore heavy-metal fans have another one to add to their collection. This Syracuse-based band has been around since 1992. Their second full-length album, Breed the Killers will be available September 8.