Finally, the youthful creativity of the CSU Monterey Bay student body is seeping into Monterey’s music scene. In recent months, bands like Para La Gente, Clockwork, The Nancy Boys and Flojos Nos Visten have ventured off campus to play shows in venues like the Lava Lounge and Ocean Thunder.

Now, with the release of a 16-song compilation CD featuring CSUMB musicians titled Unexploded Ordinance, the strong presence of the college’s vibrant music scene will become even more apparent. On Thursday at the Black Box Cabaret, free copies of the CD will be given out against the backdrop of performances by seven of the artists.

Initially, Matt Bollwinkel, a CSUMB music major and bassist for The Nancy Boys, decided that creating a compilation CD highlighting CSUMB’s music scene would be a good idea for his Capstone—a project required for all graduating seniors. But, after Bollwinkel settled on doing a musical composition art installation instead, fellow music major Sara Bailey decided to keep the project going.

Bailey secured funding for the CD by getting the go-ahead to use fees from Associated Students of CSUMB—the college’s student government. The next step was to find out if any musicians were interested in contributing to the compilation. According to Bollwinkel, who remained on board as the project’s engineer, the amount of interest in the project defied their expectations.

“We had no idea of the amount of music being produced independent of the music department,” Bollwinkel says. “There was more material than we could deal with.”

Some artists had already finished tracks to donate, like Vince the Bard’s smooth hip-hop number “Only Stop the World.” Other bands, like Flojos Nos Visten, recorded tracks like their energetic ska anthem “Another Day” in CSUMB’s Music Building.

The finished product not only proves the scope of musical talent on CSUMB’s campus, but it also shows the intense variety of musical styles popular with students. There are songs about relationship problems (“Gin No Tonic” by Last Night) and overtly political calls to arms like Para La Gente’s “Messages Through the Ashes of War.” The sound ranges from jarring industrial music (Social Construct’s “Third World Liberation”) to a sunny acoustic instrumental number (Mica Winsett and Lucas Salazar’s “Going Barefoot.”)

Both Bailey and Bollwinkel are hoping that putting together a compilation CD will be an ongoing project for years to come.

“I’m absolutely planning on doing a second one next year,” Bailey says.

The CD release party for Unexploded Ordinance happens Thursday, April 14, at 8pm, at CSUMB’s Black Box Cabaret, 4th Ave. near 3rd St. in Seaside. Free. 582-3597.