She knows how the Rumble rolls

"Every waking moment, every breathing moment, is spent thinking about how I can get everything together and stay organized," says Wood, who last year succeeded longtime DJ Shred as both chief organizer of the Rumble and host of the long-running music program "Boston Emissions" (10 p.m.- midnight every Sunday).

Now entering its 31st year, this year's Rumble - a competition showcasing two dozen Boston-area artists spanning the genres of punk, pop, glam, metal, and beyond - kicks off with six preliminary rounds starting Sunday and running through April 11. One winner from each of the preliminary nights, as well as two wildcard bands, will advance to the semifinal rounds on April 16 and 17 to determine who will duke it out in the final round on April 24. The winner will receive prizes donated by local businesses, including studio recording time, media promotion, CD and T-shirt manufacturing, and a professional photo session.

After two years at Harpers Ferry, the Rumble is returning to its longtime home venue, the Middle East in Cambridge. "I just felt the relationship between the Boston scene and the Rumble was really at the Middle East," Wood says, "and everybody [at WBCN] was in agreement."

Mission accomplished. A more difficult task was narrowing down the list of 100 or so local bands Wood compiled and considered for this year's Rumble. "There are so many bands out there - I get music stuff constantly," she says of the barrage of e-mails and CDs she receives. "I don't solicit submissions for the Rumble - I solicit submissions for the show. And then if you're a relevant and viable band - if you can play and sound good and are working at it - and get airplay, then you move into that phase of Rumble consideration. I get a lot of stuff that's just not ready to be played on 'BCN. It might be great in someone's basement recording studio."

But a polished presentation isn't everything. "Certainly, there is some stuff that comes in and literally, it's a blank CD and it's in an envelope and there's some chicken scratch on it," Wood says with a chuckle. "I'll say, 'Oh God, what do we have here?' and sometimes I'm pleasantly surprised. There can be something really amazing on that CD, even though the band seems like it couldn't care less what it looks like." (So yes, bands with illegible handwriting and low production values, Wood does listen to everything she gets - but that doesn't mean you shouldn't try to dress to impress).

Getting airplay on the radio station isn't the only criteria by which bands are deemed eligible. Other general standards: bands must be based in Boston or its suburbs, play all or mostly original material, and have released an album during the past year or so (although they cannot be signed to a major label).

Last year's Rumble winners, Girls Guns and Glory, had never played a battle-of-the-bands format before and were thrilled just to be invited. "We weren't totally sure if they'd ever even consider us for the event," recalls singer-guitarist Ward Hayden. "We're definitely a rock 'n' roll band, but we're also pretty country and pretty folk-ish."

Wood believes this year's talent pool offers some of everything Boston (and beyond) has to offer, with a nice mix of styles and faces - both fresh and familiar. As in life, variety is the spice that makes for a lively Rumble.

"Definitely at the forefront of the decision-making is making sure that you have a good representation of everything that's out there," she says.

"Girls Guns and Glory is a perfect example. Who would have thought that a country-rock band out of Boston was going to win the Rumble last year? Nobody - and then you realized how awesome they were."