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Maria Moran has a long history in Colorado as a sculptor, a performance artist and a musician (she once was a part of the Denver art band Thinking Plague). She's now living in the Bay Area, but interested locals can catch up with her by checking out Watch Your Damage, a disc issued under Moran's latest pseudonym, Zipper Spy. The collection finds her having fun with a wide variety of noises: chimes, industrial racket and the flotsam of everyday life. The result, as you can probably guess from the description above, is artsy in the extreme; although standard musical instruments show up on a regular basis, they're seldom employed in standard ways. Even so, the CD's anti-ambience worked for me. If you're not obsessed with accessibility, give it a try. If you are, run for your life (Vinyl Communications, P.O. Box 8623, Chula Vista, CA 91912). Fred Koenig has even less of a connection to Colorado than Moran; he's a Texan through and through. But he's a good friend of Denver original Ralph Gean and led the backing band that supported Gean on a 1962 regional hit, "Weeping Willow Tree"/"Experimental Love." (For more details, see "Mystery Man," August 12, 1996.) Koenig took three years to complete his latest CD, Texas Songwriter, and although his work is not nearly as twisted as Gean's, it's just as worthy of note. On originals like "That Blond at Jakes" and "I Can't Be King," he exhibits a mellifluous voice, a charming wit and a sure command of country, blues and all points in between. Ralph would be proud (Fred Koenig Publishing Company, 318 Wellshire, West Columbia, TX 78486).

Finally, one last note about the Westword Music Awards Showcase pre-party, which takes place on Sunday, September 13, at Herman's Hideaway. Nina Storey, the Showcase nominee who's headlining the bash, will now be joined by another nominated act, Yo, Flaco! I'm assured that plenty of wristbands for the actual Showcase (Sunday, September 20, in lower downtown) will be handed out at Herman's, thereby giving attendees the chance to see more than thirty additional bands the following weekend simply by showing up. You could already be a winner.

--Michael Roberts

Backbeat's e-mail address is: Michael_Roberts@westword.com. While you're online, visit Michael Roberts's Jukebox at www.westword.com.