The Grandfathers of Punk

So Colorado New Wave/Punk Rock is up and running, featuring essays and reviews by "Icepick Phil" and others who've contributed to the site so far. Obtaining samples of music, however, has been more problematic. Many of the era's recordings are unavailable, unless you're lucky enough to find an occasional copy at Wax Trax. But later this month the Italian label Rave Up Records will release 500 copies of a live album from DefeX, a Denver band led by Chris Murdock in the late '70s, and Gammage has a hunch more will follow.

"Kids who like punk -- they have no idea what was going on then," he says. "Hopefully someone will realize that this is something worth knowing about." Bloody right.

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In a perfect world, the next few paragraphs would be filled with quotes from one of the MCs in the Los Angeles-based hip-hop crew Jurassic 5 -- Chali 2NA, Zaakir, Akil or Marc 7 -- or a few thoughtful words from one of their DJs, Cut Chemist or DJ Nu-Mark. But it seems that every single member of the sextet, which is on tour with Fiona Apple and scheduled to play the Fillmore next Thursday, March 16, is too busy to keep an interview date. That's understandable: The 5's jazzy, old-school, self-titled EP has sold so well that Interscope Records is scrambling to release a full-length before the clock ticks away their fifteen minutes. But there's little any of them could say that would increase the number of reasons to go see their set. Even if Miss Apple is crabby and pouts, screams at critics and leaves the stage after 45 minutes like she did last week at New York City's Roseland Ballroom, the Jurassics should make the show an interesting experience nonetheless.

And to those who've inquired: Backwash has decided not to further negotiations with AOL/ Time Warner/EMI, having succumbed to a childhood fear of Foghorn Leghorn. But the column is looking into getting involved in the marriage of Clear Channel Communications, which owns more than 800 radio stations nationally, and SFX Entertainment, the promotional force behind many of the country's mega-rock shows, including those by Bill Graham Presents/Chuck Morris Presents (see The Message, page 12). Of course, that might mean Backwash will be limited to writing about the narrow list of artists spun on Clear Channel's locally held stations and those that play BGP/CMP venues. But we've decided that nonstop spins of the latest from Creed and Third Eye Blind, not to mention Tina Turner and Lionel Richie (in anticipation of their show at the Pepsi Center), really aren't so distasteful after all. God bless America! -- Laura Bond