Music

Backwash

The founder of local Shakedown is cooking up a local music retrospective.

By Laura Bond 

Boulder's Andrew Murphy has proven himself to be one of the hardest-working men in show business -- locally, at least, and with all due respect to James Brown. Two years ago he launched the excellent Local Shakedown program on Radio AM 1190, and although Murphy's no longer a DJ on the program -- that job has been left to various jocks who take to the airwaves every Friday from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. -- his name is forever tied to it. Last year he was the executive producer of its companion Local Shakedown CD, an eclectic whopper of a compilation that snagged a listing in Westword's wrap-up of the best releases from 2000 (see last week's Backbeat).

Murphy also clocks in at local indie PR house Fanatic Promotions and runs his own label, Smooch Records; both companies are involved in the new Maraca 5-0 record, Headin' South at 110 Per. (Samples of the Bob Ferbrache-produced affair may be heard at www.maraca.f2s.com, or in person when the band hits the Fox in Boulder with Slim Cessna's Auto Club on Monday, January 8.)

Now the talented Mr. Murphy has embraced yet another medium. Aided by Radio 1190, he is compiling a one-time, historical magazine that will serve as a kind of scrapbook of underground music culture in Denver and beyond. Scheduled for publication in early spring or summer, the magazine will be stuffed with old photos and newspaper articles, as well as essays by those who remember the music scene as it was -- from the late '70s through the '90s -- and as it is.

Murphy's idea was partly inspired by the ongoing archival project of another locally entwined underground fan: Phil Gammage, who moved to New York years back and now maintains the Colorado New Wave/Punk Rock site at newwave.50megs.com/; in its first year, the site has swelled to include anecdotes, photos and articles, most of which are supplied by sentimental former punks. Like Gammage, Murphy will rely largely on the kindness (and contributions) of strangers in gathering content for his mag, as well as music for a related compilation that will be released on Smooch. Unlike Local Shakedown, the disc will include music of yore -- so far, it's set to include tracks by the Fluid, the Warlock Pinchers and the Astronauts -- as well as current stuff.

Does this sound like a worthy endeavor? We believe it does. In fact, we believe Murphy deserves some kind of medal from the mayor's office. In the meantime, he'll be satisfied to receive donations of music, writings and artwork for possible inclusion in the project. He'll take your money, too: Those who donate $25 or more will be thanked in the magazine and get a warm fuzzy feeling. Contact Murphy c/o Smooch Records, P.O. Box 3591, Boulder, CO 80307. Long live local music -- and local enthusiasm for it.