Just finished writing last of three reviews of CDs by local bands or local solo artists for July edition of Colorado Music Buzz

First and foremost:

Above is that KILLER FABULOUS photo of this year's Westword Music Showcase . Gabriel Rovick, director of Focus 4 Design LLP, could easily have charged our little Local Music team a TON of money for the rights to reuse it here in our little Local Music blog and to post it on our little twitter.com/colorado_music feed, but when I told him we were the Local Music team from a little branch of a public library district, he said: "Because you are a public library and [because of] your wonderful comments, I'm willing to give you a photo. ... [P]lease use it. All I ask is that you have a link to my website. Thank you for your flattery.”

WELL GEEZ! Nice! Thanks very much, Gabriel Rovick. Here’s little me plugging your KILLER FABULOUS company that doesn't really need it, Focus 4 Design LLP. And thank you for your generosity and for being such a KILLER FABULOUS artist.

Here's the contact inf0 for Focus 4 Design LLP -- if you see them walking by or in line at the grocery store, please throw* money!

Gabriel Rovick, Director
Focus 4 Design LLP
Focus4design.biz
720-308-9284

OK. Onward: I just finished writing the last of three CD reviews for Colorado Music Buzz, and I must say that that last CD -- stay tuned for details -- was difficult to write because I probably would have LOVED it had it not suffered from poor production.

I will post all three reviews here after the hard-copy of Colorado Music Buzz hits the stands on July 1.

Also stay tuned for a review from one of my colleagues, Scott Stelzer, at Parker Library. Stelzer did an absolutely bang-up job of reviewing Blue Million Miles, a band that recently put out Of Building Walls.

Michael Roberts of Westword -- I cannot help it, I LOVE Westword as much as I LOVE Colorado Music Buzz -- gave high praise to the self-release by Blue Million Miles.

Below is the March review of Of Building Walls by Roberts -- reprinted with permission, of course. (I am a librarian!)

I'll post reviews -- reprints and original work -- as often as I can get around to them. And if you want me to post a review of a Colorado band's offering/s that you wrote or want to write, please just let me know and/or shoot me the text. It doesn't have to be a new CD or even new-ish, because folks are discovering local bands all the time just by seeing them live. Or they want to discover new bands, and you may mention those few keywords that make them check out the CD -- or two.

I'll post anything that is written well, that is well argue and that is interesting and fun to read -- or some combination of those. You also must get permission of the original publisher if it is a reprint. Just forward an email to me from the original publisher and we're in business!

One more tiny item: What Colorado bands would you say sounds like Rise Against? Say a library patron wants Rise Against but no Rise Against CDs are checked in. You, as the local music librarian, would like to recommend local bands for the patron to check out. (He is going on a road trip, so you can recommend more than one.)

What bands would you tell him to check out? I'm going to ask Alf from 93.3 for his thoughts, but I would LOVE to hear yours as well. Shoot me an email.

Blue Million Miles
Of Building Walls
Self-released

By Michael Roberts
Westword

March 19, 2009

Scenesters regularly debate whether or not this fair city has ever produced a signature musical approach, as opposed to the kind associated with borrower bands that just happen to be based here (read: The Fray). In fact, there have been a number of Mile High styles over the years, including the atmospheric, post-rootsy mid-'90s form recalled by Blue Million Miles. Tracks such as "God Is Dead" feature plenty of elements that fit the mold: spectral guitars, simple/brutal rhythms, and doomy lyrics ("Inside the heart of this tired nation!") delivered by Sam McNutt, who clearly has a thing for echo effects. Sure, it's a throwback, but a confident, persuasive one filled with fine songs like "Through the Branches" and "Trees." Listen closely: It sounds like ... Denver.

* I do not mean to suggest that this KILLER FABULOUS company needs extra attention. Because who else gets that kind of treatment and headline -- "Westword Music Showcase: This picture pretty much sums it up" -- from Westword? (Yes. I'm saying!)