Various

Few critics in their right minds would hail Colorado as a hotbed of early punk rock, but the vigor of our state’s late-’70s punk and new wave scene should not be forgotten. Joseph Pope and Dalton Lawrence Rasmussen give it a proper salute with “Rocky Mountain Low,” an exhaustive, lovingly assembled compilation on CD and double LP. Like countless music scenes of the time, we had our own versions of the Stooges, the Velvet Underground, Buzzcocks, X-Ray Spex and others. And while locals like the Healers, Ravers and the Cells offered barely tweaked versions of those bands, it’s nice to hear the snotty DIY ethic alive in a region usually associated with country- rock and folk. Although small (about 20 bands total), the Denver/Boulder scene supported punk champs like Wax Trax Records (still kicking at East 13th Avenue and Washington Street) and fanzines like Not New Wave News. “Rocky Mountain Low” illustrates it with a glossy, 24-page booklet featuring fliers and classic photos, such as Joey Ramone and Boulder’s Jello Biafra (later of the Dead Kennedys) hanging out backstage at Ebbets Field in 1977. Despite the wildly varying sound quality, the comp features an armload of legitimate gems, such as the Immortal Nightflames’ Clash-flavored “All Cried Out,” the Cells’ epically tortured “You Give Me Nothing” and Profalactics’ raw, punchy “Always Better Than Me.” This is a must-have for Colorado music enthusiasts.