#I say this as a girl who loves underground gigs and ends up east a lot these days

[rowanhoney]

Different parts of the uk are soooo coded by their music scenes, makes it easier to pick where to live based on vibes

[ireadyabooks]

The Best Summer Reads! 🏖

Even if you can’t read a book on the beach this year, it’s still summer! 

We’ve pulled together some binge-worthy summer reads that will have you swooning over an adorable romance or turning the pages of a fast-paced thriller.  

I Love You So Mochi by Sarah Kuhn

Kimi Nakamura’s mother disapproves of her passion for fashion design, and when they get into an explosive fight, Kimi's entire future seems on the verge of falling apart. So when a surprise letter comes in the mail from Kimi's estranged grandparents, inviting her to Kyoto for spring break, she seizes the opportunity to get away from the disaster of her life. And what begins as a trip to escape her problems quickly becomes a way for Kimi to learn more about the mother she left behind, and to figure out where her own heart lies. Start reading!

The Night of Your Life by Lydia Sharp

All year, JJ's been looking forward to going to prom with his best friend, Lucy. But nothing goes according to plan and the best night of their lives quickly turns into the worst. That is...until JJ wakes up the next day only to find that it's prom night all over again. At first, JJ thinks he's lucky to have the chance to get innumerable chances at perfecting the night of his life. But each day ends badly for him and Lucy, no matter what he does. Can he find a way to escape the time loop and move into the future with the girl he loves? Start reading!

Lie to Me by Kaitlin Ward

Ever since Amelia woke up in the hospital, recovering from a near-death fall she has no memory of, she's been suspicious. Her friends, family, and doctors insist it was an accident, but Amelia is sure she remembers being pushed. Then another girl is found nearby -- one who fell, but didn't survive. Amelia's fears suddenly feel very real, and with the help of her new boyfriend, Liam, she tries to investigate her own horrific ordeal. But how can she tell who's trustworthy, and who might be -- must be -- lying to her? Start reading!

Screenshot by Donna Cooner

Skye's social media game is always on point. Until her best friend, Asha, films an embarrassing video of Skye at a sleepover and posts it online. But Asha quickly deletes the post, so everything's okay. Right? Then Skye gets an anonymous message. Someone has texted her a screenshot from the video. This person threatens to share the shocking photo online . . . unless Skye does whatever they say. Skye's perfect image -- and privacy -- are suddenly in jeopardy. What will Skye do to keep the screenshot under wraps? And who is trying to ruin her life? Start reading!

Listen To Your Heart by Kasie West

When Kate’s best friend, Alana, convinces Kate to join their high school's podcast, Kate is not expecting to be chosen as the host. But to Kate's surprise, she turns out to be pretty good at the hosting gig. Then the podcast gets in a call from an anonymous guy, asking for advice about his unnamed crush. Kate is pretty sure that the caller is gorgeous Diego Martinez, and even surer that the girl in question is Alana. Kate is excited for her friend . . . until Kate herself starts to develop feelings for Diego. Suddenly, Kate finds that while doling out wisdom to others may be easy, asking for help is tougher than it looks, and following your own advice is even harder. Start reading!

Wherever Nina Lies by Lynn Weingarten

Nina was artistic, fearless, and wild. She inked landscapes onto the soles of her Converse, and covered her tank tops in portraits of people she saw on the street. She was Ellie's big sister and favorite person. And then one day she was gone. Two years later, Ellie stumbles upon a drawing of Nina's that might just contain a clue of where to find her. So she takes off on a road trip with the one person who believes she's got a chance. Start reading!

Faceless by Alyssa Sheinmel

While on a run one day, Maisie gets into a terrible accident. A hot-burning electrical fire consumes her, destroying her face. She is lucky enough to qualify for a face transplant. But with someone else's features staring back at her in the mirror, Maisie looks -- and feels -- like a stranger. The doctors promised that the transplant was her chance to live a normal life again, but nothing feels normal anymore. Before, she knew who she was -- a regular girl who ran track and got good grades, who loved her boyfriend and her best friend. Now, she can't even recognize herself. Start reading!

It’s Not Me, It’s You by Stephanie Kate Strohm

Avery Dennis is a high school senior and one of the most popular girls in her class. But a majorly public breakup with the guy she's been dating causes some disastrous waves. It is right before prom and Avery no longer has the perfect date. Post-breakup, Avery gets to thinking about all of the guys that she has ever dated. Avery decides to investigate: she tracks down all of the guys she's ever dated, and uses that information, along with the thoughts of her friends, family, and even teachers to compile a total account of her dating history. Avery discovers some surprises about herself and the guys she's spent time with just in time for prom night! Start reading!

The Beautiful Lost by Luanne Rice

Ever since her mother left, Maia has struggled with depression -- which once got so bad, she had to go to an institution for a while. She doesn't want to go back. Maia's sure that if she finds her mother, if the two of them can talk about whale songs and constellations, then everything will be okay again. When Maia sets off on a road trip in search of her mom, her crush Billy unexpectedly comes along. They drive up the East Coast, stopping along the way for lobster rolls and lighthouses. Maia learns that Billy has dark secrets of his own -- and wants to outrun his past, too. But what will the future hold if they reach their destination? Start reading!

Where She Fell by Kaitlin Ward

Eliza knows the legends about the swamp near her house -- that people have fallen into sinkholes, never to be seen again, maybe even falling to the center of the earth. But when her best friends drag her onto the uneven ground anyway, Eliza knows to be worried. And when the earth opens under her feet, there isn't even time to say I told you so. As she scrambles through one cave, which leads to another, and another, Eliza finds herself in an impossible world -- where a small group of people survive underground, running from vicious creatures, eating giant bugs, and creating their own subterranean society. Eliza is grateful to be alive, but this isn't home. Is she willing to risk everything to get back to the surface? Start reading!

Lucky in Love by Kasie West

Maddie's not impulsive. She's all about hard work and planning ahead. But one night, on a whim, she buys a lottery ticket. And then, to her astonishment, she wins! In a flash, Maddie's life is unrecognizable. No more stressing about college scholarships. Suddenly, she's talking about renting a yacht. And being in the spotlight at school is fun . . . until rumors start flying, and random people ask her for loans. Now, Maddie isn't sure who she can trust. Except for Seth Nguyen, her funny, charming coworker at the local zoo. Seth doesn't seem aware of Maddie's big news. And, for some reason, she doesn't want to tell him. But what will happen if he learns her secret? Start reading!

Truly, Madly, Royally by Debbie Rigaud

Zora Emerson is not here to play. She's enrolled in a prestigious summer program, and is ready to use what she's learning to change the world. Zora's not expecting to vibe with any of her super-privileged classmates. So she's shocked to find she's got chemistry with Owen Whittelsey, who is charming, funny, undeniably cute...and turns out to literally be a prince. As in, his parents are the king and queen of a small European country. What? Suddenly, Zora's summer is looking a lot more complicated -- especially when Owen asks her to be his date at his older brother's wedding. Can her feelings for Owen, not to mention her sense of self, survive the royal chaos? Start reading!

Maybe This Time by Kasie West

Name the occasion, and Sophie Evans will be there. Well, she has to be there. Sophie works for the local florist, so she can be found at every big event in her small hometown, arranging bouquets and managing family dramas. Enter Andrew Hart. The son of the fancy new chef in town, Andrew is suddenly required to attend all the same events as Sophie. Entitled, arrogant, preppy Andrew. Sophie just wants to get her job done and finish up her sketches so she can apply to design school. But every time she turns around, there is Andrew, getting in her way and making her life more complicated. Until one day she wonders if maybe complicated isn't so bad after all. Start reading!

Snow in Love by Melissa de la Cruz, Aimee Friedman, Nic Stone, Kasie West

It’s still summer, but we’re already looking forward to the holidays and snuggling up with a mug of hot chocolate! So what's better than one deliciously cozy, swoon-worthy holiday story? Four of them! Snow in Love is an adorable, wintry collection of four short stories about the romance of the holiday season, from some of today's bestselling YA authors. Start reading!

Fake by Donna Cooner

Maisie Fernandez is fed up with the bullies who taunt her about her size and her looks. So, one night, Maisie goes online and creates a fake profile. "Sienna" is beautiful, skinny, and confident -- and soon she's messaging the most popular kids in Maisie's school. Maisie doesn't care about being friends with them. She wants to use Sienna to take them down. But as Maisie's web of deception grows, she's in danger of being exposed. And what will happen when the actual Sienna -- the girl whose photos Maisie has been using -- shows up in real life? Start reading!

Sorry Not Sorry by Jamie Reed

Janelle and Alyssa used to be best friends. They knew each other's deepest secrets and went through the hardest times together. But that was then. Now? Their status is somewhere between frenemies and full-on rivals. Until the day Alyssa collapses and is rushed to the hospital. Suddenly, everyone knows about her declining health and race against time. And, in a stunning twist of fate, the only person who might be able to save Alyssa's life -- is Janelle. But will the girls' bitter past get in the way of their futures? Start reading!

[lewishamledger]

South-east side story

Chris Difford from rock band Squeeze spent his early career in and around Deptford, playing at venues like the Oxford Arms and the Albany Empire. The Cool for Cats hitmaker tells us more

PHOTO BY PAUL STAFFORD

Born in south-east London almost 65 years ago, Chris Difford was brought up on King George Street on the edge of Greenwich Park.

After attending the local primary school, he moved up to West Greenwich Secondary Boys’ School in Deptford.

“At school there was a woodwork wing and a metalwork wing so you went in one of the two,” Chris recalls. “You were kind of being groomed to get a job in a factory – either a biscuit factory or a metalwork factory. I didn’t really want to do either of those.

“My brothers – one of them became an accountant and the other one became a villain. I didn’t really know which way to swing.”

After leaving school, Chris put a card in a shop window in Blackheath advertising for a guitarist to join his band, although he didn’t actually have one at the time.

Luckily for him, a 15-year-old Glenn Tilbrook – who had also recently left school – spotted the ad and was the sole person to get in touch.

“It was really obvious to me as I was growing up, being a loner with my imagination, that what I really wanted to do was write,” Chris says.

“I didn’t know what I was writing until I became an adult. It wasn’t until 1973 that I formed a band with Glenn and then suddenly I was off and running.”

The pair began writing together and recruited Jools Holland on the keyboard and Paul Gunn, an old school-friend of Glenn’s, on the drums. The group performed under various monikers before eventually settling on Squeeze, as a humorous tribute to the Velvet Underground’s universally panned album of the same name.

They started playing gigs towards the end of 1975 and their early career was spent in and around Deptford, where they were part of a thriving music scene.

“When I was growing up, the biggest local band that I knew of was Status Quo,” Chris says. “Dire Straits were from the north-east but they lived in Deptford. Mark [Knopfler] used to live next door to me so I knew them.

“There were lots of bands around that time because the Albany Empire was a place where everybody wanted to play. We cut our teeth playing in local pubs really, like the Oxford Arms [now The Birds Nest] and the Bricklayers Arms.

“Catford Girls’ School was our first proper gig. What a wonderful thing – I wore makeup especially! We also played at St Dunstan’s [College, also in Catford] in the hall. Steve Nieve, Elvis Costello’s keyboard player was in the audience.”

Squeeze were originally signed up to Deptford Fun City, a label owned by Miles Copeland. Miles was manager of The Police and his brother Stewart played drums for the band.

Squeeze’s first EP – and most of their debut album – was produced by John Cale, of Velvet Underground fame, for A&M Records. But the album’s two hit singles, Take Me I’m Yours and Bang Bang, were produced by the band themselves, as the label found Cale’s recordings somewhat on the uncommercial side.

Squeeze’s second album, Cool for Cats, followed in 1979 and contained their two highest charting singles in the UK: Cool for Cats and Up The Junction, which both reached number two.

Despite the turbulent times, politics wasn’t part of the band’s lyrics, which Chris was mainly responsible for.

“I’m more of a kitchen sink songwriter,” he says. “I’ve tried putting my arm behind my back to write political songs but I don’t think I’ve ever been good at it and I’d like to leave it to the people who know what they’re talking about.

“I actually find politics extremely dull and full of egoistical people, rather like the music business was 20 years ago. It’s about ego rather than feeling. Maybe it’s the hippy in me, but if I was over in the Houses of Parliament I’d give everyone a hug and tell them to grow up.”

Squeeze separated for the first time in 1982 and Chris and Glenn hooked up with John Turner to create a musical, Labelled with Love, using the songs of Squeeze. It was performed at the Albany in Deptford in 1983.

“Glenn and I wrote the music,” Chris says. “It ran for three months and sold out all the time. Tim Rice came down to see it and he enjoyed it very much. It had legs and had the possibility of moving on, but I don’t think we had the oxygen for that at the time. It needed a bit more tweaking from a writing point of view.

“It was all set in a pub and was very south London. I don’t know whether it would be successful today but I’d like to see it work now.”

In 1985 Squeeze reunited and released a new album, Cosi Fan Tutti Frutti. Two years later came Hourglass, the first single from their seventh album, with a video directed by Ade Edmondson and an appearance from their old pal Jools Holland.

“Ade Edmondson directed it but Jools had quite a big role in it,” says Chris. “It featured a lot of his ideas. It got us an award on MTV – that’s what you needed in America in those days to get you from theatres into stadiums and that’s what it did.”

The video was regularly aired on MTV and the heavy promotion of one of their finest songs resulted in the highest charting single Squeeze ever had in the USA, reaching number 15 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 16 back home in the UK.

In between stints with Squeeze, Chris continued writing songs with Glenn, and he also wrote lyrics for music composed by artists like Elton John and Elvis Costello.

“Elvis gave me a song to write the lyrics for,” he recalls. “I think it was one of the first times I’d been asked to write the lyrics for somebody other than Glenn. It was kind of weird.”

Chris spent a few years as a solo artist and then went into managing acts including Bryan Ferry and The Strypes. “I loved it,” he says. “It’s not really management; it’s more like mentoring, or just being a mate to somebody.

“When you’re managing you have to be there 24/7. Sunday morning you’d get a phone call because someone’s had a tree fall in their swimming pool and you’d have to be there to fix it.”

Surprisingly, he didn’t miss the buzz of performing. “I was still experiencing that through the person I was working with,” he explains. “I really like being on the side of the stage. I love being able to feel the electricity that an artist can give an audience. And to be a bit like the Wizard of Oz I suppose, behind the red curtain.”

In 2015, Chris and Glenn hooked up again to write songs for the BBC Two series Cradle to Grave.

“It gave Glenn and me a focus and a reason to write a record and we needed that after so many years,” Chris says. “We did an incredible job and it was beautifully produced. The songs were really great and I’m really proud of them.

“It was nice to know that Glenn and I could still write a decent song if we worked at it. It felt like a new relationship and I enjoyed that.”

Chris finally wrote his memoir, which was published in the summer of 2017.

“The book really helped me find a new lease of life. Very quickly I realised people aren’t interested in CDs anymore, but books they love. To stand up and do a show and at the end sign books, people love that.

“The year before last I did 98 shows and last year I did 102. I did two weeks in Edinburgh and that really changed things.

“I’m now in the position of having to write the second show and the next book. I’m taking time to figure out what that’s going to be.”

Although still a frequent visitor to London, Chris moved out of the capital some years ago and now lives in East Sussex with his wife, Louise.

“I’ve sold all my guitars and just built a writing room in my garden,” he says.

He currently manages a young artist called Honey, who is signed to Elton John’s record label Rocket. “She has her first record coming out this summer and she’s extraordinarily talented and I’m really excited about her,” Chris says.

“At the other end of the stick, there’s [tenor and musical theatre star] Alfie Boe, who I also work with. He’s genuinely a very funny man – he’s lovely.”

Chris also spends a fair amount of time running workshops, including a recent session at the Brit School in Croydon. And as for the future, he’s mulling a return to musicals.

“I’m investigating one as we speak,” he says. “Every other week I go and see a musical. I’ve been to see a couple of Stephen Sondheim ones, including Follies. The songs are terrific.

“To be able to write a musical and be in the wings most definitely has appeal. The reality is it probably won’t happen in my lifetime. It takes such a long time to develop these things. For the time being, it’s a hobby.”

I end by asking him if he could go back 50 years, what advice would he give to his teenage self?

“I’d fail to think of anything really,” he says. “The mistakes I’ve made have all been part of the jigsaw of who I am today.

“I feel it would have been nicer to have been more successful perhaps, and shrewder with whatever income I would have had as a younger man, instead of spending it all.”

Chris is currently touring the UK and Ireland. For full details, visit chrisdifford.com/tour

[riffrelevant]

(By Pat ‘Riot’ Whitaker, Lead Journalist/Writer, RiffRelevant.com)

Musician Dan Lorenzo (guitarist) was a highly integral component to many of my own earlier, formative music years. His song writing abilities and guitar playing talent were the creative catalyst for the legendary Eighties power metal / thrash band Hades. In that band he helped pioneer the music and sound of the East Coast’s own take on underground music.

Active for over twenty years, Hades released six revered official albums and myriad singles and splits, while also being included on numerous compilations. The band holds a highly revered place in the heads and hearts of metal lovers both old and new to this very day. From Hades, Dan’s creative Jones led to the formation of the amazing Non-Fiction, a band that was quite ahead of its time in my opinion.

Non-Fiction‘s early Nineties existence resulted in three incredible, forward thinking studio releases (1991’s Preface, 1992’s In The Know and 1996’s It’s A Wonderful Lie…). The band’s take on darker progressive metal registered quite well with listeners and fans. It was another so-called feather in the cap for the artistry that Dan Lorenzo encapsulates.

Lorenzo In NON-FICTION

During the early to mid 2000’s, Dan worked as a solo artist and released three phenomenal full-length albums and one EP. On these, he explored a vast swath of differing styles of music and blurred the lines for those obsessed with genre-labeling. Before that decade was over, Lorenzo was part of The Cursed alongside fellow New Jersey staple, Bobby “Blitz” Ellsworth (Overkill). Their one and only album to date thus far, 2007’s Room Full Of Sinners, was another landmark where Dan’s creative prowess was displayed.

Now it is 2017 of course and recently, news broke about a new project that Dan Lorenzo is part of. From far out of left field comes the revelation of Vessel Of Light, Dan’s new musical partnership with Nathan “Opposition” Jochum of Ancient VVisdom. As unlikely a pairing that anyone could imagine, Vessel Of Light‘s debut single “Meant To Be” (streaming below) is a somber descent into heavy Doom music with psychedelic, sludge and atmospheric nuances. The duo’s self-titled debut EP will be released through Argonauta Records on November 3rd and promises to be one of the year’s most intriguing offerings.

So, as a long, long time fan and appreciator of all that is Dan Lorenzo musically, I was recently given the opportunity to speak with him. It goes without saying that I jumped into such an exchange without hesitation for Dan really is a major component within several musical outlets that have (and do) mean so much to me. Without further ado, let’s get to the goods that got us here, shall we? It is my pleasure to present you….

The Riff Relevant Interview With Dan Lorenzo!

Pat Riot – Vessel Of Light. Your new project with Nathan Opposition..how did this project come about? You two seem an unlikely pairing as you all are coming from much different musical backgrounds (outside looking in anyway) so who did what, or brought what to the table, in VOL?

Dan – Back in December I was in Austin, Texas. Before I went, my wife was listening to a lot of stoner rock. Neither my wife nor I drink or smoke, but we both like Sabbath-y types of riffs. I Googled “Austin stoner rock” and came upon the video “The Opposition” by the band Ancient VVisdom. I had never heard of them and I rarely like “new” music. At first I was taken aback by the lyrics. I go to church and I have a Jesus tattoo and they were singing Satanic lyrics. I literally watched this video 10-15 times over the next two days. I consider “The Opposition” to be one of the top 20 greatest songs of all-time. I tried to figure out what label Ancient VVisdom were on or a contact address, but I couldn’t find anything. I’m not on Facebook. Eventually I found an email and I wrote saying how much I loved their song and Nathan Opposition wrote me back. I mentioned them in a NJ magazine I write for called Steppin’ Out. I mailed Nathan a copy of the magazine and a HADES and THE CURSED CDs. We spoke on the phone and hit it off. Then one day I got an email from Nathan about the new project he and I were starting! I had no idea what he was talking about as this was never discussed (laughs). I couldn’t say “no” to his idea though. I have hundreds of riffs and I started mailing Nathan some of them.

Pat Riot – What can music fans and listeners expect from the debut album? Do you think it will appeal to your own fans as well as those of Nathan’s?

Dan – Do I  have any fans? (laughs) Yeah, if people liked my riffs in Non-Fiction and The Cursed, they will be happy. Nathan’s fans will love it too.

Pat Riot – How did the label deal with Argonauta Records materialize? Can we expect to see VOL play some live gigs at any point?

Dan – I was about to leave for a vacation in Hawaii. Right before I left I was trying to find a doom label and I came across Argonauta. I sent an MP3 to Brian Slagel [Metal Blade] and Argonauta and nobody else. I was at the airport suffering through a United Airlines 12 hour delay and Argonauta wrote me that they were interested in signing us. Gero and I sent a few e-mails back and forth and that was it. As far as live gigs before we got signed I said “No way”…now I want to do some shows.  Pat Riot – In the mid-2000s you independently released a string of solo albums (3 full lengths/1 EP)..how were those received in your opinion? As both a solo artist and member of some major legacy-type acts / bands, do you have a preference for one over the other (i.e. solo vs. member of band) and if so, why?

Dan – They are both fun. My whole thing is I despise repetition. My solo stuff was a way to get 30 songs out in 13 months without having more than a couple of rehearsals. Nathan and I only had two rehearsals and then we spent a whopping seven hours in the recording studio recording 6 Vessel Of Light songs. Five days later we had a record deal. That kind of spontaneity is incredibly appealing to me. How were my solo CDs received? With contempt! (laughs) No, the “right” people loved my solo work. Bobby Blitz, Peter [Fletcher, guitarist] from Pigmy Love Circus. Cool people with good taste! (I’ll definitely take THAT as a compliment, ha! – Pat)

Pat Riot – Speaking of “legacy acts”..Hades. This year makes 35 years since the “Deliver Us From Evil” single surfaced, where it all started for Hades. Looking back, what’s your take away from it now, knowing what place Hades holds in the hearts of so many metal fans?

Dan – Oh wow! That was 35 years ago. Damn. It’s nice honestly. Dark Symphonies out of Massachusetts is re-releasing our first two CDs with Demos never released on CD and 20 page booklets inside. Hades was my first love so it will always be special to me.

Pat Riot – Hades’ last studio LP was 2001’s “DamNation” and while I know you are just one member of Hades, has there ever been any serious discussion of a reunion or new record? Dan – Nope. It’s over. I’m still friendly with the guys though and Jimmy Schulman might play bass for VOL live. Pat Riot – Dan, what was the catalyst event be it band, album, concert, etc. that ignited your interest in music as a youth? Who would you cite as some of your primary influences and what did you yourself learn or pick up from them? 

Dan – Ace Frehley of Kiss and Joe Perry of Aerosmith. I play nothing like Joe. My few solos are very Ace-like.

Pat Riot – Now, let’s hit upon 2 absolute favorites of mine: First..Non-Fiction. To me, NF was quite progressive in style and really ahead of its time I believe. What fueled the formation of Non-Fiction?

Dan – Trying to be the exact opposite of Hades. Non-Fiction were spontaneous. We took risks. I would write a riff in the dressing room before the show and then we might use that riff as the opener for that night. So much fun. We rarely rehearsed and when we did it was to write new songs. I fucking loved being in Non-Fiction. It was way more fun and way more “me” than Hades was. Pat Riot – And what ultimately led to the demise of Non-Fiction? I learned something in researching for our exchange here that I did not know, that a S/T EP was issued featuring Dan Nastasi (of Mucky Pup, whom I love) on vocals.

Dan – We came home from our 1993 European tour with Overkill and Savatage and things seemed to be moving backwards. Plus I fell in love with a girl named Gina. I was so poor that one day I couldn’t find a quarter for a bagel. I was so bummed. I knew I needed to get a job and I knew that would be the end of Non-Fiction. After that Nastasi and I reunited the original Non-Fiction line-up and called it #9. We got a deal with SPV. We were starting to record and Nastasi got a solo deal and his manager put the kabosh on #9. There is one rough mix from those recordings on my website. The song is called The Story Goes. #9 were the shit. So fucking bad ass. 

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THE CURSED

The Cursed ‘Room Full Of Sinners’

Pat Riot – The Cursed. ‘Room Full Of Sinners’ is such a genre-diverse record..how did that project come to be? What kind of feedback have you gotten over the years since that LP was released? 

Dan – Well Blitz was a fan of my first solo cd and we always hit it off. It was weird because I’m not a huge fan of Overkill, but when he started writing to my riffs I realized how incredibly talented Blitz actually is. I think a lot of people loved our CD together, but I think Bobby felt a lit bit uncomfortable promoting it because at that time Overkill was starting a resurgence. All thanks to me getting Ron Lipnicki in the band! ( laughs).Pat Riot – I interviewed Blitz earlier this year and specifically asked about a possible 2nd LP from The Cursed ever happening. He lovingly passed the buck by saying “never say never” but also made clear it was not really his call. What say YOU? Dan – I would have done one, but like I said, Blitz…he didn’t even want me to pay to have a video done for The Cursed, so I’m not going to spend my time writing/rehearsing and recording something I can’t even promote when it’s done. We have a 4 song demo we recorded for The Cursed before we did Room Full Of Sinners. My wife’s favorite song by The Cursed is Lucifiction on that demo. It’s never been released. I would love for Blitz to tell me he wants to re -release the whole thing and include a new song or two. I think we write very well together. (For the record, literally, my fave is “Native Tongue”. – Pat)Pat Riot – OK, Dan..had you not been in Hades, Non-Fiction, The Cursed, Vessel Of Light, etc…what band throughout all of Rock / Metal History would you have liked to been in and why? 

Dan – I’d love to take Malcolm’s spot with Bon Scott era AC/DC or maybe The Plasmatics guitarist during A Coup De’ Etat.

Pat Riot – Outside of music, what type of things do you enjoy doing in your “normal, every day life” i.e. hobbies, travel, etc.?

Dan – I play pick-up basketball 4 days a week during the summer. Gina and I have been happily married twenty years and we love to travel. Pat Riot  – I have a tradition of ending interviews with the subject having the final say. Anything you’d like to say, share, state for the record, rant, what have you, this is all you:

Dan – I really wish people would stop smoking cigarettes. It’s expensive, ages you and is disgusting!

There you go, people…Be like Dan and do your smoking on the frets of a guitar! I want to wind down here be saying what a pleasure it was speaking with Dan Lorenzo, a musician whose music via multiple projects has been a staple of my own musical fanaticism for years. Thank you, Dan!

Now, we stand at the precipice of a whole new era of music from Dan via the upcoming Vessel Of Light S/T release (via Argonauta Records Nov. 3rd). My own review of that is coming soon but I’ll go on the record now saying it is going to surprise and astound listeners, and fans of Dan’s both. To keep up with all things Dan Lorenzo, visit his website and Instagram, along with Vessel Of Light’s Facebook page (linked below).

DanLorenzo.net   /   Dan Lozenzo on Instagram Vessel Of Light’s Facebook page.

Argonauta Records website.

  The DAN LORENZO (Vessel Of Light, Hades, Non-Fiction, Etc.) Interview (By Pat 'Riot' Whitaker, Lead Journalist/Writer, RiffRelevant.com) Musician Dan Lorenzo (guitarist) was a highly integral component to many of my own earlier, formative music years.

[b-sidemusic]

INTERVIEW: THE BABY SEALS – LIVIN’ LABIA LOCA

The Baby Seals are a Cambridge punk band who've crashed the East Anglian music scene with their hyper-feminist, hyper-positive, just-generally-hyper musical shouting.  B-Side’s Francine Carrel barks the orders.

The Baby Seals’ eponymous EP (released through Trapped Animal, available right here on Bandcamp) comprises six tracks of gleeful pop punk, on subjects that include deviating from the path we're shoved on to (‘Guuurl’); embracing your body and all of its eccentricities (‘My Labia is Lopsided But I Don't Mind’, ‘Nipple Hair’); and the mind-numbing inevitability of having to watch a dude ejaculate in someone's face, again (‘Yawn Porn’).  The songs are exuberant and gorgeously rude. The women performing them are grinning and full of fervour.

The tone of the EP strikes a clever balance between upbeat humour and serious topics. ‘My Labia is Lopsided But I Don't Mind’ is light-hearted in tone, but has genuinely made a lot of listeners feel better about their bodies. Ditto ‘Nipple Hair’. Still, The Baby Seals skew further towards "fun and positive" than "solemn message-mongering".  We like a healthy helping of chuckle with our social justice.  We were lucky enough to catch up with The Baby Seals as they headed off to play a Brighton gig.

B-Side:  Hello, punk queens. Could you introduce yourselves for our readers?

The Baby Seals: Hey, we’re Amy (drums), Kerry (guitar and lead vocals) and Jaz (bass).  We’re an amorphous mass of lasses based in the East Anglian region, otherwise known as The Baby Seals.

B-Side:  How and when did The Baby Seals come to be?

TBS:  We’ve all been in various music projects over the years and frequently got together to chat, moan, and enthuse.  It snowballed from some pub banter over the double entendre ‘Period Drama’, of which we’d all had our fair share… ‘Poldark’, ‘Downton Abbey’ etc.  The next time we got together, Kerry had pulled these together into three fully-formed songs and we never looked back.

B-Side: I speak with you not long after the release of your latest single, ‘Nipple Hair’, on your self-titled debut EP. It's empowering and alarmingly catchy. How's it been received?

TBS:  Pretty well – people seem to enjoy the breakdown about half way through.  We had the video kindly featured in UPSET Magazine.  We’ve had some great feedback, with people telling us about their hairy or hair removal stories.

B-Side: What are your fans like? What's the demographic?

TBS: Our fans are awesome and we call them our pups!  Our demographic is made up of both guys and girls, which is awesome.  Our message is that you can be whoever you want to be: shave your legs if you want to, don’t pluck your body hair if you don’t. It’s reinforcing the message that freedom of choice matters which is why we’ve been appealing to people across the ages, sexes and classes.

B-Side: Your music videos are low-budget but very immersive. I felt like I was in the room with you, yelling about pubes. Will this style continue?

TBS: Yeah, we reckon it’ll always be pretty DIY.  We don’t think that super glossy really goes with our music at the moment.  Also, we haven’t got the budget to splurge on a decent video.  All of our money is spent on getting to gigs, eating out, buying other band’s EPs/vinyl/cassettes.  We value our authenticity, which manifests itself during home-made videos.  Also, the outtakes make us laugh too much; we spend hours rewinding, us trying to look focussed on camera and we all look goofy as hell.

B-Side: In your song ‘Guuurl’, you big up gender equality in childhood. Do you feel that your own childhoods provided you with that?

TBS: We guess in terms of gender equality, as much as can be expected. Our parents always encouraged us in whatever, we were always bought up in a nurturing musical family.  Our families weren’t keen on pushing the pink agenda onto us and music provided a level playing field.  We’re all women who grew up with musical fathers, which gave us confidence to talk, to be and to play in the industry.  We want to be those role models for younger girls.  It’s easier to do something if you see someone like you doing it.

B-Side: Speaking of childhoods (jamming in a segue here), did you get much inspiration from the Grrl Power movement in the 90s?

TBS: We were prime candidates for the 90s Grrl Power movement.  Of course, we were all big Spice Girls fans, but there were other great female-fronted acts we were into at the time: Skunk Anansie, Garbage, Portishead, No Doubt, Bikini Kill, The Breeders.  It comes in waves, and there have been great girl groups for decades, but yes, you could say the 90s wave baptised us (and provided much consolation once Take That split up).

B-Side: What's the best East Anglian venue to play?

TBS: We always enjoy the Corner House in Cambridge, it’s a cosy, classic pub with a decent stage and a good crowd.  Gigs are usually free or low-cost.  We’ve seen some big out-of-town bands there such as Petrol Girls and we supported Dolls there in 2016.

B-Side: Do you think Cambridge is a good town for emerging music artists?

TBS: Yes, there’s been some recent mainstream success from the likes of Clean Bandit and Lonely the Brave.  The Cambridge scene is set by the ghosts of Pink Floyd, Dolly Mixture and Katrina and The Waves.  There’s a big underground scene and people are friendly, putting on their own gigs, sharing with bands they’ve played with out of town.  As with most towns, there’s a lack of venues that lie between the pub and arena level.  Emerging bands to watch are: General Waste, Staycations and Nervous Conditions.

B-Side: Have any gigs so far stood out (good or bad)?

TBS: We were privileged to support The Raincoats at The Feminist Library’s Summer Benefit last year.  They’re absolute heroes and were a pleasure to watch.  Our favourite gig was at the Fiddler’s Elbow in Camden.  The sound’s really good there, and our BFFEs The Menstrual Cramps came down to show their support and singing our lyrics back to us.  We also played at Cambridge’s legendary Strawberry Fair; it was gorgeous to play at dusk and it felt really special.

B-Side: Can you recommend us any more amazing feminist music?

TBS: Here’s our favourite female-fronted bands/acts at the moment (there’s too many to choose from!):  The Menstrual Cramps, General Waste, Stef Chura, Bitch Theme, Peaness, Skinny Milk, Charla Fantasma, The Tuts, The Hayman Kupa Band, Fassine, Joanna Gruesome, Petrol Girls, GUTTFULL, Dream Nails, Beverley Kills, Diet Cig, Courtney Barnett, Girlpool, Tacocat.

B-Side: And aside from that, who are your music inspirations?

TBS: The Menstrual Cramps, General Waste, Stef Chura, Bitch Theme, Peaness, Skinny Milk, Charla Fantasma, The Tuts, The Hayman Kupa Band, Fassine, Joanna Gruesome, Petrol Girls, GUTTFULL, Dream Nails, Beverley Kills, Diet Cig, Courtney Barnett, Girlpool, Tacocat.

B-Side: Hah! Obviously. Now, as most of us are unfortunately not in awesome pop punk bands, what can we all be doing to help the feminist agenda?

TBS: It’s difficult to condense this down into one media-friendly sound bite, but, here goes:  We need to switch from being the other to part of the mainstream.  Mainstream music media should be doing more to feature acts from more diverse backgrounds.  This is not just about gender, but ethnicity and class too.

B-Side: What's next for the Baby Seals?

TBS: We’re playing a brand-new rock and indie festival in Cambridge called 'Subterranean’.  It’ll be the first time we’ve performed at the Corn Exchange and we’re pretty excited about the line-up.  You’ll find us on the Labyrinth Stage with PINS and Mammoth Penguins.

B-Side: This is the part where I invite you to shamelessly self-promote whatever you feel like promoting. Go!

TBS: We’ve got a flexi disc coming out in October with the Beverley Kills, in conjunction with Love Music Hate Racism. To celebrate, we’re embarking on our first tour, ‘The Vibrator Tour’, starting 21st October at The Blue Moon, Cambridge, hitting London, Guildford, Brighton, Northampton, Manchester, before ending in Bristol on 28th.

THE LOWDOWN: THE BABY SEALS Members:  Amy (drums, vocals), Kerry (guitar, lead vocals), Jaz (bass, vocals). From: Cambridge
 Listen to: ‘The Baby Seals’ EP, download, out now. See them live at: Cambridge Blue Moon, 21st Oct; London Brixton Windmill, 23rd Oct; Guildford Star Inn, 24th October; Brighton Green Door Store, 25th Oct; Northampton Lab, 26th Oct; Manchester Partisan Collective, 27th Oct; Bristol Chelsea Inn, 28th Oct. Keep up with them on: Facebook - Twitter

Photo credit: The Baby Seals (from Facebook)