Alt-Nation Interview: Lolita Black

The saga of the Hot People of Local Rock continues, and we’re cranking up the volume. These two women play in a metal/punk band. Metal is probably the genre with the lowest ratio of female to male musicians, but that was never a problem for these two as they tend to crush the competition.  They are half of the band Lolita Black, which last year released their second album, Flesh, Blood, and Bone – one of last year’s best. One is simply one of the best drummers anywhere, a tour de force on the skins – Kaleigh Melise. The other, Scarlett Delgado, is one of the most dynamic front women this city has ever seen. Lolita Black were selected to participate in this year’s WBRU Rock Hunt.  Lolita Black may not be your stereotypical BRU alternative band, but one thing is for sure: they’ll go in with guns blazing to amp up the decibels and make things a bit … sinister. Kaleigh and Scarlett were both kind enough to answer a few questions on the eve of the Rock Hunt.

MC:        Who would you say are some of your biggest musical influences?

KM:        Early heavy rock and metal like Sabbath, Motorhead, Swans, Ministry, and The Stooges with some punk/post punk in between. Bands like Killing Joke, The Plasmatics, X, Cocteau Twins, and Rudimentary Peni were big influences on the band.

SD:         I’ve always had a preference for performers with a theatrical stage presence.

MC:        Last year, the band released Flesh, Blood, and Bone. What songs are the most fun to play or your personal favorites?

KM:        I think all the songs are solid, but the newest songs we write are always the most fun to play live.

SD:         “Murder Song” has a special place in my heart. Kaleigh delivers this heart pounding beat. It matches up to the lyrics perfectly. “Murder Song” is written through a killer’s eyes as he stalks and murders his next victim.

MC:        What’s your favorite show you played or attended and why?

KM:        I would say my highlights in the last couple of years were playing with Pentagram, Jucifer, and Blue Coupe when they came through town. It’s always fun playing big festivals in town, too, like Rocktucket, Foo Fest, Puffers Fest, and Liberty Fest.

SD:         Oh man sooooooo many. Any chance we get to play with great local bands and our friends. We always have a great time. We got to play with Pentagram a few years ago, which was KILLER! We also played with Blue Coupe and I got to play the cowbell during “Don’t Fear the Reaper!!!” Dream come true.

MC:        What does Lolita Black have planned for 2013?

KM:        An EP is in the works, tentatively titled Serpentine, and in August, we’re planning on a west coast tour.

SD:         We’ve entered the WBRU Rock Hunt! Winning would mean a lot to us and for heavy music fans everywhere, I think. We’re definitely the stray dog in this radio friendly competition, but we’re ready to tear shit up! 

Lolita Black will rock in the WBRU Rock Hunt Semifinals at JR’s Bourbon Street Rock House in Cranston on March 15 with The Rare Occasions and Satellites Fall.

WBRU Rock Hunt

March Madness returns with the annual WBRU Rock Hunt. It can be hit or miss from year to year with the quality of the Rock Hunt pools, but this year WBRU has put together a pretty formidable field, including some titans of local rock with the likes of The Brother Kite and Lolita Black. There is pretty much something for everyone is this field. With that in mind, we’ve assembled our annual degenerate’s guide to gambling on the WBRU Rock Hunt.

Semi-Finals March 15 at JR’s Bourbon Street Rock House (Cranston, RI)

The Rare Occasions have a catchy song in “Miss Mary Mack” currently getting spins on WBRU. The first, like, 30 seconds of the song had me exclaiming, “Holy shit! How come I’ve never seen this band?” The rest of the song was a little more conventional, and my initial sentiment mostly faded. Their demo, available online for free at http://therareoccasions.bandcamp.com, is a fairly commendable first effort.  It is modern alt-rock with some interesting things thrown into the mix. The biggest thing The Rare Occasions have working against them is the competition is pretty stacked on this night. Their first show was less than a year ago and the other two bands are pretty seasoned. Anything can happen, but The Rare Occasions are definitely a long shot underdog here to advance.

Satellites Fall have been making waves through their shows, and their song “One Night” has been getting spins on WBRU. They are kind of a trance style of alternative rock. They’ve opened for Hoobastank, which is appropriate because that was one of the first bands that jumps to mind when looking for a comparison. Everybody is going to get out rocked, so to speak, by Lolita Black, but Satellites Fall can win on style points alone. I think they’re going to give Lolita Black a run for their money here, but I see them ultimately losing in a split decision on the ballots. That the show is in Cranston in a venue that Lolita Black’s fans don’t usually frequent works in Satellites Fall’s favor big time here.

Lolita Black is a little heavy for WBRU’s format, but that is usually just one question on the ballot. If the judges aren’t metal fans, that could also hurt Lolita Black’s chances. I think Lolita Black is ultimately too dynamic of a band to deny them advancing to the finals.

Semi-Finals March 16 @ The Spot Underground (Providence, RI)

It’s actually harder to picture that The Brother Kite is playing the Rock Hunt for the first time now. They released four albums, have toured some, played the SXSW Festival multiple times, and have had a built-in following for years. The Brother Kite have kind of a Brit-pop meets modern alt rock feel to them. They are the favorite to advance based on their experience and the solid live show that they’ve spent years perfecting.

The Clyde Lawrence Band kind of reminds me of 70s rock in the vein of Elton John or a funkier Joe Cocker as far as piano rock. Their song “Wake Up” is currently in rotation on WBRU. An interesting side note is that Clyde Lawrence is a bit of a child prodigy. His tunes have been featured in Miss Congeniality (which was written when he was 6, yikes), Music and Lyrics, and Did You Hear About The Morgans. Can they win? Yes, definitely. Their songs are good and funky enough to get the dance floor rocking. That the show is at The Spot benefits the Clyde Lawrence Band because their style is sure to go over well with The Spot’s regulars.

Sienna are making their second appearance in the big dance. They are pretty much straight up female fronted high energy alternative rock. Their song “Reason to Stay” is getting spins on WBRU. They have put out one EP, Mark These Words, with another, titled The Making Change EP, coming in the pipeline later this year. I’ve seen Sienna a few times and know some people who love them. I’m not convinced they have enough to advance. That said, if Sienna does get into the Finals, I wouldn’t be surprised if they won the whole thing. I’m sticking with my gut and going with The Brother Kite, but any of these three bands advancing wouldn’t surprise me.

Email music news to mclarkin33@gmail.com.