Ink and Riffs: Dark dreams and chainsaw music

Ink and Riffs is a regular review series written by me, Citywide Co-Host Max Bowen, to talk about what I’m reading and listening to and why I think it’s awesome. Feel free to send suggestions to citywidemax@yahoo.com.

“Seeing Evil” (book)
This thriller by Jason Parent is centered on Michael Turcotte, a teenager who gains the ability to see the dark futures of others following a violent assault. The visions continue and eventually come to include Fall River Detective Samantha Reilly, who rescued Michael as a child following the deaths of his parents.

Eventually, Michael’s visions get him tangled up in the investigation of a suspected serial killer—one with a chilling connection to Michael and Sam.

This book was just amazing to read and at times I cursed having to go to work. Jason has a unique ability to not only craft a detailed scene, but take us into the minds of his characters.

Through the chapters, we really come to know Michael, Sam, and even the more minor characters and see what makes them tick. It serves to keep the reader hooked as they become more invested in their fates.

Another strong element of the book is the grisly, graphic details that Jason includes. Nothing is left out and this makes for powerfully impactful scenes that leave fans of the thriller and horror genres hungry for more.

“Angels” (music)
I’ve been a fan of the band RinRin since I heard their single “Shadows,” and this album is everything that makes this band my musical addiction.

The music is a great array of rock and metal, with some cool additional sounds layered on. “Angels” is a great opener, a solid musical punch to the face that’s followed up by “ChainsawGirl,” a really intense tune for a lot of reasons. The six-track EP has a lot more to offer, though, with all kinds of different sounds and stories.

“Angels” is a solid offering from a band that’s really hit their stride, and I’ll definitely be checking out the other releases that I’ve missed.

“Deep State” (comic)
Written by Justin Jordan with art by Ariela Kristantina and published by BOOM! Studios, “Deep State”follows John Harrow and his partner Agent Branch, as they investigate weird science, unexplained phenomena and all sorts of X-Files-esque oddities. Just the sort of comic I like to read.

I grew up watching “The X-Files” and “Men in Black,” so this story really got me. I finished the entire collection in a few days, and though it ends on a cliffhanger, I didn’t feel like a lot is left unexplained. I really liked all the different cases Harrow and Branch went on, from a Russian Cosmonaut infected with an alien tech virus to a gun that can fire bullets through time. Really cool stuff.

The overarching storyline of The Control, which runs the agency Harrow and Branch work for, was a cool element that smoothly develops alongside the shorter case files and really comes to a head in the later issues.

The art is really good, with sharp colors and a wide array of designs for the weird science and alien beings. You can tell Kristantina really dove into this and had some fun creating the world of “Deep State.” This comic has been a blast to read and I’m hoping we’ll see a return someday.

Escape The Paradigm shares 11 years of music

Over the years, brothers Brandon Brodzinski and Johnathan Rockwood with Donny Hoover III have made a lot of memories while playing in Escape The Paradigm, and they hop on the show to give us all the details.

From touring with All That Remains to playing some kickass full houses, there’s a lot to go over, along with how this three-member band came together and what’s kept Escape The Paradigm going for more than a decade.

Escape The Paradigm came to our attention through Curtain Call Records and we go into how the band came to work with them and how that’s gone. We also talk live shows, recording their two albums, “Mistaken” and “All Fall Down,” and what is planned for later this year.

Opening the episode is a brief excerpt from the Escape The Paradigm’s “Villain,” and closing things out is the complete “Fixated.”

Dany Horovitz shares stories of love, loss, and life in “Free Times”

BONUS TRACK: Leezy talks about her battle with addiction and how it inspired “Sierra”

Singer-songwriter Dany Horovitz is back, and he has some big news to share. His debut album “Free Times” is now available! Dany joined me last fall to talk about his singles “Seasons Change” and “Moving On,” and along with these two songs, the album features another eight with an array of sounds and tales.

Dany and I talk about the response the album has seen from fans and music journalists in Canada, where he lives. He shares his poetry and how it ties into his music as well as the real-life connection behind the songs. Dany worked with some amazing people in bringing this album to life and he talked about the process. In addition to the album, a music video release for his song “Scar” was released and we go into how the two mesh.

Following our discussion, enjoy “Scar,” one of my favorite tracks from the album.


And in the second interview, Chicago-based artist Leezy dives into “Sierra,” a new single that takes us through her battle with addiction when she was 18. Leezy talks about how it all began and the work she put in to become sober a year later. Leezy's mother inspired the song, and was a pillar for the young artist as she sought treatment, and even had a brief role in the music video for “Sierra.”

As the episode comes to a close, check out “Sierra,” which shifts from a mellow tune to a rock-themed sound, matching the artist's battle.

Lisa Bello talks about making her mark in Boston's rap scene

Boston's Lisa Bello is well-known among the city's rap artists, but that wasn't always the case. In this episode, she talks about how she got her start and the many collaborations she's formed over the years. She also talks about the work that was required to make her presence known.

We look at Lisa's two newest releases, “Overnight Shift” released just a couple weeks ago, and her self-titled album which came out last December. These albums both have unique sounds, and we dive into the different artists she worked with, which include June Jissle, Jeffandy AllTogether, Chalease, Ananda Nakira, and Oompa. Lisa shares the story of how they all met and what led her to working with them.

Most recently, Lisa has entered the world of voiceover work, and she speaks about how her years in music helped prepare her for the role. She's done projects of all kinds, from commercial work to songs used in cheerleading competitions.

Following this interview, enjoy these songs from “Overnight Shift.” First up is “Back to Work” followed by “Temp Service.”