Prelude to a Lick

by Scott Hefflon
illustration by Mark Reusch

So this is September, huh? Where the hell’d the summer go? I guess it’s time to “buckle down,” “hit the books,” and really “keep your nose to the grindstone.” Oh, such violence is inherent in clichés. (And not just ’cause the people around you beat the piss out of you every time you use one of the fuckers.) But that doesn’t sound very, ya know, fun. And hey; as long as the parental units are picking up the bills (or better yet, just don’t pay ’em, change your name, and live in a different time zone), ya might as well have some fun. I’d love to froth eloquently about what I did with my summer vacation, but, uh, I don’t remember much.

Yeah, so here’s the September issue. Despite its girth, this issue went to press only a day late. For some reason, “Fat bottom girls, they make the rockin’ world go ’round” is going through my head. It must be the lack of sleep. The record’s skipping, too, and it’s really annoying. So, we here at Lollipop are getting in touch with our inner scenesterness, and we’ve started a second magazine called Lollipop Freezine. Quite a novel name, eh? We thought it’d be swell to get more into what it’s like living in Boston. If yer living in Boston, check it out.

Truthfully, it’s little more than a streamlined version of the BIG magazine, but hey – it’s free. It also gives an opportunity to fume and fawn about the things that are right in front of us every day.

You may notice that our lovely September issue is not the end-all, be-all of interactiveness. We (well, I) strove to link each and every review to both a phone sampling and a web link, but it didn’t happen in time for this issue. And yes, it will happen for next issue. Technology may redefine itself every day, but the business-as-usual way people use it, doesn’t. So there it is.

A few quick mentionables: There seem to be an awful lot of interviews this issue. That’s not necessarily a bad thing; it actually breaks up the monotony of the Lollistaff speaking out, against all odds, to say what’s on their minds. We also got access to some really great people this month to interview. It’s common practice to get fluffy press kits from bands like Bif Barf and the Snaggerdaggers with a note saying they’re available for interviews. Of course they are! They’re certainly not searching their souls or doing vast amounts of research to redefine the “cutting edge” of music as we now know it. But every now and again, we get offers to do ass-kicking interviews with cool-as-shit bands that helped shape the way we think about music. Interviewing your teenage idols is quite a rush, I’ll tell you. Even a bitter-as-shit misanthrope has a few revered icons tucked away deep in the closet.

Despite a wide-spread misinterpretation, Lollipop is always looking for new writers, artists, and photographers. People with talent, people with an inside scoop, people with a passion for alterna-whatever music and/or lifestyle. Send in your stuff.

Also in September, we’re looking for interns and stuff. We’ll train you to work on computers, network with media schmucks, and open all the freakin’ mail, in exchange for valuable knowledge that you can put on your resume. Then one day, you might be able to get a job that actually pays money. We’ve got trade, store credit, and free-bees falling out of our butts, but we’ve got no money. OK?

Lick Me.