The lucky number 13

Singer-songwriter Dylan Seid is a disarming, endearing mixture of angst, shyness and infectious good-naturedness. Seid, who wrote the dark, driving, confessional rocker “Take a Chance” ("Sometimes I wanna come down / But not right now / ‘Cause I hate myself / I wanna get real high / And I hate myself … “), is the same guy who wrote the tender and vulnerable “Mama": “Mama, I’m goin’ today / I’m goin’ far away / I’m gonna be an Axl Rose / And, no, Mom, I ain’t that sure / And, no, Mom, I ain’t that pure / I’m goin’ down for my show.”

The 33-year-old Seid (pronounced “seed") and bandmate, 35-year-old percussionist Dharma LaRocca, talked one recent morning about their band, the Lucky Losers, made up of Chico rock progeny. LaRocca’s father, Phil, played percussion in Butte Creek Family Band and Butte Creek Sextet, and Seid’s dad is local piano player John Seid (John LaPado Band).

The reggae-and-country-tinged rock band made a definite impression on audiences at the Towne Lounge and the now-defunct Stormy’s, and promises to do the same at an upcoming Duffy’s Tavern performance Nov. 5.

The two longtime friends spoke enthusiastically about making Seid’s first CD, Dylan Seed: Donation Album (Seid used the spelling “Seed” for his first album), three years ago—particularly two songs: “Helltown’s Gonna Have Fun” ("Here’s a story ’bout the narc / Some day I’m gonna meet him in the dark"), which they co-wrote with fellow childhood buddy Joe Cannon, and “Marijuana War,” which they have since renamed “Mandatory Minimum.”

"I put ‘Helltown’s Gonna Have Fun’ up on a friend’s Web site [that featured music from other artists],” Seid recalled excitedly of when the song was first recorded, “and people started voting on it and it came in in the Top 13! And the 13th take of ‘Helltown’ was the one that went on the album. We got through 12 takes to get to the feeling.”

So it should perhaps have come as no surprise to Lucky Loser Seid that “Take A Chance” was coincidentally situated as track 13 on CN&R’s Chico Area Music Compilation 2006 Vol. 1 CD.

“I was so happy when I got track 13! I said, ‘What the hell’s this all about? 13 again?’ I guess 13’s my lucky number.”

Seid is currently in the studio working on album number two. The new record will be more eclectic than the first, which Seid described as having a “distortion Marshall sound.” Seid has already engaged the stylistically varied talents of bassist Jesse McCord, drummer Jimmy Fay, pedal and lap steel player John LaPado and piano player John Seid, his dad, to help lay down the eight tracks that are now awaiting Dylan Seid’s vocals.

Among others due in the studio for future tracks are LaRocca as well as fellow percussionist Rob Meraz and Sebastopol reggae keyboardist-singer Bharat “Bee” Karmakar, who is featured on “Take a Chance.”

“The sound is reggae and rock ‘n’ roll,” LaRocca summed up. “A little old school meets new school.”