summer 2009
YOUNG BLOOD
Young Blood President Jordan Rickman Senior VP Gabriel Perez
VP Julia Connally
Design Director Jordan Rickman Media Director Gabriel Perez Staff Writers Daniel Hadley / Henry Cole / Jordan Rickman / Julia Connally Contributing Writers Gabriel Perez / Richard Harris Staff Photographers Krystle Poovey & Lynna Lampreda / Jesse Alford Contributing Photographers Francesca Tamse / Gabriel Perez / Jordan Rickman Speical Thanks To Daniel Hadley / Diane Firmalino / Josue Ramierez / Molly Spiers
Contributors
Hello All! I am more than pleased to be able to bring you our biggest and our best issue yet! Unfortunately, we will be only putting out one issue for the entire Summer, but never fear! We will be back stronger and better than ever come September 1st! We have a lot of great talent in this issue, so take your time reading and make sure to tell all your friends about us! If you like the picture for the blog ad, check out the blog to see more and keep checking back for more funny videos and new and improved features!
Francesca Tamse aka lady tam aka crayon takes inspiring photographs and dances better than anyone you know. her social networking skills and bar-tending abilities are just two reasons she's handy to have around.
Sincerely, Jordan Rickman Editor-in-Chief
Write a letter to the editor! Send you comments to : youngbloodmag@hotmail.com
Janelle Silvis is a UCSC student majoring in Damages and minoring in Biology. She volunteers at the needle exchange, stencil, and goes fishing for starfish.
Young Blood Magazine summer 2009
p. 3 Letter from the editor
p.5 Ryan Vogele talks about writing p.6 Aaron Toon talks filth
p8. Cultural Capital by Daniel Hadley p.9 Philosophy of Acting by Henry Cole p.10 What we like and don’t like this summer! p.12 Daniel Hadley talks about writing with the door closed p.14 Julia Connally reveals her secret hatred of the hipster culture
p.16 Brandon Rogers opens up about being YouTube famous p.19 Defining Art by Richard Harris
p.22 Derek O’Bar talks about selling out p.24 Lola and Mondu Ramos shed light on their talented family
p. 26 Machuko tells all about their growth as a band p. 30. Daniel Mullaney talks about originality in artwork p. 40 Eric Belladonna spills about growing up Catholic p. 42 Back in Black : Summer Fashion p.52 Janelle Silvis talks about her graffiti p.55 Who you should know: Gabriel Perez
Why don’t we start out by you giving your definition of art? Expression, period. Expression of yourself, of the world around you, of relationships, it’s an expression of something.Generally. I mean even imagery is expression of the image that you’re trying to create.Well it’s how you express it, I think, that makes it artistic. Like There’s an art to a lot of things.
There’s creativity and there’s expression in art, and then it goes from there to determine what kind of art, what genre it is. So, like if your expressing something darker, more morbid, it goes into the more macabre “horror” genre. If you’re expressing love it goes into a certain genre, you know, it kind of goes along like that. So it’s the genre that comes out of how you express it and what you’re expressing.
And those genres can apply to virtually anything? Virtually anything! I’d say, according to what I believe art can [be]. I mean it’s a very broad field, we’ve learned that from [our] poetry book, if you can make a horse out of letters and that’s called art-laughsDo you believe that if art doesn’t impact other people that it doesn’t need to be seen? I think it’s worth showing just to see if it will impact them. I think sympathy and empathy are really important when showing your work to other people. Do you try to get in touch with an alternate reality, so to speak, in your writing? Yeah! A lot of the characters I write about aren’t anything like me. Some of my writing, I do very arrogant characters. And arrogance is something I have a lot of unless I’m playing a role. I do a lot of role-playing online and sometimes I’ll have accounts where I act like someone else through that account. Do you have a preferred character? One I really love, is a character who has a connection to the underworld and she is one of my more arrogant characters and I really enjoyed playing as her and writing her. It creates a feeling of a more powerful person, and it’s very fun because she’s so different than I am. Do you agree that in order to create art, you have to suffer? I don’t believe it’s necessary, but depending on the writing, it can definitely create depth in the writing and in the person. Some people have suffering and they take it for granted, they see it as something horrible for them. They don’t see it for the inspiration and the internal beauty that it has. As far as I’m concerned, suffering is as good as ecstasy, in life.
n a y R e l e g e o V
Words & Photo by : Daniel Hadley
Aaron Gl So, I know you write scripts, act, and do comic books, is there anything else that you do that I don’t already know about? My whole belief is that I do have an art, and then I am an artistic person. But I haven't really found that art. The best way that I can put is arts a gun and I’m trying to find an ammo that fits right, whether it be acting or painting, speaking. It’s all art forms. I am trying to find the right caliber to put in the gun to blow people's minds with. That’d be the most amazing gift, to me. I still haven't figured it out yet So you don’t' think that everything you've done is your thing? No, I don't think I've found my niche yet. I haven't found what I want to do, but at the same time I think you just test waters and I think I’ve gotten to the point where I’m like OK I'm a renaissance man. I just have to figure out which of these I can put on my back and actually do something with
Let’s talk about your upcoming movie, Flamingo-go. It’s a movie that we filmed last year for my friend Gabe's project for school. I came up with the idea. The concept is I kidnap young go go dancers and keep them in the basement and only feed them cigarettes and vodka and Gab'es like, that’s the most brilliant concept I’ve ever heard. So I’m like we can do this in the mobile home I was living, do total guerilla filming. Some edits didn't come out right. But I really wish we would've had the final copy ready by this year, because just recently there was this nasty little scandal in the park. I'm really excited. To me, I was like this is going to be perfect. It's really sad, it's a tragedy. But I can't help but smile because we were there before them. We knew the evil in that park before... it's kind of like I got my inspiration from that. Like John Waters says, you take a newspaper, you look through it, you find the most interesting headlines, and make a movie out of it.
lenn Toon So John Waters is definitely one of your idols? -laughs- I absolutely worship him! He wanted to be a cult leader, and I'm like, I'm your first disciple!
Speaking of cults, why don’t you talk for a minute about the Bibile of Aaron? I’m really good at taking a point and backing it up, like an essay. So I started writing a bunch of essays in a journal I got, I read it over and I’m like, this is kind of like a bible with laws people would live by. Filthy dirty laws, but laws nonetheless. So, hopefully one day it'll get lost and people with find it and there will be a whole cult after me. I have so many expectations from life!
“I want people to be arrested at my films”
Do you ever worry about how the public will react? Do you worry that your movies will illicit the wrong response? I'm never worried about what the public is going to think. Like Oscar Wilde said, "The only thing worse than being talked about is not being talked about." so, I want people to be enraged. I want people to fight back and get angry and protest my films. I want people to be arrested at my films! That’s my dream! To show something that people cannot accept. Something so provocative, so evil that it forces people to get out of their chairs for an hour, get away from the TV, to go protect the morals of America, all the better!
myspace.com/tabloid_zoid
l a r u t l Cu l a t i p a C by: Daniel Hadley
If I were to ask you about the proper use of an oxford comma in common English literature (It is more then just a Vampire Weekend song, after all), would you have any opinion? Or if I should invite you to some formal feast with the grand duchess of Gottalottado, would you know your salad fork from your steak knife? If you do, congrats, you are the proud owner of something valuable. Welcome to the world of cultural capital. Everything you know, from bands like AC/DC to Yelle, to how to replace a flat tire or create flowcharts in Power Point, and even from how to ghost ride to how much weed is a dub, has a monetary value. This value, like so many things in economics, is dependent on those little capitalistic yin and yang’s, supply and demand. The need to know the fatality combo for Scorpion is immense in those few short moments after the ominous “FINISH HIM” blares out, but it quickly dulls when you’re starting a test for the English Lit. class. So you have to choose, sacrifice skillful knowledge, or artistic knowledge.
It’s easy to pick out what you know that others want you to know. With anything you’re asked, your answer is your worth. But there’s no way to know what things you don’t know that you should, save what people tell you. Not everyone can afford a college If you’re blessed with affluent parents, teachers, or interests, maybe you’ll already know something of Hamlet and Romeo and the definition of a classic tragedy. So you don’t even need a class in Shakespeare, and can take something to bolster your resume without missing out on the talents of a founder of literary art. I hope you see the problem. If you can’t afford those tap shoes, you can’t tap dance. So go spend your time learning every button mashing combo on this years newest game craze, and later, see how that impresses your boss. Though I don’t mean to sound solely job oriented, granted, not everybody is going to care whether you spent your afternoons as a kid skateboarding or doing the tango.
But don’t you deserve the choice for either or, or even both? Later in life, would it not be fantastic to both show your child how to do a kickflip, and dance with their first girl (or boy) friend? Sadly, we are limited. Limited by our income, limited by our location, limited by our parents, and we rarely, if ever, have a choice in the matter. Just as much as social class limits our access to common goods, it limits our access to knowledge, to cultural capital. We are limited by what our parents provide for us, and are thus limited by what we can provide for our children. Thus goes the circle. I bow to the individuals who find interests in odd obscure things, the Matildas of our generation. It takes a real drive to search out an interest and pursue it, in the end, we all better from it.
Read more by D. Hadley at : myspace.com/violetscorpion
f O y talit
n e M e Th r o t c An A
by : Henry Cole As far as I know, every actor has some way of getting into their character. Some actors go through their lines before a show, slowly replacing themselves with their character. Others try to hold a piece of the character with them when they aren’t performing, allowing some the character’s mannerisms and other attributes to become their own. Others just seem to internalize the character during the rehearsal process and can summon them at will. There are also numerous other ways, and they all tend to be different depending on who you’re talking to. The process I go through to is similar to one of the above mentioned methods. I generally start off by finding out who my character is, and see what I can do with him. How does he hold himself ? How does he stand? How does he walk? Does he have any nervous habits? I think about that in the back of my mind as I continue to work with the script. The characterization really comes out after I’ve memorized all my lines. I find it easier to put meaning to the words once I have the muscle memory down. But, even during rehearsal, I’m still there, I’m still acting. But, once everything is ready and my foot hits the stage, I’m gone. I don’t need any sort of ritual to get myself into the character; throughout the rehearsal process, I become the character, and I let him loose at a moment’s notice.
One of the things one needs to keep in mind as an actor is ignoring your own feelings. When you’re doing a production, it’s no different than working retail, sales, in the food industry, or any other job. You have a boss (the director), you have co-workers (fellow actors), and you have other people who work with you but in different divisions (the producer, the technical crew, etc). This can be a major problem when doing the One Acts that I described in my last article. Having a friend direct you can be difficult; it’s hard to separate the friend from the director. For instance, one could have problems with how formal the relationship is. Yes, so-and-so is your friend, and yes, you understand they couldn’t memorize their lines in time. But you’re also running a show, and you need your friend to do his job. The line has to be drawn somewhere. Personally, I don’t have a problem keeping my feelings out of the workplace, but it’s not easy. One acting faux pas I’ve seen is that whole “best intentions cause the worst problems” sort of thing. One actor will try and give another actor a note about his or her character.
I’ve learned from good authority on several occasions that it’s a big “no-no”. To comment on one actor’s professionalism is allowed, but a fellow actor’s acting is between them and the director. But, the good thing about the One Acts is that, because it’s a workshop class, everyone is learning. Sure, there are students who’ve done it before, as well as some people who have acted for a long time elsewhere. It’s still a learning experience, and it’s a safe way to work out all the kinks in becoming an actor. Yes, it’s sort of a trial and error sort of thing, but everyone at least puts on an appearance of liking each other, so any problems don’t actually affect the show. Generally though, the mentality of an actor is sort of an amalgamation of an artist, a worker, and a basic human being. If you have good work ethic, tend to be pretty aware of other’s feelings and desires, and are at least considerate, you can make it as an actor (as long as you are at least skilled/talented to be what the director is looking for). Sure, there are divas, but everyone knows no one works with a dick unless they have to. And as words spreads around, they’ll end up never having to work with them again.
t a h W e w Like
e w t Wha Don’t Like
How long have you been writing? As an interest, around senior year was when I really started thinking about my skills in writing as something I wanted to utilize and excel in. For a while, I thought I’d do it as a back up, until a teacher started giving me some really positive feedback. Also, my senior year, I had a rough break up and so through that turmoil, I established that hey, this is what I want to do for a living. Do you see yourself as a journalist or a novelist or something else? Novelist, if I can choose. I’m not the greatest person to call for digging deep for something. I’m more of a philosopher. I'm really more into the creative aspect of it. I have ideas in my head that I want to get onto paper in order to influence people, to inspire them or put a new idea in their head. Expanding on that, people aren't reading any more because they don't have to. How do you think that you fit in with that aspect of society? That's tough because it really feels like if you want to write, there's only a few options. There's, become a teacher, which I’m strongly opposed to. And then there's be a journalist, which like I said, I’m not exactly a fan of. Being a writer, like a novelist, is roughly the same as chances as being a movie star, except a lot less recognition. All the work and all the luck, but less recognition or cash flow.
Danie l Hadle Words : Jordan Rickman Photo : Krystle Poovey
y
Does that discourage you? If you go to Barnes and Noble and pick up a romance novel and read two pages, of the kind of crap that gets published, it really boosts your self esteem because if that can get published, so can I. Do you have any novels in the works? I am working on one book that, well it’s like a piece of laundry that after you wash it, you leave it on the couch and you keep forgetting to put it away until it's time to do laundry again and you wash it again, and the same thing happens. And that's what I feel is happening with my book right now. I feel like I keep repeating myself. Do you feel like you have a burden to create? Yeah, definitely. I have thought countless times, especially recently I go through slumps where I feel like, am I going to be able to do this, it's a waste of time, I'll look at my old work and think it's shit, all these negative ideas. But I think of myself doing anything else, and it's complicated but heartbreaking because I could see myself being a lot happier without this burden, but years later the contentment wouldn't be as fulfilling.
What inspired the drawings for this issue? Well, I watch Current TV a lot, and they have this show called hipsters in space and it's this ironic take on hipster culture. Hipsters have a negative connotation, so I went with that, trying to show the nasty side of the hipster. Well, you look pretty cool right now, are you a hipster? I personally don't consider myself a hipster, but I can see how some people would want to label me as one. But I don't personally see myself as one simply because I don't ride a fixed gear
That's why I liked Byzantine, because it's still a little jagged, a little rough but still looks realistic.
something involving a solution, rising up, community, and reactionary messages.
Do you think you fit into any artistic labels right now or do you think you're something new? I wouldn’t venture out to say I’m something new. I think it's kind of egotistical to think you can create something new. I’m sure there are people creating something new, but I’m not one of those select few. If I had to label myself, I'd have to say, contemporary or a little bit of surrealism.
Do you think that you can ever give up your lifestyle for your art? Definitely, art means more to me than comfort. If I had to give up a nice bed or a heated home, I think I could give it up. Because I think that art means more to my survival than basic necessities.
What message are you portraying in your art? I don't usually set out, a lot of times it's really innate. I like to just make my What are some themes of your past pieces at that moment, get it out, all at art? once. Otherwise I tend to leave pieces I went through a Byzantine phase unfinished. Occasionally, I’ll set out because I was in an art history class. I with a message and usually that really like neo-classical stuff too, but message is something political, I’m not very good or disciplined in that something positive about politics, kind of art. But you would if you could! -laughs-I would if I could!
How have you matured as an artist? Moving across the country is a completely new experience, I had a lot of culture shock, but it was a good thing. It’s a good thing to be around different types of people and different types of cultures. So that played into it and meeting all kinds of people with different views, ideas, religions, that probably influenced me in a lot of ways that I'll never know. And of course, you naturally grow as an artist, practice makes perfect.
i l Ju n n Co
a y l l a n
“Hipster Zombies” by Julia Connally
Bran d o Rog n ers
words : Jordan Rickman photos : Francesca Tamse
“I have a large penis”
My interview with Brandon Rogers takes place in Livermore, at the local mini-golf course. Even before I had met him in a Drama Workshop class, I had seen Brandon’s videos on YouTube. After watching his sketches and series, I felt almost like I was in the presence of a celebrity when I first saw him. Despite being “YouTube” famous (which “means you’re not really famous at all”), Brandon is still humble and doesn’t let all the video plays go to his head. Whether we’re doing improve in class or talking shit while having a cigarette, it’s weird to realize that you’re in the presence of someone who’s already done two feature films. When I asked him about what inspired him, he couldn’t help but show his darker humor side, telling me that it was mainly drama films and local tragedies. “When I watch a movie, all I can think about it ‘how can I put this in a funny context?’ I laugh at sad films.” I immediately think of a video on his YouTube channel where he “kills” himself on camera in order to get a hater to subscribe to his channel. Brandon is able to see the ridiculousness of life and even himself, and step back and laugh. When we begin on the subject of his first series, Road Trip, I can also see this inspiration shining through. He tells me how his father wasn’t around when he was a child and he did go out to find him, and used that real life drama to create the comedic show.
Though it was serious in real life, he was able to step back and see humorous ways he could present his story to the public, and even had his real dad play the father on the show. In his most recent endeavor, Brandon uses that point of view to create a series that every drama kid has been waiting for: Theater Class. While the show is planned to be his swan song on YouTube, it also promises to be the best so far. Brandon explains to me that he has been taking drama classes for going on six years and has always thought that “someone should just bring a camera crew in here” to capture the absurdities that occur behind closed doors in the theater. “The whole show is things that actually happened; every line in the script is something that someone in a drama class has actually said.” The show is also being funded by YouTube, which is somewhat of a relief to its creator. Since other videos and previous series have all come out of Brandon’s own pocket, it’s a weight off of his shoulders to not have to worry about money and be able to create not only a funny show, but one that is also visually dynamic.
t r A g n i n i f e D by : Richard Harris
The other day, I was perusing around Wikipedia.com, thinking of a great topic to write about. Like any 21st century person, I had often found myself at the hands of mankind’s greatest tool, the internet, to answer any question that I could think of. Thus far, it had proved nearly fool-proof to find the answers that I had been looking for. But that day, something plagued my mind, unlike anything my inquisitive mind had before. The question was simply “what is the definition of art?”. Tirelessly, I searched for an answer to my question, just for a little peace of mind. Page after page, I read expert’s analysis on types of art, movements in the genres, categories and sub-categories, revolutions and renaissances. However, amongst the wellwritten pages of the article I had read, between beautiful examples of works from Warhol and Van Gough, my question was left unanswered. What is the definition of art? Webster’s dictionary defines art as “the use of skill and imagination in the production of things of beauty”, rather boring and useless to me. Does a picture have to be beautiful to be considered art, and if so, how does someone decide what is beautiful and what is not? After pondering what I had read, for the better part of a day, I had a small but powerful revelation. Can art be defined? Sure, like so many high school students before me, I had taken art classes. There, I had learned the basics of painting, sculpture and drawing. But was it art, or merely a product of a curriculum set by the instructor? Does taking the opinion of
someone else reflect your opinion? Granted I am not saying that painting and sculpting are not art. Suffice to say that most students that take some form of artistic classes have and intrigue into what they may learn there. But what is art without the inspiration behind it? With nearly 7 billion people inhabiting this world, all of whom are built differently physically and mentally, what is to say that people have different views of what art is. We are all different, right down to our fingerprints, and we all express ourselves in our own way. Who is to say that someone can not find their own definition of what art is? If I were to pick up a Q-tip, and state that in my mind, that Q-tip is a work of art, most people would think me mad. However, my rebuttal to you would be my interpretation of what I see, and how it makes me feel. The small, miniscule piece of manufactured plastic, built to a perfect likeness of it’s companions in the package. It’s cotton tips, a swirling, chaotic mesh of pure white. Light and delicate to the touch, but still finding the strength to fulfill it’s purpose within it’s limitations. That is an actual interpretation of what I see when I see a Q-tip, and therefore it is art to me. Not many people in today’s age, stop to take a look at the living art that moves all around them. The world is art, and it’s inspiration is life. Vibrant greens and yellows that hue the grass, the booming ferocity of a high wind, the imperfect topography of carpet. They all hold a distinct and unusual beauty, in my mind’s eye, but maybe not to others.
To another they could say that their window blinds are a work of art, for their sheer invention and ingenuity. How do you define something as vast as a person’s mind? To define is to set forth a meaning to, as the dictionary will say, but what is the meaning behind art. Does it have to have a meaning? Does it have to have a purpose? The only other word that I’ve had such a hard time trying to understand is life. Life is a period between birth and death, so says the dictionary. But what is life without living, and how do you define it? Art is life, art is creation. It is a human’s interpretation of life, from something that inspires them. It is limitless and omnipresent. It is noise, chaos and tranquility all rolled together. It is black. It is white. It is colorful. This is art to me, and yet not to some. The revelation that I’ve discovered, though it may just be my own, is that art is just a word. It does not need genres, categories and sub-categories. It does not require labels, titles or explanations. It is simply someone’s interpretation of inspiration, a view of what the artist views around them. It can be more than painting and drawing, sculpting and playing a musical instrument. It could be an architect designing a building around the landscape. It could be the baseball field landscaper that mows the grass to a near-perfect design.
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k e r De ar B ’ O How long have you been into music? Derek O’Bar: I started playing drums and percussion instruments in the fifth grade. And then for Christmas, when I turned 16, I got a guitar and I fell in love with the instrument, it was fucking fantastic. Since then, I've picked up the bass and keyboard. Tell me about your band. DB: There's me on the bass, Dante Nuncio who is currently our rhythm and lead guitarist, and then we have this guy named
Words : Jordan Rickman Photo : Jesse Alford
Nathan Hawk on the drums, who's actually really good. I was surprised. How'd you find the drummer if you didn't know him before? DB: Well, Dante jammed with him sophomore year of high school and me and Dante had done a couple sessions together and we're just like, yeah I like the way this is sounding. Let's see if we can make this into a band, and Dante seriously hit up everybody he's ever jammed with. And Nathan just fit the part, he fits the music well.
So what's your sound for the band? DB: Well, originally, we were trying to do some more like, hard core kind of shit. But I can't scream for shit, Dante sure as hell can't scream, and I don't think I've heard Nathan say more than a sentence at a time. So, we did some self enlightening stuff, we just jammed. We found that the hard stuff was fun to play, like who doesn't love a beat that fucking goes. But it's so easy! We're trying this new bluesy rock-n-roll type stuff, and it just compliments everything so well. He's such a good ass guitarist and he has more freedom to do what he wants, to take the song where he wants it to go. What’s your band name? DB: We’ve gone through seriously nine names already… Derek and Dante’s Love Child –laughs-. But right now, we’re stuck on Ashbury. How long have you been playing together? DB: In high school, Dante and I knew each other but weren’t best friends. We always talked abou jamming, but it wasn’t until really last August that we sat down and had a session. And since then we’ve been meeting up twice a week to work on shit. What would be your American Idol audition song? DB: Probably Hey Jude or I Will Follow You Into The Dark. Follow You Into The Dark? That would be the most boring audition ever. DB: I don’t care! It’s pretty and basically anyone who can play it or sing it can have sex with anyone they want. Who are you inspired by? DB: A lot of things, first of all, I love music. Who doesn’t? It’s one of those things where you can escape the world you’re in and create a whole new one for yourself. As far as bands, obviously The Beatles because they were so revolutionary.
But besides that, I’ve been listening to a lot of Personnel and Saosin with Anthony Green in it, and The Strokes, of course. And going to see bands is amazing. To stand on a stage and be presenting something and putting yourself out there and letting people criticize you, it’s amazing. I would love to pursue music as a career, but there has to be money to do that. I don’t mean to sound like a prick, but it’s true. Let me just ask myself a question, if I could have breakfast with one musician, who would it be? Let me think, that’s a good question. I’m not sure. I’d have to say Bob Dylan. He’s lived the life I want to live, just waking up and making music. What’s your least favorite type of music? DB:Probably rap, just putting that on the table. So if you could be a starving artist making your favorite music or making bank being a rapper, which would you chose? DB: Oh, fuck. I’d have to say rap. Not because the money, but because if I did have the money then I’d be able to branch out and do what I want. Nice save. So how woudl you represent yourself at as an artist? DB: When people listen to our music, I want them to either be really happy or really sad. I would like music that talks to people, that they can consort with and can consort with them.
Lola &
Monica
Words : Julia Connally Photos : Jesse Alford
I should mention that the Ramos sisters engage in conversation as if they are the only two that exist, but not in a rude way. Instead they joke with each other and laugh genuinely at inside jokes that make sense to any outsider. Monica Ramos, 17 and her sister Lola Ramos, 21 are very polite and comfortable in any environment; today we happen to be in their backyard. After they have pulled lawn chairs into the shade, we sit taking long drags off of cigarettes between short sips of ice water as the interview begins. When asked how they have been introduced to music, Monica jokingly replies, “The womb! You know when you come out and you feel all the reverberations and my mom yelling. I was like, ‘dang, that sounds really awesome!’ In all seriousness, when we were younger my dad used to bring us to Guitar Center instead of a playground and we used to love it. During the summers we used to go to a summer jazz festival at Stanford and I first saw Diana Krall…”
Among the instruments they play are piano, guitar, drums and bass. Their home is filled with instruments, amps, soundboards and mics. Monica however, focuses her talent on the guitar and Lola with the piano. They practically jam together whenever they are in the same room. At this point in the interview their mother pokes her head out of the sliding patio door and says, “Monica, I want you to do the dishes!” She proceeds to speak half in English half in Tagalong. Both daughters agree with whatever she says and they exchange ‘I love you’s’. Afterwards Lola looks at me and says, “That’s our manager.”
Besides being incredibly talented, the Ramos family is very well dressed. The sisters are commonly seen wearing layers in all black, Chanel purses, and zip up boots. The seriousness of their dress is contrasted with their silly demeanors and heartfelt compliments. When asked how they benefit from being a tight knit family unit, Monica replies sweetly, “I can’t imagine myself without Lola!” Lola sarcastically says, “I know! Who would do my dishes? Make me rice? She has to drive me around and light cigarettes for me!” It’s moments like this that I wish I had a sister. Together they “fight
At this point Lola interrupts her snacking on Hot Cheats to say, “Dude you were like a baby! Also, when we were younger if we were cleaning the house my Dad would pop in Abby Road. So we grew up with that shit. We were always listening to music. It’s our whole entire families hobby, we are all engulfed in it.” Between Jazz festivals and cleaning house their father taught them how to play several instruments based off of his own self taught knowledge. However, Monica found frustration with his techniques, “When I would ask him, ‘oh, you should teach me this’ he would hand me a book to teach myself. He wanted us to have our own working experience with the instrument, instead of going step by step.”
Both parents have been supportive of their children’s hunger for music; in fact Monica’s father is a big inspiration to her and has been a great influence. “When we were younger he used to show us all his old tapes and these songs he would write for my mom.” Both Lola and Monica ping-pong artist’s names back and forth, both agreeing on their relevance. Janis Joplin. Diana Krall. Thelonious Monk. Eric Clapton and, “of course the Beatles.”
boredom” and “stare at each other.” As for Lola, “I don’t have any particular dreams, I just like to have fun with music” As far as recording, Monica’s response is a less definite. “If I ever get it down, yeah, if I ever get something that I am comfortable with. I love the idea.”
Catch more of the Ramos sisters on youngbloodmag.blogspot.com
Machuko
Words by : Jordan Rickman Photos : Krystle Poovey & Lynnae Lampreda
“This summer we're gonna be all over this fucking town. We're invading. And by next year, we'll be up and down the west coast, playing all over the goddamn place. So put that in your pipe and smoke it�
Where did you guys come up with So who writes what? Kelly Higman: Sometimes we get together your band name? Matt Soggiato : My grandpa used to and do like, a free jam. Where someone call me that. He couldn't say the "th" will start off playing a few chords and sound, so he used to call me matchu, we'll just jump in and it'll become a song and Matt'll throw lyrics to it. and then at some point added the "uko" and I just decided that'd be a MS: And it's either a jam that we remember or it's one that we forget and just let it cool fucking band name one day. Chris Sexton: Doesn't it mean old go. The ones we remember we just keep working on and working on and it soul? becomes part of our set list MS: Oh yeah, or some machismo thing but it was just a nickname, but afterwards, I looked it up. I guess it's What do you think as a band has been the hardest thing to overcome as a group? a mexican slang... like there's KH: Who's buying the beer! machukas...
tour. Have some fun MS: It's more fun than fame. KH: It's a hobby, not a job. It’s our escape from our jobs. I think that's why it's so easy. CS: We all work really well together. Sometimes we just stop playing and look at each other...and we just know -laughs-
So you guys work pretty good together? MS: Yeah that's the cool part. We see each other a lot, we practice twice a week. KH: It' not just practice, it the hangout... MS: It's like boys club; it's like the tree house. You guys got invited to the boys So who would you say are your club. The hardest thing to do is just stick biggest inspirations? with it. I mean, we're not kids and we have MS: I like The Deftones for most reasons. Mainly because they startedresponsibilities. really young and never ventured out of their original group and are still So is this a hobby or are you still like, one day I’ll quit my job and be a rock star? around. I love The Doors, Led MS: Hell yeah! Zepplin... CS: I have more of like a punk band KH: Definitely the thought has crossed the back ground. Like, Face to Face, Bad mind, but I think that as for the bands' Reliegon...then oddball shit like The goals, we just want to do a west coast
Like bluegrass? KH: Well, not quite bluegrass, but I can get down with some bluegrass. But yeah, like Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson...like outlaw country MS: Yeah, like it wasn't even really country KH: They were telling stories, and they were living country. That’s what it's all about, living your music. Just not being a fucking poser. I hate all that shit
Maybe he already knew what it meant when he called you that. MS: Yeah, maybe he was insulting me -laughs-
What’s your least favorite type of music? KH: Well, I don't like new country and I don't like rap. But I do like old country.
Do you feel like you're living your music? KH: Definitely we love what we do continued on pg. 54
l e i n Da y e n a l l u M
Words : Jordan Rickman Photos: Krystle Poovey & Lynnae Lampreda
How long have you been drawing? Since as long as I can remember. I was probably eight maybe, I don’t consciously remember being better at art than most kids in my classes. And I kind of felt bad because most of the time I had to not draw as good because it’s one of those things where kids get all, “oh teachers pet”, but it’s like, no I’m not trying to be, I just trying to draw something that looks cool. What are you going to school for? Computer animation. But I’m thinking of changing to fine arts.
What can you do with that? A fine arts degree? I don't know, like there’s a lot of ways to make money before you’re even done with school. It helps to have a masters. I just like to earn things. I don’t like things handed to me, so I think if I earned a degree it’d help me stand out. And I just really want to graduate from graduate school. Is money your ultimate goal? Well, to be able to live comfortably. I mean, I work in construction, so if I could change from that to being a full fledge artist, I’d definitely jump on that boat.
Do you feel like a degree is the only thing holding you back from making that kind of switch? I used to think that, because with computer animation it’s more of a steady paced job where you’re getting your degree and taking your classes for Pixar in Emeryville and move on with a steady career with a company with steady work hours, but then I was thinking like, how creative can that possibly be? Someone else scripts it all and unless you’re up high on the ladder, you can’t have too much creativity. Fine arts is something that I never really expected to get into.
So you’re more into technical aspect? I like realism I like to draw something and have it look just like you see it. Like a lot of older painters, they used to change stuff to make the person looked normal and I’m not trying to do that. A portrait is going to look exactly like I see it. Where did you get the inspiration for the graphic novel you’re starting? I’ve always been a fan of comic books, and the characters but like for something specific like a robot, someone’s always going to think that something looks like something else. If I draw a female face, someone could say it looks like whatever celebrity. When it comes to graphic design, people see a robot and they see similarities to Iron Man, they’re going to think man, this guy ripped off Iron Man, but it’s so hard to be different. You have to just look past it. Like, if it looks like Iron Man, whatever. This guy’s going to be more badass than Iron Man; I’m going to make him that way. Does that hold you back? No, it’s just kind of frustrating. Because I want to do something original. But everyone s trying to do something original. So many people have done original things, but it’s getting harder. Do you feel like you’re still growing as an artist? Oh yeah, definitely still growing. A few semesters at AI, I can see a big difference especially with shading and they opened me up into charcoal. I don’t think I’ve really mastered charcoal, like I think wow I did that well, but I’m far from having mastered that. I’ve seen some amazing instructors and the things they can do in just a few minutes, it makes me think twice. Especially seeing other students’ work, it’s like shit, I’m not the only one who’s good for once. You’re in an environment that isn’t just focused on you.
How long were you at the Art Institute in San Francisco? For a year and a half. I still have a lot of school. I had to stop because of financial aid. Are all your pieces charcoal or do you have any color pieces? I never really experiment with color. I’m not really afraid of it, but I like doing something I'm good at. I get that a lot, and yeah I’ve done paintings, but they were real miniscule. I want to do color soon; I’m going to start using an airbrush now that I have a garage to work in now. It’s kind a similar to shading effects with charcoal, so I think that’d be a smooth transition.
What other areas of art do you work with? I want to get a graphic novel done. Like 100% I have a bad habit of not finishing what I start. Because I get bored with it. Once I put something down and move on to something else, I feel like I do a little better each day, so when I go back to what I did before… I try not give it a break that much because I figure the more years I spend more dedicated and not out of boredom and more because I want to, I think when I make that transition that’s when I’ll start putting out freely good work
“I’m not trying to make anything G-rated” What’s your favorite subject to draw? I like people, especially female. I used to draw the male characters with all the muscles and all that stupid shit, but I’m into doing the female characters now. I don’t see enough of the female super heroes that aren’t like, pathetic. How about a character that is somewhat more realistic? Do you think it’s more of a challenge to do female characters? Not really, it’s more beautiful to me, drawing female characters. It’s like a bunch of guys hanging out and sweating on each other, like I’d rather have more female characters or at least have it even. Like who hangs out with their buddies and is like oh, we’re going to go fight crime and wear spandex while we’re doing it.
What is your graphic novel and art contributing to society? I’m not trying to do anything that’s G-rated, and that’s one reason I’m steering away from computer animation, because I if I work with Pixar, things will be more censored. I always liked the old Disney characters, like the witches and the more dark characters. And that’s kind of what I want to do with my graphic novel, make it more real. Like, there’s going to be real life happening...gore, sexual content, well, maybe not. Not too graphic…. So you don’t want to push any buttons? I ‘m looking to do my own thing, just like anyone else. megaman510.deviantart.com
So how did Sidewalk Ceremony all start? Eric Belladonna: I started taking pictures on line and a lot of people liked them so they asked me to take pictures Is it all club photos? EB: Yeah! But I wouldn’t respond because I didn't have a real camera. I have this fake camera. So i can't show up as a photographer and be like hey, I’m going to take some professional photos with this little camera. You know? So have you taken any photography classes? EB: No, I've learned some stuff, but I haven't ever taken a class. I always wanted to do film. But now that's second to photography. Are you still pursuing film? EB:Well, I always want to. I get these cravings. When I was younger, I wanted to be a director. But I've just always wanted to be creative. Because that's the one thing I'm really good at. That's what Sidewalk Ceremony is. Me vomiting creativity.
myspace.com/sidewalkceremony
Have any doors opened since Sidewalk Ceremony? EB: Yes! Now I'm able to have my dance parties, and that's something I've always wanted to do. When I was younger, I met this guy and all I wanted to do was be really cool like him. So I started going to all the parties he went to and just became this party kid! I just loved the party scene. How long have you been going to clubs? EB: Actually, I grew up Catholic and I didn’t go out very much. It wasn't until I was 22 when was really given freedom from my parents . So I've been in my room dreaming up Sidewalk Ceremony for a long time. How long has Sidewalk Ceremony been around? EB: I just had my anniversary in March. And I was so busy with throwing parties; it completely slipped my mind to throw a party for us! cont. p54
Back In Black Just because it’s Summer doesn’t mean you have to put all your new hipster clothing in the closet. We sure didn’t!
Janelle Silvis
words : Jordan Rickman
JS: Graffiti is public art, it's like you are so lucky to see this cool art since I bet you dont know what art is! -laughs- No thats all angsty. I kinda meant it though. I'm not gonna lie, kids should be cultured, im doing How did you first get into it? them a favor. But, yeah, graffiti is JS: I saw some and Banksy's work online and in some books and was like art even if it has a negative I can totally do that! So I did. I just like connotation. Vandalism is ruining things, started looking up different stencil sometimes grafitti makes things artisits online trying to pick up their better. technique and then tried it out for And definitely, those fuckers who myself scribble with spray paint all over, are giving actual artist a bad name. Do you see your stencils taking you How are we supposed to call our somewhere? Or getting you famous? own graffitti art when people have JS: No way, that was never the an image of graffiti as dumb gang intention. I just like to create things. signs or "DGAF". My stencils might be vandalism depending if So you don't try to promote you you like it or not. If you like it, its artwork? art and cool if you don't you can JS: Not really. I show my friends and suck it. I've tagged a few public places, and painted a couple of decks for people. Why aren't you pursuing art in school or as a career? Where do you draw inspiration for JS: You fucker. Art is just a hobby, your stencils? its just what I do. I like to make JS: If I see something another artist things, not only stencils, I'm always does I try to emulate it and make it more of my own. Or if I find pictures making things. I never want to be famous or anything from my art. I that I particularly like, I try to make just wanted to do it because it them into stencils. But most of them makes me happy and sometimes it time, I'm just inspired by listening to makes other people happy and if I music, it gets me pumped. can be a bomb ass scientist and have a job in public health or something What makes your stencils not vandalism if you do it in public places? at the same time then id be expanding the amount of people im Do you think that people who just personally trying to reach... you scribble all over the place with spray know? It doesnt have to be all or paint are fucking it up for the people nothing even though it seems that who actually take the time to create way sometimes, im gonna do stencils? everything i want to do. How long have you been making spray paint stencils? Janelle Silvis: Since I was a junior in high school.
Who's your favorite artist? JS: Andy Warhol and I'm not just sayin that because its like a trendy thing to say. I really dig pop art, I like the colors, I like how his subjects can be so simple but so sick. I like Salvador Dali just because hes a bad ass. Is that how you would define your own work? Pop art? JS: My art isnt pop art. I don't know what my art is. I think its dadist, let me explain that. I wrote a paper on 20th century art and this one genre is called dadist and its just like anything. Like, you know that famous picture of a urinal? Thats what that is. It's whatever the viewer wants to make out of it, it means whatever you want it to mean. Stenciling is really relaxing for me. Sometimes I just separate myself from the dumb shit of the world and blast music and paint. I love it. Or I'm just getting high off the fumes -laughs- No, but really its an easy way to express myself when I'm feeling emotional. That sounds corny, but its the truth.
Machuko MS: I’m just going to ask myself a question: what was my favorite era of music? It was definitely the grunge era. It was just dudes playing music and all the posers were gone, all the hairspray ran out and these garage bands just came out and wrote what they wanted to hear So you wouldn’t tease your hair and put makeup on if it meant putting your music out there? MS: Oh hell no. KH: Although, we would go out and get stupid drunk and wear wigs and crazy costumes, but if someone told me to do it, then no. Who would be your ultimate show to play with? MS: Well, the ultimate thing would be to just open for a cool band. I love opening bands, when you go see shows. I mean, fuck the headliner, you know what you're going to get. But with the opening band, and if they're good... KH: That's the other thing, between Matt and me we've probably seen 200 show easy. but i would lvoe to open for, prolly what he said, The Deftones, Tool, Queens of the Stoneage... Who are the best bands you 've seen? MS: Arcade Fire, one of the best bands i've ever seen live CS: The Matches, I saw them play live and they were pretty impressive. I didn’t go out and buy their CD or anything, but KH: They didn’t impress you that much! -laughs- Probably one of the best shows that we went to together, well events, was probably Coachella in 2006. And I actually got kicked out on the last day, so I had to sneak in, and i did and i got a scar to prove it. I made it and met up with everyone and we watched Rage play their first show of their reunion tour, it was amazing. MS: We didn't know where you were, dude. We just knew we weren't waiting anymore. KH: Then I found you guys in a mosh pit! I was all bloody, twigs sticking out of my hair and shit. So you guys just started putting in lyrics, did you just couldn't come up with any before or now you feel obligated to?
MS: Well, part of it is that we're still learning the rhythm of everything and I couldn't play and sing when we first started at all, so once i figured that out, then we just started working at it. I think we just grew out of the instrumental stuff, or it just sounded like it needed lyrics So how'd you guys get started? KH: I don’t know how we ever meshed, like and Matt started playing and I had taught myself how to play drums around the same time mat was learning how to play, and I was real sloppy and Matt has this psychedelic riffage. I don’t know how it worked, but it did. MS: I was just like, man you got to come over. You play the drums, I play the guitar, my parents live out in the country, just come set up the drums and we’ll play. So one day he came over, I put a computer out in the garage, set a mike up and pressed record and we just started playing. And we didn't jam for like 8 months, he never came back over. And then with Chris, he came and jammed for like a week and never jammed with us again, and we were like, man we fucking suck! So you're pretty happy with your sound right now? MS: Yeah, and we're still getting better, well I think. KH: I think we still have a long way to go, but that's exciting.
Eric Belladonna Do you think you have a recognizable style? EBL I think so. My pictures are more portraits of people at that time and place. When I take pictures, it’s because I enjoy people watching and to me I’m capturing what I saw in them. I don’t like posing people; I just want them to be how they imagine themselves at that moment. What’s the future for Eric Belladonna? EB: I’m not really sure, but my life’s been so weird. It’s been really
sheltered, and then all of the sudden everything just kind of happened. I feel like Alice in Wonderland. It seemed like one day I went to a club and the next day I was the guy throwing the party. I’m a little nervous, but excited that something more could happen.
Defining Art The fun truth is that art can be anything that it wants to be, and anything that the artist wants it to be. This is why, my revelation has led me to believe that art, and everything pertaining to art, is, and always will be undefined.
Who You Should Know....
Gabriel Perez Is a Young Blood Magazine CoFounder!!
Has beat all chapters in World Of Goo
Best Dancer in The Valley! -Only while heavily intoxicated, of course. Professional Guerilla Filmaker -See his videos and short films on our blog! Personal Sugar Daddy to everyone this side of the Bay under 20 years old
see more of Gabriel on his youtube channel: imasugukissme
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