Hobbies: Hanging Succulent Arrangements

New summer project: crocheted hanging holders with succulents in them. Super fun to make! Currently trading these for artwork and teaching buddies how to make them.
P.S. There is a Magic Brotherhood Etsy in the works and I'm sure there will be a few of these up for sale soon! Happy summer :)

 
 
 

 

for more info email me --- danicamolenaar@gmail.com

Artist Spotlight: CHRIS SQUIRE

I recently had the pleasure of being introduced to Chris Squire, a musician, writer, and photographer born and bred in San Diego, whose prodigious breadth of work spans the last two decades-- throughout which he has performed in over 20 San Diego-based bands; among them Heroin, Tori Cobras, Titwrench, Tiltwheel and Battalion of Saints.

Squire aka Billy Druid will be showcasing a rather impressive body of photographs Tuesday June 11th at the Tin Can, that serve as artifact to San Diego's illustrious and still-flourishing punk culture.

MAGIC BROTHERHOOD: Chris, you've been a part of the San Diego music/art scene for a number of years. Could you tell us a little bit about your background?
CHRIS SQUIRE: I'm a '70s kid. My earliest childhood memory is seeing Nixon's resignation speech on TV and asking my dad who he was, to which he replied, "That's our president, and he's a crook." I grew up in Clairemont Mesa and Pacific Beach. In 4th grade I began attending the School Of Creative and Performing Arts. I was an adolescent surf rat. I dressed like any typical surf-grom of that time, taking fashion cues from Jeff Spicoli. I listened to reggae and Led Zeppelin. I had Bo Derek and Cheech and Chong posters on my bedroom walls. But EVERYTHING changed when I embraced skateboarding and discovered the Ramones. When I first heard the Ramones I was completely blown away. The roaring, beautiful sound blasting from the stereo speakers filled me with excitement,  adrenaline, and purpose. At that moment, I knew that I MUST PLAY GUITAR IN A BAND. It was serendipity then that around that time, on the school bus, on the first day of the 6th grade, I met a kid named John Reis. He played guitar and he turned me on to The Dead Kennedys and Black Flag. He was quick and full of ideas and information, and he was hilarious. At this time SCPA was a hotbed of future movers, shakers of the explosive San Diego music scene to come, but no one would play as pivotal a role on shaping the scene as John would.

Aunt Tiki's, Decatur, Nola

MB: What are some of the most significant changes you have seen happen musically over the years here in SD?
CS: Population and over-saturation. Worlds apart. When I was first playing in bands there were no drummers, there were no bass players. We had 3 or 4 bands in our crowd that all shared the same bass player or drummer at any given time. It was dangerous to be a punk then too. You'd be walking down the street and trucks full of surfers or rednecks would yell "faggot" out the window at you, or, even worse, try to run you over. To be into punk rock was to be on the front line in a culture revolution. And when you met a punk rock kid from another part of town, that was an important connection to make. There was no internet. And we had to SEEK out new music. Which sometimes meant skateboarding for miles and taking buses even more miles in 4 hour treks across town to places like Off The Record, and communicating with bands in other cities via snail mail. Punk scenes all over the world existed in their own bubbles, which resulted in a much more diverse climate for bands to evolve in at that time. These days everything is formatted and polished and presented in perfect packaging for new kids to use as blueprints for scenes with no imagination, and it's revolting to me.


MB: Have any of these changes influenced you artistically? How have you changed over the years creatively?
CS: The only things that have ever influenced me are beauty, perfection, pain, and disgust. I've changed in subtle ways that come from age and experience, in that I'm more humble, yet as confident as ever, about my role in the world of music and art. When you're young, you're full of self importance. You strive for popularity and personal gain. Now the most important thing I can do is create something beautiful that touches someone in a positive way, and to do this with conviction, and know that I did it well.

Johnny from The Chemicals at the Tower Bar

MB: When we met up about a week ago, you mentioned that you do some writing. Perhaps you could tell us a little about what you are focusing on creatively these days?
CS: I love taking pictures. I love the randomness and unplanned aspects of candid photography. I just go where I think there might be some magic moments to capture and I fire away. It's like fishing, but more rewarding, with way better odds of bringing home a good catch.

Guitar Wolf at Club Siberia, New Orleans

 MB: Who are some of your favorite artists/writers/musicians?
CS: Ken Leek has published his first book recently, called The Origins of Disgust, Self-Hatred, and Hostility. It's definitely worth checking out. Some of my favorite authors are Kurt Vonnegut, Chuck Palahniuk, Lisa Carver, and Joseph Heller. I was doing book reports on Hunter S. Thompson at 12 years old, and at 43 he remains my favorite writer. When I was 13 I got my hands on a copy of Glen Friedman's photozine, My Rules. I was mesmerized by the energy he captured in the striking images of young bands that seemed to be having a damn fun time being really pissed off about the world. Friedman knew where to be and who to photograph years before anyone else would catch on. My Rules became a starting block for my hunt for punk music. Ed Colver captured a lot of history from that time as well. He contributed a lot of photographs to the book, Hardcore California, which became an invaluable resource for me to continue my research into the movement. I devoured the knowledge and history it contained. Who knows what direction my life would have taken had I had that same passion for academics? Richard Kern does great work in film and photography. He has a unique way of presenting his subjects in a style that's equal parts erotic and/or repulsive. Like Glen Friedman, I let the pulse of the underground guide me to where I need to be to get the shots I take. I credit Tom Rulon with showing me the tricks that helped me to understand how to use cameras, and, more importantly, how much fun you can have with one. Mark Rude (R.I.P.) and Lee Ellington are pretty important "punk rock" artists from back in the day. I'm a big fan of Gottfried Helnwein, Robert Williams, Salvador Dali, and Raymond Pettibon. Sonny Kay from the G.S.L. record label does some really far out graphic art. Joe Coleman. Doug Thompson. Right now, I've been listening to a lot of obscure 60s and 70s psychedelic music, early rock-steady, garage rock, 60s era French female pop singers, and lots of hardcore from the past and present. A short-list of favorite bands would have to include Tales Of Terror, Crash Worship, Jonathan Fire*Eater, Velvet Underground, Thin Lizzy, Hanoi Rocks, The Stooges, Spacemen 3, MC5, Queen, NWA, Kill Cheerleader, Cheap Trick, Sonic Youth, Butthole Surfers, Roky Erikson, Kinks, Crass, Cranford Nix (R.I.P.), Damned, Shocking Blue, Retox, Nurse With Wound, Current 93, Les Savy Fav,  Dillinger 4, Cock Sparrer, Hawkwind, Manic Street Preachers, Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, Conflict, Crucifix, The Who, Black Flag, Negative Approach, F-Minus, Big Black, The Clash, Reagan Youth, Discharge, Motorhead, Saints, Flipper, Void, Bad Brains, Germs, Radio Birdman, I could go on and on. I'm currently obsessing over the music of Jeff The Brotherhood, Fucked Up, Dan Sartain, the Arrivals, Cribs, Turbo Fruits, Man Of Clay, New Pornographers, Black Lips, Gringo Star, Gasmiasma, Tragedy, Graveyard, Hoax, Tobacco, Diarreah Planet, Lords, Magic Shadows, Marked Men, Blitz, Lightning Swords Of Death, Watain, Eagle Twin, Impiety, 1349, Torturium, Venom, and Gorgoroth. I'm obsessed with black metal. Locally, I want to give shout outs to the Tar Halos,Midnight Eagle, Death Crisis, Bumbklaatt, Beehive and The Barracudas, The Marsupials, The Widows, Archons, Tiltwheel, Nerve Control, and all the John Reis projects. There are so many I'm forgetting. I have tremendous respect and admiration for the late Jay Reatard (R.I.P), Andrew WK, Iggy Pop, Wayne Coyne, and Ian MacKaye. Bob Barley from Tit Wrench, Swami John Reis, Jay Poggi (MC Trachiotomy), Dave Quinn, Justin Pearson, Stewart Lupton, and Bobby Lane are all amazing people who I am thankful to have the good fortune of calling friends.

~Squire 5/18/13

 "Erratic & Unprofessional since 1970"

The opening of Chris Squire's solo exhibition, BEDLAM AND BEYOND, will be Tuesday June 11th, 9 pm, at the Tin Can.

more info:

Squire's Blog | Billy Druid on ReverbNation | Billy Druid on Myspace

Artist Spotlight: ALDO MONTES

If photographer Aldo Montes had to be summed up in a catch phrase it would be "That's what's up!" Not only is it the spirited yet laid-back response I've witnessed Aldo use in many different contexts, it is his general attitude and approach towards life, and the kind of reaction I believe is achieved when viewing his photos and drawings. I had the pleasure of sitting down and asking Aldo Montes some questions about his life and work. 
He has an upcoming solo show Tuesday, May 14th at the Tin Can. His brother DJ Active will be playing some records and POLYPHASE (Brian Ellis) will be performing a live set.

MAGIC BROTHERHOOD: Where did you grow up? Could you tell us a little bit about your background and upbringing?

ALDO MONTES: I grew up and still currently live in Escondido, East Mission and Grape Street! Still living in the same two bedroom apartment since I was born. I'm the youngest of four. I'm first generation born in the U.S. my family moved from Tijuana to Escondido in 1986 because my sister had cystic fibrosis and the hospitals here had treatments to help her. My mom had her tubes tied before I was born, and I still came out somehow.

I don't want to say I live in a rough neighborhood, but I did see a dude get shot when I was 5 in front of my house and the friends that I would hang out with would do some straight up hoodlum shit, but I was too much of a whimp. While they were shoplifting CDs at the K-mart I was at my house playing Tony Hawk's Pro Skater. I was a weird kid growing up.

In preschool I would get sent home because I would imitate Beavis and Butthead, middle school I would do stupid shit and did really bad in school, and high school I took the same pre-algebra class for four years. I sucked so much, I had my friends do my homework (shout outs to Sebastian, Victor, and Victor's little brother). I feel like at the end of high school I had an appreciation for art. That's when I started making beats, graffiti, and learned about photography thanks to my friends Devin, Cindya, and David.

(Aldo's sister, mom, Aldo, brother)

MB: When/how did you get your start with photography?

AM: At the end of high school my friend Devin was shooting a bunch of photos with his 35mm camera and when he developed them I was like “Oh snap! The way those look is so clear, way different from my parents photos in our albums.” Then my homegirl Cindya and her boyfriend would pick me up from school and she would show me framed photos and really awesome portraits that she had done. She fucked with film, showed me the legit side of photo, but I think it was also the first time I saw a DSLR too so I was tripped out about that too. Also, my friend David and I went to the same community college and would show me his photos he took at the photo lab during our screen printing class, and that got me into taking photos too. I bought my first 35mm Pentax k-1000 for $10. I hated the assignments in school, I just wanted to shoot people, document the things that I'd see on a regular basis. I won second place for the documentary competition at school but didn't get the money because of my poor GPA. Fortunately I got to work at the photo lab for two years as a lab tech and got to work with the chemical processing, maintaining equipment, and learning about the different formats. All of my work is film never, owned a digital camera.

MB: You also draw... would you say there is a parallel or similar subject matter in your drawing and your photo work? If not, what makes it different?

AM: My drawings are totally parallel with my photos. With my drawings, I don't take things as serious or try to make them look as nice. I just want to be straight to the point, make people laugh, or be like, "Why did he draw that?" Most of them stem from inside jokes I have with my friends, just the weird funny shit that pops in my imagination. I feel like I can do whatever I want with my drawings, I don't need to tell a story. It is what it is. If I want to draw a California burrito dressed up like Boy George I can do it, and I would feel great about it.

  

MB: What inspires you?

AM: My friends, TV, the internet, the devil's lettuce, jokes, rap music, J.O. crystals, fast food, the finest of malt liquors, trying to show people the dopest, saddest, and funny aspects of life… that's what inspires me.

MB: Who are some of your favorite artists?

AM: Oh man... I have so many.

Chaz Boroquez, Mike Giant, Peter Beste, Estevan Oriol, El Mac, Aroe, Grime, Nas, Three Six Mafia, Twist, Mike Judge, Max Ernst, Chuck Close, So Me, Mark Drew, David Choe, Aaron Horkey.  Dang, wish I could put more.

MB: You have an upcoming solo show, titled CHILL HARD, Tuesday May 14th at the Tin Can. First of all, what can you tell us about the name of the show (because I think that's the best name for an art show I've seen in a while), and what can we look forward to seeing in this show?

AM: Thanks! Chill Hard for me is a way of living and it's a big part of my vocabulary… It means taking life for what it is and not stressing about the bullshit. Drink a brew, smoke a grip of blunts and chill hard. JUST CHILL HARD. And for the all of you looking forward to the show expect funny hamburgers drinking 40s, some girl smoking Whitney Houston's ashes, some hood shit, people in their last moments on earth… some really deep shit, and some funny stuff. You gotta have a good balance of both. I'm really looking forward to seeing everyone there. and I hope you guys like it.

Thank you for this awesome opportunity, Danica. You're awesome.  

Recap: SACRI MONTI | NOA AZOULAY

Thank you everyone who came out to the show on Tuesday, thank you Noa and Sacri Monti for providing endless talent, and thank you Tin Can for letting us put these nights on every month! Super fun, hope to see you next month.

 
 
 
 
 



 
 


 




 

Magic Brotherhood in San Diego CityBeat

Last week Magic Brotherhood got interviewed by San Diego CityBeat to discuss some of the upcoming projects we have going on. Check it out here!

photo courtesy Amanda Leigh Smith

Artist Spotlight: NOA AZOULAY

Noa is a rad lady that I recently met and instantly fell in love with. An established photographer, her own photography company (Feather Love Photography), an upcoming show April 9th at the Tin Can... I had a lovely interview with this lady the other day.

MAGIC BROTHERHOOD: Noa, you are an amazingly talented photographer. How did you get your start taking pictures?

NOA AZOULAY: Thank you for the kind words. I grew up surrounded by it. My dad was a photographer for most of my childhood. We had a dark room at home and I was always so intrigued with the entire process. Watching someone love something like that makes you want that experience too. His best friend was this amazing Russian weirdo stoner photographer, and the esoteric conversations they used to have were so fascinating. I think I saw the connection between being an artist and those philosophical, metaphysical, and other strange subjects and I became captivated with all that and have been ever since. I’m really not very into technical or “correct” photography per se in regards to focus, crop, correct exposure etc.

I feel that most of the work I see out there that really speaks to me generally breaks most photographic rules, hitting those other layers that I am so into- as I like to say: give me a choice between Ansel Adams and Diane Arbus, and I’m going with Arbus… My father started to teach me about photography and bought me my first camera when I was 11 years old. I still shoot on it, and in fact many of the photos that will be at the show were shot on that same camera.

MB: Tell us a little bit about your life growing up.

NA: I’m a Sabra (born in Israel) and we immigrated to South Africa when I was 4 years old where I had to quickly learn how to speak English. I always had an intense connection with animals, which we had many of. My sister used to say that on the farm we lived on, when they couldn’t find me anywhere, they would go look in the dog bed where I would be cuddled up with some lovely creature.

Photo by dad on our farm in S. Africa

I moved to the states on my own when I was 15 after a terrible, yet heavily life-altering acid trip, to attend this amazing hippie global consciousness school in New Mexico. We did tons of meditating and walking on fire and standing on ice and past-life regressions and running around naked and stuff like that.

Chris Griscom & The Nizhoni School - Photo credit: unknown

I lived with people from all over the world who are still my friends and anytime I go to Europe there’s always someone there that offers a place to stay, even if we haven’t seen each other in 20 years. It’s really beautiful. I had also attended another international boarding school in South Africa and have the same connections through that until this day.

I was in that school in Santa Fe for a year then moved back to South Africa, but within a few months moved back (ran away) to the states with my family- It was a terribly scary and violent time in that country then. Right after Mandela was released from prison, the “New South Africa”, and the entire government changed and everything was so dangerous, people could barely leave their homes. Our house got shot up by machine guns and well, anyways, we had to bail on that so we moved back to Santa Fe, (which has been my home 3 different times so far in my life). I moved to San Diego when I was 19. I haven’t been back to Africa since we left.

MB: Who or what inspires you?

NA: Most recently, artist/icon/fiery soul Vali Myers has been a huge source of inspiration. I’m reading the biography written about her, written by her lover of 30 years, and the synchronicities between her and I are blowing my mind. Especially the relationship she had with her wild fox/animal familiar “Foxy” – known as the “beloved daughter of Vali Myers”. I had a relationship like that with a beautiful black cat named Russia for 17 years- the love of my life- who died on December 2^nd 2011.

Vali’s philosophies on life, her unique style, her quotes and ideas, her incredibly beautiful work, and her fierce spirit both inspire me and connect with me deeply. I feel so much in common with her. “She believed that an artist should never have [human] children, especially a female artist, who should give all their heart’s blood and spirit to her work”. And apparently, she also really loved getting her ass rubbed.  

Another huge source of inspiration to me over the past couple of years has been Larry Moss, one of the top acting coaches in the world, and I have attended 2 of his intensive workshops in LA as an auditor. He truly deeply understands and loves artists more than anyone I have ever been around.

Besides that, there isn’t much that doesn’t inspire me- I’m fortunate enough to know so many beautiful artists, actors & musicians.

 

 

This is a little video I shot of Tim & Nicki Bluhm during a photo session I did of them at my home for their Duets album:

Much of my work is heavily inspired by the esoteric, occult, metaphysical, psychedelic, and nature/universal law.

 

 

 

MB: Are there any creative endeavors you would like to accomplish in your lifetime that you haven't yet?

NA: I have made one short experimental art film:

The Alchemical Poisoning Of Magus Sherwood (featuring music by, & starring members of, ASTRA):

The Alchemical Poisoning Of Magus Sherwood from Noa Azoulay-Sclater on Vimeo.

I would love to make a full feature one day. I have also played music in several different projects over the years and haven’t really had the time to dedicate myself to it for a while. I miss it immensely, so I would love to eventually dabble in that again. I’m not very good at either of those things but I still love them. Acting is definitely the art form I hold at highest regard and is simultaneously my biggest fear. I haven’t done much of it but it would be incredible to be able to study and pursue that one day.  

 The most ultimately creative thing to do is travel, and I do that as well and as often as possible.

 

 

MB: I'm so excited about your upcoming show April 9th at Tin Can, which will feature some of your latest work! What can we expect to see at this show?

NA: Absolutely my most personal work yet. Mostly featuring images I haven’t shared yet that I have shot over the past year or so, since my entire life has changed drastically, in every way. I’m still making the selections, which may be a combination of some older work as well as the new work. Expect some portraiture shot on film- a study of myself through other people, people who have profoundly influenced my life as of late- friends, lovers, beautiful muses. Each one of them has changed me or inspired me in one way or another. I guess if I had to title this show, I would title it: MUSE.

 

MB: Any projects we can look forward to in the near future?

NA: Yes. Except for I don’t know what they are yet.

MB: Thanks so much for sharing with Magic Brotherhood, and can't wait to see you and your work at Tin Can Tuesday April 9th!!

NA: I am truly, deeply so honored to be a part of this. Thank you! I’m beyond excited.

Feather Love Photography
Noa's Blog
Feather Love Pinterest
E-mail Noa\