Not too long ago I was informed that Coo Coo Birds, a rock band in San Francisco and some awesome friends of mine, were heading to the South by Southwest Music and Arts Festival…in style.

What do I mean ‘in style’? I mean they drove there in their psychedelic school bus/traveling venue. Of course, I wanted to go along. I put all my ducks in a row to tag along with these guys come March so I could write some awesome material for YM&C on the road. Unfortunately, a job opportunity came my way and I couldn’t join the boys on their journey to the center of the musical world (of America).

Lucky for us all, Nicole Salmeri, my dear friend and talented photographer went with them, as she always does. (You might remember Nicole when we teamed up for our American Steel post.) Nicole directed a four-person camera crew sponsored by GoPro to film and photographed the band on their tour to SXSW. Check out her photos and videos!

Once the Coo Coo Birds arrived in Austin, they headed out every night on the bus and played in the streets where listeners and party-ers went wild. Ryan Zweng, drummer and singer, talks to us:

Ashley: Describe the Coo Coo Birds in three words:
Ryan Zweng: Loud, Authentic, Next.

A: As a musician, where do you pull your inspiration from?
Ryan: The risky, lavish life experiences we each three seek out in our own unique ways. Music that was made before 1994. Our present poverty, and increasing delusions of grandeur.

A: What was your favorite city on this trip?
Ryan: Little Rock, Arkansas- hands down. Chris King- our promoter down there- is a saint, a fan, and also one of the most powerful club owners in town. We played his club Stickyz twice, and lived like kings the whole time.

A: Tell us a road story.
Ryan: There are too many to tell. But in general we were all surprised to find our expedition traveling under the freshly coined term: “Psychedelic Immunity.” Ergo, in cities across the nation- where we expected to be crucified as “dirty hippies” or the like- we were continually surprised to find people upholding us as some sort of Psychedelic, Rock n Roll Heroes.

The key term here is : “ROCK N ROLL”… not “indie rock” or “folk band”; we would have been hung for being that. But not Rock n Roll baby! Its so obvious now, to me and the crew, how badly this nation is crying for a real band, who really don’t give a sh*t about how things are “supposed” to get done; how music is “supposed” to sound in 2013.

Down in the south of Texas, we had just finished polishing off the rest of our “contraband” a few minutes before hitting the massive Drug and Immigration check point just north of the Mexican Border. The dogs could smell us from the back of the line; barking like fiends on our left and right. Our drivers were smart, they knew the magic words by then. I heard him say “rock n roll” at least 4 times in a 30 second barrage of sentences, in various forms; “rock n roll band” on a “rock n roll tour” playing “rock n roll music”…. etc. The officer didn’t even budge; didn’t even acknowledge the shepherds screaming to him at his heels, or fellow officers foaming at their mouths for a proper search.

“Rock n Roll?” he said. “Whats the name of y’alls band? Imma look y’all up!”… and if he was anything like the rest of the people we met out there, he probably did. They are probably blasting the Coo Coo Birds first LP at every check point in south Texas by now.

A: What do you love about SXSW as a musician and a listener?
Ryan: For a musician it’s heaven. Every nook and cranny blisters with excitement and vibe; and we basically slammed through the middle of it giving mobile bus concerts all over town, picking up anyone who wanted to go to another level. NY Times called us a highlight of Day 2.

A: Did you see any other good bands out there?
Ryan: We hung out with the Mother Hips a lot- picked them up from the airport in the TweetBusso even. Those guys are like our mentors, big uncles to us or such. We hang with them, listen to what they have to tell us, listen to their sets, and inevitably grow as musicians, performers and personalities in our own right. We are all looking forward to making the scene at their Hipnic Festival this summer; going to be a riot.

A: What can you not live without on the road?
Ryan: Sox! Clean sox! Just like in “Forest Gump.” Everything

My Milk Toof started as a blog in 2009 by Inhae Renee Lee and has gained a massive following over the years. And why not? It may be one of the most adorable displays of art I’ve seen. Inhae created ickle and Lardee, her two little toof characters, to kill the dullness she was experiencing in her job. As a result, we have a beautiful book, a longstanding blog, and a following that is something to be proud of. Enjoy!

My Milk Toof Book
www.facebook.com/pages/My-Milk-Toof
www.mymilktoof.blogspot.com

I stumbled across Yelena’s work the other day while perusing the internet for some images. Her illustrations immediately caught my eye, as I appreciate art that does not hide the sorrowful moments of life. Yelena appreciates this as well, but her art is also, paradoxically, bright, colorful, and of course extremely beautiful. Take a look.

Ashley Arabian: Do you need to have a space to create, something to call your own?
Yelena Bryksenkova: Yes, very much so. I’m a nester and I like to have all of my comforting things around me when I work. My favorite books are here to protect me; small objects that I have collected and other artists’ artwork on the walls keep me feeling positive.

AA: What subjects or themes do you tend to tap into?
Yelena: I often return to the theme of home and the comfort of objects. Personal space is so important to me, and I like to place the people I draw in warm surroundings filled with cherished objects. Solitude, loneliness, melancholy are important aspects of it, too, but not in a frightening or cold way. Italo Calvino said, “melancholy is sadness that has taken on lightness.” It’s a feeling that I’ve embraced; for me, it’s the most inspiring. I also like to tap into somewhat magical themes, fairy tales, a little darkness and mystery now and then.

AA: What mediums do you use to create? Is there anything you can’t do without?
Yelena: I use .005 Micron pens, watercolors, and Acryla gouache. My watercolors are “Leningrad” brand cakes, and they are what I absolutely cannot do without.

AA: Have you ever struggled to be an artist? What does this struggle add/take away from your work?
Yelena: The struggle that immediately comes to mind is my tendency to prolong the healing of old wounds because they still have so much emotional value that can be channeled into new work. It’s a battle between wanting to let go of the past and being afraid of losing such a valuable source of inspiration. It certainly adds a personal meaningfulness to what I do, secretly sealing certain thoughts and experiences in each piece, but dwelling – which I need as a fine artist – can sometimes make it difficult to switch to a more pragmatic mindset, which I need as an illustrator.

AA: When do you feel a piece of yours is done?
Yelena: This is mostly intuitive, but I would say when the composition feels balanced and I’ve put a pattern on everything that seemed like it could use a pattern.

AA: Do you ever struggle to put an idea of yours into your work or does it come naturally?
Yelena: On rare occasions, I get an idea and I sit down and churn it out in a few hours, hiccup-free and just as I’d imagined it. But in most cases, there’s a lot of sketching, a lot of giving up and saying “I’ll think about it tomorrow,” a lot of tossing duds in the wastepaper basket. It comes naturally, but I still have to struggle with it a lot of the time. And I also judge my own work more harshly than anybody else, so I often create that struggle myself.

AA: Does music have an influence on your work? What have you been listening to lately?
Yelena: It does. Lately I’m listening to Albin de la Simone – calming, spring day sort of music. I’m trying to rush spring by listening to music that puts a skip in my step, even in 30 degree weather. I like being filled with that vague, light sort of happiness – that’s inspiring too! Then there are my usual favorites, like Camera Obscura, Au Revoir Simone, Beach House.

AA: Your apartment is on fire and you can only grab three things:
Yelena: My passports, my iMac and a painting that my best friend made for me.

AA: If you were to live in any city in the world, other than the one you are in now, which would it be?
Yelena: Prague

AA: What’s your favorite year of your life and why?
Yelena: In 2009, when I was twenty, I moved to Prague for half a year to study illustration at the Academy of Applied and Decorative Arts; it turned into one of the best and most magical adventures of my life so far. Coming back was just as important too, to all of my friends, to the familiar, to feeling at home once again.

AA: Any quotes to live by?
Yelena: One of my favorites, from Emerson: “Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful, we must carry it with us or we find it not.”

@ybryksenkova
www.yelenabryksenkova.com
www.etsy.com/shop/ybryksenkova

A few weeks ago, a friend took me out in San Francisco to see some live music in a small venue near the Castro. I’d never heard of any of the bands, but he knew I would enjoy the music because of the soulful, Southern gospel influences he said they had. I was intrigued.

When Noah Gundersen came out with his brother on drums, his sister on the violin, and friend on the cello, an electric current crawled across the room and into its listeners. We were all taken in to his beautiful music, enrapturing vibrations, and poetic lyrical bliss. Here is a quick interview with Noah:

Ashley Arabian: Where did you and your siblings grow up?
Noah Gundersen: We grew up in Centralia, Washington, a small town on the I-5 corridor nestled between Seattle and Portland, best known for it’s outlet malls and meth.

AA: Can you describe the kind of upbringing you had? Did it influence/contribute to your musical career?
Noah: We grew up in a Christian home, raised by musical parents who also believed in asking good questions and challenging the status quo. They encouraged us from a young age to explore music and fully supported us when we chose to make it a lifelong career. We’ve always been close and that’s been evident in our music.

AA: When did you decide you wanted to live the life of a dedicated musician? Was it ever really a decision?
Noah: I went to a free Christian concert when I was very young, my first concert, and seeing thousands of people be completely captivated by several people on a stage left a strong impression on me. I felt spiritual energy radiating around that room. Not just the religious kind, but something greater, something that moved me. Something that still moves me when I let go of my tight grip on the physical world. I’ve always wanted to make music. That’s the only thing that’s ever made sense.

AA: How is it touring with your siblings?
Noah: Wonderful. We vibe so well together. It makes playing with anyone else a challenge.

AA: What is your favorite/least favorite thing about being on the road?
Noah: Favorites: Movement. Meeting people who tell me that my art has had an effect on their lives. Seeing friends in other cities. Good food. Playing music.

Least favorites: Being away from my girlfriend. Being stuck in a van for long hours. Shitty food. Climate changes.

AA: What are some common themes in your songwriting?
Noah: People, religion, love, fear, time, doubt, growth, and other vague things.

AA: What are other visuals, places, musicians, things that inspire you?
Noah: Mostly the work of Thomas Kinkade

AA: What’s the ultimate goal in your art?
Noah: To find fulfillment and peace.

@noahgundersen
www.facebook.com/noahgundersenmusic
www.noahgundersenmusic.com

New Orleans, my goodness, I’ve never felt the soul of a city so grand. As I strolled through the French Quarter, I felt my world turn upside down. What am I doing not living here? How have I waited so long to come here? This is what the writers and artists were talking about, why didn’t I listen?

But the answers are simple. We are drawn into certain places when we are ready for them. New Orleans isn’t going anywhere. It’s me that wanders, and this last month I wandered here.

The people of this city are naturally in touch with humanity. I found myself embracing this, as I rambled on and on to the strangers I passed on the street and next to my table at the café. Street music is abundant, and I have a strong appreciation for this, as it is a tough but fill-your-soul-up life. They played the banjo, the washboard, the tambourine, and suitcases as drums. I drank the chicory and ate some gator, I danced on Frenchman Street, I touched the home of William Faulkner, I gawked at the voodoo suppliers: “Light the yellow candle on Tuesday and the blue one of Thursday and repeat the psalms every night. Then the demon should be cleared in a week or so.” And the whole time I felt the urge that inspiration invokes to pick up my pen and use it until the ink ran dry.
All my efforts to describe this city have only failed my need to convey the passion in the air, so instead I give you something else. My gratitude for the inspiration I’ve received is ambitious, which you can see in my photos and a piece the city gave me. Please, enjoy, and do visit one day.

What Have You Done to Me?

Remedy my insides with your hot air.
Make me want your sugar, you sweet thing.
Show me your shameless limbs that wind in and out of grime and beauty.
I ache in the deepest parts of me for your tangs and visions.
What have you done to me?

I can feel my thirst now, how had I missed it?
My tongue is dry, my skin parched,
And you are the hot wetness I need.
I’m afraid to leave, when the ignorance of my thirst will return.
What have you done to me?

I’ll dance tonight and breathe the hot air.
I’ll stroll tomorrow and drink the chicory.
I’ll paint your image with my pen for the rest of my days.
I won’t stop, even after I leave, for I cannot drain the blood of your walls in me.
Oh dear city, what have you done to me?