Athens: New Renaissance Magazine Issue 3

Issue 3. January 2013

Athens New Renaissance

http://athensnewren.com/

A Racked Up Resume Of Issue 3’S Peeps.

Editor in Chief Bria Brown Copy Editor Dylan Smith Director of Music Christopher Alley Artistic Director Quintavious Shephard Director of Fashion Anthony J. Thomas Director of Photography TeeShot Me Photographers: Lucas Alvarado, Stephen Elledge, Lou Morgan, Sean Quincy Munro, TeeShotMe, Christopher Wodjak.

Writers: Christopher Alley Gyasi Williams-Kirtley Christina Santi Morgan W. Stephenson Anthony J. Thomas E.M. Williams

MAG AZINE CRED ITS Special Thanks: Lou Morgan, Herby Darius, Kigan Joseph Gyasi Williams-Kirtley,Jessica Lehrman Uta Bekeia, Tiana Anderson, Andrea Thomas Tonya Brown

Athens New Renaissance PAGE 4

Page.08 Retail Star

We’re all destined for fame.. but stuck behind the counter in the mean time....

Page.22 Saffy

3 artists master their visual niches, while framed in fashions that caught our eye!....

Page.12 How to Reach

Featured Stories Page.36

Then God is Seven

How visual arts, bodies, and religion harmonize in Aviv’s composed pieces.

Communication is everything. We spoke with of the aspiring expertise’s in some fields to see how they like to converse during business. ...

Page.16 Timeless Fashion

Time is everything, and in today’s society, so is fashion. Meet the founders of Feltraiger and Herds of the Fathers; who show their take on fashion, time, and heritage through their lines.....

Page.38

War Stories from the Hood Chef

Savito’s bitter sweet ingredients to where he’s came from, where he is, and where he’s going.

Page.42

Abstract Appeal

Dance Cartel x The Widest Smiling Faces. Up and coming. Up and out there....

Letter From The Editor In the time span of a year, anything can happen. The progress in your art and craft can flourish incredibly, or you can discover that what you thought you loved to do wasn’t something you wanted to continue with. Your surrounding team can uplift you, or you can realize you need to reevaluate those who you bring to your drawing board. Through it all, the best thing I’ve learned was to remain consistent with your craft. That is how you find what you do and don’t want to do with your baby. Always work to perfect it, don’t be afraid to experiment.

A willingness to grow is the key to happiness.

I was a yes-man this past year.

It turned out to benefit my brand.

The more I said yes to trying new things, the more I learned what works and what doesn’t work for me or for Athens. Being a nascent enterprise, I decided to branch out by creating a stronger basis online and with social networks. I created an online webshow called “The Couch Series,” began Athens’ social media presence with Twitter and Instagram, and got our name branded. I’m still perfecting it, but taking on these responsibilities pushed me to open up this entity to a larger base. Consistensy, I’ve seen, leads to expansion and always opens more eyes to whose watching. But the more you work, the better you become and the more your followers have faith in

your craft. Niccolò Machiavelli was very big in a leader’s proof in arms.

As the arbiter of your enterprise, you must stand strong and put in the most work before you can expect anyone to support you as well.

This is the connections issue.

Step outside of the walls you hold fast to and furnish yourself with a willingness to be eclectic and risqué. Stand with integrity, and demand what’s best for your brand.

Throughout this issue, I plan to introduce you to some of the most admirable artists we’ve found in the past months based on their outlooks on life, their enterprises, and themselves. It’s been a pleasure working with them. These artists are the beautiful and innovative beings that will be remembered for years to come. I pray that you see the beauty in each person and craft just as we have, and stand for your art all in the same way.

“For the reformer has enemies in all those who profit by the old order, and only lukewarm defenders in all those who would profit by the new order, this lukewarmenss arising partly from fear of their adversaries… who do not truly believe in anything new until they have had actual experience of it.” – Niccolò Machiavelli.

Happy New Year

Retail Star

Liner notes for an ambitious youth Written by Christopher Alley

Crinkle crinkle crinkle.It’s mid-morning in the slightly uncomfortable cheap a/c cool of the sales floor. Rather than fussing at home over exotic scales and quantizing the drums of my poor quality homemade beats I’m instead using my almost OCD fixation on propriety and keeping busy on the meticulous arrangement of cheap shrink-wrapped merchandise. It’s not particularly high-function work, but it placates my need to be doing anything other than hosting Netflix marathons punctuated by actual productiveness.

Were this Medicci-era Italy I’d have been specialized enough from youth to have a prolific hustle - getting my self-diagnosed creativity subsidized and rewarded by the moneyed merchant class on my block, rather than pining for the kind of fantastic Athens New Renaissance PAGE.8

job that would pay me enough to lounge around in my boxers and chancletas, plucking bass half the day without fretting the oppressive costs of living in NY I’m clearly not alone on this. For many recent expats, living in New York is the exact kind of financed foray into delayed adulthood that’s gotten kids in Northwest Brooklyn such bad raps. Cliche as it might be, those caricatures have a basis in reality; if you’re lucky you’re wealthy enough to lose yourself in those Magic Eye cat paintings that you tour local artist spaces with.

If you managed to make it through the tri-state’s various performing arts schools, you realized quick that enveloping yourself in a structured artistic community is a gift.

Some of the more talented or well-connected might have dropped a year or two

early to actually live their dream - signed by a label, picked up by a dance company - but in a country where both supply-anddemand and the economy state that your gifts are neither in high demand or high worth, you’re more likely to be resigned to continue the financial juggling after school that brought you $9,100* in financial aid and $27,000** in student loan debt.

I interviewed visual artist/Athens New Renaissance contributor Anthony Thomas

If you managed to make it through the tri-state’s various performing arts schools, you realized quick that enveloping yourself in a structured artistic community is a gift.

and No Gang Colors head honcho Joseph Ohegyi about the artist experience today.

Both self-taught, independent-minded men, Joseph recalled seeking the arts college experience as a remedy to the inadequacies of high school, “I didn’t enjoy the high school experience. Even though I did well and enjoyed the learning of the actual material, I hated the routine and tediousness of the homework/testing/socializing.

Music school was the only way for me to

have an education out of what would be liberal arts electives at any other school I’d be able to get into.”

Anthony, however, chose not to pursue arts school, instead focusing on taking a handful of art history courses stating that, “Before my objective was to attend these schools, but I figured a real creative can draw inspiration from any environment.”

Attending a CUNY school as a NYC resident and financial aid allowed Anthony to avoid the debts typical of your average student. Regarding his education at Berklee, Joseph commented that, “I had about $500 a year (or maybe semester, I forget) in a state-sponsored scholarship. Everything else was funded through loans that I’m now paying off. My friends all seemed to be in the same boat. A big portion of my friends ended up switching schools as well or just quitting school.”

Graduation led him to a sobering search for work in his field that eventually led him to re-assess his goals and aspirations, “Every time I tried my hand at what I went to school for (creating compositions for clients), I hated the process and could hardly bring myself to do the work, and never came out with a product I was satisfied with. I met a lot of people who were doing what I had planned to be doing (making a ‘living’ from composing for clients in TV, radio, etc.) and none of them seemed at any way fulfilled by the ridiculously grueling and dehumanizing process, the older people in the field were just laughable and pathetically cynical. I quickly realized if there even was a golden age for the professional composer, it was long past. I’ve since Athens New Renaissance PAGE.9

moved to Texas to be with my girlfriend and I have an apartment and nice things and am happy that I’m not stuck roughing it worrying about how to least-awkwardly force myself onto the entertainment business.”

Re-adjusted expectations seem to be par for the course, especially in terms of postcollege employment. If the Rapture is real then you get two nice comforting thoughts: one, Jesus is, too, real and he’s going to overlook your marshmallow Smirnoff indiscretions and, two, your dissolving physical form absolves you of your earthly debts.

Most likely, you’ll end up like the dozens of other frustrated yet hopeful “artist types” occupying your local $8-11/hr retail chain or museum gift shops. They’re not hard to miss – their eyes betray their friendly dispositions with the fact that they’d prefer to be doing anything else that we daydream about our art. Cutting boxes, moving merch, building shelves, creating price tags, organizing product, all while thinking of pieces to write or songs to augment or paintings to make. Slivers of inspiration wriggle though your mind as you deal with entitled customers and shady managers.

Barred from jotting any ideas down while on the clock, you console yourself with an old ?uestlove quote that if an idea is truly great, you’ll remember it later.

At lunch and at work parties, everyone’s true aspirations gradually leak out. It’s rare that you’ll encounter someone in retail without some interesting, conversationstarter of a side hustle. Even the lifers, who wield the impressive type A ability to balance being full-time managers and pursue their art, sometimes do “other things.”

This is rare since doing “other things” is itself the number one cause of employee turnover - you can only maintain a cheery attitude, punctuality, and consistent performances for so long when you’re pining for something more fulfilling every day.

Your art star dreams claw at you from the inside, sharp nags tear away at your ability to simply give a fuck about your job. At some point everyone gets tired of unfulfilling work.

Artists, however, are prone to an almost zombie-like descent into their own undoing, a bleary resistance to common sense and financial responsibility that tends to not wear off until three days after your dishonorable discharge from Urban Outfitters.

“I swear it was a train delay, and no I did not try to walk out with the holographic fart joke coffee table book” The silver lining of your relative artistic struggle is that the pressure it puts on you to learn to organize your time and work

under deadline. The new faces and connections, like Athens’ own Anthony Thomas, that you make during your army bratesque nomadic journey from franchise to franchise. The life lessons and anecdotes you pick up along the way, of ridiculous co-workers and customers and local haunts no one really cares about outside your job.

For the large swaths of our generation who didn’t game their future with a reasonably careerist education involving graphic design, computers, engineering, accounting, or medicine, this is the inevitable path to take until that creative internship goes somewhere or you get enough recognition off your passion to eat, live, and keep enough electricity to steal your neighbors wireless signal. The sensible thing would’ve been to learn a trade but who said being an artist was sensible? An artist’s dream is to eat off yourself, to become a financial ourobouros away from the confining grind of, you know, normal people work. Retail is a means to an end, a salt-water oasis whose presence on your resume and the difficulty of landing paid “creative” work predestines you to return in the future.

But it’s all about being realistic. Though he avoided retail, his experiences doing office work and looking for opportunities within his wheelhouse led him to a realization, “I was not able to find paying work that fulfilled my artistic ambitions. But I eventually realized that once I separated the act of ‘working’ from the act of ‘working for a living,’ I was able to find making music fulfilling.

By compartmentalizing artistic work from the need to conform the work and myself (how I presented myself to the world and on the internet) to market-based expectations, I was able to create in a way

that felt right and natural.”

Anthony also found the time to balance his employment with his art, interning at a Harlem gallery and creating freely while working a day job. His eye on an ambitious future (including a PhD), Ant’s also familiar the nature of retail work. “My two modes of employment actually allow me to indulge in my creative passions and social personality so there isn’t much to subdue, because of the level of freedom and opportunities present when I am at work.

Retail is another monster in itself, that life is riskier than the stocks in Wall Street: the surviving pillar of retail is that you can always be replaced but that same principle allows individuals such as yourself and I to acquire jobs.

I like retail but I think the measure of security there is very slim and you have to have such a strong sense of sincerity when applying to a position of retail. I find that if you are unable to balance your personal endeavors with that of the retail position it can become a bit rough. My good artist friend/mentor Carisa Bledsoe told me if you decide to spend eight hours at a job, make sure you spend another eight hours developing your craft and building your intellect, I live by that idea now.

Since most of my friends are artists, I find that we deal with the retail life just as means of keeping our pockets wet and fueling the real objective we have in mind: ‘becoming Kings x Queens amongst these wild things’.”But it could be worse. You could be a writer. *http://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=31 **http://money.cnn.com/2012/10/18/pf/college/ student-loan-debt/index.html

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HOW TO REACH Perspectives from people in the industry:

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2

4

You’re constantly wondering how you can deal with the person you’re working with.

They’re stubborn, difficult to reach, but they’ve got the golden ticket to get what you want.

The Journalist: Gyasi Williams Kirtley Why they love their job: “I like journalism. I like writing. But I’m not doing it to become a career. I want to travel. I like people’s stories and interacting with [them]..

That’s basically why I wanted to do this. I’ve always wanted to be on what’s coming up. If I’m not doing anything else in my life, I might as well do this.”

Do’s: “Dress appropriately! You never know who you’re going to run into. You could walk outside one day, and you could run into Diddy.”

“Do know what you’re talking about. You have to know your history. Never walk into a situation like, “I don’t know.”

“Always have a back up plan.

You have to expect the worst.

Like, always have an old school tape recorder or a pen and paper with you.”

Don’t: “ EVER act like it’s your first interview. Always have a confidence about yourself.”

How to snag them: “If I like the vibe of the thing, I’ll do it. Money doesn’t mean anything to me. If I like it, I’ll write about it. People want to be interested.” Motivate your writers by providing a good topic.

Perspectives from people in the industry:

The Photographer: Rochelle Brock Why they love their job: “As a photographer, one thing that I love is taking a picture and producing that image to correspond with my mood and how I’m feeling… and then having people get it. When people get your work, it feels good.”

Do’s: “Let your camera be an extra limb. carry it everywhere , especially in [New York City]. There’s always something to take a picture of.

Don’ts: “Don’t be cliché. No one wants to see ‘cuffing’ photos or pictures of naked girls in sneakers. It’s played out.”

How to snag them: “Let me know exactly what you want but at the same time, let’s work together. Being vocal, straightforward, with great ideas is a plus. I love when people have a vision that I can play on

The Videographer: Nathan R. Smith Why do you love your job: “I don’t yet. I never call myself a photographer or director; I always say I’m aspiring. I think that you need a lot of experience to become so. It’s also a building process; I’m never satisfied with my work.

I’m always striving to better myself.”

Do’s: “Have a game plan. Know where you’re going to shoot. Know what kind of images you’re going for.”

Don’t: “Sell yourself short. In my own experience, I’ve done

a lot of free work, just because I was helping out an artist... photography and videography is all essential to the way an artist is seen. I’ve just met a lot of people that don’t give too sh*ts about my time or what I’m doing for them. Its definitely important to work with artists who appreciate what you’re doing to get the best collaboration.”

How to snag them: “A lot of times, people will just be like, “Can you take photos fro me, or can you take photos for my friend?” and I’m like “Whos the artist?” When you email someone to do some work, giving enough information about what you want to get done is very important. I’m much more compelled to check out their work and their image and what they’re about if the information is there.”

The Promoter/DJ: DJ Pretty Pea Why they love their job: “It’s fun. I get to meet a lot of new people.

Networking is fun. The money is good, and building. I love music. I don’t really call it a job. I like doing it. It’s regular.”

Do: “Come direct. You know people come to you with business and they don’t give you the entire story.

I like emails, talks over the phone, face to face. Be upfront with your shit.”

Don’t: “Lie. Or sugarcoat. If I’m doing business with you, it’s because I trust you. I did a party with someone before. It was a quick come up. I left him to deal with the money. At the end of the party, he disappeared. Don’t do anything underhand. If we make a dollar at the end of the night, I’m going to split it 50/50.”

Communication is key. Remember though, How to snag them: “Personality. Honesty, you have to be able to read vibes. I can tell when someone’s lying or bullsh*tting.”

The Producer: Bagir-Ba Why they love their job: “ I’m a quite person in general, and the reason I love it is because I can say so much in my instrumentals without me using my words. It’s the connection I have with people today. It’s the beauty of using sound as a weapon.”

Do’s: “Push for your creative freedom. When it comes to singing and producing, you have to compromise.

Compromising is the key.”

Don’t’s: “Don’t give me a specific sound to go for. It’s cool to advertise… but I’m not willing to change my sound just to match what the bigger audience likes.”

How to snag them: “ I’ve never worked in one genre, which gives me a chance to work with more artists. Any form of communication works, as long as they are open-minded, [and] as long as they’re willing to create a record that doesn’t sound like their other sh*t.”

Timeless

Fashion By: Morgan W. Stephenson

Athens New Renaissance PAGE.17

F

ashion and conformity go hand in hand, especially to those who feel the excessive need to blend in with the proverbial crowd. That said, conformity is browbeaten into our heads as children, and reinforced by societal pressures as we grow older. While fashion evolves as time moves forward, there are those who crave the newest styles, buying the latest garbs by the droves in an effort to appease those around them. This notion begs the question, what happened to classic and timeless style?

Feltraiger, a brand started by two brothers, Daniel and Jon Feldman, reels in on the concept of the American rebel, and the need to look back to our American roots in order modernize it, yet still hold steadfast to its iconic look. On the other hand, Herd of the Fathers draws its inspiration by shying away from the gaudy, ostentatious look that many of their contemporaries go for. Instead, they use the utter simplicity

of clothes presented to them by their male predecessors.

The founders of Herd of the Fathers, Jason Akoi and Tobi Babajide, use their all-male accessory line to take simple items such as bags and conceptualize them into something both timeless and contemporary.  Both companies, Feltraiger and Herds of the Fathers, set out to do something different; that is, create something unique, fresh, and exciting without conforming to the trends of fashion and pop culture, yet maintaining close ties to the styles and looks presented to them by their predecessors. rebel made in America: this the idea that rings bells in the heads of Feltraiger founders, Jon and Dan, brothers inspired by immigration, and as Dan says, their “ancestors seeing the Statue of Liberty as a beacon of hope�.

While the name of the brand, Feltraiger, is

A

Shoot Photographed by TeeShotMe Ellis Button-downs- 168.00; Mason Coin Pouch- 60.00; Robeson Duffle Bag325.00; Ryder Denim Jacket 210.00.

derived from the pair’s Russian heritage, the line is actually less about tying fashion into one global region or era, and more about representing the “cultural mesh of what America really is”.

The vast majority of Americans, according to the brothers, lead safe lives and follow the ground work laid for them.

To Dan, “American rebellion” embodies “standing outside of the lines saying, ‘I’m going to do shit my way’”. An iconic representation of what “American rebellion” stands for is James Dean of Rebel Without a Cause fame. He embodied that cool, collected bravado, and was the cultural icon for teen and young adult angst.

Going against fashion conventions of the 1950’s, Dean refuted the idea of being clean cut, and traded in his slacks, suit jacket, and fedora for a white T-shirt, blue jeans, and a leather jacket. This is the essence captured by Feltraiger, which is to infuse parts of Americana into a fashion collection paying homage to their — and our predecessors. Like Feltraiger, the fellas of Herds of the Fathers set out on a similar

“I feel like now-adays people do too much, “At least it’s too much for me”.

goal; however, Akoi and Babajide kept their primary focus on accessories, whereas the aforementioned brand is a full-out clothing line. Partners Jason Akoi and Tobi Babajide concocted the idea at Rutgers University in 2008, and pondered the various avenues to take in an effort to branch out and create

something aside from being another drone on the conveyor belt that is college.

The concept behind the name is a relatively simple one. As Jason explains, they wanted the name to be a “conversation starter” as the name does not necessarily state what it is representing. To the partners, the “herd” is a representation of communal living and groups. The “fathers” guide the style and the fashion which expression is made.

“I feel like now-a-days people do too much” says Jason in regards to today’s fashion. “At least it’s too much for me”.

This, paired with Tobi’s need for affordable accessories that are both quality and classic

Herds and Feltraiger Clothing: (Left to Right) Jason 21-P Camo Shor ts 160.00, Destitute Denim Vest 240.00, Dan Ryder Denim Jacket 210.00, Listen to Ratmouth Tee 38.00,Bor n Free Snapback 38.00, OG Green Jacket 420.00; Jon JV Jacket 280.00, Animal Camo Snapback 38.00, RM Logo Crew 64.00; Tobi Car r yall (Green/Camo Tr im) 240.00, Midwester n (Red Corduroy) 176.00.

in style, laid the foundation for Herds of the Fathers. Drawing inspiration from their West African heritage, their collection embodies nature, as it borrows hues from the rich earth and its whispers of simplicity.

While fashion and conformity are intertwined, there are indeed up-andcoming brands geared towards breaking the proverbial mold. The creators of both brands, Feltraiger and Herds of the Fathers, decided it was imperative to stray away from what modern society and the fashion magazines dictate what the new style is and how it should be worn. With styles meant to fit people of all walks of life, the goal of Feltraiger and Herds of the Fathers is to

cater to the everyday man. This versatility transcends fashion, time, and any other contrived, mass-produced piece of temporary clothing. To these entrepreneurs, the look is the focal point behind all their concepts and the central idea being all about the look and not the fashion. In essence, their product does not fit into this or that style. It is something that seems to have no time and cannot be designated to a specific era of fashion. Their examples serve as a lesson to those who are apprehensive, or think starting a business is not feasible. The message conveyed here is: If you have deep rooted passions for something, go for it!

Nothing is beyond your reach.

Saffy

PAGE.22 Athens New Renaissance

Written by Anthony J. Thomas

I FIND THE BEAUTY IN SIMPLE THINGS, FROM THE SHAPE THAT STANDS OUT TO THE SPLASH OF COLOR THAT BRINGS A TOUCH OF EMOTION TO THE COLLECTION.

T

he blossoming of an idea creates an aesthetic, found solely within that of the artist. This aesthetic satisfies the

artist's spirit, offering a feeling of self-fulfillment.

Saffy Parker, 21, resides in the diverse, historyencrusted streets of London, a location that has helped birth her physical, social and artistic “persona”.

Visually, Saffy’s work curates the beauty of the realm we exist in, drawing from influences like German expressionism, film noir, and the paradoxical affair between light and contrast.

Saffy’s peculiar selection of muses leaves much to inquire about her future aspirations, as the creative minds of Yohji Yamamoto and Alexander Wang - amongst others - hold residency in Saffy’s personal purview of “art history”: “I find the beauty in simple things, from the shape that stands out to the splash of color that brings a touch of emotion to the collection. I want my work to provoke that same feeling and thought process, other than that I feel these designs are a great representation of my personality”.

Saffy Continued...

Athens New Renaissance PAGE.24

Slave to Society (Girl with Noose) Beautiful Ugly Bracelets (Wrist with Cuffs) Tik Tok.. Rush Hour (Water color photo)

Athens New Renaissance PAGE.25

THEN GOD IS SEVEN Written By Christopher Alley

Athens New Renaissance: How long have you been playing music? Where did the band’s name originate?

The Widest Smiling Faces: When I was a little kid, I used to write pretty elaborate pieces in my head, but I started playing guitar and actually recording songs when I was 15. The name came about when I was getting fairly into Street Art. I had this idea of being a street artist, but as I’m not too great at drawing, the idea would be to just write ideas or statements on walls and sign them as “The Widest Smiling Faces”. The street art thing never ended up happening, but the name stuck.

Athens: Who are your favorite street artists? Did you see “Exit Through the Gift Shop”?

TWSF: I haven’t seen it yet, would like to though. I was into Gaia a lot, and Michael De Feo; there are a lot of pieces I was blown away by, but I don’t recall all of the names. I guess I only really scratched the surface, kind of a fleeting thing I suppose.

Athens: How would you describe your music? Would “shoegaze” even be an appropriate term for your sound?

TWSF: Well I guess every release is a bit different, but in general, I try to make songs that inspire imagery and color. I’ve always felt more connected to visual artists than other musicians.. I guess it’s not really shoegaze or anything… [I create] little colorful things with pictures and scenes.

Athens: So your main inspirations come from visual art, but do you get anything from other musicians or films?

TWSF: Yeah, of course. I’ve been listening to Oval recently, and Neil Young and Sufjan Stevens and I’m starting to explore the labyrinth that is Lil’ B. Athens: Lil B! Yes. I’d suggest “6 Kiss”, “Everything Based”, “Illusions of Grandeur” and basically anything on his Youtube page with over 500k views. There’s usually a merit to the more popular stuff he does.

TWSF: Lil’ B is kind of like the Andy Kaufman of our generation.

Athens: He’s both in on the joke and lost inside of it at the same time.

TWSF: I think he’s just very honest and is doing whatever he wants. But I think a large part of that is mockery. It’s really funny that Lil’ B was discovered by Soulja Boy... like Lil’ B’s entire persona is a straight mockery of Soulja Boy. He probably thinks Soulja Boy is the biggest idiot in the world.

Athens: I think he legitimately liked the dude, but it was probably also a chess move because he doesn’t seem to associate with him anymore.

I recall you listing the band as “body horror” once and I wondered, at face value, about Cronenberg, and then, at a deeper level, whether that was a deadpan joke or Athens New Renaissance PAGE.27

THE GOD IS SEVEN CONTINUED a personal reference… Or Kafka, if not Cronenberg.

TWSF: It’s kind of a joke, but also I do feel horrified at being alive sometimes. It’s very strange. I’m full of blood and sperm and I’m wrapped in skin - it’s very strange.

Athens: Your lyrics have a lot of strong imagery but also a degree of abstraction; I was wondering what your approach was.

Are your word choices meant solely to evoke or are there underlying meanings behind them?

TWSF: They’re both. Me and My Ribcage is kind of about Satan, for example. People seem to have not picked that up yet - or if they have, they haven’t shared it with me Athens: Wow, that’s really fucking cool.

TWSF: Well, I’m kind of simplifying it a

lot, I guess. It’s not really about Satan, but it kind of is. It’s about God and my body and how weird it is to be alive, and Asherah, who was God’s wife, and like just wanting to be natural, but being afraid of being alive and how that ties to ideas of the devil. ...and lots and lots of things. Like “me and my ribcage”, Adam and Eve, but also just how strange it is to have a ribcage. “I’d slip with glue in my hands” - like cum in my hands, “dripping milk”, etc.

Athens: Your LP art and the lyrics and music evoke thoughts of childhood wonder in some of the reviews and when I listened to you at Purchase. Is that a part of the Widest Smiling Faces or a side effect?

TWSF: Well, I’m kind of childish, so I guess it makes sense. The world is full of wonder.

Me and My Ribcage is available on CD, digital format, and, most recently, vinyl.

Photographed by Christopher Wodjak and Stephen Elledge

JESSICA LEHRMAN Written by E.M. Williams

J

essica Lehrman is a hippie child. Instead of offering the majority of her adolescent years to high school, she traveled across the US, worked in radio and practiced sacred geometry.

Now, 24-years-old, she’s still traveling, has some of the biggest Indie/Urban magazines fighting over her work, shoots for her own house magazine (Relapse Mag), and works for music mainstay Rolling Stone.

Jessica is a young Mary Ellen Mark, photographing the beauty in the struggle. She’s been kicked in the face

by Tyler the Creator at an Odd Future show, stuck out the horrors of Hurricane Sandy in NY areas like Coney and Long Island, traveled to India to work with impoverished children and so much more.

“I want to shine light on things that people don’t know about, that I think are important, that you can change,” added Lehrman.

“Most photographers have this idea that they’re invincible. And I’ve almost died so many times. I just have it in my head that I’ve got this crazy angel that’s looking out for me. And I can just do what ever I want... You’ve got to push yourself to the edge and that’s when magic happens.”

Athens New Renaissance PAGE.5

Nathalie Kraynina Black Royce Sheer Top 246.40, Dance the Night Away Long Skirt 268.40; Uta Bekaia

by Ayakamey

Athens: New Ren: What makes you want to do something like that?

“I’m stupid, I don’t know if brave is the word..” she laughs. “Most photographers have this idea that they’re invincible. And I’ve almost died so many times. I just have it in my head that I’ve got this crazy angel that’s looking out for me. And I can just do what ever I want.”

She’s always got a smile on her face and isn’t afraid to make fun of herself. She may deride herself a bit too much, but it’s clear she appreciates herself as she is. Jessica doesn’t feel she needs to fit in.

“I don’t have time for that,” said Lerhman. “To be in a scene, I think would be to lose myself.”

We agree. Jessica, alone, is a great entity to be a part of.

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LUCAS ALVARADO By: E.M. Williams

“There’s rarely a moment that I can’t connect to the photo.” Lucas’ ability to think in retrospect when observing his photographs, is quite strong. Alvarado says he can look back at any photo he took and tell you the events around that time including his mood, his thoughts, and probably the entire other five senses. He takes pride in this, as he should. His light beams in all ways.

There’s very few (if ever) mornings I wake up and I’m like ‘fuck this.’ [laughs] That doesn’t happen. There’s literally a moment every single day where you can be inspired, so why not take advantage of that.”

It should always be prized when an artist remains beaming throughout the conversation. He was very confident in his perspective on life and how he deals with interpersonal and intrapersonal battles.

Lucas is a senior at Columbia U majoring in Anthropology. Before we met for our interview in the city, he had been working at his part time job at a catering company.

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He also works at a law office and more recently joined a soccer league. Let us not forget Lucas is a photographer among it all.

When being told he’s a busy man, he says “does anyone have time for anything? No.” But he’s managed to make time for all he’s doing .

“As soon as you start [to close] yourself off, is when you lose your creativity.

Maintaining your openess is the most essential part to remaining creative,” he said.

At 21 years old, he’s shot for quite a respectable amount of people and publications: from Respect Magazine, to FatTrell, SXSW, to A$AP Rocky. While his photos may involve shooting for others, that is not the basis of it. Lucas considers his work to be art more than anything. He relays his vision behind the camera before anyone else’s demands or requests. In his eyes, the consumer hires you not to do what they want, but for you to display their vision, through your own creativity.

Photographer: Lou Morgan

Stylist: Anthony Thomas

Floral Tstmkrs Tee 20.00, Illfiger Tee 30.00, Tastemakers Hoodie 40.00, L Sweater Courtesy of Lease On Life Society.

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ATHENS MAGAZINE

Savito’s Bitter Sweet Ingredients Written by Christina Santi In 2009, the Daily News crowned Hood Chef the Julia Childs of Brooklyn, but he’s more than just a Youtube sensation serving post-inebriation food to his boys. Before the birth of his culinary alter ego, Salvito or Savage, as many may know him as - was a videographer giving people opportunities to share their creative talents with the world.

His philanthropic nature was born when he was just a child watching his mom work in the culinary food. Her holding this profession would later hone Hood Chef ’s talents. It was when he was a six-year-old boy traveling around with his mother that he made his first charitable gesture to a person-in-need on a New York City street.

So how did this around-the-way boy go from video director to shooting $15,000 cooking videos for Wholefoods?

With the appreciation of his crew, a determination for growth, and a little appreciation for hip-hop music, the Hood Chef diced and chopped his beginnings on the path to success.

When he began his Youtube series, the background to his swagged out cooking lessons were provided by his favorite rapper Curren$y. Little to the knowledge

of Salvito, that move would have a great effect on his movement, because the New Orleans bred rapper took notice. Hood Chef remembers lounging backstage one night during a Curren$y show when his moment came.

“Curren$y steps into the room and he looks over the whole crowd and says, ‘Yo, is that Hood Chef?’ I said ‘You know me?’ He goes ‘Yea I know you, dog; I watch all your s—t. You [got to] meet Dame.’ That whole night he was with me smoking doobies on

Photographed by Sean Quincy Munro

stage with me shouting me out. The next day he called me up to meet Dame,” says Salvito. his ignited the fire under Salvito’s grill. He started his 4Fun crew, developed a social media presence, which involved interviewing rappers such as Fabolous and Waka Flocka, and began to spend summer days flipping his infamous Tiger Sandwiches and BBQ-styled food.

T

Not to mention, the food he whipped up, was given away for free.

For charity, if you will. Salvito says, “Out of the respect of Curren$y, people started respecting me… and I used that opportunity.” He actively tweets to his supporters and took his cooking on tour ushered by theme music from up and coming hip hoppers. Much bigger than his passion for cooking is his wanting to give back, which, according to Salvito, is just

as important in his journey towards the American Dream.

Giving away free food is not about garnering celebrity, but spreading his mantra of “Positive energy, Empowering People and 4 Fun.” Throughout his Food Tour, Hood Chef moved into a shabby Brooklyn apartment he named the Funhouse, where he began to house other talented people for free. Even fighting to make a name for himself on the scene and in such an exclusive industry such as cooking, Salvito holds on to the six-yearold dream of helping everyone to better themselves. Even in the constant struggle of making your own visions reality, Salvito remains a humble humanitarian.

“There’s so many people I want to help and I can’t help everybody. I’m homeless

technically, I don’t have a place to live and I’m helping people,” said Hood Chef in a modest voice.

That’s one of his greater attributes - his realization that hard work pays off more than just having an image. How many chefs have the world seen laced with tattoos or

so-connected to the struggle? Professional cooking and higher levels of success come with the notion of class and purity. Hood Chef is breaking barriers of imagery in society.

“When Wholefoods accepted me, I knew I could get to corporate America,” he teases.

If you think about it, it’s true. There is a circular hierarchy of success that can be exclusive to multiculturalism, and limited to doing for yourself and behaving a certain way. Aside from the joy of hanging out and learning from all the people who support him, one of Hood Chef ’s biggest successes is not his own, but comes from seeing, “people follow their dreams off of a plateau I built with my friends,” he said.

Through every hoop and struggle, this is just the appetizer to the sevencourse meal the Hood Chef wants to cook up for the world. The road to the top is never easy and the most valuable lesson anyone can learn by his standards is, “Never give up, just keep on going no matter how long it takes. Once you give up you have to start all over again.”

No matter how many failed recipes come from his hands, nothing will stop him from making a supper worth sharing with the people who need it the most; the people on the rise to success just like him.

ATHENS MAGAZINE

Chicken | 2 spots to shop and cop quality apparel.

Mr. Throwback. In addition to the collection of vintage shops along the East Village line, this newly opened vintage store has all good things ‘90s and sports related for you to reminisce on.

Shrimp | Appreciate the little things.

Top Ramen When you can’t afford the eloquent pan noodles in some Asian restaurant, you resort to the go-to working class cusine.

Oriental | Confucious says “Some people would like me to be round again.”…. or was that Karl Lagerfield?

Wo Hop- Rid yourself of those wretched corner store Chinese restaurants and leap into Wo Hop. It says a lot when you get 4 of 5 stars from The New York Mag, and still have prices just as equal to a suspicious chop shop.

Halal Cart 59th Street & 3rd Ave. There has been said to be a Halal Cart that holds a line that can last up to some hours. This upper east side cart, has 4 of 5 starts on Yelp.. and great reviews from some of our readers.

Beef | Rare spots to grab dope streetwear. Well done DC & NY.

Community 54- The Lower East Side of Manhattan is the place to be it seems for youth culture and entertainment.

Community 54, hosts the best of that with their street wear, custom apparel, and always intriguing celeb guest appearances.

ABSTRAC APPEAL

CT

Written by Gyasi Williams Kirtley -Why Cartel? Does it have any relation to the “drug cartels”?

The word suggests we’re highly organized but somewhat illicit, on the edge, which appealed to us as we were figuring out our name. “company” or “group” felt a bit neutral for our flavor.

-Who makes up the cartel?

Photos source of Dance Cartel

[It’s] a combination of dancers that appeared out of the blue at auditions, or via recommendations from other performers, and dear friends of mine that I knew could sweat a lot and make it look cool. Over the last year we’ve grown quite a bit to include a rotating group that varies according to the needs of our projects.

Most of the dancers have many years of training/ experience…but not all in a formal dance institution.

One or two are highly dynamic performers I knew moved in interesting ways, and it’s been a total delight to create movement with and on their specific bodies and personalities.

-What dance companies do TDC try to emulate/are inspired by?

I’d say we take more of our inspiration from music groups and the concert format (as well as DJ sets and social dance)

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than from other dance companies. Of course we learn a lot by seeing what our contemporaries do, but with few rare exceptions, I’m far more jazzed by the concerts, parades, and occasionally transcendent parties I’ve attended than what I see in most dance show venues.

Brazilian Carnaval, mosh-pits, Diplo’s live sets are among some major sources for “OntheFloor”, our latest show. On the other side of the spectrum (and to answer your question), I’ve long admired the work of dance world giants like Martha Graham, and Martha Clarke, and Michael Clark. It sounds like I made those names up for a nursery rhyme but they’re actually real.

-What are your thoughts on the dance culture in the mainstream media?

Dance doesn’t get nearly as much weight in our mainstream culture as, for instance, music and fashion. It’s funny – I can’t speak to how this is in the rest of the world, but I’ve spent several months in Brazil now, and dance definitely had a larger, more accessible presence in popular culture there – all kinds of people dance; it is as much of a shared vocabulary as music is for us.

I’m really interested in trying to push dance – however coarse or refined in its taste, loud or subtle in its imagery – into the hands of people that don’t have experience doing it, so that it’s as accessible as a great beat in a popular

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song. It’s such a joyful thing, I think lots more people should get to participate in it – which means watching dance that’s exciting but also getting to dance here and there.

-Do you feel the dance community is segregated?

Yes and no. The dance community is in some ways one of the most welcoming, generous and compassionate ones I’ve known in the arts - dancers know how to take care of each other, and are often pretty open people. That said, I think the dance community has some old habits and reverences that can be limiting.

Sometimes you get companies that over-represent one contingent of the community – all women, or all queers, or all people of color – for me the most exciting thing is when everyone is playing together and there’s a conversation between varied sensibilities, backgrounds, languages… But hey that’s just a crazy New Yorker talking.

-What would you say TDC compromises for viewer entertainment and reliability?

If I understand the question correctly, then I’ll say that we definitely have to be conscious of how to be inclusive of our audience and that means building things like laughter, pop culture references, effective timing into our shows, so that our content doesn’t become alienating or just for us. But I don’t view that as a

compromise – that’s just striving to make good work, that moves out of our interests and across the room to reach someone else.

-Why is TDC different from any other dance company?

Whew… Well. We’re working in a very joyous spirit, and trying to share that with people. The work is serious, and has technical rigor and an intention to communicate human experience, but in a way that doesn’t exclude a certain amount of idiocy. Sometimes I say we’re highbrow through the lens of lowbrow – we don’t look down on popular modes of expression to make our point. (pull quote)

-In the coming year what are the goals of TDC? We’ll continue to perform in a variety of settings – we have a flexible model and we’re looking to start offering our work as a product for events, parties, venues as well as to keep developing our work and repertoire in creative environments. We want to keep working with new musicians, of all kinds …

Music videos! We’re doing one of those for our friend’s music project Club Girls next week – I hope it’s the first of many.

-What is “movement” to the TDC and how important is audience interaction in your live shows?

Big question. Interaction takes on different shapes depending on the nature of the performance you want to make. In OntheFloor we love moving our crowd around, keeping them on their feet and surrounded by the dance – but I’m not a big fan of audience interaction where you put an audience member on the spot – I think it inhibits them more than frees them. So for us right now, it’s about creating a climate where the audience can engage of their own volition.

-How does TDC prepare for a show?

A lot of Ani listening to music, scouting good sound, mental choreography on the train, then lying on my floor drawing a total blank, hitting walls, trying things on our wonderful dancers, learning what it wants to be through them, falling in love with what it starts to become, calling my collaborators (co-director Sam Pinkleton, designers, assistants) to define and clarify and hone it… And then we go out dancing here and there. Something like that.

-How many times a week does TDC rehearse?

Depends on the project – many of us do 600 other things a week, so usually around twice a week, and up to four times during crunch time before a performance… I can’t wait for the day we have the time and resources to work for real, full rehearsal periods – like 5-6 full days a week. Just imagine what we’d get done with that kind of intensity!

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ATHENS MAGAZINE

Aviv Thewidestsmilingfaces.com

Cortelyou Ditcnewyork.com

Community 54. community54.com 54 Clinton Street.

New York, NY

Herds of the Fathers Herdsofthefathers.com

Lease On Life Society LeaseonLifeSociety.com

Feltraiger Feltraiger.com

Wo Hop Restaurant wohopnyc.com/ 17 Mott Street. New York, NY

Events NYCshowguide.com

Mr. Throwback Vintage mrthrowback.bigcartel.com/ 428 E. 9th Street. New York, NY

Nathalie Kraynina http://nathaliekraynina.com/ Jessica Lehrman http://www.jessicalehrman.com/ http:// photothuglife.tumblr.com/

Rochelle Brock fatleopard.tumblr.com/ www.facebook.com/FatleopardPhoto

DJ Pretty Pea https://www.facebook.com/DjPrettyPea

Lucas Alvarado http://www.farfetchedfuture.com/ Aviv Thewidestsmilingfaces.com Sean Quincy Munro goodhabitnyc@gmail.com Uta Bekaia http://utabekaia.com/ Rochelle Brock http://fatleopard.tumblr.com/ https:// www.facebook.com/FatleopardPhoto Bagir Ba @BagirBa Hood Chef http://www.youtube.com/HoodChefnyc @TheHoodChef Dance Cartel TheDanceCartel.com

Saffy SaffyPartofSoul.Posterous.Com Nathan Smith http://www.nathanrsmith.com/ Gyasi Williams-Kirtley @thedominusG Editor-In-Chief AthensNewRen@gmail.com Director of Fashion Fashion.AthensNewRen@gmail.com Director of Music Music.AthensNewRen@gmail.com Artistic Director Quintavious@QuintaviousShephard.com Director of Photography TeeShotMe.com

EVENTS Courtesy of NYCShowguide.com

JANUARY

18th

Nude Beach @ Mercury Lounge 10PM (Late Show)

19th Morrisey

22nd

Widowspeak 9:30 @ Mercury Lounge Work Drugs, Night Panther, Lingerie

24th

Urban Cone and Saint Lou Lou 21s

25th

Ra Ra Riot @ Webster 7pm Urban Cone and Saint Lou Lou @ Glasslands 8PM

26th

Walk the Moo & Pacific Air @ Music Hall of Williamsburg 8:00

27th

Walk the Moon & Pacific Are 8:00 Best busy Lotus @ Brooklyn Knitting Factory 8:00

29th

Freelance Whales @ Music Hall of Williamsburg 7:30 PM

31st

The Vaccines @ Terminal 5 7:30PM

3rd

Local Natives @ Bowery Ballroom

5th

Of Mice & Men @ Irving Plaza

6th

Eoto @ Brooklyn Bowl

7th

Psychic Ills @ The Bowery Ballroom

FEBRUARY

1st

9th

2nd

8th

Local Natives @ Music Hall of Williamsburg The Lumineers @ Terminal 5

The Lumineers @ Terminal 5 Local Natives @ Bowery Ballroom

Frontier Ruckus @ Mercury Lounge @ 10:30PM

Passion Pit / Matt and Kim @ Madison Square Garden

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