self-titled - no. 3 - (Page 26) EP Your film is a glaring reminder of the way New York City used to be, from the apartment building that once housed Richard Hell, Arthur and Allen Ginsberg to the legendary dance parties of David Mancuso and Nicky Siano. As an artist yourself, did you ever find yourself longing for the old New York? Well, I never lived in the old New York, and I try not to over-idealize the past. People were poor, on drugs, dying of AIDS—it was a brutal time in certain ways. But it was a more sustainable environment for artists, and I certainly wish that were more the case now. You’ve mentioned that you didn’t get into this simply for the music because you’re not a music nerd. Why was Arthur’s story attractive as a documentary? I mean, it touches on the AIDS crisis, New York during the ’70s and ’80s, etc. Yes, many of the narratives revolving around Arthur’s biography were a huge draw to me: the queer element and the love story, the cultural history of the avant-garde and underground disco, downtown New York Did making this film open you up to other artists? The film broadened my horizons in terms of how I think about art and the creative process. It’s made me think about the multitude of characters and interests we all have inside. Arthur’s music has been a gateway for many people realizing that there’s more to disco than the cheesy reputation it’s had since the ’80s. What did disco bring to mind for you in the past? I was always intrigued by disco conceptually—this experimental social space where people came to dance. And I agree, the cheesy iconography of Studio 54/John Travolta was always a bit of a turn off. But the film educated me about that period, and I grew to appreciate a lot more music and history by meeting David Mancuso and others. A part of the film explores Arthur’s paranoia and his inability to work with others. Did you avoid focusing on it too much so as not to distract from his greater story? No, I think I consolidated the anecdotes about Arthur’s paranoia. I wanted to help explain why he didn’t become more successful during his lifetime. I though it was helpful to express his paranoia after the viewer learns about the extent of his musical interests and productivity. Did you “get” Arthur’s music at first? As his father says in the film, it’s “music you can’t tap your foot to.” I immediately fell in love, though I didn’t get how diverse and expansive his body of work was for a while. Is it deliberate that you didn’t end the film with his death, maybe to emphasize how his music’s lived on? Any film about death has to have some catharsis. For Wild Combination, I wanted to bring the viewer back emotionally from sadness, to reflect on the meaning of Arthur’s life and work and the impact he had on the world and those who loved him. First, be romantic. Show off your culinary skills and refined taste in cinema—dinner and a movie. Not a chef? No problem. Use what you know. Dropping an egg in some ramen will impress the classiest of babes. And the film? Predator starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. Show off by reciting lines just before they happen. Second, be interesting. Talk about things you know. For example, talk about how great Phil Collins drumming is on the track “Easy Lover” by Philip Bailey. Who would disagree? An alien, that’s who. Definitely not a babe. If all else fails, shower said babe with gifts. Babes are like big, hot children. So why not treat them like children? Think about what you wanted as a kid. Buy her a pellet gun, a sword or maybe some firecrackers depending on which state you live in. She will be puddy in the palm of your waterbed! AS TOLD TO AUSTIN L. RAY Gentleman Jesse’s self-titled debut drips with power-pop gooeyness. It’s out now on Douchemaster Records. HOW TO TREAT YOUR LADY RIGHT By GENTLEMAN JESSE http://www.myspace.com/gentlemanjesse
Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of self-titled - no. 3 self-titled - no. 3 Contents Titus Andronicus A.C. Newman Los Campesinos! Zombi Arthur Russell Gentleman Jesse Circlesquare Oneida Cut Off Your Hands Frances and the Lights School of Seven Bells and Free Blood ...Trail of Dead’s Conrad Keely cLOUDDEAD self-titled - no. 3 self-titled - no. 3 - self-titled - no. 3 (Page Cover1) self-titled - no. 3 - self-titled - no. 3 (Page Cover2) self-titled - no. 3 - self-titled - no. 3 (Page 3) self-titled - no. 3 - self-titled - no. 3 (Page 4) self-titled - no. 3 - self-titled - no. 3 (Page 5) self-titled - no. 3 - self-titled - no. 3 (Page 6) self-titled - no. 3 - self-titled - no. 3 (Page 7) self-titled - no. 3 - self-titled - no. 3 (Page 8) self-titled - no. 3 - self-titled - no. 3 (Page 9) self-titled - no. 3 - self-titled - no. 3 (Page 10) self-titled - no. 3 - self-titled - no. 3 (Page 11) self-titled - no. 3 - self-titled - no. 3 (Page 12) self-titled - no. 3 - Contents (Page 13) self-titled - no. 3 - Titus Andronicus (Page 14) self-titled - no. 3 - Titus Andronicus (Page 15) self-titled - no. 3 - A.C. Newman (Page 16) self-titled - no. 3 - A.C. Newman (Page 17) self-titled - no. 3 - A.C. Newman (Page 18) self-titled - no. 3 - A.C. Newman (Page 19) self-titled - no. 3 - Los Campesinos! (Page 20) self-titled - no. 3 - Los Campesinos! (Page 21) self-titled - no. 3 - Los Campesinos! (Page 22) self-titled - no. 3 - Zombi (Page 23) self-titled - no. 3 - Arthur Russell (Page 24) self-titled - no. 3 - Arthur Russell (Page 25) self-titled - no. 3 - Gentleman Jesse (Page 26) self-titled - no. 3 - Gentleman Jesse (Page 27) self-titled - no. 3 - Circlesquare (Page 28) self-titled - no. 3 - Circlesquare (Page 29) self-titled - no. 3 - Oneida (Page 30) self-titled - no. 3 - Cut Off Your Hands (Page 31) self-titled - no. 3 - Frances and the Lights (Page 32) self-titled - no. 3 - Frances and the Lights (Page 33) self-titled - no. 3 - School of Seven Bells and Free Blood (Page 34) self-titled - no. 3 - School of Seven Bells and Free Blood (Page 35) self-titled - no. 3 - School of Seven Bells and Free Blood (Page 36) self-titled - no. 3 - School of Seven Bells and Free Blood (Page 37) self-titled - no. 3 - School of Seven Bells and Free Blood (Page 38) self-titled - no. 3 - School of Seven Bells and Free Blood (Page 39) self-titled - no. 3 - School of Seven Bells and Free Blood (Page 40) self-titled - no. 3 - School of Seven Bells and Free Blood (Page 41) self-titled - no. 3 - School of Seven Bells and Free Blood (Page 42) self-titled - no. 3 - School of Seven Bells and Free Blood (Page 43) self-titled - no. 3 - School of Seven Bells and Free Blood (Page 44) self-titled - no. 3 - School of Seven Bells and Free Blood (Page 45) self-titled - no. 3 - School of Seven Bells and Free Blood (Page 46) self-titled - no. 3 - School of Seven Bells and Free Blood (Page 47) self-titled - no. 3 - School of Seven Bells and Free Blood (Page 48) self-titled - no. 3 - School of Seven Bells and Free Blood (Page 49) self-titled - no. 3 - ...Trail of Dead’s Conrad Keely (Page 50) self-titled - no. 3 - ...Trail of Dead’s Conrad Keely (Page 51) self-titled - no. 3 - ...Trail of Dead’s Conrad Keely (Page 52) self-titled - no. 3 - ...Trail of Dead’s Conrad Keely (Page 53) self-titled - no. 3 - ...Trail of Dead’s Conrad Keely (Page 54) self-titled - no. 3 - ...Trail of Dead’s Conrad Keely (Page 55) self-titled - no. 3 - ...Trail of Dead’s Conrad Keely (Page 56) self-titled - no. 3 - ...Trail of Dead’s Conrad Keely (Page 57) self-titled - no. 3 - cLOUDDEAD (Page 58) self-titled - no. 3 - cLOUDDEAD (Page 59) self-titled - no. 3 - cLOUDDEAD (Page 60) self-titled - no. 3 - cLOUDDEAD (Page 61) self-titled - no. 3 - cLOUDDEAD (Page 62) self-titled - no. 3 - cLOUDDEAD (Page 63) self-titled - no. 3 - cLOUDDEAD (Page 64) self-titled - no. 3 - cLOUDDEAD (Page 65) self-titled - no. 3 - cLOUDDEAD (Page 66) self-titled - no. 3 - cLOUDDEAD (Page 67) self-titled - no. 3 - cLOUDDEAD (Page 68) self-titled - no. 3 - cLOUDDEAD (Page 69) self-titled - no. 3 - cLOUDDEAD (Page Cover4)
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