Celebration of the Chinese New Year is a big deal in New York City. Thousands of people gather in downtown Manhattan, crammed along the skinny streets, clutching miniature fireworks. After the parade, families crowd into restaurants, to scoff dumplings & drink tea. It’s no surprise, though: Chinatown in Manhattan is the biggest enclave of Chinese people in the entire Western hemisphere!

On Sunday morning, I wriggled my way into the front of a crowd lining Mott Street to catch a glimpse of the dragon. The gathering was terrifically diverse, with teeny-tiny Chinese girls sitting on their fathers’ shoulders, solemn-looking senior citizens, & slightly confused tourists! As we waited for the festivities to begin, the quiet murmur of the crowd would be punctuated by a wicked snap-crackle-pop, & an explosion of glitter & confetti from a popper would fly up into the sky. A man carrying rainbow-hued cotton candy walked up & down the crowded pathways. Mickey Mouse, Cookie Monster, & a man in drag with a bright green beard walked the parade route, presumably to entertain us while we waited…

Suddenly, the drums started to play, & the dragons followed. Lurching towards us & soaring over the crowd, they fluttered their big eyes at us & darted from side to side. Everyone reached out to touch the dragons, tried to call them over & get closer. In Chinese culture, they believe that loud drums combined with dragons dancing can defeat evil spirits. It’s a way of cleansing before the new year!

Flocks of girls in traditional costume walked past, followed by a gathering of families with adopted Chinese children. There were balloons, Chinese & American flags, & Snoopy made an appearance, too.  Every new float or gaggle of people elicited excited cheers from the crowd, even when Chuck Schumer — New York Senator — came past. A Chinese woman walked beside him, talking into his ear, & he would repeat whatever she said into a bullhorn!

It was surreal & delightful. A lot of us in the crowd had no idea who most of the people were, or even what their signs said, but we cheered anyway. It just felt right, & so good to be there!  We all went home with happy hearts & confetti in our hair.

From New York City to wherever you are: 吉慶有餘 ! Or, may your happiness be without limit!

Words by Gala Darling (@galadarling). Photos by Lydia Hudgens (@lydiahudgens).

In support of the release, 12th Planet embarks on a 28-city, North American tour kicking off on February 2nd in Miami, FL. And he’s giving fans a chance to get up close and personal! That’s right,12th Planet will be hosting Meet & Greet contests presented by HEX in select cities with tour mates Flinch, Kastle and Crizzly. Enter now at www.12thplanet2012.com/tour! Video after the Jump.

Named one of bass music’s foremost purveyors in Billboard’s Year In Music issue, 12th Planet dominated 2011 with a sold-out, 50-date North American tour alongside Skrillex, released the ‘Who Are We?’ EP on his influential dubstep label SMOG, which just celebrated their 5-year anniversary, and co-produced a track on Korn’s latest foray into dubstep (“Way Too Far” with Flinch). He has also lent his signature crushing bass and resonating energy to remixes for MIA, John Legend, Travis Barker and more, and has collaborations coming out with Dizzee Rascal, among others. With his star rising internationally, 12th Planet was also dubbed “US dubstep godfather” by UK’s dance music bible Mixmag, as he’s emerged as an ambassador of the now fully established American dubstep movement.

Check out the apocalyptic new video for “The End Is Near Pt. 1,” which premiered exclusively on SPIN.com:

12th PLANET ‘THE END IS NEAR!’ NORTH AMERICAN TOUR 2012
PRESENTED BY SCION A/V

Feb 2 Miami, FL @ Grand Central
Feb 3 Ft. Lauderdale, FL @ Revolution
Feb 4 Athens, GA @ Bad Manor
Feb 5 Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade
Feb 7 Virginia Beach, VA @ Peabodys
Feb 8 Washington, DC @ District
Feb 9 Baltimore, MD @ Soundstage
Feb 10 New York, NY @ Webster Hall
Feb 11 Philadelphia, PA @ TLA
Feb 12 Hartford, CT @ Webster Theater
Feb 13 Boston, MA @ Middle East
Feb 14 Montreal, Canada @ Le Belmont
Feb 15 Toronto, Canada @ Wrongbar
Feb 16 Chicago, IL @ Bottom Lounge
Feb 17 Detroit, MI @ Magic Stick
Feb 18 St. Louis, MO @ 2720 Cherokee
Feb 19 Nashville, TN @ Club Mai
Feb 20 New Orleans, LA @ Ampersand
Feb 21 Dallas, TX @ Trees
Feb 22 Oklahoma City, OK @ Kamp
Feb 23 Albuquerque, NM @ Sunshine Theater
Feb 24 Phoenix, AZ @ Madison Events Center
Feb 25 Las Vegas, NV @ Hard Rock
Feb 26 San Diego, CA @ Voyeur
Feb 28 Orange County, CA @ Dubtroit
Feb 29 Los Angeles, CA @ Avalon Hollywood (*venue change)
March 1 San Francisco, CA @ Mighty
March 2 Portland, OR @ Roseland
March 3 Eugene, OR @ Wow Hall

Drawing inspiration from rugged military flight suits, the flight pant is designed for a trim fit in sleek Japanese cotton twill and finished with authentic detailing. What make these pants exotic are the plethora of pockets and the cannon twill color. Even though you have an overabundance of pockets, they are not as functional because of the slim fit of the pant. So instead of being able to stuff five fragmentation grenades, a desert eagle, two bush machetes, a weeks worth of rations, and a 3×5 of your fiancé who thinks that you are an investment banker on corporate business in the Caymans, you will have to settle for a cigarette lighter and a moon pie. Hopefully your intent is to hunt down the fictional Kim Jong-IL From “Team America World Police” and not any of Al-Qaeda’s most wanted.

With that being said, these flight pants are best suited for the Saturday night mercenary missions in Hollywood, walking from Supperclub to Avalon as you are attacked and have to fend yourself from the homeless guy who thinks he’s Jesus and feels the need to lay hands on you, the lady with the black market hot dog stand that is peddling week old salmonella infested Hebrew Nationals with raw bacon wrapped around them, and of course the host of other bizarre Hollywood Blvd. mutants that have traveled light years from other solar systems far beyond to land on the intersection of Hollywood and Highland. At a retail price of $395.00 these pants are a sure purchase.

Every chic GI Joe needs to have shoes to perfectly match his voguish combat ensemble. The best option in mind is the Grenson Glenn Military Boot. The motivation for this boot comes from an old Italian infantry boot circa 1890-1944. We know that Milan is the fashion capitol of the world, so it should also be designated as the fashion capitol of the world for the designer conscious, freelance commando. This boot is made out of soft Italian calf and British Millerain waxed canvas. These fascist boots are versatile, unique, and rare. They are available in dark brown/dark green or you can settle for khaki, which will go perfectly with your Ralph Lauren Flight Pants. You can now have the authentic look and feel of being a part of Little Benito’s Royal Air Force. Go to Grenson.co.uk now for they are on sale for $197.50

Words by Dynast Amir (@dynastamirmahdi)

We don’t even think much of it anymore. When a horror movie trailer plays, it’s pretty much a given that every girl in said coming attraction will die in really brutally awful ways. Until the last few minutes or so, when the last girl standing — preferably pasty, pale, and virginal — manages to avoid doing anything excessively stupid long enough to survive. Should you find yourself, however unlikely, in a similar situation –  Here’s 4 signs you won’t be the first to die:

“It’s always the same. Some blonde big breasted girl who can’t act that runs up the stairs when they should be running out the front door. It’s insulting.” (Scream)

5. You’re white. Anyone who’s not white has about as much chance of surviving a horror film as a hemophiliac working in a razor blade factory. Honestly I can’t remember the last time I saw a black girl in a horror movie, but as Freddy vs. Jason proves, when black girls have to share screen time with white girls, it’s kind of like The Bachelor – you dare not send her home packing first; better to not look quite so racist for at least a half hour of screen time. And look at The Descent, a relatively kick-ass horror film about cave-dwelling monsters: the one who screws it up for everyone is Asian. Thus, in addition to being white, it also helps if…

4. You’re Cuter Than Someone Else (Not Necessarily Smarter). Pretty girls aren’t allowed to fart. They’re not allowed to burp. The mere mention of bodily fluids of any kind by pretty girls are verboten. It stands to reason, therefore, that if you’re ugly, you go first. No exceptions. In Hellraiser, heroine Kirsty is often dumb as a rock (as the requisite tripping-over-stuff and passing-out-scenes prove)… and yet incredibly clever, like when she figures out the Lament Configuration. Being dopey never hurt a cute girl in a horror film, as all the Final Destinations have proven.

3. You’re a Paranoid Virgin. Especially in Friday the 13th, sex was pretty much an automatic death sentence. Jason died because two stupid teenagers were too busy having sex to take care of him. He got his revenge mainly by coming back to life and killing couples having sex — mainly through stabbing, spearing, impaling, just to drive the metaphor home. Even the girl who survived the first one was killed with an icepick in the brain in the first five minutes of Friday the 13th Part 2. Yes, Jason loves his mother, and hates sex. There’s a movie that doesn’t need a prequel.

Don’t even look at dirty pictures — remember the scene in Dracula when Winona Ryder is looking at dirty pictures? She ends up being seduced by the Prince of Darkness. Yes, best to just curl up with a copy of Ethan Frome while the rest of your horny sorority sisters are partying in the next room. You could even leave your door open.

2. You’ve Got Access to Some Otherworldly Dimension. In the movie Carrie, the main character had it pretty bad. Yet despite having the mother from hell and being endlessly tormented by her peers, Sissy Spacek was still cute. On top of all that, she also had telekinesis — and after getting doused in pig’s blood at her prom, used that power to burn everyone alive. Yeah, she died — but of her own accord, so it doesn’t really count.

1. You’re one of the guys.  Girls who can take apart stuff and beat up bad guys last longer than the more ‘feminine’ chicks — take Michelle Rodriguez, whom in Resident Evil, is tough enough to be the next to last girl surviving. Unfortunately Milla Jovavich is white and arguably not as masculine, and thus ‘cuter.’ Elaborating on that theory, in the original script for Alien, Ripley was a guy. It was that masculinity which James Cameron sort of took apart in the sequel, replacing them with the same motherly instincts he seems intent on putting in all his heroines (and look where it got her- she was basically killed off in the beginning of Alien 3). Maybe being too much of a chick just doesn’t pay.

Exactly

Photo of Scream courtesy of Dimension Films
Photo of The Strangers courtesy of Rogue Pictures
Photo of Halloween courtesy of Compass International
Photo of Cherry Falls Courtesy of Rogue Pictures/USA
Photo of Carrie courtesy of United Artists
Photo of Alien Resurrection Courtesy of 20th Century Fox and Brandywine
Photo of Rocky Horror Picture Show Courtesy of 20th Century Fox

Words by Jeff Nau

Rankin says that LA has always been a place near and dear to his heart: “Like so many photographers and directors, it has a strong pull for me. It is the unquestionable and true home of the industry I work in. The light, space and dynamic landscapes in and around the city make it the best place in the world to shoot. I am excited to finally have a base here.”

The artist has selected a cozy Melrose gallery to be the epicenter of his sexy portrait collection. From the street, the two-roomed white walled, glass fronted gallery appears just like any other, but it’s what’s inside that will throw you. From naked celebs like Heidi Klum in a chocolate bath to rock stars in compromising positions, Rankin has something for everyone.

The gallery launched with Open Rankin, a retrospective look at Rankin’s last few decades working with fashion, portraiture, beauty, erotica, and fashion films. The exhibits continuously rotate and the current focus, the Hunger TV exhibition, includes exerts from Rankin’s recently launched bi-annual “glossy magazine of visual intrigue” titled The Hunger.

”The Hunger is an idea that was born from the realization that, more than two decades into my career as a photographer, I am still inspired by what I do every day. I named my first retrospective exhibition Visually Hungry – that’s how I felt. In a lot of ways, it is how I think I’ll feel until I die,” explains Rankin.

If you like your photography with a side of skin, consider Rankin Gallery up your alley.

Rankin Gallery
8760 Melrose Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90046
www.rankinla.com
323-944-0026
Tues – Sat 11am – 6pm

Words by Nicole Pajer (@NicolePajer)

Premiering worldwide on February 1st, those ‘in-the-know’ snagged tickets to the exclusive screenings taking place across America. In New York, anxious fans piled into a handful of theatres across the New York City to begin their Chemical Brothers journey. Seeing the Chemical Brothers live is in an experience in itself, which many argued would not come across in a traditional styled concert film. However, Adam Smith, the director and creative force who has worked with the electronic duo for well over a decade, was up to the challenge.

The Chemical Brothers have always admired how engaging and emotional their Japanese fan base has been over the years. Wanting to capture such strong emotions, the team behind ‘Don’t Think’ decided to set up cameras amongst the crowd, going as far as to attach one to a young photogenic Japanese girl as she explores the festival grounds. Throughout the movie, we are treated to the many reactions that the audience experienced over the course of the performance. Screaming, crying, laughing, and every emotion in between was captured by cameras that seemed to go unnoticed in the crowd of fans. Mixed with shots focusing on the young Japanese girl as she explored the unique festival grounds, the live visuals, and even some aerial takes from above the band, ‘Don’t Think’ was able to successfully capture many of the elements of their show which had been reserved for those who make the trek to see them live. The performance itself was a testament to the Chemical Brothers’ extensive music catalogue as carefully selected tracks from their seven studio albums highlighted their long and successful career.

In a matter of minutes, the aisles of the theatre filled with restless movie goers, as seeing their favorite song performed live forced them from their seats and into a dancing frenzy. It was a truly unique experience that many of us had never experienced before, as ‘Don’t Think’ seemed to succeed where others before them, had failed. The unadulterated shots taken from inside the crowd included everything that you would see if you were actually there. Whether it was trying to see around the head of the person in front of you, or the person next to you screaming at the top of their lungs, the movie captured it all. As a result, we found ourselves transported into the heart of the performance, experiencing the same (for lack of a better word) performance that 50,000 people were granted last summer.

Words by Alexander Rose (@Alxrse)

Download ‘Amorphous Music Mixtape Vol.7′ here.

TRACKLIST:

Beastie Boys – Intergalactic (Bassnectar Remix)
Bassnectar – Wildstyle [live edit]
Futurebound – Blind Cobblers Thumb (Giz-roc edit)
DC Breaks – The More I Want (Bassnectar edit)
BLUR – Song 2 (Bassnectar Remix)
Bassnectar & Jantsen – Red Step
NastyNasty – The Goalie (Bassnectar Remix)
Foamo – Centavo [live edit]
Bassnectar vs Mochipet – Sloppy Face
Shotgun Radio – A Bad Place Ft. Mimi Page (Minnesota Remix)
MyBack – Blomman
Little Jinder – Youth Blood (12th Planet & Flinch Remix)
Bassnectar – Underwater

VAVA VOOM SPRING TOUR DATES:

* 3/02 Salt Lake City, UT The Complex
* 3/03 Las Vegas, NV Rain
* 3/04 Avon, CO Snowball Festival
* 3/25 Miami, FL Ultra Music Festival
* 3/31 – 4/01 Santiago, Chile Lollapalooza Chile
* 4/07 – 4/08 Sao Paolo, Brazil Lollapalooza Brasil
* 4/11 Indianapolis, IN Egyptian Room
* 4/12 Kansas City, MO The Midland
* 4/13 Madison, WI Exhibition Hall @ Alliant Energy Center
* 4/14 Chicago, IL Congress Theatre
* 4/17 Burlington, VT Memorial Auditorium
* 4/18 Boston, MA House of Blues
* 4/19 Boston, MA House of Blues
* 4/20 Philadelphia, PA BASS CENTER V The Liacouras Center
* 4/21 Rochester, NY Rochester Armory
* 4/24 Norfolk, VA The NorVA
* 4/25 Richmond, VA The National
* 4/26 Knoxville, TN Knoxville Civic Coliseum
* 4/27 Greenville, SC Bi-Lo Center
* 4/28 Birmingham, AL Boutwell Auditorium
* 4/29 Tallahassee, FL The Moon
* 5/03 Santa Cruz, CA Santa Cruz Civic Center
* 5/04 Sacramento, CA Sacramento Memorial Auditorium
* 5/10 Blue Lake, CA Blue Lake Casino
* 5/11 Portland, OR Roseland Theater
* 5/12 Seattle, WA BASS CENTER VI WaMu Theater

Wheels & Doll Baby was founded in Perth, Australia, in 1987. The label, with its quirky yet upscale retro vibe, quickly became a celebrity favourite, being seen on the backs (& fronts!) of the likes of Dita Von Teese, Christina Aguilera, Kylie Minogue & Elle Macpherson. It’s utterly unlike anything else in Australia — or, for that matter, the rest of the world. Wheels & Doll Baby do sex-kitten vintage like no other.

So it makes perfect sense, then, that the illustrious label teamed up with famed fashion photographer, Ellen Von Unwerth, on their latest campaign. Von Unwerth started as a model, working the other side of the lens for 10 years before making the switch. Her provocative photographs celebrate the power & mystery of femininity, as well as the potential of the perfect pout!

Cast your eyeballs over the video & pictures below if you don’t believe me! I absolutely love this collaboration: it makes me want to wear red lipstick every day for the rest of my life!

Words by Gala Darling (@GalaDarling)

As guests arrived, they were greeted by a second story balcony performance of Free Jazz: Something Else! based on Something Else! The Calder Quartet was up next, playing the music of Arnold Schoenberg on violins, a viola, and cello.

The evening consisted of 8 motel rooms of various musical expression. Our favorites were as follows:

Room 16: The Los Angeles Free Music Society: Pyramid Headphones, 1976. People sat around on the hotel room bed and placed black cardboard pyramids on top of their heads. The pyramids were rigged up with speakers and each one produced a unique electronic racket. I tried to get away with merely observing but quickly changed my mind when a participant handed me a pyramid and insisted that I give it a whirl. With the cardboard on my head, I heard a mixture of beeps and twangs and the gentleman next to me yelling “Aren’t the colors beautiful?” I wasn’t quite sure what he was talking about but it sure sounded cool.

Robert Wilhite: Bob Wilhite in Concert, 1975 occupied Room 9. Visitors were invited to pick up the motel phone and dial “106” to call another room and hear a performance. Every person who participated was treated to a different experience.

Room 8 featured Bruce Nauman, Violin Turned D.E.A.D., 1969. This was a replication of Nauman’s practice of incorporating boredom, exhaustion, and the superimposition of unlike systems into art and music. The room was occupied by an extremely focused violinist who played the D, E, A, D notes for an entire hour.

John Cage, Variations IV, 1963 took place in Room 25. Here, guests were encouraged to participate in making various musical sounds with a variety of ‘instruments.’ As Scott Benzel sat on a bed playing around with a laptop, people stood in the corner and ran a crystal over a cactus, which was hooked up to a speaker system. As the interactive exhibit continued. People changed the television channels to create new background noises.

Welcome Inn Time Machine gave Southern Californians the change to relive some of the most bizarre, unique, and cutting edge moments in experimental music history. It also made many reexamine the way that they look at household objects. I know I’m now tempted to add a cactus to my musical instrument collection. Those thorns make wicked sounds!

Words by Nicole Pajer (@NicolePajer). Photos by Catie Laffoon (@CatieLaffoon).