Hell Bent

Way back when, Mr. Hunter S. Thompson decided to tag along with the Hell's Angels for two years of unrefined grease and grime that, to this day, still live on in the folklore of his mysticism and genius insanity. They were modern outlaws with no sense of direction, and yet every sense of renegade style; the cowboys of the wild west coast, if you will, with nothing but their boots, fists and sense of wild adventure. Like them or not, they changed the course of the open road, taking the road less travelled only to leave it battered and bruised with a bloody smile.

California, Labor Day weekend...early, with ocean fog still in the streets, outlaw motorcyclists wearing chains, shades and greasy Levi's roll out from damp garages, all-night diners and cast-off one-night pads in Frisco, Hollywood, Berdoo, and East Oakland heading for the Monterey Peninsula, north of Big Sur...the menace is loose again, the Hell's Angels, the hundred-carat headline, running fast and loud on the early morning freeway, low in the saddle, nobody smiles, jamming crazy through traffic and ninety miles an hour down the center stripe, missing by inches...


- Hunter S. Thompson via Hell's Angels: A Strange and Terrible Saga

[images via Aesthetes Anonymous]

To the Greatest

Last Dance

Anyone who has ever had the illustrious opportunity to witness LCD Soundsystem live can surely sympathize with my excitement over the upcoming premiere of "Shut Up and Play the Hits" at Sundance (cue shameless plug and hopeless begging for tickets to premiere) and my depression that I will never have the chance to see them again (cue 2020 Coachella reunion rumors?). The film follows James Murphy in the days leading up to LCD's final show at Madison Square Garden, the days after, and all the mysteries of what's next for the DFA grand wizard. And while the film release is plenty exciting, the trailer here is enough to spark nostalgia for the LCD experience, which for those who've never been I can only describe as like being at the best dance party with all your friends whom you've never met, but seem to know oh so well for those few magical hours (including the guy in the panda outfit).



[via twitchfilm]

Forever Ai

Let's get it on the table right now: Ai WeiWei is the shit. And his recent installation at the Taipei Fine Arts Museum is just a fan to his stunning fire. With 1200 bikes from Shanghai Forever Co., Ai has created a staggering work of geometric genius that hypnotically speaks to Chinese two-wheeled culture and the idea of cycle design as an art form. What I'm wondering is what he's going to do with the 1200 bikes after the installation comes down. Considering Ai's track record of social criticism (and his mysterious arrest), something tells me he's got a trick up his devil-may-care sleeve. Maybe lock the 1200 bikes together along the Great Wall? Or maybe a critical mass of the poor through Tiananmen Square? Or maybe just melt down all the steel and make a giant two-wheeled tank that shoots balloons and Chinese currency? Seriously, who the hell knows. And that's the best part.

[via Aether]

Do The Jean Jeanie

It was Bowie's birthday earlier this week, and I see it only fitting to pay homage to the sultan of Mars via the lens of Mick Rock. The collection is taken from the video shoot for "The Jean Genie" (directed by Rock) and features Bowie alongside a stunning Marilyn-esque Cyrinda Fox in front of the Mars Hotel in San Francisco. And if you think the pics are good, wait until you watch the video below. Too bad Ms. Fox was only used for a few incredible moments.

[via Flores del Fango]