The Journeys Continue

Louis Vuitton has built themselves an advertising tradition of matching heavyweights in familial situations, whether it be Sofia and Francis Ford, Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf, and the astronomical troika of Buzz Aldrin, Jim Lovell and Sally Ride. Being added to this list are the perhaps unmatched, but still unsurprising likes of Annie Leibovitz and Mikhail Baryshnikov. While the two may not come to mind instantly when thinking of the house of Louis Vuitton, they're a fitting match considering their artistic pasts as a photographer for the brand and general man about town respectively. Touted as the world's best portrait photographer and dancer of their times - some may beg to differ - it's undeniable that they've continue to stand out in their particular fields and will continue to do so until they drop their hands in death. Add this ad to both of their already-immortal bodies of work.

Stay Golden, Ponyboy

So fine, SE Hinton (and seubsequently Francis Ford Coppola's) classic hasn't been socially relevant for quite some time now, but it's been drawn to my attention that the 67th annual Golden Globes are set to air this Sunday evening. While I perhaps am not so fond of their immensely self-congratulatory tendencies, the Golden Globes are always nice since they just don't seem to take themselves as seriously as the rest. Ricky Gervais is set to be their first ever host and I don't doubt he'll hold his own considering his history with the Hollywood Foreign Press (they did, after all, truly set him to a road of recognition after The Office snatched up a pair of awards in 2004). Avatar, An Education, The Hurt Locker, Up In The Air, and Inglorious Basterds lead the pack of nominations, and here's hoping that Colin Firth will win for best actor after his incredible turn in A Single Man. Long overdue, Martin Scorsese will be honoured with the Cecil B. DeMille Award. Tune in Sunday to catch the rest.

My Initials Are A.M.H.B.

In this age of unabashedly shameless self-promotion, I'll point you in the direction of my new-ish and secondary-ish blog of sorts, AMHB. Written (or rather published and produced, since it includes slim to no writing) by yours truly and another friend, it spans a rather select set of interests. Shown mainly through photos, I can't say it musters up much in terms of content to chew on, but I digress - it's nice to look at in the very least. Get your sweaters on and your visual chops prepared.

The Great Red, White, and Black North

Back in 2007, personal favourites The White Stripes embarked on a sprawling tour of Canada, determined to play in every single one of the country's provinces and territories. They easily completed their mission of sorts, playing shows in everywhere from Halifax to Iqaluit, Montreal to Yellowknife, undoubtedly covering far more topographic ground than the average Canadian citizen can lay claim to. While their shows occurred in big arenas playing to sizable audiences - they are, after all, a weighty duo - they also played a set of secret afternoon shows in an unconventional handful of settings including a city bus, a harbor front, and a seniors home. While I've yet to completely grasp Jack and Meg's infatuation with the more secluded corners of our often great and sometimes white north, I am undoubtedly looking forward to seeing the tour documentary that accompanied their national jaunt, "Under The Great White Northern Lights." Beautifully shot and composed in a washed out colour palette, it's sure to be both a visual and auditory feast. Having seen them live several years back, I certainly can brace myself for whatever I'm in for this time around.

Fashion Rocks, We Suppose

We'll admit to usually sneering in the face of Anna Wintour's US Vogue (The fact we share a name, ALT, and Grace Coddington only go so far), opting to pick up Paris Vogue instead. However, come January I may be deceiving my own self and making an executive purchase of the new decade's inaugural issue. Why? you may ask. The answer - Ezra, Rostam, and two guys named Chris. Vampire Weekend, along with a slew of other moderately popular and recognized bands including MGMT, Beirut, The Horrors, Mika, and Adam Green, will be appearing in the pages of the fashion tome, appearing alongside familiar face Sasha Pivovarova. While the other artists may look a tad out of place next to frocks by Celine and Balmain, the VW boys look utterly at ease in their surroundings - I truthfully wouldn't be surprised if they came out of the womb in vintage Ralph Lauren daywear. With the success of their debut and their sophomore effort being released in under a month's time, it seems as if Vampire Weekend are moving at an increasingly vertical gradation.

Do They Know It's Christmas? Fucked Up Does, At Least

Any mention of Bob Geldof's perennial supergroup Band Aid and their "hit" Do They Know It's Christmas? is cringe-worthy, even for the most nostalgic of 80's kids. Geldof did really hit a nerve though, starting a long tradition of washed up musicians getting together at the holidays to record a massive charity track and subsequently score the oft-coveted UK Christmas number one. This trend has been flipped, most recently with the indie-studded Do They Know It's Halloween? and now Fucked Up's reworking of Band Aid's original. The more recent iteration certainly scores cool points with Damien and the gang calling in favors from Vampire Weekend's Ezra Koenig, Andrew WK, comedian David Cross, Tegan and Sara, GZA, TV On The Radio's Kyp Malone, Kevin Drew, Bob Mould, and Yo La Tengo. What comes of it is a playful, if not emotionally triumphant effort that manages to sound much like the original without all of the entailed garishness. As a charity track, thankfully they're not trying to feed Africa or the world or save some rare species of bird in Yosemite, but are instead donating all proceeds to three Canadian charities - Montreal's Justice for the Missing and Murdered, Ottawa's Sisters In Spirit, and Vancouver's DTES Power of Women.

Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus

Magical and exciting, the trailer for The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus exudes fantasy and fun, allowing momentary escape into a world of immortality and devil deal breaking. Starring some of the most well-known and talented actors of our time, Terry Gilliam brings together Johnny Depp, Jude Law, Colin Farrell, Heath Ledger (incidentally, his last film) and famed supermodel, Lily Cole for the production. I, for one cannot wait to feast my eyes upon this film. Release date is set for the 25th of December. Only a few more days!