It's been nearly two years since we showcased some new work from the hyper-talented Peter Mitchell, so what better way to ring in the new year than to revisit an old friend? The Toronto-based freelance illustrator whose work has been published by the likes of The Los Angeles Times and Boston Globe employs a unique process whereby each images begins as a line drawing, then is transferred to glass before being layered over with collage and acrylic to create truly spellbinding and honest depictions or his subjects. We're not the only ones wowed by his talent. Some of Mitchell's images hang in the personal collections of esteemed Hollywood directors Martin Scorcese and Steven Spielberg.

As creator and all-around genius behind UK design shop Universal Everything, Matt Pyke serves up some of the most eye-catching and jaw-dropping digital design on the planet. His client list includes heavy hitters like Apple, Adidas, MTV, Coke, Nokia, Nike and a little shindig called the 2012 London Summer Olympics.

The anticipation for his latest project is keeping me up at night: Advanced Beauty is a series of “sound sculptures” curated by Universal Everything with sound design by frequent collaborator Freeform, the music project led by Matt's brother, Simon Pyke. Each segment is visually and sonically unique and directed by groundbreaking designers from around the world – including visionaries like Marc Kremers, Karsten Schmidt, Thomas Traum, Alex Peverett, Tom Scholefield, Paul Simpson, and Jonathan Garin.

If the awe-inspiring trailer and lushly color-filled first segment by New York-based designer and SpearTalks Alum Mate Steinforth are any indication, then we're in for a total breakthrough when Advanced Beauty finally drops in Spring 2008. I think it’s pretty safe to say right now: Advanced Beauty will be the shit.

I’ve never understood critics who cry “sell-out!” to any musician that signs with a major label and is consequently played on Top 20 radio stations; if it means having your music heard by millions and putting food on the table, that sounds like success to me. For some artists, like Jon Foreman, once the marquees dim and the arenas clear out, they are left with just their music. For Foreman, a return to his indie roots was due and the music he found himself creating was unfit (read: too personal) for his band, Switchfoot. To remedy this, he started playing solo shows on the sidewalk, for small groups of loyal fans, after the big show was over. The simple acoustic guitar comes together with Foreman’s emotional lyrics to create the kind of music that is perfect for quiet nights alone and self-reflection. Thematically linked to the four seasons, the first EP, Fall is already out digitally. It, along with the Winter EP, will be released January 15 as a double disc. Both Fall and Winter “explore themes of alienation and loss of innocence” and one can’t help but wonder if this is a particular dark time in Foreman’s life. Hopefully, he’ll be up for the challenge that Spring and Summer will bring. Check out Jon Foreman’s website for the digital download of the Fall EP or wait a few weeks and you’ll be able to buy the physical copy, along with Winter.

We've all experienced that high school moment where you realize that if you don't wear the right jeans to your next strut down the hallway, you… will… die.

It's that universal human desire to conform that's led to Exactitudes. This 13-year collaboration between Rotterdam-based photographer Ari Versluis and stylist Ellie Uyttenbroek is a study of how groups of people around the world express their individuality… by dressing alike. Versluis and Uyttenbroek have traveled the world in search of fresh sub-cultures to explore. Whether the catalyst to fit in is created by class, gender, rebellion or other faces of identity, each individual subject in a series is posed and shot exactly the same as the others. When placed together in groups, it's the ubiquitous style code that's immediately apparent. The real interest is that by looking through the convenient veneer of sameness, it's actually each person's differences that unexpectedly shine through.

Plus, there are lots of Brazilian girls and boys in swimsuits. And that never hurts.

In case you were living under a rock last week (hey it’s possible), the boys at Radiohead gifted the world with an incredible live performance on Current.tv rocking out to their latest album, In Rainbows. I’ll go out on a limb here and say this was probably the best album of 2007, and the greatest gift a band could ever give their fans. In fact, I think it might even be the best album of the 2000’s in my book (someone challenge me). So, go indulge yourself, grab a pair of headphones and ease your way back into the year 2008 with a little bit of Thom Yorke’s poetry and a smile on your face.