In a brutally honest interview ahead of his stunning second album, the Tyneside chart-topper discusses politics, family, fame and mental healthIn 2011, Sam Fender was, by his own admission, “a little stoner” who had flunked out of his A-Levels in his h…
Hobbled by hype: why are lauded British directors only making one movie?
First films by promising new British talent are often overpraised, when what they really need is our lasting supportPrano Bailey-Bond’s debut feature, Censor, came out in the UK last Friday on the back of a huge publicity push and wave of critical accl…
Charlie Watts: a rock’n’roll legend whose true love was jazz
He may have backed the world’s most successful rock band, but the late drummer worshipped his jazz heroes through big bands and other projectsEveryone knew that Charlie Watts’s heart was always in jazz. Even when he grew his hair long and put on hippie…
What You Can See from Here by Mariana Leky review – a tonic in troubled times
Worldly woes come to a small village in this German bestseller sprinkled with fairytale magicThe okapi lives in the Democratic Republic of Congo, its glossy brown body sloping up from zebra-striped legs. It’s an unlikely presence in western Germany, bu…
Top 10 gripes in literature | Lucy Ellmann
Some distrust kvetching in print, but writers from Shakespeare to Valerie Solanas show there’s nothing wrong with constructive – and even destructive – criticismI probably started griping as soon as I could talk. I know I was a good sulker, and sulking…
Bloodthirsty review – a beast-within horror film puts gore front and centre
Released soon after Amelia Moses’ intriguing feature debut Bleed With Me, this is a far more camp and cliched workFollowing quickly on the heels of the intriguing Bleed With Me, released in the UK just a couple of weeks ago, this beast-within horror fi…
Baby on Nevermind cover sues Nirvana over child sexual exploitation
Spencer Elden, who appeared at four months old on iconic album design, claims the image is child pornographySpencer Elden, who appeared as a naked baby on one of rock music’s most iconic album covers – Nevermind by Nirvana – is suing the band, claiming…
Kanye West formally applies to change name to Ye
Rapper, whose new album Donda is expected this week, previously announced name change in 2018Kanye West has filed court documents to formally change his name to Ye.In the filing with Los Angeles Superior Court, West aims to distil his full name – Kanye…
The Last Job review – Richard Dreyfuss is a retiree on a rampage in muddled melodrama
Dreyfuss is a former mobster resorting to violence in a film whose delightful score can’t save it from being a hot messThe best thing about this crime melodrama is the score, credited to composers Shane Endsley, Ben Wendel and Nate Wood (all part of a …
August Design News: wooden bags, concrete coral, political pottery
News from London Design Festival, Swedish fabrics and America’s citizen photographersAfter a long break, the design world is coming to life again. London Design Festival (LDF) is back and bigger than ever this year. There will be three more design dist…