10th February 2009
Emily McQueen Govan Past biopics concerning the rap industry have been a largely hit and miss affair, which is to say that 50 Cent’s ‘Get Rich or Die Tryin’’ wasn’t all that great. Eminem’s ‘8 Mile’ fared better, though admittedly it was semi-fictionalised. ‘Notorious’, which some are already touting as an urbanised ‘Walk the Line’, ...
10th February 2009
Tom Bonnick At first glance, Doubt seems like little more than a consummate exercise in box ticking — it’s got everything. Period setting? Check! Nuns? Meryl Streep? The vague threat of incipient paedophilia? Thrice check! Upon closer inspection, this may seem unfairly cynical; after all, the story is adapted from John Patrick Shanley’s Pulitzer-winning play ...
10th February 2009
Eleanor Mitchell abandons the High Street and explores the best of the West End’s vintage fashion offerings. Photos courtesy of Scott McGinlay Recently, every fashion journalist worth their salt has been quick to tell us that, in these economic climes, fast fashion is out. Instead, we must start buying in beautifully-made, long-lasting staple pieces that ...
10th February 2009
Oisín Kealy & Lewis Porteous reflect on the highlights of Celtic Connections 2009 The careers of both Teddy Thompson and Martha Wainwright were always going to be haunted by their inherited dynasties. Over a decade since their musical debuts, both on the backs of their parents, Martha’s voice is arguably foremost within her family. Teddy’s, ...
10th February 2009
Laura Cernis Swaggering onto the stage amidst cat calls and cheers, the Wakefield trio (plus one faintly ridiculed ex-Smiths member) launch straight into new track, ‘We Were Aborted’, quickly proving their worth to the punters. A song later and the ever-catchy intro to ‘Hey Scenesters’ starts up – cue ABC erupting into a chaos of ...
10th February 2009
Harry Akehurst With the characteristic brashness that carried them to fame, Franz Ferdinand’s third album, ‘Tonight’ arrives with enthusiastic art in the heart of an especially bleak winter. Their 2004 debut found success through its immediacy and assertiveness, and against our current backdrop of economic and cultural horror, this record charting the highs, lows and ...
10th February 2009
Catriona Reilly From a glance at the nauseatingly 80s, Siegfried and Roy-esque album cover of Empire of The Sun’s forthcoming release of ‘Walking on a Dream’, you get a fair idea of what might follow sonically. This album is another offering from Australia’s small but so far innovative electro scene, hailing bands such as Cut/Copy, ...
10th February 2009
Oisín Kealy For me, Kylie Minogue has made no greater contribution to music than with her death. This is not proposed derisively; for the hit machine she proved herself to be through much of this decade, I cannot deny her a certain deserved acclaim. My argument is that no artistic endeavour she has made up ...
10th February 2009
Sarah Smith Researchers at the University of Glasgow have been granted approval to begin a trial involving stem cell therapy to treat victims of stroke. The UK Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) have given their permission for Glasgow University, together with the ReNeuron Group plc, to begin a clinical trial to investigate the ...
10th February 2009
Craig MacLellan Glasgow University’s Principal, Sir Muir Russell, received a pay increase almost four times the rate of inflation last year, making him the highest paid university principal in Scotland. Sir Muir, who is due to step down from his position in October, received a pay rise of 12.1%, increasing his salary from £205,000 in ...
