Book review: Kraftwerk: Publikation
NORMALLY I hate it when rock bands don’t say anything during gigs. Even the standard “Good evening… Dundee!” will do.This demonstrates attention to detail, even if the lead singer’s chief fluffer only...
View ArticleBook review: Merivel: A Man of his time
IT’S more than 20 years since the England of Charles II’s reign cavorted its way into the collective psyche in Rose Tremain’s Restoration. Thankfully, it is also more than 15 years since Hollywood’s...
View ArticleBook review: Bloody Nasty People: The rise of Britain’s Far Right
TWENTY years ago, Nick Griffin told his comrades in the British National Party that they needed a strong, disciplined organisation to back up its slogan, “Defend Rights for Whites”, with “well...
View ArticleFeat of clay: Lotte Glob and her new installation
Ceramics and pottery mean the world to Lotte Glob, and now a new installation takes her to the centre of the earthLOTTE Glob and I are sitting in the gallery space at the Watermill in Aberfeldy....
View ArticleFilm review: That’s My Boy (15)
SOMETIMES you have to ask – why Adam Sandler? If I had a pound for every film interview where the subject complained how hard it was to get movies made, I’d have enough to make Star Wars 7, 8 and...
View ArticleFilm reviews: Sound of my Voice | The Possession | Tabu | Shut Up and Play |...
SIOBHAN SYNNOT casts her eye over the recent cinematic offerings.Sound Of My Voice (15)Rating: * * * Amateur movie makers determined to infiltrate and expose a cult find themselves beguiled by the...
View ArticleWhere the wild things are: Taming Animal Collective
WHEN I can’t be in the same room as a rock star – say, because of there being 3,400 miles between us – I like to know what they can see from the nearest window, but the responses are almost always...
View ArticleFilm review; Lawless (18)
YOU CAN’T complain about being misled by a movie’s pulpy intentions when it’s called Lawless and makes a point of going postal pretty much from the get-go. Set in the Prohibition era, John Hillcoat’s...
View ArticleAlbum review: The Vaccines; Come of Age
Following the misfire of the overly anticipated debut What Did You Expect From The Vaccines, this second effort is locked and loaded with much more satisfactory results. Pitched somewhere between...
View ArticleTV review: A Touch of Cloth | Bad Sugar | Hunderby
NO MATTER how sophisticated comedy gets, I will always love Airplane! The disaster-flick send-up sparked lots of spoofing, much of it funny, but that first, almost subversive thrill of watching B-movie...
View ArticleDVD review: Safe
What is it? The latest ultra-violent action thriller vehicle for Jason Statham. Here he plays Luke Wright – not the performance poet, but a New York cop turned cagefighter who ends up on the streets...
View ArticleVideo game review: Papo & Yo
Not many games tackle a subject as serious as Papo & Yo. Designer Vander Caballero drew on his own experiences of living with an abusive alcoholic father for this action puzzler about the...
View ArticleAlbum reviews: Two Door Cinema Club | Cat Power | Jazz | Folk | Classical
A ROUNDUP of the latest musical releases.POPTwo Door Cinema ClubBeaconKitsune, £13.99Rating: * * * * The award-winning Northern Irish trio follow that show-shuddering performance at the Olympic closing...
View ArticleParalympics buzz will not drown out chorus of disapproval of Atos
The government did its best to exploit the feel-good buzz of the Olympics, but the Paralympics may now supply a few uncomfortable moments for Cameron & Co. Let’s hope so too, given the continued...
View ArticleCautious welcome for HSBC’s seven-year mortgage package
One of the UK’s biggest lenders today unveils a landmark seven-year mortgage for first-time buyers that is the cheapest ever deal of that length.HSBC’s bid to entice buyers onto long-term home loans...
View ArticleCash clinic: Make the most of a small pension pot with careful planning
Even tiny things, whether pets or pensions, can prove beneficial if they are handled with care.Q MY WIFE, who is 66, recently retired from a part-time job where she built up a pension fund of nearly...
View ArticleWine investment could end up giving you a hangover
Pension savers have been told to leave assets such as art and wine to the experts after the City watchdog launched a crackdown on high-risk investments.The Financial Services Authority (FSA) said the...
View ArticleTenants helped by clarification of law on fees may instead be hit by rent hikes
Private tenants could face fresh rent rises after the Scottish Government moved to crack down on letting agents charging illegal upfront fees.Experts have predicted rent increases of up to £25 a month,...
View ArticleFestival of food showcasing all that’s best from Scotland
BUYING food and drink grown and produced in Scotland is more important to consumers than ever – but there is still work to be done – says the Scottish Government.Speaking at the launch of Scottish Food...
View ArticlePlanning can take the hassle out of buying a new car
THERE are signs of life in the motor industry, with manufacturers and retailers expecting today’s launch of the new ’62 licence plate to give the industry a boost.According to the Society of Motor...
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