Entertainment

By Kane Power (@El Heavio) The new album ‘Smoke’, from York based band The Bastard Sons, starts exactly how you should start a rock n roll record; minimal intro, a rockin’ guitar riff and some spell-it-out gang chants to rival late 90’s thug-core legends Skarhead. Add some high-range screams á la The Bronx and you’ve got yourself one hell of an opening track. I was so encouraged by this song, emphatically titled ‘The Bastard’, that it took the next two...

By Declan Roberts (@DeclanMR) Unlike 2012’s Given To The Wild - a beautiful sun-kissed rock opera - The Maccabees fourth effort is a step into sublime noise. Recorded in their beloved Elephant and Castle studio, Marks To Prove It is a ‘whole’ record, an album designed to be listened to from start to finish with a complete narrative. They kick off in unabashed fashion with the title track, a stop-start rollercoaster that’ll have you head banging like a Maccabee-loving-puppet. ‘Kamakura’...

By Myles Longfield (@myleslongfield) This year, the UK will play host to some of the biggest sporting events in the world. Athletes will come from all over the globe to play at tournaments like Wimbledon, the Ashes and the Rugby World Cup. Those living in London will get to see most of this action, given the capital’s world-class stadia and infrastructure. It’s a win-win situation for everyone as Londoners get to see top-level sport that those living in most other towns...

Guttural gospel-punk guardians Algiers are preparing for a European tour this August. The band will play two London shows, the intimate Waiting Room on 18th August and the Scala on the 19th in support of Canadian post-punks Viet Cong. Check out a taste of what to expect below with Algiers' Deezer live session. Algiers European Tour 09/08 - Poland, Katowice, OFF Festival 12/08 - Germany, Berlin, Sommerloft Festival, About Blank 14/08 - France, St Malo, La Route du Rock Festival 18/08 - UK,...

London is currently home to almost two-thirds of all artists’ studios in the UK, mainly concentrated in Hackney and Tower Hamlets, according to the most recent numbers compiled in the 2010 Cultural Metropolis report. But for how long? In the midst of all the desperate land grabbing and selling, and the apartment blocks being thrown up hastily all around us – eloquently described as “the city that ate itself” just last month by Rowan Moore - London’s artists are being...

By Julia Prigmore (@JuliaPrigmore) New Yorker Sunny Ozell shines the light on some hidden treasures in her debut album ‘Take It With Me’, adding her own jazz-infused touch to a handful of carefully selected tracks from a bygone era. Originally from Nevada, Ozell’s musical interests started at four when she took up the violin, beginning classical vocal training at the tender age of ten. With over a decade of experience performing live in the Big Apple, Take it With Me...

Europe’s leading photo printing website, Albelli, has teamed up with us here The London Economic to offer one lucky winner the chance to win a personalised canvas print and three runners up the chance to win a personalised mobile phone case (£19.95). Albelli’s canvas prints display your chosen photos in razor-sharp detail on 100% cotton cloth, ensuring your memories last a lifetime. You can win a large personalised canvas measuring 70 x 50cm worth £49.95 with your favourite image on it. Whether it’s taken on...

By Alex Jones (Alex_Jonze) It’s almost 40 years since the Sex Pistols played their legendary first show at Manchester’s Lesser Free Trade Hall back in 1976. As the old saying goes, life begins at 40, but I’m not entirely sure that phrase was coined with music genres in mind. In any case, punk has undergone a transformation in that time, with sub genres taking the foundations of its sound and spawning a cavalcade of bands far removed from the likes...

Next month, swathes of London’s comedians will be making their annual pilgrimage across the border to Scotland, for the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. We spoke to some of our capital's comedians about how they survive the yearly onslaught of hecklers, expensive accommodation and endless hangovers.   Nish Kumar (Croydon) Best place to catch comedy: Everywhere. Absolutely everywhere. In the past even phone boxes were turned into ersatz comedy venues by enterprising promoters. Best place to eat: David Bann is an incredible...