The omnipotent Uncle Walt created and ruled over a cartoon kingdom of innocence and wholesomeness, a happy place with cuddly creatures and apple pie. His lovable image was a fantasy, of course. This new opera for the English National Opera, The Perfect American, dares to reveal the man behind the myth. ...read
Art big picture gallery
Nathan Walsh has captured the hustle and bustle of the Big Apple and Chicago in a collection of incredibly life-like artworks.
Art Headlines
Amy Winehouse artist paints controversial topless portrait of Angelina Jolie after her double mastectomy
The oil painting depicts a topless Angelina Jolie after her recent double mastectomy, and is expected to fetch over £15,000 as is goes on display in Los Angeles. Angelina Jolie underwent the life changing surgery in February after she discovered she carried the same gene which caused her mother Marcheline Bertrand’s ovarian cancer. ...read
Pooch paw-traits: Ever-growing collection of photographs which reveal the different characteristics of New York's dogs
Sally Davies' 'New York Daily Dog Project' was only supposed to last a year but it is still growing thanks to the number of canines in the city. Ms Davies, who is originally from Canada, says the collection reveals much about the dogs' social lives and how each pet has their own traits. ...read
MUST READS...Art stories from around the world
Stunning sunrise and sunset pictures capture the silhouettes of some of South Africa's most recognisable animals
Photographer Andrew Schoeman, 40, captured these stunning images of mammals and birds prowling the wilds of South Africa but appearing as silhouettes against the contrasting background of the setting and rising sun.
Daredevil photographer gets so close to Hawaiian lava flow that his shoes and tripod MELT
Photographer Miles Morgan has spent the past several years scaling active volcanoes on the Hawaiian Islands in the company of experienced professionals from a local photography company (pictured) to capture the flow of red-hot lava and thick clouds of smoke and ash blotting out the sun.
Kling-on to King Kong! Australian stunt artist hangs on for dear life 300m above Melbourne for new tourist show
Fortunately for the population of Melbourne, the vertigo-enducing image is a publicity stunt for a new musical production of King Kong, which open's next month. It pays tribute to the iconic ending of the 1933 film (pictured, top left). The furry hand was hoisted to the 88th floor of Eureka Tower, a 297.3-metre skyscraper located in the Southbank precinct of the city.
LATEST ALBUM RELEASES
Scroll through for the latest new album releases
London With The Lights On (Warner Bros)
THEY were put together after being spotted in Topshop, but girl band Stooshe push aside the manufactured tag in this debut that radiates natural, sassy charm. The harmonies are strong and the three young divas don’t take themselves too seriously as they dart with plenty of attitude between pop, reggae and soul. Slip has Motown backbeats, while Black Heart is a Sixties-style melodrama in praise of bad boys.
★★★★✩
Heart Of Nowhere (Mercury)
Once part of the new folk scene with Laura Marling and Mumford & Sons, the ever prolific Noah And The Whale are maturing beautifully. With Charlie Fink’s tuneful rasp prominent, their fourth album in five years builds on the FM guitar-rock of 2011’s Last Night On Earth. Not Too Late is a poignant coming-of-age anthem, while the string-driven title track benefits from a powerful vocal cameo from guest Anna Calvi.
★★✩✩✩
Modern Vampires Of The City (XL)
Most indie-rock bands are good for one or two albums, but this third effort suggests a long career. The New Yorkers once sang of bus routes in Manhattan, but the themes are deeper and darker here. Worship You revisits Sixties psychedelia, and the thumping Diane Young recalls Simon & Garfunkel’s Cecilia. A refreshingly adventurous affair.
★★✩✩✩
Mother (Sony Music)
One-third of Texan country rebels The Dixie Chicks, Natalie Maines returns from a seven-year sabbatical in fiery fashion. Maines has voiced her disenchantment with the Nashville way, and she lets her anger burn on a set of rock-based songs. Mixing originals and covers, she rocks out on Trained, though the highlights are her ballads — the swirling Pink Floyd title track and Jeff Buckley’s languid Lover You Should Have Come Over.
★★✩✩✩
Violin Concerto etc
THIS is an outstanding performance of one of the most challenging concertos in the violin repertoire. Georgian violinist Lisa Batiashvili adopts decent tempi, instead of the sluggish speeds so many of her rivals favour. The work glows as a result. The only downside is the CD is 47:31 long.
★★★✩✩
English Electric (100%)
As Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark, they were among the leading lights of Eighties synth-pop, and this second album since a 2007 reunion finds the Merseyside duo on familiar ground. Their tuneful computer-pop nods to New Order and Kraftwerk. And, while electronic sounds dominate, their strength remains a bittersweet, human touch.
★★★★✩
I Awake (Dramatico)
Australian torch singer Blasko’s fourth solo album is a dark, yet compelling affair. From the Portishead-like blues of God Fearing to the rolling kettle drums of the jazzy title track, it’s a record of deceptively simple songs that are high on raw emotion. The Bulgarian Symphony Orchestra adds colour to Blasko’s smoky vocals.
★★★✩✩
Delta Machine (Columbia)
Depeche Mode return to their bluesy synth-rock sound after 2009’s surprisingly upbeat album. Singer Dave Gahan and co-writer Martin Gore harmonise brilliantly on Welcome To My World while My Little Universe is a lo-fi techno stomp.
★★★★✩
The Day In Pictures
The best pictures from around the world today
REVIEWS
IN BOOKS TODAY
- The society hostess with the mostest: Mrs Ronnie: The Society Hostess Who Collected Kings, by Sian Evans
- Howzzz... Bowlers who bored their way to victory: The Trundlers, by Harry Person AND Our Beloved Cricket, by Brian Scovell
- Why it's truly bonkers to believe in shrinks: Cracked: Why Psychiatry is Doing More Harm Than Good, by James Davies
- Boffin who really conquered Everest: Everest: The First Ascent, by Harriet Tuckey
- March of the penguin titles Picture This: Penguins Close Encounters, by David Tipling
MUSIC REVIEWS AND FEATURES
THEATRE
- Something Very Far Away: Star-gazing puppets are simply stellar and the perfect half-term treat Is worth schlepping all the way to London Bridge
- RELATIVELY SPEAKING: This show has its moments, but the main reason for seeing it is Miss Kendal If Miss Kendal creaks a little, so does the play
- Sherlock Holmes: Gasps, gore and a curious case of Sherlock in love There is, playwright Mark Catley has noticed, no Mrs Sherlock Holmes
- Oh! what a lively war: WWII update of Ariadne gets Glyndebourne off to a bang Relocates Richard Strauss's oddball opera to an country house
- QUENTIN LETTS: They breed 'em tough in this thirties typing pool! John Van Druten’s London Wall is a gentle comedy
- QUENTIN LETTS: Shining ladies light up our newest stage These Shining Lives was outshone by an update of Ibsen's Public Enemy
- Merrily We Roll Along: Stephen Sondheim's revival is a good, splashy, showbizzy romp You can’t fault this plucky production