You don’t hear many conventional love songs from Essex retro rock band The 1957 Tail Fin Fiasco – so the new single Monogamy Pews is predictably not a celebration of romantic marriage. In fact, this track from their latest album The Harvard Tango tells the story of Glynn Wolfe, also known as Scotty Wolfe, a … Continue reading
You Got it What? I Got it Made (I’m in an R&B video)
There are many benefits from knowing creative people, but perhaps the most surprising is that you might end up appearing in their work. Last year (2019), my brilliant crime-writer friend Cara Hunter named a character after me in her latest novel. And now, my near-namesake DJ Weltch has put me in an R&B video! It’s … Continue reading
New publishing house aims to preserve black culture
The summer of 2020 – in the middle of a global pandemic – may not have seemed the ideal time to launch a publishing house specialising in literature and fine art. But The Top Publishing Company is no ordinary publishing house. A family venture, formed in the US by brothers Alexander Xavier Free Garland and … Continue reading
Creating a vibe with a cool sunset video
The superb video for the latest song by talented New Jersey R&B artist Jo Rivers was launched (or ‘dropped‘ as the cool kids say) this week [September 15, 2020] – reflecting a late summer vibe and all the potential that a new relationship offers. The video for Create A Vibe was made by my namesake … Continue reading
When Daniel met Isla – a clever and engaging short film ‘One Another’
A boring and bored man, unhappily married and hating his job, unexpectedly encounters a beautiful woman. He’s captivated, and she leads him on an exciting adventure. It’s a familiar male fantasy, which has formed the basis for some memorable films – Edward G Robinson and Joan Bennett in Fritz Lang’s Scarlet Street (1945) and Gene … Continue reading
Under fire – three dragon films you may have missed
Dragons are perhaps the most feared, and almost certainly the most spectacular, of mythical creatures. So it’s no surprise they’ve often featured in movies. Recent incarnations include the awe-inspiring dragons in TV’s Game of Thrones and cinema’s Hobbit films, and Starburst listed 10 of the best in this 2019 feature. Impressive as those blockbusters are, … Continue reading
‘One Paycheck Away’ – film will explore the precarious existence of ordinary Americans
It’s claimed that in 2019, 80% of Americans were living from one pay cheque to the next. A year on [I write this during the 2020 coronavirus crisis], the pandemic has caused economic devastation, with more than 40 million filing for unemployment. Many who were relying on the next pay cheque to pay the rent, … Continue reading
Survey suggests lockdown could produce a book bonanza
A new survey of writers suggests there could be a flurry of books arising from the coronavirus lockdown. Page Turner Awards, who conducted the research via their website and mailing list, say it shows writers have been more resilient, so we can expect a boom in the printed (or digital) word – in contrast with … Continue reading
How Talking Pictures found the perfect nostalgic formula
The idea of a channel devoted to classic films isn’t new, but in the UK Talking Pictures TV has found what seems to be the perfect nostalgic formula. While TCM (Turner Classic Movies) has been around since the 1990s and more recently Sony Movies has launched a dedicated ‘Classic’ channel, these and others tend to … Continue reading
How Carys’s ‘Fat ‘n’ Clean’ charity song could have been much dirtier
Many performers have been keeping busy online during the coronavirus lockdown – none more so than actress, singer and writer Carys Eleri, who has released two hilarious comedy songs for charity. Downloads of Fat ‘N’ Clean and Beyond The Fence are raising money for Tarian Cymru, a campaign to make and distribute personal protective equipment … Continue reading