Rrramble • 11th June 2023

The Age of Pleasure

Janelle Monáe is back with their first new album in 5 years. Rolling Stone has described this as Monáe's most sumptuous album yet. With themes of sensuality and self-love and infused with Afrobeats, this album is expected to be one of the soundtracks of the summer. So, does this album live up to the hype? Let’s see what our writers thought! Forget Megan Thee Stallion, The Age of Pleasure is the manual for Hot Girl Summer. I can’t call myself a Janelle Monáe fan as I haven’t heard enough of the

Rrramble • 4th March 2023

Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio

This week our writers reviewed Guilllermo del Toro's stop-motion reimagining of the Disney classic. This story of the wooden boy who wanted to be real is one we are all familiar with, but this version has the dark touch of del Toro's signature directing style. The film has a whopping nine Oscar nominations and has already collected a handful of accolades for its animation style. With a star-studded cast behind it, does del Toro's musical dark fantasy rival match, or even surpass, the Disney vers

Rrramble • 29th January 2023

rrramble retrospective: School of Rock

School of Rock, the hilarious cult classic that gave us the iconic 'you're tacky and I hate you', has officially reached it's twentieth birthday, and we've brought you a rrretrospective to celebrate! This feel-good comedy saw Jack Black take on the role of Dewy Finn, a rock enthusiast who poses as a teacher and instils in his prep school pupils one of life's most important lessons: sticking it to the man. Whether you've been hooked since this movie first struck gold, or you've been living unde

Rrramble • 11th December 2022

The Bear

One of the most talked about TV shows of 2022, The Bear is a high intensity comedy-drama exploring family (chosen and otherwise), friendship, food, and the chaos behind a commercial kitchen’s doors. The series, created by FX and available through Disney+, has been lauded by critics and viewers alike. We asked a couple of our writers to step in, hold tight, watch the first three episodes and tell us exactly what they thought… Wow. The first three episodes of this mashup of and are intense. I fe

Rrramble • 2nd October 2022

Hocus Pocus 2

Spooky season is finally here! With the weather getting chilly and Halloween fast approaching, we got our writers in the spirit (pun intended) with Hocus Pocus 2. After almost 30 years since Hocus Pocus was released in 1993, Disney has released a sequel to this cult classic. The Sanderson Sisters are once again resurrected with plans to take over Salem, and three young girls must try to stop them. Following on from rrramble’s review of Hocus Pocus last year, does this sequel echo what our write

Rrramble • 25th September 2022

Call Me Mother - Jide Macaulay on Reconciling Faith and Sexuality

In the podcast series Call Me Mother, author and journalist Shon Faye sits down with a diverse range of LGBTQ+ trailblazers, giving us an insight into the often unknown parts of queer history, and what it means to be queer in the world today. We asked three of our writers to take a deep dive into the episode with Jide Macaulay, a British-Nigerian Reverend who founded , an LGBTQ+ inclusive church and safe space for queer people of faith. I’ll be honest from the get-go, my knowledge of LGBTQ+ his

Rrramble • 12th June 2022

‘Ms Marvel’, Episode 1

Recently, we covered superhero heritage with our rrretrospective of 2012’s The Avengers, now a shocking TEN YEARS OLD. So, it only felt right that this month we cast our sights to the future of Marvel, with Disney+ mini series Ms Marvel. ⁠ Billed as a superhero story for the present day – set in Jersey and featuring Marvel’s first Muslim hero – the series has already got critics and Marvel fans alike divided in their opinions. But what did our rrramble writers think? There’s a moment in episode

RRRAMBLE. • 30th April 2022

rrramble retrospective: Spider-Man (2002)

This month, to honour the film’s 20th anniversary, we’re travelling back to the true nerd-boy-to-superhero era, with Tobey Maguire’s debut as Spiderman. So is this a case of rose-tinted glasses at the ready, or does the first spidery man to grace our screens hold up, all nostalgia aside? Read on to find out what our writers thought… It’s been twenty years since Tobey Maguire’s debut as Spiderman and boy, you can feel every single one of those years. Not that age is inherently bad, especially

RRRAMBLE. • 13th March 2022

Turning Red – Disney+

This week, our writers delve into the latest addition to the Disney Pixar family, Turning Red. The film is directed by Domee Shi – Chinese-American director, animator and screenwriter – who was actually a Pixar intern only 11 years ago. Tackling puberty, parent-child relationships and intergenerational trauma through the lens of a giant fluffy red panda is certainly no easy feat. Did they pull it off, I hear you ask? Stick around to find out what our writers thought… Does anybody else remember

RRRAMBLE. • 27th February 2022

rrramble retrospective: Avril Lavigne’s ‘Let Go’

Wherever you were or whatever you were doing in the early 2000’s, Avril Lavigne’s debut album Let Go was inescapable. With esteemed bops like ‘Sk8er Boi’ and ‘Complicated’, it’s safe to say this album thrust pop-punk into the mainstream as the soundtrack of alt kids everywhere. Now, 20 years since its release, our writers return to their (metaphorical) childhood bedrooms to ask: did Let Go have a noughties expiry date, or does it still slap today? I’m getting old. I get my milk delivered to me

RRRAMBLE. • 22nd September 2021

Feel Good, season 2

We’re back with the second—and final instalment—of Mae Martin’s equal parts heartbreaking and uplifting comedy series, Feel Good, and with that, our reviewers’ take on it. Did this season fare better or worse than the first? Read on to find out. TW: discussion of themes of sexual assault and abuse I’m sad to say that I didn’t enjoy this season as much as the last one. That’s not to say it was bad at all, I just didn’t find it very enjoyable and it felt much more muddled than the last series.

RRRAMBLE. • 17th August 2021

Feel Good, Season 1

Following the release of Feel Good Season 2 earlier this year, we’ve decided to deliver a two-part special review (you’re welcome). Feel Good is a semi-autobiographical comedy drama written by Mae Martin and Joe Hampson, starring Mae Martin as, you guessed it, Mae Martin. Alongside co-star Charlotte Ritchie, who plays George, the pair begin an intense relationship filled with love, passion and imperfections round every corner. Stay tuned for our review of season 2 next month and, as always, spo

RRRAMBLE. • 8th June 2021

Sofie Hagen: FAT GENDER DATING SEX

Filmed during the first COVID-19 lockdown in the UK, Sofie Hagen presents an online comedy talk about fat, gender, dating and sex called Fat Gender Dating Sex. We sent our writers to find out more about Hagen’s take on these big four topics, and see how they tie them all together. I am a complete Sofie Hagen newbie and wasn’t entirely sure about to expect about their show. I guessed due to the title that there would be serious subject matters running throughout the show. To be honest, so far th

London Jazz News • 29th April 2021

Toots Thielemans Centenary Events Announced

Today, 29 April 2021 would have been the 99th birthday of Jean-Baptiste Frédéric Isidor, Baron (“Toots”) Thielemans (1922-2016) writes Juliette Kay, and plans for the centenary next year are already taking shape in his native Belgium. A dedicated website, toots100.be was launched today. Among the events will be: • On 22 April 2022, a temporary exhibition “Toots 100. The Sound of Toots Thielemans” will open at the Royal Library of Belgium (KBR) in collaboration with the Musical Instruments Museu

London Jazz News • 28th April 2021

Voting in Parliamentary Jazz Awards now open until 14 May 2021

Voting will take place online this year. Juliette Kay reports: The deadline for voting in this year’s Parliamentary Jazz Awards will be at midnight on 14 May 2021 and anyone may vote. In addition to the usual categories a pertinent new one has been added: the Lockdown Innovation Award. The Parliamentary Jazz Awards celebrate the diversity and breadth of the jazz scene within the United Kingdom. The awards are organised by the All Party Parliamentary Jazz Appreciation Group (APPJAG), which is c

London Jazz News • 26th April 2021

Serious/ Cultural Connections Africa announce new concert series ‘Streams from Africa’

Cultural Connections Africa and Serious are announcing a series of streamed events, writes Juliette Kay Streams from Africa will present emerging voices from several countries within the continent, focusing on showcasing contemporary and innovative sounds. The series will also have a selection of shows from the INDIBA IS take-over produced in Joburg Theatre in South Africa. The schedule of the concert series is as follows: • Wednesday 26 May: The Brother Moves On (South Africa), 9pm Both Thand

London Jazz News • 26th April 2021

Mood Indigo resume live events (6 June 2021)

Pandemic or no pandemic, London-based gig promoters Mood Indigo have not let the grass grow under their feet. With a series of streamed events over the last year, co-organisers Terence Collie and Janet McCunn have kept going throughout the lockdown and are excited for a full return to live gigs. Juliette Kay found out more: London Jazz News: What are your plans for the return of in-person Mood Indigo events? What Covid precautions will be in place? Janet McCunn: Our first event back will be at

London Jazz News • 15th April 2021

Nishla Smith (Live at Barts Great Hall, 19 May 2021/ Announcing New Album on Whirlwind Recordings)

Nishla Smith is an Australian-born jazz singer. As a current City Music Foundation (CMF) artist, she will be performing in Bart’s Great Hall on 19 May as part of the CMF lunchtime concert series. She is also announcing a new album writes Juliette Kay. Nishla Smith grew up in Sydney, has studied in Berlin and currently resides in Manchester, a place where she ‘found [her] feet’ noting Manchester’s warm and open community. A feature of her work is the raw vulnerability woven into her music. In Ma

London Jazz News • 15th April 2021

Jazzfest Berlin wins EJN Award for Adventurous Programming 2021

The Europe Jazz Network has just announced the winner for its 2021 Adventurous Programming award, the award’s tenth year, writes Juliette Kay The process behind selecting the winner was in two stages. The first step was that all 160+ EJN member organisations from 34 countries were asked to select a potential winner. The second step, a 6 person jury of EJN members and other music professionals from Europe gathered online in March 2021 to choose the winner. A member of the jury commented: ‘Jazzf

London Jazz News • 13th April 2021

Ubuntu Music Signs OK Aurora for Album Release in Summer 2021

OK Aurora, described as “an eight-piece jazz-meets-pop ensemble” are releasing their album ‘Only in Autumn’ in July 2021 on Ubuntu. The album was recorded in the Giant Wafer Studio in Wales, writes Juliette Kay The London-based ensemble is led by drummer Rod Oughton. Their debut EP ‘Baby Zeza’ was released in 2019. The group have performed all over the UK, including venues in London, Bristol and the South West. In 2020, the Arts Council put funding towards their UK tour and the recording of the