Blackly comic … Shoes. Photograph: Tristram Kenton The idea, from writer and composer Richard Thomas, was to create a song-and-dance show about shoes. It’s a simple one, but rich in theatrical, visual and choregraphic possibilities. A large creative team made it reality: as well... 

What the £~{± … ℑ⊇◊⊆ℜ from Mater Suspiria Vision. Photograph: YouTube Scan the array of recent blog buzz bands and you’d be forgiven for thinking you were in the middle of a migraine. †‡†,  Gr†ll Gr†ll, ℑ⊇◊⊆ℜ and GL▲SS †33†H all use dots,... 

Three big musical acts, Alicia keys, Jay-Z and Sade, are booked for a good cause. They are tapped to perform at the annual Black Ball charity concert at New York’s Hammerstein Ball on September 30. This gig is organized by Alicia’s Keep a Child Alive organization. “Sade? Jay-Z?... 

For the birds … Kings of Leon’s Caleb Followill. Photograph: Simone Joyner/Getty Dear indie professor, will Peter Bjorn & John’s Young Folks and Kings of Leon’s Sex On Fire ever disappear from radio playlists and B&Q/DFS/Asda adverts? Or is the earth doomed to...