Guardian Music — Xan Brooks reveals the second of seven films to be offered for free to Guardian Extra members through Curzon on Demand. Julian Schnabel's film of a 2006 performance of Lou Reed's 10-song tragedy captures all the greatness of this bleak and beautiful ... more info

Guardian Music — From Ricky Martin on Broadway to Ashlee Simpson and Melissa Etheridge, many pop stars struggle in the theatre. Maybe it's time they steered clearRicky Martin has jaunty hair, shockingly white teeth, flexible limbs, shakeable hips, and a voice as smoo... more info

Guardian Music — An RR a day helps you work, rest and playChocolate makes for a rich metaphor. It's sweet, it melts, it's velvety and smooth – it's the most sexual of sweet stuffs. Its colour, too, lends it resonance – though only in the hands of black artists. S... more info

Guardian Music — Viva Brother's split and Samantha Brick's Daily Mail article provoked torrents of abuse. Why? Can't we separate a person's worth from the quality of their workIt's a commonplace in consideration of art: separate the work from the person. Larkin's poe... more info

Guardian Music — Theatre Royal, NewcastleSusan Boyle has not sung live on stage since her participation in the 2009 Britain's Got Talent tour, prior to which she cemented her new celebrity status by spending five days in the Priory clinic. So the news that she was to... more info

Here Comes The Flood — Johnny Dowd sounds like no one else. The Ithaca, NY singer-songwriter follows his own path, releasing a string of memorable albums that have gained him a avid cult following, mainly in Europe. His new record is called No Regrets, 13 songs about 15 ... more info

411 Mania — From Snoop Dogg's "Gin and Juice" and Lou Reed's "Underneath the Bottle" to Bob Dylan's "Moonshiner," Bruce Springsteen's "Glory Days" and more, the 411 staff readies for St. Patrick's Day with their lists of the top 5 songs about alcohol! more info

Guardian Music — Booing is not pleasant, but it's also honest, a sign of caringWhat is it with those opera types? Beneath their fancy garb and refined interval chitchat, their criticism turns out to be no more civil than the noisy opprobrium that fills football stadi... more info

Topix — Iconic outsider Lou Reed turns 70 years old this March. Notably, through his good and bad creative times, Reed has always seemed to keep Lou Reed in the forefront of what's important him, and yet still be one of the most important influences on moder... more info

411 Mania — He took it personally... more info