Like anyone who spends a lot of time writing about London, I'm slightly obsessed with Google maps. In extreme cases I've been known to zoom in on a restaurant whose location I can remember, but whose name I don't, to check out the title on the sign. Or to see if I can work out whether the Queen has a swimming pool at Buckingham Palace (she doesn't seem to, but she does have a very odd looking tennis court).

And so it's in this spirit of geekery that I give you this link. You'll need to be on satellite view before you zoom in on Russell Square. Odd eh?

Flying low say Chloe, Tom, Josh, Mat, Clare and everyone else at the le cool London hacienda.

Check out our blog for the first in le cool’s series of #firstandforever London stories brought to you by Dr. Martens.

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You know we're big fans of the beautification of everyday life here at le cool - guerrilla gardening and Random Acts of Kindness and the like - but Ben Wilson takes the idea to the extreme. He beautifies at the tiniest of levels, turning those little pancakes of dried chewing gum that dot London's pavements into miniature artworks. Up until now his excursions have been purely ad hoc but this week sees the very first proper exhibition of his oeuvre. In inimitable style he's created a trail of artworks on already existing gum on the streets around Trinity Buoy Wharf, leading you to the photographs of his work on litter and street detritus. This week's least likely art superstar. / Rob Valid

If, like me, you chuckled along to Richard Godwin’s enlightening ES Magazine article the Friday before last about how geeks 'n' spods, once the “ubiquitous underdogs”, have now taken over the world (then fretfully realised how true it was), then this event will certainly clinch the argument. Science nerds doing comedy? A particularly, if not traditionally, hostile environment for le geek, non? Then again look at the Big Bang Theory... actually I’d rather not. Well, with a Thursday evening of stand-up mathematicians, nerdy songstresses and side-splitting interactive experiments all in the name of ‘intelligent fun’, I bid you brainiacs one helluva of an atomic gigglathon. This is all wrong. / Sofi Goddard

Undoubtedly one of 2011’s breakthrough artists, Nicolas Jaar arrives at the iconic Roundhouse this Thursday in the culmination of his ‘Don’t Break My Love’ Tour. With him he brings a depth of new and promising sonic talent from his Clown & Sunset label in the form of Acid Pauli and Soul Kieta. Only his second sojourn into the big smoke following three sold-out nights at Fabric last year, Nicolas will be showcasing a live set of songs taken primarily from his debut album ‘Space is Only Noise’, voted second best album of 2011 by Rough Trade. As a live act, Mr Jaar brings all the serene accomplishments of his recorded material intertwined with an upbeat façade that will have you bouncing all the way home. / Alex Goddard

After their famously epic shows at Glastonbury and Lovebox festivals last year, Azari & III are set to let it all hang out again on tour. Hailing from Toronto, these four chaps make a delectable breed of funked-up and retro-infused house music, with soulful vocals and slick production. Their new single Reckless (With Your Love) is no exception, leaving bloggers and dance-heads around the world wide-eyed with adoration. Expect wigs, heels and rambunctiousness, it’s guaranteed to be a glamour encrusted spectacle and a pounding night of sparkling beats. What’s more, in support there’ll be a DJ set from the often unidentifiable Planningtorock. This is a must see for anyone needing an injection of unadulterated joy into their bleak February schedule. / Sarah Thompson

I got rather overexcited a couple of years ago when the BBC announced it was showing the first film made by chimps. It was a bit of a let-down. It promised to give me an insight into the way chimps see the world. Well, yeah, it did that. This doesn’t stop me getting all fired up for Art by Animals, though. Ever the optimist, I’ll be there with high expectations of this art that zoos have apparently been encouraging animals to do since the mid-50s. The danger is that it feeds the arguments of those who love to say about pieces of modern art: ‘a monkey could do that.’ I feel an important distinction is that this exhibition considers the art that animals can and cannot do rather than art that could or could not have been down by animals. / Delaina Haslam

Software editing suites, hand-held HD cameras, stills cameras that shoot beautiful video: there's never been a better time to be a student film-maker. Equipment is getting so cheap, and so practical, that the actual making of decent film is suddenly not just in the hands of a very rich few (though of course student fees and the costs of getting your film actually out there mean that it's no socialist utopia just yet). But a great time for an international student film festival eh? Well the people at the LCC thought so, and even the briefest of glimpses at some of the clips online  - animated snails, horror stories, sex, duels and Occupy docs - should convince you too. The three-day festival is a treasure trove of bright young work, and the workshops, parties and masterclasses bode well for the next generation of London film-making talent. / Rob Valid

OK, this is going to mean nothing to most of you. If the names Felt, Lawrence or Denim don't set your heart beating a little faster then just move along now, nothing to see here. For those of you left, probably about eight of you, this is kinda big deal. All the original members of Felt (yes, the Primitive Painters line-up) are going to be in the house for the launch of Felt - The Book - a huge limited edition book documenting the band's career with never-seen photographs from the archives and text by Lawrence himself. There will be some clips from Paul Kelly's heartbreaking feature-film look at Lawrence's post-Felt troubles, Lawrence of Belgravia, a Q&A, a signing and then a DJ session. There's no mention of them actually playing live though - a crying shame. / Rob Valid

Pretty much everyone’s heard of David Lynch; pretty much everyone will pretend to know something about his films; but very few – generally speaking – have actually seen any of them. Of course, there is a reason for this: non-linear narratives, weird sex and surrealism’s never going to be everyone’s cup of tea. But it does make him the most intriguing and beguiling director of our time. So, if you either weren’t an adult in 1986, or didn’t fancy it back then, why not watch his most accessible (and Oscar-nominated) feature on the big screen? You will get Dennis Hopper on fine freak-out form, luscious visuals and a journey into the dark heart of American suburbia for your troubles. Still a classic, it’s not to be missed. / Matthew Lewis

Young hip-hop outfit FUR launch their EP this Saturday, and the 8-piece London outfit are doing so under their own steam on Soul Rub Records. They’ve clearly got massive ears, as they give warm pronounced nods to Motown, dub and West African music – rough and rootsy. That said, the smart lyricism on show has unmistakably been conceived and rolled out over the carpets and curbs of London, as MC Murmur of FUR leads us through some conscious ponderings with likeable swagger. This Hootananny gig will be an energetic celebration, the like of which allowed the group to share lots of different stages last year: from The Correspondents to Jehst, Only Joe to United Vibrations, FUR were there, sharing stage. They’re supported on the night by Mashasha and Sam, Parallel, DJ Cal Jader (Movimientos) and DJ Royale (Word Is Born). It won’t cost you a penny to get in neither. / Josef

Every now and then you pop in on an exhibition which just feels right, feels like it's in a genre of its own. That was the feeling I got on first seeing Stuart Pearson Wright's Together in Electric Dreams. At first glance there should be no obvious connection between his subjects and style. Hugely tattooed musclemen and gym chicks are painted heroically on wonky china cups. Beauty queen types in ornate frames sit next to scratchy line drawings of skulls. Suburban homes rub shoulders with tower blocks. But somehow it all hangs together, transforming the space at Riflemakers into a glorious peak into another, much much odder world. / Rob Valid

Need a shake up? There are certain things that’ll do the trick: traveling, getting the sack, having kids, and tonight’s event at the Old Queen’s Head. All Ears is a smack in the face (in a lovely way) with some really real, real-life stories. The three speakers are homeless person Vijay Jagun, sex industry worker Madam Becky, and my mother’s favourite Beefeater and YouTube sensation Bill Callaghan. I don’t know about you, but Susie really digs that guy. So for her sake, I’m in. But aside from that, sometimes I just want to leave the pub with a spring in my step and new thoughts sparkling around in my head, instead of stumbling home with the single thought that is: kebab. Let tonight be that night. Inspire me London! / Lou Whitehead

It’s one helluva thought : how can I die well? Not exactly a question you should proffer in the pub with your mates as you’ll probably be clouted with the morbid sticker and sent home to dice with your dark thoughts alone. However therein lies the problem, we don’t think about the end because we’d rather not contemplate what a lot of us feel we have no control over. WRONG. There’s a lot you can do to live life to the fullest, how to design your life around your demise, what we can learn from those people, cultures and religions obsessed with death. One such place these macabre thoughts can sparkle is at the School of Life this Wednesday for Deathstyle 101 with faculty member Roman Krznaric, who will delve into the folds of our impermanence for a more balls-on approach to it. / Sofi Goddard

Another week, another tasty offering to be had in the belly of XOYO. Last time I fronted the roundabout it was for a Bugged Out party. And it was my birthday. Oh what a dangerous mix that turned out to be! Now I return for Friends – the band fronted by the seriously hot Samantha Urbani, whose lyrics alone ooze sexy defiance. And yes, I have been singing ‘I’m His Girl’ in the mirror lately. This five-piece band from Brooklyn (I know, yet another band from Brooklyn!) have been been mentioned in the same breath as names such as Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Warpaint and Tom Tom Club. Tonight, being a school night, may be a little more restrained than my last XOYO escapade. But with a band this hot, I’m going at it like a birthday girl inside. / Lou Whitehead

le cool is a free weekly magazine distributed every Thursday that features a selection of cultural events and leisure activities, revealing the things you really shouldn't miss. We filter out, among other things, the best art, film, music, and club nights, as well as a careful selection of extraordinary bars, restaurants and other fine places. Our new 2.0-oriented website offers le cool readers new ways of sharing our recommendations and organising their own weekly agenda. le cool content is chosen because we believe it is worth your time and will never be traded for money.

To contact our editorial team, email Mat and send press releases to our lovely assistant editor, Clare. For interviews and photography, it's Tom. For cover art, and silly jokes - always Josh.

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