Month: July 2017

Bosozuku is South Yarra’s new Japanese burger, sake and karaoke den (Melbourne)

Named after a notorious outlaw subculture in Japan, Bosozuku is South Yarra’s new Japanese burgers joint and sake den, a 200-seater located just off Chapel Street with designs on becoming one of the city’s new favourite destinations. It’s from the same team behind Bird Watching Society and St Kilda’s buzzing Lady Grange, taking on a…

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Fairmont Resort Blue Mountains and Collin Fassnidge plan Winter Wonderland dinner (Sydney)

After a successful outing last year, the picturesque Fairmont Resort Blue Mountains is once again planning to host an extravagant Winter Wonderland gala dinner fronted by celebrity chef Colin Fassnidge. The My Kitchen Rules judge will be making the short journey out of Sydney to lead guests through a culinary journey, centered around a four-course…

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A specialist Japanese sake shop has just opened in Stanmore (Sydney)

In response to the increased demand and awareness of Sake amongst Sydney’s most discerning diners, the team behind Chef’s Armoury have decided to open the city’s first specialist store dedicated to the art and versatility of Japanese sake. Going by the simple name of Sakeshop, the store has flung open its doors on Percival Street…

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Piccolino celebrates their 25th anniversary with a huge rennovation (Melbourne)

After undergoing a massive renovation, Piccolino, one of Mount Waverley’s favourite classic Italian restaurants, have once again opened their doors to the public, just in time to celebrate their 25th anniversary. First opened in the early 90s by John Dib, Piccolino started off as a humble take-away store on Mount Waverley’s Blackburn road, serving up…

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Review: Darlinghurst’s Lucky Suzie brings modern Malaysian to a whole new level (Sydney)

Darlinghurst’s Lucky Suzie is one of the area’s best kept secrets; there’s no doubting that. What chef Zachary Tan (widely known for Devon Cafe) has worked up in his experimental modern Malaysian kitchen is a consistent burst of big traditional flavours mixed into modern, eye-catching dishes with a menu that seems to be changing regularly….

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Single of the Day: SMERZ “Oh my my” (2017)

Norwegian duo SMERZ continue to warp and fuse underground club vibes with fresh and biting vocals on their new tune, “Oh my my”. The single is the girls’ first since releasing acclaimed debut EP Okey in 2016 and boasts originality in sound and a memorable effect in its delivery. Perfect for the odd late night bop or cruise,…

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Peking Duk replace George Ezra at Splendour in the Grass; start planning your festival with the official timetables!

As is tradition with Splendour in the Grass these days, the festival still has changes and surprises up its sleeves, even weeks out from playtime in North Byron. Today, the official set times and maps were released, but not without a sneaky line up change. Unfortunately for George Ezra fans, the British musician has had to cancel his…

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Music Video of the Day: The Sea Gypsies “Demons” (2017)

The Sea Gypsies charm and captivate with their latest single, “Demons” – whether it is in Luke Marlin‘s vocals, the fusion of that easy-to-listen to guitar or the unassuming percussion, there’s a blend of all of the good stuff that makes “Demons” definitely more approachable than the title may suggest. The Central Coast surf rockers remain…

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Exclusive Single Premiere: Sophisticated Dingo “Head Talk” (2017)

Sophisticated Dingo – easily one of the most memorable names you’re likely to hear this week, have dropped on us a brand new single in “Head Talk”! Brimming with confidence and delivered with a one-two punch energy that only comes with a great band dynamic, the single is a great step forward for the band….

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Album Review: Haim – Something To Tell You (2017 LP)

More than four years in the making, Haim have returned from the world of playing festivals and obsessive touring to create Something To Tell You. On Something To Tell You they haven’t recreated the wheel, but have more than ably changed the manual on how use said wheel, or in this case, album. Haim have spoken…

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The Five Best Games of the “Walking Simulator” Genre

When the so-called ‘walking simulator’ genre emerged in modern gaming, it was treated with a certain amount of contempt. Many claimed games within the genre ‘weren’t real games’, and in many cases, completely ignored their vast storytelling potential. Simple mechanics and a lack of interaction have often drawn criticism, but to deny the impact that…

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Film Review: It Comes at Night (USA, 2017) is a nightmare filled with suspense

It would be easy to expect a horror film from the trailer of It Comes At Night, but those familiar with Trey Edwards Shults’ debut feature Krisha should know better. Though he may not be quite skilled at the in-your-face scare, Shults is clearly an intelligent and unique voice for those who love to mix…

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The 10 best TV shows of 2017 (…so far) from Australia and around the world

Many out there reckon we’re in the golden age of television right now, and given the difficulties our team had in creating this list, we don’t disagree. After much debate, here now are the ten TV shows that have aired so far this year on TV and streaming services, that we consider to be the…

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Melbourne Documentary Film Festival Review: China’s 3 Dreams checks the aftermath of The Cultural Revolution two generations on

It’s been more than forty years since Emperor Mao Zedong passed, yet the events of the Revolution remain a foreign subject to much of China’s youth. Beneath the doctored history, propaganda and piecemeal curriculum, the impact of Mao’s leadership remains present in the generation that survived it. This is the heart of Nick Torrens’ documentary,…

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Melbourne Documentary Film Festival Review: The Orb playfully profiled in Lunar Orbit (Canada, 2016)

If you have never heard of The Orb before I would recommend listening to their 1989 hit A Huge Ever Growing Pulsating Brain That Rules from the Centre of the Ultraworld. Even just reading that title would be enough to vaguely understand what The Orb is about and what they continue to represent. Mixed in…

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Meet the 2017 Miles Franklin Literary Award Shortlist (Part 2): Ryan O’Neill, Philip Salom & Josephine Wilson

On the 18th June the shortlist for the 2017 Miles Franklin Literary Award – an award now in it’s 60th year – was unveiled to the public. And what an exciting shortlist it was, with all five of this nominated authors shortlisted for the very first time! It was also great to see many of…

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Review: Sydney Symphony Orchestra delivers thoroughly entertaining tribute to George Michael at the Sydney Opera House (Until 8th July)

When the Sydney Symphony Orchestra first planned a concert series based on the music of George Michael, it was envisioned as a celebration marking 30 years since the release of his first solo album, Faith. But in December last year, Michael’s name was added to the heartbreakingly long list of stellar artists that were lost…

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Aussie producer Jack’s Creek wins World’s Best Fillet Steak

Don’t call it comeback. Australian beef producer Jack’s Creek have, for the third year in a row, dominated London’s coveted World Steak Challenge, walking away with the title of World’s Best Fillet Steak. Bringing home one of the competition’s top awards, this has solidified Jack’s Creek as a serious force despite being a relative newcomer…

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Single of the Day: O Little Sister “Lazy Love” (2017)

Brisbane’s O Little Sister continues to generate some positive momentum surrounding her new music with the release of “Lazy Love”. We first became aware of the songwriter last year and off the back of her shows around the country with Jack Carty, not to mention the chatter surrounding her performances that followed, O Little Sister has definitely…

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Kele Okereke returns with new solo album, Fatherland; check out “Streets Been Talkin” as a taste

“It’s a bittersweet ode to romance and the passing of time.” Kele Okereke has unveiled his new solo effort in “Streets Been Talkin”, the first cut from new album Fatherland. The new album isn’t out until October 6th, but already, we’re seeing the Bloc Party frontman continuing to explore what is a consistently evolving artistry. His previous…

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Music Video of the Day: Lola Kirke “Not Used” (2017)

US songwriter and performer Lola Kirke has dished up a new music video for her single “Not Used”, directed by and starring her sister, actress Jemima Kirke. The single is a well-crafted piece of dreamy Americana and proves to be a great introduction to Lola’s style. Her debut EP is out now and boasts much of the…

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Entries are open for the 2017 South Australian Music Awards

The 2017 South Australian Music Awards have now opened entries for musicians, venues and festivals to be nominated for the November-announced awards! The third annual event, helmed by MusicSA, will be recognising and celebrating the achievements of South Australian artists and the industry across a range of categories, split into two categories – The People’s Choice…

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Over 40 new speakers and industry names added to BIGSOUND 2017

BIGSOUND has added two new keynote speakers to their 2017 event in Brisbane this September, welcoming Sadie Dupuis and Kenny Gates to the fold. Both industry indivduals are coming to BIGSOUND with a wealth of experience; Dupuis, a poet, multi-instrumentalist and vocalist with US group Speedy Ortiz and Gates, the co-founder of internationally renowned indie label, PIAS. The addition of…

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The 20 Best Singles of 2017 (So Far) from Australia and Around the World

Earlier this week, we unveiled our list of the 20 Best Albums of 2017 so far – as voted by our team – with The Smith Street Band reigning supreme with their acclaimed album, More Scared of You Than You Are of Me. Breaking things down even further, today we throw the spotlight on some of the…

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Five things we learned from the iZombie panel at Oz Comic-Con Melbourne 2017

Oz Comic Con Melbourne decided it would go full zombie this year bringing three guests out from the cult hit series iZombie – Rahul Kohli, Robert Buckley and Aly Michalka. The show follows the story of Olivia “Liv” Moore (Rose McIver) who gets turned into a zombie, however in order to remain somewhat human she…

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Video Games Review: Micro Machines: World Series (PS4, 2017)

As we roll into the second half of the year, everyone has come down with a serious case of nostalgia. The remaster of Crash Bandicoot is selling out, Wipeout Omega collection has revived the fan favourite in 4K and Micro Machines: World Series is now available for PS4. But seeing things through nostalgia goggles is a…

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Breaking Bad creator Vince Gilligan to headline ACMI’s Series Mania

The Australian debut of the prestigious television festival Series Mania will be coming to ACMI in Melbourne later this month, with special guest Vince Gilligan (Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul) to headline the festival. Vince will be appearing at an “In Conversation” event, where he will be discussing his experience as the mind behind two of…

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“Savour Singapore in Every Bite” for two weeks during the 24th annual Singapore Food Festival

Next week, the 24th edition of the Singapore Food Festival (SFF) will launch and take over the city for two weeks of incredible eats, all under the theme “Savour Singapore in Every Bite”. Those who know the city as we do realise that you don’t need a festival to tell everyone how good the food…

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Hotel Review: Sheraton Imperial Kuala Lumpur offers an air of old-fashioned charm

Kuala Lumpur has the most affordable five-star hotels in the world, many scattered all over the city so that visitors have some excellent choices no matter which location they are scouting. For the city’s dynamic Chow Kit an obvious go-to is the Sheraton Imperial, a sprawling property that lives up its celebrated brand, from comfortable…

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Comedy Review: Fiona O’Loughlin tells deeply bold, but profoundly funny stories (MAP 57 in Melbourne until July 8th)

While waiting for Fiona O’Loughlin to come on stage at the new St Kilda winter garden known as Map 57, we see a guitar and a few mics set up next to the stand up’s own microphone. While thinking that O’Loughlin may have turned her wares to a musical act, it was actually a separate…

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