Month: August 2017

Hermitude, Sarah Belkner & more to appear as part of new Sydney Conservatorium of Music series

The Sydney Conservatorium of Music will be introducing a brand new seminar series that shines the spotlight on entering the music industry as either musician or aspiring media member. Hosted by Jake Stone (Bluejuice), the seminar series brings together some of Australia’s brightest musical talents for some one-of-a-kind conversations that will explore the  challenges of breaking into…

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Music Video of the Day: Ecca Vandal “Broke Days, Party Nights” (2017)

We’re edging closer and closer to hearing what Ecca Vandal has in store for us, debut album-wise, but in the mean time we’re joining the masses who have been frothing her latest tune, “Broke Days, Party Nights”. Chaotic and relentless as ever, the music video for the tune takes us through Ecca’s recent journey out to…

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Exclusive Album Premiere: Maja – Still Bleeding (2017 EP)

For Melbourne based singer songwriter Maja, the release of her sophomore EP Still Bleeding has been some time in the making. Relocating to Melbourne from Brisbane and establishing herself within a new music scene has seen the singer have to not only introduce herself to new audiences, but also push forward in making music that is reflective…

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TOKiMONSTA leads Boiler Room x Budweiser ‘Discover What’s Brewing’ showcase in Sydney

TOKiMONSTA will be on her way back to Sydney this month to headline a special Boiler Room x Budweiser link up, ‘Discover What’s Brewing’. Throwing the spotlight onto Sydney’s electronic music scene, the event will bring the LA producer and DJ hit the decks alongside Machinedrum and Sydney locals BV and Aywy. Of course, Boiler Room shows have an…

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Video Games Preview: Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle is way harder than you think it is

A few hours of playing Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle at Ubisoft’s Australian HQ last week made me really glad I sank so many hours into XCOM. Behind its outwardly cute and cartoonish exterior beats the heart of a stone-cold killer.

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Australian Box Office Report: It’s war as Apes edges out Dunkirk

Whilst not opening to as much as last week’s no. 1 film, War For The Planet Of The Apes, the third in the franchise, managed to wipe out last week’s top flick in only its 2nd week in cinemas. War For The Planet Of The Apes earned $4.07m in its opening week, which just pushed last week’s no. 1…

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Canada celebrates its 150th Birthday as a dragon and giant spider fight it out in the streets of Ottawa

2017 marks the 150th anniversary of the federation of Canada, and much as they did in 1967 when Expo came to town, the 150th birthday celebrations have been enjoyed far and wide across the entire country. Canada 150 flags can be seen everywhere, and special events are popping up from coast-to-coast to ensure this birthday…

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Cape Town’s Belmond Mount Nelson Hotel’s new package celebrates the life of Nelson Mandela

The stunning Belmond Mount Nelson Hotel is preparing a true gift for those planning to Cape Town in October and an elegant homage to Nelson Mandela, timed to celebrate the release of Dare Not Linger: The Presidential Years – the long-awaited second volume of Mandela’s memoirs. This is channeled in their recently announced “Memories of…

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This Singapore hotel will be among the first in the country to offer free in-room films

Guests staying at Singapore’s Mandarin Orchard, located in the heart of the city’s famous shopping district, now have something more to look forward to. Forget expensive rentals and clogging up storage on personal devices with films, as the iconic Singapore hotel are going to be the among the first in the country to provide their…

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Hotel Review: The recently renovated Farmer’s Daughter and TART Restaurant are hidden gems in Los Angeles

“Oh, rustic,” I murmured as I entered my room at The Farmer’s Daughter on Fairfax Avenue in Los Angeles. The room is indeed rustic. A twin share, the room has more in common with an old world cabin than it does an upmarket hotel room. Nevertheless, the luxuries are there even if they aren’t apparent…

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Theatre Review: Kindertransport moves its audience with honest and frank stories (Darlinghurst Theatre Company until 20th August)

Prior to the commencement of the Second World War, Britain took in over 10,000 Jewish refugee children from Europe. This was known as Kindertransport, with the majority of the children never seeing their families again. Diane Samuels play, Kindertransport, follows the story of Eva who is sent from Hamburg to England in 1938 when she…

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Barangaroo is hosting its own month-long food and drink festival in August (Sydney)

Throughout the month of August food and drink precinct Barangaroo is celebrating the tail-end of winter with a series of exclusive events, all spread across various restaurants, bars and diners including 12-Micron, Bel & Brio, Born by Tapavino, and Zushi. The collection of venues, officially dubbed “The Streets of Barangaroo” will be offering a range…

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This new Wolli Creek eatery is doing burgers inspired by the world’s greatest cities (Sydney)

After much hype Concept Burger has finally opened in Wolli Creek, bringing the suburb its very own contender in the very, very competitive scene of gourmet burgers in Sydney. This one’s got a neat little twist though, and with culinary adviser Tomislav Martinovic, the famous chef who helped make North Sydney’s Five Points Burgers a…

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Rosebery’s Da Mario: still one of the best pizzerias in Sydney

Two years on and food lovers across Sydney are still reeling over the closure of Surry Hills’ treasured Pizza Mario. The highly celebrated pizzeria was long-established as one of the very best this city has ever seen, and its unfortunate closure in 2015 was a huge hit to the otherwise rich and consistent Italian dining…

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Bongo’s Bingo announces encore Australian tour for August

After instant sell-outs June, the London-born quirk of Bongo’s Bingo is heading on an encore tour across Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane this August, keen to deliver more table-topped rave-bingo madness. Over the past two years Bongo’s Bingo has attempted to transform the nightlife in the UK, giving punters a chance to re-shape their nights out;…

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Single of the Day: Kelela “LMK” (2017)

Finally, finally, finally, Kelela‘s debut album is on its way, with Take Me Apart due out this October. The vocalist took our breath away with the Hallucinogen EP and now, we’ve got some new music in “LMK” to get around as the hype for Take Me Apart starts to generate properly. Primed for the dance floor, “LMK” goes in hard with its…

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Interview: Travis Collins and Amber Lawrence on Our Backyard, Gympie Muster and 2017 milestones

 For the first time, country music singer/songwriters Travis Collins and Amber Lawrence have collaborated on their debut seven-track EP, Our Backyard. Friends since 2004, when they met at the College of Country Music (now Academy of Country Music), it’s been eight years since the duo hit the road together. With cemented solo careers and album…

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Exclusive Music Video Premiere: Birdz ft. Serina Pech “This Side” (2017)

The Bad Apples team comes through again, this time with Birdz stepping up to the plate in releasing the visuals for his latest single, “This Side”. Linking up with Darwin singer Serina Pech, the rapper brings together clever rhymes with Pech’s undeniably smoky soul flavour in celebrating excellence over adversity. Filmed in and around Melbourne’s Northside, we see…

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Lineup and venue revealed for the AU’s 9th Birthday Party in Sydney

Guess what? We’re just shy of a decade old and to celebrate, we’re bringing the party to Sydney this month! Our ninth birthday is a special one – there’ve been many changes and developments over the last few years but our love for championing new music and artists has remained the same – strong as…

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AFI and AACTA announce the fourth year of #SocialShorts

Throughout the last week, the Australian Film Institute and Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AFI | AACTA) have been making waves with their online short film competition #SocialShorts. In its fourth year, the competition is aimed at given unknown filmmakers exposure within the wider Australian film industry. And with 65 film competing it…

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Screen Australia announces investments in fifteen documentaries

In local news, Screen Australia has recently announced that they plan to invested up to $4.15 million in production funding across fifteen documentaries. Through the guise of the Documentary Producer and Commissioned programs, the module set in place is certain to stretch and explore a plethora of various subject matters from creative voices. With some…

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Film Review: Atomic Blonde (USA, 2017) collates enough action, sensuality, and humour to deem it worthy

Proving that the no-hold barred mentality he so masterfully captured as co-director of the original John Wick was no flash in the pan, director David Leitch ventures as a soloist for the excessive Atomic Blonde and manages to collate enough action, sensuality, and humour to deem it a project worthy of one’s attention. It doesn’t…

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The Hilton Hawaiian Village to kick off a massive 72 hour sale next week

The iconic Waikiki Beach Resort – Hilton Hawaiian Village – will be holding a massive sale for just 72 hours, with hotel suites (including, possibly, the one that Elvis and Michael Jackson once stayed in) being offered up to 50 percent off. The sale kicks off at 8 am Monday 7 August (Hawaii local time),…

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Seven Events Not To Miss Around Australia This August

From Cabaret to Theatre and Contemporary Dance, August is offering up a delightful assortment of options to get you out of the house all over the country. Here are just arts events we think should not be missed this month! Melbourne: Crazy Horse Paris presents Forever Crazy Celebrating 65 show-stopping years of naked couture and…

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What I learned attending my first ever Helpmann Awards

The 2017 17th annual Helpmann Awards were held last Monday at the Capitol Theatre in Sydney. Lachlan attended the ceremony and reflects on the experience – his first time at the iconic celebration of stage performances in Australia. They’re long… and for good reason Clocking in at 3 hours with no commercial breaks, the ceremony…

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Theatre Review: The Production Company’s Jesus Christ Superstar will leave you with mixed emotions (State Theatre, Melbourne to 13th August)

We all know the story about the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and the undeniable suffering he endured in his last hours. Well, this musical – Jesus Christ Superstar – chronicles the days leading up to Jesus’ last, and does so through song and dance. With Andrew Lloyd Webber as the almighty creator of this work, it’s understandable…

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Book Review: Michael Fitzgerald’s The Pacific Room is a tender examination of identity and self expression

In 1892, Italian painter Girolamo Nerli travels to Samoa to paint famous author Robert Louis Stevenson, known to the locals as Tusitala, ‘the teller of tales’. His goal? To capture something of the Hyde within Stevenson’s Jekyll. Over a century later, art historian Lewis Wakefield makes the same pilgrimage, in search of the story behind…

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Bend the knee to this enormous M&M ice cream sandwich in Sydney and Brisbane today

It’s National Ice-Cream Sandwich Day today. Well at least that’s what we’ve just been told by dessert slinger Mister Fitz who, for one day only, is offering pretty much the biggest, most ridiculous, world-destroying ice cream sandwich known to humankind. Given their usual flair with ice-cream sandwiches we’re expecting this one to actually taste pretty…

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Proud and powerful: Machiavelli Ristorante is still one of Sydney’s finest Italian restaurants

It seems the 2016 arrival of a spin-off restaurant, imposing Rushcutters Bay warehouse restaurant Bar Machiavelli, has sparked a new flame under Sydney’s long-standing Machiavelli Ristorante, a stalwart dining destination that has been standing since 1988. There’s a real “if these walls could talk” kind of history behind this famed Italian restaurant, a sprawling space…

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House of Lulu White brings a cheeky twist to Melbourne’s cafe scene

Tucked away behind tinted windows is a seductive new cafe made of something a little more than just your average building materials. What makes House of Lulu White just that little bit special is the unique history behind both the name and the cafe’s location. The site at 4 Yarra Street now takes inspiration from…

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