Year: 2017

Film Review: The Eagle Huntress (G) (UK/MONG/USA, 2016) follows an inspiring subject

I have to admit, I don’t watch a lot of documentaries, but I’ve loved the ones I’ve seen. Some of them haven’t felt like documentaries at all, mainly because the stories behind them are a little too one-sided or hard to believe. Films like Super Size Me and Bowling for Columbine have been accused of being false, manipulative…

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Book Review: Lindy West’s Shrill will make you laugh, cry, rage and feel jubilant at her uncompromising prose

Lindy West was one of the highlights from this year’s All About Women festival at the Sydney Opera House. So it is unsurprising that this Guardian columnist and Jezebel blogger’s book, Shrill – Notes From A Loud Woman is funny, accomplished and excellent. West’s book is ultimately a hybrid between memoir, with personal anecdotes, and…

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Opera Review: Melbourne Opera’s HMS Pinafore is a really special opera performance (14.03.17)

Gilbert & Sullivan’s H.M.S Pinafore sailed into Melbourne’s Athenaeum Theatre this week to the sound of resounding applause. It was Melbourne Opera’s first time tackling G&S, and I was extremely intrigued to see how this comedic opera would play out on stage. For me there’s something so special about the Athenaeum Theatre, it allows for…

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Starley shines bright at SXSW’s MTV Woodies alongside Rick Ross and Jidenna

The MTV Woodies were hosted by Rick Ross for SXSW 2017, as punters were treated to some performances by established and emerging artists from across the hip hop, pop and rock realms. Taking out the four awards for this year were The Chainsmokers (“Woodie of the Year”), Ed Sheeran (“Cover Woodie” for his cover of Little Mix‘s “Touch”), Khalid (“Woodie to Watch”) and PARTYNEXTDOOR (“Songwriter of…

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Spoon wrap up a special SXSW residency ahead of Hot Thoughts album release and Australian tour

Austin, Texas based outfit Spoon proved to be one of the hottest tickets this week at SXSW as they performed a residency of intimate shows at The Main (Formerly Emo’s) in the heart of their hometown. Across three nights at the venue, which wrapped up earlier tonight, the band played different setlists featuring tracks old…

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At The Drive-In’s surprise performance proves the highlight of House of Vans at SXSW

For the past two days, the iconic Austin venue Mohawk played host to the annual House of Vans, featuring a mix of primarily rock and hip hop acts – some well established and plenty emerging. But it was the surprise addition of At The Drive-In during the event’s first night that proved to be the…

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The 25th anniversary of WOMADelaide proves that festivals of its kind are true musical sanctuaries

Oh, WOMAD. The World of Music and Dance is a hefty title to attribute to a festival but over the last 25 years, the institution has enjoyed huge amounts of acclaim and conjured many timeless memories. Festival goers make the trip every year to indulge in music discovery, learn more about different cultures and to feel a…

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Pandora wraps up four days at SXSW with performances from Future Islands, Tkay Maidza & more

It was a slightly different agenda for Pandora at SXSW this year as the digital radio service concluded their annual Pandora House at Austin venue The Gatsby earlier tonight. Running from Monday to Thursday and crossing into both Music and Interactive programming – as opposed to concluding on Saturday as in past years – Future…

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Single of the Day: Lupa-J “Put Me Back Together” (2017)

Lupa-J. A name you may have heard about the traps through 2016 and in these early months of 2017, but with her new single “Put Me Back Together”, you’re set to have this inventive artist in your head much more permanently. Like previous releases and remixes, Lupa-J’s style is one of boldness and unique flair….

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Kehlani bringing SweetSexySavage to Australia for the first time this August

Do ya, do ya, do ya wanna be…? – If that line hasn’t been stuck in your head at least once since Kehlani released “Distraction” then, well you’ve done better than me. The R&B artist has been getting behind her acclaimed debut album SweetSexySavage and hitting headline shows and festivals everywhere and come August, she’s heading Down…

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10 highlights from another vibrant and diverse WOMADelaide weekend

The fast spinning wheel that has been Adelaide’s festival season is starting to slow, following the massive weekend that saw WOMADelaide collide with the Fringe and the Adelaide Festival for another year. Still, the Botanic Park remained a haven of dance, culture, art and music for thousands over the long weekend – a little home away…

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Live Review: Roo Panes + Anabelle Kay – The Toff In Town, Melbourne (15.03.17)

I never miss a support act when I’m reviewing.  Ever. I think it’s important to support the support every chance you get. Almost every artist we admire has been a support act at some point. Tonight, sadly, I missed Anabelle Kay‘s slot at The Toff In Town owing to circumstances beyond my control. I’m sorry,…

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Bleeding Knees Club share new single from forthcoming EP out April 14th

Returning with their first new music in three years, Gold Coast garage-rockers Bleeding Knees Club have released new single “Chew The Gum”. It’s a blisteringly sweet punk ode to over-doing things that are fun, till they’re no fun at all. “Chew The Gum” comes as a first taste and title track to their new EP which will…

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First impressions of Animals‘ second season from two first time viewers

Animals, what can we say about HBO’s crazy animated show? To give you a quick rundown, Animals is an American animated comedy television series created by new talents Phil Matarese and Mike Luciano. The first two episodes were independently produced and presented at the Sundance Film Festival in 2015 and HBO picked the series up after its success at the…

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Music Video of the Day: Lastlings “Urges” (2017)

Lastlings have enjoyed a great run of late. Not only has their local profile continued to rise off the back of stellar shows, but the Gold Coast duo have also added an impressive label signing to their name, having jumped onboard with Exist. Recordings last month. Continuing this great streak, the siblings’ debut EP Verses is out tomorrow…

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Solange headlines the first day of YouTube’s residency at the Coppertank for SXSW

Saint Heron descended upon the Coppertank for SXSW 2017, with Solange herself performing a brilliant headline set to mark the first day of YouTube’s programming. Joining the Saint Heron queen on stage throughout the day were some of 2017’s buzz names including Aminé, JAIN, James Hersey and Earthgang – sticking to YouTube’s directive of spotlighting some of…

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Hanging out with Hang Massive (UK) on their debut Australian tour

Learning about the discovery of a new species is always a mildly disorienting experience. Call it historical narcissism, or simple ignorance, but it rarely crosses my mind that as things have been discovered and invented before us, they will continue to be so long after we’re gone. Hearing the Hang for the first time, I…

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Exclusive Single Premiere: Lip Sync Chicks “Bad Time Child” (2017)

Their name might indicate otherwise, but Melbourne’s Lip Sync Chicks are the genuine deal. The three piece band have released their new single, “Bad Time Child”, and as a snippet of what’s to come from them this year, it’s a nice little insight. The group cites the likes of The Cribs and The Replacements and the…

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Disco-funk masters Tuxedo return with new single from forthcoming album, out March 24th

“The only time you wear a Tuxedo is when it’s time to party,” says Snoop Dogg on the opening track of the new album by Tuxedo, Tuxedo II. Mayer Hawthorne and Jake One are the two funk-lovers that get together to make incredibly fresh disco music under the stage name Tuxedo. The duo have been working…

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Joey Bada$$ reveals details on new album dropping April 7th

Yesterday, New York’s Joey Bada$$ revealed on Facebook his highly-anticipated sophomore album will be released April 7th after a number of set backs called for the finishing touches. The new album, titled All-Amerikkkan Bada$$, follows up 2015’s B4.DA.$$ and features 12 tracks with a bunch of guest appearances including J.Cole, Schoolboy Q, Flatbush Zombies’ Meechy Darko and…

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SXSW 2017: Film Festival Announces Jury and Special Awards

This week, the annual SXSW Film Festival took place, with award winners just announced. Featuring an all-star jury including Kristen Bell, Becky Cloonan and more, the jury selected winners across a variety of categories including Narrative Feature, Film Design, Short Film Making, Documentary Feature and Excellence in Poster and Title Design among others. The 2017…

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Music video platform Vevo to launch shared viewing experience “Watch Party” and overhauled design

Music Video streaming service Vevo has announced new additions to their already stellar mobile and desktop offerings with the launch of Watch Party for desktop, and a redesigned interface for IOS.

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First Impressions: Marvel’s Iron Fist has a shaky first half but potential to improve

It all began with Marvel’s Daredevil in 2015, then we had Jessica Jones, shortly after that came Luke Cage. Now Netflix are about to roll out the last of their street level superheroes, this time it’s Marvel’s Iron Fist and the show takes an interesting turn in mashing the sensibilities of Eastern and Western culture….

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Video Games Review: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Switch, 2017) makes the act of discovery itself your greatest reward

I spent a good half an hour trying to come up with a headline for this review before settling on the one you just clicked on. I spent a lot longer trying to review the game itself — you may notice that we’re coming in rather later with this review than some of our contemporaries. The…

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Adelaide Fringe Review: Justice and Trainweck Change History – The Producers (Performances until 19th March)

It’s that time of the Fringe when you feel like you’ve seen all the big shows in the major hubs. There’s a week left, surely there’s more to the Fringe than the Garden. Now’s the time to venture further out to smaller venues such as Tandanya, Tuxedo Cat or the Producers. It’s upstairs at the…

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Adelaide Fringe Review: The Chemsex Monologues – The German Club (Performances until 19th March)

The Chemsex Monologues is a 2016 play written by British playwright Patrick Cash and performed by London Ensemble, Dragonflies Theatre. It is a confronting look at the anonymous underground world of gay sex parties in London. The narrator (Richard Watkins), sitting in a chair on a bare stage launches into graphic description of his night on drugs and…

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WA’s Jazz by the Bay goes global with international performers in its fifth year

Jazz by the Bay, WA’s annual Jazz festival, has just announced the first of its scheduled acts, which will include several international acts for the first time in its 5-year history. The festival is a celebration for Jazz lovers from Perth and beyond, and also includes local food and wine experiences. This year, the event…

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Theatre Review: Virginia Gay’s Calamity Jane is knee-slappingly funny (at the Hayes Theatre until 9 April)

A new take on a theatrical classic makes this Calamity Jane a must-see. And the classic I’m referring to is not the musical – it’s the oft ridiculed theatrical style of ‘Broadway dinner theatre’. Everything bar the meal is here: interactions with the audience, contemporary references (insert Trump joke here), entrances and exits through the…

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Single of the Day: Timberwolf “Hold You Up” (2017)

Timberwolf has returned this week with a gorgeous new single in “Hold You Up”. Signifying a brand new and exciting chapter for the Adelaide artist’s career, this new Timberwolf track is one of promise, brimming with potential. Taken from his debut album – due out this year – “Hold You Up” highlights Timberwolf’s enhanced songwriting skills…

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