Year: 2017

Interview: Horrorshow check in with us backstage ahead of their FOTSUN headline set

Festival of the Sun this year brought some stellar sets of music to Port Macquarie; for some, it proved to be the start of the final run of shows for the year and for others, it was a playground on which new material to be tested on. For one of the country’s most acclaimed hip hop…

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Interview: The Preatures on the making of “Yanada” and looking ahead to new music at FOTSUN!

We always have a great time with The Preatures; longtime fans of the Sydney band, we’ve loved watching their rise from local favourite to nationally beloved live band. Their latest album, Girlhood, has seen The Preatures continue to step into their own light and as a live band, their shows have been second to none. Catching up…

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Interview: Dear Seattle on linking up with Domestic La La and a huge 2017, capped off with Festival of the Sun!

Dear Seattle were quick to emerge in 2017 as one of the new bands to be keeping an eye on and as the shows continued to grow in quality and crowd attendance, these young guns really demonstrated their chops as a live act. Out at Festival of the Sun in Port Macquarie, we sat down with the…

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Tech Review: Beoplay M3 features impeccable design and excellent performance, but is it worth the price?

Bang & Olufsen are often out of any reasonable price range for the casual tech consumer, and the company is usually off collaborating with other high-end luxury brands like Lamborghini – their latest partnership which has the reputable Danish tech company fitting the new Lamborghini Urus supercar with a bespoke 1,700 watt audio system. Their…

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Returning to Australia for Supanova Comic Con & Gaming is triple threat John Barrowman

Last month as one of Australia’s leading pop culture conventions, Supanova Comic Con And Gaming, wrapped up its final tour for the year, they dropped a huge guest announcement for their next shows in 2018. Following on from that broadcast comes yet another release that is sure to put a smile on Supanova fans dials….

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Film Review: Bright (USA, 2017) is a gritty alternate universe take on the police procedural drama

Since Netflix’s launch the streaming service provider has been pumping out its own studio content to screen exclusively on its service. As the service provider grows it also attempts more ambitious projects working with directors, producers, script writers and actors of a higher calibre. We saw this in Okja that was released a couple of…

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Keys to the City: How AVANI hotels are using their guest rooms to unlock local knowledge

“Local Knowledge” is often hard to grasp for tourists who may not have the time, capacity or even patience to plan their trip down to the finer details. It’s an increasingly difficult well of information to tap into as well, with the often ridiculous deluge of blogs (not the good kind) and Zomato/Yelp reviews dirtying…

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Book Review: Lily Tuck’s Sisters is a searing novella about an insecure second wife

When The Four Tops sang about “Standing in the shadows of love” Lily Tuck’s Sisters wasn’t quite what they had in mind. And yet, this novella by a National Book Award recipient feels like it could use that track as an anthem. This story is a tense piece about a second wife who is obsessed…

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New Zealand’s excellent Panhead Custom Ales re-enter the Australian market

If you’ve ever stumbled upon Panhead Custom Ales in New Zealand then you already know that they are one of the country’s best when in comes to craft beers. They were sorely missed when they retreated from Australian soil with a year-long absence, but following a brewery expansion with the valuable backing of Lion, the…

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James Squire will release limited edition Hop Father XPA in January

Now in its second year, the limited edition Hop Father has become an anticipated annual fixture on the release calendar for legendary brewery James Squire. It’s latest iteration is the Hope Father XPA newly released and brewed especially by seventh descendants of James Squire, brothers Ben, Matt and Chris Cooper. The brothers got together at…

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Fried chicken, champagne and sneakers hybrid store opens as Butter expands to Parramatta (Sydney)

Surry Hills’ popular fried chicken and sneaker hybrid Butter is officially expanding out west, opening a two-level concept store in Parramatta this week. The hip hop flavoured shop will be much bigger than the Surry Hills store, which has built a cult following over the past year and a half. Chicken, champagne and sneakers will…

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All-star Merivale team lead the newly reopened Hotel Centennial (Sydney)

The latest piece to the Merivale empire, Hotel Centennial, has finally opened under the tutelage of The Paddington’s Ben Greeno, Fred’s Danielle Alvarez and Head Chef James Evangelinos. With their love of local produce and talent for restrained simplicity, Greeno and Alvarez have crafted a menu shaped by Mediterranean sensibilities. “This is a nod to…

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The Newport welcomes Bert’s Brasserie and Bar this Summer (Sydney)

The expansive grounds of The Newport is set to become even more elegant with the inclusion of Bert’s, Merivale’s newest brasserie and bar. Inspired by grand hotel dining rooms of the 1930s, Bert’s aims to capture the easy air of Sydney’s Northern beaches with a hint of whimsical nostalgia. An all-star line-up of hospitality talent will…

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Nestle announce construction of Australia’s next tourist attraction: the big Milo tin

a prawn, a pineapple, and soon enough a tin of Milo. That’s right, Australia’s next upscaled icon will be the good ol’ Milo tin in response to high demand put on Nestlé and the powers that be for the country’s next ‘big thing’ to be everyone’s favourite chocolate drink. Spanning just a few days, more…

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Australia’s first ever 24/7 Pho restaurant has opened in Melbourne

They are the anti soup nazis of our generation, three humble lads set on making Vietnamese Pho available 24/7 for Melbourne locals and visitors. Thai Ho, Midawell Phal and George Do are hoping to wow late night crowds with a magical bowl of Pho any time of day, any day of the week with this…

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Interview: Mark Foster on Sacred Hearts Club, handling failures and emerging tougher as a result

The last time we caught up with Mark Foster of Foster the People, we were in Chicago; the band was set to play Grant Park’s Lollapalooza, a festival that had come off the back of a trip out to Australia for Splendour, as well as some sideshows to promote their then-latest album, Supermodel. Even then, it was plain…

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Tech Review: Bose SoundLink Micro is a top performer for something so small

Let’s get straight to it: Bose have struck excellent balance with their SoundLink Micro, released earlier this year, and it’s arguably the best sounding speaker of its size that you’ll find on the shelves this holiday season. The soft, rubbery square Bluetooth speaker with rounded edges is being pushed as the reliable audio company’s appeal…

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Feature: With The Last Jedi, has Rian Johnson shown he can helm a full Star Wars trilogy?

This piece contains spoilers regarding Star Wars: The Last Jedi. The Last Jedi is here. Rian Johnson, writer and director of Brick, The Brothers Bloom and Looper, has been given the reins to the Star Wars empire. I met and dined with Johnson back a few years, and he was utterly lovely. Quiet, friendly, humble….

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Video Games Review: OKAMI HD (PS4, Xbox One, 2017) Don’t Brush This Adventure Aside!

Some games are like a fine wine, they age so well. Especially when the original game is already a great one! The longer they’ve been out, the more widespread the fan base grows, the greater the overall feeling of nostalgia envelopes you when you finally return to it after so many long years (look at…

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We talk Pitch Perfect 3 with Anna Camp and Brittany Snow at the Australian premiere

Bringing their perfect pitch and poise to the red carpet on the (not-so) eve of the release of the closing chapter of the Pitch Perfect series – appropriately titled Pitch Perfect 3 – founding Bellas Rebel Wilson, Brittany Snow and Anna Camp, alongside new recruit Ruby Rose, allowed their devoted fanbase the opportunity to say…

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Film Review: Call Me By Your Name (USA, 2017) is a loving and fruitful experience

As of writing this review, the Australian Parliament has passed the law, allowing same-sex marriage. What great timing, right? Anyway, Call Me By Your Name. This film has been gathering up critical buzz ever since it made its premiere splash at Sundance back in January. Then it showed at many other film festivals like Toronto…

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Icebergs and The Dolphin Hotel collaborate on a new Bondi Beach bar (Sydney)

Bondi Beach Public Bar (BBPB) is opening on Wednesday 20th December, just in time for summer. As the love child of Icebergs Dining and Bar and The Dolphin Hotel, BBPB represents the synthesis of a modern day pub while tapping into the history and vibe of 1907s and 1980s Australian pub culture. “Whenever I am…

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Rekorderlig launch low-sugar, low-carb cider exclusively in Australia

Swedish cider brand Rekorderlig are renowned for their rich, sugary ciders which remain distinctive in a now extremely crowded market. In a move that seems overdue, they’ve finally decided to expand their brand into the increasingly common low-sugar game with the launch of Rekorderlig Low Sugar Strawberry-Lime, the first and hopefully not last expression focusing…

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Pier One Sydney Harbour opens the city’s first harbour pool and bar for summer

Pier One Sydney Harbour have transformed their ideally located wharf into the ultimate summer party destination with the launch of Sydney’s first bar and plunge pool right in the harbour. Open to both guests and the public, The Pool is the hotel’s private pontoon, decked out like a scene from a Slim Aaron’s artwork styled with…

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Seven Songs to Soundtrack Your Summer (Cricket) Season

There are few cultural events that have come to ring in an Australian summer as much as music festivals and the cricket. Whether it’s the sound of leather on willow or the constant rhythm of a festival both sounds ring in summer louder than a field of cicadas. As we delve deeper into an ongoing…

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Live Review: Muse return to Australia with a scaled back production, but same high octane live show in Sydney

After four very long years, Muse made an extremely welcome return to Australian shores at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney on Saturday night for their first of only two shows in the country this year.  Having skipped Australia on the recent Drones World Tour, it was wonderful to get the opportunity to see them on this…

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9 Gigs You Can’t Miss This January!

January means a new year, when we try to uphold resolutions and prepare for the year ahead. We’ve picked 0 unmissable gigs that will get you partying well into the new year. The xx British indie trio The xx are back in Australia in support of critically acclaimed album I See You. Here the three musicians bring…

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Music Video of the Day: MGMT “When You Die” (2017)

When MGMT released their hit debut Oracular Spectacular  in 2007, massive pop hits “Electric Feel” and “Kids” showed a little of the duo’s dark side, but remained largely upbeat dance tracks. As the years have worn on, the bands’ obsession with death has become obvious, with each release venturing into darker and darker territory. With new…

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Single of the Day: King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard “All Is Known” (2017)

King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard are known for their psychedelic riffs, crazy storytelling and churning out music quicker than seems possible. With four full length albums already under their belt in this year alone, it seems that King Gizzard is on track to release album number five this year. Without much fan fare the…

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Single of the Day: BØRNS “I Don’t Want U Back” (2017)

When Michigan born singer songwriter BØRNS released his first album, Dopamine, it was obvious that he was one to watch. The debut was met with critical acclaim, reaching international fame with tracks “10,000 Pools” and “Electric Love”. The topic on everyone’s lips was his sweet falsetto voice, which at first listen may be mistaken for a woman….

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