Month: August 2018

9 shows not to miss at the 2018 Brisbane Festival

The Brisbane Festival kicks off on in a couple of weeks on the 8th of September. With the festival boasting 600 performances of almost 70 shows across 17 venues, it’s close to impossible to see everything, or indeed to decide what you should go and see. So, like the good citizens we are, we’ve compiled…

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Track of the Day: Snoh Aalegra feat. Luke James “Out Of Your Way (Remix)” (2018)

Swedish singer Snoh Aalegra will be heading out on tour next month across the United States, in support of her late-2017 debut record FEELS. In anticipation she’s dropped a new single, or rather a reimaging of the album track: “Out Of Your Way”. On this new version, Aalegra has brought in New Orleans’ crooner Luke…

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Cardi B and Migos lead NYE lineup for Perth’s Origin Fields

Formerly known as Origin NYE, 2018 is the 12th year of the Western Australian festival and a score of changes are planned. As well as a new name, the festival now has a new location and is expanding to a two day music and culture festival with the announcement of their largest lineup to date….

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Tech Review: The Huawei Nova 3e Delivers High Tech at a Low Price

With the list of new and available smartphones increasing daily, the Huawei Nova 3e, known elsewhere as the Nova P20 lite, is admittedly a surprising entry promising high tech, for the low RRP of $399 AUD. While it seems like a lot to live up to, don’t let the price tag fool you. This is…

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Opera Review: Madame Butterfly is a timeless tragedy that tugs at your heartstrings (National Tour to 18 September)

Madame Butterfly is a timeless love story involving a beauty and a beastly character and Opera Australia are currently staging a regional tour of the renowned Puccini’s opera. In doing so, they have made one of the world’s most famous operas accessible to a wider Australian audience thanks to a scaled-down, English language version. This…

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Tech Review: Google Home Max has brains, brawn and big sound

The Google Home Max is, in this reviewer’s opinion, the best sounding standalone smart speaker on the market. That’s an arguable point of course, but after weeks spent trying this imposing device with various styles of music (and a few podcasts) it is becoming increasingly difficult to avoid going full cheerleader mode over its performance….

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Book Review: Adam Hills’ Best Foot Forward proves that he is an elder statesman of comedy

Adam Hills is the nicest guy in comedy. Thanks to his memoir, Best Foot Forward, he can also claim to be a “top bloke” in the world of publishing. In this book he reflects on both his personal life and his career, offering up lots of funny anecdotes and inspirational stories. As with his stand-up,…

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MIFF Review: Mandy (USA, 2018) stars Nicolas Cage on a rage-filled revenge quest

Mandy is a crazy two-hour LSD trip led by a totally unhinged Nicolas Cage performance. The film follows Red (Cage) and Mandy (Andrea Riseborough) who live a peaceful life in the Pacific Northwest, that is until a religious cult barge in and rob Red of the love of his life, sending the man on a…

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WWE 2K19 To Celebrate Daniel Bryan’s Storied Career in Returning 2K Showcase Mode

Daniel Bryan has had a long and varied career in WWE. From his introduction as part of the NXT‘s Nexus division, to his eventual firing, rehiring, retiring and return. WWE 2K19 is set to showcase his journey and triumphant struggle back to the ring with the return of 2K Showcase, a story-driven campaign mode within…

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Photo Gallery: Spacey Jane + Your Girl Pho + Butter + Playground – Badlands Bar, Perth (17.08.18)

The mosh pit was rocking and a packed Badlands Bar was on hand to witness Spacey Jane put on an awesome as they launched their latest single ‘Cold Feet’. Joining them were Your Girl Pho, Butter and Playground. Check out the highlights from the night here:

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Win a copy of Blumhouse’s newest horror film Truth Or Dare on DVD

Iconic horror production house Blumhouse returns with another edge-of-your-seat horror movie with Blumhouse’s Truth or Dare. A group of friends set out to enjoy their last spring break together, when a harmless game of truth or dare turns deadly. Someone – or something – begins to torment people who lie or refuse the dare. Starring…

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Numskull Designs Launches Nostalgia-Filled Spyro the Dragon Merchandise Line

Everybody’s favourite purple dragon is set to receive a wave of brand new themed merchandise in the lead up to November’s Spyro Reignited Trilogy. The collection includes a range of items including wallets, purses, pins, notebooks and apparel, including a t-shirt, hat, beanie and watch.

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Tech Review: The Venom Power Pack & Stand will let you game on (and on, and on)

The Venom Power Pack & Stand is an essential accessory for hardcore Nintendo Switch gaming, providing a significant boost to the console’s battery life and a solid kickstand base for travel stability. With its sleek design and ease of use, the device is easy to recommend for any Switch gamer.

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Book Review: Bridie Jabour’s The Way Things Should Be is not the romantic comedy you were expecting

When Claudia Carter returns home to the small town of Winston for her wedding, she is expecting chaos. She is expecting that her estranged parents won’t get along, that her sister Poppy will be a brat, and that her Aunt Mary will be a pain in the arse. But she’s put all of that aside…

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Games Preview: Super Smash Bros Ultimate feels like a love letter to the world’s weirdest fighting game

It’s hard for me to believe I used to be really good at Super Smash Bros. And not merely good when compared to the group of friends I played with — I wasn’t even the best among them. I understand now why people didn’t want to fight any of us after more than a round…

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Interview: Zane Banks (Sydney) talks about the Pioneers of Rock n Roll at Sydney Guitar Festival

A long standing muso on the Sydney Music scene, we’ve long been friends and fans of Zane Banks here on the AU, from his Swing/Rockabilly project Cruisin’ Dueces, to his various solo and collaborative projects, he’s been one of the city’s most active guitarists for years noa. And this weekend, you’ll see him as part…

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Track of the Day: Sahara Beck “Here We Go Again” (2018)

In anticipitation of her performance at BIGSOUND 2018 next month, Brisbane singer-songwriter Sahara Beck has dropped her new single “Here We Go Again”. Produced by the ARIA Award-nominated Tony Buchen (Courtney Barnett, Montaigne), the track is a welcome blast of art pop brimming with attitude and swagger. “Here We Go Again” is a stirring proclamation of…

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Track of the Day: Academie “Battles” (2018)

“Battles” is the first new single from Johannesburg-based band Academie in two years and is a delicate dance between darkness and soft-pop. The track opens with bold and charging synth chords that feel like they are ripped from the gritty and suspenseful opening shots of a fight scene in an ’80s film. These synths continue…

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Gang of Youths to help launch new festival in Denver with Kendrick, Florence and more

Next month one of the biggest Music Festival promoters brings a lot of big names and good times to the Rocky Mountains with hopes to establish one of the best new parties of the year. Grandoozy is slated for Overland Park in Denver Colorado from September 14-16 and is being organzied by Superfly Productions. Superfly…

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Sydney artist Ruel joins Kanye West, Tyler, the Creator, Ms Lauryn Hill and more for Camp Flog Gnaw

The seventh annual Camp Flog Gnaw, a music carnival presented each year by Tyler, the Creator, is particularly notable for Aussie music fans this year as the jam-packed lineup includes prodigious Sydney singer Ruel. the talented 15 year old musician, who played a his first ever solo headline tour across Sydney and Melbourne earlier this…

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Tech Review: Sony SRS-XB31 turns up the bass for an excellent portable party speaker

If you want the concise verdict on Sony’s recently released SRS-XB31 Bluetooth speaker then all you need to know is that they’ve taken last year’s well-reviewed SRS-XB30 and given it some noticeable improvements with better design, punchier bass, and a more comprehensive range of light patterns. It’s mostly as simple as that, sitting in the…

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Guest Playlist: Essie Holt’s tunes for surviving the Melbourne Winter

We can’t get enough of Essie Holt‘s new single “Better For You”, which you can check out at the end of this article. The Melbourne singer/songwriter is having a massive year, having just announced a management deal, hitting the road with LANKS and announcing headline shows in Sydney and Melbourne for September. But little of this…

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Book Review: Zoya Patel’s No Country Woman is a poignant examination of migration, privilege, and what it means to never truly belong

Drawing together musings on feminism, race, and religion, Canberra writer Zoya Patel’s debut No Country Woman explores her experiences as a Fijian-Indian migrant. From the stereotypes that followed her family, to her attempts to rebel against her heritage, and to the months she spent in Scotland examining things from afar. No Country Woman is a well…

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Five Books You Need To Read This Month: August

After a two-month semi-self-imposed hiatus (life got in the way a bit there!) we’re back with another month of recommended reads. Now, the absence of these articles in June and July is not to suggest there was nothing of note published. On the contrary, there were many great books released in those intervening months. If…

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Exclusive Music Video Premiere: Max C Bud “Temptress” (2018)

Sydney musician Max C Bud is about the make a big name for himself as a solo artist with mellow indie gem “Temptress”, his debut single produced in collaboration with Boo Seeka’s Sam Croft. The song, which focuses around honesty in relationships, is a creative number crafted into a lane frequented by beloved acts like…

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Film Review: BlacKkKlansman (USA, 2018) – Spike Lee channels frustration for one of his finest films to date

Spike Lee is quite clearly fired up as he scatters sharp, defiant dialogue all through BlacKKKlansman, his first feature film since 2015’s good-but-uneven Chi-Raq and without a doubt one of his best works to date. That is no overstatement either, with Lee directing a big middle finger to the racism both explicit and implicit, by…

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Film Review: The Darkest Minds (USA, 2018) is not a dark enough YA Dystopia

6 years after The Hunger Games lead the charge of YA dystopia book to film adaptations, a new contender has appeared in an attempt to revive the genre. Adapted from the Alexandra Brooks’ series of the same name, The Darkest Minds combines young adult fiction dystopia with superpowers. When a disease wipes out 90% of…

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Interview: Author Helen Scheuerer talks Reign of Mist, self-publishing, and bookish bromances

Reign of Mist, the second in Sydney based author Helen Scheuerer’s Oremere Chronicles, is set for release next month. Ahead of Bleak and Henri’s return, Helen chatted to Jodie about her self-publishing journey and what readers can expect from the next installment of the YA fantasy series. What can you tell us about Reign of…

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Exclusive Music Video Premiere: Tia Gostelow feat. LANKS “Strangers” (2018)

For a few months now, a gorgeous duet between Tia Gostelow and LANKS has been steadily winning fans over with it’s breezy tone and intimate vocal harmonies. That gem is titled “Strangers”, a dreamy pop record that has been buzzing around Gostelow as she dips into the second half of an already massive year, one…

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Track of the Day: Yussef Dayes and Alfa Mist feat. Mansur Brown “Love Is The Message” (2018)

“Love Is The Message” is the superb debut solo single from the celebrated London-based Jazz drummer Yussef Dayes. As some of you may know Dayes came to prominance as one half of Yussef Kamaal, a creative partnership with keyboardist and producer Kamaal Williams, that resulted in 2016’s Black Focus. The duo have since disbanded in…

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