Built in 1886 and sitting on the corner of Brazos and 6th Street, The Driskill Hotel is Austin’s oldest operating hotel. Positioned right around the Austin’s Capitol, it has a illustrious history when it comes to American Presidential History. This week at SXSW, it’s home to the ever-unfolding modern history of current US President Donald…
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For Sama is an emotionally gripping diary filmed by journalist Waad al-Kateab and Edward Watts. Kateab recorded her life during the Battle of Aleppo (2012-16) in Syria. She had a mission: to bring light on the injustices on Syrians under President Assad’s regime and the fight for freedom. Not only did she cover what was…
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“Shooting Star” is the new single from Brisbane dream pop outfit Pool Shop, the first since the transition from solo project to a full band operation. Pool Shop is the brainchild of Jamiee Fryer, the guitarist and vocalist for Major Leagues. Initially the project had been a solo affair, but for the recording of “Shooting…
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Every year at SXSW, US chef Rachael Ray puts on one of the best events – “Feedback” – which takes over Stubb’s BBQ on the Saturday, open to the public, and an invite only “Feedback House” that runs for a few days in accompaniment. Of course the food is amazing, but the music is even…
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Coming straight out of New Zealand’s capital, young Wellington rockers Lucifer Gunne are in full attack mode as they unleash the heavy “Energenetic”: a certified sledgehammer of a track that should easily hammer this four-piece into the hearts and minds of listeners the world over. The AU Review are proud to exclusively premiere the track…
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Tonight at the Paramount Theatre at SXSW, Long Shot, the new romantic comedy starring Charlize Theron and Seth Rogen, had its first ever public screening. Not due for release until the start of May, the film sees the pair playing something akin to star-crossed lovers, with a political bend; Theron starring as America’s Secretary of…
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Armed with his Canon 5D Mark IV, Lachlan brings us these shots from Download Festival in Parramatta Park featuring Slayer, Ghost, Judas Priest, Anthrax, Alice In Chains, Code Orange, Eat Your Heart Out, High Tension, Behemoth, Rise Against and more. It’s the festivals first expansion outside of Melbourne following a successful debut in 2018.
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Download Festival debuted on Australian shores in 2018 with a single Melbourne date and following that success, the festival decided to expand and add a Sydney date this year. Taking place in Parramatta Park, it’s a wonder how the festival immediately found its legs in a new city and venue to put on a well-organised…
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Sometimes Always Never proves its only words. This UK dramedy is about a father and son’s complex relationship. It has an English sensibility and a profound love for the Scrabble board game. The result is a quirky and whimsical character study that feels like it pans out in real-time. This film at first was a…
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At the age of 37, Australian writer and director Abe Forsythe has already had a truly impressive output of films. At the age of 21, he put out the memorable (if maligned) Ned, in the same year as the Heath Ledger film, and has since delivered us great comedies in both short and long form, including…
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I couldn’t tell you how many hours I would have spent listening to Millencolin as a teenager. All I can say is it was a lot. Now in my mid-twenties, I can go months without even thinking of the Swedish four piece. But my lord, when I do manage to put them on, they’re always…
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Brisbane-band Last Dinosaurs are back on the road to tour their third studio album, Yumeno Garden, around the country. With a US and Asia tour also on the horizon, lead singer and rhythm guitarist Sean Caskey gave up some of his precious time to talk with us about the creation of the album, his experience living abroad…
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The Lego Movie 2 Videogame is based on a movie not yet released in Australia. Despite the heavy involvement of Australia’s Animal Logic animation studio in the production of The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part, the release date is still firmly on March 28th, nearly two months after the official United States release. For…
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Underdog is a collection of short stories, collected from upcoming and unpublished Australian YA fiction writers. Edited by (and featuring contributions from) Tobias Madden and Sarah Taviana, Underdog celebrates a uniquely Australian genre, one as diverse and emotive as the country in which it is written. Featuring twelve short stories, Underdog is the first #LoveOzYA…
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As new dog grooming business owner (and one of Well Groomed‘s fascinating human subjects) Nicole Beckman states during her introduction that competitive dog grooming was always something she thought as being “just silly” before entering the competitive stakes herself, her initial thoughts are likely to be mirrored by many unversed in the ways of competitive…
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At SXSW 2017, American biochemist, Jennifer Doudna was telling everybody about CRISPR. Allow me one last Human Nature reference… Doudna was telling the last ones to know about a new technology that has the potential to alter genes. Human Nature is a documentary that takes a deep dive into this fascinating scientific world, and chronicles…
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There was a quiet excitement through the crowd as Shaad DJ’d through the opening half hour at Estonian House in Brunswick on Friday night. Obviously, there was something to look forward too with the final of two shows performed by band, Snail Mail beginning within the hour. Artist Lindsay Jordan has had a cult following…
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Models are cool people. Beautiful glamazons. You don’t think of them as freaks unless you’re Jean Paul Gaultier. The French designer dedicated an entire show to just this. Freak & Chic is a feature documentary that shows us this crazy world, as well as the hard work and creativity that went into shaping this wild…
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Note: this play includes references to self-harm and suicide. The topic of youth suicide, particularly within Indigenous communities has been part of recent conversations. Josh Bond and Ursula Yovich, the co-director and playwright of “Man with the Iron Neck” have this to say about the play: “We are overwhelmed everyday and it’s not because of…
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The Australian Book Industry Awards are back again for 2019! An initiative of the Australian Publishers Association, the ABIAs applaud the achievements of writer, illustrator, publicist and publisher alike. A 250 strong team, made up of representatives across the industry, came together to craft this latest longlist, celebrating the bookish best of 2018. The 2019…
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Steve Lacey was a busy man last year. The very much in-demand multi instrumentalist, famed as for his work with The Internet sprinkled his imaginative post-funk vibes all other works from the likes of Kali Uchis and Ravyn Lenae. It seem he isn’t done yet; invited on board by none other than Vampire Weekend who…
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Kirby has always been the spark of joy in the occasionally cheerless games landscape. I mean, how can he not be? He’s a literal ball of cute pink fluff, and in this cotton-themed adventure, he’s every bit the pure, shining saviour of games that he should be. Kirby is wholesome, Kirby is brilliant, Kirby is…
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The Stella Prize judges have revealed the six authors who have made it to their 2019 shortlist. Timing the announcement with International Women’s Day, judging panel chair Louise Swinn described the chosen works as “an incredibly diverse knot of books. […] The books on this shortlist inform and entertain, and while they speak absolutely to our…
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Last year we were lucky enough to attend Luck Reunion festival in Texas; an event held during SXSW about an hour out of Austin on Willie Nelson’s ranch in Luck, Texas. Aussie artist Ruby Boots was among the impressive line-up this year, and now Australia’s own Angie McMahon will be joining the 2019 event –…
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Kyushu, the southern island of Japan is an excellent destination for tourists who’ve had their fix of Honshu (mainland Japan) and are seeking something a bit more local. Oita is a prefecture within Kyushu that is rarely referenced by travellers outside those who chase onsens, and although that may be a selling point, there are…
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The British Music Embassy returns to SXSW this weekend for its 12th year, taking over Latitude 30 with a slew of events and live performances from 10th to 16th March, and special interactive events from the 8th to the 10th. And though a lot of these events were announced last month, there have been a…
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D-Link ANZ has released its new D-Fend AC2600 Wi-Fi Router that boasts unparalleled parental controls alongside increased security for devices on the network thanks to partnerships with McAfee and Intel. With the D-Fend app, the user is able to set up detailed parental controls that include creating user profiles, setting age-appropriate content, blocking certain categories…
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After winning the BRITs Critics’ Choice award in 2018, Sam Fender has shared his first new music of 2019. “Hypersonic Missiles” is an impassioned observation of political unrest and mismanagement that is wrapped in perfect-pop melodies that rise to a chorus you can easily imagine yourself belting out at a live gig. Fender says, “In many…
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Ahead of their appearance at our first ever SXSW night showcase, we caught up with Luke from Sydney’s I Know Leopard. This will be the band’s first trip to Austin for the iconic music festival and conference, so we thought we’d sit down with the band and get the low down on their expectations, anticipations and…
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Written at the beginning of a new relationship, “Slowly”, a song about taking things one step at a time, is the title track from singer-songwriter Loni Rae Thomson’s forthcoming debut EP. Ahead of the official release of the single tomorrow, we’re very excited to bring you not only this exclusive stream but also the single’s…
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