Year: 2019

Photo Gallery: Anna Calvi + Olympia – The Factory Theatre, Sydney (16.06.2019)

Anna Calvi played a scorching set at the Factory Theatre in Sydney last night. Her delivery and vocals were incredible, the guitar work inspiring with Anna absolutely shredding at times. As you would expect, most of the songs were off her latest album, Hunter, with a couple off One Breath (2013) and her self titled album…

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Bonnaroo Day Three: It’s Kacey Musgraves’ world, we are all just living in it

If Bonnaroo is known for one thing it is that is has a little everything for everyone. Saturday was the prime example of what one day at Bonnaroo can be. On one stage you had the Grammy award-winning country superstar Kacey Musgraves who embodies everything about the Tennessee music spirit. On the other, you had…

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Track of the Day: City Calm Down, “Stuck (On The Eastern)” (2019)

We’ve still got a couple of months to go before City Calm Down drop their third album, Television, and singles like “Stuck (On The Eastern)” aren’t making the wait any easier! Consisting of Jack Bourke (vocals), Sam Mullaly (keys), Jeremy Sonnenberg (bass) and Lee Armstrong (drums), 2019 sees a slight shift in direction for the…

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Photo Gallery: Alex Lahey + Stand Atlantic + Micra – Metro Theatre, Sydney (15.06.19)

Alex Lahey played to an adoring crowd at the Metro Theatre in Sydney last night. She is currently touring nationally her sophomore album ‘The Best of Luck Club’ which has just been released. Most of this album was played, and it was received by the crowd as if these were well-worn favourites. A cover of…

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Sydney Film Festival Review: David Crosby is an open book that teaches us children well in Remember My Name

David Crosby was a Byrd who became a “difficult cat”. In Remember My Name he is an old dog armed with a guitar in one hand and a spliff in the other. This musician and artist is very candid about his full and colourful life in this feature-length documentary. This film is ultimately an entertaining…

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Bonnaroo Day One & Two: Gambino shines while emerging acts take center stage

Something was very different about Bonnaroo 2019 as opposed to other years. Visible clouds were following festival goers around the concert grounds and campsites. These mists, usually are expected to be smoke billowing from people partaking in certain festival extracurriculars, but no, that was not the case this year. With temperatures dropping just shy of…

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Interview: Hatchie (AUS) on her upcoming album Keepsake, female friendships and writing sad songs

Brisbane singer-songwriter Hatchie released her debut EP Sugar & Spice in 2018 and is already back to follow it up with her debut album Keepsake, which is set for release on June 21st. Having just completed a string of sold-out tour dates along the Australian East Coast and with a whole slew of European and US gigs lined-up, it’s safe to…

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Photo Gallery: Sequin in a Blue Room World Premiere at Sydney Film Festival (14.06.19)

The cast of Sequin in a Blue Room walk the red carpet at Event Cinemas for the world premiere as part of the Sydney Film Festival

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Highlights of Barunga’s off stage festivities – Barunga, Northern Territory

The 2019 Barunga Festival wrapped up last Sunday, and it was a jam-packed 3 days of music, arts, sport and culture. Approximately 4000 people travel to the festival at Barunga, which is 80 km south-east of Katherine. Away from the music stages there was plenty going on. Sporting teams from all over the Northern Territory…

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Sydney Film Festival Review: Pain and Glory (Spain, 2019) is one of Pedro Almodovar’s best films

Viva Almodovar! If that opening didn’t clue you in, I am a huge fan of the work of acclaimed Spanish film director Pedro Almodovar. His filmmaking is an extravagant blend that is both wondrously idiosyncratic and entertainingly melodramatic; capped off with a colourfully vibrant eye. Even his supposedly disappointing films have won me over time,…

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Album of the Week: Jordan Rakei’s Origin is an impressive blend of art, technology, politics and soul

London-based Australian musician Jordan Rakei has just dropped his new album, Origin, his third, and first since the release of Wallflower back in 2017.  Initially I came to this album on a bit of a whim, unfamiliar with Rakei’s past output, but drawn in by plaudits from the likes of Robert Glasper and Terrace Martin….

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Live Review: Sharon Van Etten + BATTS – Hamer Hall, Melbourne (11.06.19)

If you’ve ever seen a performer such as Sharon Van Etten, you’d understand the term ‘smooth operator’. This was something that was seemingly obvious at Hamer Hall on Tuesday night as Sharon closed up the Australian leg of her Remind Me Tomorrow tour. Along for the ride was Melbourne’s vert own BATTS, who proved to…

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Photo Gallery: Sharon Van Etten + BATTS – Hamer Hall, Melbourne (11.06.19)

Sharon Van Etten was a wonderful addition to Melbourne’s nightlife this week as she closed her Australian tour alongside local artist BATTS. Danny brings us these shots from night.

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Track of the Day: Nérija “Riverfest” (2019)

Contemporary jazz septet Nérija have this week announced plans to release their debut album, Blume, on August 2nd. To coincide with the announcement they’ve also dropped a taste of the album, in the shape of “Riverfest”. “Riverfest” and Blume were recorded in London’s legendary Soup Studios and produced by Kwes. The group’s goal of the…

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Interview: Elizabeth Kuiper talks Little Stones, Zimbabwe, representation and creative journeys

Earlier this month saw the publication of Elizabeth Kuiper’s debut novel Little Stones. The novel, which draws upon Kuiper’s own childhood experiences, follows the story of Hannah, a young white Zimbabwean as she navigates everyday life in a country under the control of Robert Mugabe.  Following the novel’s release we sat down with Elizabeth to…

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Film Review: Men in Black: International is underwhelming, unimpressive, and instantly forgettable

Tentpole sequels, reboots, and remakes have been dropping like flies in 2019. Godzilla: King of the Monsters has underperformed. The Secret Life of Pets 2 fell flat. The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part earned less than half what its predecessor did. Hellboy was an unmitigated disaster. And X-Men: Dark Phoenix is already dead on arrival. Next up on…

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Guest Playlist: The songs that influenced Angharad Drake’s new single “Start Again”

This week has seen Sunshine Coast singer-songwriter and musician Angharad Drake drop her new single “Start Again”, her first since the release of her debut album Ghost in 2017, and since becoming a mother.  On “Start Again”, Drake has returned to a more stripped back style of making music, erring towards the intimate and natural….

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The Razer Blade 15 Advanced is one of the best gaming laptops money can buy

I consider this review a bit of a challenge. It’s not because I don’t know about PC’s — in fact, I use them daily. It’s simply because I don’t game on them. I’m a console man, the ease and simplicity they offer working better for me and my situation overall. So: being trusted with one…

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Persona Q2: The Cinema Labyrinth Review: Don’t Sleep On This

Persona Q2: The Cinema Labyrinth is a quirky little game, mixing the classic gameplay formula of Etrian Odyssey with Persona‘s ‘so hot right now’ shoot ’em up style. The blend works well for the most part, making Persona Q2 a fun and always interesting experience. You play as Joker, the ever popular protagonist of Persona…

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Sydney Film Festival Review: Leftover Women is an eye-opening look at love & marriage

Love and marriage go together like a horse and carriage. But what do you do if you’re a single woman who is over a certain age living in China? The documentary, Leftover Women, is an illuminating look at three individuals who grapple with various stigmas and expectations, in a society where women are encouraged to…

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Book Review: Omar Sakr’s The Lost Arabs is an intimate, passionate and timely collection of poetry

Omar Sakr’s The Lost Arabs was one of my most anticipated new releases for the year. It has more than lived up to expectations, which isn’t always the case. It’s intimate, vibrant, beautifully composed and engages creatively and powerfully with a whole host of concerns and themes intrinsic to understanding the modern world.  The Lost…

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Track of the Day: Salt & Steel “The Beast, The Devil And Me” (2019)

Gold Coast rock duo Salt & Steel have just dropped their latest track, “The Beast, The Devil And Me“, and we love it! The second of a series of four interconnecting singles celebrating the four natural elements, there’s no prizes for guessing that this fierce, dirty country inspired track represents fire! Salt & Steel formed…

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Guest Playlist: Sydney-based artist BOLEYN shares the queer and LGBT+ artists dominating his playlists

Sydney-based queer-pop artist BOLEYN dropped his sophomore single, “Re: 21”, yesterday. Produced and mixed by Clockwork Odyssey at their studios in Kings Cross, the single sees BOLEYN challenging the generalisations that surround life in your twenties, with each of the verses dealing with a specific anxiety: alcohol, mental health, drugs, the hook-up culture and more….

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Photo Gallery: RJ Mitte walks red carpet at Standing Up For Sunny World Premiere (12.06.19)

RJ Mitte walks the red carpet at the world premiere of Standing Up For Sunny as part of the Sydney Film Festival alongside actress Philippa Northeast and Matthew Nable.

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Sydney Film Festival Review: Martha: A Picture Story is a sharp look at her many pictures of you

They say if you do something you love, you’ll never work a day in your life. American photographer, Martha Cooper fits this to a tee. She has had a long and storied career capturing some fine images of urban landscapes, and changing towns and communities. Martha: A Picture Story is like a love letter to…

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Exclusive Single Premiere: Archy Stranger “Home” (2019)

Melbourne producer and vocalist Archy Stranger drops his new single, his second for the year, tomorrow. Ahead of tomorrow’s official release date we’re stoked to bring you this exclusive first listen of his latest indie pop gem: “Home”. Some of you will already be familiar with the name Archy Stranger through his work as session…

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Film Review: Tolkien is a pedestrian look at the famed writer from childhood to hobbit

There is no question that author, J.R.R Tolkien is worthy of a bio-pic. The writer is responsible for some of the most beloved fantasy epics including: The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. This bio-pic is a rather pedestrian telling of some of his life events and as such, is unworthy of such a…

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From The Clubhouse to The Revivals Lounge: Experiencing Virgin Atlantic’s Frequent Flyer offering from New York to London (VS10)

Last month, I jumped on board Virgin Atlantic’s red eye service from New York’s JFK Airport through to London’s Heathrow. As a Platinum member of Virgin Australia’s Velocity frequent flyer program, this gave me access to one of the best features of the Virgin Atlantic network – the “Revivals Lounge” at Heathrow. Given the airline’s…

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Track of the Day: Seaside “Sycamore” (2019)

Byron Bay dream-pop quartet Seaside dropped their new single, “Sycamore”, at the end of last month. The single, which is inspired by lead singer Darcy Dexter’s personal experiences with social anxiety and self doubt, is a beautifully jangly slice of Australian indie rock. If you’ve not already had a listen, now is the time.  “Sycamore”,…

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E3 2019: Watch Nintendo’s insane E3 Direct here

Nintendo just won E3. It’s not even up for debate. The best press conference by far went down at 2am Australian time and featured everything from Banjo-Kazooie in Smash Bros, Animal Crossing, No More Heroes 3, Fire Emblem and the announcement of a sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. This was…

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