Month: March 2020

Cocktaoo Island

Biennale of Sydney has closed and will move to a digital format for now

In a first for the historic Biennale of Sydney, the currently running arts program will, for now, shut down and move to online. In response to the growing thread of Covid-19, the dynamic city-wide exhibition is working with long-time partner Google to digitise more than 700 artworks by 101 artists and collectives. In 2020, Biennale…

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Virgin Australia

Qantas and Virgin Australia have started cutting more domestic flights

As some Australian states shut their borders, the nation’s largest carriers, Qantas and Virgin Australia, have begun to cut more domestic services. Although they’ve already cut domestic capacity by up to 60%, the airlines have continued to axe some of their most frequented routes in response to the ongoing threat of Covid-19. A combination of…

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Memphis Tourism

The City of Memphis has announced a virtual music festival

Virtual music festivals are fast becoming the norm in this time of covid-19 and social distancing, so it’s only right that one of the most famous live music destinations in the world jumps on board. The city of Memphis has today announced a digitised festival to bring entertainment and stress relief to those around the…

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Track of the Day: Answering Machine “Cherry Coke” (2020)

Brooklyn rock and rollers Answering Machine have just dropped latest single, “Cherry Coke“. The track marks our most recent glimpse of upcoming album Bad Luck, due out April 17th. Drawing inspiration from the likes of The Ramones, Blondie, The Ronettes, and Against Me, Answering Machine formed back in 2016. Launched by public school teachers Samantha…

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The Borough Box

Some of Australia’s top sommeliers launch natural wine delivery service

Lo-Fi Wine directors James Audas (former Noma and Silvereye sommelier) and Tom Sheer (former Love Tilly Divine and Oscillate Wildly sommelier) have officially launched The Borough Box. Available for Sydney and Melbourne, it’s a continuously evolving monthly subscription service that will focus on delivering sustainable, organic and biodynamic wines to Aussies in this time of…

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TheFork now lets you track which restaurants offer delivery and pick-up

As the restaurants, cafes and bars concerned with the health and safety of their staff and customers start to adapt to social distancing, online restaurant booking platform TheFork has made some necessary changes. In response to the ongoing threat from COVID-19, the platform has introduced a search function filtering restaurants that are now offering pick-up…

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Rockefeller Frequency

Chemicals: Brisbane’s The Rockefeller Frequency take us through their debut track by track

Brisbane rockers The Rockefeller Frequency released their debut album, Chemicals, earlier in the month.  The album’s creation was a DIY journey from start to finish. It’s been a few years in the making too, with the band taking some time off before reemerging in 2018. Recording took place in the band’s Basement Studios in Brisbane,…

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Book Review: Laura Purcell presents another fine Gothic horror with Bone China

Hester Why has her share of secrets. Travelling under a false name, on the run from something that – for the time being – remains a mystery, she’s on her way to Morvoren House, an isolated manor on the Cornish coast. Tasked with nursing Morvoren’s aging owner, Miss Louise Pinecroft, Hester joins a household in…

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Emirates

Emirates to suspend all passenger flights from March 25th

Following stages of select flight cancellations, Emirates, the world’s largest airline by international traffic, has now announced the suspension of all passenger operations. The extreme measure will take place from 25th March, responding to the rapid and ongoing spread of Covid-19 as the virus decimates the demand for international travel. In a statement to media,…

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Film Review: Swallow is a slow-burning thriller that transcends its potentially nauseating premise

On paper, the premise for Swallow sounds almost too-grotesque to be relayed without resorting to some type of gimmick.  In reality, Carlo Mirabella-Davis‘s slow-burning thriller transcends its potentially nauseating core to deliver a deep, at times dark tale that wholly understands and respects its unique subject matter. The film surrounds the delicate Hunter (Haley Bennett),…

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Bondi Beach

Bondi Beach has been closed due to covid-19 and selfishness

The NSW Government has made the decision to shut Bondi Beach for the time being. The rather blunt closure comes after a sweltering Friday during which the golden sands exceeded Australia’s recently introduced outdoor-gathering limit of 500, necessary to slow the spread of Covid-19. Photos of a packed-out Bondi Beach went viral yesterday, with beachgoers…

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Doom Eternal

Doom Eternal Review: Push forward into darkness

Doom Eternal is a lot of fun. It’s a game that looks directly to the wildly popular Doom 2016 for its cues on just about everything. It introduces a suite of new mechanics that give combat greater depth. It asks you to face your enemies head-on and to never shy away from the challenge. Rip….

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2020 ABIAs cancel red carpet event in favour of huge livestream celebration

A key fixture of Australia’s literary scene, the Australian Book Industry Awards (ABIAs) celebrates the very best in homegrown literature and publishing. This year, as we collectively navigate the COVID-19 pandemic, the ABIAs team have made the decision to forego their usual awards ceremony. Instead, they’ll be livestreaming the event, turning it from a 500 guest…

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It’s been weeks, and I’m still thinking about Jay Som’s live show

“What’s that song playing outside?” asks Jay Som, aka Melina Duterte. The crowd at her debut Brisbane show was confused: is she referring to the grunge cover band bleeding through the windows, or the bass of the karaoke night thumping through the floorboards of The Foundry? “We should play one of those songs, too,” she…

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SXSW Film Review: Make Up is a self-discovery tale dressed up like a psychological thriller

*The AU Review will continue with its planned SXSW 2020 coverage.  We have been in contact with the respective representatives for available films in order to give them the coverage they intended. Perhaps diving a little too heavily into the metaphorical stance on storytelling, Claire Oakley‘s Make Up is a self-discovery tale dressed up like…

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Hartley

Track of the Day: Hartley “Bittersweet” (2020)

Not content with just releasing her debut eponymous EP back in January, Brisbane singer-songwriter Hartley is back with a brand new single. Co-produced alongside Ninajirachi, “Bittersweet” is a playful bop all about wanting those things you know aren’t good for you. That extra slab of chocolate, bottle of wine, that certain someone you have your…

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Onward

Film Review: Onward can’t quite meet the dazzling pedigree of its Pixar contemporaries

By virtue of unfortunate comparison to Pixar’s impeccable back catalogue of masterpieces, every new film from the studio faces a dauntingly high bar to clear. Last year, Toy Story 4 somehow managed to defy all expectations and walk off with the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature in the process. Sadly, Pixar’s first of two…

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The Witcher

Book Review: Delve deeper into the world of The Witcher with Andrzej Sapkowski’s The Last Wish

Geralt of Rivia is a Witcher. He makes his living travelling from town to town, hunting down the monsters that stalk the land. After a particularly nasty encounter with a striga, he recovers in a secluded temple. While there, he reflects on past assignments and an uncertain future. First published in the early 90s and…

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Etihad

Etihad is now allowing passengers to cancel flights for future credit

In response to the current situation with Covid-19, Etihad Airways has introduced “Etihad Credit” to give guests the freedom to delay their travel plans. It simply works by permitting a free cancellation and is offering the original value of their booking to be used as credit towards their next trip. As the situation continues to…

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Kate Miller-Heidke

Exclusive Video Premiere: Michel van der Aa feat. Kate Miller-Heidke “What A Dream” (2020)

February saw Dutch contemporary classical composer Michel van der Aa release his debut indie-pop album. Time Falling saw the composer collaborating with the ever talented and versatile Australian singer-songwriter Kate Miller-Heidke. Today we’re incredibly excited to bring you the exclusive premiere of the music video for album track “What A Dream”.  Time Falling is billed…

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Julia Jacklin

ISOL-AID: “Social distancing” music festival announced for Australia

Taking place entirely on social media, ISOL-AID has been speedily pulled together with a cracking Aussie line-up to adapt to a post-covid world. As the coronavirus continues to decimate industries around the world, the live music scene has been dramatically effected due to the understandable need to practice strict social distancing. In a bid to…

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Film Review: The Current War lacks the true spark to create any real power

One of the biggest film casualties of the Harvey Weinstein sexual assault scandal has been Alfonso Gomez-Rejon‘s The Current War; a lavish period biopic which was surely due to be Weinstein’s great big Oscar hope of the 2017 season. After premiering at the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival to a tepid response, Gomez-Rejon was furiously…

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Shakes & Palaces

Track of the Day: Shacks & Palaces “Once Upon A Hilltop” (2020)

Shacks & Palaces is the new solo project from The Temper Trap bassist Jonny Aherne. The Australian-born, Brooklyn-based artist has already dropped the project’s debut single, “Once Upon A Hilltop”, and a delightful music video to accompany it.  With the world pretty much doing into lockdown, “Once Upon A Hilltop”, is the uplifting slice of…

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SXSW Midnight Shorts: Five short films that make us want more

*The AU Review will continue with its planned SXSW 2020 coverage.  We have been in contact with the respective representatives for available films in order to give them the coverage they intended. The Midnight Shorts Competition has long been an audience favourite at SXSW.  A bite-sized marathon of twisted ideas that usually fuses gore, overt…

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SXSW Film Review: The Surrogate is a realistic drama unafraid to be uncomfortable

*The AU Review will continue with its planned SXSW 2020 coverage.  We have been in contact with the respective representatives for available films in order to give them the coverage they intended. Detailing a tragic situation with a sobering, uncomfortable realism that has the potential to test even the most patient of viewers, The Surrogate…

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Fancy Face

Exclusive Video Premiere: Fancy Face “Slip Up” (2020)

Melbourne 5-piece Fancy Face released their debut single “Slip Up” last month, and today we’ve got the Exclusive Video Premiere for this high-octane ball of fun. It’s just the tonic for these gloomy times. I love this video – I would have got it up online earlier but I’ve been watching it on repeat this…

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Ben Lukas Boysen

Track of the Day: Ben Lukas Boysen “Medela” (2020)

Berlin-based composer and producer Ben Lukas Boysen returns in May with his long-awaited third album Mirage. Ahead of its release the producer has teased the album, through new single “Medela”.  Mirage follows Gravity (2013) and the acclaimed 2016 full length Spells. The latter was as admired by his peers as by his fans. Indeed, since…

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How The New Colossus Festival became New York City’s final party before the lights went out

I write this sitting in self-isolation in Toronto, Canada – as countries around the world are closing borders, scrambling to “flatten the curve” as the reality of the spread of Coronavirus sinks in. I, like too many, had been rather blasé about the whole thing – I mean I was sanitizing surfaces, washing my hands…

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SXSW Short Film Review: Single is a biting commentary on living with a physical disability

*The AU Review will continue with its planned SXSW 2020 coverage.  We have been in contact with the respective representatives for available films in order to give them the coverage they intended. Proof that more than enough can be conveyed in a fraction of the time of a standard feature, Ashley Eakins‘ short-feature Single is…

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Chargrill Charlies

Chargrill Charlie’s is going “contactless” in response to Coronavirus

As local businesses start to adapt to the current situation with Covid, chicken chain Chargrill Charlie’s has joined in by implemented a new “contactless” ordering system. Ensuring they can still serve their local communities despite the need for social distancing, Chargrill Charlie’s has introduced a “Eat Contactless with Charlie’s” addition to their smartphone app. This…

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