Month: June 2020

Ten Years On: When The Preatures’ debut self-titled EP made them Sydney’s band to watch

It’s hard to believe, but ten years ago The Preatures released their debut, self-titled EP – then under their former name of The Preachers. Obviously far more difficult to Google, with a number of bands who had or were already using that name. In fact, if you want to find this EP on Spotify, it…

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Watch Nathaniel Rateliff pay tribute to Richard Swift in this emotional performance in the woods

Since the world has gone into isolation, we’ve been enjoying a plethora of never-before-seen live streams coming online. For the last 11 weeks, the Portland festival Pickathon have been releasing new videos daily on YouTube, raising money for the MusiCares COVID-19 Relief Fund. One of the best performances is Nathaniel Rateliff, performing solo at the festival’s incredible…

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Aussie artists just cleaned up at the 9th Annual A2IM Libera Awards

The American Association of Independent Music (A2IM) held their 9th annual Libera Awards digitally today, out of New York City, “the largest Independent music award show in the world.”. The event capped off days of panels and one-on-one meetings as part of “IndieWeek”, which moved onto a digital platform for the 2020 event. The awards…

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Album of the Week: Jack Garratt brings tenderness and acceptance to Love, Death & Dancing (2020 LP)

It’s been four years since Jack Garratt released his debut album to mass love and the weight of expectation that could well ruin the best of artists. And, almost unsurprisingly, this is exactly what happened to him. Touted as the one-stop shop set to change the face of alternative pop, Garratt toured relentlessly for his…

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Interview: Ocean Alley (AUS) on Lonely Diamond, secret recipes and the luxury of time

Ocean Alley have cemented themselves as a pillar within the Australian music scene. From taking out the inaugural top spot on triple j‘s Hottest 100 in 2019 to being a festival fixture across the country, it’s quite clear that us Australians quite simply cannot get enough. And thankfully not only do Ocean Alley hear this…

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Recipe: How to make the classic version of a Espresso Martini

Did you know it’s National Martini Day today? 2020 has been a truly shitty year so far, but at least the Friday 19th June is bringing up a good excuse to raid the home bar and celebrate one of the most timeless cocktails ever made. And that includes all the twists that come with it,…

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The Langham

You and 20 mates could win a night in the lap of luxury at The Langham, Sydney

Luxury hotel The Langham, Sydney has set an official re-opening date for their ritzy CBD property. As travel restrictions begin to ease, and more people are looking for that essential post-lockdown staycation. The Langham will begin greeting guests from 1st July, and they’ve put together a few packages to up the temptation. The “Staycation Packages”…

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Jetlag The Podcast: 90% of Music Venues are at risk of closing in the U.S.A.

In the second episode of Jetlag’s second season, Andrew Smith and Larry Heath sit down with Kodi McKinney from Marauder, a boutique music marketing firm with a focus on developing emerging talent within North America. While he was at home in New York, we talked about how the Covid-19 Pandemic is affecting live music venues…

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Cocktail recipes from the best bars in Salt Lake City, Utah

Domestic travel is on the cusp of a resurgence with states across Australia beginning to relax lockdown measures. International travel? That’s a different story. With many countries around the world struggling in the fight against COVID-19, we’ve been given conflicting information on when international travel will resume to a sense of normalcy anytime soon. Some…

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Sonos One SL Review: An essential piece of a larger jigsaw

Although it was released three years ago, the Sonos One is still a remarkable mid-size smart speaker. Released on 2017, it quickly became the must-have audio device for smart homes, with scarily accurate far-field microphones providing a seamless and revelatory experience with any of the big three voice assistants. Did it sound good? This is…

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10 of the Best Immersive Online Experiences to be enjoyed from home

With international travel off the cards for the moment, virtual exploration has grown in popularity. From museums, galleries, and immersive documentaries, the world is full of wonders even if viewed on the screens of our electronic devices. So please sit back, relax and be inspired by art, institutions and our incredible planet.  Beneath The Waves…

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A new Pokemon Snap is coming. This is not a drill

It finally happened — after decades of waiting, a brand new Pokemon Snap game is on the way. The announcement came during last night’s Pokemon Presents broadcast, which highlighted a number of brand new Pokemon games coming to the Nintendo Switch. Though it only ran for 10 minutes, the broadcast had a lot to cover….

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Exclusive Single Premiere: Kaypo “Desert Storm” (2020)

Kaypo, the moniker for Brisbane singer/songwriter Liam Higgins, is about to release a beautiful guitar-driven track, “Desert Storm”.  We are thrilled to be premiering it for him today at the AU, ahead of its official release on Friday. This youngster from Brisbane has some serious skills, his guitar-work, in particular, shines brightly. Kaypo is early on in…

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Track of the Day: JARV IS “Save The Whale” (2020)

Fans of PULP, Jarvis Cocker, and Leonard Cohen should all dig today’s Track of the Day. “Save the Whale” is the latest release from JARV IS, Jarvis Cockers current creative outlet. The video was created by Jarvis, a man who has clearly used his time wisely whilst been stuck in isolation. “Save The Whale” bears…

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Loud n Queer TV, showcasing the talents of LGBTQI creatives during the COVID-19 crisis

Loud N Queer TV, a Sydney-based production is already in its second season. Talk about impressive, given it only launched in April this year. Born from the creative void created by COVID-19, Loud N Queer is a show filled with live music, DJ’s, comedy, chat and performance art. It has been an important outlet during…

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Joshua Moriarty

Guest Playlist: The songs that influenced Joshua Moriarty’s new single “Isolation”

Melbourne songwriter, composer and podcast host Joshua Moriarty has returned with his new single, the aptly titled “Isolation”.  The Miami Horror frontman wrote and recorded the song in 2019, working with the ARIA nominated producer Tony Buchen, in LA. The single forms part of Moriarty’s third record Melancholia, which is set to be released later…

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Track By Track – Jade MacRae takes us through her album Handle Me with Care

Jade MacRae has just released her latest album, Handle Me With Care, and we are delighted to bring you a Track-By-Track description written by Jade for this wonderful album. She is one of Australia’s finest singers, with a voice which effortlessly shifts between different styles, be it R&B, gospel, blues and soul. You can purchase a…

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Necessary People

Book Review: Necessary People is an underwhelming portrait of ambition and jealousy in the world of TV news

Anna Pitoniak’s new novel Necessary People has a blurb quote from Stephen King on its front cover, and one from Lee Child on its back. In fact, the first couple of pages of the book are devoted to quotes from publications like Refinery29 and Marie Claire, exclaiming how much their reviewers loved this book. Yet Pitoniak’s second…

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Tim Minchin

Interview: Tim Minchin (AUS) on his debut album, his idols and pursuing multiple careers

Tim Minchin is undoubtedly in the ranks of modern geniuses. Across his career, he’s excelled in nearly every artistic pursuit. He has toured his comedy internationally, composed globally-received musicals, acting on and off iconic stages and created viral political anthems. His work has earned him numerous Edinburgh Festival Fringe Perrier Comedy Awards, multiple Olivier Awards,…

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Miles Franklin

The 2020 Miles Franklin Award shortlist unveiled

The shortlist for the 2020 Miles Franklin Literary Award was announced yesterday evening. As has become the new norm during the COVID-19 pandemic the announcement was made online via a live YouTube presentation.  The award, established in 1954, celebrates the best of Australian character and creativity whilst recognising “the novel of the highest literary merit…

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Track of the Day: Moscow Apartment “New Girl” (2020)

Toronto twosome Moscow Apartment are back with “New Girl“. This lush slice of indie-pop is our latest glimpse at forthcoming EP Better Daughter, out on July 10th. The sophomore release sees the duo, consisting of Brighid Fry and Pascale Padilla, putting the weight of a full band behind their folk sound. Of “New Girl”, a…

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New curated range of gin shows off the best of Australian native botanicals

Native Spirits, a collection of five gins has been launched this month in collaboration between several of the country’s top gin distilleries. Each participating distillery, from Archie Rose to West Winds, has created one new expression each, representing their respective home state with locally sourced and native botanicals. That encompasses everything from the Geraldton Wax…

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PAX Online

PAX Online will replace Melbourne and Seattle shows for 2020

ReedPop has announced PAX Online, a web-based version of the traveling video games convention. It will take the place of both the PAX Australia and PAX West conventions for the remainder of 2020. The announcement follows yesterday’s news that PAX Aus 2020 would no proceed as planned, due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. PAX Online…

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Exclusive Video Premiere: CREO “Juliet (Piano Version)” (2020)

Sydney trio, CREO, released their latest single “Juliet” last month. The song has had solid radio play, are we are thrilled today to be able to offer you a new take on it, an acoustic version with an accompanying video. Frontman Jorjee talks about the meaning behind ‘Juliet’: “The track is a personal reflection of…

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PAX Aus 2020 has been cancelled

We knew in our hearts there’d be no PAX Aus 2020 this year, but we dared to dream. ReedPop, the company behind the world’s biggest traveling video games convention, has announced that PAX Aus 2020 will not go ahead in October as originally planned. The cancellation is due to health concerns surrounding the ongoing Covid-19…

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Melbourne: The Drive-In announces Lime Cordiale, Baker Boy, Winston Surfshirt & more for first weeks of shows

Our entertainment industry has been one of the hardest hit by social distancing practices, but with restrictions loosening, it’s time to bounce back. Many of our favourite artists have responded with innovation: live-streaming their performances, actively engaging with their fans on Instagram, and even hosting online parties. However, nothing beats going to a gig, feeling…

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Recipe: Portuguese Breakfast from Salt Lake City’s Hub & Spoke

Exploring the many different breakfast dishes of the world is the best way to take your taste buds to far-flung destinations. It’s also worth seeing how different cities have adapted traditional recipes from other cultures, reminding you of just how far culinary influences travel. Case in point, this classic Portuguese breakfast being served up in…

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Track of the Day: Dirty Projectors “Inner World” (2020)

“We hope it can bring you serenity and solace during this tumultuous moment in history,” writes Dirty Projectors on the band’s latest single “Inner World”. As a follow-up to the eternally gorgeous “Lose Your Love”, it’s but another impressive look at what the New York indie darlings have planned this year. And what they have…

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Milk & Honey: Israel’s award-winning whisky distillery launches a single malt in Australia

Milk & Honey Distillery, the first whisky distillery in Israel and the only one in the capital of Tel Aviv, has teamed up with homegrown distributor Alba Whisky to export its Classic Single Malt expression to Australia. Along with its two award-winning gins, the Israeli single malt enters the local market off the back of…

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8 top films to watch for Sydney Film Festival’s Virtual Edition this week

You may be forgiven for not realising one of Sydney’s most beloved festivals is running right now. The 67th Sydney Film Festival has been condensed, tinkered with, and ported to the digital-only world to align with the ongoing global pandemic. And we’re in it’s second week right now, given the program of just 33 films…

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