Year: 2020

Kinder

Interview: Kinder on “Come Along”, writing camps and growing as singers

Hailing from Maitland, NSW, sister duo Kinder are injecting the Australian music landscape with a sorely missed Ghanaian influence. Briony and Savannah Osei recently released their single “Come Along” with A.GIRL, teaming up through Ricochet writing camp run by KLP. Bonding over the sense of community in their respective heritages, “Come Along” combines a Ghanaian…

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My Brilliant Career

Theatre Review: My Brilliant Career is an anti love story you can’t help but fall in love with at Belvoir

Sybylla Melvyn announces (triumphantly and somewhat without apology) that this is a play all about herself. Stuck on her family property as the eldest of eight, her drunken father (Jason Chong) has squandered much of the family resources while her mother (Blazey Best), keen to marry her off, is worried she’s too plain. In strong…

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Un-Cook Yourself

Interview: Nat’s What I Reckon on Un-cook Yourself: A Ratbag’s Rules For Life, stand up comedy and his bucket list

Nat’s What I Reckon has had a massive year, even by his own reckoning, “2020 is a hard year to beat.” He wowed the world with his frank take on bottled pasta sauce, toured his sold-out stand up show, spoke at BIGSOUND and hosted Rage on the ABC. And, now he’s adding author to his…

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Din Tai Fung now delivers frozen hampers full of dumplings and more

With the popularity of their home delivery service during the more intense moments of this year’s ongoing pandemic, Din Tai Fung continue to look beyond their many Australian venues with two limited edition frozen hampers available for online orders and delivery. Designing many of their menu highlights so that they can be prepared and served…

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The 40 Best Australian Tracks of 2020

As voted by our contributors for the 12th consecutive year, we’re thrilled to end 2020 with a list of our favourite Australian songs of the year. Unlike the albums list you saw last week, today we’re keeping things simple: inviting you to listen to a playlist of the 40 tracks our writers chose. We hope…

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The Mandalorian Season 2 Episode 7 has a character take a surprising turn

The penultimate episode to season 2 has a few surprises but is nowhere near as outlandish as some of the previous episodes.  Beware of spoilers in the review ahead. Working at a prison scrapyard smashing up larger pieces of old Empire ships into smaller pieces, a prison droid approaches Mayfeld (Bill Burr) and orders him…

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State-of-the-art cinema complex set for Boxing Day debut in Brisbane

And you thought the art of cinema was dead? Reading Cinemas Australia have announced it will open Australia’s most advanced cinema complex to date at the newly redeveloped DFO complex in Jindalee, Brisbane, just in time for Boxing Day. Reading’s new complex will be the company’s first in Queensland to feature full reclining seats in…

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Theatre Review: Frozen – The Musical is worth melting for at Sydney’s Capitol Theatre

Love it or loath it, you cannot deny Disney’s 2013 animated musical Frozen is one of the biggest pop culture phenomenons of our time. With box office figures, soundtrack sales, and merchandise revenue not seen since the Disney Renaissance of the early 1990s, Frozen was the cultural sensation the House of Mouse had been chasing…

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Gotcha Fresh Bubble Tea opens up three new locations

If you haven’t tried bubble tea, you are missing out on a world full of flavours. Whether it’s their black sugar, coffee, cheese foam or fruit tea collection that you know and love, the beloved Gotcha launches three new stores around Australia. Standing out from the crowd, their quality teas have been farmed and hand…

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Imogen Clark, Montaigne and Georgia Mooney

Photo Gallery: Imogen Clark and Friends – Factory Theatre, Sydney (09.12.20)

Imogen Clark’s 1st Annual Holiday Hootenanny took place at the Factory Theatre on Wednesday night, and we were there to bring you this photo gallery. It was a festive evening, with Imogen Clark and her band in a buoyant mood.  She roped in a bunch of her friends to help out throughout the night. It…

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Best Books of 2020

The 14 Best Books of 2020

By now it goes without saying that 2020 has been a rough year. From wildfires to a global pandemic there has disruption and upheaval on a scale rarely, if ever, seen in “peacetime”. Pretty much every sector of society has taken a hit this year. And the publishing world, as with much of the Arts…

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Track of the Day: Choosing Sides “Cardboard Seats” (2020)

Adelaide trio Choosing Sides recently dropped latest single “Cardboard Seats“, and we’re stoked to be naming it today’s Track of the Day. Making it interstate for a show in Melbourne just before COVID-19 disrupted… well, everything, Choosing Sides have taken all 2020 has thrown at them in their stride. They’ve spent the year hard at…

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Flight Centre are selling “mystery holidays”, bringing spontaneity and excitement back to domestic travel

When we talk about spontaneous travel, we’re usually referring to sojourns taking place in far-flung destinations – falling asleep in Berlin and waking up in Amsterdam; booking a literal-last-minute flight to Osaka after reading about some super specific yakisoba served at a hidden hole-in-the-wall in Dotonburi…that kind of thing. What we’re not often referring to…

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Film Review: I’m Your Woman is a slow burning thriller anchored by a phenomenal Rachel Brosnahan

You’d be forgiven for assuming I’m Your Woman is going to be a ferocious, revenge-driven thriller going off the simple, yet striking poster art that accompanies.  Rachel Brosnahan, decked in a long trench coat, a baby on one arm, clutching a gun with the opposing hand.  It’s a hell of an image – provocative, even…

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Film Review: The Stand In is a tonally confused comedy unsure what to do with Drew Barrymore’s wild energy

Biding her time between newly found talk-show host duties and headlining the Netflix series Santa Clarita Diet (a show gone too soon) has kept Drew Barrymore busy enough that it’s been 5 years since we saw her in a feature film.  And though The Stand In gives the delightful star plenty of meat to chew…

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QT launches at home Christmas box with a sensory dining experience

Christmas is finally around the corner and QT has released its first ever holiday box for at home cooks. Taking away the stress of onerous cooking, QT has designed a Christmas menu with almost-ready meals and wine bundles. Curated by QT’s chefs and award-winning restaurants including Santini Grill, Yamagen Japanese, Capital Bar and Grill and…

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Lucky's

Book Review: Andrew Pippos toasts community and family in his debut Lucky’s

Debut author Andrew Pippos has used his own family history as a leaping off point for his first novel Lucky’s.  The multi-generational family saga details the rise and fall (and rise again?) of Lucky, a second-generation American-born Greek entrepreneur, restauranteur and erstwhile family man. Having found himself stationed in wartime Australia, impersonating clarinetist Benny Goodman…

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Ash Grunwald

Interview: Ash Grunwald gets deep with us about his new collaboration with Josh Teskey

When you hear it, you wonder how a coupling like Josh Teskey and Ash Grunwald had never come to be before now. It’s a match made in Blues heaven. And, in a world that seems to be dominated by just how electronic music can become, this album is a time-capsule full of pure and simple…

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Little Green

Exclusive Single Premiere: Little Green “The Night” (2020)

Little Green is the moniker for Sydney-based singer-songwriter Amy Nelson. As we head into what is becoming known as ‘bushfire season’, today we are premiering “The Night”, a track which highlights the devastation that last years rounds of bushfires had on society and the land on which we inhabit. Little Green wrote of the inspiration…

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Vinny Fire

Guest Playlist: Melbourne trio Vinny bring you the essential 80’s beats you need in your life

Melbourne trio Vinny capped off November with the release of “Fire”, their second release of the year.  Armed with infectious base lines and oozing swagger, “Fire” is as good an introduction as any to the Melbourne band. Think neon lit dance floors, a touch of hedonism and a smidge of seedy dance floor vibes and…

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Track of the Day: Seth King “Numb” (2020)

Today’s Track of the Day comes in the form of Seth King‘s latest “Numb“. Boasting a hook that’s guaranteed to get stuck in your head for days, it’s a great slice of relatable Aussie rock-pop. And with EP 2020 got me feeling like on the way, now’s the perfect time to tap into “Numb”. “I…

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The 40 Best Albums of 2020

the AU review is proud to announce The 40 Best Albums of 2020, from Australia and around the world. Who will top our 12th annual list? Read on to find out, and enjoy streams of the records as you scroll through. 40. San Cisco – Between You & Me After more than a decade together, San…

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Qantas Frequent Flyers

Qantas Frequent Flyers can now use and earn points on Australia’s premium railway journeys

In an unprecedented move for two of the country’s biggest travel operators, Qantas Frequent Flyers are now able to earn, and use, points on premium train trips with Journey Beyond Rail Expeditions. That means interstate trips on historic trains The Ghan, Indian Pacific, and the Great Southern are now more accessible than ever before. This…

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Album of the Week: The Avalanches – We Will Always Love You (2020 LP)

It was always going to be hard for The Avalanches to follow up their debut Since I Left You. At the time of its release, it was groundbreaking and re-wrote the way in which music could and would be created. It may have taken them sixteen years to follow it up, but 2016’s Wildflower went…

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Win a double in-season pass to see Eric Bana in The Dry

Thanks to Roadshow we have ten double passes to give away to the upcoming release of the Australian thriller The Dry, starring Eric Bana, based on the best-selling novel by Jane Harper, in Australian cinemas from January 1st, New Year’s Day 2021. When Federal Agent Aaron Falk returns to his drought-stricken home town after an absence…

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Clio Renner

Track by Track: Clio Renner guides us through her debut album Nothing Breaks, Nothing Mends

Melbourne-based and multi-talented Clio Renner’s debut album Nothing Breaks, Nothing Mends is out and making waves. The pianist, vocalist and songwriter has produced an impressive collection of alternative indie-pop tracks that delve into the truth of Renner’s life right now, exploring her thoughts, inner-dialogue and the people in her life. Having worked with a slew…

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Interview: The Furnace actor Jay Ryan on the “tricky” filming experience and how It: Chapter Two changed his career

On the eve of the national release of the new Australian drama The Furnace, our own Peter Gray chatted with one of its stars, rising New Zealand actor Jay Ryan, about the trying filming conditions, learning new facts about Australian history, and how a horror movie changed his career. First off, congratulations on the film. …

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Track of the Day: Maddy Jane “You’re not mine (But I Think You Should Be)” (2020)

Tasmanian artist, Maddy Jane has unveiled her latest single, “You’re not mine (But I Think You Should Be)”. After releasing her debut album Not All Bad Or Good earlier this year through Lemon Tree Records/Sony Music Entertainment Australia, Maddy’s new single is fresh and addictive. The song captures a vibrant indie-rock tune with Jane’s vocals…

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The Violet Stones

Exclusive Album Premiere: The Violet Stones – PIN (LP 2020)

We’ve been looking forward to the sophomore album from Sydney alt-rock grunge band The Violet Stones, and it delivers in spades. We are stoked today to be premiering PIN, with a generous fourteen energetic high-octane tracks. They’ve teased a few singles in the lead-up, most recently “Power Hungry”, so it’s a treat to have the…

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Indie Book Awards 2021

The Indie Book Awards continue to champion great Australian writing with their 2021 Longlist

This morning the longlist for the 2021 Indie Book Award has been announced. The award, which celebrates the best Australian writing, is made up of titles nominated by Australian independent booksellers. The Awards cover the best Australian book across six categories: Fiction, Non-Fiction, Debut Fiction, Illustrated Non-Fiction, Young Adult (12+) and Children’s. The Shortlist will…

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