Month: April 2021

The Million

Live Review: The Million + Bread Club + The Flowers – Waywards, Sydney (15.04.21)

Waywards in Sydney’s Newtown was treated to a night of the best up-and-coming bands, helmed by The Million for their single launch of “Last Call”. The crowd packed in for one of the first standing gigs back, with The Million frontman Jacob Thomas warning me that their crowd do mosh, despite their music being on the…

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Review: The Bistro at Manly Pavilion skews Italian with new chef

Manly Pavilion holds a special place in the Northern Beaches. There are of course many time-tested institutions in the area, but few can boast the same sparkling, impressively serene location of this venue. Perched on the water’s edge, in a restored heritage building, it’s rightfully a top choice for long-lunches, evening cocktails, and more relaxed…

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Film Review: The United States vs. Billie Holiday succeeds off Andra Day’s transformative central performance

The best performances within the biopic genre are those that aren’t just simply imitations or impressions of the subject at hand, but an honest appraisal of the person, one where the performer vanishes on screen. And so often with such grand performances, it can lead to the rest of the film surrounding them to feel…

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Interview: Bob Evans ‘enters middle age’ like Springsteen with new album Tomorrowland

Bob Evans, aka Kevin Mitchell, releases his sixth studio album, Tomorrowland, today but it’s also his first since parting with EMI Music. Mitchell calls it his “entry into middle age”, with shades of Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty and The Cure. Tomorrowland is a vision long held by Mitchell and with the “silver lining” that COVID-19…

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Behind the Scenes of Taylor B-W’s “Nunchucks” music video

Sydney indie-pop artist Taylor B-W has just released the video for her latest single, “Nunchucks”. She is an artist with a bullet against her trajectory. In “Nunchucks”, she is rocking a 90’s RnB vibe with soaring vocals. It’s a seriously infectious tune; fun, upbeat and packed with a killer groove. Talking about the song, Taylor…

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Judith Lucy

Book Review: Turns Out, I’m Fine sees Judith Lucy at her sardonic self-deprecating best

Turns Out, I’m Fine sees comedian Judith Lucy making peace with different things in her life. The former star of The Late Show toured her comedy show, Judith Lucy versus Men across Australia in 2019. A number of the jokes and stories she told there form the basis of her latest book. Fans of her debut biography,…

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London Grammar

Album of the Week: London Grammar – Californian Soil (2021 LP)

I vividly remember the first time I saw London Grammar live. It was at Falls Festival Byron Bay in 2013/14 just as the band had exploded on the back of “Strong” and debut album If You Wait. With the sun having just set and vision from the stage obviously limited, frontwoman Hannah Reid politely asked…

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Ed Wells Manuka

Exclusive Single Premiere: Ed Wells x Manuka “Tougher” (2021)

Hailing from Sydney, but now a resident of London, Ed Wells has teamed up with fellow Londoner Manüka on their electro-pop single, “Tougher”. This is a track about the resilience we all have when faced with formidable challenges. We are thrilled to have the premiere of this tune before its official release on Friday. Last…

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New Fast & Furious 9 trailer takes Fast Saga to new heights – literally!

Celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2021, the Fast & Furious series has defied all expectation and grown to exponential heights as Vin Diesel and his motley crew have graduated from street racing to international espionage. The latest trailer for Fast & Furious 9 only adds to the franchise’s penchant for athletic lunacy as Diesel’s Dominic…

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Driving Stevie Fracasso

Book Review: Barry Divola’s Driving Stevie Fracasso is a novel that you’ll want to put on repeat

The back cover of Barry Divola‘s debut novel Driving Stevie Fracasso makes some lofty claims. It promises High Fidelity meets The Big Lebowski meets The Darjeeling Limited; it promises Nick Hornby, David Nicholls and Jonathan Tropper vibes. Picking it up, I thought to myself that this one novel could not possibly live up to all that. But here’s the thing,…

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Highline

Track of the Week: Highline “Chasing Heaven” (2021)

Our track of the week is “Chasing Heaven” and comes from Sydney-siders Highline. We might be heading into winter, but this bouncy song will take you back to the heights of summer. “Chasing Heaven” will be on their upcoming EP, Off Track, which is due to be released on 13th May this year. “Chasing Heaven”…

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Park Hyatt Sydney rooms now come with a $10,000 Fujifilm GFX100s camera

Luxury staycations are hot enough right now, but what if you’re five-star room came fully-equipped with one of the world’s highest performing large format digital cameras. We’re talking a 102 Megapixel beast worth almost $10,000, ready and willing to help you capture everything from those direct Sydney Opera House and harbour views, to strolls along…

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Freshwater’s Hardbord Hotel announces Froth Fest: Ruby Fields, Layne Beachley, and more

Freshwater’s recently refreshed Harbord Hotel has been drawing praise from beyond the Northern Beaches thanks to a swift, smart update. The legendary hotel, a Northern Beaches fortress of frothies, good food, and – quite honestly – the best spicy margs in Sydney right now, is now gearing up for their first big event. That would…

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Tour Talk: Bushfire relief trips return as AAT Kings partner with EmptyEsky

Now that domestic tourism is pumping, operator AAT Kings has once again teamed up with the #EmptyEsky movement and various regional tourism businesses. Why? Well it’s the return of the popular Bushfire Relief Giveback experiences – short and insightful tours aimed at directing support to communities that were directly impacted by 2020’s devastating bushfires (and…

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Exclusive Single Premiere: Roz Pappalardo “Won’t Be Quiet” (2021)

Roz Pappalardo is one of those talented artists who creates in many spheres in the arts. She is a singer and songwriter, an actor, as well as a play-write. Today we are thrilled to be premiering a song that Roz has written and sings, “Won’t Be Quiet”. This is the title track of her next…

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Dangerous Women

Book Review: History and mystery are sewn together in Hope Adams’ Dangerous Women

Dangerous Women may be the first novel published under the name Hope Adams, but it’s not in actual fact the author’s first book. Rather, Hope Adams is a pseudonym adopted by the well-established author (and mother of bestselling crime writer Sophie Hannah), Adele Geras. Geras has made no secret of her true identity, unlike like other well-known authors who have written…

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Phondupe

Phondupe gives us the 5 albums that influenced his debut album Onykia

Sydney artist Phondupe, the moniker for Rich Lucano, has just released his debut album, Onykia. It’s an album we’ve been eagerly looking forward to, having showcased Phondupe in our 20 artists to watch in 2020 list. Phondupe is a multi-dimensional artist with skills across the spectrum. Producing lush intricate soundscapes, and possessing a voice that…

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Pushing Back

Book Review: John Kinsella’s Pushing Back offers evocative stories of people, places and the environment

Author, John Kinsella, pushes many boundaries in his latest collection of short stories: Pushing Back. The collection is made up of thirty-five astute stories about love and loss, as well as stories about nature, birds and the Australia outback. You’ll learn about Goozi’s, Red Wattle birds and the thoughts of children and men. You’ll also read…

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Rhiannon Giddens

Album Review: Rhiannon Giddens’ They’re Calling Me Home is a timely meditation on the comforts of home

I told myself that I wouldn’t entertain pandemic adjacent albums. But, Rhiannon Giddens’ latest, recorded with Italian multi-instrumentalist Francesco Turrisi, has proven to be an exception. It helps that it’s not an album of songs about sourdough and lockdowns. It also helps that it’s superb.  They’re Calling Me Home is a timely album, with pertinent…

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ABIA announce 2021 shortlist, with Cate Blanchett to present Book of the Year at star-studded April awards night

The Australian Book Industry Awards have just released their 2021 shortlist, with the final winners to be announced at a star-studded event on April 28th at Sydney’s Carriageworks. In an ABIA first, a limited number of tickets to the awards night will be available to the general public. And for anyone who can’t make it…

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Pinkish Blu

Interview: Pinkish Blu on “Backward”, touring with Odette and music videos.

Pinkish Blu are an iridescent Adelaidean pop band that will have lyric-lovers falling head over heels for their romanticised intricacy.  Their debut EP, There’s no such thing as good people, had consistent airplay on triple j and earned them support spots with the likes of G Flip, The Reubens, Trophy Eyes and more. In fact,…

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Cinderella - Rodgers & Hammerstein

Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella to premiere in Sydney in November

Sydney will be treated to an enchanted fairy-tale in the form of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella. The Capitol Theatre will host the Australian premiere of a production presented by Opera Australia and the Gordon Frost Organisation, who previously partnered together for The King and I. Debuting in on Broadway in 2013, the award-winning Cinderella is…

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Circus Review: The Dumtectives in Cirque Noir is a dazzling blend of acrobatics, slapstick and adult comedy

A perfectly stupendous amount of ‘Dum’! The critically acclaimed and globally touring Australian circus company, Dummies Corp, lights up the stage at The Famous Spiegeltent in Melbourne with their first adult-themed circus comedy – The Dumtectives in Cirque Noir. As part of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, this show blasts you into a world of…

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The Princess Theatre, Woolloongabba

The Tivoli team sets their sights on new Brisbane venue, The Princess

Queensland’s oldest standing theatre, The Princess, is set for a new lease of life as the team behind Fortitude Valley’s The Tivoli announce the purchase of the Woolloongabba venue. The Tivoli’s owners, brothers Steve and Dave Sleswick, alongside prominent Brisbane businessman Steve Wilson, recently revealed their plans for revitalising the 133 year old Princess, aiming…

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Outriders

Outriders Review: A Top-Tier Looter Shooter

From the moment we played the Outriders demo, our impression was of a functional and addictive looter shooter. Strong shooting and interesting powers overshadowed the demo’s repetitive mission structures and unrewarding grind. These are, of course, issues that affect the best in the genre. And, as a complete package, Outriders does indeed reflect the best…

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NEW TALK

Track by Track: NEW TALK take us through sophomore album Time & Memory

Perth’s NEW TALK have today released their sophomore album, Time & Memory. You might have known them under their previous name, Rag n’ Bone, where they released A Handful of Ash. We are stoked today to be able to have a track-by-track breakdown of this album which has been keenly anticipated. Time & Memory explores…

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Hein Cooper

Exclusive Single Premiere: Hein Cooper “Pretend” (2021)

We are thrilled today to have the premiere of “Pretend”, from Sydney’s Hein Cooper. You might remember Hein from all the way back to 2016 when his single “Rusty” notched up more than 15 million Spotify streams. After the massive success of his breakout singles, Hein toured the global promoting his debut album, The Art…

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Why Chris Rock was cut out of Bad Trip, Eric Andre’s prank film on Netflix

The hilarious new film Bad Trip premiered on Netflix at the end of February, and fans of comedian Eric Andre – the film’s star – are bring treated to the finest prank film since Borat. In newly released deleted scenes, which you can view below, the film’s director Kitao Sakurai revealed that “what you see…

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coming to Game Pass

All the games coming to Xbox Game Pass in April 2021

If you’re looking for all the games coming to Xbox Game Pass in April, you’ve come to the right place. Xbox’s on-demand gaming service goes from strength to strength, with several notable additions. This month includes the arrival of Rockstar’s legendary GTA 5 (console only) and the addition of NHL 21 to the EA Play…

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PAX Aus 2021 tickets

PAX Aus 2021 tickets back on sale after first round hiccup

Tickets to PAX Aus 2021 are back on sale. The first round of badges, on sale only a few weeks ago, created a great deal of drama as demand surged, servers failed, and excited punters missed out. Today, the second round of tickets is live. Ticket quantities remain limited, and demand will be high. You…

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