If you thought it was too soon for a pandemic novel, you might just be put off by the premise of Toni Jordan’s newest book, Dinner with the Schnabels…don’t be! Known for her versatility across both the contemporary and historical genres, the Melbourne-based novelist has just published her first novel with Hachette. Schnabels follows down-on-his-luck former-architect Simon…
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Day five of Bluesfest comes around all too soon. The end is in sight, but there’s still the chance to see bands that you missed the first time round, and there are always a few that haven’t played yet. One of those was perennial favourite Kate Ceberano. Her voice is better than ever, she had…
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Rock and Roll festivals are back baby after a long COVID break! A brand new festival “Uncaged” has been unleashed on the East Coast of Australia playing iconic live music venues including Hordern Pavilion Sydney, Eaton Hill Hotel Brisbane and Festival Hall Melbourne. Sydney is the first city to be reached, this coming Saturday (23rd…
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The SteelSeries Apex 3 TKL (TenKeyLess) keyboard is an entry-level gaming keyboard that sits beside its larger sibling, the Apex 3. The Apex 3 TKL does away with the numeric keypad and wrist rest, all while providing a smaller, more compact alternative that holds some nifty features and smooth functionality for genera all-around use, even…
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The third album has always seemingly been the make or break album for a lot of bands. Often garnering some love on the first album after a string of successful EPs and singles, a band might follow up with the fabled sophomore slump or recycle reliable sounds from their first album and release as new…
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The excitement was palpable as we crunched our way through mud and pebbles towards the 33rd annual Byron Bay Bluesfest. After two years of cancellations, the 2022 festival was not just a celebration of music but a true celebration of life and the joy of human connection. I’d had my first Bluesfest experience back in…
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Australian singer, writer, producer and engineer Aaron Lee a.k.a Airports has this week released “Second 2 Breathe”. “Second 2 Breathe” is Airports’ first solo release of 2022, and promises to be just the first release from a larger body of six tracks set for release this year. The single builds upon Airports’ trademark style, which…
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Alfie Templeman has only just turned 19, but already counts seven EPs, a mini-album and soon his debut album Mellow Moon under his belt. Alongside these feats, he was shortlisted in BBC’s Sound of 2022 list, is self-taught in approximately 11 instruments, has perfect pitch as well as a surplus of 700 songs sitting on his…
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If you’re on TikTok, it’s highly likely you’ve come across Gen Z sensation Mimi Webb. She’s the 21-year-old British protégé who spent her teenage years honing her vocal talents at the esteemed The BRIT School (past pupils including Adele, Jessie J, and Amy Winehouse), before turning to the juggernaut app to share her music as…
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In the lead-up to the release of The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, Nicolas Cage spoke of the countless VOD titles he had littered his filmography with over the last decade-or-so – film choices made primarily to pay off serious debt – with a positive tongue. Whilst such trashy thrillers as Inconceivable, Trespass, and Left…
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Lizzie Pook’s debut novel, Moonlight and the Pearler’s Daughter, takes us to the fictional pearling town of Bannin Bay in the North of Western Australia. The year is 1896, and those who own fleets of pearling luggers – those such as Eliza Brightwell’s father – rule the town. But when Eliza goes to meet her father…
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As Gillian Anderson states – under a set of prominent teeth that appear almost caricaturish in their imagery as Eleanor Roosevelt – being a first lady isn’t a job, it’s a “circumstance”. Such a circumstance, it would seem, that Showtime thought it only fair to showcase the women behind some of the most powerful Presidential…
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Eric Terino is a singer-songwriter based in the New England region of America. He has just released his third album, the beautifully haunting Innovations of Grave Perversity. The album, which errs towards the folkier end of the genre spectrum, features a whole host of sonically interesting instruments, and musicians from around the world. To celebrate…
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Mama Roux are a three-piece ‘garage’ rock band from the outskirts of Amsterdam. The trio, made up of Maarten (drums), Patrick (bass), and Lukas (guitar), have not long released their debut single “Big Fuss”. The single, the first from their forthcoming eponymous EP, is a satisfyingly explosive blend of garage and blues rock. It’s raw,…
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Many readers will be familiar with Melbourne authors Ali Berg and Michelle Kalus thanks to their wonderful debut novel, The Book Ninja. The clever pair have now written their third book, another contemporary rom-com with a fun twist. Fancy Meeting You Here has some of the intriguing elements from their stellar debut; however, its execution…
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We had passed hump day and headed towards the home straight. An action-packed Day 4 awaited though. The Waifs proved to be singular as Vicki Thorn unfortunately had the ‘Spicy Cough’, so couldn’t be there. The show was still enormously entertaining. Sister Donna has plenty of chat and had us all laughing along with her…
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Sam and Max: Beyond Time and Space is the recent remaster of Sam and Max’s second season, originally released in 2007. Brought back to life by Skunkape Games—a development team made up of alumni Telltale developers—who acquired the rights to the beloved 3 seasons of Sam and Max. This episodic point and click adventure game…
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Mesmeriser is a punchy alt-rock powerhouse out of Sydney. They are passionate, talented, and with a wry smile, have been enjoying themselves on their latest EP which is about to drop, SOLD!. We are stoked to be premiering it today, ahead of its release tomorrow. Fans of The Strokes and Libertines should be able to…
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With The Good Boss currently screening in Australian theatres (you can read our review here), Peter Gray spoke with the film’s writer and director, Fernando León de Aranoa, about creating such an interesting character, balancing the tone between humour and drama, and working with Javier Bardem, an actor he trusts enough to take risks with…
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Day three of 2022 Byron Bay Bluesfest was another action-packed extravaganza. Mama Kin Spender enchanted us with the collaboration between Mama Kin and Tommy Spender. With a choir in tow from Mullumbimby, they touched hearts and fed our souls. Mama Kin Spender One of the finds of the festival so far has been Christone…
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Living in 2022 it is easy to take reproductive rights for granted. But as Happening shows, it wasn’t long ago that this wasn’t the case. This film serves as a timely reminder of how tortured a situation could become when a woman finds herself with an unwanted pregnancy. It’s a difficult and devastating situation that…
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The time has come for Brisbane rock trio Columbus to call it a day after a decade. Before announcing the breakup on their socials, the band released their latest EP Driving in the Dark on 24 March – featuring singles “Pain is a Mirror”, “Temporary Summer” and “Full Heart”. The beloved punks played the second…
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Dylan Minnette, Braeden Lemasters, and Cole Preston make up the Los Angeles-based band Wallows – indie-rockers with a cult following, who first met around the tender ages of 11, and have recently celebrated the release of their sophomore album Tell Me That It’s Over. For the trio, there’s an impressive history to reflect on as they…
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The crowd was massive for Day two of Byron Bay Bluesfest. The major drawcard of course was Midnight Oil, who are on their swansong live tour. They didn’t disappoint, playing a two hour set filled with their classic hits, and a few new ones from their latest album, Resist. Peter Garrett‘s voice was better…
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Now streaming on Shudder, The Cellar (you can read our review here) is a haunted house-themed horror film starring Elisha Cuthbert as a mother whose daughter mysteriously vanishes in the cellar of her family’s new house in the country. She soon discovers there is an ancient and powerful entity controlling the home that she will have…
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Whilst The Cellar won’t exactly be riding high on viewers’ lists of must-see scary movies, Brendan Muldowney‘s haunted house horror effort at least conjures an atmosphere and an unlikely climax to earn it valid points for trying. Muldowney’s script initially plays into the genre tropes we expect when Keira Woods (Elisha Cuthbert) and her family…
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The 33rd edition of the Byron Bay Bluesfest kicked off at Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm, Byron Bay yesterday and needless to say, the excitement was fever pitch. Once through the gates, there was no time to waste to catch as much of the action from Day 1 as possible. Bob Marley’s music lives on through…
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Thanks to Universal Pictures we have 5 double in-season passes (Admit 2) to give away for the upcoming release of The Northman, starring Alexander Skarsgard and Nicole Kidman, set for release in cinemas from April 21st, 2022. From visionary director Robert Eggers comes THE NORTHMAN, an action-filled epic that follows a young Viking prince on his…
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Design-forward, incredibly powerful and able to fill a room with gorgeous hi-fi calibre stereo sound, the Astell&Kern ACRO BE100 speaker strikes a perfect balance between beauty and beast. While the market for powerful speakers is saturated right now, Astell&Kern present this sophisticated speaker that’s best aimed at those that appreciate design as much as performance….
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Javier Bardem knows how to play men with a charmingly evil demeanour, and in The Good Boss (El Buen Patrón) – which reunites the actor with his Loving Pablo director Fernando León de Aranoa – his confident walk and solid grey quaff of hair lend themselves to a disarming character who uses his good standing…
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