Year: 2022

Asus ROG Strix Flare II Animate Gaming Keyboard Review: Jack of all trades

When purchasing a gaming keyboard, there are usually so many things to consider based on price point. Mechanical or non-mechanical keys? Is RGB customisation your thing? How about build quality? For the premium price point of A$349, the Asus ROG Strix Flare II Animate provides almost everything a gamer would want in a high-end keyboard….

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Photo Gallery: Bottlerock 2022 ft. Metallica, P!nk, Vance Joy, Snoop Dogg, CHVRCHES and more

Bottlerock 2022 kicked off last Friday and featured some of the biggest names in music. Including: Metallica, Twenty One Pilots, Vance Joy, Snoop Dogg, Greta Van Fleet, Misterwives, CHVRCHES, P!nk, Rainbow Kitten Surprise, Alessia Cara, Luke Combs Banks, Noah Kahan, Black Crowes, Saint JHN and Bahamas. The Napa Valley, Northern California Music Festival played host to three amazing days of music and our photographer Roth Rind snapped a few…

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Film Review: Charli XCX: Alone Together is a candid love letter from the popstar to her devoted fans

Whilst some of us attempted newfound interests or ambitious endeavours throughout the early stages of the pandemic – when going outside was thought as something of a novel luxury – British popstar Charli XCX one-upped us all, joining Bo Burnham (Inside) and the creators of Zoom-set slasher Host by utilsing her time and stored creativity…

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BottleRock Napa 2022: The Best Bands, Wines and Times – My 5 Greatest Discoveries

As the world shows signs of returning to normal it is the little things that stand out the most. The opportunity to see people smile. The ability to high five a stranger. And the chance to stand in groups of thousands and take in your favorite band again. With the sun shining down on the…

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Photo Gallery: Holy Holy + Hayley Mary – Forum Theatre, Melbourne (28.05.22)

After a cold week, Holy Holy warmed up Melbourne on their Forum leg of the ‘My Beautiful World’ tour. Over the course of an hour and a half set, they played the fan favourites from earlier albums, including “True Lovers”, “Sentimental and Monday” and “Teach Me About Dying”. They also made sure the new album…

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Kwasi drops angsty anthem “Self Sabotage” feat. Congrats and shares tips for selling out a launch show

Melbourne-based Ghanian-Australian hip hop artist Kwasi is one of the driving forces taking the local scene into the next generation. His addictive cadence and creative storytelling is on show in latest offering ‘Self Sabotage’, featuring Congrats, released 25 May via his own DGTL Records. Produced by platinum award-winning Melbourne genius Hamley (Stan Walker, Allday), the…

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The Oregon (Coast) Trail: Navigating the dream itinerary for the world’s finest roadtrip

It’s summer 2019. The weather is perfect. The window is down and I am cruising down the Pacific Coast Highway. It’s my first time on this section of the highway, taking me from the south of the US state of Oregon, up to the capital in Portland. It’s by no means the only way to…

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Interview: Sean Patrick Flanery and producer Allen Gilmer on directorial debuts and the unconventional writing of road thriller Frank & Penelope

As an actor, Sean Patrick Flanery has amassed more than 100 credits over a three decade-long career.  Best known for his work in such acclaimed titles as Powder, The Boondock Saints, and the upcoming season of Amazon’s The Boys, Flanery is now turning his attention behind the camera for Frank & Penelope, a road movie-cum-cult…

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Live Review: Ocean Alley – Fremantle Arts Centre (28.05.22)

When this scribe mentioned in passing to his sister that he was going to see Ocean Alley, she replied “all their songs sound the same”. To those familiar with the Northern Beaches six-piece that’s not quite true, but it is one challenge with their live shows. Yes, they have some absolute hits which are guaranteed…

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Film Review: Mothering Sunday is impeccably acted, but lacks a certain narrative urgency

Though there’s a certain erotic elegance to Mothering Sunday, Eva Husson‘s slow-burning adaptation of Graham Swift‘s 2016 novella is a film that, whilst impeccably acted, moves with a lack of urgency that keeps it from entirely earning the affectation it seeks to conjure. Predominantly set in 1924, the title refers to a Sunday in March…

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Film Review: Pil’s Adventures is a courageous romp against evil

Pil’s Adventures is an animated film set it he medieval city of Foggyborough. At its heart is a strong, little heroine orphan girl named Pil. She embarks on an adventure with some unlikely friends for a warm underdog makes good, slapstick comedy. Julien Fournet writes and directs this animated film. It is the third feature…

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Exclusive Single Premiere: Floozy ‘Craving’ (2022)

Melbourne dreampop duo Floozy will be releasing their new single ‘Craving’ on Thursday 2 June. It’s a shimmering and flirtatious track with lush production and smooth vocals, and we’re stoked to be sharing an exclusive look at the track a full day early! ‘Craving’ comes as a follow up to their debut offering Sand Dunes…

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Theatre Review: Cruel Intentions: The ’90s Musical is a sexy, energetic and nostalgia-fuelled blast from the past

Whip out your retro windbreaker, rock the double denim look and prepare to relive the good old ’90s in all their glory with the nostalgia-fuelled Cruel Intentions: The ’90s Musical. Following successful runs across the US and the UK, garnering rave reviews from original film stars Sarah Michelle Gellar and Reese Witherspoon, this throwback musical…

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Disneyland and California Adventure Level Up: Letting Immersion, Interactivity & Innovation Shine

I’ve been lucky enough to be a regular visitor at Disneyland, California, since I was a little kid. For me, the joy of attending it has never waivered; it is the “Happiest Place on Earth” after all, so even without the nostalgia, it’s a place that guarantees a pretty magical time. But for many years,…

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Win a double in-season pass to see Mothering Sunday starring Colin Firth and Olivia Colman

Thanks to Transmission Films, we have 5 double in-seasons passes (Admit 2) to see Colin Firth, Olivia Colman, Josh O’Connor and Odessa Young in the drama Mothering Sunday, set for release in cinemas from June 2nd, 2022. The events of Graham Swift’s novel take place over the course of one day – the holiday Mothering…

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RØDE announces an all-in-one compact audio production studio, the Rodecaster Pro II

Whether you’re a musician, streamer or podcaster, RØDE is hoping to please all creators and tick everything off your audio-needs checklist with their newest product, the RØDECaster Pro II. This compact studio and mixer follows 2018’s original RØDECaster Pro console which aimed to bring a professional broadcast studio into a single easy-to-use product. “It was…

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Zachary Leo shares new single and video ‘Can’t Get Enough’ with five influential records

23-year-old Melbourne pop-funk singer and multi-instrumentalist Zachary Leo – yes, you read that correctly – dropped a new single and video, ‘Can’t Get Enough’, on Tuesday 24 May. In addition to the cruisy cut and retro clip, he has also listed five pivotal albums that have influenced his sound over the years. For fans of…

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Track by Track: Lewis Goldmark takes us through debut solo album Cut and Flash

Belles Will Ring‘s Liam Judson, otherwise known as Lewis Goldmark, has unleashed a glorious mix of vintage haze, experimental pop, and indie-disco on the world, in the form of debut solo album Cut and Flash. Judson did it all, writing, producing and engineering the entire project from his Blue Mountains studio. Well, almost – we’ve…

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Interview: 61st Street star Tosin Cole on finding the truth in his character and the show’s topical relevance

Streaming on AMC+, 61st Street is a propulsive thriller coursing through the dark heart of the infamous Chicago criminal justice system as police and prosecutors investigate a deadly drug bust that threatens to unravel the police department’s code of silence. To coincide with the show streaming, Peter Gray spoke with star Tosin Cole, discussing the…

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US rockers Halestorm to head Down Under following new album Back from the Dead

Grammy-winning US hard rock band Halestorm have announced a tour of Australia and New Zealand in February 2023 following the release of their fifth studio album Back from the Dead, released 6 May via Atlantic Records. Returning Down Under for the first time since 2019, Halestorm will be stopping by Auckland before making their way…

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Theatre Review: Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella is a stunning contemporary retelling of a timeless fairytale

Experience the timeless Cinderella story you know and love, now with a contemporary spin in Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella, a Tony Award winning Broadway musical from the minds behind The Sound of Music. After captivating audiences across the US, this spellbinding production has floated into Melbourne, lighting up the famous Regent Theatre with dazzling costumes…

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EVEN Hotel – New York Midtown East Review: Where fitness and wellness meet comfort

Not far from Grand Central Station in New York City sits a striking, tall and thin 35 floor building with four distinct colour strips on it. This is EVEN Hotel’s New York Midtown East location, one of four IHG have for the growing brand in New York. You enter on the ground floor and are…

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Interview: LANY reflects on milestones, brunch culture and their Australian tour

LANY are currently on Australian shores, making their way around the country as they soundtrack our heartaches and hangups in the largest venues they’ve played in Oz yet. Paul Klein and Jake Goss built an international fanbase with their 2017 self-titled album, and followed it up with Malibu Nights (you can read our past chat…

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Evil Dead: The Game Review: Hail to the King Baby

The Evil Dead franchise continues to amaze me. From a campy independent film made by college kids, to one of the most successful horror franchises ever made, it’s seen its fair share of films, games, comics and even a recent TV series. It’s also worth noting that Evil Dead 2: Dead by Dawn is one…

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Interview: Wallis Bird chats about the making of her latest album HANDS

With her seventh studio album HANDS (or NINE AND A HALF SONGS FOR NINE AND A HALF FINGERS) releasing today, we thought it was high time we caught up with singer-songwriter Wallis Bird. We chatted to her as basked in the glow of a beautiful spring morning, the birds singing as she sipped on a…

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Baby Velvet

Interview: Baby Velvet on Please Don’t Be In Love With Someone Else, Girls Rock and Americana Surf-Rock

Melbourne artist, Baby Velvet, is the solo project for Hannah Crofts, and today she released her debut album, Please Don’t Be In Love With Someone Else. It’s an album imbued with reflections of love and love-lost, as well as navigating life as an adult. It is undoubtedly shaped by years of life as a touring…

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New Music Discoveries 27th May: Montaigne ft. Daði Freyr, Lemonade Baby and more

As May starts to wrap up, we have ten more tracks to add to our Discovery playlist on Spotify and Apple Music.  Leading things off this week is our track of the week, “make me feel so…” the new single from Montaigne (pictured). The track was written in collaboration with Icelandic artist, and fellow Eurovision…

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Track by Track: Jem Cassar-Daley takes us through debut EP I Don’t Know Who to Call

Singer-songwriter Jem Cassar-Daley has been wowing us with her talents since last year, with tracks “Letting Go,” “Changes,” and “Like it More” showcasing a soulful indie-pop sound, backed by stunning vocals. Today, it’s all coming together with the release of debut EP I Don’t Know Who To Call. Of the release, Jem says: “This project is very close…

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The Silence of Water

Book Review: Sharron Booth’s debut The Silence of Water brings convict history of WA to life

In 1906, Frances (Fan) Johnson moves from Adelaide to Fremantle with her family so that her mother, Agnes, can take care of her estranged father. Edwin Salt has been thrown out by his wife, Annie, and everyone believes that he does not have much longer to live. Though Agnes is estranged from her mercurial and…

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Album of the Week: Ball Park Music – Weirder & Weirder (2022 LP)

You know that TikTok that says something along the lines of ‘things in my x that just make sense’? Well that’s sort of like listening to a Ball Park Music album; everything in it just makes sense. It must be hard being Australia’s loveliest band. Not only do you have to worry about releasing album…

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