California punk-rock trio Pierce the Veil have returned with their awaited fifth studio album The Jaws of Life, out today via Fearless Records. The 12-track project comes seven years after their 2016 record Misadventures, the first new music since the Today I Saw the Whole World EP in 2017. Featuring the singles “Pass the Nirvana”,…
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If you want to know why when Peter Gray spoke to Alison Brie about her latest film, Somebody I Used To Know, they started suggesting television shows where Jason Biggs would fornicate with various types of dessert pies, you’ll just have to watch it and find out. To be fair, Brie’s character Ally and her…
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We have added ten more tracks to our Discovery playlist on Spotify and Apple Music; including two singles we exclusively premiered earlier in the week. Our Track of the Week is “Digital Bullshit” from Sydney LGBTQ alternative pop artist Daphnie. We’re big fans of Daphnie at the AU and they’re onto another winner with “Digital…
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Nintendo might have caught a few fans off guard yesterday morning with a surprise Nintendo Direct conference, the first of 2023. The stream announced a bunch of new and upcoming games, with many set to hit digital and physical shelves alike in the first half of 2023. Let’s get stuck in! The Legend of Zelda:…
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That classic romantic comedy genre trope of big-city-girl-returns-to-small-home-town is one that, initially, writer/director Dave Franco and writer/star Alison Brie utilise to almost expected potential in Somebody I Used To Know, a more human dramedy than romcom romp that cements the notion that you can never truly go home again. People and places change, and no…
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Do you ever wonder what happened to the one that got away? If you’re Alison Brie in Somebody I Used To Know, you might have lost them to Kiersey Clemons. In the new romantic comedy, co-written by Brie and her husband (and director) Dave Franco, workaholic TV producer Ally (Brie) faces a major professional setback,…
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Nashville is famous for being the home of some of the finest musicians on the planet. Some are filthy rich and famous (Hi Keith!), and there are others who are perhaps not quite as famous (or rich!), but have led a full life and are highly revered amongst their contemporaries. One of these troubadours is…
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They say a dog is a man’s best friend, but what if the man is a total dirtbag? In that case, it might be time for some sweet revenge, doggy style. From Josh Greenbaum, the director of Barb and Star Go To Vista Del Mar, comes Strays, a wild, foul-mouthed comedy inspired by the likes…
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When watching Mean Spirited I couldn’t help but wonder why Jeff Ryan isn’t a household name. As a director he has worked within a duo of spaces that have well been tested – the mockumentary comedy and the found footage subsect of horror – but both this and his previous effort (YouthMin) prove he has…
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Harley Quinn : A Very Problematic Valentine’s Day Special follows from the third season of Harley Quinn, airing on Binge in Australia and HBO Max in the USA. It’s a show that has prided itself on being outrageously vulgar, taking beloved DC characters and pushing them to the limit of adult animation humour. But they’re…
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Comedian Tom Ballard is known for the biting social commentary in his jokes. The podcaster, former Triple J presenter and TV host has never been backward in coming forward with his political views. His new book, I, Millennial is cut from much the same cloth, as he grapples with various important issues and considers the…
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Sydney indie-rock quartet Bad Pony have shared their debut album Forever Up & Coming with us ahead of its official release tomorrow. After a decade of being a band, they are proud to finally deliver the record that was three years in the making. It may not be a name you’re familiar with yet, but…
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The claustrophobic and emotional resonance Florian Zeller created with 2020’s The Father is unfortunately nowhere to be found in The Son, a prequel of sorts based off another of Zeller’s stage plays. A chamber piece on the subject of dementia that rightfully won Anthony Hopkins his second Best Actor Academy Award, The Father expressed subtlety…
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The return of St. Jerome’s Laneway felt much needed and right, but not as familiar as we remember it, unless of course you remember the Big Day Out. The Sydney Showgrounds site, including the cavernous Boiler Room (version 2.0) on a 25+ degree summer’s day has been the location for many classic festival experiences and…
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girl in red (Marie Ulven) is currently in Australia for the Laneway Festival. She managed to squeeze in two side shows along the way, one in Melbourne and the other was in Sydney. We were lucky enough to be at the Sydney show. Betty Taylor opened the show. It was one of those gigs where…
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Meanjin (Brisbane) based vocalist Hannah Macklin is back with “Stars”, her first release of 2023. The track is a heavenly slice of neo-soul, with a passing nod to jazz amidst a restrained sonic palate. The instrumentation is predominantly acoustic which allows Hannah’s soaring voice to shine. With strings in the mix, it has a lushness…
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After more than a decade, singer Darren Hayes brought his extravagant stage presence back to Sydney with a string of Savage Garden hits, solo favourites, and of course a celebration of tracks from his recent album Homosexual. Photos by Gwendolyn Lee
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Brisbane-born, Stockholm-based artist Hazlett has returned with his debut album Bloom Mountain, released 13 January. His unique brand of ballroom indie-folk is the ideal soundtrack to long drives and candlelit dinners. After three EPs and a string of solid singles since 2016, the 10-track record showcases delicate guitarwork, moving vocals and warm textures to create…
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When it comes to true crime Emily Webb is something of an expert. The Melbourne-based journalist is the host of the Australian True Crime podcast along with co-host and fellow author, Meshel Laurie. Webb has also published three books on the subject matter; her latest, Suburban True Crime draws together some of the same cases…
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Perth indie-rockers South Summit have started 2023 strong by already exceeding expectations as ones to watch. With the release of their new EP Creatures on 12 January, the band have also announced a 10-date national headline tour supported by Slim Jimz. Featuring the groovy and soulful singles “Promise Me”, “Tired of Waiting” and “Runaway”, the…
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In 2012’s Magic Mike, Channing Tatum‘s titular performer lamented that he didn’t want to be a “40 year old stripper”. The irony isn’t lost some decade on where Tatum’s Mike, having seemingly failed at his planned custom furniture business, has to fall back on his expert set of skills. And, as we would expect, the…
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On Sunday, Sydney had its first Laneway Festival since 2020 at its new home in the Sydney Showground. The new surrounds may lack in atmosphere, but the proximity of the four stages to each other was welcome, and with three of them being indoors, on a warm summers day, this was much appreciated. The bill…
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When sitting down to review Liz Kingsman’s critically acclaimed One Woman Show at the Sydney Opera House, the real challenge is trying not to reveal too much while simultaneously describing one of the funniest comedic performances you’ll see this year. Written and performed by Kingsman and directed by Adam Brace, One Woman Show uses self-deprecating,…
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I’ll be the first to admit it; I still pop in the older Harry Potter games on both the original PlayStation and PlayStation 2. My love for both the films and books aside, I simply love existing in this world and exploring the nooks and crannies that Hogwarts has to offer. So you could imagine…
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After talking to both director Michael Showalter and his (other) leading man, Ben Aldridge, it came time for Peter Gray to converse with Spoiler Alert’s Jim Parsons, where the two touched on the ease of queer stories now being told, his relationship with the inspirational figure behind the film, Michael Ausiello, and what it was…
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Based on Michael Ausiello’s best-selling memoir “Spoiler Alert: The Hero Dies,” Spoiler Alert is a heartwarming, funny and life-affirming story of how Michael’s relationship with his partner Kit is transformed and deepened when one of them falls ill. Bringing Michael’s story to life is director Michael Showalter, an alt-comedy auteur whose eclectic resume ranges from…
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It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s Mary Poppins descending on Melbourne’s own 17 Cherry Tree Lane for an unforgettable night of splendour. Adapted from the beloved writings of P.L. Travers, Disney and Cameron Mackintosh present this new and improved Mary Poppins production highlighting an all-Australian cast. The magical narrative follows Mr and Mrs Banks,…
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Darren Hayes was the frontman of duo pop supergroup Savage Garden in the late nineties. With a string of hits such as “Truly Madly Deeply”, “To the Moon and Back” and “I Want You” the world was at their feet. After a successful foray into New York, the band decided to take a hiatus, from…
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Spoiler alert: Ben Aldridge is having a moment! After coming out only three years ago via an Instagram post, and steadily working in television with memorable roles in Fleabag and Pennyworth, Aldridge seems like he’s no longer just on the cusp of fame, but fully fledged within it. After fending off Dave Bautista in M….
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Telegraphed in both its title and opening sequence, Spoiler Alert braces its audience for an unhappy ending from the get-go. But, as much as Michael Showalter‘s handkerchief-ready drama adheres to a familiar structure within the “terminal illness romance” genre – ala The Fault in Our Stars or Holding the Man – the film thankfully isn’t…
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