Month: November 2024

How Music Can Boost Focus and Creativity for University Students

University is fun, but also pretty demanding. This will very likely be a period you look back to with affection, but while you are there, it can be impossible to juggle all the academic responsibilities. Most students also want to add social life and having fun into these years, not to mention that some work…

Read more
Hoodoo Gurus

Hoodoo Gurus Stoneage Romeos national tour made a triumphant stopover in Adelaide (23.11.24)

It’s hard to believe that Hoodoo Gurus released their debut album Stoneage Romeos forty years ago. Winning awards in the day, it’s as fresh and exciting now as it was back then. The sold out crowd crammed the three levels of the Hindley Street Music Hall to witness rock history. Opening act, Dallas Crane are…

Read more

Mario & Luigi: Brothership indulges in its worst RPG tropes without exploring its best bits

It’s been far too long between outings for Nintendo’s acclaimed Mario & Luigi RPG outing. This has supposedly been rectified by masterful remakes of two of the series’ most acclaimed titles, as well as a brand new adventure in Mario & Luigi: Brothership. The interesting release strategy is a smart move from Nintendo, nodding to…

Read more

Film Review: Little Dixie is an investing thriller that exists in a rough, dirty reality

Director John Swab, a gritty aesthetic and the gruff likeability of Frank Grillo have proven a welcome parcel over the last few years, and following on from both Body Brokers and Ida Red is Little Dixie, a formulaic but no-less investing thriller that exists in a rough, dirty reality. Though there’s plenty of genre tropes…

Read more

Photo Gallery: The Saints ’73-’78 + Kim Salmon and The Surrealists – Enmore Theatre, Sydney (22.11.24)

The Saints ’73-’78 played a killer set of original punk songs from their massively influential first three albums (I’m) Stranded (1977), Eternally Yours (1978) and Prehistoric Sounds (1979). The Saints consist of original members Ed Kuepper on guitar, Ivor Hay on drums with Mudhoney’s Mark Arm on vocals, The Birthday Party / Bad Seeds guitarist…

Read more

Stardew Valley: Symphony of Seasons is heading to Australia

If you’ve never played Stardew Valley before, we recommend immediately rectifying the situation and getting your farming hat on. For those who have, you’ll be familiar with the whimsical and relaxing soundtrack accompanying gameplay. Stardew Valley: Symphony of Seasons is heading to Australia in 2025, and will feature a whopping 35-piece orchestra, performing the most…

Read more

New Music: TUSHAR releases Feels Like a Start EP

South Asian indie-pop musician TUSHAR has just released his sophomore EP, Feels Like a Start. The title song is a feel-good uplifting pop song that just makes you feel happy. The song is infectious, with an upbeat vibe. The pace slows down a little for a previous single “Peaches and Wine”, but the deep brooding…

Read more
Mundi Undi Run

Broken Hill Mundi Mundi Bash – event updates, tickets selling fast!

Next year the Mundi Mundi Bash will be your best outback music festival option, as the Birdsville Bash will be taking a break for a 2025. Running over three days from the 21st to the 23rd of August, the festival on the outskirts of Broken Hill has several options for 1, 2 or 3 days,…

Read more

Live Review: Pearl Jam deliver something special to Sydney – Engie Stadium (21.11.24)

If you’d arrived at Sydney Olympic Park’s showground early enough (and 6pm is very early) , you’d have seen Eddie Vedder introducing the Cosmic Psychos to the crowd as one of his favourite bands. The seminal Melbourne punk band really don’t need much introduction, just a small bit of stage and a mic. What they…

Read more

Interview: Director Pierre Perifel and producer Damon Ross on The Bad Guys 2 and escaping the pratfalls of a sequel; “You don’t want to take yourself too seriously.”

Who’s badder than The Bad Guys? The Bad Girls. In the new chapter from DreamWorks Animation’s acclaimed 2022 action-comedy hit about a crackerjack criminal crew of animal outlaws, The Bad Guys are struggling to find trust and acceptance in their newly minted lives as Good Guys, when they are pulled out of retirement and forced…

Read more

LEGO Horizon Adventures packs in a decent amount of charm and fun

LEGO Horizon Adventures promised a captivating reimagining of the PlayStation modern classic, Horizon Zero Dawn. Infused with the beloved, lighthearted charm of the classic LEGO games, complete with their trademark sense of humour, collecting LEGO studs, bricks and unlocking characters. As a lifelong fan of Traveller’s Tales’ LEGO games, I eagerly anticipated reliving Aloy’s somewhat…

Read more

New Music Discoveries 22nd November: The Delines, Jet City Sports Club, Tiny Habits, and more

It’s just shy of five weeks until Christmas (sorry!) and we’re not into holiday mode at AU Towers quite yet. This week we’ve added another ten tracks to our Discovery playlist on Spotify and Apple Music. Included amongst them are two tracks we exclusively premiered earlier in the week. Portland-based country-soul group The Delines take…

Read more

Interview: Lucy Lawless on her directorial debut with documentary Never Look Away; “If I can make you feel something, I want to do it while revealing human nature.”

When first introduced to the story of CNN war cameraperson, Margaret Moth, Lucy Lawless immediately jumped at the chance. In local lore, Moth was a rockstar and an enigma. Having long eschewed directing, finally here was a story that Lawless could not resist. “It felt like destiny that I should be asked to tell the…

Read more

Film Review: Never Look Away is an at once unflinching and entertaining portrait of wild-hearted iconoclast Margaret Moth

Given her career achievements, and that name alone, it’s quite a surprise that Margaret Moth isn’t more of a well known figure.  Working as a full-time camera operator in 1970s New Zealand at a time when no other women held such a position in her homeland, nor Australia, Moth – born Margaret Wilson (she was…

Read more

The BlueAnt X5i Bluetooth Party Speaker brings the versatility to any setting

We’ve tested a few BlueAnt speakers over the past couple of years and can safely say that they’ve established a presence in the Australian market by providing versatility and value across their range of products. I’m still using the larger BlueAnt X6 speaker to this day. The BlueAnt X5i feels like a repackaged version of…

Read more

Jack White to perform two shows in Sydney & four in Victoria with more shows revealed [UPDATED]

The lineup for Always Live is here, with the brainchild of Australian music icon Michael Gudinski continuing to be a game-changer for Victoria’s live music scene. This year’s roster is no exception, with the addition of American rock icon Jack White, who is set to deliver two unforgettable shows in December. Since we first posted…

Read more

Photo Gallery: Pearl Jam + Pixies – Engie Stadium, Sydney (21.11.24)

Rock and Roll legends Pearl Jam from Seattle, USA totally blew the crowd away with a performance for the ages. It was full of emotion and pure energy to a sold out Sydney crowd. Supported beautifully by icons Pixies from Boston, USA. Peter Dovgan brings you the images.      

Read more

Pixies bring two hours of nonstop rock & roll to Sydney’s Liberty Hall

Black Francis doesn’t like talking, and he isn’t afraid to let you know that. “We’re happy to be here. Many people think we aren’t because we don’t talk much, but we are,” he says casually into the microphone before his band, Pixies, give us two nonstop hours of snub-nosed rock & roll. “When you talk,…

Read more

Photo Gallery: Mother Mother + Ūla – The Fortitude Music Hall, Brisbane (19.11.24)

Mother Mother took the stage at The Fortitude Music Hall on Tuesday as part of the world tour for their new album, Grief Chapter, released in February this year. This unforgettable evening of indie-rock tunes was perfectly paired with support from Ūla, who had previously supported Mother Mother on their ‘INSIDE’ tour of AUS last…

Read more

Australia is Leading the Charge for Heavy Music

November is Ausmusic Month, and with Ausmusic T-shirt Day – Thursday 28th – just around the corner, Support Act is raising money for this country’s abundant creative talent and giving back to the precarious sector with our help. ABC have announced a packed programme of television and radio events in support of the cause and…

Read more

Norby the Robot: The Personal Touch You Need in Language Learning

With AI making headlines everywhere, robots have had their biggest growth spurt in years, fueled by rapid advancements in machine learning, deep learning, and large language models. Countless AI developments have allowed us to accelerate the wider applications of what robots can do sometimes to uncanny effectiveness. Of course, our capitalist overlords want a piece…

Read more

Photo Gallery: Pixies – Liberty Hall, Sydney (20.11.24)

American influential alternative rock band Pixies played a special intimate sideshow at Sydney’s Liberty Hall. Currently on tour around Australia supporting Pearl Jam. Pixies delighted fans kicking off with their classics “Where Is My Mind?”, “Monkey Gone To Heaven”, “Wave Of Mutilation”, “Debaser” also including new songs “Chicken” and “Oyster Beds” off their latest 2024…

Read more
Troye Sivan

Troye Sivan blows the roof off The Drive for the start of his Something to Give Each Other tour (19.11.24)

It was a beautifully balmy Tuesday evening at The Drive for Troye Sivan‘s  Something to Give Each Other Adelaide stopover. The Drive as a venue has come a long way since it was Memorial Drive back in the day, hosting the likes of Rod Stewart and Midnight Oil. Since the Adelaide Oval modernisation, the Drive’s subsequent…

Read more
Howlite

Exclusive Single Premiere: Howlite “Everything Will Happen” (2024)

AU favourites Howlite return this week with their sublime new single “Everything Will Happen”, the title track of the alt-pop trio’s forthcoming third EP. Set for release tomorrow, we’re excited to bring you this exclusive premiere of the single a day early. “Everything Will Happen” follows on from the release of singles “Still I Find”…

Read more

Film Review: Wicked is a musical extravaganza worth celebrating

At 2 hours and 40 minutes, there’s a lot of Wicked. And this is only the first part of the story.  Yes, despite the advertisements simply marketing this as “Wicked”, the opening credits inform us that this is the first half of the mammoth Broadway adaptation that expanded the wonderful world of Oz by letting…

Read more

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah announce Australian tour, performing debut album in full for 20th anniversary

Today it was announced that Philadelphia’s Clap Your Hands Say Yeah are coming back to Australia & New Zealand next year as part of the 20th anniversary tour for their 2005 debut, self-titled LP. While the band – which these days is essentially a solo project of its singer/songwriter founder Alec Ounsworth – have released…

Read more

Speak Truth, Practice Kindness: Ubud Writers & Readers Festival opens hearts & minds in Bali

Studies show that those who become fully immersed in works of fiction are naturally more empathetic. How crazy to think that the art of getting lost in a fantasy world can help you show up in life with more compassion. But that’s the immense power of words, right? These tiny letters arranged into shapes and…

Read more

6 tours you need to see in Australia this December: From Jamie XX to Jack White

The silly season has already started. With work winding down, Christmas parties loading up, and all those Xmas lights starting to sparkle, it’s beginning to look a lot like freedom. No doubt you’ll be planning an epic December to let loose from a chaotic 2024. We’re willing to bet that live music is a big…

Read more
Dave Murphy

Exclusive Single Premiere: Dave Murphy “Josephine” (2024)

Letting go of a relationship that is at its inevitable endpoint is challenging. New Jersey Americana artist Dave Murphy masterfully captures the trauma and conflicting emotions in his folk-country single “Josephine,” which we have the pleasure of premiering ahead of its release on Thursday, November 21st. “Josephine” is steeped in melancholy, with vivid imagery and a wave of…

Read more

Interview: Riley Nottingham and Johnny Carr on navigating the nuances and opposing personalities of their characters in Strange Creatures

Two estranged brothers are forced back into each others lives when they’re tasked with scattering the ashes of their recently deceased mother in the country town where she grew up. Such is the logline for Australian director Henry Boffin’s directorial debut, Strange Creatures, starring Riley Nottingham and Johnny Carr as the aforementioned brothers who reevaluate…

Read more