Year: 2024

Film Review: Twisters; Thoughtful and bombastic legacy sequel is a true crowd-pleasing event

The natural disaster film received something of an elevation back in 1996 with the release of Twister.  With a high-calibre collection of talent on hand, both behind the scenes (it was produced by Steven Spielberg, directed by Jan de Bont, off a screenplay penned by Jurassic Park scribe Michael Crichton) and in front of the…

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Photo Gallery: Mildlife – Northcote Theatre, Melbourne (06.07.24)

Groove-masters Mildlife played to a great crowd last weekend, packing out the 1400 seat capacity of Northcote Theatre. Punters were scrounging for tickets in the lead-up to Saturday, with the Tixel page insanely popular for the show. The Melbourne-based psychedelic jazz group played well into their fusion genre, with moody lighting and minimal on-stage interaction….

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Yard Act

Yard Act in our backyard: 2024 Australian tour announced

“It’s now my great pleasure to introduce to you // The greatest voice of the entire century” This cheeky quote is how the second album from Leeds’ exports, Yard Act, opens. Where’s My Utopia? further cements the credentials of a band that was shortlisted for the Mercury Music Prize for their debut, The Overload and played…

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Photo Gallery: Hockey Dad + Militarie Gun + The Belair Lip Bombs – Margaret Court Arena (05.07.24)

Margaret Court Arena was treated to a triple threat last week, with Hockey Dad’s Rebuild Repeat tour stopping off in Melbourne. With a fourth studio album on the way, the stellar duo of childhood friends Zach Stephenson and Billy Hemming still pack a punch through their long-standing presence in the Australian scene, filling out the GA…

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Flight Review: Porter Airlines’ Embraer E195-E2 service from Toronto (YYZ) to Las Vegas

Over the last year and a half, Canada’s Porter Airlines has been rapidly expanding its services, debuting a wide variety of new routes on the brand new Embraer E195-E2 aircraft. They started flying those jets (the first in North America to do so) in February of last year. Up until that debut, the airline had…

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Ella Thompson

Exclusive Single Premiere: Ella Thompson “Let There Be Nothing” (2024)

At the AU we’ve long been fans of Naarm soul/jazz vocalist and songwriter Ella Thompson. “Let There Be Nothing” is a new track from the artist, her first since 2023’s album Domino.  It is a song about leaving, inspired by Carmela Soprano leaving her husband Tony in The Sopranos.  We’re absolutely thrilled today to be premiering…

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Jon and Jero’s The Forgotten Tales review

Melbourne comedy duo Jon and Jero are back with their latest kids’ show The Forgotten Tales. At the start of this year, the pair performed their previous show, STUFF! at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, getting a five star review from yours truly (read it HERE). The Forgotten Tales was highly anticipated by my kids, with the…

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Film Review: Fly Me To The Moon; Scarlett Johansson and Channing Tatum’s chemistry soars in delightfully old-fashioned comedy

The authenticity of the moon landing has always been something that’s long plagued history.  And whilst a straightforward narrative around the Apollo 11 project would undoubtedly be intriguing, it’s an entirely safer bet to allude to such a longstanding conspiracy with a surrounding story, rather than court controversy with anything direct. And it’s with such…

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Album Review: Kasabian – Happenings (2024 LP)

Late last week saw Kasabian drop their eighth studio album, Happenings.  It does feel like it’s been on the horizon for sometime, though, as the first single, “Algorithms” was released over a year ago, back in June 2023. As a Kasabian fan, I have to be honest and say that I’m still adjusting to the…

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Dan and Phil are going to heal your inner child with their Terrible Influence tour, headed to Aus this December!

Ah, 2012. The Year of the YouTuber. If you’re in your mid-late twenties and anything like me, this was your prime. Not much compares to the feeling of getting home from school, raiding the pantry for snacks, and catching up on the latest vlogs and videos from Zoella, Tyler Oakley, and of course, Dan and…

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Country sensation Dylan Gossett is heading Down Under this December

  With the release of his single “Coal” in 2023, 25-year-old Texas native Dylan Gossett propelled his career forward, quickly becoming a beloved figure in the country music scene. Now, a little under a year later, things are definitely not slowing down. Releasing his second EP, Songs In The Gravel, in March this year, Gossett…

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Interview: Barry Conrad on joining the Australian production of In The Heights, career lessons and aspirations, and the importance of authenticity in his work

Barry Conrad’s multifaceted career spans screen, stage and music. After breaking out on the reality series The X Factor, both local and international tours followed, including openings for such R&B icon acts as Brian McKnight, Craig David and Eric Benet. Landing a role on FOX’s Power Rangers: Ninja Storm, his first feature film was the…

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Win tickets to see Scarlett Johansson and Channing Tatum in the new comedy Fly Me To The Moon

Will they make it? Or fake it? Thanks to Sony Pictures Australia we have 5 double in-season passes (Admit 2) to see Scarlett Johansson and Channing Tatum soar to romantic heights in the new comedy Fly Me To The Moon, arriving in Australian cinemas from July 11th, 2024. Brought in to fix NASA’s public image,…

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Interview: Greg Berlanti on directing Fly Me To The Moon and the importance of story over star power

Starring Scarlett Johansson and Channing Tatum, Fly Me To The Moon is a sharp, stylish comedy-drama set against the high-stakes backdrop of NASA’s historic Apollo 11 moon landing. Brought in to fix NASA’s public image, sparks fly in all directions as marketing maven Kelly Jones (Johansson) wreaks havoc on launch director Cole Davis’s (Tatum) already…

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Film Review: MaXXXine; Ti West’s X trilogy comes to a sleazy, slashing close

Back in March of 2022, Ti West birthed a horror trilogy the genre didn’t know it needed. X, a 1970s-set porn shoot-turned-massacre tale, indulged in its dirty aesthetic, before its 1918-set prequel, Pearl, arrived mere months later, similarly revelling in its own unique temperament, one that came across like The Wizard of Oz on a…

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Air Asia to Nairobi Route

AirAsia X takes Australians on an African safari

You know the image. A huge burning sun laying to rest over a horizon lined by giraffes, elephants and zebras painted in silhouette. The howl of a hyena. Roar of a lion. For many Australians, the intoxicating promise of an African safari seemed like a dream forever out of reach. Until now. On 1 July…

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From Adele to Gaga: The modern pop artists reinvigorating the classic Las Vegas Residency

With the the launch of the hi-tech Sphere and a multitude of modern new experiences in Las Vegas, it may seem that the classic “Las Vegas Residency” isn’t getting the attention it once did. But the reality is, more major artists are performing in the city than ever before, each bringing in tens of millions…

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Independent Australian artist IVANA ignites dance scene with debut single Ooh La La La

A dynamic force emerging from the spotlight of reaching Top 4 on this year’s season of Australian Idol, IVANA is poised to ignite stages in Australia and around the world, firmly establishing her as an artist destined for international stardom, with the release of her debut single, “Ooh La La La.” With the release, the 20-year-old…

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Emily Wurramara

New Music Discoveries 5th July: Emily Wurramara, 3%, Telenova, and more

As we roll into the second half of 2024, this week we’ve added ten tracks to our Discovery Playlist on Spotify and Apple Music. Our track of the week is “Lordy Lordy” from Emily Wurramara. The ARIA-nominated lutruwita/Tasmania-based artist, author and proud Warnindhilyagwa woman hails from Groote Eylandt & Milyakburra/Bickerton Island. Whenever she drops a new…

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I saw Dead & Company at The Sphere and it’s completely changed live music for me

Everywhere I look, Vegas is full of Deadheads. The deathless hype that surrounds Americana icons The Grateful Dead knows no bounds. Or age. At any given moment, Las Vegas is full of just about every type of person you can think of, all of whom have descended upon this great city to let loose and…

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Hotel Review: YOWIE curates an impeccable boutique experience on Philadelphia’s South Street

Opening on Philadelphia’s South Street last year, YOWIE describes itself as a “hotel and shop focused on curating small collections from friends, independent artists, and designers”, with their very own cafe WIM offering coffee and light meals. The “invisible service” boutique hotel offers 13 unique rooms, that sit above the coffee shop and store, and…

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AIDC to host landmark documentary event Regionality Sunshine Coast in Maroochydore

Presented by AIDC (Australian International Documentary Conference) and Screen Queensland, with the support of Sunshine Coast Council and in collaboration with the Sunshine Coast Screen Collective, the inaugural Regionality Sunshine Coast, set to take place on Friday, July 26, 2024, at the Maroochy RSL in Maroochydore, marks the first time the Sunshine Coast will host a…

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The final days of Love: Reflections on the show that changed Cirque du Soleil

This week marks the end of a 18 year legacy, as the groundbreaking Cirque du Soleil production Love, celebrating the catalogue of The Beatles, closes this Saturday at The Mirage in Las Vegas. Debuting on 2nd June 2006, the show was Cirque’s first using existing IP, setting up a dream opportunity for publishers to engage…

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Interview: sunbleached talk new single “White Lace”, forthcoming EP and BIGSOUND 2024

It’s been a huge week for Brisbane alt-rock act sunbleached, who have today returned with the punchy new single and video “White Lace” and announced that their new EP I Crawled into the Hole is due 30 August. The news comes just after revealing that they will be playing at BIGSOUND 2024 and main support…

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The Cautious Travellers Guide to the Wasteland

Book Review: The Cautious Travellers Guide to the Wasteland is a mysterious adventure about connection and belonging

There are books where you feel like you are watching the action unfold and there are books where you feel like you are somehow part of the action. The Cautious Traveller’s Guide to the Wasteland, a historical fantasy by Sarah Brooks, is certainly one of the latter. This is largely due to its intimate setting on…

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EDIE

Exclusive Video Premiere: EDIE “Cool Girl” (2024)

Perth/Boorloo artist EDIE cuts through gendered expectations in her most recent incisive track, “Cool Girl” which is due to drop this Friday. We’re thrilled today to be premiering the video for a song which is a brilliant take on conforming to certain stereotypes, past and present. We first landed upon EDIE early in 2023 with her…

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Film Review: Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F is a welcome return to form for Eddie Murphy’s iconic character

After tarnishing the one-two punch of 1984’s Beverly Hills Cop and it’s 1987 sequel with the 1994 threequel – one that even the film’s stars have turned against over the years – the Eddie Murphy-led franchise seemed permanently laid to rest. Though there’s been considerable chatter in the three decades since its release, the third…

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Interview: Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F director Mark Molloy on continuing the franchise and improvising with Eddie Murphy

Australian director Mark Molloy has taken on no mean feat when it comes to announcing himself as a feature filmmaker.  After rumblings of a fourth franchise film in the Beverly Hills Cop series for the better part of three decades now, Molloy has finally brought Eddie Murphy’s loveable wisecracking detective Axel Foley back into the…

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Emilee South

Guest Playlist: Emilee South gives us her LUXURY inspiration

Last week Melbourne’s Emilee South released her stunning debut album, LUXURY. The album featured singles “Weekend”, “Rat Race”, “Control”, and “Not Hysteria”. The title is somewhat tongue-in-cheek, given her working class background, and shines a light on topics such as privilege, capitalism, feminism and the power of community. The album has some brilliant high-paced energetic…

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Album Review: Hiatus Kaiyote – Love Heart Cheat Code (2024 LP)

Three years after the breakthrough release of Mood Valiant in 2021, Melbourne’s own Hiatus Kaiyote return with an 11-track, genre-bending album, Love Heart Cheat Code, out now via Brainfeeder Records. Continuing their inimitable blend of neo-soul, funky jazz and psychedelia, this latest release firmly establishes the quartet as one of the most exciting, entertaining, and…

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