Josh Pyke plays the Jagermeister Hunting Lodge for Sydney Festival. Pete Dovgan brings us the photos...

The 2012 edition of the popular Southbound Festival kicked off with a huge lineup of acts featuring The Arctic Monkeys, Regurgitator, The Jim Jones Revue, Aloe Blacc, The Naked and Famous, Tijuana Cartel, comedian Arj Barker and more. Stuart Sevastos brings us the highlights of the day.

The countdown to the countdown was beginning as the festival warmed up for the day. I was hurting all over; my body hated me for not protecting it from the dangers of the sun and the liquor. But it was New Year’s Eve, so there was no other option but to suck it up and get back amongst it. Gossling was the perfect welcome back to the real world, with her soft, brooding yet heartening and peaceful tunes on the Valley Stage.

The fourth and final day of the Falls Festival gets off to a hot start. Kimbra and The Grates are popular on the Valley Stage, while Arj Barker and 360 (pictured above) are crowd favorites on the Grand Theatre. Arctic Monkeys bring in the New Year and despite some confusion about the countdown everyone welcomes 2012 with group hugs and sparklers.

Sydney Festival has announced the official line-up of artists that will be appearing at the Jägermeister ‘Hunting Lodge’, which will be popping up in Honda Festival Garden in Hyde Park from next week, 10-29 January 2012, as a semi-permanent bar and performance space.

We return with the next batch of our favourite albums of 2011...

Arctic Monkeys - Suck It and See

"Arctic Monkeys can do no wrong. Seriously. Even with a slightly more chilled out album than previous ones, it still rocks my socks." - Karina Carroll

So last night held many firsts for me. My first time working the ARIAs (or attending at all for that matter), my first time doing red carpet interviews and my first time meeting Kylie Minogue (assuming asking a question in the press centre is "meeting"). But more on all that later...

Josh Pyke and his supporting troubadours the Paper Kites and Emma Louise brought the house down at the Hi Fi on Saturday night. Erin Smith was there singing along with every word (and taking some photos, too).

It’s been a while since Josh Pyke has been on the road. Apart from a small fans’ gig a few months ago, tonight was his first gig in his hometown after releasing his third album Only Sparrows. Even more reason to catch a man who, in my opinion, is one of the best lyricists in Australia.

Ahead of the release of his new album Only Sparrows (in stores now), Larry Heath caught up with Sydney's very own Josh Pyke, his upcoming tour (kicking off on Thursday), how thanks have changed between albums and more...

How are you going?

Good, how are you?
Doing well, whereabouts am i speaking to you from at the moment?

Just in Sydney, at home

Gorgeous Festival at McLaren Vale on Saturday November 26th will present two stages for emerging artists titled the 'APRA Petit Rosso and APRA Petit Bianco' Stages. Thanks to sponsorship from the Australiasian Performing Rights Assoication (APRA) Gorgeous Festival is pleased to announce the innitiative that offers emerging talent the chance to play alongisde the likes of Icehouse and Josh Pyke.

Josh Pyke is one of Australia’s finest modern songwriters, and his third album Only Sparrows only confirms this title. The album is further demonstration of what Pyke is already known for: acoustic, melodic songs that tug at heartstrings. While each track demonstrates hauntingly beautiful lyrics, overall, Only Sparrow falls short of previous works, Memories & Dust and Chimney’s Afire.