Year: 2015

The most important three days on the Australian gaming community calendar are here again at last. Now in it’s third year, PAX Australia has become the nation’s premiere festival for every corner of the gaming hobby. From tabletop to virtual reality, if you love games then PAX loves you. If you’re having trouble deciding what…

Halo 5: Guardians feels like it has more crosses to bear than is entirely reasonable. 343 Industries still have a lot to prove to fans of the series – Halo 4 was a critical darling but its online player base vanished almost overnight and it can’t be denied that the multiplayer component in last year’s…

It’s comedy magic when Simon Pegg teams up with the voices of the Monty Python team and Robin Williams to remind us to be careful what you wish for in Absolutely Anything. Unbeknownst to school teacher Neil Clarke (Pegg), a group of eccentric aliens decide to place the fate of humanity in his hands. In…

Called “A superior action thriller” (Stephen Romei, The Australian), the new chapter in the iconic franchise Terminator Genisys has just exploded onto Blu-ray, Blu-ray 3D Combo Pack, DVD, and On Demand from Paramount Home Media Distribution. In the war of man against machine, Kyle Reese (Jai Courtney, The Divergent Series) is sent back to 1984…

As expected, last weeks two new releases Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension and Bridge of Spies did in fact make an impact at the box office, but not enough to conquer The Martian, which enjoys its fourth week at the top. The Martian made another very impressive AU$2.2 million as it continues to stave off…

Brian Solis is a digital analyst who studies disruptive technology and its impact on business at the Altimeter Group and is the author of a new book called X: The Experience When Business Meets Design. He was in Australia this week to speak at the Australian Digital Summit – presented by Telstra – and Larry…

Having spent the last few weeks indulging in movies as part of his character research, actor Kane Alexander, is certain he and his cast members will bring to life one of Broadway’s most successful shows. Life Like Company have taken a risk bringing City of Angels to Australian audiences, but given the way Kane has…

The final film in what has been one of the most epic film franchises of the past few years is almost upon us. Part 2 of The Hunger Games: Mockingjay will be in cinemas in less than a month and to celebrate Lionsgate has released a new TV spot with an even closer look at…

“This is probably the most nervous we’ve been performing,” Julia Stone half stammers as she and her brother Angus stare out onto a soccer stadium’s pitch that is consistently being filled with eager music fans during their support set. The Sydney siblings are of course, opening for Fleetwood Mac tonight and the gravity of the situation is not…

Oh, Frank. Frank, Frank, Frank. After the antics of Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes‘ video for “Juggernaut”, we find our hero in a whole new heap of visceral hijinx, this time in the clip for “Trouble”. Directed by Niall Coffey, Carter is hunted and then tortured in this clip – it’s dark (obviously), harrowing and, if you’re a…

The program for the 2015 Face the Music industry conference has been announced. With fifty various music talks, meetings, workshops, parties and performances under the Arts Centre spire and surrounding arts precinct, the conference is designed for musicians, creative business people and music fans alike. Opening Face the Music 2015 will be Mardi Caught (Warner…

In This Issue: We have you covered on blues to pop this week with a bunch of acoustic and synthed up records up for release. Check it out from home grown goddess Sarah Blasko to a member of Grinspoon dabbling in children books. Sarah Blasko Eternal Return is the new album from singer-songwriter Sarah Blasko,…

The FBi SMAC Awards have long celebrated the Sydney music and arts scene – the cultivation and nurturing of a thriving artistic hub that constantly sees some brilliant emerging and established individuals bringing some awesome ideas to fruition. For seven years now, the Awards have acknowledged these accomplishments and the 2016 event stands to be…

Missy Higgins has been spending 2015 adjusting to life as a parent, having given birth to son Samuel back in January, following a successful national Australian tour in late 2014. During her time off the road though, she says she’s been writing new music while being Mum and it’s material she’s looking forward to sharing…

JUNO winning Canadians, A Tribe Called Red, are heading to Australia for their debut shows next month! Set to hit up venues along the east cost this November, the producer/DJ collective are bringing a full swag of throbbing hip-hop, electro and reggae-infused beats. The unique atmosphere and musical environment A Tribe Called Red constructs is injected with…

With Conan, Jimmy Fallon, Seth Meyers and Stephen Colbert ALL on holidays last week – it was Jimmy Kimmel’s week for the taking! In a special all-Kimmel edition; click through to see Jimmy return back to Brooklyn for a special week of shows that featured musical performances from Ryan Adams, Big Grams, Nas + Usher,…

I had the pleasure of interviewing Stevie from Melbourne outfit Clowns and boy did he have a lot to say about tour life in America! Read on about the band’s time over there, being the first ever Aussies to play Riot Fest and look ahead to their upcoming Aussies shows with Rise Against and more! How were…

One man band Harts‘ new single is an anthemic funk/rock/pop fusion, that is sure to get your feet tapping. It’s the latest track from his second album, due for release in February 2016. Imagine The Cat Empire meets Funkadelic playing 80s Prince songs. Hand claps, brief guitar solos, vocal harmonies, this song has a lot of things going on,…

Since The Walking Dead aired “Thank You”, it’s third episode of the sixth season, this week the internet has been rampant with talk about that scene, the one in which the show seems to kill off one of the absolute fan favourites in a shocking, and frankly quite disappointing, way. The following contains spoilers for…

This week’s DVD releases all feature, or are about, talented young women who have gained immense fame in a short period of time. Amy Amy Winehouse’s tragic demise was a source of endless tabloid gossip, and this documentary uses much of that archival paparazzi footage, as well as home videos, to tell her story. Directed…

The largest short film festival, Tropfest has just announced the national venues for the event on December 6th.  Continuing their partnership with Moonlight Cinema and hotel QT Sydney, the festival is set to screen at Sydney’s Centennial Parklands; and at Moonlight Cinema venues across the country including Melbourne’s Royal Botanic Gardens Central Lawn, Perth’s Kings…

Going into the Vin Disel-fronted supernatural action film The Last Witch Hunter, I wasn’t quite certain what to expect. Sure, the idea of Vin Diesel as an immortal witch hunter who saved humanity from hidden supernatural threats is dumb – but as everyone familiar with horror movies knows, dumb doesn’t have to mean bad. In…

Need to catch a TV break and don’t know what to watch? Simon takes us through his top picks on must-see shows and films for the week. Click through to see what’s showing for your entertainment needs… Wednesday 28th October 2015 Kitchen Cabinet-ABC-8pm AEST Political journalist and commentator Annabel Crabb’s Kitchen Cabinet has been a…

As we get closer to November, so do we get closer to the arrival of The Vaccines, Future Islands and of course, Mumford & Sons. With headline shows already announced for the latter two bands, The Vaccines today have announced a headline show of their own for Brisbane, taking place on November 8th. The Brisbane show…

Celebrating the release of their latest tune “On & On”, Byron Bay lads PLTS (say it: Pilots) have confirmed some east coast dates to take them into December. The band worked on the new single with maestro JP Fung in Sydney, producing a song that showcases PLTS’ strong and dynamic handle on indie rock. As a live…

Philly-based duo Girlpool have announced some more headline Australian shows to go with their upcoming Sydney Festival date next January. Cleo and Harmony will be bringing their excellent blend of vocals, guitar and bass music to The Brightside in Brisbane and The Rev in Melbourne, prepared to bring some raw and passionate punk stylings to Australian audiences….

Half Moon Run are on a good, well, run at the moment. The Canadians have continued to spur on the good momentum surrounding their latest album, Sun Leads Me On, with the release of the music video for new single “Turn Your Love”. The song itself, written at 5am, during the making of the band’s first album,…

Things have been going well for Brisbane outfit Kingfisha of late. From the release of their first single in two years, “Water Running”, to being announced on the 2 biggest music conferences in the country (BIGSOUND & AWME) and a booking agency deal with 123 Agency freshly inked, Kingfisha are facing forward. The track comes ahead of a much anticipated…

Easily one of the breakout names in US rap this year, Vince Staples will be visiting Australia for the first time next year for the Laneway Festival and like those who have come before him (Raury, Earl Sweatshirt, Vic Mensa…), he’s set to make quite the impact. Staples has been around since 2011 but he began…

Melbourne’s own Northeast Party House are currently on their first global tour, bringing along with them their unique brand of “guitar soaked dance tunes”. Touring inevitably means plenty of downtime between cities. To bring us closer to life on the road, the band have supplied us with their must-have songs on their road trip playlist. Drake –…