Year: 2015

Boyz II Men embody the warmth and tenderness of classic 90s R&B, and I’m far from the only one who still recognises and celebrates that, as evidenced by numerous sold out Australian dates, almost 25 years after this ultra successful group hit mainstream consciousness. Hitting Luna Park’s Big Top for the second of two shows…

Yorgos Lanthimos’ first English-language feature film is a brutal and confronting dark comedy with a touch of surrealism. In a community that is fixated on couples, a man called David (Colin Farrell) checks into a hotel where he must either find a suitable partner in 45 days, or be turned into an animal of his choice….

Orlando, based on Virgina Woolf’s novel of the same name, is a whimsical, magical tale of time and transformation. It follows the nobleman Orlando in the court of Elizabeth I who awakes transformed as a woman and begins a glorious journey of time travel in her way to find her true self. We caught up…

The trailers released for Guillermo Del Toro’s Crimson Peak make the film look like a horror-infused haunted house type film. In actual fact it’s not; well not entirely anyway, since Del Toro has instead crafted a gothic romance film that harkens back to story-telling styles of yester-year – it just so happens to be set…

As we reviewed yesterday, Irish actor Robert Sheehan stars in the newly released film The Road Within, alongside the likes of Zoë Kravitz, Dev Patel and Robert Patrick. In the film, Sheehan stars as a teenager suffering from Tourette’s Syndrome, and takes us on a spontaneous road trip he makes with Kravitz and Patel, through the…

When the fiery orange dust settles at the end of 2015, Mad Max: Fury Road will undoubtedly be named as one of the biggest and most notable cinematic triumphs of the year. The revival of the classic 80’s film franchise may have come after over a decade of false-starts and meticulous planning, but fans and…

Irish actor Robert Sheehan (pictured in the middle above) – best known for his work in the first two seasons of the series Misfits is currently appearing on stage is London as Richard III in Shakespeare’s The Wars of the Roses trilogy. While they were still in dress rehearsals, I caught up with the talented…

The albums which will be up for the 2015 Barclaycard Mercury Prize have been announced, with the shortlist containing 12 of the most acclaimed British albums of the year. The winner is selected by a panel of industry experts and has, in past years, been seen as one of the most reliable accolades for a…

Having toured successfully off the back of his 2013 debut solo release Translations, Darren Middleton has today announced the details of his sophomore album, entitled Splinters. The record is a continuation of Middleton’s branching out musically, as a solo musician, and further out from the shadow cast by the inevitable Australian musical legacy he contributed to as part of Powderfinger. Middleton…

In our 85th instalment of “Stumbled Upon”, we meet GLADES from Sydney, and chat about preparing for their debut show and get a sneak peak at their latest track ‘Falling Away’. Band Name: GLADES Website / Social Media: Facebook / Soundcloud / Twitter Genre: Alternative Pop Members & their roles: Karina – Lead vocals Cam…

Haven’t heard of Paul Conrad yet? Well, you’re about to. The Sydney musician has been generating considerable hype with his unique brand of pop music, giving those of us yearning for summer a glimmer of an insight to hazy afternoons ahead with some excellent tunes. His latest single, “California”, unsurprisingly ties in well with the theme – the appeal of…

Katie Crutchfield aka Waxahatchee will be bringing her full band out to Australia in February for some special unmissable shows in Sydney and Melbourne. Through 2015, Waxahatchee has been breaking through in many music markets with her third studio release Ivy Tripp and this year has also been the year that Australians fell in love with…

Following an – unsurprisingly – overwhelming positive response to their headline Melbourne show in March, Sleater-Kinney have gone and accommodated their Australian fans again today by announcing a second Melbourne date at The Croxton. Bringing their new No Cities To Love shows to the recently launched Melbourne venue, Sleater-Kinney extend their Victorian stay, with more shows in other…

Arguably one of Flight Facilities‘ biggest shows to date will be going down at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl in Melbourne tomorrow evening as part of the 2015 Melbourne Festival. Presenting their acclaimed Down to Earth album for a sold out crowd on Saturday night, the duo will be backed by the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and featuring more…

Citizen Kay is a talent who hasn’t stopped smashing goals this year. Developing a reputation for himself as a solid live performer with a stage presence that is undeniably entertaining, the Ghanaian rapper who has called Australia home from a young age has shared stages with some of hip-hop’s freshest and finest including Run the Jewels, Danny…

Southbound 2016 will be going more loco than usual, celebrating 10 years of the Coconut Club! The beach-themed club invites festival attendees to party in the sand at the Captain Morgans-presented venue exclusive to Southbound and has been bringing the party vibes to the West Coast festival for an impressive decade now! For it’s 10th…

Patrick James today celebrates the release of his debut album Outlier and to add on to the excitement, some special launch tour dates have been announced for early next year. Having fast become a beloved performer on stages around the country in the last year, James will take in six cities on this tour, his first…

MOFO 2016, MONA’s Festival of Music and Art, will be storming back through Hobart in January with over 300 artists confirmed for their eclectic and diverse program! Curated by Brian Ritchie of Violent Femmes and The Break fame, MOFO has been described as being a ‘beautiful broken up beat of old and new’. Recently announced on the line up…

The first memory I have of Mac DeMarco is of him opening a beer bottle with his teeth to lashings of applause from a sweaty Adelaide Laneway Festival crowd earlier in the year. The 25 year old Canadian had the crowd in his grasp and maintained a good balance of obviously talented musicianship and banter with his…

2015 has been a great year for music. While it was almost universally agreed that 2014 was pretty light on ground-breaking releases and tactfully glorious tunes, 2015 has gone in the complete opposite direction and released banger after absolute banger; masterpiece after masterpiece. And Little May’s For The Company is another one you can add…

The 80s vibes are strong in this one from VANDER. Although it’s tagged as #Pop on Soundcloud, there are elements of funk, alternative, and even shades of rock in this cracker of a track from the Sydneysider. Having travelled to Los Angeles to work on his upcoming EP Venus, the future is looking bright for this…

It’s one of Hollywood’s most iconic landmarks – the world’s biggest stars getting their handprints and footprints placed in cement out the front of the TCL Chinese Theatre on Hollywood Blvd. And later this month, the stars of the massive Hunger Games series will be added to the list “reserved for Hollywood’s biggest luminaries”. And…

In The Road Within, writer and director Gren Wells makes her Directorial debut; an adaptation of the Italian film Vincent Wants to Sea. She brings us the story of three patients at a mental wellness centre in Nevada, who escape to travel to the beaches of California to scatter the ashes of Vincent’s (Robert Sheehan, best known for this role…

With Halloween just around the corner what better way to get into the spooky spirit then a night at Jurassic Lounge – Halloween special! Run amuck and discover your inner child as the Australian Museum opens it’s doors after hours once more. Event Director Mathieu Ravier gives us a sneak peek of what’s in store….

RENT is just one of those musicals that everyone knows. Perhaps it’s due to the success of the film, or perhaps just because it’s story and characters are so resonating, but it has clearly become a mainstay staple in musical theatre 101s. For whatever reason it is also a musical that I had actually never…

As far as Australian vocalists go, Katie Noonan has always held a position as one of our best and most beloved performers. As both a solo performer and as part of the various collectives and projects she’s been involved with over the years, Noonan’s talent has always stood out as being honest, brimming with quality and…

triple J stalwart Nina Las Vegas has today announced that she will be leaving the Sydney youth broadcaster to move to the USA where she will be focusing on launching her own record label and furthering her international producing and DJ career. A longtime favourite at the station and with many music lovers around the country,…

Australian Music Week has just announced another round of speakers. Ted Gardner (Cross Section), Leigh Trewek (The Music), Ian Shedden (The Australian) and many more will be joining an already incredible lineup. Click through for all the new additions and information. AMW SPEAKERS LINEUP ANNOUNCEMENT: ( *New) *Alistair Cranney – Gorgeous Festival *Alyssa-Jane Ivery –…

Sweden’s José González has announced he’ll be returning to Australia this coming February for some special shows. The musician will be playing fan favourites from across his catalogue including hit ‘Heartbeats’. He’ll also be celebrating his first solo album in seven years, Vestiges & Claws. Click through for more info. Show Dates: Wednesday February 10…