Year: 2016

  In our 104th instalment of “Stumbled Upon”, we meet Japan’s latest girl band sensation Otoboke Beaver , chat about their love of punk rock, meeting in uni, touring around the UK and get a sneak peak at their latest release, “Akimahenka”. Name: Otoboke Beaver (It is taken from the name of a local ‘Love…

Ahead of the Courtyard Sessions at the Seymour Centre (kicking off this weekend), Sydney’s own Ed Saloman takes some time out ahead of his gig as part of the series to answer some of our questions! Citing the likes of Thom Yorke as inspiration for his music and giving us some hints as to what’s…

Over the weekend, the 22nd Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards took place, a night that celebrated on-screen diversity, a stark contrast to the backlash surrounding the upcoming “lily-white” Oscars. Top honour award ‘Outstanding Performance by a Cast in Motion Picture’ went to Spotlight, beating out The Big Short, another front-runner at the Oscars. With no surprise,…

Game of Thrones and Star Wars: The Force Awakens star Gwendoline Christie has confirmed that fans haven’t seen the last of Captain Phasma in an interview with People at the 2016 SAG Awards. “I will be in the next Star Wars movie” Christie declared. She also commented on what attracted her to the part, saying…

Tasmania is currently celebrating its one hundred years of national parks and to commemorate the occasion The Tasmanian Breath of Fresh Air (BOFA) Film Festival is inviting nature lovers, photographers and film-makers to enter their work into a short film competition named Tasmania’s Parks – A Place to Connect. “Tasmania’s parks and wildlife are a…

Q&A, Australia’s favourite forum for debate and discussion, will again be live on television across Australia when it launches its 2016 season tonight. The program will air on ABC News 24 at 9pm in SA, 8.30pm in Queensland, 8pm in the NT and 6.30pm in WA. Q&A will also continue to be live-streamed on ABC…

Considered criminally overlooked when it released on the PlayStation Vita back in 2012, Gravity Rush brought fresh ideas to an aging adventure game genre with its gravity-manipulation mechanic and irreverent character work. Thankfully, a vast new audience has a chance to be exposed the game, having found a new home on the PlayStation 4 thanks…

There is one very important question that you need to answer before you spend any time at all with Jonathan Blow’s newest and most ambitious game, one that will tell you right away whether you will enjoy the experience or detest it mightily: How much do you like puzzles?

For all you avid triple j Breakfast listeners you’re already very familiar with Matt Okine and the antics he brings. Well, now is your chance to not only hear him but to see him as well, as he embarks on a national comedy festival tour. The music-loving comedian talked about some very serious topics and…

Acclaimed bay-side restaurant Manta in Woolloomooloo has announced that throughout this month of February, the kitchen will be hosting “Oyster Appreciation Month”, showcasing fresh local oysters with a new summer menu, and a bunch of tasting events. Bringing in all the pacific coastline has to offer, Manta has put together quite the program to best…

Many thought the ridiculously good burger pop-up by Pub Life Kitchen and Barrio Chino at Camperdown’s Deus Ex Machina would sadly come to an end this past weekend, with the culinary collaboration originally scheduled until to end of January. However, sometimes things just work, ya know? And the burger lords are certainly in our favour…

Fast food chain Carl’s Jr has finally made the decision to expand to Australia to compete with already established brands like Hungry Jacks and Mc’Donald’s, with their first ever store in this country opening tomorrow 2nd February at Bateau Bay near popular getaway destination The Entrance. The popular American chain, known for their big burgers…

Iconic and entertaining Darlinghurst venue Tatler now includes new hotspot, 169 Darlinghurst, situated above the popular Sydney haunt. Tim Clark, who established Tatler, was also behind this new venture. Overlooking one of the city’s most eclectic neighbourhoods, 169 Darlinghurst, a café, bar and nightclub, showcases a menu full of seasonal Australian produce with strong Japanese,…

Sydney-based catering company, Fresh Catering, is set to open a new restaurant at 10 Macquarie Street in the Sydney CBD. Named No. 10 BISTRO, it will open on February 3rd and follows their recent news of acquiring new business from The Mint and Justice and Police Museum. Fresh Catering will also operate the ground floor…

Little is done in half measures at Coco Cubano. The Cuban restaurant with locations across Sydney, Wollongong and Newcastle sprang from the Surry Hills institution which has sat on Taylor Square for decades. Perhaps reflecting the country’s love of a good time excess is the order of the day with this satisfying Cuban fare. The…

Just under four hours outside of Sydney lies the Mudgee region, where you’ll find a unique food and wine scene that lends perfectly to a weekend away. The most famous wine destination in NSW has long been the Hunter Valley but in recent years areas like Mudgee have been steady gaining more and more attention,…

There’s plenty to be said for a band who sells out Melbourne’s Corner Hotel quicksmart, and have people scrambling for tickets right up until show day. It’s no surprise, however, that Holy Holy managed to pull it off. This band has been turning heads since they dropped debut single “House Of Cards” a little over…

Returning to the St. Jerome’s Laneway Festival as global touring favourites, Scottish trio CHVRCHES are in the best position to see just how much the love and support for them and their music has grown in the past year, so far away from home. Backstage at the Laneway Festival in Singapore over the weekend, the…

Trip-hop legends Massive Attack have released their new four track EP, marking their first new music in six years. The EP features appearances from Roots Manuva, Young Fathers, and in the leading track “Take It There”, Tricky and 3D. Check the video out here: Massive Attack‘s Ritual Spirit EP is out now. ———- This content has…

Ah, St. Jerome’s Laneway Festival, we meet again. In this year’s edition of the acclaimed indie music festival, organisers pulled out all stops when it came to righting the wrongs of yesteryear – and have duly redeemed themselves. In 2015, much was made about the mismanagement of crowds, the poor choice of the placement of…

Next month, one of the most anticipated hip-hop tours of the year will be going down when the Wu-Tang Clan make their Australian return! Performing three dates down the east coast in February, the crew will be back in force after a five year absence. The original line up, that unforgettable music…we cannot wait for…

After months of rumors and speculation, Netflix has announced it will be reviving the classic series in 2017. Gilmore Girls creator Amy Sherman-Palladino is returning to write and direct alongside former-cast members Alexis Bledel, Scott Patterson, Lauren Graham, Sean Gunn, Kelly Bishop and Keiko Agena. It’s far from the first revival pick-up Netflix has made…

I’m not going to lie, undertaking the task of reviewing the new mini-series of The X-Files was a daunting ask. The show in its hey-day was a formative part of my teenage years, an obsession that has always lingered even long after the show finished. But I want to give it a go, I want…

Some fun facts about The Barber of Seville that I didn’t know going in is that it is based on a novel and is actually the prequel for The Marriage of Figaro, despite Seville being the work of Rossini and Figaro of Mozart. Having of course seen Opera Australia’s The Marriage of Figaro last year…

Strut & Fret Production House’s first show of 2016 lands inside the Sydney Opera House Studio, peppered with flesh, flips, spins and a ridiculous amount of champagne. Vintage white and gold is the theme, a little bit of flair if you wish – no biggie. You enter and you’re immersed in a world of Moët…

This past week, I’ve not been able to stop listening to “Pleasure Drive”, the latest single release from The Jezabels. What dark, twisted and sexy tones were already laid down on record were further bolstered in the single’s film clip; Hayley Mary‘s demonic summoning in liberating women from their partners is equal parts sultry and…

Joel Edgerton has already proved himself indispensable to Australian cinema, particularly with Animal Kingdom and The Rover, both films with an atmosphere and scope much larger than The Gift. For his directorial debut, Edgerton, who plays Gordon “Gordo” Moseley, brings a much more insular focus in both character and environment and it helps him deliver…

We’re drawing ever closer to a new month and you know what that means. A new batch of freebies are about to become available for Sony console owners. As is usually the case, there are six titles up for grabs – two for every console. Playstation 4 owners gets the headliner in February with Helldivers:…

Hot off Steve Jobs’ recent success at the Golden Globes, Universal have released a series of short video featurettes about the ambitious biopic. The first, ‘Creating Steve Jobs’, sees director Danny Boyle and screenwriter Aaron Sorkin talk about how the film walks the line between fact and fiction. According to Sorkin “the difference between characters…

Dark Souls 3 is looking to be just as mysterious as its predecessors but a recently released set of 5 artworks and 8 screenshots paint a picture that might be a little more narrative focused. Adding new details to what we can expect from the environment, the characters and the enemies these images show off…