Year: 2017

Reliving the opening moments of Skyrim always feels a lot like going home. The music, atmosphere and landscapes always bring me right back to my first moments with the game, when I first discovered how monumental and incredible the game truly was. It feels strange, then, to be reviewing it in 2017, six years after…

I know, I know, it’s a review of a cricket game. Those of you that don’t care about cricket have already regarded the headline of this piece with a disgusted look. Those of you that do like cricket are already wary. Video game representations of sports Australians like aren’t reliably … good. At all. But…

In 2018, Brand USA will be embarking on an ambitious promotional strategy that will see them highlight the vast musical history of the United States. It makes sense – the US not only produces the vast majority of the world’s most recognisable artists, but also some of the world’s most iconic events. Coachella. Lollapalooza. New…

Two years since it first opened in Sydney, Salmon & Bear has been a true gift for lovers of high-quality, accessible and sustainable seafood. Now with two locations, Zetland and Newtown, the casual seafood eatery is well-placed to complement the rise of more health-conscious dining in Sydney, as well as food trends like the now…

Starting on Friday, A Weekend in The Gardens is giving Melbourne music lovers three days of prime live music. From one of Australia’s greatest songwriters in Paul Kelly, to some of the country’s best hip hop artists and songwriting collectives, the three-day festival event is not like your usual branded series of shows. Playing to the likes…

Essie Holt is only new on the scene but with her debut single “Underwater”, we’re pretty sure hers is a name we’re going to be hearing a lot more of in time. The song itself is lush, a great indie-pop tune, priding itself off gorgeous builds and excellently produced vocals (thanks to Joel Quartermain and Dave Hammer)….

The sideshow news keeps on coming today, as Sydney City Limits artists unleash details of their own headline shows for the Aussie east coast in early 2018. While Phoenix revealed extra shows for Melbourne and Brisbane, the likes of The Libertines, Car Seat Headrest, The Avalanches and more have also been counted as festival names soon to be extending…

He’s one of Australia’s best loved performers and storytellers; Archie Roach‘s music is still as resonant now as it was when first released, which says something about the longevity within his creations. Celebrating 20 years since the release of his third album, the acclaimed Looking For Butter Boy, Archie will be bringing the album to the Corner…

Melbourne’s Backyard have been enjoying the recent release of their self-titled debut EP, taking it on the road with Fountaineer this month. The EP has already spawned popular tracks in “Royal Park” and “Reality Television”, while the overall sound of the Backyard EP has indicated that this is a band very much at the beginning of their rise…

The Tambourine Girls unleash the music video for their new single “You Don’t See Me” as a pretty top notch way of getting fans keen for the next few months ahead. Result: It definitely worked. Due out officially this Friday, “You Don’t See Me” is more than a quick listen for a jolt of indie…

Remember when “Lizstomania” was the anthem of every goddamn summer festival or party you attended back in 2009/2010? Who else could have been producing such effortlessly dance-able indie music that side of France but Phoenix. Since Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix broke the band in global markets, the band has become a favourite on the live circuit though admittedly,…

American electronic-musician Julianna Barwick has been taken far-and-wide thanks to her music. At the time of the interview, a tired and jet-lagged Barwick is in Berlin, awaiting a flight to Barcelona. “I can’t wait to see what my brain feels like when I’m in Australia,” she laughs. Live and on record, Barwick’s experimental choral-music billows…

Justine Clarke is a legend of Australian stage, screen and music. She began her career at age seven and has since spent three decades working in the industry. Most recently you may have seen her in the miniseries Hoges or as Diane in the 2016 film Red Dog: True Blue. Now she’s about to release…

It’s been something of an arduous trek but the Justice League have finally made their way to the big screen.  Long before Joss Whedon earned the tick of approval from comic enthusiasts the world over with his take on The Avengers, George Miller (Mad Max, Happy Feet) was planning on brining the titular crew to…

Borg vs McEnroe feels like a film more tailored for the streaming services market.  A minor feature that’s likely to only really be of interest to tennis fanatics, and even then they might prefer a more traditional documentary, Janus Metz Pedersen‘s drama never feels like a complete production, despite its substantial focus on Bjorn Borg…

This week’s box office charts saw a strong opening weekend for Murder On The Orient Express, which went straight to no. 1, earning $3.85m.  This Kenneth Branagh-directed adaptation of the the Agatha Christie mystery classic premiered on 333 screens nationally, and managed an impressive screen average of $11,565. Hot on its caboose was last week’s no. 1 film, Thor: Ragnarok, in…

Oscar-winner Charlize Theron stars as MI6’s most lethal assassin and the crown jewel of her Majesty’s secret intelligence service, Lorraine Broughton, in Atomic Blonde. When she’s sent on a covert mission into Cold War Berlin, she must use all the spy craft, sensuality and savagery she has to stay alive in a city simmering with…

One of Brisbane’s brightest emerging talents of 2017 has to be Hatchie. She’s landed accolades from industry in Australia and abroad, impressed over numerous live shows and now can call Ivy League Records home. The songwriter is headed to the US next year for SXSW to kick off a no doubt successful international campaign for her…

You’ve not heard much of Peta & The Wolves before? You’re going to be hearing more of them as we head into the New Year, that’s for sure. Their single “Blind” caught our attention when it was released only recently, but we are stoked to be able to share the official music video for the tune…

Big Boi has locked down some unmissable shows on the east coast next year to align with his trip out to Australia for Golden Plains, lining up gigs at Melbourne’s 170 Russell and Sydney’s Metro Theatre in March. The multi-Grammy winner will be bringing his BOOMIVERSE album out to fans – his third solo record – for…

Melbourne’s multi-talented musician Pataphysics is gearing up for the release of a new album in Tip of the Spear (due out this Friday) with the reveal of his clip for the catchy tune, “Today”. Continuing to bring hip hop with a lick of rich soul together, “Today” is a great indicator of what Tip of the Spear has…

As part of triple j’s Ausmusic Month, this year’s ‘Live At The Steps’ has not only moved to a larger venue at Melbourne’s Treasury Gardens, but the free live music event has been bolstered by some of the country’s most popular touring artists. Joining Baker Boy, Skegss, Tired Lion and Mallrat at ‘Live At The Steps’ will be special…

The GD FRNDS crew has cheekily unveiled their headliner for the upcoming GD FRNDS Showcase hitting the Miami Shark Bar on December 16th – Nocturnal Tapes. 2017 has been very, very kind to the Yamba duo, with the release of their debut EP Visions IV bringing them accolades left right and centre. Nocturnal Tapes join a stacked line…

Between multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Ola Milena and writer Roger Price, a new musical collaboration has emerged in Blended Generations. Theirs is a story of a meeting of different backgrounds; Milena’s being steeped in classical music and performance, while Price’s journey to writer and creator of lyrics came post-work life in the information technology industry. The result of the…

Canadian rave legend Tiga has been added to Sydney’s NYE in the Park Lineup. Hitting Victoria Park on New Year’s Eve, the genre spanning hit maker will join tons of massive acts including Vera Blue, Northeast Party House, Paces and Hot Dub Time Machine. Last year’s massive album “No Fantasy Required” had major hits for…

Star Wars Battlefront II, a game mired in launch window controversy. Is it as terrible as the screaming denizens of the internet would have you believe or is it all being blown out of proportion? For our Battlefront II review, we thought we’d split it into two discrete components — the single player campaign, reviewed by…

It’s been a crazy couple of months for Star Wars Battlefront II, and the game hasn’t even technically launched yet. After an open beta that ended in community uproar over pervasive multiplayer microtransactions, a new controversy has erupted over the amount of in-game currency required to unlock major characters. Gamer forums and subreddits have been rife…

I had a chance to test out Panasonic’s latest mirrorless high-performance beast last week at their launch event in Bondi, and boy am I keen! Packed full of features designed to make you swoon, here’s what I thought from my first hour with the G9.

In the past few weeks, complaints against microtransactions in AAA games have reached a crescendo, with anger directed towards EA’s Star Wars Battlefront II, Monolith’s Middle-earth: Shadow of War and more recently, Activision’s Call of Duty: WWII for their inclusion of paid loot boxes.

Takashi Miike, back in the V-cinema (straight-to-video) era, was a complete madman. Not in a human state (or maybe he is, who the hell knows?), but in his creative state, as the images and ideas he comes up with can only come from a man who is completely bonkers. This is the man who directed…