Year: 2018

Melbourne group, The Do Yo Thangs, respond to cultural appropriation criticism

Recently seen on stage supporting other Melbourne favourite, Sex On Toast, alt-R&B group The Do Yo Thangs have today announced that they’ll be changing their name, in response to claims of cultural appropriation. As songwriter and bandleader Hugh Rabinovici explains, the feedback the band received had brought issues to mind that simply were not thought about at…

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Exclusive Music Video Premiere: Busby Marou “Got Your Back” (2018)

It won’t be long before fans can see Busby Marou back on the road, the duo will be returning to regional venues (and some city haunts) this month and through May with their latest single, “Got Your Back”. The single itself comes as the group near the end of their successful Postcards From The Shell House album…

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Hein Cooper makes his long awaited return with “Hear My Voice”

Hein Cooper – easily one of our favourite songwriters of the last handful of years – has finally dropped a new piece of music in the gorgeous, “Hear My Voice”. As the first taste of Cooper’s highly anticipated new music, “Hear My Voice” isn’t afraid to put the personal on full view. “This song is…

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Interview: Luke Elliot on bringing Dressed for the Occasion to Australia for the first time

Over a couple of long blacks in Richmond, New Jersey songwriter Luke Elliot anticipates his debut Australian shows. Having brought his sophomore album Dressed for the Occasion out here to be performed in solo mode in some great east coast venues, Elliot’s introduction to the Australian scene is one that has been a while in the making. “Thank…

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‘The Melbourne Sessions’ bring new series of masterclasses to Yarraville in April

APRA AMCOS and Creative Victoria have linked up to bring a new series of music masterclasses to the local industry through this month – The Melbourne Sessions. Kindred Studios in Yarraville will host the one day run of workshops, sessions and networking events for emerging and mid-career songwriters to meet and learn from/exchange with visiting composers,…

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Interview: Compton emcee Buddy talks “Black”, L.A. and putting a band together

When he released Idle Time back in 2014, Compton rapper Buddy immediately showed the world he was bound to be one of the next big names in hip hop. Keeping up with features from the likes of Kendrick Lamar, Pharrell and even pop star Miley Cyrus, the young emcee proved his penmanship was as sharp…

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Single of the Day: Sophill & Jonathan B-T “Take The Crown” (2018)

Anyone who knows me would know that I am an absolute sucker for EDM music, so when I first heard Sophill & Jonathan B-T‘s new single “Take the Crown”, I was hooked. The song was released just over a week ago under Jonathan’s independent label 1NAM, but at first listen, if I had been told the…

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Award-Winning Narrative Game Killing Time at Lightspeed coming to iOS

Killing Time at Lightspeed is now available for pre-order upon its imminent release on iOS. Developed by Gritfish, the award-winning narrative experience sees players aboard a spaceship travelling at the speed of light.

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Film Review: A Quiet Place (USA, 2018) is masterful genre filmmaking that soars leaps and bounds above expectation

Even when working off a plot device that doesn’t exactly test the limits of originality, a clever script and utter dedication from its workers can transform the familiar to something beyond our expectations.  Such is the case with A Quiet Place, an impossibly eerie chiller that presents civilisation as a fallen project, and those who…

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Here are free games with PlayStation Plus for April

March was one of the most exciting months on record for Sony’s monthly PlayStation Plus free games offer. Those hoping for more excitement this month might be a little disappointed, however there are still some very strong titles in this month’s group.

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Tech Review: Amazon Echo Plus: Practical magic

If Amazon has an ace up their sleeve in the race to produce smart speakers for the home, its that they currently boast a larger model line-up than any of their competitors. While having plenty of options is great, this may only complicate things for consumers that aren’t especially savvy when it comes to the…

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Tech Review: Plantronics RIG 800LX Gaming Headset: Big money, no whammies

For the longest time, I railed against gaming headphones across the board. As an audiophile, there was no part of them anyone did right. They were all huge, heavy and ugly with huge bass that blew the sound to hell. In the last couple of years however, I’ve found myself finally coming around on gaming…

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Win a double pass to see classic horror flick Rosemary’s Baby on Friday the 13th in Sydney

Roman Polanski’s classic psychological horror film Rosemary’s Baby is returning to the big screen on Friday, April 13th at 7pm as part of the In The House series at the George Street Event Cinemas in Sydney. Tickets are only $15 (or $12 if you’re a Cinebuzz member) and selling quickly! Buy them here. Or, for your chance…

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After the Games: How to spend 24 Hours in Queensland’s Surfers Paradise

Known for its beaches, theme parks and seafood, Australia’s second largest state Queensland remains a popular tourist destination all year-round. It’s a big place with an abundance of things to do and places to see. And at the moment its Southern most city is home to the 2018 Commonweath Games. However, if you don’t want…

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Album Review: City Calm Down – Echoes In Blue (2018 LP)

When sitting down to listen to new music, I’ve recently taken to making the first listen of an album a passive experience. In a time poor society, using the album as the soundtrack to your daily tasks, whether they’re mundane work tasks or other articles you’re reading and creating, having those new sounds play in…

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Tour Diary: Hitting SXSW with Campbell Burns and Newcastle’s Vacations

Hi, hello. My name is Campbell Burns and I’m based in Newcastle, NSW. I lead Vacations, a music project I started about two years ago. I sent out an application to perform at SXSW towards the end of 2017, about two weeks before the closing date, completely on a whim. About a week later I…

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Interview: Tinashe on new album Joyride and not letting herself get boxed in

Fans, critics, and commentators the world over have constantly filled articles and comment sections with confused question marks bemoaning Tinashe’s lack of stadium-sized success (her 2014 debut album Aquarius is so underrated it’s ridiculous). That’s not to say she hasn’t met with success though; with an enormous social media following and plenty of critical acclaim…

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Music Video of the Day: Dianas’ “Leave Love” (2018)

Charmingly quirky and retro, Melbourne trio Dianas have come back with a new music video Leave Love, following the release of their latest EP last year in December. The video, directed by Tom Mannion and Dianas’ member Caity Moloney, was a painstakingly meticulous process, yet the effort paid off. The end result is a perfectly imperfect balance…

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Introducing UK duo BONES: The next big thing

While in Austin, Texas for SXSW, we sat down with UK duo BONES at Australia House. In their chat with Larry, Rosie and Carmen talk us through their latest single, “Limbs” and more as we get to know more about this buzz act who are based in LA, but hail from London. And we reckon they might just…

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Here are your free Xbox Games with Gold titles for April

Another month, another collection of free games for Xbox Live subscribers. This month’s offerings, from puzzlers to survival horror, are once again doing their best to offer a little something for everyone. Hit the jump for the list.

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Multiple outlets confirm an active shooting at YouTube HQ

Multiple news outlets are reporting that YouTube’s San Bruno, California headquarters is currently under lockdown with local police indicating an shooter is active within the building.

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Alex Gibney’s latest documentary to headline the 4th Annual Irish Film Festival

The Irish Film Festival has announced its program for 2018 for both Sydney and Melbourne, including a new documentary by US Oscar winning filmmaker Alex Gibney headlining the program. The 2018 festival will also mark the 20th anniversary of the Peace Process in Northern Ireland, as the Irish Film Festival pays respects with four new films examining the…

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The new thriller from the producers of Stranger Things reveals its first official trailer

The upcoming thriller The Darkest Minds has revealed its first official trailer packed with tense action, as a group of teens develop mysterious new abilities, and are declared a threat by the government as a result. The film comes to us from the producers of Stranger Things and Arrival, and stars Amandla Stenberg from The Hunger…

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ACMI and Film Victoria announce the return of Series Mania Melbourne

After last year’s inaugural Series Mania Melbourne turned out to be a huge success, the world-renowned TV festival will make its return to ACMI this year from 19- 22 July, 2018. The festival will give both fans and members of the local TV industry a look into global trends within drama, comedy and web series…

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Review: Armageddon Expo hits Wellington, New Zealand with Jeremy Renner, Matt Ryan and more

Across the ditch our New Zealand brethren have just had their first major pop culture convention for the year. Armageddon Expo has been held in Auckland since 1995 and in Wellington since 2001. Over the Easter weekend just passed, fans of film, television, comics, and gaming descended on Westpac Stadium to rub shoulders with celebrity…

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Games Review: The C64 Mini: Memory bank

I used to wonder what would happen to the video game systems of my youth. Whether they would be left to rot once they were no longer being produced and their hardware stopped working. The C64 Mini is the latest in a run of miniaturised retro video game hardware that answers that question and, like…

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Games Review: A Way Out (PS4, 2018): Greatness through simplicity

“Fuck the Oscars! This is the real shit, right here.” At least that is what creator and director Josef Fares said loud and clear regarding his new title A Way Out at the 2017 Game Awards. Given his enthusiasm, it wasn’t a stretch to believe that this experience would not be an extremely good one,…

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Tech Review: Huawei MediaPad T3 8: Is this your first time?

Huawei’s MediaPad T3 is an 8 inch Android tablet that is lightweight and surprisingly nimble for its entry-level spec. For those looking for an every day tablet that can be easily thrown in a bag while travelling, you may have found the one you want.

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The Star Gold Coast has lifted the lid on their super luxe hotel ‘The Darling’

Just in time for the very anticipated Commonwealth Games, The Star Gold Coast has officially begun the launch of their new luxury suite hotel The Darling, kicking off with an unsurprisingly lavish launch night earlier this month. Located at the front of the long-standing Broadbeach Island property, The Darling is the crown jewel of a…

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Guest Playlist: Wild Meadows’s selection of delectable tunes

Currently enjoying the release of their debut album, Melbourne’s Wild Meadows now have their eyes set on some unmissable launch shows this month! The self-titled album has seen the group delve into some excellent rhythmic motions, while embracing the atmospheric and shoegaze rays that have become synonymous with not only their music, but with some of…

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