Day: 27 August 2020

Oppo Find X2 Lite Review: Certainly no lightweight in the mid-tier

In my review of the Find X2 Pro from Oppo, I was confident in writing that Oppo has presented what is one of the best Android phones to date. It is, and months later I’m still finding new things to love about the high-end flagship. With the Lite version, Oppo has cut down the price…

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Mafia: Definitive Edition

Mafia: Definitive Edition Preview: Got the life

Though still in production at the time of writing, the Mafia: Definitive Edition remaster feels like it’s stretched between two extremes. It wants to pay homage to a well-liked yarn, ensuring players in the modern era can still experience Tommy Angelo’s rise to power. But it also has to translate game design and mechanics from…

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The AU’s Father’s Day Gift Guide 2020: From Audio to Work From Home

What does dad need this year? He’s (likely) been stuck at home like most of the world this year, so it’s on you to figure out how to make Father’s Day his refuge from what’s been an immensely shitty year. We’ve packed our Father’s Day gift guide for this reason, tracking several categories we think…

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Vanto is Sydney’s hidden gem of Naples-style pizza

Whether it’s traditional Naples-style pizza, classic pasta dishes or their iconic wood-fired sandwiches, Vanto restaurant is the place to be when it comes to authentic Italian cuisine. Nestled on the first floor of the Queen Victoria Building, the hidden gem pays homage to traditional and modern Neapolitan cooking. Noted as Ospitalità Italiana certified (which is…

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The Spill

Book Review: Imbi Neeme’s The Spill explores the ins and outs of family ties

Imbi Neeme‘s debut novel The Spill was released in June, in the midst of a pandemic. Rather than despairing at the changed world of publishing that her first novel was born into, Neeme embraced the challenges and opportunities that this brought. She has since launched a campaign to support those Victorian Writers who, like herself, were…

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Album of the Week: Batflowers is Washington at her best and most evocative

It’s been a few years between drinks for Washington. After absolutely smashing it in 2010 with her debut album, I Believe You Liar, Washington took a few years to put together the follow up, 2014’s There, There. Across those two albums, Washington proved just how good she is at what she does. With her jazz…

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Track of the Day: Sinclaire “Let’s Fly To Rome” (2020)

Sydney-based act Sinclaire have whipped up the perfect bop to kick off your Thursday. Today’s track of the day is their latest single “Let’s Fly To Rome” which just dropped this morning. The track is the perfect escape from reality in the COVID age. The dreamy synths and airy vocals of frontman Michael Cross create…

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Sydney’s beloved Donut Papi is introducing whisky cinnamon doughnuts

Sydney’s wildly popular Donut Papi has teamed up with Fireball Whisky for a very limited edition, just-in-time-for-fathers-day “Fire in the Hole” doughnut. Breaking down the base profile of Fireball Whisky, the ever-creative team at the Redfern store has created what is easily one of Papi’s most exciting (and delicious – we tasted it as a…

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Samurai Jack: Battle Through Time Review: All Hail the Traveller’s Tale

Samurai Jack’s fifth and final season capped off a magnificent 16 year run, of which many other Cartoon Network shows would have envied over. Being a huge fan of the series, I flinched a little when I saw the reveal of Samurai Jack: Battle Through Time, yet another tie in game that I thought would…

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96 folk artists from around the world are launching a digital festival of discovery

The Covid-19 pandemic has paved the way for a number of exciting initiatives, while we wait for live music touring to return to the fore. From the amazing Isol-Aid weekly streaming event, run out of Melbourne, to festivals like Americana in Nashville moving digital with the “Thriving Roots” initiative, the opportunities for live musicians have…

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Sydney loses another iconic small venue to Covid: Musicians & industry reflect as The Newsagency closes

Sydney has just lost one of it’s most iconic live music small venues, The Newsagency. Managed by Alison Avron (pictured above) since it opened in its first location in 2011, it has proven to be one of the city’s bright lights for hosting intimate gigs in Sydney – bringing consistent life to a city hit…

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Win a DVD set of the complete series of Schitt’s Creek

Out this week through Acorn Media, you can now enjoy the entire hilarious Canadian series Schitt’s Creek thanks to a jam packed 12 disc DVD box set. That’s no less than 80 episodes across 6 seasons, from the award winning, critically acclaimed and much loved show that stars Eugene Levy and Catherine O’Hara (who in…

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Talem Press authors - Bronwyn Eley, Bonnie Wynne, Helen Scheuerer

Talem Press vs COVID-19: How one indie publisher is navigating the pandemic – and what you can do to help

Amidst shutdowns, restrictions, and the ever-present health implications, it’s a trying time for many as we collectively navigate the COVID-19 global pandemic. This is as true of the Australian publishing industry as any other. With freelancers and small presses already working hard to be seen, the difficulty is only increasing, as the online spaces they…

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Josh Pyke

Interview: Josh Pyke on seizing opportunities, anxiety and ROME.

Josh Pyke is a staple in the Australian music industry. With a career spanning close to two decades, he’s dog-eared many chapters in the music scene with his work, and has played his part in the careers of many other celebrated Aussie musicians such as Angie McMahon, Alex Lahey and Gordi as a mentor through…

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Exclusive Single Premiere: Elenore “Maybe I Am” (2020)

Melbourne indie-pop singer Elenore is about to release her latest single, “Maybe I Am”, and we are thrilled to be premiering it today.  “Maybe I Am” is a strong bold statement from an artist who is defiantly holding her ground. This song has sass and defiant cool vibes in spades. It’s got a totally captivating…

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In The Studio: Behind the Scenes with The Holiday Collective in Byron Bay

It only took one big week in a Northern Rivers studio during mid-July 2019, for Jesse Higgs’ musical moniker HOLIDAY, to swiftly evolve into The Holiday Collective (THC). Former bandmates (and brother) Isaac Williams and Jade Higgs (Younger Dryas), made the trip up from Tassie to join Byron Bay comrades Meg Hitchcock, Marquee Moon &…

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Interview: Washington on finding the secret ingredient for her new LP Batflowers

Megan Washington is super-excited about the pending release of her latest album, Batflowers, and she has good reason to be. It’s nigh-on six years since the release of There There, the sophomore long-play, after her debut I Believe you Liar in 2010. “It’s not for lack of trying” said a buoyant Washington when I put…

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The Changing Investor Landscape: An Interview with Robert Kiyosaki

In the past few years, there has been a river of intrigue surrounding financial freedom flowing through Australia. More and more people are interested in breaking out of the debt cycle, building their wealth and securing their financial futures. One of the most common books people turn to in getting started is Robert Kiyosaki’s Rich Dad,…

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DJI’s feature-rich Osmo Mobile 4 gimble launches in Australia

DJI is betting heavily on magnetic mounts with its newly announced Osmo Mobile 4 (OM4) smartphone gimble, a follow-up to its super popular, an super flexible, predecessor. The motorised smartphone stabiliser’s biggest evolution is the two magnetic mounts, one which wraps around the phone in an instant, and one which attaches to the back of…

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The Discomfort of Evening wins the 2020 International Booker Prize

In a virtual ceremony Marieke Lucas Rijneveld’s debut novel, The Discomfort of Evening, translated into English by Michelle Hutchison has been unveiled as the winner of the 2020 International Booker Prize.  The £50,000 prize will be split equally between Rijneveld and Hutchison, giving both the author and translator equal recognition.  The Discomfort of Evening was…

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