Year: 2020

Keeping travel dreams alive and setting goals has never felt more important. We can all agree that 2020 has been an unfortunate year so far, and almost every facet of daily life has been wrought by this ongoing global pandemic, the start of which now feels like forever ago. The arts has been one of…

Running the gamut of emotions that fuelled R&B in the ’90s, The AU Review’s “Hip Hop and R&B Retrospective” playlist has turned away from 100 greatest songs by women in hip hop and turned attention to rap’s silkier, smoother cousin. From Janet Jackson and SWV to Maxwell and 112; Brandy and Monica to Usher and…

We have the exclusive premiere of the song and video “#PAVLOVA” from the experimental electronic and spoken-word duo Doublethink Prism from Western Australia. The duo is comprised of Splodge who provides the words, and Steven Alyian who provides the sounds. This is a thought-provoking track, with an incredible video.  The band describes it as “……

Our track of the day is “Unreal”, a beautiful song from Julia Stone, tracking the complexities of love, loss and reflections on relationships. “Unreal” features samples and synths, adding many layers to the ethereal vocals of Stone.  Her vocals always conveys a feeling of honesty and an assured authenticity to them. The video was filmed…

The New Mutants was going to be Fox’s attempt at re-invigorating the X-Men franchise, or at least, it probably was before it got bogged in production issues and a merger with Disney. The film, now released some two years later, gets dropped into cinemas whilst a pandemic is happening, which is probably a metaphor for…

Keeping travel dreams alive and setting goals has never felt more important. We can all agree that 2020 has been an unfortunate year so far, and almost every facet of daily life has been wrought by this ongoing global pandemic, the start of which now feels like forever ago. The arts has been one of…

There’s been a bit of radio silence on the 007 front ever since No Time To Die was one of the first major studio releases to react to the coronavirus pandemic and shifted its original April release to November 2020.  Now that the film’s local November 12th date seems locked and loaded, the promotional trail…

After her recent single “12 Steps” streamed over half a million, the flourishing Australian artist CXLOE returns with her latest single “One and Lonely.” She has been featured on multiple airplays and coverage from the likes of triple j, all pop-leaning commercial radio stations across Australia and across global titles. Co-written with Trey Campbell, Jessica…

Melbourne-based songwriter and producer Hayden Calnin has just dropped a new EP today, Soon Forever. Continuing his organic melding of folk and electronica, Soon Forever is an atmospheric and evocative listen from start to finish. Calnin is renowned for his production skills, and once again on Soon Forever he delivers a beautifully layered collection of…

San Cisco are staples in the Australian music industry – you’d be hard-pressed to find an Aussie music lover who hasn’t come across this three-piece Western Australia band. Their latest full-length album, Between You and Me, follows the recent release of their Flaws EP which housed singles ‘Reasons’, ‘Skin’ and their most vulnerable song to…

Given that the character of Hua Mulan has long been one depicted in poetry, novels, and film for almost as long as she has been a Chinese folklore figure, it’s wiser to view Mulan as another variation of her story, rather than a direct remake of Disney’s 1998 animated favourite. Whereas recent Disney live-action overhauls…

With four acclaimed restaurants in their pocket such as Bentley Restaurant + Bar, Monopole, Yellow and Cirrus, the Bentley Group have announced they are opening Ria Pizza + Wine. Whilst Monopole relocates to Sydney’s CBD, Australia square in October, the new casual pizza joint will be taking up residence in it’s previous dining space with…

With ongoing COVID-19 restrictions and border closures between states, the annual BIGSOUND festival will be transitioning to a free virtual event for 2020. Held across Wednesday 21 and Thursday 22 October, the event that would normally be held in Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley will now be taking place entirely online. “BIGSOUND has always been about bringing…

Renowned for her culinary online platform, Ostro, Julia Busuttil Nishimura returns with her latest book, A Year of Simple Family Food. Her debut cookbook, Ostro, was released in 2017 and was short-listed for the 2018 ABIA ‘Illustrated Book of the Year’ and named in Gourmet Traveller’s ‘Best Food Books. Not only is she a celebrated…

This month, our little publication turns 12. A website born out of nothing but a desire to write about the industry I loved. I’m now employed elsewhere, and oversee other projects – like the National Live Music Awards (which returns October 20th for the 5th year). But I’m lucky enough to still write from time…

While many of us are unable to travel very far with COVID restrictions in place, Melbourne-based duo This Way North have managed to conjure up the feeling of embarking on a lengthy road trip with their latest track “Driving Roads”. The two-piece band, consisting of drummer/vocalist Cat Leahy and guitarist/vocalist Leisha Jungalwalla, transport you to…

Keeping travel dreams alive and setting goals has never felt more important. We can all agree that 2020 has been an unfortunate year so far, and almost every facet of daily life has been wrought by this ongoing global pandemic, the start of which now feels like forever ago. The arts has been one of…

Tijuana Cartel are having something of a busy year. That’s all in spite of the disruption and upheaval caused by COVID-19. The band released their new single, the delightfully psychedelic “Minimal Stuffing” back in July. Even more recently they’ve dropped the suitably trippy accompanying music clip – directed and animated by Carey O’Sullivan. The band’s singer…

A film director in Hackney with a fox problem in her garden; an escapee from a cult in Japan; a Sydney cafe-owner rekindling an old flame; an English tutor who gets too close to an oligarch; a journalist on Mars, face-to-face with his fate. These are just some of the characters and situations which readers will…

After more than a decade together, San Cisco (Jordi Davieson on vocals and guitar, Scarlett Stevens on drums, and Josh Biondillo on guitar) are now at a point where they know what they are capable of making and very comfortable in doing so. After albums two and three (Gracetown and The Water) left things a…

Brisbane singer-songwriter Nicole McKinney has begun to tease the release of her debut EP. Although not due for release until next year, this week McKinney is dropping “Hollywood Girls”, the first of a string of singles from the forthcoming EP. Officially released tomorrow, we’re excited to bring you this exclusive first listen.  Produced by Luke…

Penning her first song at the age of four, Queenslander Georgia Mae, is no stranger to the art of songwriting. Mae has amassed an incredible repertoire of experience in the past years. Her keen songwriting skills earned her a scholarship at the Queensland Conservatorium of Music where she graduated with a degree in Music Technology….

Something For Kate have revealed the title of their seventh studio album The Modern Medieval and scheduled a release date for 20 November. The Modern Medieval  marks the bands first album since 2012’s Leave Your Soul to Science.  The album recorded in Byron Bay, enlisting Nick DiDia (Powderfinger, Pearl Jam, Bruce Springsteen) on production duties. The group…

Can’t quite settle on a band name? Lacking inspiration? Mark Webber from Bad Pony has put together the perfect video to get the creative juices flowing. Bad Pony have spent the last couple of years throwing around band names for new projects. This video compiles the top 100 of their ideas. Dishing out names like…

With 2020 being an exceptionally difficult year for the music industry, Music SA has announced the launch of GO LIVE – an initiative to reignite the SA music scene in a COVID-safe way for musicians and gig-goers alike. The campaign addresses the cancellation of the annual winter Umbrella Festival which was unable to go ahead in…

Keeping travel dreams alive and setting goals has never felt more important. We can all agree that 2020 has been an unfortunate year so far, and almost every facet of daily life has been wrought by this ongoing global pandemic, the start of which now feels like forever ago. The arts has been one of…

For the majority of the first episode of this second season helping of The Boys, Karl Urban‘s mouthy, unpredictable Billy Butcher is largely absent.  And it’s with his absence from the titular crew – which also consists of Jack Quaid‘s Hughie, Laz Alonso‘s Mother’s Milk, Tomer Kapon‘s Frenchie, and Karen Fukuhara‘s Kimiko – that the…

Rising Sydney pop star Jack Errington is about to release another single, “Drunk and High”,  which is a heady mix of pop and r&b. This is a cautionary tale about the pitfalls of pushing the boat out too far. Errington has craftily referenced times when he has behaved with reckless abandon. He stresses to those…

Keeping travel dreams alive and setting goals has never felt more important. We can all agree that 2020 has been an unfortunate year so far, and almost every facet of daily life has been wrought by this ongoing global pandemic, the start of which now feels like forever ago. The arts has been one of…

Melbourne singer-songwriter Tanya George continues to tease her forthcoming EP, this time with the release of lead single “Normality”. Written and created using George’s vocal looping techniques, “Normality” is striking to say the least.  According to George, “The single is about questioning what is normality? What is the normal anymore in society, in our lives?…