Year: 2020

There’s something weird, wacky and wonderful about a series that doesn’t pull its punches. The Umbrella Academy introduced us to a misfit family of people adopted and brought together for their special powers to try and stop the end of the world. Season 2 which has just landed on Netflix has us following the Hargreeves…

If there are two things I’ve missed most during months of lockdown in London, it’s pubs and the sea. Fortunately, the former – along with restaurants, cafes and self-contained accommodation – reopened their doors to customers on Saturday 4th July across most of the country, with a return to business caveated by strict health measures….

Award-winning and highly influential wine bar Monopole is packing up from its long-standing Potts Point address and making the convenient move to Hunter Street in the CBD. Owners Brent Savage and Nick Hildebrandt, who will maintain a Potts Point with Yellow along with a new concept, have secured a new venue overlooking Australia Square, and…

“Voices In My Head” is the debut single from Ex-Olympian, the new musical vessel for Melbourne’s Liam McGorry. If you recognise that name, it’s because he’s the principal songwriter and musician for a host of bands, including Saskwatch and Dorsal Fins. But, with both projects officially on hiatus, Ex-Olympian will be his main focus going…

We’re delighted to be kicking off the week with the exclusive premiere of “Quand C’est Mou”; the exquisite debut release from Melbourne composer and musician Hugh Klein.  Recorded between France and Melbourne, “Quand C’est Mou” explores ideas of awakening, rebirth and genuine intimacy. The ‘theme’, as Klein describes the single, forms part of a larger conversation…

For a limited time, groups of up to 20 are now able to head along to their nearest Event Cinemas and indulge in their own private film screening. Through August, Event Cinemas’ complexes will be open for bookings despite COVID-19 putting a major break on new film releases, instead welcoming groups that will be able…

Dragon Cake, Japanese Forest Cake, or the iconic Strawberry Watermelon Cake. You’ll get to take your pick when Newtown-born phenomenon Black Star Pastry opens their new Sydney CBD store on the ground level of The Galeries. Just off the Pitt Street entrance to the central mall, Black Star Pastry will be conveniently positioned for city…

Sydney singer-songwriter Justin Stewart Cotta has had a pretty busy 2020, surprising fans with a slew of singles and older tracks back at the beginning of the year. Now he’s back with his punchy and empowering new single “Longing Is Not Love”. Today we’re stoked to bring you the exclusive premiere of the single’s music…

Briefly branding Alex Pettyfer “hot property” off the film’s expected anticipation, and somehow managing to ensemble a cast of such weight as Ewan McGregor, Alicia Silverstone, Bill Nighy and Mickey Rourke, the Alex Rider name was an intended film series that floundered on arrival with the release of Stormbreaker back in 2006. Underperforming in its…

To celebrate their 50th anniversary in Australia, Pizza Hut is set to give away a whopping 50,000 free pizzas between Monday 3rd August and Friday 7th August. Each day, Pizza Hut will open up the online giveaway between 4pm and 6pm, with pizza-lovers simply required to just head to the website and follow the instructions…

BRIT Award-winner and Grammy Award-nominated for Best Rock Song, with his universal track “Hold Back The River”, James Bay returns with his latest release this year, “Chew On My Heart.” The single is extracted from his forthcoming album which the UK singer is set to release. The artist shares the inspiration behind the track: ‘Chew…

Over the next four nights, Chicago’s iconic Lollapalooza will be transformed into a spectacular online festival with retrospective performances alongside intimate discussions and more than a handful of new, original performances by big-ticket acts. It’ll all be going down exclusively on YouTube, following the path of previous festival-streaming events but offering a deeper exploration to…

Microsoft Flight Simulator feels really good and is happy to meet you where you are, regardless of whether you’re a long-time fan of the series or a complete aviation novice, and that’s all you need to know. End of preview? No? I’ve still got another 1700 words to fill? Okay, no, no it’s fine, I…

Sydney’s Darling Square is fast-becoming the ‘it’ precinct for new and exciting eateries, adding to the already strong scene of casual eats which includes DOPA by Devon and Saga Lyte. Now, Darling Square has welcomed a host of new concepts, ranging from an 11-seater sushi and sashimi bar, to a inventive toastie joint. Kuon Omakase…

Due to obvious reasons, the need to reduce touching high-contact surfaces in public is at the forefront of an increasingly nervous society. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted and brought attention to the way viruses can easily spread via droplets, aerosols, and fomites. That last one is particular interest here, and is the reasons why…

With the 2018 release of Elite Active 65t, Jabra built up quite the reputation amongst athletes in the market for good quality wireless earbuds. Acclaim rolled in from all directions, touting some seriously impressive sound quality, seamless noise cancelling, and the all-important fit. It’s only right that the sequel builds upon that, right? The Jabra…

Let the social distancing binge viewing continue! Winter may be over, but staying on the couch seems like the most reasonable seasonal activity as Amazon Prime Video promises to overload its devoted audience with one helluva line-up. Harley and Katniss and Neo, oh my! Kicking off the month with a bang is everyone’s favourite anti-heroine…

Seemingly one of the first, if only, acts to make it from full blown country act to full blown pop star, Taylor Swift has always been on the leading edge of popular music. Returning a year after her Lover album, Swift is back with the entirely surprising folklore, an album as similar and different to…

Emalia is Australia’s next R&B queen. Think a 2020s Ciara or Ashanti. It’s about time our Aussie music scene crowned a local Alicia Keys and Emalia would easily qualify as a frontrunner. Over the past year, this Sydney singer has released four incredible R&B-pop singles that take her listeners through a darker journey of lust and…

Stumbled Upon was a series of new music discovery, established by Kat Hunter on the AU review in 2014. It ran 116 installments between then and 2016, with then Editor-in-Chief Sosefina Fuamoli taking over from Kat in the final year. Along the way we discovered acts like Serina Pech (pictured), IV League, Harrison Storm, Slumberhaze…

Australia-UK trio Greatest Hits have knocked it out of the park again with their latest single “Trying”, the third in a very young career, following the excellent “Mortals” and “Phil, Slow It Down”. Produced and mixed by Sean Cook (Bombay Bicycle Club, MGMT, Best Coast), “Trying” sheds light on the band’s endearing knack at weaving…

There are some people who think happiness is as easy to achieve as typing out a smiley-faced emoji. Ariel Gore knows the reality is far more complex. Her latest book, F*ck Happiness: How the Science of Psychology Ignores Women is a deep and insightful look at the positive psychology movement and where it rests in…

This week marks the return of Irish rockers Fontaines D.C.. The Dublin-based band are all set to release A Hero’s Death, the follow-up to their critically acclaimed debut album Dogrel. The album’s success, including a Mercury Prize nomination, saw the band spend a considerable amount of time on the road. A transience that has ultimately…

What a year 2020 has been – and we’re only 7 months down! With COVID-19 (still) wreaking havoc on an unsuspecting and, let’s face it, unprepared world, reportings of weekend movie grosses hardly feels necessary.  And yet, as the entertainment industry remains one of COVID’s biggest casualties, it’s difficult not to find importance in the…

Post-punk Protomartyr return with their anticipated fifth album, Ultimate Success Today. Whilst the band wrote and recorded their album last year, the Detroit band eerily foreshadowed the ongoing battles the world is currently facing. Gracing our ears with a flair for enigmatic and avant-garde chords, their new album doesn’t disappoint with important philanthropic messages. Their…

Sydney grunge-pop rockers TILD are about to release their latest single, “Wasting Time”, and we are stoked today to have the exclusive video premiere of this gem prior to its release tomorrow. The band have been busy since forming in 2019, releasing singles “Slowly”, “Wolf” and more recently “Make Up”. It has sweet infectious vibes,…

KitKat Chunky and KitKat Gold have been spliced together to create the chocolate brand’s latest offering, perfectly timed to jump on all the hype that’s been surrounding the historic wafer these past few weeks. First, Sydney got its very first KitKat chocolatory, which opened to massive fanfare with an endless array of KitKat flavours, its…

David Thompson’s Long Chim in Sydney CBD is now firmly positioned as one of the best spots for modern Thai food in the city. And it’s often the opening acts that get all the fanfare, with plenty of smaller dishes served up as the highlights of this restaurant’s extensive menu. Count the incredible vegetarian spring…

“This one looks like it’d fit right into the movie Pineapple Express”, write Sydney’s feverishly popular Burger Head on Facebook, referring to the restaurant’s weekly special. As with several of the city’s most popular burger spots, Penrith-born Burger Head does up a unique and inventive burger each week which is almost always lapped up in…

2020 has been a prolific year for Tasmanian indie-pop artist Nuria, and she’s showing absolutely no signs of slowing down. On Friday July 31st, she’ll be dropping single number eight for the year, the punchy and powerful “Touch”. If like us, you can’t wait,  you’re in luck, as we’re bringing you this exclusive first listen….