Year: 2020

Rockpool Dining Group has slowly begun a phased reopening of their many restaurants across Sydney, which has now included the famed Spice Temple. The popular ode to to Chinese flavours and all levels of heat has now started welcoming dine-in guests. RECIPE: Spice Temple’s Kung Pao Chicken Executive Chef Andy Evans’ will be serving up…

Which U.S city has the best cocktail culture? That’s a bit hard to judge. Is it NYC? San Fran? Chicago? New Orleans? LA? Who knows, but one things for sure – you can’t talk about cocktails without mentioning Las Vegas. The well-heeled oasis of entertainment is often seen as the proving ground for some of…

When the eponymous Sarah unexpectedly passes away, her best friend and business partner Isabella (Shelley Conn) throws in the towel and backs out of their dream of running a bakery. But when Sarah’s daughter and estranged mother (Shannon Tarbet and Celia Imrie, respectively) re-enter her life, things are set right back in motion. With the…

The Surface Go 2 understands there’s always room in the PC market for something more portable. Business customers are always looking for something lighter. Something that can travel more easily, but doesn’t sacrifice the overall power and nimbleness of a full-blooded ultrabook. That’s the niche into which the Surface Go 2 has neatly folded itself….

For the first time in 15 years, Qantas will introduce daily services between Sydney and Byron Bay (Ballina) airport, opening up what should be an enormously popular route as interstate travel ramps up. The popular coastal town isn’t the only destination to see a new route open up though, with Qantas also adding its first…

The Safe Place, the debut novel from actor and author Anna Downes, takes lead protagonist Emily Proudman on a thrilling ride. She loses her apartment, her agent and her job; all in the space of one day. Before she has time to take it all in, her successful and handsome former boss comes to the…

More than two years after their dance tinged second album, DMA’S return in 2020 with another mixed bag of treats and hits as they embrace all things old and new on THE GLOW. Much like their progression from their Hills End to For Now albums, THE GLOW has elements of what you’ve come to expect from…

In case the filmic version of Fifty Shades of Grey was ultimately a little too safe in its actuality compared to the near-porn mentality of E.L. James’s novel, J-P Valkeapää‘s striking Dogs Don’t Wear Pants stands as something of a reparative.  And as much as the bold, dark comedy intends to shock its audience, this remains…

JBL is tipping towards touring musicians with the JBL CLUB Series, the latest line of headphones from the stalwart audio brand. Having recently launched to the Australian market, this collection of three distinct and differently priced headphones aim to amplify the personal audio experience and serve as the ideal creative companion on the road, focusing…

As of 1st July, Qantas will begin reopening a number of its domestic and regional lounges across Australia, following restrictions on travel and venues being loosened and demand for domestic flights increasing. Importantly, this will be a phased opening that will only include a limited number of lounges in first wave, specifically eleven including Qantas…

Australia’s beloved Koko Black has teamed up with Tokyo-based dessert shop Tokyo Lamington for what will surely be one of the most delicious collaborations of the year. That’s three decadent and unique twists on the timeless lamington – limited-edition treats that will be available for one day only at Koko Black stores on Tuesday 7th…

Initially developed through quarantine for the Triple J Unearthed competition #DIYSupergroup, Melbourne based Wolfjay – who played our party in New York back in March – has teamed up with their housemate Austen for the remarkable new single “Very Soon, Very Frequent”. The original track featured samples from Middle Kids, Tame Impala and G Flip…

Straddling the thin line between upper mid-tier and lower high-end, the X3 SuperZoom is the latest smartphone from Oppo spin-off brand realme. And if the spec sheet is anything to go by, this will be one to watch for photography enthusiasts who are looking for something a bit more powerful than the typical mid-market phone….

Although historically an airline exclusively serving regional Australia, Rex is now enacting plans which could see the carrier compete with Qantas and Virgin Australia with the creation of a new domestic operation. Capital cities could now be on this the radar for Rex’s planned expansion, pending successful fundraising of at least $30 million, which is…

The iso-wait is over! Gigs are beginning to make a comeback as Lime Cordiale takes the lead with their string of already sold-out gigs being announced at Sydney’s Oxford Art Factory. Only there’s one restriction catch: all audience members will be seated in what is set to be a very intimate and possibly bizarre concert…

We are thrilled today to be premiering the first single from the next EP for Gold-Coast indie-rocker Michael McCartney, with the title track “Sweet Side of Love”. It’s a blissfully positive theme, about enjoying the intimacy of being in love. In “Sweet Side of Love”, McCartney has found an intoxicatingly sweet groove. It has a…

Wires suck. That seems to be the consensus when it comes to smart home devices nowadays, and whenever a wireless option drops it is instantly more attractive than the opposite. Requiring wires was one of the few issues I had with the recently launched Arlo Video Doorbell, which is otherwise an exceptional part of the…

Millett Group, the team behind Lord Byron, have officially opened doors to The Surf House – Byron Bay’s newest accommodation with its own distinctive rooftop bar. Seeing as the Millett Group are also behind the award-winning Wake Up! Byron Bay hostel, this boutique, design-forward property should be an attractive option for the the inevitable influx…

Those in need of a delicious break (everyone) should start stretching their queuing-up muscles because Sydney’s getting its first ever KitKat Chocolatory flagship. Opening on 6th July, the debut store will stretch it’s legs at Mid City Sydney, offering up a sizable collection of personalised, premium chocolate experienced inspired by and dedicated entirely to the…

Domestic travel is on the cusp of a resurgence with states across Australia beginning to relax lockdown measures. International travel? That’s a different story. With many countries around the world struggling in the fight against COVID-19, we’ve been given conflicting information on when international travel will resume to a sense of normalcy anytime soon. Some…

Premium Scandinavian outdoor and lifestyle brand Fjällräven has officially launched its new Kånken Art collection in Australia, bringing expressive designs to their reliably high-end gear. The art-forward collection is a limited edition offering in collaboration with Swedish artist Moa Hoff, focusing on playful designs and unique patterns to stand out in a crowd. With domestic…

Thanks to the deluge of connected home devices on the market, it’s highly probable that most households are going to need to reconsider how they handle their Wi-Fi. That’s particularly true for larger households which may have patches where the signal is a bit weaker than those closer to the single – likely ISP-supplied –…

Have you ever wanted to play D&D but you aren’t sure where to start, or even how the game works? The latest D&D Live festival, an annual celebration of the world’s most popular role-playing game, may be the best, simplest, and most instructive lesson in how to play this side of Critical Role. Playing Dungeons…

With the release of the debut album Hopefuls all set for next month, let us introduce you to The Harriets. Fronted by lead vocalists Daniel Parker-Smith and Ben Schrodel, The Harriets are a Leeds-based alternative rock/pop four-piece. Live, they’re joined by Jess Womack (keys) and Ryan Bailey (drums).  The band head towards the release of…

Few personal audio devices have seen such a massive leap on quality in recent years than true wireless earbuds. The careful juggling act between sound quality, battery life, connectivity and comfort has been nearing perfection with recent releases from Sony and Sennheiser. Although those two focus on just being lifestyle buds, with little consideration for…

Our track of the day is “Record Stores” from Leanne Tennant. For anyone who has wondered around a record-store on a bad day, looking for an album to either sympathise with or to shock yourself out of the funk, then this song will resonate with you. “Record Stores” is a beautiful stark tune; an acoustic…

Last week, CD Projekt Red debuted Night City Wire, a new web series dedicated to their upcoming RPG Cyberpunk 2077. It aired very early in the morning here in Aus so there’s a chance you may have missed it. If so, don’t worry. We’ve got you covered. Hosted by CDPR UK’s head of communications Hollie…

We have the exclusive first look at the video for the latest offering from Lamalo, “Jungle Train”. Lamalo is a duo of multi-instrumentalists Michiya Nagai and Yossi Cascun. They formed in 2016, and since then have created a signature sound of layered sounds, combining modern and traditional instruments.  “Jungle Train” features Little Green, the moniker for…

Given the state of the world right now, a little comedy would be the perfect antidote to distract us.  And, on paper, a satire-cum-love-letter surrounding the Eurovision Song Contest starring Will Ferrell and Rachel McAdams as a duo of Icelandic popstar-wannabes desperate to win said contest sounds like a potential winner. The reality, unfortunately, is…

“Everyone has fooled themselves into a happy ending once or twice”, says NSW-based singer-songwriter Tullara on her new single. “I’d been holding onto the hope that this new love of mine was going to work itself out”. That’s what’s captured here in “Let This Go”, a piercing and poignant folk song, exclusively premiering on The…