Year: 2025

Leila

Exclusive Single Premiere: Leila “Do Without” (2025)

If you’ve ever gone through a period of uncertainty or apprehension, then Canberra-based Country/Pop artist Leila has all the feels beautifully encapsulated in her earnest new single, “Do Without”, which we have the pleasure of premiering ahead of its release on Friday. “Do Without” is a heartfelt journey, with her crystal clear vocals carrying the emotions of…

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Film Review: I Know What You Did Last Summer; fun, fresh legacy sequel honours its origins as much as it rejects expectation

In the grand design of 90s horror movies that could manage a certain 2025 resurgence, I Know What You Did Last Summer would, arguably, be not placed too high on a list of likelihoods.  Thank the lords then that writer/director Jennifer Kaytin Robinson (Do Revenge) pitched her version to Sony Pictures, as the filmmaker defies…

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TIFF announces 11 more Galas and Special Presentations from globally acclaimed filmmakers

TIFF is preparing to welcome the world this September for its 50th Festival, announcing 11 more Official Selections in the Gala and Special Presentations programmes. Reflecting TIFF’s commitment to champion new perspectives and cinematic excellence to its diverse international public audience, these films — Nicholas Hytner’s The Choral, Agnieszka Holland’s Franz, Chloé Zhao’s Hamnet, Neeraj Ghaywan’s Homebound, Paul Greengrass’ The Lost Bus,…

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The world’s first roller coaster with two launches and nine inversions just opened in Canada

Based just outside of Toronto in Vaughan, Ontario, Canada’s Wonderland has more roller coasters than any other theme park in Canada. In fact, as of this week, it’s tied for third place with Cedar Point for having the most roller coasters anywhere in the world. And that’s thanks to their 18th and latest coaster, AlpenFury,…

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Gaming stars align for PAX Aus 2025 with a stellar guest lineup

PAX Aus 2025 is shaping up to be a must-attend event for gamers and pop culture fans alike, with a stacked guest list that spans award-winning voice actors, renowned tabletop designers, comedy legends, and beloved content creators from across the globe. Leading the charge is Amelia Tyler, the ethereal voice behind the Narrator in Baldur’s…

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Book Review: Mikaella Clements and Onjuli Datta’s Feast While You Can

There’s a monster living in Cadenze. Confined to a pit deep inside the mountain, it’s been waiting – hungering – for its next meal. And Angelina Sicco, with her wonderfully full life, tops the menu. Attaching itself to her, the monster lurks somewhere in Angelina’s mind, waiting for the perfect moment to feast. But both…

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Photo Gallery: Faye Webster + Sleepazoid – Enmore Theatre, Sydney (15.07.25)

Faye Webster on her Underdressed At The Symphony Australian tour delivered an impressively intimate set, showcasing her laid-back folk and cool indie‑rock with her exceptional band at Sydney’s Enmore Theatre. Hailing from Atlanta Georgia, Faye beautifully played tracks from her back catalogue to a sold out Enmore Theatre the first of two sold out shows…

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Cheryl black back dress at piano

Interview: Composer Cheryl B. Engelhardt and Australian artist GEM discuss their ambient album According to the Moon

Grammy nominated composer Cheryl B. Engelhardt and Australian producer-artist GEM have collaborated on an ambient new-age album that takes inspiration from cosmic events such as solar eclipses and super-moons.  They discuss working with 3x Grammy winner Producer Lonnie Park, the Dallas String Quartet, pop singer Robin Tucker and GRAMMY-winning vocalist and sound healer Johnaye Kendrick….

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Dancing With Bees has a bright yellow cartoon cover with the silhouettes of a man's and woman's legs facing each other. There are also lots of coulourful native Australian flowers. The author is Anna Maynard.

Book Review: Dancing with Bees shows readers what happens when you look on the sunny side of life

Anna Maynard‘s debut novel, Dancing with Bees, might just be the perfect read to get you through the colder months of the year. Promising to delight fans of Emily Henry and Marian Keyes, this brightly coloured novel is more than a rom com – it’s a delight. Sunny Moritz is thirty-three and a little bit aimless….

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The Sprout Harmonic 4.0 Bluetooth Headphones are a high quality alternative to the ones in the market with a lower price tag

If I’m being honest, I’m the type of person who uses technology until they are falling apart; to the point that the foam of my headphones is ripping through the seams and the Bluetooth connectivity drops in and out. So it’s safe to say that my current headphones have gotten the best use out of…

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The Sprout Soundwave Bluetooth Speaker maintains a deep and rich sound, despite its size

Finding a good portable speaker can be overwhelming with the number of options on the market. It can be so easy to fall back into buying the same brand that you’ve used once before, just out of pure convenience. But sometimes it’s worth stepping out of the comfort of what you know, with the Sprout…

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Interview: Craig McLachlan on his intimate live show Six String Stories, career reflections, and being saved by music

Get ready for a night to remember as Australian industry legend Craig McLachlan brings his unique & exciting Live & Intimate stage show to theatre’s and venues across Australia: Six String Stories. Having entertained audiences the world over for almost 40 years, McLachlan is one of Australia’s most beloved, versatile, and resilient performers.  From the…

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John Cale

Review: Illuminate Adelaide’s Unsound is a treasure trove of experimental music

Lovers of alternative music look forward to Illuminate Adelaide‘s Unsound weekend as it always brings a wide selection of local and international musical artists. Held over two nights, it started at Lion Arts Centre on Friday and finished at Hindley Street Music Hall before the closing acts performed in the suitably grimy basement of Ancient…

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Freak Slug announces debut Australian tour for October 2025

UK chaos-pop breakout Freak Slug (Xenya Genovese) is heading to Australia for the first time this October, locking in a run of east coast shows following the release of her debut LP I Blow Out Big Candles. The Manchester-born artist has been steadily gaining traction for her punchy dream-punk tracks, pulling in praise from The…

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Book Review: Zena Shapter reveals further secrets of Palude in When Dark Waters Burn

For Sala and Kib, hiding beneath the lake in the safety of Kib’s ship, life has become fairly comfortable. Kib is researching the planet, using his technology to learn as much as he can about Palude. And Sala is waiting on the keei eggs laid on the wings of the ship to mature enough to…

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Interview: Emily Paull on writing, stories and her debut novel The Distance Between Dreams

West Australian writer and AU review contributor Emily Paull saw the release of her debut novel The Distance Between Dreams, a stunning historical fiction of hope, dreams, and love, earlier this year. Paull is a librarian, author, book reviewer, former bookseller, avid reader, huge supporter of the West Australia writing community, and a regular fixture…

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Apple TV+ debuts trailer for Jason Momoa-led drama series Chief of War, ahead of its global premiere

Apple TV+ have released the trailer for its upcoming historical drama Chief of War, starring, written and executive produced by Jason Momoa. Set amidst the scenic backdrop of the islands of Hawai‘i, the nine-episode series, based on true events, follows warrior Ka‘iana, portrayed by Momoa, as he tries to unify the islands before Western colonisation…

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Australian pop star BEHANI releases stripped back cover of a Spice Girls classic

Australian pop sensation BEHANI, who we announced last year had signed to ADA/Warner Music Australia for the release of her debut single “Again & Again”, is expressing her pop appreciation this week as she releases a stripped back cover of a 90s genre classic! A self-described lover of the song in question, BEHANI has reimagined…

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Unpacking PlayStation’s Ghost of Yōtei State of Play showcase

We got another look at Ghost of Yōtei thanks to a dedicated State of Play showcase, which focused solely on gameplay, along with some newer features. Hosted by Sucker Punch Productions’ creative directors Jason Connell and Nate Fox, the stream showed off just under 20 minutes of new gameplay, highlighting protagonist Atsu’s quest for revenge…

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New Music Discoveries 11th July: Bumpy, Emily Wurramara, Jem Cassar-Daley, and more

We’ve added a further ten new and recently released tracks to our Discovery Playlist on Spotify and Apple Music, including two singles we exclusively premiered earlier this week. Naarm-based soul musician and proud Noongar woman Bumpy takes home our Track of the Week with “Kanana”, the title track from her long-awaited debut album – out…

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E.L.L.E is smiling through the sadness with her latest release, “Fine”

E.L.L.E, the musical project of Naarm music community commentator @ElleOutLoud_, released her latest single, “Fine”, today. This track is a self-made slice of dance pop that blends raw emotional honesty with glittery, high-energy production. As a one-woman powerhouse, E.L.L.E writes, produces, masters and performs every track, carving her own lane in the independent pop scene….

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Annie the Musical brings people together with a celebration of hope, love and laughter

It doesn’t need to be the hard knock life. Take a trip down Easy Street with one of Broadway’s brightest sources of love, laughter and happiness. Returning to Australian shores, Annie the Musical has delighted audiences worldwide for nearly 50 years, capturing the hearts of generation after generation. It’s a truly joyous adventure following the…

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Lorde announces 2026 AUS + NZ Ultrasound tour

Lorde is officially bringing the Ultrasound tour our way. After selling out just about every major venue she’s announced this year, including Madison Square Garden and the O2 Arena, and the New Zealand-born dark pop songstress has announced a six-date run across Aotearoa and Australia, kicking off February 2026. The tour comes off the back of…

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Is Netflix’s Too Much just that? Or is Lena Dunham’s new dramedy just right?

Despite the fact that the recent Materialists has been rightfully acclaimed and turned a neat little profit for its US distributor, A24, you’d be forgiven for thinking that the Dakota Johnson-led rom-com-dram was one of the worst films to ever grace the screens for the hoards of millennials who were disappointed that it was more…

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Royel Otis announce 2025 Australian tour, ‘meet me in the car’

Currently on a stacked run of international festivals — Glastonbury, Lollapalooza, Governor’s Ball, Fuji Rock — Royel Otis are heading home. The Sydney duo have just announced their biggest Australian shows to date, with the meet me in the car tour hitting arenas this October in support of their upcoming second album hickey (out August…

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Melbourne International Film Festival unveils full program for 2025

Tonight, the 73rd Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF) unveiled an outstanding program of over 275 screen works and announced the 10 Bright Horizons films screening in competition and vying for MIFF’s flagship prize. From the 7th to the 24th of August, cinephiles across Melbourne, regional Victoria, and throughout the country online can explore a diverse…

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Film Review: Smurfs; not even new Rihanna music can save truly bizarre “family” flick

If you’ve seen the marketing for the latest Smurfs film – which is serving as a soft reboot of the series, disregarding the live-action features from 2011 and 2013, and the animated retooled “sequel” from 2017 – you would notice that they’ve been very much banking on the voice casting of Rihanna as Smurfette.  There’s…

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Album Review: Kokoroko celebrate life’s duality with Tuff Times Never Last

Seven-piece London jazz outfit Kokoroko return to our ears with their triumphant sophomore album Tuff Times Never Last. It sounds just as its cover artwork looks – vibrant, joyous and dance-floor ready. Kokoroko’s sound is built on connection. Forming when percussionist Onome Edgeworth and vocalist/trumpet player Shelia Maurice-Grey met on an arts trip in Kenya,…

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“It almost does feel like coming home”- Don Broco’s Rob Damiani talks new music and their upcoming Aussie tour

After taking a well-earned breather following their wildly successful 2021 record Amazing Things, UK alt-rock favourites Don Broco are stepping into a new era- and true to their word, they’re kicking things off Down Under. With their latest record almost complete, a killer set at this year’s Download Festival in the UK and a long-overdue…

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John Drake

Exclusive Single Premiere: John Drake “Siren” (2025)

If you’ve ever found yourself in a relationship that is doomed to failure, but you’re strapped in for the ride, then “Siren”, the new tune from Brisbane-based singer/songwriter John Drake should resonate strongly. We’re pumped to be premiering this cathartic tune, along with its video, ahead of its release on Friday. “Siren” has a broad,…

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