The road from video game to cinema screen has often been an arduous trek – to say the least. Often made with the best of intentions, but seldom able to satisfy the expansive fanbase, video game adaptations are usually starting at a disadvantage. Sure, there’s a certain campy pleasure to watching Jean Claude Van Damme…
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Daughter of cruel King Minos and sister to the Minotaur, Ariadne lives a life governed by the fear her monstrous brother instils into the enemies of Crete. Athens, in particular, suffers, forced to send regular sacrifices for the Minotaur, exchanging some of its young people for peace with the island nation. But one year, a…
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We’re big fans of EJ Worland here at the AU. His debut EP No One Left To Blame, which dropped earlier this month, was our Album of the Week. His single “Over The Pond” came in at 27 on our 40 Best Australian Tracks of 2020 too. His is a sound firmly rooted in the…
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Next week, Wednesday April 28th, will see the best and brightest of Australian literature descend on Sydney’s Carriageworks for the premier event in the Australian book industry calendar; and we’re giving five of you the chance to join them. We have five General Admissions double passes to give away to the 2021 ABIAs Awards Gala….
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Yours and Owls, the first major music festival held in NSW since the start of the global pandemic, went ahead in Dalton Park, Wollongong, this April 17 and 18, 2021. How was it? Well, let’s get into that. THE SETUP How do you run a festival when there’s a major pandemic going on? By developing…
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New York outfit HOKO have just released their first fully realised collection of material, HEATHEN. As they look to their home city re-opening following the worst of the Covid-19 pandemic, the trio share their favourite spots for eats, beats and treats in New York City that will serve as a guide for locals and visitors…
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Chasing the McCubbin, the debut novel by Melbourne academic and writer Sandi Scaunich, delves into what may be unfamiliar territory for most readers – a world of second hand dealers with nicknames like Blue Merc, Fritz the German and The Builder and His Missus. Beginning in the early ’90s during a financial recession, it is the story…
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Waywards in Sydney’s Newtown was treated to a night of the best up-and-coming bands, helmed by The Million for their single launch of “Last Call”. The crowd packed in for one of the first standing gigs back, with The Million frontman Jacob Thomas warning me that their crowd do mosh, despite their music being on the…
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Manly Pavilion holds a special place in the Northern Beaches. There are of course many time-tested institutions in the area, but few can boast the same sparkling, impressively serene location of this venue. Perched on the water’s edge, in a restored heritage building, it’s rightfully a top choice for long-lunches, evening cocktails, and more relaxed…
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The best performances within the biopic genre are those that aren’t just simply imitations or impressions of the subject at hand, but an honest appraisal of the person, one where the performer vanishes on screen. And so often with such grand performances, it can lead to the rest of the film surrounding them to feel…
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Bob Evans, aka Kevin Mitchell, releases his sixth studio album, Tomorrowland, today but it’s also his first since parting with EMI Music. Mitchell calls it his “entry into middle age”, with shades of Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty and The Cure. Tomorrowland is a vision long held by Mitchell and with the “silver lining” that COVID-19…
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Sydney indie-pop artist Taylor B-W has just released the video for her latest single, “Nunchucks”. She is an artist with a bullet against her trajectory. In “Nunchucks”, she is rocking a 90’s RnB vibe with soaring vocals. It’s a seriously infectious tune; fun, upbeat and packed with a killer groove. Talking about the song, Taylor…
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Turns Out, I’m Fine sees comedian Judith Lucy making peace with different things in her life. The former star of The Late Show toured her comedy show, Judith Lucy versus Men across Australia in 2019. A number of the jokes and stories she told there form the basis of her latest book. Fans of her debut biography,…
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I vividly remember the first time I saw London Grammar live. It was at Falls Festival Byron Bay in 2013/14 just as the band had exploded on the back of “Strong” and debut album If You Wait. With the sun having just set and vision from the stage obviously limited, frontwoman Hannah Reid politely asked…
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Hailing from Sydney, but now a resident of London, Ed Wells has teamed up with fellow Londoner Manüka on their electro-pop single, “Tougher”. This is a track about the resilience we all have when faced with formidable challenges. We are thrilled to have the premiere of this tune before its official release on Friday. Last…
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Celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2021, the Fast & Furious series has defied all expectation and grown to exponential heights as Vin Diesel and his motley crew have graduated from street racing to international espionage. The latest trailer for Fast & Furious 9 only adds to the franchise’s penchant for athletic lunacy as Diesel’s Dominic…
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The back cover of Barry Divola‘s debut novel Driving Stevie Fracasso makes some lofty claims. It promises High Fidelity meets The Big Lebowski meets The Darjeeling Limited; it promises Nick Hornby, David Nicholls and Jonathan Tropper vibes. Picking it up, I thought to myself that this one novel could not possibly live up to all that. But here’s the thing,…
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Our track of the week is “Chasing Heaven” and comes from Sydney-siders Highline. We might be heading into winter, but this bouncy song will take you back to the heights of summer. “Chasing Heaven” will be on their upcoming EP, Off Track, which is due to be released on 13th May this year. “Chasing Heaven”…
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Luxury staycations are hot enough right now, but what if you’re five-star room came fully-equipped with one of the world’s highest performing large format digital cameras. We’re talking a 102 Megapixel beast worth almost $10,000, ready and willing to help you capture everything from those direct Sydney Opera House and harbour views, to strolls along…
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Freshwater’s recently refreshed Harbord Hotel has been drawing praise from beyond the Northern Beaches thanks to a swift, smart update. The legendary hotel, a Northern Beaches fortress of frothies, good food, and – quite honestly – the best spicy margs in Sydney right now, is now gearing up for their first big event. That would…
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Now that domestic tourism is pumping, operator AAT Kings has once again teamed up with the #EmptyEsky movement and various regional tourism businesses. Why? Well it’s the return of the popular Bushfire Relief Giveback experiences – short and insightful tours aimed at directing support to communities that were directly impacted by 2020’s devastating bushfires (and…
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Roz Pappalardo is one of those talented artists who creates in many spheres in the arts. She is a singer and songwriter, an actor, as well as a play-write. Today we are thrilled to be premiering a song that Roz has written and sings, “Won’t Be Quiet”. This is the title track of her next…
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Dangerous Women may be the first novel published under the name Hope Adams, but it’s not in actual fact the author’s first book. Rather, Hope Adams is a pseudonym adopted by the well-established author (and mother of bestselling crime writer Sophie Hannah), Adele Geras. Geras has made no secret of her true identity, unlike like other well-known authors who have written…
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Sydney artist Phondupe, the moniker for Rich Lucano, has just released his debut album, Onykia. It’s an album we’ve been eagerly looking forward to, having showcased Phondupe in our 20 artists to watch in 2020 list. Phondupe is a multi-dimensional artist with skills across the spectrum. Producing lush intricate soundscapes, and possessing a voice that…
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Author, John Kinsella, pushes many boundaries in his latest collection of short stories: Pushing Back. The collection is made up of thirty-five astute stories about love and loss, as well as stories about nature, birds and the Australia outback. You’ll learn about Goozi’s, Red Wattle birds and the thoughts of children and men. You’ll also read…
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I told myself that I wouldn’t entertain pandemic adjacent albums. But, Rhiannon Giddens’ latest, recorded with Italian multi-instrumentalist Francesco Turrisi, has proven to be an exception. It helps that it’s not an album of songs about sourdough and lockdowns. It also helps that it’s superb. They’re Calling Me Home is a timely album, with pertinent…
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The Australian Book Industry Awards have just released their 2021 shortlist, with the final winners to be announced at a star-studded event on April 28th at Sydney’s Carriageworks. In an ABIA first, a limited number of tickets to the awards night will be available to the general public. And for anyone who can’t make it…
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Pinkish Blu are an iridescent Adelaidean pop band that will have lyric-lovers falling head over heels for their romanticised intricacy. Their debut EP, There’s no such thing as good people, had consistent airplay on triple j and earned them support spots with the likes of G Flip, The Reubens, Trophy Eyes and more. In fact,…
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Sydney will be treated to an enchanted fairy-tale in the form of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella. The Capitol Theatre will host the Australian premiere of a production presented by Opera Australia and the Gordon Frost Organisation, who previously partnered together for The King and I. Debuting in on Broadway in 2013, the award-winning Cinderella is…
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A perfectly stupendous amount of ‘Dum’! The critically acclaimed and globally touring Australian circus company, Dummies Corp, lights up the stage at The Famous Spiegeltent in Melbourne with their first adult-themed circus comedy – The Dumtectives in Cirque Noir. As part of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, this show blasts you into a world of…
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