Sydney indie-rock quartet Bad Pony have shared their debut album Forever Up & Coming with us ahead of its official release tomorrow. After a decade of being a band, they are proud to finally deliver the record that was three years in the making. It may not be a name you’re familiar with yet, but…
The claustrophobic and emotional resonance Florian Zeller created with 2020’s The Father is unfortunately nowhere to be found in The Son, a prequel of sorts based off another of Zeller’s stage plays. A chamber piece on the subject of dementia that rightfully won Anthony Hopkins his second Best Actor Academy Award, The Father expressed subtlety…
The return of St. Jerome’s Laneway felt much needed and right, but not as familiar as we remember it, unless of course you remember the Big Day Out. The Sydney Showgrounds site, including the cavernous Boiler Room (version 2.0) on a 25+ degree summer’s day has been the location for many classic festival experiences and…
girl in red (Marie Ulven) is currently in Australia for the Laneway Festival. She managed to squeeze in two side shows along the way, one in Melbourne and the other was in Sydney. We were lucky enough to be at the Sydney show. Betty Taylor opened the show. It was one of those gigs where…
Meanjin (Brisbane) based vocalist Hannah Macklin is back with “Stars”, her first release of 2023. The track is a heavenly slice of neo-soul, with a passing nod to jazz amidst a restrained sonic palate. The instrumentation is predominantly acoustic which allows Hannah’s soaring voice to shine. With strings in the mix, it has a lushness…
After more than a decade, singer Darren Hayes brought his extravagant stage presence back to Sydney with a string of Savage Garden hits, solo favourites, and of course a celebration of tracks from his recent album Homosexual. Photos by Gwendolyn Lee
Brisbane-born, Stockholm-based artist Hazlett has returned with his debut album Bloom Mountain, released 13 January. His unique brand of ballroom indie-folk is the ideal soundtrack to long drives and candlelit dinners. After three EPs and a string of solid singles since 2016, the 10-track record showcases delicate guitarwork, moving vocals and warm textures to create…
When it comes to true crime Emily Webb is something of an expert. The Melbourne-based journalist is the host of the Australian True Crime podcast along with co-host and fellow author, Meshel Laurie. Webb has also published three books on the subject matter; her latest, Suburban True Crime draws together some of the same cases…
Perth indie-rockers South Summit have started 2023 strong by already exceeding expectations as ones to watch. With the release of their new EP Creatures on 12 January, the band have also announced a 10-date national headline tour supported by Slim Jimz. Featuring the groovy and soulful singles “Promise Me”, “Tired of Waiting” and “Runaway”, the…
In 2012’s Magic Mike, Channing Tatum‘s titular performer lamented that he didn’t want to be a “40 year old stripper”. The irony isn’t lost some decade on where Tatum’s Mike, having seemingly failed at his planned custom furniture business, has to fall back on his expert set of skills. And, as we would expect, the…
On Sunday, Sydney had its first Laneway Festival since 2020 at its new home in the Sydney Showground. The new surrounds may lack in atmosphere, but the proximity of the four stages to each other was welcome, and with three of them being indoors, on a warm summers day, this was much appreciated. The bill…
When sitting down to review Liz Kingsman’s critically acclaimed One Woman Show at the Sydney Opera House, the real challenge is trying not to reveal too much while simultaneously describing one of the funniest comedic performances you’ll see this year. Written and performed by Kingsman and directed by Adam Brace, One Woman Show uses self-deprecating,…
I’ll be the first to admit it; I still pop in the older Harry Potter games on both the original PlayStation and PlayStation 2. My love for both the films and books aside, I simply love existing in this world and exploring the nooks and crannies that Hogwarts has to offer. So you could imagine…
After talking to both director Michael Showalter and his (other) leading man, Ben Aldridge, it came time for Peter Gray to converse with Spoiler Alert’s Jim Parsons, where the two touched on the ease of queer stories now being told, his relationship with the inspirational figure behind the film, Michael Ausiello, and what it was…
Based on Michael Ausiello’s best-selling memoir “Spoiler Alert: The Hero Dies,” Spoiler Alert is a heartwarming, funny and life-affirming story of how Michael’s relationship with his partner Kit is transformed and deepened when one of them falls ill. Bringing Michael’s story to life is director Michael Showalter, an alt-comedy auteur whose eclectic resume ranges from…
It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s Mary Poppins descending on Melbourne’s own 17 Cherry Tree Lane for an unforgettable night of splendour. Adapted from the beloved writings of P.L. Travers, Disney and Cameron Mackintosh present this new and improved Mary Poppins production highlighting an all-Australian cast. The magical narrative follows Mr and Mrs Banks,…
Darren Hayes was the frontman of duo pop supergroup Savage Garden in the late nineties. With a string of hits such as “Truly Madly Deeply”, “To the Moon and Back” and “I Want You” the world was at their feet. After a successful foray into New York, the band decided to take a hiatus, from…
Spoiler alert: Ben Aldridge is having a moment! After coming out only three years ago via an Instagram post, and steadily working in television with memorable roles in Fleabag and Pennyworth, Aldridge seems like he’s no longer just on the cusp of fame, but fully fledged within it. After fending off Dave Bautista in M….
Telegraphed in both its title and opening sequence, Spoiler Alert braces its audience for an unhappy ending from the get-go. But, as much as Michael Showalter‘s handkerchief-ready drama adheres to a familiar structure within the “terminal illness romance” genre – ala The Fault in Our Stars or Holding the Man – the film thankfully isn’t…
On a warm summer night in February, a small English band lit up a small Sydney stage in a display of class, wit and banter. This could be the start of a joke, but Yard Act are no joke; they’re the real deal. In the country for Laneway Festival, Yard Act put their debut album…
When a deal goes wrong between a corrupt governor and a ruthless drug lord, ex-special forces operative Doc (Frank Grillo) is caught in the crosshairs. Now, with his family in danger, Doc must take down the Mexican drug cartel and do whatever it takes to protect the one good thing in his life – his…
Darren Aronofsky has always been one to push the extremities of his characters’ limit throughout his career. Whether it be physical or psychological, they have all suffered past their breaking point – often to their own demise – and The Whale similarly submits to this trend, looking at an eating addiction spurned from depression. From…
At the age of 16, Jessica Watson attempted solo global circumnavigation. Departing in Sydney on October 18th, 2009, and returning on 15th May 2010, her incredible, untapped journey saw her cross the equator in the Pacific Ocean before crossing both the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. A Young Australian of the Year Award recipient and awarded…
Yorkshire quartet Yard Act are in the country at the moment for the Laneway Festival, and have managed to sneak in a few sideshows along the way. We’ve been massive fans at the AU since their debut album The Overload dropped early last year. They turned up the heat in the Oxford Art Factory last…
As we roll into February we’ve added another ten tracks to our Discovery playlist on Spotify and Apple Music. Our track of the week belongs to Manchester’s Slow Readers Club, with “Lay Your Troubles on Me”. The track is from their forthcoming album, Knowledge Freedom Power, which is to be released on the 24th of…
Polite Society tells the story of two Pakistani-Muslim sisters in London; plucky Ria (Priya Kansara), who dreams of being a stuntwoman, and Lena (Ritu Arya), her world-weary older sister who wants to be an artist. With Lena recently returned home after dropping out of art school, Ria constantly goads her into helping her make YouTube…
If the horror genre has taught us anything it’s that cabins are never going to be the cosy, safe getaway that each inhabiting character tends to think it will be. But even in the realms of the horror genre, Knock at the Cabin, the latest from genre auteur M. Night Shyamalan, has a few tricks…
Forspoken is a fantasy adventure with a lot of heart and soul at its core. While some of its magic gets lost in translation, the expansive open world, unique controls and intriguing combat system help the game feel fresh more so than not. The cinematic scope of the story and main missions give it a…
Brisbane indie-rock quartet Friends of Friends are quickly proving themselves as ones to watch this year. After touring with Slowly Slowly in 2022 and releasing their latest single “Morphine” on 24 November, the band will be embarking on an East Coast tour tomorrow to celebrate the new song. The Morphine Australia Tour will see them…
Five Australian authors have had their work recognised in the 2023 Dublin Literary Award Longlist; an award that saw 84 libraries across 31 countries nominate worthy recipients. With a prize of €100,000 for the winner, the award is the world’s most valuable annual prize for a single work of fiction published in English. The last time…
