WAMAwards 2020

Spacey Jane win big at star-studded 2020 WAMAwards

Last night saw the best and brightest of WA’s music scene come together to celebrate the very best of 2020 at the WAMAwards.  Taking place as part of WA Music Week, the evening was testament to Western Australia’s vibrant, talented, and resilient music scene, with live performances from winners, Adrian Dzvuke, Noah Dillon and more….

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Film Review: The Mauritanian is a factual-based thriller grounded by Tahar Rahim’s central performance

As much as The Mauritanian can boast Jodie Foster (in her Golden Globe-winning role), Benedict Cumberbatch and Shailene Woodley as its headliners, it’s the central performance from the lesser-known Tahar Rahim that ultimately impresses and grounds the film around him. A factual-based dramatic thriller detailing some of the supposed inner workings of the 9/11 terrorism…

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Here’s where to find the best one-day hikes around Tokyo

The mountainous terrain of Japan means nature lovers are spoiled for choice when it comes to trekking. Simply embark on a short one hour train, nature-bound and watch the transformation of metropolitan Tokyo to scenic and serene inaka (Japanese for rural countryside). Even if you’re only traveller passing through, I encourage you to block out…

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AMP Winners The Avalanches announce Brisbane and Sydney concerts

The Avalanches have announced shows in Brisbane and Sydney in April and May. The duo will be bringing their latest album, We Will Always Love You to Brisbane’s Riverstage on Friday, April 30, and Sydney’s Enmore Theatre on Thursday 27th May. It was one of our most anticipated albums of 2020, with our reviewer Dylan…

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Lake Street Dive

Interview: Lake Street Dive on Obviously, writing styles and women’s rights

Formed through Boston’s New England Conservatory of Music in the 2000s, Lake Street Dive has been a staple in the soul-rock scene, distinguished by their jazz prowess and genre transcendence. They hit the big time with their singles “Good Kisser” and “Rich Girl” from their 2018 album Free Yourself Up, only to back it up…

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Review: The Other Art Fair Sydney makes art affordable and relevant

Described as an art fair for a new generation of art buyers, The Other Art Fair in Sydney presents a selection of over 100 independent artists with works ranging in price from under $100 to over $1000. Presented by Saatchi Art and held at The Cutaway at Barangaroo, The Other Art Fair also delivers performance…

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Air New Zealand sets sights on Hobart with new service from Auckland

Once quarantine-free travel is up and running, Air New Zealand will introduce a non-stop service between Auckland and Hobart as its tenth Australian destination. The route will provide a much-needed economic boost to both cities and their respective tourism industries, as well as open Kiwi’s up to the absolute wonder of one of Australia’s best…

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Dyson target formaldehyde with their most advanced air purifiers to date

Look, I’m a bit of a Dyson fanboy so please excuse me if any of the below sounds overly-fluffed. And this isn’t even a review; it’s a news piece. It’s news to let our readers know that this week the renowned brand has lifted the lid on its latest generation of purification machines, headlined by…

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Pip Williams

Pip Williams and The Dictionary of Lost Words are the big winners at the Indie Book Awards 2021

For the second year the Indie Book Awards have been announced online, with The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams announced as Australian independent booksellers’ favourite book of the year. On winning the award, Pip Williams hailed the work of Australia’s independent booksellers as they adapted to working in a pandemic lockdown: “The Dictionary…

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Opera Kitchen is now a vibrant Italian & Japanese food hall

It’s one of Sydney’s most sought after dining spots, given it sides right up to Sydney Harbour, and now Opera Kitchen has reopened with a fresh new approach to dining. The venue is now a multi-cuisine food hall, giving Opera Bar more than a few new neighbours for anyone keen to mix-and-match their dining experience….

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Thandi Phoenix

Interview: Thandi Phoenix on “Count Me Out”, creativity and staying inspired

Thandi Phoenix rose to international prominence with her feature on Rudimental‘s 2018 track, “My Way”. In 2019, she wowed her fans with her eponymous debut EP including hits such as “Say It” and “Cleopatra”, and now she’s following it up with her latest single “Count Me Out”. The Sydney artist places her silken RnB voice on…

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Sad King Billy

Exclusive Single Premiere: Sad King Billy “Bad Man” (2021)

Sad King Billy is the solo project of Julian Peet, a native of Perth in Western Australia. We are thrilled to be premiering his latest release “Bad Man” today, ahead of its official release. The track is off the upcoming Sad King Billy album, Mental Wealth, due to be released in 2021. His songs explore…

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Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning Review: A vital title for the Nintendo Switch

It disturbs me just how often Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning is overlooked and underrated when it comes to talking about the great action-RPGs of the past decade. Skyrim? Sure. Dark Souls? Definitely. The Witcher 3? You betcha. All three games were superior of KoA, but that doesn’t at all diminish just how intensely playable and…

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Junipalooza Sydney eyes August launch with a two-day homage to gin

Two-day gin superfest Junipalooza is eyeing an August 2021 debut for its Sydney iteration, following five successful years staging its Melbourne festival. The homage to all things gin will be taking over Carriageworks on 28th and 29th August, rounding up dozens of distillers under the one roof. Given the way the festival works and its…

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4 ways you can enjoy Japan online right now

Now that it’s coming into spring in Japan, the days are getting longer, the sun is somehow shining a little brighter, and the cherry blossoms are about to bloom; in short, it’s the best time of year to be in Japan. Unfortunately, because of ‘you know what’ popping over to Japan for a cheeky visit…

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Travel Gear: Icebreaker’s City Label is a game-changer for the brand

New Zealand brand Icebreaker may be best known for travel apparel that you’d wear far outside of any dense concrete settings, but their still-fresh City label plays by a different set of rules. Although timing may have been a bit off, Icebreaker’s tightly curated City capsule launched early last year and has instantly become an…

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Holy Holy

Photo Gallery: Holy Holy + Queen P – Factory Theatre, Sydney (19.03.21)

Holy Holy played three sold-out shows at the Factory Theatre in Sydney this weekend. It was a challenge for the audience to stay seated when the band ripped through hit after hit in a memorable show. As you would expect, their most recent album, My Own Pool of Light, was well represented, with the first…

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Film Review: Zack Snyder’s Justice League is a vast improvement in every conceivable way

Let’s be honest; the 2017 version of Justice League was one of the biggest cinematic disappointments of the last decade. What should have been the glorious peak of the DC Extended Universe was ultimately a sloppy, disjointed mess that was the inevitable result of switching directors at the eleventh hour. After the tragic death of…

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Disco Elysium refused classification

Disco Elysium: The Final Cut refused classification in Australia

Disco Elysium: The Final Cut has been refused classification by the Australian Classification Board. The ban comes a little over a week ahead of the game’s March 30th release date. Refusal to give the game a classification — a rating from G to R18+ — effectively bans the game from sale here. The ruling was handed…

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Today We're The Greatest

Interview: Middle Kids on Today We’re The Greatest, motherhood and putting yourself first

Middle Kids album Today We’re The Greatest is a triumphant follow up to the debut success of Lost Friends. Recorded in Los Angeles with producer Lars Stalfors (St. Vincent, Soccer Mommy), the Sydney trio track the journey of frontwoman Hannah Joy and bandmate Tim Fitz’s marriage and budding family. Hannah’s sense of love isn’t romanticised…

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SXSW Film Review: Sound of Violence is a cathartic yet violent expression of how to overcome grief

Grief is often something that runs throughout the core of the horror narrative.  And depending how it is structured, it can act in a nature that’s either cathartic or repressive.  In Alex Noyer‘s Sound of Violence it’s a mixture of both psychological expressions, with the additive intricacy of music production – another key element to…

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First Impressions: Marvel’s The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is comforting in its canon familiarity

Right from the opening moments of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier – an extended action sequence amid rock formations spearheaded by Anthony Mackie‘s Falcon – it’s evident that the intent of this show is to link it to the prototype of the Marvel canon we’ve come to expect.  After WandaVision took bold swings, this…

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Guest Playlist: Set the mood with Riley Pearce’s top 10 love songs

After being caught up in Melbourne’s lockdown, indie singer-songwriter Riley Pearce and his long-term girlfriend took two big steps: they returned to Riley’s hometown of Perth AND got a puppy. That sure sounds like love to us! It was also a great opportunity for Pearce to take his first musical deep dive into love song…

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Square Enix Presents

Every trailer from today’s Square Enix Presents broadcast

The first-ever Square Enix Presents broadcast arrived early this morning, showing off a raft of new games from one of the world’s most beloved third-party publishers. Before you get too excited: there were no Final Fantasy announcements to be found. Indeed, the show ran surprisingly low on the JRPG’s that are Square’s bread and butter. However,…

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The Paris Library

Book Review: Reading is a rebellious act in Janet Skeslien Charles’s The Paris Library

In 1939, Odile Souchet applies for a job at the American Library in Paris, having just completed her library studies degree. An avid reader, Odile is so well-suited for a job as a librarian she even thinks in Dewey Decimal subject headings sometimes. Odile is drawn to the ALP because it is the place where…

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PlayStation EVO

PlayStation acquires EVO fighting game tournament, drops 2021 dates

Sony announced this morning that it has acquired the Evolution Championship Series, the biggest fighting game tournament in the world. Fans and contestants simply call it EVO. Sony Interactive Entertainment and RTS, an esports startup under Endeavour, have acquired the “assets and properties” of the EVO tournament. From today, all future EVO events become PlayStation…

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SXSW Film Review: Swan Song is a reminder to the queer trailblazers of where they have been and how far the community has come

German character actor Udo Kier is so synonymous with villainy that his role in Swan Song appears all the more revelatory.  But given the actor’s own queer identification and penchant for theatrical performances, a character like his at the centre of Todd Stephens‘s gentle dramedy feels quite in tune with the actor’s aesthetic. Based on…

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SXSW Film Review: Demi Lovato: Dancing with the Devil amplifies her unique voice over the tragedies that have defined her existence

Not unlike the professional front Katy Perry put forward in her Part of Me documentary, where she grinned and performed for a mass crowd only moments after being informed that her marriage (at the time) was over, Demi Lovato similarly bravely faces her adoring fans night after night in the early seconds of Dancing with…

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SXSW Short Film Review: The Thing That Ate The Birds holds up a mirror to one’s own conscience in a more fantastical manner

Written and directed by Sophie Mair and Dan Gitsham, The Thing That Ate The Birds is an atmospheric short that teases a darker universe we can only hope could be expanded on. Abel (Eoin Slattery) and Grace (Rebecca Palmer) are on the verge of separation, but the tragic circumstances surrounding their farmland have pushed their…

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SXSW Film Review: The Feast delights in both metaphorical and mythical terror

One of those films that has a log line that feels all too familiar, Lee Haven Jones‘s The Feast presents itself as a supernaturally inclined horror film on the surface, only to gradually morph into an allegory of sorts that runs deeper than the film’s initial mentality would have you believe. Set in a secluded,…

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