It’s been over a decade since we’ve really heard from German-Norwegian pop outfit The Whitest Boy Alive. We’re glad that’s changed. Reforming, this side-project from Kings of Convenience’s Erlend Øye has once again emerged to give us a complicated dose of Scandi pop, restrained and euphoric in equal measures. Øye, Marcin Ōz, Sebastian Maschat and…
We have the Exclusive Single Premiere of “Give Me (Something)” from Sydney-side indie-outfit The Sunday Estate. This is a character study about teenage love, and how these relationships can be being fraught with difficulties. The song paints a vivid picture and you find yourself immersed in the narrative with ease. With a strong and engaging story…
Microsoft have announced a series of live-streams on Xbox Series X that will replace its now-cancelled slate of GDC 2020 talks. The live-streams, called Game Stack Live, will broadcast a series of panels on Mixer over two days. One of these panels is titled “Xbox Series X + Project xCloud = New Chapter in Gaming.”…
I remember the first time I saw the trailer for One-Punch Man: A Hero Nobody Knows. How is this ever going to work as a video game? I thought. Surely a game that features a hero able to defeat any enemy with a single punch would make for a pretty boring game. For the most…
Once in a generation there comes a remarkable talent that manages to take the breath from all who hear them. Mavis Staples is one such artist. She is Gospel royalty. It was fantastic to see her back in Melbourne and getting on board with the cause to benefit the Mountain Pygmy Possums. Staples was joined by…
All About Women at the Sydney Opera House celebrated feminism with a line-up of powerful and inspiring innovators and thinkers. Coinciding with International Women’s Day (March 8), the festival was originally conceived to push back against the fact that, at the majority of conferences, most of the speakers tend to be male. What has evolved…
In January, we brought you a report that Guerilla Games’ Horizon Zero Dawn was headed to PC. That report has now been confirmed in a PlayStation Blog Q&A with Herman Hulst, the head of PlayStation Worldwide Studios. “Yes, I can confirm that Horizon Zero Dawn is coming to PC this summer,” says Hulst in the…
It was another glorious World of Music and Dance in Adelaide at the 2020 WOMADelaide festival. In spite of everything that is going on in this crazy world at the moment, people from every corner of the globe came together to celebrate our differences. But, also the many things that we all have in common….
Music industry legend Mavis Staples delivered a brilliant performance Saturday night. After seventy plus years of performing she has only improved with age. Support came from Emma Donovan and The Putbacks. Our photographer Danny Hanssen brings us all the action from the night.
NIRIN, the official title of the 22nd Biennale of Sydney, will be taking over the city’s foremost art institutions with a total of 700 words in display. 101 artists and collectives, including 39 Australian artists, will have their work displayed from 14th March to 8th June, bringing to life icons like Art Gallery of NSW,…
Stereolab delivered an interesting performance at the penultimate Zoo Twilight performance on Friday night. After many years away from touring they managed to draw a large crowd to catch them perform back in Melbourne once again. Support came from Melbourne locals Mildlife. Photographer Danny Hanssen brings these shots.
In some of the least expected news of the week, beloved chocolate and malt powder MILO has announced a plant-based alternative. Simply titled MILO Plant Based, the new powder has been created in response to more Aussies turning to dairy alternatives. Using the same core ingredients as the original MILO, those being malt, barley and…
Our Track of the Day is “Oxytoxic” from Sydney electro-pop outfit RACKETT, and it’s especially exciting as a total kick-arse video for it is also being released today. A brief recap on who Rackett is and where they have come from in case you’ve missed that one. They were a totally captivating glam-rock 4-piece, with…
It had been eighteen years since I last saw Stereolab live, so I was looking forward to seeing them again at the Factory Theatre on Sunday night. Support for the night was another firm favourite, the Underground Lovers, so a solid night out was assured. The Underground Lovers delivered a short but powerful set. The…
Dystopia is a dark fantastical production set in a post-apocalyptic future Earth. The opening screen shows a static montage of bomber planes, skulls, wartime destruction. This sets the scene for the performance to come. The audience catches glimpses of the characters, an elfin ballerina, a doll, lone guitarist, a zombie troupe and more. The lone…
Fremantle folksters Jack Davies and the Bush Chooks have dropped their first release of 2020. “Half Frozen Beer”, is the first track from a forthcoming EP, and caps off a busy and impressive 2019. “Half Frozen Beer” starts slow. But, quickly evolves into a rollicking good time. It’s got that foot-stomping, feel good vibe so prescient…
The penultimate Zoo Twilight show of 2020 saw one of the Ninetie’s biggest experimental groups, Stereolab, head back to Melbourne, ten years after the group last toured. The group were joined by Mildlife, a Melbourne group whose lo-fi dream electronica kept the crowd pulsing early before the main event. Mildlife lulled the early crowd with a fusion…
From the moment he swaggers into the room, you can tell Tyler Everett (played by Tom Crotty) is going to own the audience. Making eye contact, he begins his story of sex, violence and city living. Dressed in a black leather jacket, white t-shirt and designer stubble, with a backpack slung over his shoulder he…
Touring in a country you’ve had a unique connection to will always be different to other shows and tours. Coming back to the country you lived in and married into, will always give you reason to perform at a level that goes beyond what could be expected from a touring act. For Ben Folds, playing…
Glitoris are a political punk rock outfit, known for their strong political stances, and phenomenal high-energy performances. Their latest release “Slut Power” is a powerful call to arms against the scourge of violence against women. It is International Women’s Day today, and Glitoris have chosen to mark the day with the release of their manifesto. It…
House, blues, hip hop, gospel, and just about every other culturally important form of music you can think of. It’s all in the Windy City. And it’s everywhere, and anywhere, as it should be. Chicago is one of the most sacred cities in the world when it comes to music history. From legendary jazz clubs…
It was a first-class lineup at the Enmore Theatre in Sydney last night with Julia Jacklin headlining. She was supported by Carla Geneve and Kevin Morby. First off the blocks was Carla Geneve from Perth. I saw her last year supporting Holy Holy and was blown away by her performance. A strong powerful voice, great on…
One of the most beloved aspects of 2016’s DOOM was its furious, hypnotic heavy metal soundtrack. Composed by Melbourne producer Mick Gordon, it perfectly complemented the game’s hellish atmosphere and balletic combat. With DOOM Eternal now only weeks away, metal fans are primed to hear Gordon’s new material. Part of that new material may surprise: Gordon…
For a hundred dollar gaming headset, the Turtle Beach Ear Force Recon 200 represents pretty solid value for money. I’ve had an up-and-down experience with Turtle Beach’s headsets over the years but with the Recon 200, it looks like it may have turned over a new leaf. Strong hold The moment you put the Recon…
Melbourne singer-songwriter BATTS is back with brand new single, “City View”. A self described love song, “City View” is the first taste of BATTS’ new material post The Grand Tour. It’s great timing too, with the Melbourne artist jetting off to America for SXSW in a matter of weeks. The conceptual thread that ran through…
Beloved video game franchise The Last of Us is becoming a new HBO series. The game’s writer and creative director Neil Druckmann, and Chernobyl creator Craig Mazin will develop the series. Carolyn Strauss and Naughty Dog president Evan Wells will executive produce. The series will be a co-production between Sony Pictures Television and PlayStation Productions….
Last month, I flew Virgin Australia from Los Angeles to Sydney, and was lucky enough to enjoy an Economy X upgrade en route – which means a great deal on board their Boeing 777 service. So, in 2020, what does that upgrade – which sits between Economy and Premium Economy – mean? And most importantly:…
Our favourite Canadian quartet is back! Hailing from Oshawa, Ontario, Dizzy have returned to give us a dose of their pure pop gem with “Sunflower”. It’s as hypnotising and beautiful as much as it is a track designed to make you want to groove. And it’s a welcome addition to the group’s already impressive catalogue….
February 2020 marks the one year anniversary of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child reaching Melbourne. With over 325,000 attendees surging into the Princess Theatre to watch the tale unfold across the last twelve months, the show has been a record-breaking success. Although it has been on stage since its London premiere for almost four years,…
The sports drama formula in cinema has been the most overused and non-innovative formula in cinema lately. Ever since the early 2000s, Walt Disney Pictures have made a long string of films with a fixed formula: inspirational movies about triumphing over adversity that are mostly based on true stories. Despite the critical reception of the…