Viva Almodovar! If that opening didn’t clue you in, I am a huge fan of the work of acclaimed Spanish film director Pedro Almodovar. His filmmaking is an extravagant blend that is both wondrously idiosyncratic and entertainingly melodramatic; capped off with a colourfully vibrant eye. Even his supposedly disappointing films have won me over time,…
London-based Australian musician Jordan Rakei has just dropped his new album, Origin, his third, and first since the release of Wallflower back in 2017. Initially I came to this album on a bit of a whim, unfamiliar with Rakei’s past output, but drawn in by plaudits from the likes of Robert Glasper and Terrace Martin….
If you’ve ever seen a performer such as Sharon Van Etten, you’d understand the term ‘smooth operator’. This was something that was seemingly obvious at Hamer Hall on Tuesday night as Sharon closed up the Australian leg of her Remind Me Tomorrow tour. Along for the ride was Melbourne’s vert own BATTS, who proved to…
Sharon Van Etten was a wonderful addition to Melbourne’s nightlife this week as she closed her Australian tour alongside local artist BATTS. Danny brings us these shots from night.
Contemporary jazz septet Nérija have this week announced plans to release their debut album, Blume, on August 2nd. To coincide with the announcement they’ve also dropped a taste of the album, in the shape of “Riverfest”. “Riverfest” and Blume were recorded in London’s legendary Soup Studios and produced by Kwes. The group’s goal of the…
Earlier this month saw the publication of Elizabeth Kuiper’s debut novel Little Stones. The novel, which draws upon Kuiper’s own childhood experiences, follows the story of Hannah, a young white Zimbabwean as she navigates everyday life in a country under the control of Robert Mugabe. Following the novel’s release we sat down with Elizabeth to…
Tentpole sequels, reboots, and remakes have been dropping like flies in 2019. Godzilla: King of the Monsters has underperformed. The Secret Life of Pets 2 fell flat. The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part earned less than half what its predecessor did. Hellboy was an unmitigated disaster. And X-Men: Dark Phoenix is already dead on arrival. Next up on…
This week has seen Sunshine Coast singer-songwriter and musician Angharad Drake drop her new single “Start Again”, her first since the release of her debut album Ghost in 2017, and since becoming a mother. On “Start Again”, Drake has returned to a more stripped back style of making music, erring towards the intimate and natural….
I consider this review a bit of a challenge. It’s not because I don’t know about PC’s — in fact, I use them daily. It’s simply because I don’t game on them. I’m a console man, the ease and simplicity they offer working better for me and my situation overall. So: being trusted with one…
Persona Q2: The Cinema Labyrinth is a quirky little game, mixing the classic gameplay formula of Etrian Odyssey with Persona‘s ‘so hot right now’ shoot ’em up style. The blend works well for the most part, making Persona Q2 a fun and always interesting experience. You play as Joker, the ever popular protagonist of Persona…
Love and marriage go together like a horse and carriage. But what do you do if you’re a single woman who is over a certain age living in China? The documentary, Leftover Women, is an illuminating look at three individuals who grapple with various stigmas and expectations, in a society where women are encouraged to…
Omar Sakr’s The Lost Arabs was one of my most anticipated new releases for the year. It has more than lived up to expectations, which isn’t always the case. It’s intimate, vibrant, beautifully composed and engages creatively and powerfully with a whole host of concerns and themes intrinsic to understanding the modern world. The Lost…
Gold Coast rock duo Salt & Steel have just dropped their latest track, “The Beast, The Devil And Me“, and we love it! The second of a series of four interconnecting singles celebrating the four natural elements, there’s no prizes for guessing that this fierce, dirty country inspired track represents fire! Salt & Steel formed…
Sydney-based queer-pop artist BOLEYN dropped his sophomore single, “Re: 21”, yesterday. Produced and mixed by Clockwork Odyssey at their studios in Kings Cross, the single sees BOLEYN challenging the generalisations that surround life in your twenties, with each of the verses dealing with a specific anxiety: alcohol, mental health, drugs, the hook-up culture and more….
RJ Mitte walks the red carpet at the world premiere of Standing Up For Sunny as part of the Sydney Film Festival alongside actress Philippa Northeast and Matthew Nable.
They say if you do something you love, you’ll never work a day in your life. American photographer, Martha Cooper fits this to a tee. She has had a long and storied career capturing some fine images of urban landscapes, and changing towns and communities. Martha: A Picture Story is like a love letter to…
Melbourne producer and vocalist Archy Stranger drops his new single, his second for the year, tomorrow. Ahead of tomorrow’s official release date we’re stoked to bring you this exclusive first listen of his latest indie pop gem: “Home”. Some of you will already be familiar with the name Archy Stranger through his work as session…
There is no question that author, J.R.R Tolkien is worthy of a bio-pic. The writer is responsible for some of the most beloved fantasy epics including: The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. This bio-pic is a rather pedestrian telling of some of his life events and as such, is unworthy of such a…
Last month, I jumped on board Virgin Atlantic’s red eye service from New York’s JFK Airport through to London’s Heathrow. As a Platinum member of Virgin Australia’s Velocity frequent flyer program, this gave me access to one of the best features of the Virgin Atlantic network – the “Revivals Lounge” at Heathrow. Given the airline’s…
Byron Bay dream-pop quartet Seaside dropped their new single, “Sycamore”, at the end of last month. The single, which is inspired by lead singer Darcy Dexter’s personal experiences with social anxiety and self doubt, is a beautifully jangly slice of Australian indie rock. If you’ve not already had a listen, now is the time. “Sycamore”,…
Nintendo just won E3. It’s not even up for debate. The best press conference by far went down at 2am Australian time and featured everything from Banjo-Kazooie in Smash Bros, Animal Crossing, No More Heroes 3, Fire Emblem and the announcement of a sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. This was…
This is a news story for anyone that came up in the early 2000’s playing Super Nintendo ROMS. Seiken Densetsu 3 was the sequel to Seiken Densetsu 2, a game released in the West under the name Secret of Mana. Secret of Mana was and is still considered one of the greatest roleplaying games ever…
Nintendo fans have been waiting quite some time for news on when they could expect to play Animal Crossing: New Horizons. While originally slated to ship in 2019, the game has slipped to March 2020. While this may be disappointing for fans hoping to have an Animal Crossing game under the tree at Christmas, the…
Luigi’s Mansion 3 was one of the first games Nintendo had to talk about during their E3 Nintendo Direct broadcast this year. The first time the series has returned to a major console since the original Luigi’s Mansion back on the Gamecube after a brief detour onto the 3DS in 2013. The game looks to…
The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening is already the cutest game of the year and it isn’t out for another three months. The Nintendo Switch remake of the Game Boy classic brings charming visuals, a new take on old mechanics and — in a bit of a twist — your very own dungeon builder. Link’s…
It’s been a while since we’ve seen a Mario & Sonic at the Olympics title but with the Tokyo 2020 games on the horizon, you’d better believe Nintendo is getting into the spirit. The trailer, which first appeared during this morning’s E3 edition of Nintendo Direct, features a number of new sports including surfing, skateboarding,…
Empire of Sin is a new strategy game from Paradox Interactive and Romero Games, the independent studio founded by Doom co-creator John Romero. It dropped its first trailer during this morning’s Nintendo Direct at E3 and looks to merge the top-down strategy of XCOM with 1920’s prohibition era America. The trailer features baroom brawls, gun fights…
It finally happened. After years of asking, of patient and dedicated petitioning, Bear and Bird are coming home. Banjo-Kazooie was confirmed for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate during this year’s Nintendo E3 Direct broadcast. We get a look at the dream team at work in-game, complete with classic N64-era design and move-list. It’s the stuff of…
Nintendo have confirmed that a sequel to 2017’s platform-defining, formula altering The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is in development. The announcement came at the end of one of the biggest E3 Nintendo Directs ever broadcast. The trailer promises a similar aesthetic and a direct continuation of the Breath of the Wild story….
Aussie duo The Gooch Palms are spending a lot of time in America these days, so it’s little surprise their latest album III was released just in time for summer in the USA. Containing a slew of the fuzzy, fun party tracks we’ve come to expect from the Goochies, it’s the perfect summer road trip…
