Exclusive Video Premiere: Graham The Grand “Mum, i’m Sorry” (2019)

Graham The Grand is the moniker for Brisbane singer/songwriter Isaac Nichol. His song “Mum, i’m Sorry” is a deeply personal conversation between Isaac and his mother. It deals with the themes of depression, anxiety and suicide. Discussions about these difficult topics are often very difficult to broach between those suffering and their loved ones. Whilst the…

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PlayStation’s move to Nintendo-like State of Play updates makes total sense

There were a lot of raised eyebrows going around when PlayStation announced late last year that they’d be pulling out of E3 2019. PlayStation’s departure from the show floor and the cancellation of their annual press conference meant that competitor Microsoft would be the last of The Big Three hardware makers to have a press…

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Track of the Day: Gold Complex “Acrylic Heart” (2019)

Gold Complex are an eight piece soul band based in Toronto, Canada. The band have spent the last three years in the studio working on what would ultimately become their debut album: New Soul, which was released late last month. Our track of the day, “Acrylic Heart”, is that album’s centre piece a powerful and…

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SXSW Interview: Your Smith (USA) on her origin story, love of Tim Tam Slams and touring Australia with Ry X

Caroline Smith is a Minneapolis-based songwriter who has been steadily building her career since 2006; first as a solo artist, then in a band (Caroline Smith and the Good Night Sleeps – releasing the record Little Wind in 2011), and then as a solo artist again – which saw her release the underrated 2013 record Half…

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Interview: Cautious Clay (USA) on his musical upbringing, Table of Context and the genius of OutKast

One of the buzz acts at this year’s SXSW was rising star Cautious Clay, who also happened to be one of the best acts we saw at the annual Texas festival. While at the Vevo House, I caught up with the Brooklyn based artist – real name Joshua Karpeh – to find out more about his…

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Track of the Day: Sahara Beck “I Haven’t Done A Thing Today” (2019)

Sahara Beck, the super-talented and bubbly singer-songwriter from Brisbane, is back with a cracking new single, ‘I Haven’t Done a Thing Today’. It was produced by Tony Buchen, who has also worked with Mansionair, Courtney Barnett and Montaigne. This track is breezy, upbeat and very catchy. Whilst the title might indicate it’s much about nothing,…

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Hotel Review: Mantra on Hay keeps things simple in East Perth

In a relatively quiet area of East Perth is where you’ll find Mantra on Hay, not as central as some of Mantra’s – well, now Accor’s – other properties in the “most isolated city in the world”, but close enough that you don’t feel like you’re missing any of Perth’s increasingly energetic social scene. It’s…

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Get ready, slabs: Gearbox just teased a new Borderlands game

One of the gaming industry’s worst kept secrets might finally be about to step into the light. It’s been common knowledge that Gearbox has been hard at work on a new entry in the Borderlands series for several years now. Despite never formally confirming anything, the project has seen it all — leaks, tech demos,…

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Exclusive EP Premiere: primetime. – crimetime. (2019 EP)

Today we’re stoked to introduce you all to primetime., Melbourne’s latest self anointed “superb-troup” featuring members of Fan Girl, Sophisticated Dingo and more, as well as premiere their debut EP crimetime.  crimetime. is a raucous, swaggering and no bullshit slice of Australian punk rock. Occasionally jarring, but always full of character and attitude, the EP is…

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Film Review: Dumbo (USA, 2019) returns with slightly less flying fanfare

2019 is going to be a fairly big slate for the House of Mouse with not one but four “live action adaptations” of their intellectual property hitting cinema screens. The first one out of the gate is the film about a baby elephant with overly large ears who can fly. Originally Dumbo was based on…

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Tech Review: Bang & Olufsen refresh the E8 with “Late Night Blue”

Every now and again Bang & Olufsen reach back into their ever-growing catalogue of high-end audio devices and iterate on what they’re most renowned for: design. Aesthetics in tech has always been hovering over the industry, but it’s only within the past few years that a sharp focus on exquisite looks has really shifted into…

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Yoshi’s Crafted World Review: Pure platforming delight

Yoshi’s Crafted World has been made with all the love and care in the world – and it shows. From the subtle, crafty touches to the gorgeous soundtrack, cutesy worlds and stellar gameplay, everything about it screams wholesomeness. The game is so wholesome that it makes me want to be a better person. Story If…

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Meet Rachael Fahim, the Aussie Country artist set to take America by storm

One of the unexpected Australian buzz artists at this year’s SXSW was one you may have not heard of – rising star in the Country world Rachael Fahim. She was listed as one of NPR’s artists to watch, and delivered a slew of impressive performances while in the Texas capital. We caught up with the…

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The 10 Best Musical Moments at SXSW 2019

With weekend of films and special events that included appearances from the likes of Boyz II Men, Santigold, Bishop Briggs and more, into a week of official showcases that included everyone from Joan Jett to Shakey Graves and Andrew Bird, SXSW 2019 was as jam packed as ever. So what were our favourite musical moments…

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Track of the Day: Morning Fuzz “I’ll Be Around” (2019)

Morning Fuzz are an indie band from Long Island, New York and have just released their latest single “I’ll Be Around”. It’s the first single from an album which is expected to be released later this year. They’ve been around for nearly ten years, and this track shows off a band which knows their craft,…

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Hotel Review: The Press Hotel flows with history in Portland, Maine

As part of Marriott’s highly regarded “Autograph Collection”, the one of a kind Press Hotel in Portland, Maine is a shining example of the kind of magic one can spark when channeling a building’s history into something new and exciting. In this case, it’s the site of the old Portland Press Herald newspaper, the state’s…

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Hands-On with Huawei P30 Pro: This camera is all kinds of magic

Uluru, one of the most famous rock formations in the world, and one of Australia’s most essential sites/sights, stands solidly in the scrubby dessert of the Northern Territory. Its presence is really like no other natural landmark in the country: powerful, spiritual, beautiful, inspiring. Located about 335km south west of Alice Springs, it is one…

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Hands-On with Huawei P30: Everything You Need to Know

Leaks aside, the official word is now out and spreading like wildfire. Announced just moments ago from Paris, Chinese tech giant Huawei will be releasing their follow-up flagship smartphones to last year’s remarkably successful P20 and P20 Pro with, you guessed it, the P30 and P30 Pro. The company’s incredible growth in recent years (up…

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An Afternoon in an Arcade with Yorke: Byron Bay’s Pop-Protege

The ringing sirens and looping jingles that echo through the arcade are maddening, even after a few minutes. They’re also the antithesis-soundtrack to the personality of Yorke. 20-year old Grace Hughes, who adopted the moniker “Yorke” last year in homage to her love of New York City, is calm, chilled and charming as we spent…

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Book Review: Carrie Tiffany’s Exploded View presents a surprisingly feminist coming of age story

The unnamed protagonist of Carrie Tiffany’s new novel, Exploded View, lets us into her life by increments. Immediately, as readers, we are welcomed into her interior world– a place where the only things that make sense are cars, and engines. It is the late 1970’s, and the girl and her brother watch things like Hogan’s Heroes on the TV, careful…

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Interview: Director Rebecca Stern on working with the colourful dogs of Well Groomed and Dan Deacon

Earlier this month at SXSW, I had the chance to sit down with Rebecca Stern, the director of the new film Well Groomed – a surprising documentary about the niche world of competitive dog grooming. Scored by the great Dan Deacon, the film is as engaging as it is entertaining (and garnered four stars from…

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Exclusive Video Premiere: Colin Lillie “Human Kind of Life” (2019)

Colin Lillie hasn’t taken the conventional path, but he has certainly taken an interesting one. The Northern Territory-based Scotsman has lived a torrid life well. It wasn’t until he reached his mid-thirties that he started to share his songs with the world, and his award winning album Glass Homes was released in 2016. 2018 proved…

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Track of the Day: The Oogars “Scream” (2019)

Earlier this month Gold Coast quartet The Oogars released their debut single “Scream”, on ode to embracing those moments that matter, and to stop wasting your time on things and people that just aren’t worth your time or attention. With a delightful blend of surf pop and doo wop “Scream”, is bright, fresh and unabashedly…

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Live Review: “Not a single scooter anywhere the eye can see” at the Revival Experience outside of SXSW

Earlier this month, I was invited along to an impressively pitched day party / festival / experience called the “Revival Experience“, about an hour out of Austin during SXSW. Curated by Matthew Logan Vasquez of Delta Spirit, the event took place in Dripping Springs, Texas, at a place called “Camp Lucy”, and promised a VIP…

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Hotel Review: Peppers King Square beats fast in the heart of Perth

On the Western edge of Perth’s densely packed CBD, opposite the vibrant piazza of Kings Square, and a short walk from the nightclub lined streets of Northbridge and Perth’s busy RAC Arena, stands the modest Peppers Kings Square. It’s a hotel that boasts an enviable, dynamic location and has a lot to offer guests and…

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Flight Review: Delta Air Lines – Los Angeles to Sydney (DL41)

US airline Delta has been delivering daily service between Sydney and LAX since 2009, around the same time that “V Australia” – Virgin Australia’s then international brand – was introduced to the same route. The competitors then partnered up in late 2011, with each airline offering codeshare on the trans-Pacific route. This allowed for seamless…

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Theatre Review: Muriel’s Wedding is a colourful celebration of the Australian way of life (Melbourne)

The 1994 motion picture Muriel’s Wedding, written and directed by PJ Hogan, thrust stars Toni Collette and Rachel Griffiths to International stardom and instantly became an Australian cult classic. Grossing an equivalent of AU$117 million, today, even those unfamiliar with its origins know its iconic quotes. Now adapted into a humorous, smart and colourful stage…

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Live Review: Fergus James makes Melbourne headline debut as he packs out The Workers Club

After debuting his first singles “Golden Age” and  “What Are We Waiting For”, the young streaming rising star Fergus James has already taken crowds by storm. Fitzroy’s very own Workers Club was fortunate enough to host his first ever Melbourne headline show. After packing out the intimate Workers Club Bandroom, he started off the night…

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Watch Grammy winner Brandi Carlile and Handmaid’s Tale‘s Elisabeth Moss fan over each other at SXSW

Watching Grammy winning singer-songwriter Brandi Carlile interview Emmy Award-winning actress Elisabeth Moss (The Handmaid’s Tale) earlier this month at SXSW was like watching two fans gush over each other in front of a packed auditorium. These are two artists who have immense respect and adoration for each other, and they came together on this stage after…

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Hotel Review: Courtyard by Marriott’s newest location in Downtown El Paso thrives with comfort (Texas)

Set in the heart of Downtown El Paso, and having just opened up mid last year, is the new hotel and convention centre from Courtyard by Marriott. Sitting in a hub of museums and just around the corner from the El Paso train station, the 9 floor hotel boasts a stunning outdoor pool that overlooks…

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