Film Review: Sometimes Always Never (UK, 2018) is a quiet story that often feels like a scrabble in the dark

Sometimes Always Never proves its only words. This UK dramedy is about a father and son’s complex relationship. It has an English sensibility and a profound love for the Scrabble board game. The result is a quirky and whimsical character study that feels like it pans out in real-time. This film at first was a…

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SXSW Film Review: Little Monsters (Australia, 2019) proves an instant classic of the Zombie Comedy genre

At the age of 37, Australian writer and director Abe Forsythe has already had a truly impressive output of films. At the age of 21, he put out the memorable (if maligned) Ned, in the same year as the Heath Ledger film, and has since delivered us great comedies in both short and long form, including…

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Live Review: Millencolin + Goldfinger – The Roundhouse, Sydney (08.03.19)

I couldn’t tell you how many hours I would have spent listening to Millencolin as a teenager. All I can say is it was a lot. Now in my mid-twenties, I can go months without even thinking of the Swedish four piece. But my lord, when I do manage to put them on, they’re always…

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Interview: Sean Caskey of Last Dinosaurs (AUS) talks living in Japan, a language faux pas and touring the world.

Brisbane-band Last Dinosaurs are back on the road to tour their third studio album, Yumeno Garden, around the country. With a US and Asia tour also on the horizon, lead singer and rhythm guitarist Sean Caskey gave up some of his precious time to talk with us about the creation of the album, his experience living abroad…

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The Lego Movie 2 Videogame is a post-apocalyptic Borderlands-lite for kids

The Lego Movie 2 Videogame is based on a movie not yet released in Australia. Despite the heavy involvement of Australia’s Animal Logic animation studio in the production of The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part, the release date is still firmly on March 28th, nearly two months after the official United States release. For…

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Book Review: Australia YA fiction flexes its muscles in new anthology Underdog

Underdog is a collection of short stories, collected from upcoming and unpublished Australian YA fiction writers. Edited by (and featuring contributions from) Tobias Madden and Sarah Taviana, Underdog celebrates a uniquely Australian genre, one as diverse and emotive as the country in which it is written. Featuring twelve short stories, Underdog is the first #LoveOzYA…

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SXSW Film Review: Well Groomed (USA, 2019) is well intentioned, oddly emotionally investing, and full of heart

As new dog grooming business owner (and one of Well Groomed‘s fascinating human subjects) Nicole Beckman states during her introduction that competitive dog grooming was always something she thought as being “just silly” before entering the competitive stakes herself, her initial thoughts are likely to be mirrored by many unversed in the ways of competitive…

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SXSW Film Review: Human Nature (USA, 2019) describes powerful science & possibilities from tomorrow

At SXSW 2017, American biochemist, Jennifer Doudna was telling everybody about CRISPR. Allow me one last Human Nature reference… Doudna was telling the last ones to know about a new technology that has the potential to alter genes. Human Nature is a documentary that takes a deep dive into this fascinating scientific world, and chronicles…

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Live Review: Snail Mail + Major Leagues + Shaad – Estonian House, Melbourne (08.03.19)

There was a quiet excitement through the crowd as Shaad DJ’d through the opening half hour at Estonian House in Brunswick on Friday night. Obviously, there was something to look forward too with the final of two shows performed by band, Snail Mail beginning within the hour. Artist Lindsay Jordan has had a cult following…

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Alliance Française French Film Festival Review: Jean-Paul Gaultier: Freak & Chic (France, 2019) is no regular Jean’s parade of weird oddities

Models are cool people. Beautiful glamazons. You don’t think of them as freaks unless you’re Jean Paul Gaultier. The French designer dedicated an entire show to just this. Freak & Chic is a feature documentary that shows us this crazy world, as well as the hard work and creativity that went into shaping this wild…

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Adelaide Festival Review: The Man With The Iron Neck – Dunstan Playhouse (08.03.19)

Note: this play includes references to self-harm and suicide. The topic of youth suicide, particularly within Indigenous communities has been part of recent conversations. Josh Bond and Ursula Yovich, the co-director and playwright of “Man with the Iron Neck” have this to say about the play: “We are overwhelmed everyday and it’s not because of…

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ABIA 2019 Longlist revealed ahead of May awards show

The Australian Book Industry Awards are back again for 2019! An initiative of the Australian Publishers Association, the ABIAs applaud the achievements of writer, illustrator, publicist and publisher alike. A 250 strong team, made up of representatives across the industry, came together to craft this latest longlist, celebrating the bookish best of 2018. The 2019…

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Track of the Day: Vampire Weekend Feat. Steve Lacey “Sunflower” (2019)

Steve Lacey was a busy man last year. The very much in-demand multi instrumentalist, famed as for his work with The Internet sprinkled his imaginative post-funk vibes all other works from the likes of Kali Uchis and Ravyn Lenae. It seem he isn’t done yet; invited on board by none other than Vampire Weekend who…

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Kirby’s Extra Epic Yarn Review: Good Crafternoon

Kirby has always been the spark of joy in the occasionally cheerless games landscape. I mean, how can he not be? He’s a literal ball of cute pink fluff, and in this cotton-themed adventure, he’s every bit the pure, shining saviour of games that he should be. Kirby is wholesome, Kirby is brilliant, Kirby is…

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Stella Prize announces 2019 shortlist

The Stella Prize judges have revealed the six authors who have made it to their 2019 shortlist. Timing the announcement with International Women’s Day, judging panel chair Louise Swinn described the chosen works as “an incredibly diverse knot of books. […] The books on this shortlist inform and entertain, and while they speak absolutely to our…

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Angie McMahon to join Mavis Staples at Willie Nelson’s Luck Reunion Festival in Texas

Last year we were lucky enough to attend Luck Reunion festival in Texas; an event held during SXSW about an hour out of Austin on Willie Nelson’s ranch in Luck, Texas. Aussie artist Ruby Boots was among the impressive line-up this year, and now Australia’s own Angie McMahon will be joining the 2019 event –…

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The Oita Prefecture in Southern Japan is waiting to be explored

Kyushu, the southern island of Japan is an excellent destination for tourists who’ve had their fix of Honshu (mainland Japan) and are seeking something a bit more local. Oita is a prefecture within Kyushu that is rarely referenced by travellers outside those who chase onsens, and although that may be a selling point, there are…

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Here are all the UK acts playing the British Music Embassy at SXSW 2019

The British Music Embassy returns to SXSW this weekend for its 12th year, taking over Latitude 30 with a slew of events and live performances from 10th to 16th March, and special interactive events from the 8th to the 10th. And though a lot of these events were announced last month, there have been a…

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D-Link launches Wi-Fi router with extensive parental control features, McAfee protection, voice control

D-Link ANZ has released its new D-Fend AC2600 Wi-Fi Router that boasts unparalleled parental controls alongside increased security for devices on the network thanks to partnerships with McAfee and Intel. With the D-Fend app, the user is able to set up detailed parental controls that include creating user profiles, setting age-appropriate content, blocking certain categories…

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Track of the Day: Sam Fender “Hypersonic Missiles” (2019)

After winning the BRITs Critics’ Choice award in 2018, Sam Fender has shared his first new music of 2019. “Hypersonic Missiles” is an impassioned observation of political unrest and mismanagement that is wrapped in perfect-pop melodies that rise to a chorus you can easily imagine yourself belting out at a live gig. Fender says, “In many…

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Interview: Luke from I Know Leopard talks heading to SXSW for the first time

Ahead of their appearance at our first ever SXSW night showcase, we caught up with Luke from Sydney’s I Know Leopard. This will be the band’s first trip to Austin for the iconic music festival and conference, so we thought we’d sit down with the band and get the low down on their expectations, anticipations and…

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Exclusive Single Premiere: Loni Rae Thomson “Slowly” (2019)

Written at the beginning of a new relationship, “Slowly”, a song about taking things one step at a time, is the title track from singer-songwriter Loni Rae Thomson’s forthcoming debut EP. Ahead of the official release of the single tomorrow, we’re very excited to bring you not only this exclusive stream but also the single’s…

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Film Review: Captain Marvel (USA, 2019) is an inspiration for being less of a hero and more of a human

It’s taken 20-something movies but MCU has finally released their first female led superhero movie and despite some controversy leading up to its release we can rest assured that Marvel’s seemingly endless good streak continues.

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Devil May Cry 5 Review: A S-S-Stylish Return for a Devilish Franchise

Devil May Cry 5 is a game that might never have existed without its vocal fanbase. While I enjoyed the DmC reboot of 2013, probably more so than most, I missed the original game series sorely. The announcement of the main franchise’s return had me drooling the minute I saw it, and after all this…

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Exclusive Single Premiere: The Jensens “Mt. Mura” (2019)

Before its official release on Thursday we are stoked to bring you this exclusive stream of “Mt. Mura”, the new single from Brisbane rockers The Jensens. The new single comes after the success of previous release”Coma”, which saw the band garner plenty of praise from the independent blogosphere as well as attention and radio play from…

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Hotel Review: Ovolo The Valley is a marvel of convenience, technology and “free”dom (Brisbane)

Tucked off Wickham Street in the Fortitude Valley is one of Brisbane’s finest and newest hotels, sitting comfortably alongside a slew of great dining and entertainment options in the city’s famously bustling district. The hotel in mention, Ovolo The Valley in many ways sits at the heart of this, surrounded by an area of Brisbane…

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Civilization VI: Gathering Storm Review: Never build your house on sand

I love getting a new Civilization expansion. Each one is a near-complete revision of the game as the community has come to know it, a wave of changes large and small that address mechanical shortfalls and community concerns, while adding complex new systems into its existing web of other complex systems. With Civilization VI: Gathering…

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Days Gone Preview: Ride or die

I went into my preview of Days Gone with a lot of questions. The handful of trailers PlayStation had released since its announcement gave me neither a feel for the game, or what it was setting out to do. The short time I spent with it answered quite a few of them, most positively. I…

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WATCH: The official trailer for Game of Thrones’ final season has arrived

Just days after the internet started buzzing with talks that the forthcoming final season of Game of Thrones will feature “the longest consecutive battle sequence ever committed to film”, the official trailer has arrived. As you can expect, details are fairly scarce on exactly how the season will play out, but we have been given…

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Photo Gallery: Banoffee + QT + Lupa J – Lansdowne Hotel, Sydney (04.03.19)

Supported by Lupa J and QT, Banoffee took some time out from touring with Charlie XCX and Taylor Swift to play some new and old material for us at the Lansdowne Hotel in Sydney on Monday night. Photos by Belinda Dipalo.

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