It is not uncommon to see reviewers describe a film as “Like a love letter” to something. In the case of French documentary, Wine Calling this is also true, but given the subject matter a toast seems more appropriate. This film is a deep dive into the worlds inhabited by a group of passionate and…
It’s been widely reported that the opening line of Arctic Monkeys’ most recent – and divisive – album, Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino, was about Alex Turner just wanting to be one of The Strokes. If you’re going to take away one thing about that line ( a line that very well could have been…
I thought I knew what to expect going to see Hanson perform as part of Zoo Twilights at Melbourne Zoo. Being the fan that I am, I also saw them earlier this week at the Palais Theatre on their String Theory Tour – and to say I was underwhelmed by this tour would be an…
With a title like The Sisters Brothers, one would be forgiven for assuming that Jacques Audiard‘s off-centred western would be something of a comedy. Whilst there’s moments of black humour peppered throughout Audiard’s English-language debut – which makes its inclusion in this year’s Alliance Francaise French Film Festival all the more curious – this is…
It isn’t hard to figure out that the reason why a lot of people watch movies is because of wish fulfillment. Who wouldn’t want to be in a fairy tale romance? Who wouldn’t want to be a kick-ass hero? But another level of wish fulfillment is to see people get revenge on those who have…
Celebrities and guests walked the red carpet for the 2019 Australian LGBTI Awards held at The Star in Sydney. Photographer Nathan Atkins was there to bring us these shots.
American post-metal band Deafheaven returned to Melbourne to play an incredibly intense and powerful show at the Corner Hotel. Photos by Rebecca Houlden.
“Torch Song” is a melancholic and yearning track from Tales of America, the debut album from singer-songwriter J.S. Ondara. It is a track and indeed an album firmly rooted in the worlds of Americana and folk music, with Ondara citing Bob Dylan, amongst others, as an influence, but there’s something a twist to the tale. …
Night Lovell has remained an underground heavyweight in the trap scene, with dark and harrowing production, with booming bass and some emo-inspired elements. Lovell deploys quick flows over these gruesome instrumentals, with all the trace elements of typical flex rapping, but altered to fit a completely different mood. With this new album, Lovell is looking…
Polish psych-pop quartet Trupa Trupa are the newest signees to legendary Seattle label, Sub Pop. With the promise of new music later in the year, the band has released an official video for their track “Dream About” to hold fans over in the meantime. Boosted by a gloomy bassline that would heighten the tension in…
Arctic Monkeys‘ Australian & New Zealand tour hit Melbourne on Tuesday night, joining the band were Mini Mansions. The AU’s Rebecca Houlden was there to capture all the action. The tour continues to Sydney for two shows on Friday and Saturday, before heading to Brisbane. For more information and to get tickets for the remaining shows…
Those (everyone) who saw it coming when Game Freak announced that they would be working on a set of mainline Pokemon titles for Nintendo Switch have finally got the revelation that they’ve been waiting for. We all clamored over each other for the fairly recent Pokemon Let’s Go titles, and now it seems that we’ve…
In our 10th year of covering SXSW on the AU review, we’re thrilled to reveal the lineup for our first ever official showcase at the iconic Austin event. Partnering with our sister publication Hello Asia!, the event will feature three Australian acts and two acts from Japan and one from Korea. It’s all happening at…
The bluesman appears to have become a rare and shy character in the age of synthesizers and auto tune. Still some loyal guitar heroes keep on carrying the torch for the moody genre. Among them is Texas born and raised guitarist and singer Gary Clark Jr. Even though he clearly has a passion for the…
Claiming Final Fantasy IX is your favourite of the PSOne era FF titles is a bit like saying Ringo is your favourite Beatle — most people think you’re a wanker and that there are far better musicians in the group. But what Ringo fans know is that he’s often unfairly overlooked. Sure, he’s responsible for…
As a major racing fan, it’s no secret that developer Codemasters is quickly becoming the king of racing games, nearly perfecting the Formula 1 racing series. Dirt Rally 2.0 is absolutely no exception, proving to be not only one of the best rally games from Codemasters, but one of the best rally games of all…
We’re excited today to be premiere, Until The Children Grow Old, the debut EP from the Brisbane via Sunshine Coast singer-songwriter Chakra Efendi. At only nineteen years old, Efendi has already built something of a dedicated cult both at home and overseas thanks to a series of demos posted to SoundCloud. Demos, which to date,…
Ape Out is not a terribly long game, but it is a fun one. It’s an entertaining and creative riff on the format popularised by Hotline Miami, a barbarous explosion of violence that belies its more rhythm-based gameplay. You play an angry, caged gorilla ready to throw off the shackles of oppression and embark on…
I’ll preface this review by saying that despite owning a Sega Mega Drive, I never played either of the original ToeJam & Earl games in their heyday. I also never played the series’ abortive third entry on the original Xbox either, though I understand that this is probably for the best. Well may you say,…
New Neon Gold signing Your Smith is about to hit Australian shores for the first time, following the release of the Japanese Wallpaper remix of this track, “Bad Habit”, our Track of the Day. Minneapolis native Your Smith a.k.a. Caroline Smith relocated to Los Angeles in 2016, where inspired by the cherished songwriters of her youth, she…
Whilst he was in the country for both Perth Writers Week and Adelaide Writers’ Week, I had the chance to sit down with author, poet and Man Booker Prize winning novelist Ben Okri to chat about his new novel The Freedom Artist. Set in a world uncomfortably like our own, The Freedom Artist is a…
A lot has changed for Jet frontman, Nic Cester, since the Australian rock icons first shot to international superstardom. It’s been over fifteen years since the band first released their debut album, Get Born. Two more albums followed and then a decade long hiatus. In recent years, the band have finally made a return, supporting Bruce…
We’re a matter of days away from the release of Pond’s eighth studio album, Tasmania. Pond declares Tasmania something of a sister missive to their critically acclaimed 2017 album The Weather. The thematics of both albums are kindred in many respects. Tasmania explores place, history, hints of colonialism, and nature’s unfortunate submission towards humans – themes that…
Brisbane band Sweater Curse have been making many waves in the Australian music scene over the past few years, with support slots for major artists, Triple J Unearthed support and a growing list of performances. Now, with their new EP See You, the band offer up a full showcase of just why they’ve become so…
It was a late night for the Melbourne crowd who garnered the Northcote Social Club in large numbers on Saturday night, but it didn’t seem to put them off from turning out early for the opening acts. The evening’s first opener was Melbourne local and hip-hop/pop artist Maya Hirasedo. Her set was a stunning mixture…
We all need a little bit of scuzzy 90’s inspired grunge in our lives, especially because this kind of alt-rock is becoming increasingly hard to come across in a sea of constant pop (and pop rap) releases flooding social media. Your latest taste comes from Springfield, Missouri band Dream Ritual who capture all the frustration…
The team at Alexandria’s Textbook Boulangerie-Patisserie are known for making some of the most delicious croissants in the entire country, among many other treats. It’s why there’s queues out the door on most days, and that kind of buzz is only set to grow during Mardi Gras weekend with the introduction of the Golden Gaytime…
Sweater Curse are a Brisbane band who have had a large jump in notoriety in recent times, thanks in part to their unique blend of pop and rock, and emotive, dense and beautiful songs. Ahead of the release of their debut EP See You on March 1st, the band’s lead singer and bassist Monica spoke to us…
North East Arnhem Land dancers Djuki Mala return to Adelaide Fringe this year to once again deliver their high-energy, and highly original dance performance, and it should be on the top of everyone’s must-see list! Beginning their performance with traditional dance, Djuki Mala demonstrated their skill at telling a story through movement, whilst behind them projected images set the scene and…
It was an empowering night of young female talent at Sydney’s Lansdowne Hotel on Saturday. Mackay-local Tia Gostelow brought along vocal-powerhouses Lola Scott and MANE to support her sold-out show, and boy was it a showcase for the books! Lola Scott’s dark-indie pop offered a dramatic and energetic start to the evening. Her performance drew…
