While our friends over on the other side of the world prep for the Christmas season with snowmen and lavish Christmas markets, us here in Australia are beginning to break out the beach blankets and, most importantly, the BBQ. The latter seems to be one of the most essential items for any respectable holiday season,…
Sydney based alt-pop trio GLADES played to a rapturous crowd at The Metro in Sydney. They are on a national tour to support their debut album To Love You, there were many in the audience who knew the words and sang along. Photos by Bruce Baker
Ah Trees are five friends from Perth, WA, inspired by the new-wave, alt-rock and post-punk sounds of the late 80’s, with music that will have you dancing down hallways or drifting away on clouds. Described by Pilerats as “one of Perth’s most consistent acts”, the last three years have seen Ah Trees release a debut…
There’s a lot of hullaballoo surrounding the new film Mortal Engines, most of which can be attributed to those behind the camera rather than in front of it. The film directed by Christian Rivers is his debut, however the production team behind it also consists of Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh and Phillippa Boyens – the…
Battlefield V is goddamned pretty. It’s something I’ve continually murmured to myself while reviewing DICE’s latest entry in their longrunning shooter franchise. Nobody is capable of squeezing the visual juice out of EA’s Frostbite engine quite as well as they can. The game they have constructed with it isn’t just one of the best Battlefield…
Man Sandal brews a bewitching concoction of music influenced by jazz and folk with some gypsy woven throughout. This versatile range has made them the band to watch, winning Rock Scholars “Band of the Year” award back in 2015. They are multi-disciplined artists who offer a fresh new sound to the Australian music scene. Something…
As much as Peter Jackson‘s name is plastered all over this, Mortal Engines is in fact NOT a Jackson joint. Yes, the Lord of the Rings helmer is the most likely reason this film was greenlit (he serves as both co-producer and co-writer) but long-time Jackson collaborator Christian Rivers, who served predominantly as a visual…
It’s rather unfortunate that Australian cinema really doesn’t have the greatest reputation. It’s not that we aren’t capable of delivering quality homegrown productions, it’s just that we so seldom do, so when something like The School comes along, you can’t help but feel both a sense of disappointment and expectation. To be fair to writer/director…
On Tuesday night, the Sydney Opera House was treated to one of the first Australian performances of Chicago rapper Saba, an incredibly talented rising star with a lot of hype surrounding his career to date. He was met with the warmest of welcomes from the packed Opera House, with energy and cheers greeting each changing…
He loves a sunburnt country; a land of sweeping plains. Okay, that was actually Dorothea Mackellar. But the same also applies to Peter Spearritt. This historian, emeritus professor and author shows a real enthusiasm for the wonderful land of Oz in Where History Happened: The Hidden Past of Australia’s Towns & Places. This is one personal, colourful and…
The latest film from the creative genius talent of Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens and directed by Christian Rivers sees the team adapt the Phillip Reeve book series Mortal Engines. Set in the future, and moving slowly out of dystopia, roving cities on wheels must avoid being devoured by much larger “predator cities”. In…
Current tour mates Manchester Orchestra and The Front Bottoms have combined forces and released a new collaborative track, the single “Allentown”. “Allentown” features Manchester Orchestra’s Andy Hull and Brian Sella from The Front Bottoms trading verses over minimalist instrumental backing. It’s downbeat, pensive, and certainly a long way from what little I’ve heard of The…
Matt Perriment is an indie folk-inspired singer songwriter currently based in London, who has steadily been establishing himself in the British festival scene. He’s recently released a new single, “Oceans”, which is the first taste of his forthcoming sophomore EP Memos, which is set for release in March 2019. Undoubtedly a gifted songwriter, Perriment has…
Jacob Collier is not your average English Twenty Four year old. He is a singer, arranger, composer, producer, and multi-instrumentalist. The London bred artist released his debut album In My Room in 2016, which led to a 200 date global tour and won him two Grammy Awards, and being dubbed “Jazz’s new messiah”. Managed by…
Walking away from both the Primetime Emmys and the Golden Globes with awards galore, including accolades for lead Rachel Brosnahan, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel has been a runaway hit for creator Amy Sherman-Palladino and streaming service Amazon Prime. Set in the late 1950’s, Brosnahan stars as Upper West Side housewife Midge Maisel, who discovers she…
Jacob Diamond, who was also a member of Stella Donnelly’s band for the tour, was the opener for the evening. Much like his fellow band member Stella, Diamond’s music has a strong focus on the meaning behind his lyrics. In fact this was a theme for the evening, with each of the evening’s artists presenting powerful…
Sony’s WH-1000XM2 wireless headphones are some of my all-time favourites. The perfect storm of comfort and great sound that I look for in any pair of headphones I own, they have become a constant companion on my daily commute. This is why, when a pair of Sony’s new WH-1000XM3 wireless headphones arrived on my doorstep,…
For the first time since 2015 Australian born, Vancouver based folk musician Andrew Phelan is returning to Australia with a full band, and a bunch of new songs. We’re pleased to premiere one of those songs, “Charlottetown”, today ahead of it’s offical release tomorrow. “Charlottetown” is a road song. On the one hand it’s a…
It would be naïve to assume that the stigma of luxury cruises being a thing for older people has gone anywhere; though it’s almost certainly on the way out. As comfort travel makes a big comeback for millennials, so too does the desire to fully immerse oneself in a travel experience as rich and ambitious…
Daniel Hanssen captured Dean Lewis in Melbourne on Friday night as he kicked off his massive Australian tour. He was joined by Robinson and Jack Gray. Check out the full gallery here:
Stella Donnelly was joined by Alice Skye and Jacob Diamond at the Northcote Social Club in Melbourne on Saturday night. Daniel Hanssen was there and brings us back all the photos from the incredible night, in which Stella proved to everyone – yes, she does indeed have friends, as she toured with a band for…
They say truth is stranger than fiction, and that’s especially evident in Can You Ever Forgive Me?, the delightfully absurd and deliciously bizarre true story of a washed-up writer who discovers a knack for forgery and a strangely fulfilling career change she never saw coming. Mining the as-yet untapped but mightily impressive dramatic talents of comedic…
Most people wouldn’t know how to take a newspaper out on the road. But Clancy Overell and Errol Parker aren’t like most. These two, true blue Aussie blokes are the brainchild behind Australia’s favourite satirical newspaper, The Betoota Advocate. It’s one that shares a few things in common with The Chaser, The Shovel and The…
Stan has released a teaser trailer to confirm that their original series No Activity will be returning for a Christmas Special. The festive seasons special, No Activity: The Night Before Christmas, will be reuniting the original award-winning creative team of Patrick Brammall (Glitch, Upper Middle Bogan, A Moody Christmas) and Trent O’Donnell (New Girl, Brooklyn 99, The Good Place, A Moody Christmas), who…
To celebrate a ten-year partnership with Sounds Australia, UK’s premier showcasing event The Great Escape will host a slew of Australian artists at their next annual run, with Australia as the focus country for the event. And they’ve announced the first ten Aussie artists to grace the event’s stages. From the 9th until the 11th of May,…
When your company, a video game developer known for a very niche, though long-running series, is cut loose from its home at a well-known publisher, there is good reason to believe you’ll never make a game again. This was the nightmare scenario that played out for Hitman developer IO interactive when Square-Enix decided to remove…
The biggest fear I had following Bethesda’s announcement of Fallout 76 was that the move to an online would blow up in their faces. Adding real people to the equation has always been one of fastest ways to ruin any gaming experience. But, from time to time, it’s also the best way to create unique,…
I’m no stranger to the stained lightbulbs that the Croxton Bandroom has to offer. It’s a marvellous venue which hosts some of best upcoming and established acts who choose to grace Melbourne with their presence. But on a chilly Saturday night, I was left waiting amongst a line of fans waiting to hear the sweet…
Warshy is the new solo project from Darren Johns, the frontman of British folk punks Crazy Arm. The project celebrated its first release this week with the drop of a self-titled EP. “Operation Chaos” is the opening track of the EP, and features some sublime fiddle work from Samantha Spake. Warshy came into existence…
Shihad wrapped up their 30th Anniversary tour at Melbourne’s 170 Russell on Friday night, with support coming from Young Lions and The Dead Love. Our photographer Rebecca Houlden was there to capture all the action.
