Track of the Day: Ducks! “Pinprick In” (2018)

Berlin based electronic duo Ducks! Have released new single, “Pinprick In”, their third from their forthcoming new album. Formed in 2014, Ducks! are the brainchild of singer-songwriter Lani Bagley, and the ARIA award-winning producer Craig Schuftan. The duo released their debut album Ding Ding Ding in 2016, which went on to be longlisted for the Australian…

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Melbourne International Arts Festival Review: Prize Fighter is a superb and emotional story that cannot be missed

There’s a boxing ring in the middle of the room, chairs set up like a stadium in the midst of Northcote Town Hall. As we find our seats, two people are throwing punches to the surprise of audience members, and others are working out, sweating throughout the performance space. For a moment I was deeply…

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Melbourne International Arts Festival Review: Van Diemen’s Band excite with stunning Cello Napoletano

Walking into Elizabeth Murdoch hall for the first leaves you struck by it’s beauty. It’s architectural design is distinct, elegant and intimate. Steps echo as we venture to our seats and as the band steps onto the stage, suddenly everything changes. Under the direction of Melbourne-born violinist Julia Fredersdorff, Van Diemen’s band are an array…

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Five things you must do in New York City before the end of the year

There are few places in the world which change as regularly as New York City. The dynamic, kinetic centrepiece of the U.S is rightfully one of the most common answers to the question “what is your favourite city in the world?”, with it’s unmatched landscape of world-class restaurants, museums, comedy clubs, public parks, and distinctive…

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Games Review: WWE 2K19 (PS4, 2018) is a step in the right direction

When last year’s iteration of 2K’s WWE series came around, I was incredibly cynical about the title. For a long time, the games have followed largely the same formula, with a few graphical tweaks here and there. WWE 2K19 is different, representing a significant leap for the franchise – although, not enough of one to…

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Interview: Ahren Stringer from the Amity Affliction talks new album Misery and gets nostalgic

Back in August, The Amity Affliction released their new album Misery, which saw them claim their fourth #1 album on the ARIA charts. Bassist/Vocalist Ahren Stringer sat down with Josh Champion from the AU to look back on the release. You guys have a rep for hitting the tough issues front on, but this is particularly…

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Mary’s Pizzeria launches in Sydney’s The Lansdowne Hotel

Jake Smyth and Kenny Graham, the brains behind Sydney icons Mary’s and The Unicorn, along with Mary’s Group Executive Chef Jimmy Garside, are doubling down on their pizza options at The Lansdowne Hotel with the launch of Mary’s Pizzeria. Described as the “Mary’s Burger” of the pizza world, the new venue has been fitted into…

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Melbourne International Arts Festival Review: Campagnie Carabosse’s Fire Gardens light up Royal Botanic Gardens

Fire and gardens… it’s not exactly what you expect to go together isn’t it? Yet as the sun starts to set across Melbourne, the Royal Botanic Gardens are only just lighting up with a (completely sold out) installation churning with people and garden pots filled with flames. Different, immersive and enveloped in an eerie atmosphere,…

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Live Review: Olympia + Felicity Groom + Noah Dillon – Mojos, Fremantle (11.10.18)

Fresh from a touring in the UK, Melbourne’s Olympia hit Fremantle, and the West Coast, on Thursday kicking off a run of shows around the country. Joining Olympia on the night were locals Noah Dillon and Felicity Groom. Noah Dillon kicked off the evening strongly. Backed by a the standard trio of drums, bass and…

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Sydney is getting a mac n’ cheese pizza for World Pasta Day

Menulog has made the wise decision to team up with the excellent Salt Meats Cheese to do something a little bit special – and massively overindulgent – for World Pasta Day on the 25th of October. The celebration of all things pasta will give Sydney locals a chance to try to country’s very first (according…

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Party your way to a dream ski trip to Canada this Halloween

Whether wizard, witch or vampire everyone is invited. On 27th October, Network Canada’s famous Halloween shaker Halloween International – Devil’s Night is set to return to Sydney’s Greenwood Hotel. In addition to 3 DJ areas, the party has several Canadian activities lined up for guests, from bull-riding (Calgary Stampede style) to snowboarding in the Canadian Rockies. They’ll…

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Theatre Review: Margaret Fulton: Queen of the Dessert is a sweet & cheesy look at the cook’s many hats (Bondi Pavilion Theatre until 27th October)

For some people food is fuel, and then there’s Margaret Fulton. This food icon has been teaching Australians how to cook for seven decades. She’s also the subject of the rollicking musical, Margaret Fulton: Queen of the Desserts. The show had its Sydney premiere this weekend and is every bit as tasty and kitsch as…

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Book Review: Explore the dark wynds of Victorian Edinburgh in Ambrose Parry’s medical mystery The Way of All Flesh

Edinburgh 1847. Evie, a prostitute visited by apprentice doctor Will Raven, is dead. Raven is shaken by the discovery of her twisted corpse, and, as other victims began to appear across the city’s Old Town, he sets out to get to the bottom of the gruesome deaths. Teaming up with the fiercely determined Sarah Fisher,…

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Photo Gallery and Live Review: Kesha – ICC Sydney Theatre (11.10.18)

I’ve been looking forward to Kesha‘s Rainbow Tour ever since it was announced, and from the moment the stage lit up with Kesha making one hell of an entrance through an alien spaceship, there was absolutely no doubt that this would be an insane night of weird, whacky and wonderful fun. And as if that…

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Limited Edition LEGO Overwatch Omnic Bastion has just been released

Overwatch, released in 2016 allows you to control one of several Heros in 6 v 6 shooting matches. Released on PS4, Xbox and Windows, this game is now being brought to reality… by reality I mean joining blocks together, using this thing you might have of heard before called LEGO! With a player base of…

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Bethesda reveals Pete Hines, Tim Willits and Matt Firor are coming to Melbourne for PAX Aus

Annual gaming festival Penny Arcade Expo (PAX) is held in multiple cities around the world, and luckily for us Melbourne is one of them! These festivals combine table top gaming, arcade gaming and video gaming and host a stack of tournaments, panels and performances all in the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre. A unique aspect…

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Meet 5 deserving acts who just scored their first ARIA nominations

Well well well, Amy Shark should be blushing a big right now. After writing her most recent hit “I Said Hi” about the music industry ignoring her until the release of her 2016 breakout hit “Adore,” the industry itself has just done her a huge favour, nominating her for nine different ARIA awards, the most…

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Track of the Day: Harvey Sutherland feat. Nubya Garcia “Amethyst” (2018)

Melbourne producer Harvey Sutherland today dropped his new single “Amethyst”, a jazz infused broken beat transcontinental odyssey featuring London-based saxophonist Nubya Garcia and drummer Kahlil Memphis. “Amethyst” is another step in what is an already unpredictable career from Harvey Sutherland. Whilst the producer, DJ and funk synthesist may have made a name for himself amidst…

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Album Review: Bootleg Rascal’s Anónimo (2018 LP) expertly blends genres to show off a band at the top of their game

Bootleg Rascal have done it again, releasing a phenomenal album, worth wasting away the hours relaxing too. Anónimo, their second LP, continues the band’s growth, keeping the signature sounds, covering a range of genres whilst also adding in some subtle new sounds to keep it as fresh as their vibes require. The ten song album covers everything…

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5 reasons you can’t miss Liveworks Festival of Experimental Art in Sydney

We’re counting down to the annual Sydney event, the Liveworks Festival of Experimental Art, which this year runs from the 18th to the 28th of October. Presented by Performance Space and held at Carriageworks, this 10 day festival showcases many new works from artists right though Australia and Asia Pacific. Jeff Khan, CEO and Artistic Director of Performance…

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Live Review: Kesha + Ben Abraham – Eatons Hill Hotel, Brisbane (10.10.18)

I’ll be honest. Walking in to a Kesha concert, my expectations were pretty low. However, I can say that this gig was WILD (and I’ve been to Miley Cyrus). Melbourne act Ben Abraham opened the night and although his style is unlike Kesha’s, the crowd fell in love. The singer-songwriter oozed a humble charm that…

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Interview: Stuart Coupe on recording 200+ hours of interviews with Roadies for his book’s ultimate, AAA pass

Stuart Coupe is part of the (black t-shirt) fabric of Australia’s music industry. In a career spanning four decades, he has worked as an author, journalist, promoter, artist manager, publicist and broadcaster. Coupe has written several books about Australian music. His latest one, Roadies, features stories from the hard-working men and women who toil behind-the-scenes…

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Album Review: Jess Glynne – Always In Between (2018 LP)

British pop sensation Jess Glynne has dropped her second studio album after teasing it on the airways with her singles “I’ll Be There” and “All I Am”. If you are a fan of those tunes, I can assure you you’ll be a fan of this album, Always In Between. I say this because the production of the…

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Track of the Day: Me And My Friends “High As The Sun” (2018)

Ahead of the release of their new record Look Up later in the year, UK quintet Me And My Friends have given us a taste of what to expect with the release of their new single: “High As The Sun”. Me and My Friends take their cues from an eclectic range of influences, drawing inspiration from Ghanian highlife, afrobeat,…

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Review: Shatner’s World is a warm, funny and occasionally surprising evening with a celluloid legend (Perth)

Monday night saw William Shatner kick off the Australian tour of his one-man show Shatner’s World: The Return Down Under in Perth. It was an evening of warmth, humour and philosophical musings. All. Delivered. In. That. Distinctive. Cadence. However, it was also not without its surprises. For example, whilst Shatner is likely best known for his role…

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This Asian country just overtook Singapore to claim “The most powerful Passport in the world”

The results are in and Japan has overtaken Singapore to claim the top spot on the 2018 Henley Passport Index. This triumph comes as a result of Japan gaining visa-free access to Myanmar earlier this month, meaning Japan now enjoys visa-free/visa-on-arrival access to 190 destinations. Beating out Singapore by just one destination, the two have…

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Interview: Ben Panucci (Sydney) talks debut album Age of Consequence and its personal nature

Ben Panucci‘s debut album Age of Consequence is a deeply personal divergence from his previous sounds. Inspired by humanity, the album was written and produced by Ben himself and is set for independent release on Friday 12 October. Reflecting a change in gear for the Sydney guitarist and producer, Age of Consequence allowed Ben to refocus his life,…

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Live Review: Lost Picnic’s Melbourne debut sizzled with great weather & a fun family atmosphere

The first iteration of Lost Picnic in Melbourne was greeted by a sunny day throughout Sunday afternoon in Flemington. The festival, cultivated around the idea of a loungey picnic with friends, good music and tasty food, would have been seen as a veritable success as thousands poured through the gates to enjoy the day. The…

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Interview: Dave Prowys of The Paper Kites (Melbourne) talks about imagining strangers’ lives on their new LP On The Corner Where You Live

Dave Powys’ one-and-a-half year old daughter has just returned home from day care and bounced into her father’s arms. “Oh, hello!” he greets her. “Hey darling, how are you?” She responds with a series of chirps while receiving kisses on her forehead. It’s a warm scene; one that could be part of the collage of…

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Film Review: In Like Flynn (Australia, 2018) is predominantly fizzy and shamelessly cheesy

Director Russell Mulcahy, the Melbourne filmmaker whose career has seen him graduate from Elton John music videos to varied levels of cinematic quality (the 1984 wild boar in the outback horror flick Razorback, the ill-advised Kim Basinger vehicle The Real McCoy, and the Geoffrey Rush drama Swimming Upstream just a few of his efforts) is…

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