Book Review: John McPhee’s Draft No. 4 is all right for some, but not for everyone

Truthfully, I had no idea who John McPhee was when I picked up this book. I knew only a few things about the book at all- that it was about writing, that it was published by Text (a fabulous Australian publisher whom I trust with my reading material), and that it had a glowing quote…

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SXSW Interview: Albert Hammond Jr. discusses Francis Trouble and the importance of failing

While at SXSW, we caught up with Albert Hammond Jr. – an artist who needs no introduction. What was being introduced during the festival however, was AHJ’s fourth studio album Francis Trouble, an album that has recently seen him on tour with The Killers and further expanding his live set up on huge stages. I think the last time…

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SXSW wraps up with Rapture, Isle of Dogs, Rachael Ray’s Feedback, a fitting Miles Davis tribute and more

Though the big annual jam by The Roots and friends (with rumours of SWV, DMC, Dermot Kennedy, Nathaniel Rateliff, Jessie Reyez and Rapsody being the unannounced guests) was cancelled due to a credible bomb threat, the final night of SXSW left no music lover wanting for more. Those scoping out the remainder of SXSW Film…

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Music Video of the Day: RALPH “September Fades” (2018)

Its rare to find beautiful music videos that pair well with a retro song that you can jam out to, yet equal parts alluring and vivacious, Toronto artist RALPH has returned with September Fades, accompanied with a video with a taste a nostalgia and disco-groove. The video, shot in a 1950’s Toronto motel, provides a soulful and…

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Jumping into Sea of Thieves today? Request a personalised shanty for your stream!

Because every great seafaring adventure should begin with a truly filthy pirate anthem requested via online video platform, Xbox ANZ have organised what they’re calling a “Sing Us A Shanty” service for players jumping into Sea of Thieves today. The service will allow players to request a live song from an actual, honest-to-Poseidon pirate band…

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Games Preview: The New God of War is Everything We’ve Been Asking For

Like quite a number of people, I was excited yet a little skeptical when Sony announced a new installment to the venerable God of War series. Was Santa Monica Studios going to roll out the same game but in a different skin? I got to be among the first in the world to find out, getting…

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SXSW Interview: Jeff Goldblum on working with Wes Anderson on Isle of Dogs, filming Thor in Australia

Last night, Isle of Dogs held its premiere as the Closing Film of SXSW. We briefly caught up with actor Jeff Goldblum on the red carpet to chat about talking with Director Wes Anderson, while Goldblum briefly muses about his time filming Thor in Australia and Menulog. Watch the chat here: Isle of Dogs hits…

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Games Review: Pure Farming 2018 (PS4, 2018): Get to work

I have a genuine love of job simulator games that is both unnerving and inexplicable. I also find them deeply hilarious. The seriousness with which they take themselves and my absolute refusal to take anything seriously makes for a very entertaining combination, at least as far as I’m concerned. Thus, when a code for Pure…

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Games Review: Assassin’s Creed Origins: Curse of the Pharaohs DLC (Xbox One X, 2018): Zoinks, gang, it’s a mummy

It’s been around six months sine Assassin’s Creed Origins arrived and in that time, the game has proven itself to be one with legs. With Curse of the Pharaohs, the game’s latest and largest DLC expansion to date, Ubisoft looks to keep Bayek’s adventure rolling with a trip to Thebes.

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Tech Review: JBL Link 20 and Link 10 Google Assistant Speakers: Happy if you’re happy

You wouldn’t think there’s much difference between Google Assistant speakers, but there is. Some are better at interpreting your commands than others. Some have better overall sound. The JBL Link 20, and its little brother the Link 10, are great examples of simply aiming for the happy spot in between.

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Australian director Leigh Whannell among winners of the SXSW Film Festival Audience Awards

Taking place between 9-18 March, the 2018 South by Southwest (SXSW) Conference and Festival in Austin, Texas has come to a close, and with that, the Audience Award winners have officially been announced. The awards cover a range of categories, from documentary features to outstanding narrative structure and creativity. Amongst the list includes Australia director…

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Interview: Margot Robbie and Elizabeth Debicki talk playing rabbits in Peter Rabbit and their stellar careers

Australia has been churning out some quality star power of late and two of those are actresses Margot Robbie and Elizabeth Debicki. Robbie’s just recently riding a high after her portrayal of Tonya Harding in I,Tonya scored her a bunch of awards nominations. Whilst Debicki has recently been inducted into the Marvel Cinematic Universe in…

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Single of the Day: BLESSED “Superfly” (2018)

After gaining recognition and traction from his hit singles Insanity and My World, Sydney producer and songwriter BLESSED is back again with his newest track “Superfly” The feel-good track is a relatable piece, talking about how you may be broke but you can still be the flyest in the room. With great beats and a groovy…

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SXSW 2018: Here’s all the winners from SXSW Interactive Innovation Awards

The SXSW Interactive Innovation Awards is one of the biggest and most comprehensive awards nights of the entire festival. A moment in the spotlight for just about every facet of the tech and interactive side of the industry, this year’s awards were big on AI, smart tech and wearables. Hit the jump for the complete…

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Tech Review: UE Wonderboom Portable Speaker: Party on your belt

I might be too old for portable speakers. The market is aimed rather squarely at beautiful young 20-somethings that do things like beach trips or Sunday sessions and require tunes 24/7. I am not this market. But I am a writer who moves from spot-to-spot in the house throughout the day and I do like…

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Interview: Tom Morello on Prophets of Rage’s longevity and importance of rock in today’s political environment

Come March 24th, Melbourne will be hosting the first ever Australian Download Festival. An event that will undoubtedly fill the hole Soundwave left for many heavy metal and punk fans, Download has already put an impressive stake in the market, announcing the likes of Korn, Slipknot and more to their inaugural Australian line up. Carving out a fine…

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Hip-Hop reigns supreme and music royalty pay tribute to Blaze Foley on SXSW’s Friday Program

Hip hop fans were very well taken care of on SXSW’s second last day. Fader Fort revealed their surprise guest as Rae Sremmurd, with the duo also playing their own “announced at the last minute” showcase event with the likes of it producer Mike WiLL Made It and buzz acts like Duckwrth. Though the Rae…

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SXSW Thursday: The Aussie BBQ bring some of our best to Austin’s Australia House

Australia House and G’Day USA weren’t messing around when it came to this year’s The Aussie BBQ, kick starting the annual showcase event with nothing but top quality Australian music, sweeping through everything from one of the country’s most dynamic (and intense) indie-rock acts Bad Pony on the Backyard Stage to the delicate sounds and…

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Avengers: Infinity War drops a titan of a trailer

Just when you think it’s safe to internet, Marvel Studios go and drop the final trailer for Avengers: Infinity War a little more than a month away from the film being officially released worldwide. We were all pretty aware of the size and scale and scope of this movie but this new trailer goes to…

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Fusion, Hah! WWE SuperCard Launches Brand New Spring Into the Ring Promotion

To celebrate the beginning of Spring (northern hemisphere variant), WWE SuperCard have announced the brand new Spring into the Ring event. Beginning from today and running through until March 27th, Spring into the Ring will allow access to special Seeds that can be scored through the Draft Boards. Collecting eight Seeds will unlock a range…

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Music Video of the Day: Slowly Slowly “Alchemy” (2018)

It’s Slowly Slowly‘s week this week – we’re so excited to see that one of our favourite Melbourne bands have found a new home within the UNFD fold! The band have consistently been building on their body of work since the release of Chamomile back in 2016; more recently we’ve been enjoying “Aliens” and this week, with the…

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Jeremy Loops reveals new album, Critical As Water

Not too long ago, we shared the news of South African singer songwriter – Jeremy Loops – returning to Australia with his new album, Critical As Water. Today, the album sees release; a fitting follow up to the acclaimed debut, Trading Change. The theme of water is obviously strong throughout the record, taking the listener through moments of…

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SXSW Wednesday Round Up: Tank & The Bangas and August Greene shine at NPR showcase as Vevo and Fader Fort hits the ground running

It was a jam packed Wednesday at SXSW in Austin, Texas. Here’s a look at just a few of the many highlights… Kicking off numerous showcases at SXSW this week, Tinashe hit up Vevo House for her second performance of the night and – to no one’s surprise – completely owned the smoky jungle-like stage…

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Live Review: Big Boi brings the dirty south to The Metro

The thing puts you off-guard seeing Big Boi isn’t his skill as a lyricist, or the sheer breadth of hit songs are at his disposal. It’s seeing how effortless he makes it all look. 20 years into the game anything could have happened, he easily could have lost interest in the whole hustle of the touring and…

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First Impressions: The Last O.G is a triumphant return to form for Tracy Morgan

There’s something very sincere and heart-warming about Tray, the character played by Tracy Morgan in new TBS show The Last O.G. The forthcoming series, backed by John Carcieri and Jordan Peele, is a welcome return for the endearingly 30 Rock star, who still very much embodies the on-screen personality often attributed to him but grounds…

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Games Review: Kirby Star Allies (Switch, 2018): You’ve Got A Friend In Me

Kirby Star Allies was so disgustingly cute that it made me want to vomit. From its charming and delightful characters to its friendship-based co-operative gameplay, everything about Star Allies is just plain adorable. When Kirby’s friends are low on health, he heals them by ‘kissing’ them, generating tiny love hearts across the screen. When presented…

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SXSW Film Review: ¡Las Sandinistas! (USA/Nicaragua, 2018) restores some important women to Nicaragua’s history books

The original Sandinistas (AKA the Sandinista National Liberation Front) were a group with the odds stacked against them. By their own admission, they were a bunch of “Poorly armed kids.” But they successfully overthrew the Nicaraguan president in 1979. A large number of the Sandinistas were women. Society had expected these women would marry and…

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Games Review: Burnout Paradise Remastered (Xbox One X, 2017): Throwback Thursday

If Burnout Paradise Remastered does anything, it makes the EA of 2008 look like a benevolent creativity incubator when compared to the strife-prone publisher of today. For one thing, the game is great fun. For another, its clear that developer Criterion was given the room they needed to properly execute on their vision. It’s a…

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Review: Checking out Distrikt Hotel, Pittsburgh’s newest hotel

In the heart of Downtown Pittsburgh, and within walking distance or a short car ride to some of our amazing food highlights, is one of the city’s newest hotels. Opened a few weeks prior to our stay, Distrikt Hotel is a flair of New York City, yet with dedication to make Pittsburgh the hero. Scott…

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Sydney Writers’ Festival reveal huge 2018 line up

Power, sex and politics are just some of the themes that will be explored at this year’s  21st Sydney Writers’ Festival (SWF). Returning to Sydney from 30 April to 7 May, SFW will welcome around 400 Australian writers, academics and public figures, and 60 international writers for a week of talks, performances and workshops at…

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