Win a double pass to see Mini Mansions in Sydney!

Mini Mansions are in the midst of a victorious year. Following their break out performance at SXSW, the band have toured with the likes of Arctic Monkeys, Royal Blood and New Pornographers and made their Glastonbury debut this June. The indie pop trio led by Queens of the Stone Age bassist Michael Shuman are touring Australia…

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Single of the Day: Flight of Ryan “Technicolor Souls” (2015)

Arizona newcomers Flight of Ryan have got a cracker on their hands. “Technicolor Souls” is the first single from the four-piece’s upcoming debut LP From Cocoon, and if the full length release is anything like this single then they’ll be on a winner. If you’re a fan of anything indie/electronica/pop, there’s a good chance you’ll be…

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Stumbled Upon #091 – Jasmine Nelson (Melbourne)

In our 91st instalment of “Stumbled Upon”, we chat to gorgeous Melbournian Jasmine Nelson, find out about her album Hercules, discover future tour plans and check out her single “Heart”. Musician: Jasmine Nelson Website / Social Media: www.jasminenelson.com Facebook / Soundcloud / Instagram Genre: Singer / Songwriter Members & their roles: Jasmine Nelson – singer,…

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the AU interview: Adam Shoji of Seaway (Canada) talks on Colour Blind LP, pop-punk scene and band’s progression

Since the release of their latest LP Colour Blind, Canadian pop-punk band Seaway have been turning heads in both America and the UK. We had the opportunity to speak with bass player Adam Shoji about the new record, the current pop-punk scene and the band’s progression in their music. At the moment you guys are touring with Knuckle Puck, Sorority Noise…

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Album Review: King Gizzard And The Lizard Wizard – Paper Mache Dream Balloon (2015 LP)

You could be forgiven for dismissing King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard as a novelty. Their name alone sounds like it was created using some kind of random name generator, they have enough band members to field a football team and they seem to release something new every time the seasons change, but as always…

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Video Games Review: Fallout 4 (PS4, Xbox One, 2015)

Friends and adventurers, the promised time is at hand. Vault 111 is opening and the Commonwealth awaits. War. War never changes.

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TV Review: Doctor Who Series 9 Episode 8 “The Zygon Inversion” (UK, 2015)

“Since when is Doctor Who political?”, says my Tom Baker adoring mother after seeing the credits roll for “The Zygon Inversion”. Bewildered and a little confused as any long-term fan of the show would be, my mum encapsulates a stark change in the landscape of Doctor Who – that it has the power to transcend…

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Video Games Review: Rise of the Tomb Raider (Xbox One, 2015)

Crystal Dynamics breathed new life into the aging Tomb Raider series with their acclaimed 2013 self-titled reboot. Its sequel, Rise of the Tomb Raider, sees a hardier, more prepared Lara Croft venturing into Siberia to find an artefact said to hold the key to immortality. But does Rise of the Tomb Raider, like it’s heroine,…

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Film Review: He Named Me Malala (USA, 2015)

If you know anything about Malala Yousafzai, you would know that her story is not necessarily one of happiness, but one of suffering, struggle, but most of all inspiration. It is the powerful character and true story of this now 18-year-old girl that dominates the character-driven documentary He Named Me Malala. The documentary is directed by…

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DVD Review: Suite Française (UK, 2015)

Based on Irène Némirovsky’s bestselling novel, Suite Française challenges the true nature of people through forbidden love, generosity and understanding during a time of vast demise and depression resulting from the horrors of war. Directed by Saul Dibb, it is a romantic drama set in the small French village Bussy. The film follows the tribulations of…

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Cake Wines plan community feasts in gardens and markets around Sydney

From now until mid-December, popular wine champs Cake Wines will be staging a series of weekend lunches and dinners in local community gardens and farmers markets with the help of some of Sydney’s best chefs, including Mike McEnearney (of Kitchen by Mike fame) and Richie Dolan (of Chiswick). With such talent on board, the Cakes…

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Ananas Bar & Brasserie’s Halloween Champagne Brunch – The Rocks (Sydney)

French hotspot Ananas Bar & Brasserie has been hosting special Champagne Brunches once a month for awhile now, pulling on various themes from Willy Wonka to Winter Wonderland. The well-received concept is refreshing and playful, spinning the traditional champagne brunch into lively buffets with free-pour packages, and a DJ for background music (themed, of course),…

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Saturday Night Live’s “Hotline Bling” parody has Donald Trump dancing for forgiveness

Despite more than a few protests, Donald Trump was included on the most recent Saturday Night Live, surprisingly going along – mostly to great effect – with some typical SNL hilarity, in addition to starring in a parody for “Hotline Bling. Both cringeworthy and kind of brilliant, SNL manages to convince trump to portray your…

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Sam Smith releases cover of Amy Winehouse’s “Love is a Losing Game”

Sam Smith is still one of the most anticipated voices in music today, gleaming with a dulcet, soulful tone that has him easily accenting emotions that contemporaries may struggle to capture. A good demonstration of that is his newly released cover of Amy Winehouse ballad “Love is a Losing Game”, which debuted this past week…

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Live Review: Chet Faker – Sydney Opera House Forecourt (06.11.15)

The beard may be gone, but rest assured – Chet Faker is still the king of Australian soul music. On Friday, thousands of fans flocked into the infamous Opera House forecourt for the first show in the new summer series that will welcome both Tame Impala and Florence and the Machine to the prestigious venue….

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the AU interview: Tim Omaji talks about his new single and the retirement of Timomatic

Following his third release as Tim Omaji, it would seem that the Australia performer has finally broken free of the Timomatic shackles and begun to define who he really is as an artist. I caught up with him to talk about the new single, working with some of the world’s best producers, and what we can expect…

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Music Video of the Day: City Calm Down “Wandering” (2015)

City Calm Down have been on our radar for a long time now, and their debut album (out now) had become one of the most anticipated releases of the year. Seamlessly blending live instrumentation with subtle yet powerful electronica, City Calm Down have cemented themselves as a band with a distinctive sound that sticks out above…

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Video Games Review: Need for Speed (PS4, 2015)

The Need for Speed franchise has been a lot of things to a lot of different audiences over the years. But with such a large back catalogue comes bloat and mis-steps as the well of new ideas goes dry. With the back-to-basics reboot Need for Speed, the series is given the chance to head in some…

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Video Games Review: Assassin’s Creed Syndicate (Xbox One, 2015)

With many fans of the series still wary after last year’s disastrous Assassin’s Creed Unity, Ubisoft are aware that they need to stick the landing with Assassin’s Creed Syndicate. The good news is that Syndicate, though it has problems of its own, is never weighed down by them and constitutes a welcome return to form.

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Laphroaig planning exclusive Whisky pop-ups in Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane

Iconic Islay distillery Laphroaig are celebrating 200 years in 2015, and before the year’s out they plan on bringing their Smoke on the Water Whisky Pop-Up to the east-coast of Australia to spread the love. Two centuries of distilling one of the world’s most unique and rewarding Whiskies is no small feat, so we expect…

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On the Shelf: Kininvie 23 Year Old Batch No. 3 (Single Malt Scotch Whisky)

William Grant & Sons have recently launched their highly anticipated third release from the lesser-known Dufftown Kininvie Distillery, also marking the first drops we have seen from the distillery down here in Australia. The Kininvie 23 Year Old Batch No.3 is an incredibly rare, super premium single malt Scotch Whisky that is unlike anything that…

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Guylian Belgian Chocolate Café – The Rocks (Sydney)

Guylian Belgian Chocolate Café in The Rocks has a prime location for foot traffic, whether it’s tourists from the many cruises that ship in and out of Circular Quay or regulars who recognise the area as a regular haunt. As a chocolate-cafe chain (they have two other locations in Sydney, both by the water), Guylian…

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La Puerta Latino Flavours opens in Neutral Bay (Sydney)

Neutral Bay’s growing dining scene has just taken a big step forward, welcoming Oscar Espinosa, ex-Head Chef of Mexicano, for his first solo venture, tapping into authentic South American food with La Puerta Latino Flavours. Just off the Military Road strip, on Waters Road, you’ll find the restaurant-bar and it’s heady tapas-style approach to flavours…

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Candelori’s (Spring 2015) – Smithfield (Sydney)

Candelori’s is a long-running, well-known restaurant in Western Sydney that more recently went through a major rework and now stands as, quite possibly, the best looking restaurant in the area. Step through that massive door and you’ll be met with an imposing space, designed to fit over 200 diners by stalwart design group DS17, who…

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Games Review: Trials Fusion (Xbox One, 2014)

A few years ago when I played Far Cry 3 (co-incidentally, another Ubisoft title), Vaas, the game’s villain posed me a question: “Did I ever tell you what the definition of insanity is? It’s doing the same thing over and over again and expecting shit to change.” That’s kind of what it feels like to…

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Plot details released for Harry Potter prequel Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

The November issue of Entertainment Weekly has just been released, and with it is a bunch of first-look imagery and details on Harry Potter prequel Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, the first in a planned trilogy. First off, it’s important to note that although J.K. Rowling was heavily involved in all 8 Harry…

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Doctor Who Pop-Up Shop opens at Broadway Shopping Centre in Sydney

Ahead of the big Doctor Who Festival this month at Hordern Pavilion/Royal Hall of Industries, Broadway Shopping Centre has become the new temporary home to the returning Pop-Up Shop completely dedicated to the iconic sci-fi franchise. Aimed at all the companion, Whovians, and Time Lords around the city, the pop-up stocks exclusive merch, toys, gifts,…

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BlizzCon 2015: The full trailer for the Warcraft movie premieres

It has been a massive week for Warcraft fans, who have patiently waited for more images and a trailer from the upcoming epic fantasy film based on the phenomenally popular game World of Warcraft since San Diego Comic-Con when we saw the first official character art. Earlier this week, Legendary revealed a new poster for…

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Theatre Review: City of Angels – Life Like Company – Arts Centre Melbourne (Performances to November 8th)

Before you all start to fantasize about Nicholas Cage and Meg Ryan, I must tell you; this musical is not the stage adaptation of the 1998 film of the same name. But, I can assure you it is just as juicy, just as sexy and just as heartfelt. City of Angels is all about the…

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Kansas City Shuffle opens up in The Rocks (Sydney)

Kansas City Shuffle (KCS) has given The Rocks has a shiny new café to play around with, and this one is far from your standard newbie. For one, it comes from the ultra reliable Ben Sweeten, standing as his seventh café venture, after involvement in successful venues like Joe Black Café and Proud Mary. Secondly,…

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