Shopping mall beauty pageants and wedding anniversaries meet true crime and Victorian taxidermy in Night Rooms, a stunning personal essay collection from Gina Nutt. There’s likely an expectation that, given that she’s writing about it, Nutt’s life is packed with adventure or trauma or something generally monumental. It isn’t. But Night Rooms is no less […]
Read More
Genesis Owusu is an artist in control. Taking a few years to get here, his debut album Smiling With No Teeth showcases an artist well and truly ready to breakdown barriers and take the world on, fifteen tracks at a time. A lengthy debut, Smiling With No Teeth is the sign of an artist not […]
Read More
Barefoot: The Mark Baumer Story was my first introduction to the eccentric writer and eponymous artist. Baumer went viral in 2016 after he embarked on a barefoot walk across America. This documentary takes in various beats along his journey of over 100 days. Itâs a portrait that is as rich and detailed as an oil […]
Read More
Zappa is a documentary that feels like one giant motherfucker of a film. At 129 minutes, director Alex Winter (the former lead actor of Bill & Tedâs Excellent Adventure) covers lots of ground about this enigmatic genius. They broke the mould when they made Frank Zappa. So, while the proceedings are detailed and capture his […]
Read More
Corpus Christi follows the story of a young inmate Daniel (Bartosz Bielenia), who is imprisoned for second-degree murder. During his long stint, he has a spiritual awakening and he makes it his goal to become an ordained priest. But his journey does not come easy due to his criminal background. After his release, he is […]
Read More
In America 1964, the audience is introduced with its four main players. Renowned boxer Cassius Clay (Eli Goree) had just defeated Sonny Liston to become heavyweight champion of the world; Muslim minister and human rights activist Malcolm X (Kingsley Ben-Adir) is still fighting for the cause for Black people; pop musician Sam Cooke (Leslie Odom […]
Read More
When Bettina Scottâs father and brothers disappeared, her mother took charge. The wild ways of her childhood were over, and Bettina was moulded into a proper young lady. But, when a mysterious letter arrives and a painted warning appears on their perfect picket fence, Bettina is forced to confront what really happened all those years […]
Read More
From the moment he swaggers into the room, you can tell Tyler Everett (played by Tom Crotty) is going to own the audience. Making eye contact, he begins his story of sex, violence and city living. Dressed in a black leather jacket, white t-shirt and designer stubble, with a backpack slung over his shoulder he […]
Read More
Fetch Phillips’ world is just like ours. Well except for the magic, and all that comes with that: chimera, wizards, elves, vampires and more. But, the magic has gone out, leaving the world irrevocably changed. And, our erstwhile “hero” Fetch might have more to do with it than we imagine. The Last Smile in Sunder […]
Read More
The home-grown wonder that is Tora are no longer Australiaâs best kept secret. Following the success of their first album Take A Rest in 2017, songs including âAnother Caseâ and âToo Littleâ caught international attention and saw them head overseas to perform. Now preparing to re-pack their bags for another tour of Europe in the […]
Read More
Terrence Malick and his mystical signature can be off-putting to some; many, in fact. And that’s completely understandable. The auteur has long been considered a divisive director, but it’d be foolish to deny the unconventional and dreamlike wonder he brings to poignant stories both intimate and large in scale. Although, if you’re not already sold […]
Read More
Elton John and photographer Terry OâNeill first collaborated in 1972. Since then, OâNeill has taken around five thousand photographs of the star across the decades that followed. Recently, when going through his collection, OâNeill recognised the special nature of these photographs and wanted to share them with Eltonâs legion of fans. Elton John: The Definitive […]
Read More
It might have been a Sunday night, but it was an exciting time for those in Melbourne, with Middle Kids continuing along the path of their âNew Songs For Old Problemâ tour. The bandâs Melbourne dates fell somewhat unfortunately on a Sunday night, but as lead singer Hannah said, âpeople who see shows on Sunday nights […]
Read More
It may sound wrong to start off a review in the first person as well stating my personal bias, but I am planning to anyway because it would be unfair for the reader and myself due to certain restrictions in my writing. First off, I love horror films of the ’80s. I grew up watching […]
Read More
Long before The Ramones were co-opted for an ad, they were a punk band who appealed to suburbanite teens. Andrew Stafford was one such fan, which his memoir, Something to Believe In proves. Across the book’s pages he takes readers to rock ânâ roll high school, educating them on all matters of music and madness […]
Read More
Jocelyn Moorhouse knows how to spin a great yarn. The Dressmaker director has had a rich career in film, and this forms part of her memoir, Unconditional Love. This book looks at her brilliant career, including her collaborations with filmmaker husband, PJ Hogan (Murielâs Wedding). But, Moorhouseâs most intriguing chapters are about her experiences with […]
Read More
If youâve ever seen a performer such as Sharon Van Etten, youâd understand the term âsmooth operatorâ. This was something that was seemingly obvious at Hamer Hall on Tuesday night as Sharon closed up the Australian leg of her Remind Me Tomorrow tour. Along for the ride was Melbourneâs vert own BATTS, who proved to […]
Read More
London-based Australian musician Jordan Rakei has just dropped his new album, Origin, his third, and first since the release of Wallflower back in 2017. Initially I came to this album on a bit of a whim, unfamiliar with Rakeiâs past output, but drawn in by plaudits from the likes of Robert Glasper and Terrace Martin. […]
Read More
Self styled country outlaw Rose-Lynn Harlan (Jessie Buckley) is out of jail and ready to chase her dreams. A talented country singer, her goal is Nashville (where else?), but Rose-Lynn is torn between starting fresh or finally taking responsibility for the life she’s made in Glasgow, involving two young children who barely know their mother. […]
Read More
Enigmatic, ethereal and endearing AURORA, has at last released the response to her call, A Different Kind Of Human (Step II), following up her 2018 release Infections of a Different Kind (Step I). Like many artists of this moment, more and more performers are turning their lyrical focus towards ecological themes, and cries to save the Earth. […]
Read More
If Langata, Crooked Coloursâ sophomore album was enough to get the dance juices pumping in your system, then their live performance of the album would have almost sent a person over the edge. The night opened with Sydney via Perth duo, Kayex. Their raucous brand of electronica was not lost on the burgeoning crowd, as slowly […]
Read More
You know the old American show âCheersâ? The one set in the aptly named âCheersâ bar, featuring Ted Danson, Kirstie Alley, Woody Harrelson and everyoneâs favourite radio show hosting psychologist (well before he couldnât work out what to do with those tossed salads and scrambled eggs). Anyway, the bar that is Cheers is the place you […]
Read More
Although Nick Murphy (formerly known as Chet Faker) has been consistent in releasing new singles over the past few years, Friday saw the release of his first album, Run Fast Sleep Naked, since 2014. The Melbournian artist has spent four years travelling around the world, recording content in places where he felt the most creatively […]
Read More
Edited by Maxine Beneba Clarke, with Magan Magan and Ahmed Yussuf, Growing Up African in Australia is a new anthology from Black Inc., following on from Alice Pungâs Growing Up Asian in Australia, Benjamin Lawâs Growing Up Queer in Australia and Anita Heissâ Growing Up Aboriginal in Australia. Whilst, Carly Findlay, who also contributed to this […]
Read More
For those fans of growing Melbourne artist BATTS, the news of an album release was a quiet relief. The Grand Tour, draped in the magic of the stars, portrays the singer-songwriter as an artist and person, creating a wonderful fusion album that evokes her powerful storytelling in different ways. As a concept, BATTSâ The Grand Tour […]
Read More
If there were a title for Grand Master of narrative fiction then the undisputed champion would be Janet Malcolm. This American author has been writing since the 1960’s when she first began with The New Yorker. The author of several books, her latest one, Nobodyâs Looking At You, focuses on recent times by drawing together […]
Read More
Brendan Maclean has had a varied career in film and music, from starring alongside Marcia Hines in the cabaret show Velvet in the 2015 Adelaide Fringe, to well known Triple J radio presenter for many years and to having his sexually explicit 2015 video to âHouse of Airâ being banned by Youtube. So after several […]
Read More
With only 24 hours notice, veteran Flume dropped a 17 track mixtape with full accompanying visuals on Australian label, Future Classic.  Hi This Is Flume (Mixtape) will be one of the most important releases of the year and reminds us that Flume is an artist but also a visionary. Breaking his two year silence, Flume and […]
Read More
Julia Jacklin has had a massive start to 2019. With international tours and the release of her second album Crushing already in the bin, it looks like this year could be one for the record books. Returning to Sydney’s Metro Theatre almost two years since her last headline national tour, the Blue Mountains native wooed […]
Read More
There was a quiet excitement through the crowd as Shaad DJâd through the opening half hour at Estonian House in Brunswick on Friday night. Obviously, there was something to look forward too with the final of two shows performed by band, Snail Mail beginning within the hour. Artist Lindsay Jordan has had a cult following […]
Read More
