Tkay Maidza

Album of the Week: Tkay Maidza – Last Year Was Weird Vol. 3 (2021 EP)

It’s about time Australia and the world stops sleeping on Tkay Maidza. After releasing more than her fair share of quality singles and EPs, Maidza is back with Last Year Was Weird Vol. 3, a slinky and complete progression from an act who’s more than ready to make an impact on the global hip hop…

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Reading Australian Writer

Book Review: Reading Like an Australian Writer updates the syllabus for Australian literary studies

How do we define an Australian writer? What is Australian literature? New South Books’ latest collection of essays, Reading Like An Australian Writer doesn’t seek to answer these questions definitively. Instead, using as its source material a line-up of well-known Australian literary figures and their books, it offers up a round table of discussions on…

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King Brown

Perth’s King Brown gives us their favourite local venues, bands and haunts

Perth continues to enhance its reputation as a creative hub, with resident rockers King Brown dropping their debut EP, Out In The Desert last month. It’s a quality collection of six tracks. It’s a bit bluesy, with some surf-rock leanings and superb story-telling. The strong vocals and searing guitars are a standout. It’s an exciting…

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Film Review: Firestarter: The Story of Bangarra is a fierce look at the dance company’s rich and complex history

If you want an example of the transportive power of dance then you need to look no further than Firestarter: The Story of Bangarra. This documentary packs a lot into its slender 96-minute run time, by tracing the origins of this First Nations dance troupe. This film draws together many facets and stories including the…

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Meghna

Meghna: Top 5 Movies I Watch Again and Again

We premiered “Bad Thoughts” from Australian/Indian artist Meghna last September, and have been keenly anticipating the follow-up. Meghna hasn’t disappointed, with the gripping “In My DNA”. The track was written about her parents and grandparents who grew up in India, experiencing poverty, with the fear that they might not be able to escape that poverty….

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Book Review: Trek the Pennine Way with Anita Sethi in new memoir I Belong Here

After being subjected to a racist attack on a TransPennine Express train, Anita Sethi decided enough was enough. With no one on the train willing to step in and stop her abuser on his vicious tirade, she reached out to train staff and police herself, choosing to speak up for herself in a way she…

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Switch OLED

Nintendo announces new OLED Switch hardware

The long-rumoured “Switch Pro” turned out to be real — kind of. Nintendo calls it the Nintendo Switch (OLED Model), complete with parentheses right there in the name because who would Ninty be without a little idiosyncrasy. Handheld clarity The OLED screen itself measures 7 inches (or 17.78cm) across. For those hoping the system would…

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Partefacts

Track of the Week: Partefacts “Time Travel” (2021)

“Time Travel” is the debut single from new band on the block Partefacts, and taken from their forthcoming EP Lifestyle Blob.  Partefacts is the brainchild of Canadian multi-instrumentalist Christa Belle and Australian producers Lani Bagley and Craig Schuftan. If those last two names sound familiar to you, then good. Bagley and Schuftan also make up…

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Film Review: Black Widow proves that a female voice is a tone that suits the Marvel canon

Eagerly awaited, though perhaps a few years too late, Marvel’s latest excursion of the bombastic kind – Black Widow – isn’t exactly reinventing the wheel.  That’s not necessarily a bad thing though as Cate Shortland‘s venture adopts a more grounded mentality (at least for the most part), playing as a type-of Bourne Identity actioner that…

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Saiyon

Exclusive Video Premiere: Saiyon “Kerosene” (2021)

Melbourne-based Saiyon produces an enthralling blend of alternative R’n’B’ and electronica, and we are thrilled to be premiering the video for “Kerosene”, ahead of its release on Thursday. In an era where mansplaining and repression of women is still all too prevalent, “Kerosene” is a celebration of a young woman who is feeling empowered and…

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Mario Golf Super Rush

Mario Golf Super Rush Review: Dangerously close to the rough

A no-show in the Wii era, I warmly welcomed the announcement of Mario Golf Super Rush for the Switch. And now, at long last, a Mario-themed golf-sim with motion controls. Finally, Switch owners can enjoy a pseudo-realistic golf experience in the comfort of our homes — without having to brave the heat of the sun…

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Em George

Exclusive Video Premiere: Em George “Metropolis” (2021)

Sydney singer/songwriter Em George recently dropped her latest single, “Metropolis”. George released her EP Wolves last year, the follow up to her debut self-titled EP that was released in 2016.  We are thrilled today to be premiering the video for “Metropolis”, the lead single from her next EP. “Metropolis” has a beautiful lush folk/Americana feel to…

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Win a double in-season pass to see the female-led action film Gunpowder Milkshake

  Thanks to StudioCanal we have five double passes to give away to the upcoming release of the action film Gunpowder Milkshake, starring Karen Gillan, Michelle Yeoh, Lena Headey, Angela Bassett and Carla Gugino, in Australian cinemas from July 15th, 2021. Sam (Karen Gillan) was only 12 years old when her mother Scarlet (Lena Headey), an elite…

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Nespresso Vertuo Next Review: Adding a bit more versatility to your standard capsule coffee

Can a Nespresso machine be any easier to use in 2021? Although the Nestle has a seemingly endless collection of models now, it’s hard to imagine how they could make a more straight-forward coffee machine than they have in the past. Pop a pod in and you’ll be typically rewarded with an excellent, velvety smooth…

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Film Review: Escape Room: Tournament of Champions is a fans-only sequel that indulges in its elaborate production value

Taking an activity that’s (arguably) something of a fad and morphing it for a theatrical narrative was a risk that evidently paid off for director Adam Robitel and screenwriters Bragi Schut and Maria Melnik with 2019’s Escape Room.  A psychological horror film that aimed for suspense over gore, its $150 million worldwide haul practically guaranteed…

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5 albums and EPs you may have missed in Q2 2021

As we hit the half way point of 2021, there’s been an extraordinary level of great new music released week in, week out this year; especially in the months April through June. From Wolf Alice to girl in red, London Grammar, EJ Worland and Martha Marlow, the second quarter of 2021 has seen a variety…

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Just A Leo

Exclusive Single Premiere: Just A Leo “Hideaway” (2021)

Just A Leo is a fresh Melbourne-based indie-rock band that has burst out of the blocks in the past few months with two high-quality releases. We are thrilled today to be premiering “Hideaway”, the third track from their upcoming debut EP. This follows on from “I Think About My Faith” and “More Than Gold” which…

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Anita Heiss

Book Review: Bila Yarrudhanggalangdhuray is an exquisite piece of historical fiction from Anita Heiss

When the Murrumbidgee River bursts its banks and sweeps into the fledgling town of Gundgai, it is Wagadhaany’s father, Yarri, and other Wiradjuri men who come to the rescue of the trapped townsfolk. Now an indentured servant to the Bradleys – a family who, years ago, ignored her father’s pleading not to build on the…

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How to Edit a Travel Video: 5 Essential Tips

Shooting a travel video is always a lot of fun, because you also enjoy a new country at the same time, besides the fact that you are working. You can see the most beautiful corners of the world, get a lot of cool emotions, and at the same time share your own experience with your…

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Great Ace Attorney Chronicles

The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles Preview: New evidence comes to light

The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles is finally coming to the West. The package collects both The Great Ace Attorney: Adventures and The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles 2: Resolve. Both games made their debut in Japan on the Nintendo 3DS in 2015. Both games were ported to iOS and Android in 2017. Neither game ever launched…

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Interview: Actor Thomas Cocquerel on the thrills and intricacies of Escape Room: Tournament of Champions

After Escape Room became one of 2019’s biggest surprise box office successes, netting over $150 million worldwide on a $9 million budget, it was no surprise when it was announced that a second trip behind the locked doors would be heading our way; Escape Room: Tournament of Champions. Reuniting original director Adam Robitel and surviving…

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A Sopranos story is explored in first The Many Saints of Newark trailer

Legends aren’t born.  They’re made. The prequel to the groundbreaking, award-winning HBO series The Sopranos, The Many Saints of Newark is set against the backdrop of the explosive 1967 Newark riots as it explores the rising tension between the Italian-American and African-American communities. Directed by Emmy winner Alan Taylor (TV’s Game of Thrones) and written…

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John Keenan

Interview: Brisbane’s John Keenan talks about his new track, the Americana-infused “Tired Eyes”

Last week singer/songwriter John Keenan released the beautiful and poignant track, “Tired Eyes”, a  heartfelt message of love for his partner. The track features the gorgeous vocals of Nicole McKinney. This is a track with a lovely Americana/folky feel to it. Intricate guitars in the opening sets the scene, the vocals kick in delivering the…

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Goons

Exclusive Single Premiere: Goons “Summer Lover” (2021)

Sydney five-piece Goons continue to drop tunes that are joyously infectious. Following on from “Bella”  which we premiered last September, the boys have again delivered a big song with a positive message. “Summer Lover” oozes good times and happy days. We are thrilled to have the first listen today, ahead of the release on Friday….

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Track of the Week: Book Klub “Life of Me” (2021)

This week’s Track of the Week comes courtesy of Scottish post-punks Book Klub! With influences ranging from shoegaze to noise-pop and a whole heap in between, Book Klub have been building quite the following, performing in some of Edinburgh and Glasgow’s most iconic small venues. Consisting of Reece Robertson (guitar and vocals), Jack Martin (drums…

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First Impressions: Pixar’s Monsters At Work is facile family viewing that should entertain young audiences

Supported by Pixar but not specifically animated by them, Monsters At Work serves as a direct continuation of 2001’s Monsters, Inc., picking up in the hours after learning the laughter of children is a much more efficient way to energise their city over the nightmarish screams they used to evoke. Despite the sequel feel of…

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The Boogeyman rises in new Halloween Kills trailer

Evil dies tonight. After slaughtering the box office in 2018, earning over $250 million at the global box office and setting a new record for the largest opening weekend in history for a horror film starring a woman – genre icon Jamie Lee Curtis – Halloween breathed new life into the four-decade long franchise. And…

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Modus Operandi’s NORT creates world first non-alcoholic Pacific Ale

Australian made, female founded company NORT Beer has pushed forward with a world’s first, launching a non-alcoholic Pacific Ale in a substantial move for the low-to-no alcohol movement that has swept the industry over the past few years. NORT is already well known throughout Australia as a locally-brewed 100% crafted non-alcoholic beer, so it’s not…

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TCL 20L

Win a TCL 20L+ smartphone worth $399

TCL have completed their high-value mid-range line with the recent released of the TCL 20+ smartphone. Given TCL Electronics make some of the best TVs on the market, not only does phone have a large 6.67″ HD+ screen that’s clear and crisp, but also sports a range of features making it an incredibly slick Android…

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Hendrick’s get starry-eyed with the release of limited edition Lunar Gin

Hendrick’s has always been a gin with just as personality as punch, so it’s always worth paying attention to what the William Grant & Sons label has got going on. Right now, that’s the newly released Hendrick’s Lunar Gin, hand-crafted in Scotland and serving as a sequel to 2019’s Midsommer Solstice Gin. Popularity has always…

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