Month: June 2019

July’s free PlayStation Plus titles are here

It’s a very one-or-the-other month for PlayStation Plus subscription holders. July’s rotation of free games has been revealed and its sure to be polarising. Your titles are: Pro Evo Soccer 2019 and Horizon Chase Turbo. Some of you, those who don’t like sports games, are maybe feeling a bit deflated right now but we urge…

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July’s free Xbox Games with Gold features Inside, Castlevania

July’s range of free titles in the Xbox Live Games with Gold program are a bit of a mixed bag — a pair of games considered era-defining master works within their genre, a cute, chaotic four-player multiplayer party game and also Meet the Robinsons, a game based on a Disney movie you’d forgotten about until…

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What do Velocity Platinum Members enjoy with Virgin Australia and their partners?

So, you’ve just been upgraded to Platinum on Virgin Australia’s Velocity Frequent Flyer program. A congratulations is in order. The jump up to Gold was exciting – getting international lounge access for the first time, priority boarding, upgrades and more. But at first glance, apart from an extra 25% in points when you travel on…

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Photo Gallery: Washington + Love Songs + Micra – The Lansdowne, Sydney (28.06.19)

Washington hit The Landsdowne last night. It was a sold out intimate affair and it was just one of those nights. Heartfelt delivery, adoring crowd, singalongs – it was an incredible night out. They were well supported by Micra and Love Songs,  the latest project for Johnny Mackay (ex Children Collide). Bruce was there to bring…

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Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled Review: Fuelled by nostalgia

It’s hard to believe it’s been 20 years since the Crash Team Racing released on the original PlayStation, a game determined to set itself apart from genre titan Mario Kart. Thankfully, Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled recaptures the experience of playing CTR again for the first time, bursting with flavour, variety and fun, and packed with…

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Melbourne Documentary Film Festival Review: Tommy Emmanuel: The Endless Road is finger-picking good

He’s Australia’s very own finger-picking, boogie-woogie man. Tommy Emmanuel is a guitar icon and one of only a handful of people who can say they’re a certified guitar player. Tommy Emmanuel: The Endless Road is an entertaining look at many facets of this charismatic musician and artist. This film is written and directed by Jeremy…

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Photo Gallery: Jack Gray + Yorke – Oxford Art Factory, Sydney (27.06.19)

Jack Gray played his first headline gig last night at the Oxford Art Factory Gallery bar, and it was a sold-out event. Yorke opened proceedings,  and her warm delivery and heart-felt lyrics was a great start to the evening. She left the crowd wanting more, and that opportunity will come early August when she comes…

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OZO: Phuket’s newest hotel opens with rooms starting from AU$90

Frequented by Australian travellers at all times of the year, the Thai island of Phuket remains one of the most accessible and affordable holidays for those down under. Though a truly luxe stay can still be quite costly on the island, which leaves a sweet spot for new mid-range hotels like OZO Phuket. The brand…

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Live Review: Chamber ensemble The Boxties bring folk like you’ve never heard it before to the Cremorne (Brisbane, performances to June 29th)

Brisbane creative collective The Boxties (that’s “box-tees” not “box-ties”) have returned to the QPAC stage, with A Net of Souls: Songs of Dislocation and Common Ground. The ten piece chamber ensemble have pulled together a collection of songs of change, upheaval, and a longing for community. Industry, love, and war all come forward as disruptions,…

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Track of the Day: The Limbs “Here” (2019)

Perth four-piece The Limbs are sliding into a busy second half of 2019 with their new single “Here”, showing off a soaring, atmosphere-building clash of guitars and melodies. The track reiterates just why The Limbs have become one of the West Coast’s most treasured rock outfits, pulling on fibres cut from the same cloth as…

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Track of the Day: Sum 41 “Never There” (2019)

Ahead of their upcoming album, Order in Decline (out July 19th), Canadian skate punks Sum 41 have dropped a couple of new singles to really get us all in the mood. “Never There” is the latest of these, an emotional ballad dedicated to all the single parents out there. Formed back in 1996, the current lineup…

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CXLOE (AUS) on her latest single “Low Blow”, the L.A. lifestyle and her debut album.

CXLOE hails from Sydney’s northern beaches, but has been making waves well beyond those shores. She broke into the pop market with her debut single “Tough Love” in 2017 and solidified herself as an artist not to mess with when she followed it up with hits “Monster” and “Show You”. Her tracks regularly spin on Triple J,…

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Interview: Captain Marvel‘s VFX Supervisor Chris Townsend talks working with Australians and de-aging Samuel L Jackson

The Marvel Cinematic Universe (the MCU) doesn’t just regularly bring together a connected group of actors on screen – but also the creatives behind the scenes, regularly working on Marvel projects that help connect the universe in more ways than just the themes that tie it all together. One of these hard working artists is VFX…

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Brisbane Writers Festival announces 2019 program

Over 160 internationally renowned writers and thinkers will descend upon the River City in early September, for the 57th Brisbane Writers Festival. From the 5th to the 8th of September, workshops and panels will take over several venues across Brisbane. As well as the usual mix of family friendly, YA, and adult events, there will…

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Pickathon festival founder Zale Schoenborn on the importance of the “irrational approach” and Julia Jacklin’s greatness

Coming of age this year is the Oregon festival Pickathon – one of North America’s most respected boutique festivals. Set in the mountains outside of Portland, the event has made a name for itself by maintaining a low capacity, a trend towards artist discovery, celebrating unique design and putting a focus on sustainability in a…

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Track of the Day: Your Smith “Wild Wild Woman” (2019)

Your Smith (aka Caroline Smith) has just released “Wild Wild Woman“, a folk/funk mashup that calls to the wilder side in all of us, and we think it’s just the thing to get you through the rest of this week! Inspired by the rich music history of LA, where she now calls home, Smith has…

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PappaRich are taking their Nasi Lemak Burger across Australia

After a successful venture into fried chicken sandwich territory in collaboration with Belle’s Hot Chicken, the team behind Malaysian chain PappaRich have announced a different kind of indulgent carb-loading treat to be introduced to their 29 Australian stores in July. It’s the triumphant return of their incredibly popular Nasi Lemak Burger, which first debuted in…

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Exclusive EP Premiere: Dan Vogl – Gifted in Gold (2019)

Ahead of its official release, we’ve got the Premiere for Gifted in Gold, the new EP from Melbourne-based indie-rock artist, Dan Vogl.  This is a lovely EP from an emerging singer-songwriter. The first track ‘Carousel’ is a strong catchy opener. It refrains brightly, “… make me smile, make me smile”,  which it certainly does with its …

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Exclusive Single Premiere: Manorism “Moon Rising” (2019)

We’re super excited to be bringing you the exclusive premiere of “Moon Rising”, the latest single from Melbourne’s Manorism. Melbourne band Manorism is a dream-pop passion project from Shantanu Joshi, Hai Nguyen, Damien Kaluarachchi, Stanislav Likane and Simon Farrelly. Forming in 2014, Manorism’s sound pays homage to the post-punk giants of the 1980s, peppered with…

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Super Mario Maker 2 Review: An incredible toybox

You don’t appreciate how many different kinds of Mario levels there are until you try to make one of your own. Super Mario Maker 2 had only been running on my Switch for about fifteen minutes, unfettered latitude to design the greatest Super Mario Bros title ever made at my fingertips, and I could already…

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Relive Avengers: Endgame one more time this weekend

At select cinemas this weekend, Marvel‘s powerhouse finale Avengers: Engame will be re-released for limited screenings. Opening with an introduction from director Anthony Russo and with an exclusive look at an unfinished deleted scene, this really is proof that the Marvel team love us 3000! And in case that wasn’t enough to convince you to…

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Parasite

Film Review: Parasite is a spectacularly insidious film you would want to latch on to

Director Bong Joon-ho is one of cinema’s most eclectic filmmakers working today. What makes his work stand out so much is his assured directorial hand in mixing genres that usually do not associate with each other and yet somehow, he executes them brilliantly. But no matter what genre he works in, he always manages to…

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Book Review: #MeToo: Stories from the Australian Movement is a strong anthology from a diverse choir of voices

In October 2017 when the hashtag #MeToo went viral, a lot of the popularity was chalked up to some rich, white celebrities speaking out. What these media reports failed to acknowledge however was that the movement’s true founder was Tarana Burke. This new anthology, #MeToo: Stories from the Australian Movement, is broadens #MeToo’s scope, whilst…

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Track of the Day: Maundz Feat. Remi “Red Velvet” (2019)

Melbourne emcee Maundz is taking zero prisoners on new track “Red Velvet”, bringing fellow local Remi along for a smooth lesson in swift, punchy lyricism. Benefitting from two vastly different deliveries, Maundz’s energetic and Remi’s infectiously laid back, “Red Velvet” makes the most of this retro production from Perth’s Rob Shaker. It serves as the…

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Melbourne band Sunnyside and five other acts to see at Fuji Rock 2019

You know Sunnyside, right? The Melbourne six-piece that bring all kinds of funk and jazz wherever they go, slithering through the pits of sweaty nightclubs and steamy jazz clubs with misshaped textures and hypnotic time signatures. Yeah, those are the guys. And they’re about to make their exciting debut in Japan, heading on over to…

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Interview: NOS4A2 stars Ashleigh Cummings and Zachary Quinto on why good horror wins you over with compassion

The new AMC supernatural horror series NO4SA2, based on the novel of the same name by Joe Hill (fun fact: he’s Stephen King’s son!), is streaming now on Amazon Prime Video. Starring Australia’s Ashleigh Cummings and Zachary Quinto (Heroes, Star Trek), the show is about “Vic McQueen (Cummings), a gifted young woman who discovers she…

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Two Door Cinema Club (UK) on False Alarm, the band’s longevity and festivals around the world

This three-piece indie-rock band hailing from Northern Ireland has been a driving force in the music world since their formation in 2007. Their songs, such as “What You Know” and “Something Good Can Work”, have defined over a decade of the UK indie scene, and their latest album False Alarm is no exception. Two Door Cinema Club is…

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Track of the Day: Washington “Dirty Churches” (2019)

Washington has released a video for her latest single Dirty Churches, and it’s our Track of the Day to kick the week off. The song was produced by Saint Lo producer Dave Hammer (Thundamentals, Lime Cordiale, Baker Boy). It has been described as a “hymn to the imperfection, clash and surrendour of a relationship”. The video…

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Event Boutique: Inside Sydney’s new luxury cinemas

In an effort to offer a more immersive and quirkier experience for Sydney’s cinema enthusiasts, the team behind Event Cinemas George Street in the CBD have launched two brand new concepts collectively dubbed Australia’s “first Instagrammable cinema” as Event Boutique. Marrying Event Cinemas with the rich heritage of the EVENT-owned State Theatre and the signature…

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VWOAP: Wellington’s epic food and wine festival is now an entire month long

Across the entire 31-day stretch of August, New Zealand’s trendy capital of Wellington will once again host Visa Wellington on a Plate (VWOAP). The long-running food and wine festival, which touches everywhere from Wellington City to the Kāpiti Coast, picturesque Hutt Valley, and Wairarapa, is set to reach unprecedented levels in 2019, thanks to an…

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