The energy in the air was electric as singer/songwriter Maggie Alley took to the stage at The Brunswick Ballroom in July. “The gig took a lot of planning between us,” said Alley. “It’s likely the best and biggest gig we’ve played.” Invited to perform by guitarist and producer Matt Walker, who has won an ARIA for best blues and roots album, the 19-year-old and her band brought their distinct brand of groovy punk blues to the dignified venue. Only a month later and Maggie Alley

While some see riding BMX as a sport, Nathan Leech describes it as an art form. “I like doing big drops, bar spins, things that look a little rougher and not as smooth, but have their own expressive value,” Nathan says. “I’m in it to have fun and not fall off too much.” Riding bikes of every shape and size since he can remember, Nathan’s journey to riding BMX began with borrowing his friend’s bike. “Me and my mate would go to the dirt jumps near our house. He would ride his

A trail of group chats, transferred files and zoom meetings documents the development of avant-garde “supergroup” High Castle Teleorkestra (HCT). It is a group that exists on computer screens and online networks, cordoned off by the restrictions of both transnational distance and a global pandemic. Many of the members have yet to meet in person. This until recently included HCT’s founders, the dual producers and day-to-day leads Tim Smolens and Chris Bogen. Smolens, 44, based

*This article contains spoilers. Money Heist season five delivers another exciting instalment in the Spanish drama. With just as much action as in previous seasons, audiences won’t be able to look away. Money Heist follows a rag-tag team of criminals – each code named after a major city – brought together by the mysterious Professor (Álvaro Morte) to carry out extravagant and dangerous heists. Volume 1 of season five, released this month, jumps back into the action mid-he

More than 3200 people have signed a petition calling on Woolworths to play more Australian music on its in-store radio. The change.org petition is demanding the supermarket giant play 50 per cent local artists as a way of supporting a music industry devastated by COVID-19 lockdowns. Petition founder Luke Hall, who is an employee at Woolworths, was inspired by Jack River’s successful campaign to get Channel 7 to feature local music in its Olympics coverage. Hall says large c

“People want to physically show what they support,” says the co-owner of the skateboarding/art clothing brand Stepmother , Matt Dwyer. While the pandemic has put widespread pressure on retail, interesting local brands have seen the benefits. Melbourne’s culture of supporting independence and creativity has been really helpful, Matt says. The owner of female-focused skateboarding brand Pearls Clothing , Tobi Stanley, agrees that the pandemic has been helpful to her enterprise

On September 28, 2001, the world was confronted with the existence of one Derek Zoolander (Ben Stiller), an idiot who happens to be a three-time Male Model of the Year. Although the character had already been in a couple of short films produced for the VH1 Fashion Awards in the 1990s, Zoolander –directed, written and produced by Stiller – was his first feature-length outing. And it is wild. After he loses his title to a newer male model named Hansel (Owen Wilson), Derek rece

Genevieve Nardella finds the fashion groove that sets the Conchords apart.

“I’ve felt disillusioned and discouraged … I haven’t had inspiration or drive hit me for months,” says artist Amy Zainal. Like many Victorians, she is feeling the effects of months spent indoors. After extended periods of isolation, levels of anxiety and depression are at an all-time high . One important tool in the maintenance of mental health that often goes overlooked: artistic expression. Research has found it can help alleviate psychological distresses and help people de

The Brownlow red carpet was hosted in Perth this year, with some AFL players and their WAGs dressing up from home in other parts of the country. Port Adelaide star Ollie Wines was crowned Brownlow Medallist, but on the red carpet, he was among many who shone. Here are some of the best looks. Lorna McNabb, partner of Oscar Allen from the West Coast Eagles. McNabb dazzled in a gorgeous sky-blue gown covered in a sheer white overlay with beaded detailing and an impressive tra

Deep into the unbridled chaos of 2020, Halsey decided to do two things: begin work on a new album, and to try to have a baby. The two were fated to become intertwined, and the end result is their finest creative work to date. Taking to Instagram in a surprise post, the singer-songwriter announced their fourth album would be produced by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross of Nine Inch Nails and explained that it would be “a concept album about the joys and horrors of pregnancy and c

With various implausible premises, a daring upheaval of genre convention, and some surprising attention to serialisation, Rick and Morty’s fifth season may be its best offering yet. While the Adult Swim network always focuses on parody and genre, the latest season of their acclaimed sci-fi comedy, Rick and Morty , contains more homages than ever before. The season is steeped in satiric iconography , evident in episode three, A Rickconvenient Mort , which perverts the nostalg