culture
music
music December 14, 2019
Harry Styles’ second solo album, Fine Line, is at its best when the pop star reveals his vulnerable side, but the record needs some reining in.
music November 30, 2019
Four recent releases highlight the wealth of talent on the Australian music scene, ranging from rap and R&B to emotional torch songs and shattering destruction.
music November 9, 2019
Electronic musician FKA twigs is at the height of her powers on her new album, Magdalene, which combines formal ingenuity with visceral emotion.
music October 26, 2019
A conversation at the desk of singer-songwriter Becky Sui Zhen.
music October 12, 2019
Australian Brandenberg Orchestra’s Paul Dyer
Watching and listening to the artistic director of the Australian Brandenberg Orchestra, Paul Dyer.
music October 5, 2019
A conversation about memory, memoir and bringing the spirit of punk to the piano.
music October 5, 2019
Tegan and Sara’s Hey, I’m Just Like You
Even though the songs on Hey, I’m Just Like You were written more than two decades ago, Tegan and Sara’s new album feels contemporary and joins a growing canon of queer pop.
music September 28, 2019
Rapper and hip-hop artist GoldLink
A call to GoldLink, one of the rising stars of hip-hop, and a man looking to unite disparate communities with his new album, Diaspora.
music September 14, 2019
The high notes of ACO violinist Satu Vänskä
As the Australian Chamber Orchestra’s principal violin, Satu Vänskä teases astonishing music from her centuries-old instrument. But away from the stage, Vänskä’s musical tastes march to a very different beat. “You know what’s really sad? You can go through your whole life without ever hearing ’90s grunge. Not to mention Bach or Mozart. Or 1970s popular music. If we want to keep our art form alive … we try to bring back music in everyday conversation, so you can encounter something and awake that curiosity.”
music September 7, 2019
Composer Lebo M and that famous movie chant
Exiled from South Africa as a teenager, Lebo M made his way to the US with nothing but his talent. Eventually he escaped poverty and built a career, creating one of cinema’s most iconic and enduring musical moments. “You get driven and get motivated by the fact that where you come from opportunity was zero, and you have an indirect responsibility to be somebody.”
music August 31, 2019
The Teskey Brothers’ Run Home Slow
On their second album, Run Home Slow, The Teskey Brothers have produced a pale imitation of the ’60s soul greats, stripping the music of its political verve and adding nothing in return.
