Culture
Music
A Beatle urged him to stick with tabla. Now he’s the top living player
This year alone Zakir Hussain has taken home three Grammys and appeared in a Dev Patel film – now he’s heading to Australia.
- by Jessica Nicholas
Latest
Exclusive
Live music
How the Teskey Brothers finally found rock-life balance on the road
Constant touring was taking its toll on the band even as they were cracking the big time internationally. So they ripped up the formula and started again.
- by Karl Quinn
John Farnham makes rare public appearance since cancer surgery
Farnham appeared at his son’s wedding celebrations and is pictured in family photos posted to social media.
- by Helen Pitt
Exclusive
Performing arts
This band changed Australian music. Now they’re going out with a bang
The Herd are one of Australia’s best-known political acts. Befitting their activist origins, the band’s final song will be an anthem for Gaza.
- by Helen Pitt
Charli XCX’s late-night masterpiece Brat is her best album yet
Texturally brash and genuinely affecting, the pop iconoclast’s new album is a must-hear.
- by Jules LeFevre
Exclusive
Performing arts
Unseen for 60 years: Lost Beatles tape unearthed at secondhand market
Sydney filmmaker and former musician Greg Perano bought an old 8mm film that contained live footage from the legendary Sydney Stadium gigs for $11.
- by Michael Dwyer
Opinion
Review
Settle down, Swifties – the Beatles are still the biggest thing to hit Australia
Looking beyond the headlines and focusing on the Eras Tour’s Australian leg in isolation, it’s worth noting a few sober facts now that we’ve all, ahem, shaken off the excitement.
- by Tom Compagnoni
This wildly popular music is a source of pride and sadness
Nearly 25 years on, Karl Jenkins’ The Armed Man remains as relevant as ever.
- by Nick Galvin
This album feels destined to become a seminal Gen Z breakup record
Gracie Abrams, nepo baby and Taylor Swift acolyte, has crafted one of the year’s best pop releases.
- by Annabel Ross and Tom W. Clarke
Rapper at centre of ‘white devil’ school song controversy addresses furore
A song from Indigenous rapper Birdz was banned from a Sydney primary school this week. But he says it’s been taught inside classrooms for years.
- by Meg Watson
Exclusive
Indigenous art
‘What is it, 1991?’: Prominent rapper slams move to ban controversial song
One of Australia’s biggest hip-hop artists has slammed comments from the NSW government, after a Birdz song was withdrawn from rotation at a Sydney school.
- by Meg Watson