Commonwealth school funding changes

New changes to the Commonwealth school funding set for 2022 will see around 70 private schools' income cut by approximately $375 million through to 2029.

Industry body for education, Independent Schools Queensland, is concerned schools in the regions will be disproportionately affected, with Whitsunday Grammar School, Bundaberg’s St Luke’s Anglican School and Sunshine Coast Grammar School set to receive cuts. 

Deuce: Deuce

<p><span><span>- Deuce are a new duo out of Naarm / Melbourne, comprising <strong>Curtis Wakeling</strong> of outfits like <strong>Ocean Party </strong>and <strong>Pop Filter </strong>and a new face on the music scene, <strong>Kayleigh Haydon</strong>. Their self-titled debut is a softly considered experience of being together and apart in a time where there hasn’t been much else to think about.</span></span></p>

UN Commissioner aiming to reach agreement with China

The United Nations Human Rights Commissioner, Michelle Bachelet is hoping to reach terms of an agreement with China for a visit to the country’s Xinjiang region later this year.

It marks the first time Bachelet has publicly suggested a timeline for the visit, as her office has been negotiating terms since September 2018.

Barnaby fights 2050 net-zero emissions target

New Nationals leader, Barnaby Joyce said he will fight back Scott Morrison’s 2050 net-zero emissions target to ensure security for regional jobs and industries.

Joyce claims a net-zero emissions policy will not only negatively impact Australia’s mining and manufacturing industries but will destroy any hope of expanding Australian farming.

Homeland - 'Chasing Ghosts'

The first track to drop from the band’s HOMELANDS EP was SUMMER a punk-rock driven track that takes the listener on a journey through the grieving eyes of an Aboriginal Elder retelling the true story of the Towel Creek Massacre, NSW in which a sole child survived.

BUSTED LUNG the second track dropped is inspired by a true story of a random act of violence towards a young Gay man [a friend of Kyle’s] in a hate crime which took place in inner city Melbourne. The survivor in an act of courage forgave his attackers and advocated they not serve prison time.

New single DIG explores Australia’s history and treatment of Aboriginal peoples from the English invasion through to the modern period in a chronological order asking the listener to dig a little deeper into our history confronting the frontier wars, Aboriginal resistance, the mission area of assimilation, the stolen generations and indentured servitude, the mining industry and native title and finally deaths in custody.

“I was scared to write these songs, because a lot of the topics are challenging,” says Jimmy Kyle, a proud Goori man, of the Thungutti mob from the mid-north coast of NSW.

“But that’s how I knew I was onto something. It made me feel nervous.”

“I know people are going to come after me with some of these songs,” he says. “But I know in my heart that telling these stories is right and telling them in the way I do is the right thing to do. I know my audience is predominantly non-Indigenous, so I have to engage them in a way that engages their heart. Because that way they’re not going to be judged, but they can put themselves in an empathetic position to go on the journey.

To find the answer he lent on his bandmates: Josh Burgan (guitar/vocals), Aaron Schultz (guitar/vocals), Jake Dargaville (drums), Chris O’Neill (keys/vocals) and Rohan Welsh (bass). Together they breathed weight and volume into Kyle’s compositions, staying true to the core organic elements that define Chasing Ghosts – no autotune, only real instruments – while willingly following their chief songwriter into new musical territory.

Squidgenini: SQUID

<p><span><span>- Squidgenini has, for some time, been a rising force in soulful, r’n’b sounds coming out of Brisbane/Meanjin. Actually, it’s more than just soul and r’n’b. To listen to her debut EP, <em>SQUID</em>, is to take a tour through a genre flipbook, combining deep house, wonky downtempo, jazz, blues and more. The key to her versatility is that she just does a lot and does it all well: singing, playing, producing and penning political fire into her emotive lyrics. Who adds DJ to their list of career achievements at the height of the pandemic?

The Psychedelic Freaks: Passing Through The Doorways Of Your Mind

- Melbourne label La Sape have released a new project from Horatio Luna (aka Henry Hicks) under the moniker The Psychedelic Freaks. As the former bassist for 30/70 Luna has really honed the sound developed in that outfit through collaborations and solo projects. This brings us to the new album Passing Through The Doorways Of Your Mind, yet another groove-heavy record that explores fusion styles.