Barry Divola | The Sydney Morning Herald

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Barry Divola is a journalist and author who specialises in music, popular culture, the arts, podcasts and travel.

The best movies, TV, music, podcasts and books of the year (so far)

The best movies, TV, music, podcasts and books of the year (so far)

As a sort of mid-year stocktake, our critics have picked their favourite pieces of pop culture from the first half of 2022.

  • by Debi Enker, Garry Maddox, Melanie Kembrey, Barry Divola and Robert Moran

Latest

The huge appetite for miniature cuisine

The huge appetite for miniature cuisine

While the pandemic has caused our worlds to shrink, online videos of tiny meals have exploded in popularity.

  • by Barry Divola
‘Before I knew it, I realised ‘Oh  f---, I’m an alcoholic’:  Flume was flying high, but lost control

‘Before I knew it, I realised ‘Oh f---, I’m an alcoholic’: Flume was flying high, but lost control

From the outside, Harley Streten looked like he had the world in the palm of his hand, but inside he was falling apart.

  • by Barry Divola
With new albums, Arcade Fire and The Black Keys try to recapture their old magic

With new albums, Arcade Fire and The Black Keys try to recapture their old magic

With their new albums, the ’00s indie stalwarts try to reclaim what made them interesting in the first place. Arcade Fire and The Black Keys: A mixed return for the old guard of indie

  • by Barry Divola
Asian persuasion: How a local Facebook group created a global community

Asian persuasion: How a local Facebook group created a global community

The Subtle Asian Traits group now has two million members, and is being developed into a TV series in the US.

  • by Barry Divola
A musical love letter to Sydney in the early ’90s

A musical love letter to Sydney in the early ’90s

You can’t talk about the Lemonheads’ iconic 1992 album It’s A Shame About Ray without talking about Sydney’s inner-west.

  • by Barry Divola
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Instant earworm: How a song by an unknown band from the Isle Of Wight went viral

Instant earworm: How a song by an unknown band from the Isle Of Wight went viral

Wet Leg’s self-titled debut album is such a wild mix of Millennial ennui and giddy exuberance that some cynics are wondering if the band will last.

  • by Barry Divola
How do you fall for a fake? Podcast rips apart romance scam

How do you fall for a fake? Podcast rips apart romance scam

This week’s Australian Story opened a can of worms as it exposed a pit of snakes. Kirat Assi would be able to relate.

  • by Barry Divola
Dolly Parton delivers a gorgeous, rollicking riot of a record
★★★★

Dolly Parton delivers a gorgeous, rollicking riot of a record

Run Rose Run, Dolly’s first album of original music in nearly five years, confirms she’s still got the magic touch.

  • by Jessie Cunniffe, Barry Divola and Cat Woods
Gang of Youths’ new album takes sad songs and makes them better
★★★★½

Gang of Youths’ new album takes sad songs and makes them better

Our critics this week listen to Gang of Youths’ Angel In Realtime, Johnny Marr’s Fever Dreams Parts 1-4 and caroline’s caroline.

  • by Barry Divola, Craig Mathieson and Giselle Au-Nhien Nguyen
Exposing the shocking plan behind Australia’s gay prison

Exposing the shocking plan behind Australia’s gay prison

Patrick Abboud’s Greatest Menace podcast reveals the untold history of a jail set up to incarcerate gay men and experiment to find a ‘cure’ for homosexuality.

  • by Barry Divola