Issue link: https://viewer.e-digitaleditions.com/i/103334
entertainment getsorted On the Map tune in Keep grinning "We've always been known as a band that has got up to a bit of no good here and there, and it just kind of fits us, I think," says Grinspoon band member Kristian Hopes. Hopes plays drums for the band, arguably Australia's most loved rockers. Grinspoon has just released its seventh studio album, Black Rabbits (cockney rhyming slang for bad habits), and the title is as apt as ever. "We're still four dudes in a rock band," laughs Hopes. "It's not like it's a retrospective of our bad days. We're still out there going crazy!" Whatever they're doing, it's working. Grinspoon has outlasted scores of would-be usurpers in the band's two-decade reign as the kings of modern Aussie rock. latest "I think Black Rabbits is another turning point in our careers," says Hopes. "We had a similar kind of turning point with [third album] New Detention. We released 'Chemical Heart' off that one and that was quite a removal from what we were used to." Hopes says that while there have definitely been ups and downs in Grinspoon's history, he wouldn't change a thing. "If we knew all this when we started we'd be a totally different band," he explains. "There are crossroads you have to get to that change the band, change the music and change the people." With the band's Australian tour coming up in March and April, and writing for the next album already under way, it looks like these Australian rockers will be with us for a while yet. www.grinspoon.com Paul Kelly: Stories of me Madman DVD $29.95, Blu-Ray $34.95 One of Australia's most talented, respected and enduring singer-songwriters is portrayed in this intimate documentary. Over a career spanning nearly 40 years, Paul Kelly has released more than 350 songs, which often represent the Australian people and the landscape. Following on from his popular memoir, How To Make Gravy, Kelly gives viewers an insight into the man behind the music. Did you know he is the sixth of nine children, is a former altar boy, was dux of his school, is the grandson of two opera singers and began playing guitar at the age of 12? www.paulkellythemovie.com.au great read Simon Garfield Allen & Unwin $29.99 Maps can tell us way more than just the way to go. Early sketches by philosophers can relate our story just as well as modern-day maps. That's what Simon Garfield demonstrates in On The Map, considering maps from every angle and exploring uncharted territory. From the mapping of Africa and the naming of America to the mapping of Monopoly and video game worlds, Garfield's original approach will make you look at maps in a new light. 101 Best Australian Beaches Andy Short and Brad Farmer NewSouth Books $39.99 Between them, Andy Short and Brad Farmer have visited all top tips of Australia's 11,761 mainland beaches and narrowed them down to 101 of the best. Their book explains the qualities of each beach and why it deserves its ranking – whether because of the view, the sand, the surf or other factors. Breathtaking photographs accompany each description. The perfect book for wave-obsessed surfies and other beach lovers. 5