Duke Bistro above the Flinders Hotel in Darlinghurst will knock your date's socks (read: knickers) off with their Valentine's Day menu: To Start: A glass of Drusian Prosecco Chilled Macadamia Soup   Salt Baked Parsnip, Buttermilk, Fried Potato & Pickled Turnip   Mulloway, Tomato & Sprout Pistou   Duck Breast, Toasted Bread Sauce, Bitter Leaves, Jus   Hawthorn, Strawberry Junket, Victoria Sponge   Petit Fours   All for a cool $80.  We love Duke, they're laid back and playful with a dollop of supreme finesse. If all that doesn't work you can always head downstairs and shot some picklebacks as a last resort. Duke Bistro bookings at reservations@dukebistro.com.au 

A few photos from Angie Osman of the Odd Future pop-up store that rolled into Oxford Street last week with much fanfare from 14 year old suburban children. How things can change for an artist in a year, right? Check her Tumblr here: http://takingbestguesses.tumblr.com              

The wholesome ravers behind Future Sound of Yoga are holding a weekend-long yoga retreat for the nocturnally minded. Held at Mangrove Mountain, the Phoenix Weekend is in it's second year and promises spiritual enlightenment, meditation, self-discovery and rave. You can camp, sleep in a dormitory or enjoy twin room cabin accommodation, munch on organic food and attend all workshops as part of their all-inclusive ticket. From the organisers: The lineup includes leading international artists Mark Whitwell, Katy Appleton, Gwyn Williams, Daphne Tse; renowned Australia-based yoga teachers Simon Borg-Olivier, John Ogilvie, Kriyavidya Saraswati and Anna Phillips; inspirational speaker Heather Swan; and finally the The Future Sound of Yoga, who will up the tempo on Saturday night with an evening of yoga, dance and cutting edge electronica, where fans of festival dress up will be able to let loose with an anything-goes fancy dress theme. WHAT: The Phoenix Weekend WHERE: Mangrove Mountain (1.5 hours out of Sydney) WHEN: Friday 3rd Feb - Sunday 5th Feb 2012 HOW MUCH: Final release from $365 

Hyper-salty surfy rockers and Laneway Festival's triple j Unearthed winners SURES take 5 to answer some dumb questions from yours truly: Do you rather: Surf Rock or Rocking Surf? Probably Surf Rock, or even better, pop. Your favourite hangover breakfast location? For some reason Yum Cha, in the morning you really just feel like having a bunch of waiters trying to give you food. If you could own one guitar pedal, no matter cost, what would it be? Strymon Timeline, it looks and sounds like a spaceship. What's your band rider going to look like in ten years time? Blue M+Ms with the shells removed and placed in a separate bowl, just to see if they would do it. If the world's going to end this year, what's your apocalypse of choice? Zombies, because we know dudes with katanas and could start a rogue horseback resistance. Sures play at St Jerome’s Laneway Festival in Sydney on Sunday the 5th of Feb alongside M83, SBTRKT, Active Child and many more 

And so the countdown begins before the return of the world's largest short film festival in Sydney. This year, Tropfest celebrate their 20th birthday on Friday 17th- Sunday 19th February. The last day (Sunday) is where everyone congregates at the Domain in the Botanic Gardens. The gates are opening early this time (11am)- so bring yo picnic basket and suss out a stella possy! This year's theme is 'light bulb.' Click here to watch the amazing trailer. Don't miss this guys: a guaranteed gorgeous night out in one of the most beautiful cities in the world: yours truly. WHAT: Short film festival, Tropfest WHERE: The Domain, Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney WHEN: Sunday, 19 February 11am – 11pm   Emily Eskell emilyeskell@gmail.com

Set to launch in late February 2012, The Dollar Shop is a designer retail experience with a slight twist - everything on sale is under $20. The Dollar Shop is a pop up space with a six month rolling lease agreement, one of many creative enterprises selected by the City of Sydney to breath a new life into the vom-stained pavings of lower Oxford St. The store curators are seeking designers, artists and other creatives to submit a wide variety of work to be sold in-store, including but not limited to clothing, jewelry, bags, stationery, self-publishing, photography, posters, instruments, kitchenware and craft. There's talk of workshops to be held at the space too - so if you don't have anything to sell now, pop in and work it out ya dummy. No more shall you be buying stained summer dresses for $80 from a bearded twenty-something musician at the Surry Hills Markets, or regretting that $10.50 you paid for plastic-fantastic piece of kitchenwares from Paddy's. WHAT: The Dollar Shop WHERE: 58 Oxford St, Darlinghurst, Sydney WHEN: Opening late Feb 2012 - submit your goods for sale now! Email: submit@dollarshopsydney.com.au http://www.dollarshopsydney.com.au/    

One of the most important, controversial and evergreen artists of the past 20 years, New Order got us all tickled when announced as headliners for this year's Future Music Festival. We've pretty much popped a hernia over this just announced Hordern Pavillion Sideshow. Messieurs Sumner, Gilbert and Morris (but not Hook - he'll be out here playing his own Best of Joy Division shows in April) will be at the Hordern on the 7th of March playing a set list that hopefully looks like this recent show in London. Just a year ago this band reckoned they'd never tour again, so better get in there this time, champ! WHAT: New Order - Future Music Festival Sideshows WHEN: Wednesday 7th March, Hordern Pavilion HOW MUCH: Tickets on sale Monday 23rd of January from Ticketek They're also playing on the massive Future Music Festival lineup - check that here. 25/01: WIN A DOUBLE PASS TO THE SYDNEY SHOW!  With thanks to our chums at Future Entertainment Hit up @DailySydney on Twitter and shoot us a YouTube/Streaming link to your favourite New Order jam. Could be anything old, new, a live version a remix of New Order... whatever floats your boat the most, send us a link and we'll pluck a winner at random    

Serial joy-mongers Pains of Being Pure At Heart from New York City take to Laneway Festival in 2012. Here's some dumb questions they were kind enough to answer:   I need to dump my girlfriend, what's the best way to go about it? (Editor's note: I don't really, she's great) Kip: It seems like your personal life is starting to affect your work.   Describe the ideal location to listen to your new record/any shoegaze music: Kip: Our record and "iconic shoegaze" are two very different things. But for the latter, some sort of footwear retailer would allow you to gaze to your heart's content!   Name your favourite break-up song from 1985: Kip: "Careless Whisper" by Wham! Where do The Pains of Being Pure at Heart feel they 'belong'? Kip: Top of The Pops! But we'd likely need to cover "Careless Whisper" to get there, and I'm not sure if we can masterfully lip sync that epic saxophone solo.   Complete this: Love is shaped like... Kip: George Lewis Jr.'s hair (Twin Shadow)   'Belong' by The Pains of Being Pure At Heart is out now The Pains of Being Pure At Heart play at St Jerome’s Laneway Festival in Sydney on Sunday the 5th of Feb alongside M83, SBTRKT, Active Child and many more    Friday 20th of Jan: Wanna win a double pass to Laneway in Sydney? Just Tweet this EXACTLY to us @DailySydney... "Hey @DailySydney, gimme them @LanewayFest tickets, I really want to see (insert twitter of artist you want to see the most at Laneway here!)" We'll pick a winner at random tonight! Good luck! x                      

Daily Sydney got access to a bunch of Laneway artists in the leadup to this year's bash. Sydney-based Stones Throw Records rookie Jonti, previously known as Djanimals, graciously sits in the firing line: What's the last record you stole/torrented/mediafire'd? (We won't tell, promise): Beyonce's '4'. Probably because it’s a secret pleasure more than anything. In this day and age how often do you find a straight up un-ironic love album!..and a great one! *something gives me the feeling you will tell :p*   Who's tougher - ASAP Rocky or Odd Future crew ? Odd Future. 'Live.Love.ASAP' is beyond ill. But I think it took more guts to start Odd Future especially at that time. ASAP Rocky did borrow a lot of Lil B's 'swag'. Plus OF is family.   You're not a man that's afraid of collaborations, any dream pairings you'd like to happen in your career? Maybe the Beastie Boys or Outkast   What was your nickname at high-school? 'Joint' which is a play on Jonti of course. Also 'Baby Dinosaur' by this group of girls because that’s apparently what I resembled. That was weird…   If Sydney was sandwich, what would the fillings be? (Be precise with quantities) Just 20 cucumbers because it’s cool as bruh.   Twirligig by Jonti is out now on Mistletone Records / Inertia. Jonti plays at St Jerome's Laneway Festival in Sydney on Sunday the 5th of Feb alongside M83, SBTRKT, Active Child and many more   

    Voila! The sequel to The Phantom of the Opera that I know ya'll have been waiting for.. For like, ever.   Well, here it is! After a very successful season at the heart of musical theatre in Australia (Melbourne), this spectacular show has made it up the mainland to sunny Sydney!   It's a gorgeous operatic number that really does play up to musical theatre's reputation to "woo" the crowd with a bit (or alot) of razzle and dazzle.   At the end of the day, you definitely get your moneys worth, particularly in terms of incredible music, very good looking people and a classic fairy tale ending.   The season's just begun, but buy your tickets quickly before the show sells out!   LOVE NEVER DIES WHAT: The sequel to The Phantom of the Opera, directed by Simon Phillips WHERE: The Capitol Theatre, Sydney CBD WHEN: Now until 1st April 2012 HOW MUCH: Approx $120 pp   Emily Eskell emilyeskell@gmail.com

Comprised of producers Dave Nada (the unwitting architect of the world-wide dance phenomena called Moombahton) and Matt Nordstrom from the US - Nadastrom are signed to the home of intelligent electro bangers, Dubsided. They're the highlight of Australia Day's Courtyard party at The Ivy. Yolanda Be Cool and the local Star Fuckers crew also head up the bill - it's the final Courtyard party for this summer, by all reports the previous ones have all shades of mental, so last chance! WHAT: Courtyard Party feat Nadastrom WHEN: Australia Day, Thursday 26th Jan WHERE: The Ivy HOW MUCH: Tix are $35 from Moshtix UHall Residency Mix Vol 1 by Nadastrom

Fast becoming an iconic Summer event, the Havaianas Australia Day Thong Challenge returns for another year to Bondi Beach. You're probably aware (unless you've lived under a rock or are new to Australia) that the Thong Challenge is a national event which sees a bunch of people swarm Australia's best beaches (in our case, it's Bondi Beach) to once again attempt to break a world record for the longest line of giant inflatable Havaianas joined in the water. It's a pretty special way to kick off one's Australia Day celebrations. To get involved, you'll have to register online to secure yourself a thong to pick up at Bondi on the day. WHAT: Havaianas Australia Day Thong Challenge WHEN: Thursday January 26th WHERE: North Bondi Beach HOW MUCH: $25 which secures a spot in the World Record attempt on your own giant Havaianas inflatable (RRP $49.95) and a $10 donation to Nippers! To register for the Havaianas Australia Day Thong Challenge, simply visit: www.havaianasthongchallenge.com.au.