It’s been over four years since the controversial Brit songstress graced our shores, but this week Lily Allen was welcomed back with open arms (and screaming fans) at Melbourne’s Festival Hall. Allen is touring the country in support of her latest album Sheezus, released in May this year and is set to appear at Splendour In the Grass Festival over the weekend.

Starring Australia’s doyenne of comedy Noeline Brown as the iconic Maggie Beare, with Darren Gilshenan (The Moodys, Rake, Full Frontal) and Shane Jacobson (Kenny, Guys and Dolls, The Time of Our Lives), the classic Australian TV series Mother & Son gets a turn on the stage with a story penned by Geoffrey Atherden - 30 years after his first episodes hit the screen!

Like hard rock? Led Zeppelin? Big riffs? Then you'll like Brisbane quartet Waax. Check out their new track "Wisdom Teeth" today as one of our featured tracks... A debut EP is in the pipeline. Definitely something to look forward to.

In one of those "yes, there is a service for that!" discoveries, AU Abroad was recently introduced to iFLYflat, a program that offers "Financial Planning for Frequent Flyer Points". We sat down with the Founder/CEO, Steve Hui, to talk about about how the program started and we get a look at how frequent and infrequent flyers alike can get the most out of them and the unique services his company offers.

Acclaimed writer and chef Anjum Anand has long been a champion of Indian cooking, fighting against the stereotypes of fatty and weighted meals and showing the world how quick, easy, light, and healthy Indian cuisine can be. Her latest cookbook Quick & Easy Indian is a gorgeous, easy to follow Indian cookbook with a massive range of simple and complex Indian meals.

This weekend, photographer George Byrne brings his exhibition "Instant: Photos from Los Angeles" to Sydney's CHASM Gallery, before taking it to New York City. Our very own Amelia Barnes caught up with the man himself to discuss his photography style, iPhones, Instagram, Los Angeles and the exhibition.

While many were off in Byron Bay town centre enjoying the official Splendour In The Grass pre-party with Interpol and a slew of the festival's best acts, the majority of punters stormed North Byron Parklands for a very eventful warm-up. Every year Splendour opens it's gates a day before the official start date, welcoming early-arrivals with massive party that usually begins in the late afternoon and ends well past midnight.

In This Issue: New residential developments threaten live music scene in Melbourne, Abbotsford Convent Band Room set to stay, WAM launches Music Industry Sundowner and 4ZZZ’s begins their Radiothon. Plus Ash Grunwald achieves success in the U.S. and the ARIA Charts!

Adelaide's Bad//Dreems are one of the most exciting young bands in Australia right now. This second single from their upcoming debut album explores some dark territory with brutally honest lyrics and deft guitar melodies, in what is another cracker from the indie-rock quartet. Bring on the album.

Their first since 2011's Endgame, Rise Against are back in style with The Black Market, released in Australia earlier this month. Needless to say, the punk rockers of Chicago, Illinois have clearly shown their compatibility towards sheer greatness when it comes to releasing new music and with their consistent efforts as a band, it's not a surprise that their fans remain loyal to this day. Being edgy and trendy isn't just what makes this band so talented but it is remarkable to see how much they have grown in their development as committed musicians and this release only reflects part of what they really bring to the table.

Here in Australia to play Splendour in the Grass, U.S singer, songwriter, actress and model Sky Ferreira, has some seriously adoring fans. Taking to the Prince Bandroom stage looking like a tired but effortlessly cool schoolgirl in a beanie and hoodie, it's hard to comprehend the huge international following this 22-year-old carries. That is, until she opens her mouth.

The time has come once again for the annual barrage of Splendour in the Grass sideshows to hit the city of Sydney, and things have kicked off at the Metro Theatre with a sold out appearance from Iceland's latest export Ásgeir, supported by Brisbane's Airling - who will also be appearing at Splendour this weekend thanks to winning a spot via Triple j Unearthed.

One of the most popular weekly K-Pop show in the world M! Countdown celebrated its 10th Anniversary today with a live concert at the Goyang Indoor Stadium in Seoul. The red carpet featured artists such as AOA, B1A4, Baek Ji Young, BLOCK B, Brown Eyed Girls, EXO-K (pictured above), GOT7, INFINITE, Ladies' Code, Park Jae Jung, SISTAR and VIXX. Photos by Johnny Au.

The trio known as The Acid doesn’t partake in the genre of music that their name suggests. The sparse noises and tunes found on their debut release 'Liminal' hint towards subtly more than a hardcore party vibe. They’re here in Australia playing a few shows ahead of their performance in Australia. Adam Freeland from the group spoke to us.

Courtney Barnett has had a gargantuan past few months, but she's still found time to record a track for her Milk! label's latest collection, and a quirky and intriguing number it is. Expect tickets for her upcoming Australian tour to disappear in no time at all. Or see her at Splendour this weekend!