Day: 25 November 2015

Festival Review: One Day Only – Manning House (21.11.15)

For years now Sydney hip-hop collective One Day, made up of seven high school mates, have been running their One Day Sundays and watching it grow into a nation-wide success. Touted as “block parties”, the events often sell out and demand has pushed them from venue to venue as capacity stretches to the limit. It…

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D’Angelo & The Vanguard, Cold War Kids, and more added to the 27th Bluesfest Byron Bay

As if the line-up for the 27th Bluesfest Byron Bay wasn’t big enough, today the promoters have announced that joining headliners Kendrick Lamar, Brian Wilson, and Tom Jones will be none other than neo-soul icon D’Angelo, who will be in full-band mode with supergroup The Vanguard. Oh, and he’s playing on the same night as…

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Ur Boy Bangz releases Australia’s first Christmas song for 2015

Between beefing with Jimmy Fallon and threatening to retire from rapping to develop an app, 2015 has been a very busy year for Melbourne rapper Ur Boy Bangz. While his potential retirement from the rap game seems to still be up in the air, the man who went viral way before Drake even got his…

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Nicole Millar shares her debut music video with “Wait”

Up until this point, 22-year-old singer-songwriter Nicole Millar has best been known as that lush voice that drove Peking Duk’s mega-hit “High”. Her recently released debut single “Wait” took the repute a bit further, toning down the buzzy high and delivering us something a bit more delicate to showcase the dynamic, silky vocals she possesses….

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Album News Weekly: 25th November 2015

In This Issue: It’s all the electronic pop you can handle this week as the warmer weather tempts us into those summer parties. Check out the new releases from the likes of Troye Sivan, Plaitum and Icelandic DJ Airplane and Spaceship, as well as big hitters Coldplay and the jazzy couple of the year Chet…

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Gift of Gab on the return of Blackalicious (US) with Imani Vol. 1!

Blackalicious need no introduction. The hip hop duo have returned in fine form this year, dropping their first studio album in ten years in Imani Vol.1. The Swahili word for ‘Faith’, Imani Vol.1 has shown the California act’s desire to continue exploring and developing upon a melting pot of musical influences remain a dominant character….

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The State of Affairs: Latest Music Industry News – 25th November 2015

In This Issue: APRA announces the winners of the Professional development Awards, Adele destroys the charts, there are some exciting new signings with record deals on the horizon and the ARIA charts get their share of the limelight. The APRA PDA Winners have been announced Whittled down from a pool of 1200 talented music artists APRA…

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Sarah Belkner (Sydney) chats tours, Australian Music Week and EP

Our Editor-in-Chief Larry Heath chats to Sydney’s Sarah Belkner at Australian Music Week. Here, they discuss her latest tour in New Zealand, working with Sarah Blasko and her plans for the future… Welcome to Australian music week. You’ve had a busy month, you’ve been playing on the other side of the pond. How has the…

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Ed Wells talks Australian Music Week, time in the UK, new track and more

Having grown up in London, Hong Kong and Sydney, Ed Wells has had the rare experience of breaking into the music scene in the UK and Australia at the same time. In our Australian Music Week interview, the musician chats to our Editor-in-Chief Larry, about his time in the UK, his new track, expectations and…

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Album Review: Grimes – Art Angels (2015 LP)

A lot has changed for Canadian Claire Boucher, or Grimes, in three years. As she describes it, Art Angels is built on colour in comparison to the “black and white” sound palette of previous album Visions. It’s easy to see what she means; her sound has catapulted from dreamy-synth-pop into a hard-hitting amalgamation of hip-hop,…

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Album Review: Hozier – Hozier (2014 LP)

You’ve heard it before but Andrew Hozier-Byrne, better known as Hozier, is more than just the compulsory indie rock artist that somehow made to Top 40 radio. His debut single ‘Take Me To Church‘ took the world by storm last year, but the Irish singer-songwriter has clearly established himself more than just a one-hit wonder with his 2014…

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Album Review: Lolawolf – Every Fucking Day (2015 EP)

LOLAWOLF released their latest summery EP Every Fucking Day earlier this year – in our winter, to be exact. The brief album lays somewhere in minimalist hip hop and electronica. The trippy trio, fronted by Zoë Kravitz, have toured with the likes of Lilly Allen and Miley. It’ll be interesting to see if they launch into…

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Music Video of the Day: John Flanagan “Whatever Makes You Happy”

Today’s music video of the day is going to hit you right in the feels with a, for some, all too familiar portrayal of the highs and lows of a relationship. John Flanagan’s “Whatever Makes You Happy” is an acoustic track that tells the tale of how we do things for the people we care…

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Album Review: Neil Young – Bluenote Cafe (2015 LP)

In any artistic career that lasts decades, there will inevitably be a period where the artist loses touch with their fans, their music and themselves. For Neil Young, this period was the entire 1980s. In a career of weird moves (most notably 2010’s Fork in the Road, a concept album devoted entirely to the benefits…

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December’s free games with PlayStation Plus include SSX and Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon

Sony looks to be rounding out a really strong year with more free games for PlayStation Plus subscribers, including SSX, Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon and even King’s Quest.

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Film Review: Creed (USA, 2015)

In 1976, a relatively unknown actor named Sylvester Stallone wrote a screenplay that would change his life and the lives of many young men from that generation forward. That screenplay turned into the boxing film Rocky, and we would grow to become or know of people who would shadow box in their bedrooms, making “dsh-dsh-dsh”…

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Film Review: The Program (UK, 2015)

It’s devastating when a popular figure, particularly one who is renowned and hero-worshipped for their domination in their chosen field, is unmasked as a fraud. It’s especially hard news to swallow when the person in question denies cheating allegations again and again, and is seen as a community leader. This is exactly what happened to…

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Our Top 5 Reasons To Watch Marvel’s Jessica Jones on Netflix

On Friday 20th November at 6pm AEST, Netflix released its first season of Marvel’s Jessica Jones. All thirteen episodes available for your binge viewing pleasure. Being a fan of a good binge, and also a fairly avid fan of the Marvel universe I took the plunge and I’m here to give you my top 5…

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The first trailer for Captain America: Civil War premieres on Jimmy Kimmel Live!

The first trailer has arrived for the eagerly anticipated Captain America: Civil War, a film which serves as the introduction to “Phase Three” of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) – the end of Phase Two being found earlier this year in Ant-Man. The trailer picks up conveniently from where a post-credit scene in Ant-Man left off,…

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What to Watch: the Iris’ Weekly TV Picks (25th November-1st December)

Need to catch a TV break and don’t know what to watch? Simon takes us through his top picks on must-see shows and films for the week. Click through to see what’s showing for your entertainment needs… Wednesday 25th November 2015 Kebab Kings – SBS – 8.30pm AEST The drunken treat we all know and…

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Film Review: Love the Coopers (USA, 2015)

What used to be, what is now, and what the future potentially holds are the main framing points screenwriter Steven Rogers (Kate & Leopold, P.S. I Love You) strands together in Love The Coopers, a deliriously schmaltzy and often contrived dramedy that’s a particularly mixed stocking when it comes to its individual characters chapters.  There’s…

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Interview: Matthew Lewis on growing up with Harry Potter and the attraction of the fantasy world

Sitting alongside Harry Potter star Matthew Lewis at the autograph signing table at Supanova Adelaide, I watch a trio of little girls who are engaged in a battle of charm with the 26 year old Leeds native. The girls compliment Lewis on being ‘very good’ in the Potter films before turning their attention to the…

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Arts Review: Jerry’s Girls – the Production Company – Arts Centre Melbourne (Performances To December 6)

What a breath of fresh air for Australian musical theatre. In recent years, we’ve tried to create our own original work but it hasn’t always translated. Well, let me tell you; this one translates. Starring 11 of the industry’s most dazzling ladies comes a show dedicated to celebrating the works of American composer and lyricist…

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Sydney Harbour’s Fort Denison Restaurant announces Sunday long lunches

From November 29th and all the way through January 2016 picturesque island venue Fort Denison Restaurant will be bringing back their popular “Sunday Sunsets” series, offering the perfect spot for a day of drinks, dining, and live music. Every weekend Sydneysiders and visitors will be able to book a spot on the island to settle…

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There is a bacon-delivery service coming to Melbourne

Yeah. That’s right. Melbournians will be able to wake up in the morning knowing that they need not leave their house to go pick up some fresh bacon. Instead, they’ll be logging on to Tervey, Australia’s first bacon-subscription service, to order up some of that goodness and have it delivered straight to their door. As…

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