Year: 2018

8Bit to give away 300 free signature burgers at Steam Mill Lane this week (Sydney)

To celebrate the first permanent Sydney store from Melbourne-born burger heroes 8Bit, the video-game inspired joint is planning to give away 300 freebies of their signature burg: the 8bit with cheese. They’ll be serving up these totally free, totally delicious burgers on Thursday 3rd May (that’s tomorrow for those playing at home) from their home…

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Cannabis the star of Sydney’s massive upcoming Hemp Health & Innovation Expo

As talks around legalising marijuana continue to progress in Australia, it’s becoming increasingly important to directly engage with the complexities of cannabis. While the densely layered stigma surrounding the misunderstood plant is still gradually peeling back, there remains much to understand and learn about what is now the latest superfood to be made legally available…

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Australian chef David Thompson to bid farewell to Bangkok’s iconic Nahm

Australian chef David Thompson has been conquering the culinary world ever since word spread about Nahm, his multi-award winning Bangkok restaurant which is regularly considered as one of the best dining spots in all of Asia. After nearly two decades with the Nahm brand, originated in London, Thompson has decided to bid farewell to the…

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Tech Review: Edifier S880DB Bookshelf Speakers: At home in the office

We’ve covered a few of Edifier’s range of bookshelf speakers on The Iris before, so taking the S880DB twin set for a spin made sense. In keeping with the company tradition of quality sound in a compact package with a price point that may make you wince on first inspection, the S880DB represents the perfect speaker…

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Book Review: Miles Franklin Winner A.S. Patric’s follow up, Atlantic Black, is a surreal novel of pre-war Europe

After his novel Black Rock, White City won the 2016 Miles Franklin Literary Award, all eyes were on A.S. Patric. His win was something of a coup for small presses in Australia, and a first Miles Franklin win for publishing house Transit Lounge. Patric had been up against four extremely powerful novels, all written by…

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Live Review: Stereophonics celebrate 20 years with a spellbinding Opera House debut, strings and all

It’s hard to believe that it’s been over twenty years since the release of the debut LP from Welsh rockers Stereophonics, Word Gets Around. With hit singles like “Local Boy in the Photograph” and “A Thousand Trees”, the album set the stage for the group to eventually become one of the UK’s biggest act; with almost all…

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Single of the Day: Fluir “Change” (2018)

Atmospheric and breathy, the opening of Fluir‘s “Change” will have you from the beginning. The lead single from the artist’s forthcoming EP, “Change” saw Fluir team up with PNAU’s Sam Littlemore on production, which may be why these sounds come across as familiar. Anchored by a great dance beat, “Change” really highlights Fluir’s vocals and of course,…

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Black Panther composer Ludwig Göransson talks working with Kendrick Lamar and the next Childish Gambino record

This week, I had the chance to catch up with Black Panther composer Ludwig Göransson while he was in his LA based studio, working on a new Childish Gambino record. We spoke about working with Childish, as well as Kendrick Lamar, who curated Black Panther: The Album and performed a number of tracks for its…

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Album Review: DMA’s – For Now (2018 LP)

I was out having a Thai dinner with friends recently, the day after I first sat down to listen to the second album of Sydney band DMA’s. As we sat down and ordered a vast variety of dishes for this midweek banquet, it dawned on me that this dinner I was about to pay $30…

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Interview: Royal Blood’s Ben Thatcher chats ZZ Top, Jools Holland and more

Back in the country for some sick headline dates as well as this year’s Groovin’ The Moo tour, Royal Blood caught up with us in Sydney just to check in and see how everything has been since the last time we sat down in this part of the globe. You may have seen Ben Thatcher chatting with us about…

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Young Henrys release new hoppy porter “Motorcycle Oil” just in time for Winter

Just in time for Winter, Newtown brewery Young Henrys have unveiled a brand new seasonal porter, Motorcycle Oil, which is available from May 1st in limited quantities, following its official public launch at Dust Hustle – one of the most popular motorcycle festivals in the country. A fitting launch location given the name of the beer, which…

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5 early Kendrick Lamar cuts worth revisiting ahead of his July tour

Okay, okay, we know we’re a bit early on the proper hype train but screw it, Kendrick Lamar is touring. And touring properly. Not just chucking a Melbourne and Sydney show alongside his headline Splendour in the Grass appearance. K.Dot has shown love to fans in Adelaide and Perth too, locking in dates in South Oz…

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MusicNT’s Sista Sounds program underway for 2018 in Central Australia

Running out in Central Australia since 2011, Sista Sounds has been providing a platform for Indigenous women and girls in remote communities to engage with music and storytelling through the medium via a range of workshops and mentoring sessions with mentors from around the country. The grassroots music program facilitated by MusicNT has seen awesome results…

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Interview: Bobby Alu talks Gold Coast Music Awards & upcoming tour plans

With the 2018 Gold Coast Music Awards coming up next month, we took some time out to catch up with Bobby Alu – one of the talented individuals you’ll be able to catch performing as part of the Gold Coast Music Awards Live Lineup on May 3rd! Having been on the road consistently with Xavier Rudd over the…

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Tech Review: Razer Nommo Chroma 2.0 Desk Speakers: The sound of cannonfire

You review enough gadgets and speakers and eventually you get a sense for The Order of Things. You can tell a lot about a device just from looking at the promo images — you get an idea of their size, the design philosophy and where their predicted strengths and weaknesses will lie. And sometimes they…

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You can now use Discord to chat to your mates across PC and Xbox

Hey, wasn’t it frustrating playing Sea of Thieves with friends cross-platform and having to put your laptop on the couch so you could use Discord to communicate? Those days are over, friends. Discord is coming to the Xbox One.

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Here’s your free PlayStation Plus titles for May

It’s that time of the month when we all crane our necks to see what we can wring out of Sony for free this month. It’s been a pretty solid run for the PlayStation Plus freebies, with titles like Bloodborne and Mad Max going gangbusters for the platform. This month Sony wants to get you…

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Games Review: God of War (PS4, 2018), Raw, Punishing, Beautiful and Heartfelt

After over five years in development, Sony’s Santa Monica Studio’s God of War is back and I think you know by now, it’s a triumphant return for one of PlayStations greatest anti-hero’s and god defying badasses, Kratos.

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Why Ray Martin Jumped at the Chance to Host Landmark Photography Conference

This weekend, some of Australia’s finest photographers will be showcased at the inaugural photography conference Aperture Australia 2018. The two-day conference is the first of its kind in Sydney, featuring eight industry heavyweights including pioneering Australian landscape photographer Ken Duncan, fine art photographer Alexia Sinclair, and celebrity portrait photographer Gary Heery who has shot celebrities…

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Book Review: Tom Rachman’s The Italian Teacher is a lyrical look at the true price of art

If there was ever an author who had the ability to paint a picture with his prose it’s Tom Rachman. In his latest novel, The Italian Teacher, Rachman puts together a complex and often lyrical study of a man who has grown up in the shadows of his artist father’s genius. The result is a…

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Cuckoo Callay’s super indulgent bacon festival is back (Sydney)

Now well-established amongst Sydney’s bacon-loving diners, Cuckoo Callay’s Bacon Ooze Festival is back with an entirely new menu for the fourth consecutive year. You’ve got until the last week of June to head along to either (or both, do both) the popular café’s Newtown or Surry Hills outposts and dig into a specially created menu…

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Review: Hacienda revamps Cuban inspired menu with newly appointed Executive Chef

Situated on the third floor of 5 star hotel Pullman Quay Grand, Hacienda’s old world Cuban charm and prime location have made it the perfect spot for an evening cocktail whilst marvelling at Sydney’s stunning harbour views. The luxe vista bar has recently revamped its distinctly Cuban menu thanks to award winning head chef Joshua…

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Live Review: The Hard Aches bring Mess loud and proud to Sydney’s Oxford Art Factory

On Friday night, the art space otherwise known as Oxford Arts Factory in Sydney was busy and buzzing for the Mess album launch tour for The Hard Aches, the two-piece from Adelaide. Forgetting how bad parking was in Darlinghurst but playing it off as being fashionably late, I dragged my two friends along to the…

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Interview: Chatting Reverence and more with Parkway Drive’s Winston McCall

After fifteen years and (soon-to-be) six albums, you would be hard-pressed to find anyone disagreeing that Parkway Drive are Australia’s metal kings. In the lead up to the group’s sixth album Reverence, frontman Winston McCall is excitable. Partly due to the vegan sandwiches we are eating, but also due to the discussion about the variance between…

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Spain’s Primavera Sound introduces its latest gastronomic proposal: Primmmavera

What do you get when you combine a great music festival, 3 great chefs and some great food? An ammmazing event, that is Primmmavera. Following the success of the Barcelonian music festival, Primavera Sound is back and experimenting new ways of eating, introducing its newest gastronmic proposal Primmmavera, headed by renowned chefs Diego Guerrero, Eduardo ‘Lalo’ García and Douglas…

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Hotel Review: The InterContinental Century City proves a comfortable hideaway amongst the glitz and glamour of Hollywood

It’s the weekend of the Oscars. There’s a buzz in the air as I check into the InterContinental Century City with ease – and just a slight delay as they finish preparing my room, which was unexpected considering my early morning arrival (common for Australian travellers). The hotel has a definite sense of glamour as…

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Single of the Day: Yukon Blonde “Love The Way You Are” (2018)

Yukon Blonde are back! Heading back into the studio with Tony Hoffer to record album Number Four in Critical Hit, the Canadians have produced some of their best yet, if new single “Love The Way You Are” is anything to go by. This is the first material since 2015’s On Blonde album was released and sees Yukon Blonde…

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Watch Ecca Vandal and Sampa The Great hit Sydney streets for “Your Orbit” video

“Your Orbit” brought Ecca Vandal together with Sampa The Great for one collaboration we didn’t know we had wanted so badly. Fusing confidence with fiery rhythms and lyricism, both artists combined their own unique flair to make a track that espouses female empowerment and a sick throwback vibe with the official music video. Using Sydney as their base,…

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Interview: Melbourne’s Shiva and the Hazards talk “East India Empress”

Earlier this month, Melbourne’s Shiva and The Hazards released their debut EP Future Cult Classics – a record rich in groove and nods to psych-rock classics of decades gone by. With their single “East India Empress”, Shiva and The Hazards embrace some serious throwback vibes, further exploring mesmerising sound and visuals with their recently released music video….

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