Month: March 2018

EXCLUSIVE: Sequel to The Disaster Artist In The Works

Update: Happy April Fool’s Day! A sequel to the critically-acclaimed film The Disaster Artist is in the early planning stages at A24, The Iris can exclusively reveal. The news was confirmed via a leaked press release from the New York-based distribution firm early this morning. According to said press release, the sequel – tentatively titled…

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Exclusive Music Video Premiere: Moonlover “Lazy Daisy” (2018)

Here’s something to soothe you this long weekend – the latest from Melbourne psych rocker, Moonlover. “Lazy Daisy”, from the debut Moonlover album Thou Shall Be Free, is a cut of gorgeous pop steeped in psych traditions that oozes romanticism and rich musical quality. The music video matches up with the tone of the song, as we…

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Interview: Shelby J (US) on celebrating Prince’s life and legacy in Nothing Compares 2 Prince

Shelby J is an American singer, songwriter, entrepreneur and social activist, who has toured nationally and internationally with her band Blackgypsy and as leading backing vocalist in Prince’s The New Power Generation. In Australia next month for the World Premiere of Nothing Compares 2 Prince, she will be one of the twelve performers involved in…

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Interview: Musician Ben Dickey talks playing songwriter Blaze Foley and working with Ethan Hawke

Arkansas musician Ben Dickey is no stranger to the stage; releasing a solo record, performing in bands like Amen Booze Rooster, Blood Feathers and featuring as the vocalist and guitarist in Post-Hardcore group Shake Ray Turbine. But now the accomplished, if widely unknown, artist is taking the stage in a new role: artfully portraying singer/songwriter…

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Single of the Day: Laura Jean Anderson “Silence Won’t Help You Now” (2018)

Meet Laura Jean Anderson. We absolutely love her new sounds in “Silence Won’t Help Me Now” – thankfully, Cooking Vinyl Australia are representing Anderson, so we hope to be seeing more from this LA artist out this way soon. The first thing to notice about this track is Anderson’s vocals; smoky and hypnotic, Anderson gets personal…

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Our top five acts from Portland, Maine’s ambitious new music festival, Sunaana

Focused almost exclusively on discovery, Sunaana is certainly aiming to be a huge platform for rising talent across multiple genres. In it’s second year, The Portland, Maine festival grew substantially from it’s humble beginnings in 2017, stretching across two official days at Thompson’s Point. The plan is to pull the festival into downtown Portland and…

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SXSW Interview: Nilüfer Yanya on her first trip to Texas, tackling a new year of music & more

UK artist Nilüfer Yanya sat with Larry at SXSW this year, her debut performances in Texas for the massive music festival. Here, they discuss introducing her music to larger crowds, how her local scene differs to ones elsewhere internationally, and more. Listen to the full interview, below! ———- This content has recently been ported from its…

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Interview: Love, Simon stars Nick Robinson and Australia’s own Katherine Langford talk about the acclaimed teen drama

Love, Simon has quickly become something of a phenomenon.  Before it officially hits Australian cinemas, its critical response worldwide has been unanimously positive (its Rotten Tomatoes score currently sits at 91%), and celebrities such as Neil Patrick Harris and Kristen Bell, neither of whom have had anything to do with the film personally, have bought…

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First Impressions: Netflix’s Rapture examines the power of hip hop with empathy and intimacy

Hip hop, now considered the dominant and most popular style of contemporary music in the world, is one of the most powerful and important forms of art to emerge in the past few decades, and that can be an incredibly hard notion for many to wrap their head around. The fascination with the art and…

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DVD Review: Sweet Virginia (USA, 2017) is a suspenseful and absorbing thriller

Mild-mannered Sam (Jon Bernthal) is a retired rodeo champ living a quiet existence as a motel manager in a quiet Alaskan town. We get the impression that he’s not asking for much – just a space to live out his days as peacefully as he can, perhaps get to know Bernadette (Rosemarie DeWitt) a little…

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Interview: Kunichi Nomura on playing the dog hating villain in Wes Anderson’s new film Isle of Dogs

While at SXSW earlier this month, we caught up with Japanese actor Kunichi Nomura, who appears in the new Wes Anderson film Isle of Dogs. He also helped write the film. Watch the full chat here as we talk about working with Wes, playing the “villain” in the film, and he also tells us about partying…

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SXSW Interview: Timur Bekmambetov and Shazad Latif on new techno-thriller Profile

During our time at SXSW Film Festival this year, we got to sit with director Timur Bekmambetov and actor Shazad Latif to chat about their new film, Profile. Adapted from Anna Erelle‘s In the Skin of a Jihadist, the film looks at the complex online relationship that develops between an “undercover” reporter and a jihadist, shot entirely through the reporters computer (and social…

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SXSW Film Review: A Vigilante (USA, 2018) proves an inspiring, powerful debut for its Australian Director

Directed by Australia’s own Sarah Daggar-Nickson and starring Olivia Wilde, A Vigilante is a powerful drama that sees Wilde play the titular role – Sadie, a vigilante who helps domestic abuse survivors get out of their situation by literally bringing the abusers to their knees. Spurred on by her own experiences and a tragedy, the…

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Hotel Indigo set to deliver a brand new boutique hotel to Sydney’s CBD

Sydney’s Central station is currently undergoing a massive transformation, and soon the thriving Central precinct will welcome an IHG boutique hotel, Hotel Indigo. It’s a few years in the making with an opening date of 2021, but when the 168-room hotel does arrive, it will be adding a hint of contemporary style to Central’s rich…

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Review: Unwind and unplug (literally) in the Renaissance Hotel Pittsburgh

It’s had an extensive history in only 100 years; from office building to WWII VA hospital to a nightclub, but now the Fulton Building in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is home to a hotel that not only allows guests to recharge in contemporary luxury but also detox and unplug from the digital world. Renaissance Hotel is located…

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The super budget-conscious UberPOOL is launching in Sydney next week

Come April 3rd, Uber will be launching their super budget-conscious UberPOOL service in Australia, specifically the inner-city suburbs of Sydney ahead of a planned nationwide roll out. The service has proven to be incredibly popular in cities like L.A, Austin and New York, with savings of up to half the price of a usual UberX….

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Melbourne Bitter and the city’s finest illustrative artists collaborate on ‘Eskybition’

This one is a bit of a cool piece of news to get around today. Between some of the city’s most talented artists and one of Melbourne’s most iconic brands – Melbourne Bitter, of course – a new exhibition has been formed, to celebrate the Aussie Esky and to raise funds for Support Act. The initiative…

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Music Video of the Day: Quails “Powerless” (2018)

Songwriter Amy Pes is really coming through with some great music under her Quails project. The latest single “Powerless” is anything but; navigating between moody pop and darker electro-R&B, Quails is no doubt lining up a big 2018 for herself. We’re here for it. With her sophomore EP Worlds already spawning another solid release in “We Don’t Need Entertainment”,…

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The 8th CMC Music Awards prove the future of country music lay with a bright new generation of talent

It was Country Music’s night-of-nights on Thursday, March 15th, with the biggest local and international acts flocking to The Star on the Gold Coast to celebrate the biggest fan-voted awards in the southern hemisphere.

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The Industry Observer Awards list Spotify, Bluesfest, Ruel and more as winners for 2018

The Sydney Cricket Ground hosted the inaugural industry awards hosted by The Industry Observer overnight, where retailers, publicists, managers and more were recognised for their work within the industry over the last year. While live performances from Adrian Eagle and CXLOE (pictured) turned heads, the main awards also drew the numbers into the awards room on Tuesday evening. Ben and…

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Interview: Benedict Goold from UK’s Ghouls on their first Australian tour & taking a break from social media

UK Alt-Punk Rockers Ghouls are heading down under for their first Australian co-headline tour, sharing the run will be Australia’s own Foxblood. Starting in 2013, the band consists of Benedict Goold (Lead Vocals and Guitar), Sam Mussell (Bass), Ben Maz (Saxophone), Russel Spencer (Trombone) and Jay Swinstead (Drums).

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When Willie Nelson throws a party at his ranch, it’s not a festival. It’s a reunion.

The annual event Luck Reunion returned to Willy Nelson’s Ranch in Luck, Texas earlier this month, delivering an afternoon of incredible performances, food and drink in what was the event’s sixth year. But describing exactly what Luck Reunion is to someone who hasn’t been is hard. And just to be someone who’s been is hard…

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Interview: Jeremy Workman and Matt Green on the making and meaning of The World Before Your Feet

There are very few documentaries out there that can offer the very of-the-now perspective The World Before Your Feet can. The latest film from Jeremy Workman focuses on subject Matt Green and his endlessly interesting, definitely obsessive, and slightly odd “project”. Anyone who follows his blog would already know; Green has taken it upon himself…

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Film Review: A Wrinkle in Time (USA, 2018) aims valiantly for the stars, but falls flat on its face

Fantasy films aimed towards children can be a very tricky proposition. Usually, films of this type aim to entertain the entire family but for ones that specifically aim for children, how does one critique a film like this? Judge the film for what it is? Or judge the film through the eyes of a child?…

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Win a copy of Sweet Virginia on DVD

In remote Alaska, a former rodeo champ Sam (Jon Bernthal) befriends Elwood (Christopher Abbott), an unhinged fellow Virginian, who has a propensity for violence and a dark reason for visiting the town Sam calls home. Written by the China brothers, Sweet Virginia offers a terse and dark journey part neo-noir thriller, part latter day western…

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Winners of the 2018 Indie Book Awards announced

The winners of the 2018 Indie Book Awards have been announced, with Jessica Townsend’s Nevermoor becoming the first children’s book to take out the main prize in the Indies’ ten year history. The awards recognise the important role indie booksellers and bookstores have in the success of homegrown authors, by engaging with customers, recommending works outside the…

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Book Review: Follow an ageing reporter through the murky world of tabloid journalism in Craig Sherborne’s Off The Record

Callum Smith, the Wordsmith, ‘Words’ for short, is a journalist of the old school. An expert manipulator, he spends his days flirting, drinking, and chasing stories. But when his wife leaves him, Words’ devotion to the big story begins to spiral out of control. Desperate to keep her and his son in his life, he’ll…

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Book Review: The Stripper Next Door by Emma Lea Corbett reveals the exotic dancer turned business entrepreneur!

Kicking off her book The Stripper Next Door with her days as a yoga instructor, it was hard to believe what the past would reveal for Emma Lea Corbett.  Corbett was seventeen when she answered an advertisement in the newspaper seeking dancers and hostesses offering “great $$$ potential“. Looking towards a future as a home…

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Review: Seth Lakeman steals the show as Robert Plant adds some rarities for his Opera House debut

Led Zeppelin frontman Robert Plant returned to Australia this week, for his first visit since 2013, and he marked the occasion with three shows in Sydney ahead of his visit to Byron Bay Bluesfest. For the second of these shows, Plant and his band, The Sensational Space Shifters, descended on the Sydney Opera House for his…

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The Palais Theatre Community Fund launches; submissions for first round grants now open!

This is a pretty cool one for the Melbourne music and arts community – the creation of The Palais Theatre Community Fund has seen Live Nation and the City of Port Philip link up in creating an opportunity for locally registered non for profits, charities, and businesses to thrive and generate more long term benefits for…

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