Arriving in a white-hot flurry of hard earned hype, Xan has enlisted inner-west Sydney’s very own unapologetically vicious and volatile hip-hop group Triple One to lead the charge with their brash raps and haunting hooks, setting the stage alight as their demonic spirit comes to life in fiery form.

Triple One have accumulated a cult following, with signature singles ‘Doozy’ and ‘Overflow’ surpassing 1 million views on YouTube. They also boast a strong global presence with 380,000 monthly Spotify listeners tuning in from North America, Eastern Europe and their own native Australia.

In 2018, the group followed it up with their most diverse offering yet in The Naughty Corner EP, spearheaded by sadistic lead single ‘Redline Reaper’ and the daintier ‘Tarlo.’ The latter was added to rotation on triple j Unearthed and full rotation on triple j, gaining additional praise from FBi Radio, Purple Sneakers, Pilerats, Highsnobiety and more. In June, Triple One were crowned the triple j Unearthed Feature Artist of the Week.

Lil Xan has teamed up with Charlie XCX to release the latest video for their collab track ‘Moonlight’, lifted from his debut album TOTAL XANARCHY. The record features spots from the likes of Charli XCX, Diplo and 2 Chainz, and has enticed devotion from millions of young Americans. Clocking up nearly 1 million views in its first 12 hours of release, lead single ‘Betrayed’ laid the foundations for Lil Xan to become one of 2018’s most popular new artists.

Lil Xan Official Splendour Sideshows
FRIDAY JULY 20 – FESTIVAL HALL, MELBOURNE
SUNDAY JULY 22 – ENMORE THEATRE, SYDNEY
www.facebook.com/lilxanfuhyobih

South of the equator for Groovin’ The Moo, the Ventura-native will bring his trademark brand of feel good hip-hop to Aussie fans for the very first time – kicking things off at Sydney’s Manning Bar on Tuesday May 1, Melbourne’s Corner Hotel on Wednesday May 2, Brisbane’s Woolly Mammoth on Wednesday May 9, and wrapping up on the west coast at Perth’s Jack Rabbit Slims on Thursday May 11.

Lauded for his playful lyrics, video-game sampling and positive “you, do you” attitude, the last 12 months have been monumental for the young, happy-go-lucky MC. His tongue-in-cheek, breakout sensation “iSpy”— featuring Atlanta rapper Lil Yachty — soared to #1 on the Billboard Rap chart, hit #4 on Billboard’s Hot 100, as well as peaking at #34 on Australian ARIA charts, with the touted “tune of the summer” amassing over 450 million streams to date.

Despite appearances, KYLE’s brimming success did not happen overnight. Since writing his first rap at age 13, the 24-year-old has been building his fan base since 2013, releasing his debut mix tape Beautiful Loser and 2015 follow up Smyle, as well as collaborating with the likes of hip-hop luminaries Chance The Rapper, Kehlani, Miguel, G-Eazy, MadeinTYO, Ty Dolla $ign and DRAM. KYLE has since been championed by Complex, Rolling Stone, PAPER, NYLON, The Fader, graced the cover of esteemed hip-hop mag XXL and has torn up television stages including the 2017 MTV Video Music Awards and Jimmy Kimmel Live.

With his third album on the way and an international tour in tow, 2018 is shaping up to be another milestone year for KYLE. Bringing his fun, bubblegum trap beats and unbridled enthusiasm – KYLE is sure to make an impression on his Australian debut.

SUPERDUPERKYLE Australian Debut Tour
Sydney – 1 May 2018, Manning Bar
Melbourne – 2 May 2018, Corner Hotel
Brisbane – 9 May 2018, Woolly Mammoth
Perth – 10 May 2018, Jack Rabbit Slims
www.superduperkyle.com

Steeped in the Word of The Mother and packing a punch of Hip Hop politics, Hot Brown Honey will make you laugh until you cry, clap until your hands bleed, dance in the aisles and shake every part of what your mama gave you.

With lighting, music and costume set to ignite the change we want to be, Hot Brown Honey is an extraordinary production that spins tradition on its head, going above and beyond to challenge boundaries and embrace resilience. Hot Brown Honey is unapologetically fierce, defiantly shattering preconceptions in an explosion of colour, culture and controversy.

Fighting the power never tasted so sweet.

Hot Brown Honey
04–07 April, 2018
Brisbane Powerhouse
www.brisbanepowerhouse.org

For years they were hidden in the musical wilderness, feeding off the steady props that continued to trickle through on the back of their stone-cold classic debut record Since I Left You, released all the way back in 2001. Tunes like Frontier Psychiatrist and the hypnotic title track marked this Melbourne-based collective as one of the most influential outfits in the history of Australian music as their patchwork, sample-friendly rave ups wove themselves into the fabric of our collective musical identity.

From that point, year after silent year would go by until suddenly, in May 2016, word came through of a “hotline” which could be called with new Avalanches tunes waiting on the other side. As hype rolled on it was eventually confirmed that Wildflower was coming and that after 16 long years, we’d finally have new music.

What we didn’t see coming was the revelation that, now shorn of all members but two (Robbie Chater and Tony Di Blasi), these boys would somehow pull of a Benjamin Button-esque miracle in which their skills and relevance had completely failed to age. Wildflower was brilliant and The Avalanches now possess a stage show befitting of a band with a momentous catalogue, not just one wondrous record.

The Avalanches 2018 Australian Tour
10 February – Party In The Paddock – White Hills, Tasmania
24 February – Sydney City Limits – Centennial Park, Sydney
25 February – Perth International Arts Festival, Perth
7 March – The Tivoli – Brisbane
10 March – Golden Plains – Meredith, Victoria
11 March – Womadelaide – Adelaide
www.theavalanches.com

Patty Cake$ is a white female rapper whose big persona and bravado behind the mic hide a life riddled with ridicule and self doubt. Her life at home is also far from ideal and watching her overcome these issues pulls you in and makes you more than just a casual observer.

You care about the outcome of her life and wisely the filmmakers keep the unbelievable away in most instances. This only enhances the experience. The acting performances are universally good and the characters are wild enough to be interesting but grounded enough in reality not to strain credibility to its breaking point.

The hip-hop based sound track underpins the events on screen and there are some excellent and profane performances. The film ultimately provides moments that are very uplifting as Ms Dombrowski and her friends overcome their less than ideal lives and find success in measured in small moments as well as large.

Rob Hudson
www.facebook.com/PattiCakesMovie

September this year saw Bliss N Eso bless fans with ‘Dopamine’, their first new music in over two years, which was premiered with an incredible live performance on the NRL Grand Final Footy Show.

The track features Sydney artist Thief and includes some of the most candid verses laid down on a Bliss N Eso track to date. It’s the first single from the group’s hotly anticipated sixth studio album, slated for release in early 2017.

MC Bliss describes the track:
“Dopamine is a powerful song, it reflects that feeling of someone pulling you from the darkness and leading you back to the light. Saying no to the demons and standing strong in the belief that life is a positive and beautiful thing.”

Late last week the band delivered the incredible video clip for ‘Dopamine’ via Facebook. Filmed at Melbourne’s Luna Park, the clip is a superb visual expression of the track clearly conveying the narrative and concept of the song.

The Dopamine Tour marks two years since their widely praised The Circus Under The Stars Tour which solidified the group as one of the most successful in the country and went on to break the record for the biggest local hip-hop tour Australia had seen with 55,000 fans in attendance across the 16 dates.

The tour celebrated Bliss N Eso’s #1 debuting, Platinum-certified album Circus In The Sky featuring the likes of Daniel Merriweather on ‘Can’t Get Rid of This Feeling’, Nas on ‘I Am Somebody’ and Ceekay Jones on ‘My Life’.

Bliss N Eso’s electrifying return signals an exciting new era for the hip-hop stalwarts and one of evolution for one of the country’s most beloved groups. With a host of #1’s, Platinum and Gold accredited albums and a swag of awards and nominations, we’re thrilled to be welcoming Bliss N Eso’s very own brand of lyrical genius back to airwaves and their high energy live show to stages with their most intimate tour in years. 2017 is Bliss N Eso’s!

Bliss N Eso – The Dopamine Tour
Friday 10 February – The Gov, Adelaide SA (18+)
Wednesday 15 February – 170 Russell, Melbourne VIC (18+)
Thursday 16 February – Metro Theatre, Sydney NSW (18+)
Thursday 2 March – The Tivoli, Brisbane QLD (18+)
www.blissneso.com

At just 28 years old Big K.R.I.T. has already topped Billboards Top R&B/Hip-Hop albums chart twice. In November last year, Big K.R.I.T. hit the No. 1 spot with his second Def Jam release Cadillactica, moving 44,000 in first-week sales. The album features a host of acts including Raphael Saadiq and Wiz Khalifa. In 2012 he topped the chart with his release Live From the Underground.

“one of the most gifted rappers living on this wretched ball of blue called Earth.”– Billboard

“Shouts to K.R.I.T. for a long-lasting full body of work; shouts to K.R.I.T. for Cadillactica.” – The 10 Best Rap Albums of 2014, Billboard

“K.R.I.T. flexes his musical chops especially on the straight up soul records, “Third Eye” and “Angels,” but his calling card remains country rap tunes like “Mo Better Cool” and “Mind Control.” – NPR

Big K.R.I.T will be delighting his Australian fans, with sideshows just announced for Perth’s Villa on the 22nd of September, Melbourne’s Max Watt’s on the 24th and Brisbane’s Zoo on the 25th.

Electronic hip hop duo Milwaukee Banks is set to support Big K.R.I.T at the Melbourne and Brisbane sideshows. Milwaukee Banks play a new type of futuristic rap, a blend of southern hip hop with an ambient, glitchy beat. The duo’s recent EP release, Rose Water, has received deserved attention, and their collection of remixes and collaborations has projected them onto many to-watch music lists.

Big K.R.I.T. Aussie Tour
Perth – Tuesday 22 Sep 2015, Villa
Melbourne – Wednesday 23 Sep 2015, Max Watt’s
Brisbane – Friday 25 Sep 2015, The Zoo
Sydney – Saturday 26 Sep 2015, OutsideIn
Sydney – Sunday 27 Sep 2015, Oxford Arts Factory
www.facebook.com/BigKritMusic

As ever with ES you’ll find yourself simultaneously inspired by their unique vision and despairing at how RARE such forward-moving revolutionary art is in this day and age. In a musical world where the by-rote and predictable seem to be the only ‘risk’ anyone’s willing to take, and where lyrically rock’n’roll has never been more conservative, ‘personal’ and staid, Enter Shikari’s music hits like a bolt from the blue, a living livid reminder of music’s real ancient powers and future possibilities, intimate as a friend, global in its reach.

Joining the tour with their own unique sound will be Canberra’s Hands Like Houses, who have been constantly touring UK, Europe and North America, selling out shows worldwide. Their last album Unimagine debuted top 40 on the US Billboard charts.

Enter Shikari live have broken barriers and busted heads wherever they’ve been heard, a meld of punk roots and kaleidoscopic musical consciousness.

Enter Shikari Mindsweep Tour
Fremantle – Monday 18 May – Metropolis
Adelaide – Wednesday 20 May – HQ
Melbourne – Friday 22 May – The Forum
Sydney – Saturday 23 May – Roundhouse
Brisbane – Sunday 24 May – The Tivoli
www.entershikari.com

First forming in Manchester in 1995, Lamb’s 1996 self-titled genre-bending debut album delivered intensely personal, emotionally charged songs intertwined with startling drum n bass beats in in a collision of jazz, classical, blues, techno & hip hop that defined an era of trip hop.

Singles ‘Gold’, ‘God Bless’, ‘Cotton Wool’ and ‘Górecki’ have been critically and commercially successes. In particular, ‘Górecki’ – inspired by the works of composer Henryk Mikołaj Górecki – has become one of the most recognized anthems of electronic music, attracting numerous remixes, covers, TV commercials and movie soundtracks (Basquiat, Moulin Rouge and I Still Know What You Did Last Summer to name the biggest box office hits).

Since their Australian debut, Lamb has drawn rave reviews from thrilled audiences and critics alike for their sold-out headline and festival performances. They wowed fans as part of 2003’s iconic Livid Festival, headlined Sydney’s much-loved Peats Ridge Festival in 2009 and 2011 brought Lamb back to our shores to headline the Playground Weekender Festival on the Hawkesbury River, as well as selling out numerous sideshows along the way.

Lamb 2015 Australian Tour
Friday, February 6 – Astor Theatre, Perth
Sunday, February 8 – Fowlers Live, Adelaide
Tuesday, February 10 – The Tivoli, Brisbane
Thursday, February 12 – The Enmore, Sydney
Saturday, February 14 – The Forum, Melbourne
www.lambofficial.com