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Wanted on Voyage Review – Gorgeous George Ezra rocks the old school Mississippi Delta Blues

By | Featured, Music

Gorgeous George, with his gorgeous Deep South baritone folk voice, rhythmic guitar strumming and tongue-in-cheek lyrics, had us at hello when we first listened to his debut album, rich with crisp and upbeat melodies and full-throated choruses. Indeed, the album is chirpy, charming, soulful and oh so full of gusto.

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George Ezra, the 21 year-old from Hertford who went to music college in Bristol, who came fifth in the BBC sound of 2014, and who has been topping the charts across Europe with his hit single “Budapest”, released his debut album, “Wanted On Voyage”, in June earlier this year. Ezra took inspiration from the journals he kept whilst traveling and busking his way across Europe and based most of the songs on his album on his experiences. Full of adventure, “Wanted On Voyage” feels fresh, vibrant, enthusiastic and tirelessly energetic.

George Ezra – Budapest

“Blame It On Me” kicks off the album with a blazing start, with its powerful vocals that scream out Ezra’s self-confidence as a singer-songwriter. It’s quite remarkable how quickly he has us captivated and wanting more. And he sure gives us more with “Budapest”, a simple folk song with a foot-tapping baseline, in which Ezra’s solid vocals take centre stage as he tells the story about a man willing to give up everything for the one he loves, singing “for you, I’d leave it all/ Give me one good reason why I should never make a change”. Despite the single’s recycled lyrical content, Ezra strikes an authentic note, and we can’t help but adore his sweetness and sincerity.

George Ezra – Blame It On Me

This bleeds into “Cassy O’”, a song that, at first glance, just doesn’t seem to make any sense at all, whose narrative is absurd, and whose lyrics read, “I travelled to Australia and I travelled there by train”. But, in fact, “Cassy O’” is a song about the unalterable passing of Time. Ezra sings: “the bastard face kept changing and the hands they wouldn’t stop”. The track is fun, enthusiastic and powerful, and is catchy as hell.

George Ezra – Cassy O

Ezra beautifully strips it back, with his lovely and nostalgic ballad “Barcelona”, one of his more traditional songs on the album, followed with the playful track, “Leaving It Up To You”, in which Ezra contemplates an ex and her “half-wit of a boyfriend” and expresses “it’s a damn good job he isn’t here or I might have wind up harming your darling”. Ezra unexpectedly falls into an exquisite falsetto as he sings the chorus “leaving it up to you”.

George Ezra – Barcelona

George Ezra – Leaving It Up to You

“Did You Hear The Rain?” is one of Ezra’s older tracks, a stunning a cappella version of the deep dark delta blues atmosphere he adopts from his peers, and with a taste of Woody Guthrie and Bob Dylan. Ezra literally howls, and sings, “you can try and run and hide, tearing at the chain oh, Lucifer’s inside”. The song is interesting and soulful, with full-blown instrumentation; it’s incredibly catchy, and has a bottomless sound.

George Ezra – Did You Hear the Rain?

While “Stand By Your Gun” takes a slightly different sonic direction, experimenting with electronic keyboard disco sounds and beatbox loops, “Breakaway” takes on a deep, expressive and elegant tone. Ezra opens with bare vocals against a guitar and gradually builds the song up until a gospel choir finally kicks in toward the second half of this staggering song, and produces goosebumps. The song is breathtaking and mournful and we can’t help but play it on repeat.

George Ezra – Breakaway on BBC Introducing in the West

Ezra closes the album with “Spectacular Rival”, a song that takes on an old western feel, with Ezra’s gloomy and powerful voice reverberating and bringing the album to a spectacular climax. Here, Ezra gives us inkling as to where he’ll be taking his music next, and damn, it’s exciting!

George Ezra – Spectacular Rival

As for the songs on the deluxe album, well, they’re something quite special.

Gorgeous George is far more than a handsome face and an excellent voice. He’s reached first place after sprinting his way across the finish line, and there still seems to be more fuel in him! He’s the real deal, a howling wolf, and it’s quite clear that he’ll be coming back with more.


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Wanted on Voyage Tracklist
1. Blame It on Me
2. Budapest
3. Cassy O
4. Barcelona
5. Listen to the Man
6. Leaving It Up to You
7. Did You Hear the Rain?
8. Drawing Board
9. Stand by Your Gun
10. Breakaway
11. Over the Creek
12. Spectacular Rival

Deluxe Edition
13. Song 6
14. It’s Just My Skin
15. Da Vinci Riot Police
16. Blind Man in Amsterdam


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Sunday Sessions with Siempre Así

By | Featured, Music

Over the last two decades, Siempre Así has become one of the most popular bands in Spain. Renowned for bringing together the joy and freshness of the rumba together with their flamenco roots, their success speaks for itself…Since their debut, the folk band from Andalucía has released 13 albums onto the market, which, together, have sold over 1 million copies and, year in and year out, thousands of fans attend their concerts held across Spain and Latin America.

Bound together by friendship and a love for music, Siempre Así continues to tour around Spain. The band’s next performance is on August 20, at the hugely popular Starlite Festival in Marbella. It will be an unmissable concert where they will review their most popular songs over the last 20 years. The artist José Manuel Soto, will also join the group on this special night.

Siempre Así chose our Sunday Sessions this week. Click here for the playlist!

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Starlite Festival

All-new design for Creation 5

By | Featured, Hot News, Press Release

Our long-awaited iPhone update is finally here! iPad users have been enjoying the brand new Creation 5 for a few weeks and now, the iPhone also takes on a brand new interface design and some great new features.

Update 4.0 – New Features

Sleek, lightweight new interface

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Our iPhone and iPad apps now share the same design philosophy. The menu has been simplified and reorganised, allowing faster and easier navigation whilst taking up less than half the memory of the previous version!

Search for any YouTube video

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We’ve added more functionality to our YouTube feature! You can search for any video on YouTube without having to leave Creation 5. Just tap ‘Video’ on the main menu, tap ‘Search’ and choose the ‘YouTube Video’ option. You can save the video to your favourites, add it to a playlist or download it for offline playback.

Our YouTube feature is normally an In-app purchase costing €4.49 but as we’re celebrating our new design and over 370,000 downloads on the App Store we’re giving this feature away for FREE for a limited time period.

Tutorials

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When you open the app or navigate the menu for the first time, you’ll be greeted by introductory tutorials, guiding you through your first steps. You can access them at any time by tapping the ‘Info’ button.

Download Podcasts

After much demand, Creation 5 now lets you download your favourite podcasts for offline playback. Tap ‘Radio’ on the main menu, then ‘Search’. Choose ‘Podcasts’ from the content options and type in the name of the podcast and search. Simply hold the title and tap ‘Download’. You’ll be able to find your downloaded podcasts in the Radio ‘Favorites’ section.

Dropbox Integration

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If you have music saved on a Dropbox account, you can play it on your iPhone, the Big Screen or your sound system using DLNA or AirPlay. You can also download your music files, with their album covers and enjoy your stored music on the go!

General Improvements

· Add Music to your favourites (previously only Video). You can find these favourites in the ‘Music’ section.
· All the code has been revised to ensure Creation 5 is more robust and runs faster than ever.
· You can now find additional information in the ‘Info’ menu. We’ve added a link to our FAQs and more information on In-App Purchases.

We’re constantly striving to improve Creation 5, so if you encounter any bugs, or have any general feedback, please do contact us!

Coming soon to an App Store near you!

By | Featured, Hot News

In just a few days you will have the new Creation 5 Media app for iPhone in your hands! iPad users have been enjoying the new app for a few weeks now, and very soon the iPhone will also take on a brand new interface design and some great new features.

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What can you expect from the new Creation 5?

– Sleek, lightweight new interface
Faster and easier navigation, using half the memory of the previous version!

– Search for any YouTube video
Search for any video on YouTube – shows, movies, albums, concerts – without having to leave Creation 5!

– Tutorials
We’ve integrated some tutorial videos that make navigation whole lot easier for newbies!

– Download Podcasts
Due to popular demand you can now download your favourite podcasts for offline playback.

– Music in the cloud
If you have music saved on a Dropbox account, you can play it on your iPhone, the Big Screen or your sound system using DLNA or AirPlay and also download it for music on the go!

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Upcoming Films You Must Not Miss

By | Featured, Films

With the extraordinary success of this year’s Oscar nominated and Oscar winning films such as The Wolf of Wall Street, Dallas Buyer’s Club, Gravity and 12 Years A Slave, we’ve already seen some great films reach the big screen and the bar is set sky high.

The upcoming films for the second half of 2014 are the ones that are to be considered for next year’s Academy Awards and Golden Globes, and it seems like we’re set for good ride of popcorn nights and surround sound. The trailers for 2014’s upcoming movies are captivating as hell!

We look at the top 10 most anticipated films to be released between August and December 2014.

Birdman


Birdman is a comedy-drama about a washed-up actor who once played an iconic superhero and who mounts a Broadway play in a bid to overcome his ego and family trouble, and to reclaim his past glory. The film, co-written, produced and directed by Alejandro Gonzáles Iñárritu, stars Michael Keaton, Emma Stone, Edward Norton, Andrea Riseborough, Zach Galifianakis, Naomi Watts, and Amy Ryan. It has been selected as the opening film of the 71st Venice Film Festival and as the closing night title for the 52nd New York Film Festival.

The film is scheduled for an October 17, 2014 release.

Interstellar


Interstellar is a sci-fi film co-written and directed by Christopher Nolan (“The Dark Knight Triology” and “Inception”). The film stars a stellar cast, including Academy Award and Golden Globe winners Mathew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway and Michael Caine, as well as Jessica Chastain, Bill Irwin and Ellen Burstyn.

Interstellar is about the discovery of a wormhole (which theoretically can connect widely separated regions of spacetime) and the brave task of explorers and scientists who embark on a voyage through it, transcending the limits of human space travel, with the goal of saving humanity. It is also a powerful story about family.

Interstellar is scheduled to be released in theatres worldwide between the 5th and 7th of November, 2014.

The Foxcatcher


The Foxcatcher is a biographical, psychological crime drama directed by Academy Award nominee Bennet Miller (“Capote” and “Moneyball”) and written by E.Max Frye and Dan Futterman (“Capote”). The film is based on the true story of Mark Schultz (Channing Tatum), an Olympic wrestler who’s relationship with his sponsor John du Pont (Steve Carell) led to tragic circumstances involving his Olympic rival brother, Dave Shultz (Mark Ruffalo). The film competed for the Palme d’Or in the main competition section at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival, where Miller won the award for Best Director.

The Hollywood Reporter described Carell’s performance as “career changing”, and Variety stated that Tatum’s performance was “easily the most emotionally complex performance of his career.” With extraordinary performances, gripping and emotional storytelling, “The Foxcatcher” is a heavyweight champion amongst the films to be released later on this year and is definitely a must-see for dedicated moviegoers.

The film is due to be released on November 14, 2014.

The Homesman


The Homesman is a western drama directed by Tommy Lee Jones and co-written with Wesley Oliver and Kieran Fitzgerald. The film is based on Glendon Swarthout’s novel and tells the tale of George Briggs (Tommy Lee Jones), a claim jumper and outlaw who agrees to help Mary Bee Cuddy (Hilary Swank) transport three insane women from Nebraska to Iowa in exchange for his life and freedom. The Homesman also stars Hailee Steinfeld, William Fichtner and Meryl Streep.

The film was selected to compete for the Palme d’Or in the main competition section at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival, where it premiered. It will have its release on November 7, 2014.

Fury


Fury, written and directed by David Ayer, is an American war film about World War II, set in April 1945 as the Allies make their final push into Europe. Army Sergeant Wardaddy (Brad Pitt) commands a five-man crew and a Sherman tank on a deadly mission behind enemy lines in a heroic attempt to strike at the heart of Nazi Germany. The film stars Brad Pitt, Shia LaBeouf, Logan Lerman, Jon Berthnal, Michael Peña, Jason Isaacs and Scott Eastwood.

Fury is set to be released on November 14, 2014

The Search


The Search is a French drama directed by Michel Hazanavicius (“The Artist”) and is inspired by Fred Zinnemann’s 1948 film of the same name. The Search stars Academy Award nominee and César Award winner Bérénice Bejo and four-time Oscar nominee and Golden Globe winner Annette Carol Bening. The film was selected to compete for the Palm d’Or in the main competition section at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival.

The Search is to be released in France on November 26, 2014.

Whiplash


Whiplash, written and directed by Damien Chaselle, is the story of a young musician who struggles to make it as a top jazz drummer. It stars Miles Teller, Melissa Benoist, Austin Stowell, Jayson Blair and Kavita Patil. The film took top honours at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival, winning the Grand Jury prize and the Audience Prize. The film opened the 2014 edition of the indie film festival in January and was quickly sold to Sony Classics. The film was also screened at the Directors’ Fortnight running alongside the 2014 Cannes Film Festival and is scheduled to be screened in the Special Presentation section of the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival in September.

Whiplash is to be released on October 10, 2014.

Lucy


Lucy, written and directed by legendary French director, writer and producer, Luc Bresson (“Léon: The Professional”), is an action-thriller starring Scarlett-Johansson and Morgan Freeman. In cinemas in the US since July 25th, the film has already grossed $100 million against a budget of $40 million. The film tracks a woman accidentally caught in a dark deal who turns the tables on her captors and transforms herself into a female action heroine and a merciless warrior that has evolved beyond human logic.

Lucy will be released in cinemas across Europe between the months of August and September 2014.

The Theory of Everything


The Theory of Everything is British biopic-drama based on the life of physicist Stephen Hawkin, starring Olivier Award and Tony Award winner, Eddie Redmayne, and Felicity Jones. The film portrays the relationship between Hawkin and his first wife, Jane Wilde, during their university years, courtship and Hawkin’s diagnosis with motor neurone disease, where he was told he had just two year to live. The film, directed by James Marsh (“Man On Wire” and “Shadow Dancer”), is scheduled to be screened in the Special Presentation section of the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival.

The Theory of Everything is to be released on November 7, 2014.

The Imitation Game


The Imitation Game is a historical drama about British mathematician, logician, cryptanalyst and computer scientist Alan Turing, who was a central figure in deciphering Nazi Germany’s Enigma code that helped the Allies win World War II and who was later criminally prosecuted for his homosexuality. Written by Graham Moore and directed by Norwegian film director, Moten Tyldum, the film will feature in the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival and will premiere in Europe at the BFI London Film Festival on October 8, 2014. The film was originally a project in which Leonardo DiCaprio was set to star, but instead features Benedict Cumberbatch as Alan Turing, alongside Keira Kightley and Matthew Goode.

The Imitation Game is to be released in UK cinemas on November 14 and in cinemas across the US on November 21, 2014.

More upcoming blockbusters to look out for:
27 August – The November Man
21 November – Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1
03 October – Gone Girl
17 December – The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
19 December – Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb
25 December – Paddington


Don’t have Creation 5? Download it from the App Store!

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In Performance at the White House: Women Of Soul 2014

By | Featured, Music

In Performance at the White House is a series of concerts produced by WETA (a non-commercial TV channel located in Washington DC) since 1978 and spans every administration since President Carter’s. Created to showcase the rich fabric of American culture in the exclusive setting of the nation’s most famous home.

It all started with a piano recital by the legendary pianist Vladimir Horowitz and since that first concert the series has celebrated more or less every genre of American musical performance. Over the last 36 years concerts have honoured the genius of musical legends such as Sir Paul McCartney, Stevie Wonder, Burt Bacharach and Hal David. Celebrated the rich roots of America’s Country music, Motown and the Blues, music from the Civil Rights Movement, Hispanic musical heritage and the unique spirit of Broadway and the American musical.

Women of Soul

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In this show you can watch Aretha Franklin, Melissa Etheridge, Patti LaBelle, Jill Scott, Janelle Monáe, Tessanne Chin and Ariana Grande bring blues, jazz, soul, R&B and Rock and Roll to the White House. This hour long concert is a wonderful celebration of American female artists whose music has made a profound impact on America’s musical culture. President Obama said in his introductory speech, “Soul music is about reaching and touching people on a human level…..and telling some truth. And tonight we’re in for a healthy dose of truth from some of the finest voices there are.”

Download these shows and add them to your music library

We will be running a 10-week series of these shows on our blog, with the music videos conveniently separated into individual performances so that you can save and download your favourite artists, or the whole show if your prefer. Creation 5’s YouTube feature lets you download videos so you can watch offline when you’re traveling and enjoy great music on-the-go.

In Performance at the White House: Women Of Soul 2014

Intro [President’s speech]
02. Patti LaBelle – Over The Rainbow
03. Janelle Monae – Goldfinger
04. Melissa Etheridge – I’m The Only One
05. Tessanne Chin – Last Dance
06. Jill Scott – Rock Steady
07. Ariana Grande – I Have Nothing
08. Aretha Franklin – I Never Loved A Man (The Way I Love You)
09. Janelle Monae – Tightrope
10. Patti LaBelle – Lady Marmalade
11. Jill Scott – Golden
12. All – Proud Mary
13. Aretha Franklin – Amazing Grace

Patti LaBelle – Over The Rainbow

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Janelle Monae – Goldfinger

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Melissa Etheridge – I’m The Only One

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Tessanne Chin – Last Dance

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Jill Scott – Rock Steady

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Ariana Grande – I Have Nothing

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Aretha Franklin – I Never Loved A Man (The Way I Love You)

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Janelle Monae – Tightrope

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Patti LaBelle – Lady Marmalade

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Jill Scott – Golden

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All – Proud Mary

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Aretha Franklin – Amazing Grace

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Don’t have Creation 5? Download it from the App Store!

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