INTRODUCING: 'BITCHIN' BREW' - A RANDON'S REVIEWS PODCAST

Hi gang,

I know I've been a little bit quiet on here lately but I can assure you that it's not been for nothing. After what I can only explain as the most amazing four months this blog has ever seen, today marks a very special day both for me and for Randon's Reviews: My first podcast, BITCHIN' BREW, is finally here!

The whole idea of starting a podcast was a strange and unknown concept to me a few months ago, even as an experienced radio host, but discovering the medium 2015 was a real shitter, and towards the end of the year I found myself tailing off from the music industry - not with intention, I just found myself having to shelve all of my commitments and work a crappy full-time job to save up for my diploma. 

Eventually I found myself writing for Upset magazine which is hands down one of the best publications I've ever written for, but I also found myself completely immersed in podcasts such as That's Not Metal (if you're like I was a few months ago and completely unfamiliar with the realm of podcasts, that is as good an entry point as you're gonna get). The tangents and rants about music more acerbic and exciting than I ever thought podcasts could be, and I found myself getting more stoked about the new episode than I would a new album. 

Eventually I gravitated towards other podcasts like Scroobius Pip's Distraction Pieces, Daniel P Carter's Someone Who Isn't Me and, more recently, Going Off Track, all of which nail something which I have set out to achieve with this latest venture...



Speaking of which, back to the point of this post: Without even releasing a second of Bitchin' Brew into the public domain, it feels like one of the best things I've ever done not only on Randon's Reviews, but of all my time as a writer and general music fanatic. Now the pilot is here for you all to listen to, and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't terrified. That said, it's been a real labour of love preparing this project over the last few weeks.

I'll let the actual podcast do most of the talking, but with Bitchin' Brew I'm setting out to capture conversation with musicians and key players on all levels of the music industry as we sit down over a cup of tea and a plate of biscuits. There will be some 'shop talk' around latest and greatest work of my guests, but I'm more interested in going off on tangents and chatting about common areas of interest (musical or not), a variety of less-talked-about topics, and perhaps even the tea and biscuits we'll be enjoying at the time of recording!

I was especially stoked to be starting Bitchin' Brew after I was able to book my first guest: LANDE HEKT, singer/bassist of one of my favourite bands around at the moment, MUNCIE GIRLS. Over the course of the pilot episode, we chat about the band's sensational debut album, From Caplan To Belsize, and their position within the UK 'DIY' punk scene, as well as the relationship between punk rock and politics, rock autobiographies and awesome parents. We also chowed down on some HobNobs and drank fruity tea, which was lovely.

HOW YOU CAN LISTEN TO BITCHIN' BREW:

1: iTUNES

Go onto the 'Podcasts' app of your Apple device and search for 'Bitchin' Brew' - unsurprisingly enough, it's the only result that comes up. Hit 'subscribe' and you'll receive every episode as and when they are uploaded. You can either stream it via the cloud, or download it in a flash to listen to on the bus, in a Costa, on a skanky public toilet, at your favourite dogging site etc.

Alternatively, if you're on a stone-age device such as a laptop or computer, you can click HERE to subscribe.

2: SOUNDCLOUD

Go to SOUNDCLOUD.COM/RRBITCHINBREW to stream/download the podcasts also as and when they are uploaded!

Setting up this podcast has been a real labour of love lately, so please help me out by listening, subscribing, sharing it with your friends, and getting it 'out there'. I've already got Episode #002 recorded (listen to Episode #001 to find out who it's with), but in the meantime, enjoy sitting in on my chat with Lande.

I think it's time for a well deserved brew.

Danny

EP REVIEW: WARHORNS - 'WARHORNS'

When you grow up in a white, middle-class West Sussex town that's been a Tory safe zone since the dark ages like I did, you invest a lot of time and love in the local rock scene, especially those who pen their own original material. With no disrespect to the many awesome cover bands who frequent the pub circuit in Horsham (my old man plays in several of them), it was the events like countless gigs at Horsham Youth Centre, the Rudgwick Music Festival and the originals heats of Horsham's Battle Of The Bands that really piqued everyone's interest.

There are so many bands and artists of past and present who I just can't resist giving a shout-out to on this blog: Press to MECO, Blue Stragglers, fruitcake, Tied To The Mast, Sonic Deluxe, Simon Mole, Lee Martin, Killing Vegas, Phrase Mob, The Jack Mac Experience, Heroes Vs Villains (honestly, me and my friends literally worshipped that band when they were together)... Wasn't ever keen on X-Sys though - don't bother looking them up, there's barely a trace of them online anymore, but they made Deathstars look and sound like fucking Deicide.

In my adolescent days on the Horsham scene, there was one band by the name of Tell Wolves Tales, who were rightfully on the cusp of massive things before they sadly faded into obscurity. Since then, the trio have relocated, recuperated and reinvented themselves as WARHORNS. Now they're deep within the more publicly burgeoning Devonshire scene, where bands like Black Foxxes and Muncie Girls (*cough* album of 2016 so far *cough*) are splintering the woodwork, it's time for these mischievous rock n' rollers to fuel the fire in their bellies again.

With that hearty chunk of context (also known as 'me wazzing off about how awesome my local scene was growing up') out of the way, what of Warhorns' debut EP? Plymouth sure is a far cry from the Palm Desert, but these three tracks have 'Desert Sessions' written all over them. Whether it's the intense hooks of Queens Of The Stone Age, or the hazy stoner groove of Kyuss, Warhorns' framework has clearly been built from a healthy diet of Rancho De La Luna's output (watch the California episode of Sonic Highways for more on this). 

Also laying down a scruffy Northwestern drone reminiscent of the bands that would eventually be instrumental in the grunge scene, 'I Am The Sun' veers a little bit too close to that ever-present pickle of nostalgia-for-nostalgia's-sake. Luckily, the trio claw it back with those funky-as-fuckery verses; a mere wiggling of the hips when measured up against the sheer psychedelic sexiness of 'Piece Of Mind'.

There's no sign of sibling rivalry between the brotherhood of bassist Matty Clements and drummer Jym Clements as they hold down some sturdy, swaggering rhythms throughout, but 'Goodbye Karma' is Jak Paxton's time to shine. There is star quality worth keeping an eye on with Warhorns' frontman, who nestles between Josh Homme and Royal Blood's Mike Kerr.

There's some musical creases yet to be ironed out before their desert-driven rock takes full intoxicating effect, but for the most part, Warhorns' self-titled introduction is cool, confident and far from cautious.

TOP TRACKS: 'PIECE OF MIND'; 'GOODBYE KARMA'

RR RATING:

7 / 10

WARHORNS' SELF-TITLED EP IS OUT NOW. STREAM THE EP ON SPOTIFY BELOW:



THERE'S A LITTLE CHEEKY BONUS HERE AS WELL. THE BAND RECENTLY DID A WICKED SESSION FOR BBC INTRODUCING IN DEVON, WHICH YOU CAN CHECK OUT BY CLICKING HERE (IT STARTS AT 01:20:50)

Danny