BITCHIN' BREW EPISODE #004 WITH MILK TEETH - OUT NOW!

THE DOPEST PODCAST GANG YOU'LL EVER HEAR. CLOCKWISE FROM FRONT: ME, BECKY BLOMFIELD (VOCALS/BASS), BILLY HUTTON (VOCALS/GUITAR), CHRIS WEBB (GUITAR), OLI HOLBROOK (DRUMS), AND NICK SUCHAK (ANABASIS MEDIA/PHOTOGRAPHER EXTRAORDINAIRE)

FINALLY. After having to take a (thankfully brief) hiatus to focus on finishing my journalism diploma, I'm stoked beyond words to be returning to Randon's Reviews, and to my podcast, BITCHIN' BREW. The 5 months I spent on my journalism diploma were undoubtedly fulfilling, and through learning so much about journalism in a broader sense I have already bagged myself a full time reporting job (which I start tomorrow), but I can't lie when I say that it was intense, mentally testing and, at times, just downright excruciating. The worst part of it was the fact that I recorded episodes #004 and #005 of Bitchin Brew all the way back in May and I couldn't find the time between revision sessions and shorthand practice (READ: I still hate shorthand) to get them out into the world. But enough 'woe is me' chat for now, let's get stuck back in...

Bitchin' Brew Episode #005 is with MILK TEETH, who are undoubtedly one of the UK's best bands of the last few years, and a group of people I love and respect dearly. Like with me, 2016 has been a year of transformation and progression for the band: from refining their sound to embrace poppier roots (while still sounding noisy and punk as fuck) on their phenomenal debut album, Vile Child, to the integration of new guitarist/vocalist Billy Hutton after founding member Josh Bannister's exit from the band. Bitchin' Brew #005 also features special guest NICK SUCHAK, Milk Teeth's touring photographer and the (gorgeous) face behind ANABASIS MEDIA. Just look at how many chocolate chips are in his Maryland cookie...

As a 'Yankophile' who longs to explore a lot of the Land of the Free and the Home of the Trump, I also encouraged loads of talk about Milk Teeth's first US tour earlier this year with Sorority Noise, Turnover and Citizen. From there you can expect chat about blind dogs, chugging 2-litre bottles of wine for breakfast, hanging out with Mark Hoppus, bumping into 2 Chainz at SXSW, crippling addictions to Chipotle and grape soda, and the lost hardcore mashup EP...

BITCHIN' BREW EPISODE #004 IS NOW AVAILABLE TO STREAM AND DOWNLOAD FOR FREE. CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE ON ITUNES OR LISTEN VIA SOUNDCLOUD BELOW:

Thank Jeebus you won't be waiting so long for Bitchin' Brew #006, which features CONNOR P LAWS, co-founder of FAILURE BY DESIGN RECORDS, one of my favourite UK labels out there at the moment.

Big up.

Danny

RECORDS OF THE WEEK: APRIL - JUNE 2016

I know I said I'd be gone for a little while, but posts like this take 5 minutes and I feel like I need this to stop myself from jamming a biro into my temple while revising for my Public Affairs exam.

If you like Randon's Reviews (or even just tolerate it), you should really LIKE THE RR FACEBOOK PAGE, because I often post stuff on there that doesn't air on here... until now, of course. Every Sunday I reveal my RECORDS OF THE WEEK, and seeing as I did a playlist for the ROTWs spanning January to March, I've gone and done the same for April to July so you can get a taste of all the rad shit that has soundtrack this transitional period of time for Randon's Reviews, and my life in general.

It's even more of a clusterfuck than the last one, but in that regard there's a bit of something for everyone in there, and it's really just testament to the incredible half-year it's been for new music. Just incredible. 

Any records/podcasts/stuff not represented in the Spotify playlist for whatever reason are marked with an *, and there'll be alternative links to hear them - I especially recommend the GOING OFF TRACK podcast if you like the conversational tangents I go off on with my guests on BITCHIN' BREW. Meanwhile, MUNCIE GIRLS have also done a really fucking awesome cover of Iron Maiden's 'THE WICKER MAN' too (I'm sure that if you ask them really nicely, they'll play it at a show sometime - don't quote me on that).

Without further ado, here's a week-by-week breakdown of April to July's Records Of The Week:

WEEK 10 (03/04/16): WARHORNS - WARHORNS (EP); BOB MOULD - PATCH THE SKY; SEAWAY - COLOUR BLIND; RORY INDIANA - RULING CLASS CROOKS

WEEK 11 (10/04/16): WEEZER - WEEZER (THE WHITE ALBUM); BLACK PEAKS - STATUES; FAITH NO MORE - SOL INVICTUS; THE NEW TUSK - SLOOM

WEEK 12 (17/04/16): DEFTONES - GORE; MOOSE BLOOD - I'LL KEEP YOU IN MIND, FROM TIME TO TIME; SYSTEM OF A DOWN - TOXICITY; GOING OFF TRACK PODCAST *

WEEK 13 (24/04/16): CAN'T SWIM - CAN'T SWIM (EP); THE WINTER PASSING - A DIFFERENT SPACE OF MIND; NECK DEEP - LIFE'S NOT OUT TO GET YOU; PRINCE AND THE REVOLUTION - PURPLE RAIN *

WEEK 15 (08/05/16) * : ROB ZOMBIE - THE ELECTRIC WARLOCK ACID WITCH SATANIC ORGY CELEBRATION DISPENSER; THE SMASHING PUMPKINS - MELLON COLLIE & THE INFINITE SADNESS; GUILT - EVERBLUE / LOW SCENE (SINGLE); ASH - 1977

* APPARENTLY I MISSED A WEEK BECAUSE I'M A DICK LIKE THAT

WEEK 16 (15/05/16): NOTHING - TIRED OF TOMORROW; SAD BLOOD - LEGION OF GLOOM (EP); THE DRUMS - THE DRUMS; ACID TONGUE - I DIED DREAMING (EP)

WEEK 17 (22/05/16): MODERN BASEBALL - HOLY GHOST; LONELY THE BRAVE - THINGS WILL MATTER; THE MENZINGERS - RENTED WORLD; ANGEL DU$T - A.D.

WEEKS 18 + 19 (29/05/16 + 05/06/16): THRICE - TO BE EVERYWHERE IS TO BE NOWHERE; ARCHITECTS - ALL OUR GODS HAVE ABANDONED US; SHE CRAZY - SURFING U.A.E. (SINGLE); PUP - THE DREAM IS OVER; EVERY TIME I DIE - THE BIG DIRTY; RIVAL SONS - HOLLOW BONES; SEAFOAL - LUCID LIVING (EP); RAIN - SOLIS (SINGLE); NEW FOUND GLORY - CATALYST

WEEK 20 (12/06/16): CANE HILL - SMILE; LETLIVE. - IF I'M THE DEVIL; BOMBAY BICYCLE CLUB - A DIFFERENT KIND OF FIX; VARIOUS ARTISTS - MAIDEN HEAVEN VOLUME 2: AN ALL-STAR TRIBUTE TO IRON MAIDEN (AVAILABLE EXCLUSIVE IN KERRANG!) *

WEEK 21 (19/06/16): GOJIRA - MAGMA; THE HOTELIER - GOODNESS; OCEANS OF SLUMBER - WINTER; SWEDISH DEATH CANDY - LIQUORICE (EP)

WEEK 22 (26/06/16): MARTHA - BLISTERS IN THE PIT OF MY HEART; GREYWIND - CAR SPIN (SINGLE); WEATHERSTATE - DUMBSTRUCK (EP); GALLOWS - GREY BRITAIN

Like what you see? Check out the playlist below, and SUBSCRIBE TO RANDON'S REVIEWS ON SPOTIFY for more kick-ass sequences of noise.

Soon...

Danny

WHITE-HOT NOISE: SHE CRAZY BRING BEACH VIBES TO BATSHIT ROCK 'N' ROLL ON 'SURFING U.A.E.' (TRACK PREMIERE)

I'll always remember the night Brighton garage-punks SHE CRAZY crashed headfirst into my life. Opening for the absolute dudes in Tied To The Mast at Sticky Mike's Frog Bar (an awesome Brighton spot which you should all go and see a show at) in 2013, they played like they owned the place, dragging a limbo pole out into the audience and changing the sole lyric of their song 'YEAH!' rather appropriately to 'LIMBO!'. Suffice to say, when they do that twice in the same set, it's very hard to get both the song and the scenes out of your head.

Their new single 'SURFING U.A.E.' (which you can stream exclusively on Randon's Reviews by scrolling down) takes their raucous rock 'n' roll style and gives it infectious-as-fuck substance.

Just don't let the title fool you into thinking that this is just a satirical cover of The Beach Boys' summertime class 'Surfin' U.S.A.' - this is far from a homage to Brian Wilson...

"'Surfing U.A.E.' is all about the kind of wild, booze-fuelled madness that often goes down on holiday with your mates: shots, heartbreak and sex (wax)!" jokes singer/guitarist Dan Grace.

"We are about -10% influenced by The Beach Boys - ['Surfin' U.S.A.'] happened 50 years ago, we're just pointing out how times have changed."

From the massive radio-rock (but far from radio friendly) chorus which exemplifies yet another cracking production job from Neil Kennedy at The Ranch Production House in Southampton, this sounds far more polished than anything from She Crazy's self-titled debut EP from last year (which you can download for free on their Bandcamp). However, the unrelenting punk rock finale they cascade into seeks to remind everyone why they're one of the most buzzed-about bands on their circuit.

"We've experimented a lot with our recordings," explains Dan. "Working in different studios with different producers, and trying to find a sound that best reflects what we hear in our own heads and is closest to how we sound live."

"'Surfing U.A.E.' is the first track that we mixed ourselves. We revisited the mix a few times, which probably explains why it's more polished than our previous efforts."

"I don't think we've reached a point yet where we're all 100% satisfied, [but] then that's all part of the fun - Aiming for something you can't reach!"

There's no doubt that 'Surfing U.A.E.' (plus its b-side, 'Do Or Die') will tide you over (arf arf) while She Crazy are working on their second EP. If that's still not enough for you, you can catch their mental live display when they open for Blackhole and Brawlers at The Hope & Ruin in Brighton on Tuesday 7th June, and at a FREE show at The George Tavern in London on Thursday 16th June.

For more details on upcoming shows, go to the band's Facebook page or follow them on Twitter: @damn_shecrazy

FFO: THE WILDHEARTS; THE BRONX; METZ

LIMBO!

Danny

BITCHIN' BREW EPISODE #003 WITH ROSS DRUMMOND (CHEAP MEAT / 1990s PROBLEMS) IS HERE!

From the day I first dreamt up the idea of BITCHIN' BREW, I knew that there was one man who could help me hone the craft of podcasting like no other. His name is ROSS DRUMMOND, and I was lucky enough to have him as my guest on Episode #003 of Bitchin' Brew, which is available to stream and download for FREE now on iTunes and Soundcloud!

For those of you who don't know Ross, he is a man of many talents: he plays guitar and sings in an awesome new alt-rock band called CHEAP MEAT, he co-hosts the 1990s PROBLEMS podcast (as well as his new podcast, AIN'T TALKING 'BOUT VAN HALEN: THE VAN HALEN PODCAST), and most importantly, he can hold a damn good conversation about Mexican food.

Suffice to say, Ross and I go off on several tangents in this episode, delving into topics such as stand-up comedy and how podcasts can save the generation of short attention span-holders, how not to use a flask, and badly chopped lettuce at certain fast food establishments (as part of this episode's lengthy culinary section).

It goes without saying, but recording this episode of Bitchin' Brew was incredibly fun - I'm definitely settling down into this strange medium, because this was just the start of a hectic week where I recorded  not one, but TWO more episodes. Episode #004 will be with the guys and gal in MILK TEETH, a band who need no introduction as one of the hottest UK punk bands right now. That will go live on 17TH JUNE, before Episode #005 with FAILURE BY DESIGN RECORDS co-founder CONNOR P LAWS arrive a couple of weeks after that (Date TBA).

BITCHIN' BREW EPISODE #003 IS NOW AVAILABLE TO STREAM AND DOWNLOAD FOR FREE. CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE ON ITUNES OR LISTEN VIA SOUNDCLOUD BELOW:

As ever, thanks for being fucking awesome.

Danny

BITCHIN' BREW EPISODE #002: KENNY & SMITH FROM MUSKETS - OUT NOW!

WOW. FUCKING WOW.

Honestly folks, the response to BITCHIN' BREW since I launched it last month has actually rendered me speechless. Thank you to anyone and everyone who took the time to check it out, and an even bigger thank you to those who blasted it out to the friends across t'internet. Without your support from the off, I don't think I'd be here right now giving you this soppy-ass spiel, and when I'm recording podcasts poolside from my mansion in Saint-Tropez, I won't forget you.

I was very lucky to be able to record Bitchin' Brew Episode #002 almost immediately after recording the pilot episode with Lande Hekt from Muncie Girls. They were sharing the bill at The Boileroom in Guildford that night with one of my other favourite new bands on the UK punk scene: Brighton's very own MUSKETS.

Before the gig, I sat down in The Boileroom's lush little beer garden for a brew with DAN 'KENNY' McKENNA (guitarist/vocalist) and DAN 'SMITH' SMITH (bassist), and we chatted about everything from their involvement in the DIY punk scene to Star Wars.

BITCHIN' BREW EPISODE #002 IS NOW AVAILABLE TO STREAM AND DOWNLOAD FOR FREE. CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE ON iTUNES OR SCROLL BELOW TO STREAM & SUBSCRIBE VIA SOUNDCLOUD:

As you may have noticed if you've liked the Randon's Reviews Facebook page, Bitchin' Brew Episode #003 is already in the bag, and I had a great time recording it with... well, you'll just have to tune in to the podcast to find out more about that.

Once again, thanks for checking out Bitchin' Brew - if that's the response after the pilot, I can't wait to see how this project develops once I've got a few episodes under my belt...

Danny

EP REVIEW: SAD BLOOD - 'LEGION OF GLOOM'

I don't know how many times I can say this on Randon's Reviews (or anywhere where I can chat bollocks, for that matter): it is such an exciting time to be in the UK punk scene right now. Whether they're pop-punk-y or grunge-y or alt-rock-y, the multitude of exciting up-and-coming bands stretches far beyond being strictly 'punk' in style or tone.

I would comfortably put SAD BLOOD in the same bracket as some of the spikier-sounding bands of their scene, thanks to their affinity for small DIY tours and house shows, and the fact that they can make a music video simply out of getting drunk and dicking around with puppets (see below for more on that).

Following on from the brief and brilliant debut Ultimate Worrier, the London trio's second EP LEGION OF GLOOM offers another five bursts of bright and breezy power-pop with spells of #relatable emo wistfulness.

You could say that melancholic lyricism is in this band's blood (boom boom). The band have previously spoken to Upset about how Legion Of Gloom soundtracks the process of "trying to create something positive out of something negative", and out of that comes lyrics are honest and humorously self-deprecating (precisely as the band's two EP titles suggest).

As you may have predicted after his sterling job not only on Ultimate Worrier, but also in manning the desk for Milk Teeth, Creeper, Press to MECO, Weatherstate and pretty much any other cool new UK band you can think of, producer Neil Kennedy has done what he does best yet again in preserving the squeaky-clean clarity that hits Sad Blood's anthems home... (Note to self: I really must get him on Bitchin' Brew just so we can chat about how brilliant all of these bands are....)

Legion Of Gloom may be two tracks longer than its predecessor, but oddly little less rhythmic and melodic variation than before. Nevertheless, 'Heavy Petting Zoo' clocks in at just 1:48 and is up there with the best (if fleeting) moments of new British music in 2016. Sad Blood are brimming with potential as a longer body of work surely looms over the coming months.

Throwing you as much jovial charm as it does miffed-out mellowness, Legion Of Gloom is pleasant, inoffensive and, as with most British punk EPs of late, over way too quickly, but infectious enough to loop a few times over. Whether you see them as happy songs for sad people, or sad songs for happy people, be sure to queue this up next to The Hotelier and that certified banger that is the new Moose Blood track for your emo picnic playlists.

TOP TRACKS: 'HEAVY PETTING ZOO'; 'FORMERLY CREATIVE'

RR RATING:

7 / 10

LEGION OF GLOOM IS OUT NOW. STREAM IT ON SOUNDCLOUD BELOW:

Happy people, sad people, drunk people, all people: until next time, peace out.

Danny

WHITE-HOT NOISE: GET YOUR EARS AND HEARTS AROUND CATHARTIC LONDON PUNKS GUILT

Sometimes I feel a little bad that while I'm coming up with so many cool ideas for the blog, I rarely have the time to bring them to fruition. I figured the other day that I don't need to write an essay with every post - much like when you share something on Facebook or Twitter, I kind of want to 'let the music do the talking', for want of a less wanky phrase, and even if I'm not premiering the track on this blog, use the 'White-Hot Noise' handle to share my favourite new sounds.

Here's something I thought I'd share today after it dropped via Noisey yesterday: GUILT are a hot-off-the-press punk band (I'm going all in on the cheesy phrases with this one, aren't I?) from London, and their debut track 'EVERBLUE' is a massive, swaggering, sprawling, shoegazey slice of devastatingly emotional post-hardcore.

Fuelled by a backlog of bad luck and low points in life, this five-piece bristle with punk spite and (as is the case with all of the great noises coming from the punk-shoegaze crossover scene at the moment) agonising catharsis. Then, when you put them in a studio with Neil Kennedy, the guy behind most of the greatest underground UK releases of the last couple of years, you get something extremely promising.

You can stream 'Everblue' on the band's Soundcloud page now, but what you really want to do is click HERE to buy the track - it's just £1, it comes with a wicked B-side and all proceeds are going to the mental health charity CALM - a strong cause to help men step back from the cliff-edge of suicide.

FFO: TITLE FIGHT; GRADER; THRICE'S SLOWER JAMS

Other cool things are coming soon, pinky swear.

Danny

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

RECORDS OF THE WEEK: JANUARY - MARCH 2016

If you have liked the Randon's Reviews Facebook page, you're not a dick you may have noticed that I publish a small group of albums/EPs/singles on there at the end of each week judged on what has soundtracked the preceding six days. Whether they are new/upcoming releases, old favourites or albums that I may only just be discovering, they are my RECORDS OF THE WEEK. Now that we are pretty much a quarter of a way through 2016 (where the flying shit did the time go?), I thought I'd put together a quick mega-playlist featuring one track from each of the records featured*.

* Not including Scroobius Pip's Distraction Pieces Podcast, and the fucking atrocity that is Reckless Love's InVader, which I featured rather aptly as a joke.

If you haven't quite got the memo at this point, my taste in tunes can be eclectic at the best of times: there's <sometimes> a bit of linearity (the transition from Muncie Girls to Muskets to Into It. Over It. kinda works, doesn't it?), but it can also be one hell of a headfuck. Case in point? Cane Hill into Savages into Municipal Waste (is gonna fuck you up) into Arcade Fire. What is even up with that, brain?

I'm not really counting this particular playlist as an edition of The RR Playlist as I've already spoken at length about some of the music featured in Records Of The Week - you can click on some of the titles in the captions below to see their individual reviews.

Scroll to the bottom of this post for the playlist via the Randon's Reviews Spotify page (hint hint), but first, here's an 'ICYMI' of my Records Of The Week from January to March 2016:

Week 1 (31/01/16): Milk Teeth - Vile Child;
Hindsights - Cold Walls / Cloudy Eyes;
Basement - Promise Everything;
Beach Slang - The Things We Do To
Find People Who Feel Like Us

Week 2 (07/02/16): The Black Queen - Fever Daydream;
Bury Tomorrow - Earthbound;
Five Miles North Of Nowhere - Less Talk,
More Action EP;
The Get Up Kids - Something To Write Home About

Week 3 (14/02/16): Rain - Symphony Pains EP;
Title Fight - Hyperview;
Diet Cig - Over Easy EP;
Creeper - The Stranger EP

Week 4 (21/02/16): Cane Hill - Cane Hill EP;
Savages - Adore Life;
Municipal Waste - The Art Of Partying;
Arcade Fire - The Suburbs

Week 5 (28/02/16): Pretend Happy - Tired Eyes;
Grader - Wholly EP;
PVRIS - White Noise;
Distraction Pieces Podcast with Scroobius Pip*

* OBVIOUSLY THIS ISN'T FEATURED ON THE PLAYLIST, BUT I
ENCOURAGE YOU TO SUBSCRIBE ON iTUNES, IT'S THE SHIT.

Week 6 (06/03/16): Muncie Girls - From Caplan To Belsize;
Muskets - Spin EP;
Into It. Over It. - Proper;
Los Campesinos! - Hold On Now, Youngster...

Week 7 (13/03/16): Cheap Meat - The Parts
That Show EP;
Sorority Noise - It Kindly Stopped
For Me EP (released April 8th on Topshelf Records);
Architects - A Match Made In Heaven (new album,
All Our Gods Have Abandoned Us, is out May 27th
on Epitaph Records);
Max Raptor - Max Raptor (released April 22nd on Hassle Records)

Week 8 (20/03/16): Glassjaw - Worship And Tribute;
John Coffey - A House For Thee EP;
Turnover - Humblest Pleasures EP;
Reckless Love - InVader *

* JUST NO. JUST FUCKING NO. I COULDN'T EVEN MUSTER UP
ENOUGH ENERGY LAST WEEK TO WRITE ABOUT HOW FUCKING
DIABOLICAL THIS RECORD IS. AVOID IT LIKE THE FUCKING PLAGUE.

Week 9 (27/03/16): Iggy Pop - Post Pop Depression;
The Dirty Nil - Higher Power;
Brian Fallon - Painkillers;
Heck - Instructions

YOU CAN NOW STREAM THE MEGA-PLAYLIST OF 'RECORDS OF THE WEEK' FROM JANUARY TO MARCH BELOW VIA SPOTIFY:

Don't forget: like the Randon's Reviews page on Facebook (honestly, every single 'like' is appreciated beyond words) to see the Records Of The Week as they come in. I'll do another playlist like this when summer arrives, at which point you probably won't be sat at your laptops wishing Storm Katie would get to fuck already.

Ho hum, hang in there folks: the shit part is nearly over.

Danny