The NBA playoffs begin here: day drinking, previewing Lakers-Blazers before there is a Lakers-Blazers, can’t stop won’t stop, Clips playing 4D chess, sweet home Arizona, going home happy, fake news, LaMarcus Oldridge, Wingstop, Simmons for Beal or for bits, living with the Point God, Jazz Nuggets is Scandinavian noir, bringing back jacksie, the green website has bad podcasts, Al Horford: legend at the bank, Raptors-Bucks, trying stuff that makes you look stupid, Atalanta’s run, Bielsa’s Leeds, not watching Nets-Blazers, not letting Dame cross half-court, broke back McCollum, 154 for 3, Murali vs Warne, #StephWashed, the Carmelo narrative, as good as it gets, defence is tiring, small sample size theatre, series picks, Ron Mueck references and all-Bubble teams. BALLS and tripping balls are available on their own RSS feeds, as well as being found together on Omny Studio,Spotify and Apple Podcasts (feel free to subscribe, rate and review) - and we welcome your reckons via Twitter, Facebook and email.

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This week: short sharp shocks from the Buoys and Buzzard Buzzard Buzzard, is Pulp’s This Is Hardcore a classic, gender identification, paying by the minute, good bones, range rovers, late for the zeitgeist, hashtag sick of winning, not getting the joke, cocaine fever dreams, rejected premises, performance reviews, hot thoughts, meetings that should have been emails, clunky segues, Pitchfork's very Pitchforky top Britpop albums list, alternative universe Be Here Nows, charity bin escapees, class comedy, punishing left wingage, aged care, objectively correct takes, dealing with fame, coming round to viewpoints you already held, time is a flat tyre, thrift shop David Bowies, grunge commonalities, never go full HR, old dudes at the pool, tears of a clown, unsearchable band names, pipeline masters, the next Unit and we’re all someone’s daughter and/or someone’s son. Next week: new albums from Hockey Dad, !!! and In Hearts Wake. Current and recent review albums are in our album review playlist on Spotify, along with our full archive of earlier review albums from 2020 and our long-awaited mixtape of our favourite tracks from therein. Our full list of all the new and classic albums we've reviewed on the pod and Beeso's kids playlist are also available elsewhere on the internet. BALLS and tripping balls are available on their own RSS feeds, as well as being found together on Omny Studio,Spotify and Apple Podcasts (feel free to subscribe, rate and review) - and we welcome your reckons via Twitter, Facebook and email.

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This week: Kneel before Zod, pricks in the bubble, so you’re telling me there’s a chance, the short-lived prospect of the BALLS Podcast Clasico play-in game, tap-on tap-off bandwagonning, mistakes were made, winning is fun, from geezer to Keyser, having something to play for, the Lakers are doomed, a year away from being a year away, Harden 1.0, house money, the ceiling is the floor, Warren-ted hype, cash considerations, is Brett Brown brown bread, going on a run, Groundhog Day again again, ownership-led atrophy, Uncle Jeff: #stillintheleague, Larry Bird reincarnated as a tomato on the internet, democracy is cancel culture, 2-2 is the new 3-1, day drinking with a whiteboard, NZ isn’t still bitter about the CWC, the Pakistani Adam Dale, absolute Bothams, two first names, bigs troubles in little LA, former cops are usually sticklers for rules, the new Warriors brainstrust, NBA jam, the game’s greatest thinker, performance review, state-run media, underpants gnomes, No Dunks channels BALLS, undercutting punishers, the #NBACast goes mainstream(ish), decoding Roy and HG and Jingles brings the #dadjokes. BALLS and tripping balls are available on their own RSS feeds, as well as being found together on Omny Studio,Spotify and Apple Podcasts (feel free to subscribe, rate and review) - and your unvarnished reckons are always welcomed via Twitter, Facebook and email.

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This week: new albums from Lime Cordiale and BOIDS, '90s alternative tribute album Fuse Box, apparently RATM were political, citation needed, history repeating, loving yourself some yourself, this is an audio medium, Fans Also Like, money talks, definitive seven-word reviews, sweaty cuddles, top hits, the most Triple J Triple J bands of 1995, urgey gurgey, gritty reboots, fake drama, Kazoo TV, [SPOILERS], great opening lines, Greek theatre, conscientious objection, anyway where’s Wonderwall, The Neverending BALLS Podcast Story, translating jokes into Swedish, participation trophies, never review Tay-Tay, Raven Bond, bad content is good content, beaning Astros, leaning into the camp and Northern Beaches pubs. Next week: we cut it short with EPs from the Buoys and Buzzard Buzzard Buzzard, while examining the classic essence of Pulp’s This Is Hardcore. Current and recent review albums are in our album review playlist on Spotify, along with our full archive of earlier review albums from 2020 and our long-awaited mixtape of our favourite tracks from therein. Our full list of all the new and classic albums we've reviewed on the pod and Beeso's kids playlist are also available elsewhere on the internet. BALLS and tripping balls are available on their own RSS feeds, as well as being found together on Omny Studio,Spotify and Apple Podcasts (feel free to subscribe, rate and review) - and your unvarnished reckons are always welcomed via Twitter, Facebook and email.

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The NBA is BACK, and as promised so is BALLS with Beeso and the Doc to overreact to a grand total of two games of basketball, including big headed fans, Pelican’t care less, you can’t have tonk without chonk, Bob Williamson, traffic jams in the west, Jazz experimentation, the chances of a Lakers-Blazers rd 1, preseasons via Zoom, the Scott Foster Experience, forgetting how to play hard,  killing series early, Simmons powering forward, doing it for the ‘gram, Steven Adams: diplomatic attache, inexplicable Northern accents, teaching elephants to tap dance, tackling chicken wings, Disease Night, going full Robbie Keane, narrator: it’s now pretty much over for the Mavs, 2 vs 3 in the East, Reverse Portland, the Bol Bol bowl, government control, the Dubs crying poor, red states, the Otago Nuggets, sticking a fork in our regular season wins pool and Beer Jerk vs regular jerks. BALLS and tripping balls are available on their own RSS feeds, as well as being found together on Omny Studio,Spotify and Apple Podcasts (feel free to subscribe, rate and review) - and your unvarnished reckons are always welcomed via Twitter, Facebook and email.

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This week: new stuff from the Beths, Lianne La Havas and the Meanies, putting some respect on the OG’s name, corporate sucks rock, getting locked out of NZ, accidentally Angie Hart, show your working, ensemble solo acts, shortlists aren’t what they used to be, 1970s Dennis Lillee runups, Sunday afternoon chill, explaining Mental as Anything to Gen Z, inevitable disappointments, upsetting Radioheadheads, inspiring a generation of snotty punk kids, bricks by the ton, entente cordiale, Montreal impact, mid 90s Doc areas, kazoo solos, Wyld Stallyns’ difficult comeback album and political statements. In part 2: supersized Nuggets, bread and circuses, ruining niche sports, production values, stuff: there’s a lot of it about, crowd noise barometers, the Draymond Memorial Dump Button, old country smack talk, bubble entry fees, Woj goes rogue, forgot about Stein, nobody knows anything, Kanye cosplay, blazing hot takes, uncharted territory, clutch sides vs Klutch sides, opaque contract reporting, Easts’ salary cap is a Flexfit, Doc’s Theology Corner, on-time podcasting, moderating performative bellends, NBA jam, knowledge vs wisdom and doing a bit.

Next week: new albums from Lime Cordiale and BOIDS, and mid-90s JJJ-adjacent AC/DC tribute album Fuse Box. Current and recent review albums are in our album review playlist on Spotify, along with our full archive of earlier review albums from 2020 and our long-awaited mixtape of our favourite tracks from therein. Our full list of all the new and classic albums we've reviewed on the pod and Beeso's kids playlist are also available elsewhere on the internet. BALLS and tripping balls are available on their own RSS feeds, as well as being found together on Omny Studio,Spotify and Apple Podcasts (feel free to subscribe, rate and review) - and your unvarnished reckons are always welcomed via Twitter, Facebook and email.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week: new albums from Dream Wife and Pabst, and a recent classic from Tax The Heat. Also: chopping wood off your chops, border patrol demarkation disputes, proto-allies, Cyndi Lauper with sad clown makeup, thirst vs feniminisnms, the joker shortlist jinx, arts and crafts, ich bin ein Berliner Musikband, unconventional decisions, ripoff artists, drunk in a national park, hitting vowels with a hammer, owning your cheese, taxing the Miami Heat, dragging Beeso’s year, informed by Motown, hardcore Britpop, imaginary minions, Doc is Loud Wrong, tiny desk fans, a career of self-titled albums, the Dry July Courtney Barnett, flaming Edgars bursting in air, the laughably brief swing revival of the 90s, missing Homebake, too cold for coronavirus, insta-bombing your own FB, washed Walkers, let’s gone home Warriors, experimenting on vulnerable migrant populations, Brisbane exceptionalism, NRL blog boys, LEEDSLEEDSLEEDSLEEDS, promotional considerations*, the BALLS Podcast EPL Clasico, the next Norwich vs the next Sheff U, lock-outs vs lock-ins, young bodies heal quickly, the LA Crushers, rugby league but bad and weird, go BONCOS, big hits of the 90s, the Zion Williamson Seeding Tournament, shotgunning Napa pinot, relatively sensible ownership, Citeh getting away with it (all messed up), Pep’s selective wokeness, fans of chaos, Jim Ratcliffe vanity projects and knife parties. For those just here for the sports chat we’ve included chapter marks to suit.

*Of course by the time we posted this, the Championship has already finished (as are Brentford’s automatic promotion hopes, good luck in the playoffs lads - and shouts to Albion Love Den’s Baggies on getting the other automatic spot behind Leeds)

Next week: new stuff from Lianne La Havas, the Beths and the Meanies. Current and recent review albums are in our album review playlist on Spotify, along with our full archive of earlier review albums from 2020 and our long-awaited mixtape of our favourite tracks from therein. Our full list of all the new and classic albums we've reviewed on the pod and Beeso's kids playlist are also available elsewhere on the internet. BALLS and tripping balls are available on their own RSS feeds, as well as being found together on Omny Studio,Spotify and Apple Podcasts (feel free to subscribe, rate and review) - and your unvarnished reckons are always welcomed via Twitter, Facebook and email.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week: we review shiny new 2020-flavoured musical albums from Khruangbin, Beans and GUM. Also: Jazz Club (nice), kitchen salmonella, fake profoundity, Americans have bad taste in music, homer picks, 80s lifts, kicking into the wind, Life on Mars, never get enthusiastic about anything, Beck on deck, emotional instability, playlist bombing, making out, Doc Badly Remembers Bios, Doc Badly Reads Press Releases, Doc Badly Does Maths, ironic PBRs, forgotten* NIN classic album eps, revising Meat Loaf’s arithmetic, starting the lawnmower, the Batsmans’ Union, canned balls, twitter is occasionally good, the Washington Racial Slurs, cancelled candy, black lives continue to matter despite old angry white men arguing to the contrary, the old-timey quaintness of The Decision, following indecisive Frenchmen around with a camera and some ironic discussion of our audio quality (we’ll sort it next week, promise.) Next week: a recent classic from Tax The Heat plus new albums from Dream Wife and Pabst. Current and recent review albums are in our album review playlist on Spotify, along with our full archive of earlier review albums from 2020 and our long-awaited mixtape of our favourite tracks from therein. Our full list of all the new and classic albums we've reviewed on the pod and Beeso's kids playlist are also available elsewhere on the internet. BALLS and tripping balls are available on their own RSS feeds, as well as being found together on Omny Studio,Spotify and Apple Podcasts (feel free to subscribe, rate and review) - and your unvarnished reckons are always welcomed via Twitter, Facebook and email.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week: new albums from John Legend and Sports Team, classic Jesus and Mary Chain from 1985, The BALLS Podcast Story, Presets presets, corny wedding songs, putting your back into it, diabetic alarms, the Russell Wilson of R&B, lesser spotted Britpop, dunking on West Wing tragics, Dude And The Band Names, walls of white noise, punk on valium, industrial droning, popular after the fact, social distancing compliant gigs, sonic blackface, the best band in the world, Geetroit Rock City, Bill Oddie aesthetics, old mate Kev, imaginary mood boards, favours from Molly, Victoria's bitter, firing Australia’s groundstaff, looking good on telly, the Anthony Seibold Experience, Liverpool’s legacy and BeIN-n-Out burgers. Next week: new albums from hot-right-now Houstonites Khruangbin, and Oz indie acts Beans and GUM. Beeso promises to plug his mic in properly next week. Recent review albums are in our album review playlist on Spotify, along with our full archive of earlier review albums from 2020 and our mixtape of our favourite tracks from albums we've review. Our full list of all the new and classic albums we've reviewed on the pod and Beeso's kids playlist are also available elsewhere on the internet. BALLS and tripping balls are available on their own RSS feeds, as well as being found together on Omny Studio,Spotify and Apple Podcasts (feel free to subscribe, rate and review) - and we welcome your reckons via Twitter, Facebook and email.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week: new albums from Spacey Jane and Lucern Raze, and a recent classic-adjacent from Feral Ohms. Also: arguing with yourself, l33t h4x0rz, wearing your shirts inside out, more information than anyone needs, West Coast Cooler in the sun, Kmart catalogue models, garbage-in-garbage-out, nooks and crannies, rapping like an emo teen, 2 Dogs (no relation to Ken Sutcliffe), Billy Thorpe with his bits in a vice, Monkey business, white noise revisited, US college radio, embiggening up, saying no to yacht rock, we stan Chrissy Teigen, not writing left handed, the Franti-Legend-Peas-Harper nexus, join your union, Game of Obvious Jokes, the Barnaby Joyce of basketball, ooohh Kevin is replaced on earth, the most progressive sport on the planet (apart from its fans), F1 calendar crunch, getting schooled on the twitterz, the NBA vs Florida Man, baseball’s long slow decline, an invisible odourless weightless tasteless virus, Nerd Pledge is nerdy, Bradman retconned, your rights at work and the Dougie Walters School of Modelling. Next week: John Legend, Sports Team and classic Jesus and Mary Chain. Current and recent review albums are in our album review playlist on Spotify, along with our full archive of earlier review albums from 2020 and our long-awaited mixtape of our favourite tracks from therein. Our full list of all the new and classic albums we've reviewed on the pod and Beeso's kids playlist are also available elsewhere on the internet. BALLS and tripping balls are available on their own RSS feeds, as well as being found together on Omny Studio,Spotify and Apple Podcasts (feel free to subscribe, rate and review) - and your unvarnished reckons are always welcomed via Twitter, Facebook and email.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.