From a netherworld outside time and space we close out 2019 with Boxing Day basketball, Pat Bev comparisons, breaking up the WWWWWWarriors, the Tilman Fertitta of Serie A, swirling solar chaos, being dedicated to dumb maths, either/or but not both, Sam Hinkie ain't walking through that door, Thibs declines to stop collaborate or listen, Cavs West, getting upset on Christmas Day, responsible grownups in Denver, Luka back doing Luka things, handicapping the Iggy Sweepstakes, Conley for CP3, revisiting Lob City, bringing down the LeBron Death Star, being old school vs just being old, Miami Jimmy vs Minny Jimmy, six good teams and a spitfight, changing Spurs culture, posting up KP on Peter Dinklage, deliberately washed contrarianism, who the hell is Mike Cuban, NZ cricket fans >>>> NZ cricket players, at least one Kiwi team turned up in Victoria this weekend, Liverpool have now won everything except the thing they actually want to win, Premier League plastics, promotion prospects, Beeso's Big Bash coverage, human highlight machines, unsolicited double overtime, Mel-No and ending on a showtune. Get more BALLS and After Dark in your ears via Omny Studio,Spotify and Apple Podcasts (please subscribe, rate and review), and feel free to hurl your reckons at us via Twitter, Facebook and email.

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This week: new albums from self-reflecting Scientologist Beck and Warrnamboolian warriors Airbourne, the perils of in-store radio, facts vs feels, do something nice for yourself this Christmas, breaking: AC/DC aren't like Radiohead, complexity through simplicity, last of their line, the Wolfmother effect, who's got next, Tame Impala B-roll, everlasting nothing, Spidey Bells, scared of bird attack, Scandicanadians, end of year cowards, Tone Deaf hiphop takes, better social commentary than Slowthai, weapons not food not homes not schools not need just feed the war cannibal animal eye, Mike Patton nonce music, let's go Sharks, unintended consequences, lyrics look stupid, ornery and indifferent vocals and outsourcing your bio. Next week's final new albums of 2019: Brittany Howard and Pretty Vicious. Current & recent review albums are in our album review playlist on Spotify (earlier albums from 2019 are archived here), along with our 2019 After Dark Mixtape of our favourite tracks from albums reviewed this year. Our full list of review albums and Beeso's kids playlist are also available. Get more BALLS and After Dark in your ears via Omny Studio,Spotify and Apple Podcasts (please subscribe, rate and review), and feel free to hurl your reckons at us via Twitter, Facebook and email.

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This week: we get feedback, Edgar Wright’s greatest scene in TV history, Eastern promise, the middle of the west is middle of the road, Chris Paul Suit Hire, trading for Love, James Dolan in ‘capable of competency’ shock, Bucks-Lakers was almost great, Giannis’ warmup routines, the Joe Ingles Appreciation Society, sticking with the Sixers, getting Tim Donaghy’d out of a title, Holiday (Celebrate), the Mavs don’t need Luka, KAT and barracking for your take, how about this Heat, endangered Raptors, Christmasketball on Boxing Day, getting progressively sadder, Young rebels, doing the thing that works until it no longer works, Boxing Day test preview, killing catering with a thought, bad and boutique, OK boomer, Hazlewood offline, Man With Golden Helmet, trying to remember any previous winners of the BBL, Pat gets paid, pre-Xmas NBA wins pool update, the EPL works through Christmas and getting Coight out. Get more BALLS and After Dark in your ears via Omny Studio,Spotify and Apple Podcasts (please subscribe, rate and review), and feel free to hurl your reckons at us via Twitter, Facebook and email.

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This week: new albums from Gardna and Deaf Radio, Spotify Wrapped SZN, is RTJ4 about to drop at Xmas and bollox everyone’s end-of-year lists (spoilers: no), remedial reading for bad AOTY reckons, do you care if the thing you like is popular, wombling free, voice of the Beyhive, the end of consensus, we’re on to Cincinnati, baseline metrics, brain injuries, *visits Wellington once*, it’s the intro to intro, a long time between sessions, Albarn-Frischmann relationship minutiae, Beeso continues to fundamentally misunderstand the meaning of the term ‘legacy act’, Balter sells out and navigating the sub-craft beer offerings of your NZ supermarket chiller. Next week: Airbourne and Beck. Current & recent review albums are in our album review playlist on Spotify (earlier albums from 2019 are archived here), along with our 2019 After Dark Mixtape of our favourite tracks from albums reviewed this year. Our full list of review albums and Beeso's kids playlist are also available. Get more BALLS and After Dark in your ears via Omny Studio,Spotify and Apple Podcasts (please subscribe, rate and review), and feel free to hurl your reckons at us via Twitter, Facebook and email.

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The Griff Cup, the Melo Experience (now touring Portland), feeling happy for millionaires, craft beer corner, strip club MVPs, ranking cricket venues by fish fingers, the social media testicle, hawks redux, live firing drills, release dates, European tropes, a decent Lakers coach ?!?, onward Christian soldier, professionals vs children and the new joint NZ and Australian TV show, Fix Your Internet Bro. Get more BALLS and After Dark in your ears via Omny Studio,Spotify and Apple Podcasts (please subscribe, rate and review), and feel free to hurl your reckons at us via Twitter, Facebook and email.

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This week, live from Lantanaland: new Fat Freddy’s Drop and L7, whiskey in the jar-o, NZ's national band, money for old jam, washed at wineries, when you’re more of a Samantha, dating while Gen X, making vital connections, Courtney Hole, narrator: he did not record an add-on the next day, the downsides of podcasting in person, pushing buttons, Wayne Gardna, reciprocal rights, avoiding old people, Coldplay saves the regional newspaper industry, legacy o’clock, Celine’s DIY pyro and extinct mowers. Next week: new albums from Dub Club associate member Gardna and desert rockhoppers Deaf Radio. Current & recent review albums are in our album review playlist on Spotify (earlier albums from 2019 are archived here), along with our 2019 After Dark Mixtape of our favourite tracks from albums reviewed this year. Our full list of review albums and Beeso's kids playlist are also available. Get more BALLS and After Dark in your ears via Omny Studio,Spotify and Apple Podcasts (please subscribe, rate and review), and feel free to hurl your reckons at us via Twitter, Facebook and email.

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We go LIIIIVE for the rankings of the NBA City Jerseys (good, didn't care and Oh My God the work experience kid did these), Luka Mania, Beeso sucks at this, Kyrie in his feels, keep on Knicksing, more bad teams, the American Delly Redux, The NZ Qld Origin Team and night drinking at the Gabba

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This week: new stuff from Bad Dreems and the Hard-Ons, Oscar buzz, letting it go, go hard early, Frozen 2: It’s The Thawed That Counts, representation matters, industrial deafness, Beasts of Suburban, old dudes making noises, Adelaide alive, short-range throwbacks, do more of that, et tu Caesar, Detroit Brock City, the first Sabrina reference in any kind of media since late 1989, we solve Taylor Swift’s career crisis, culture vs sales, Beyonce album power rankings, Unkle Shadow, fake bands with real merch (and yes kids In The Worst Possible Taste is somehow still allowed online), refusing to accept the world has moved on, original parts and the last great protest album. Next week: new Fat Freddy’s Drop and L7. Current & recent review albums are in our album review playlist on Spotify (earlier albums from 2019 are archived here), along with our 2019 After Dark Mixtape of our favourite tracks from albums reviewed this year. Our full list of review albums and Beeso's kids playlist are also available. Get more BALLS and After Dark in your ears via Omny Studio,Spotify and Apple Podcasts (please subscribe, rate and review), and feel free to hurl your reckons at us via Twitter, Facebook and email.

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Stretch mark fives, giving up on this season before the end of last season, fitting 12 games of offence into 9 games, the Santa Cruz Warriors, PG13’s return, the worst team in the league, everybody hurts, Rockets tipping over, wraps for the Raps, most improved players, Bernie living his best life, trading away the Spurs’ problems, Orlando Magic roster deep dives, Doc reads bios, 1986 again, #ImADoctor, playing defence vs just running around a lot, CP3 doesn’t understand what a layup is, correlation ain’t causation, Trevor Hohns' interview technique, Liverpool win the league, Pep turns into Jose, Chelsea plays the kids and Doc runs out of beer. Get more BALLS and After Dark in your ears via Omny Studio,Spotify and Apple Podcasts (please subscribe, rate and review), and feel free to hurl your reckons at us via Twitter, Facebook and email.

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This week: new albums from Mini Mansions and Cigarettes After Sex, quality assurance, the BALLS Podcast Network, #NotAnEuphemism, committing to the bit, warding off scurvy, no bad ideas, Clippy played guitar, what did you expect to achieve here, leaning away from legacy acts, the 20th anniversary of whatever happened 20 years ago, tell ya story walking, you had a good go at it thanks for your input, interest free terms, difficult third albums, local indie ecosystems, we want the Funk, Club sandwiches, good luck to me, being sad in Australia, unHappyland and pop filters are for cowards. Next week: new stuff from Bad Dreems and the Hard-Ons. Current & recent review albums are in our album review playlist on Spotify (earlier albums from 2019 are archived here), along with our 2019 After Dark Mixtape of our favourite tracks from albums reviewed this year. Our full list of review albums and Beeso's kids playlist are also available. Get more BALLS and After Dark in your ears via Omny Studio,Spotify and Apple Podcasts (please subscribe, rate and review), and feel free to hurl your reckons at us via Twitter, Facebook and email.

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