3 of the best: PODCASTS
VIOLATING COMMUNITY STANDARDS (Studio71)
No strangers to the whole ‘being weird on the internet’ thing, meme icon Brittany Broski
60-120 min episodes
Schauer co-host this deep dive into the questionably legal recesses of the web – from armchair crime solvers to bronies to multi-level marketing. Confused by any of those terms? So are they, and that’s the point: this is, thankfully, a comedy show, not Newsnight.
and former Vine star Sarah
3 of the best: PLAYLISTS
As well as the rays of the sun, kick back and soak up these warm and soothing tones of jazz and electronic. Tom Misch, Emma- Jean Thackray and Juls collide to form this groovy and sultry playlist. Don’t forget to apply your SPF though.
LUSH (Spotify)
Top tracks: Tom Misch, Yussef Dayes & Freddie Gibbs [pictured], Nightrider; Cody Currie, Eliza Rose, Moves; Juls feat. Jaz Karis & George The Poet, Summer In The Ends
SCOTLAND YARD CONFIDENTIAL (Parcast)
Most true crime stories focus mainly on the victim or perpetrator, with the investigators themselves usually only an ancillary part of the tale. This new Spotify Original podcast gives some of them their due, spotlighting how real detectives have Sherlock-ed their way into solving real cases in the UK – from the 1900s to now – some including acid baths and office slayings.
40-53 min episodes
Roll up for D&D this summer
Not a podcast, but I doubt you’d begrudge a good audiobook, right? If you were one of those who wolfed down Netflix’s adaptation of Heartstopper, you may be interested in checking out author Alice Oseman’s prototype for the webcomic, Solitaire, a sensitive anti-love story centered on Victoria ‘Tori’ Spring, set in the Oseman-verse and narrated by Holly Gibbs.
(HarperCollins/Audible) 7 hours 15 mins
SOLITAIRE
The world has come a long way since the satanic panic around Dungeons & Dragons in the mid-80s. The fact that the popular TTRPG – which has become even more so following the release of its fifth edition in 2014 – was genuinely believed to be a gateway to the demonic may amuse today’s players but, as recently depicted in Stranger Things Season 4, it was real. So real, in fact, there was even a movie about it starring Tom Hanks. (Look it up, seriously.)
While the Netflix mega-hit isn’t single-handedly responsible for D&D’s resurgence – 80s nostalgia, the mainstreaming of geek culture, 5e’s instrumental changes, and Twitch streaming play a part – it definitely hasn’t hindered it. The show’s affectionate window into the past showcases the game’s best aspects: creativity, storytelling, and socialising. And it does it using the very age range that Bible-bashing moralists were most worried about it corrupting.
If you or your younger offspring are looking to get into the game, there have never been more avenues for you to do so. For older players, connecting with established groups or forming them via Facebook, Reddit, Discord, etc. is a decent starting point, with platforms like D&D Beyond, Roll20 and Dungeon Master’s Vault fantastic for virtual or blended play. Locally, gaming shops like Cardiff’s Rules Of Play and Caerphilly’s SavePoint offer regular starter sessions, and even eateries are getting in on the fantasy action: hot sauce bar Reaper Cardiff ran an eight-hour sesh at the end of June, so it’s worth keeping an eye on their socials for the next one.
Available wherever you listen to podcasts/ audiobooks; Scotland Yard Confidential is a Spotify exclusive.
HANNAH COLLINS
As for kids, GeekRetreat (which has branches nationwide) run afterschool programmes, as do some arts centres such as Newport’s Riverfront. And if that’s not enough, those heavy with coin can book three days in England’s Lumley Castle, aka the D&D In A Castle retreat this autumn.
HANNAH COLLINS 37
This exclusive summer playlist curated by London soul singer Lianne La Havas contains chosen music spanning the whole spectrum. With features from the likes of Aretha Franklin to jazz legend Mulatu Astatke, this collection will have you jamming all night as La Havas’ BBQs go “late late.”
LIANNE LA HAVAS’ SUMMER BBQ (Apple Music)
Top tracks: Aretha Franklin, Day Dreaming; Solange, Binz; Stevie Wonder, Black Man
The wait is over. Marking her first solo album in six years, Beyonce will return with Renaissance on Fri 29 July. And what better way to reacquaint yourself with her discography than with a playlist featuring all of Queen Bey’s most essential tracks. Single Ladies, are you ready?
THIS IS BEYONCE (Spotify)
Top tracks: Beyonce, Crazy In Love; Beyonce, Halo; Beyonce, Love On Top
JOHN EVANS
QFamily
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