Spin It! The Record Ranking Podcast

Do you need a little metal in your life? Then you should get ready for our take on Master Of Puppets by thrash metal powerhouse Metallica ! This genre-defining record never relents, from the high-energy anthem Battery or isolation of Sanitarium to the total destruction of the world by Cthulhu. Learn James Hetfield's inspiration for these dark lyrics and ponder Lars Ulrich's.. eccentric taste in ho...

Hello, we're James and Connor. Take a look behind the walls At Folsom Prison this week with Johnny Cash as we talk about our first ever live album! Recorded in 1968, this iconic record puts The Man In Black's talent and sense of humor on full display. Follow his legendary career from humble beginnings to his final days, and learn about his numerous incidents with various birds that you may not hav...

James and Connor are soaking in the English Rain this week with Gabrielle Aplin's debut album! This 2013 singer-songwriter record features hit songs like Home, The Power Of Love, and Please Don't Say You Love Me! We'll introduce you to Gabrielle's new friend Ryan the Ghost, figure out how she could use a pizza box as a musical instrument, and stumble our way through plenty of rough transitions on...

Born from the depths of James Mercer's soul and basement alike, The Shins ' sophomore album Chutes Too Narrow presents a pop-folk-infused take on the human condition. James and Connor, on the other hand, present a mentally-boosted commentary on this 2003 "best of the decade" record! Along the way we'll discover the secrets behind a wet McDonald's, discuss Mercer's favorite amphibious armies, and t...

For this special Connor Takeover we're heading all the way to the Copacabana with Barry Manilow's Even Now ! This 1977 record from the King of Jingles features smash hits like Can't Smile Without You and Somewhere In The Night. The Mixtaper returns in his second round against Connor... Tune in to learn about Barry's "problematic" neighbors, his ties to Jamie Foxx, and how he helped quell some Doof...

It's a GRAMMY Special! Jon Batiste's WE ARE just took home top honors as Album Of The Year and James and Connor are here to break it down. This unexpected blend of jazz, contemporary R&B, and hip hop sent us into "identity crisis" mode as our norms were flipped on their heads! Hear whether we thought this album deserved the win, and learn about Batiste's favorite melodica and personal ties to...

Can you feel it coming in the air tonight? We sure can! James and Connor are taking on Phil Collins' most successful solo record: No Jacket Required! It's a more upbeat outing than his first two records, with peppy dance pop anthems like Sussudio, I Don't Wanna Know, and Who Said I Would alongside the occasional power ballad like Doesn't Anybody Stay Together Anymore. We'll figure out why this Hon...

IT'S FINALLY TIME! After 28 episodes of anticipation, we're finally talking about Halsey's newest record, If I Can't Have Love, I Want Power ! We'll examine their social media rise to fame, the origins of their stage name, and how they might've picked up a chainsaw carving hobby! It's an album full of sweeping, cinematic highs, but, as Halsey puts it, "all of this is temporary." Find out if this G...

We're double-dipping back into the blues and taking on the rockin' guitar tones of Stevie Ray Vaughan ! With his iconic Fender Stratocaster guitars by his side, he's got a musical knack like no other. The Sky Is Crying , released in 1991 after his untimely death, is a career-spanning collection of originals, blues classics, and more! In this episode, we're talking about his status as a guitar hero...

Whether Turtle Blues have got you down, you're anxiously awaiting Summertime, or A Combination Of The Two, Cheap Thrills by Big Brother and the Holding Company might be the album you turn to! Spearheaded by the legendary vocals of Janis Joplin , this 1968 acid rock record is going to take us on a journey from Texas to San Francisco and beyond. With the timeless hit Piece Of My Heart at the center,...

Are you young? Hopeless? Perhaps both? If you answered "yes" to any of these questions, then you're in luck! James and Connor return to the world of Pop Punk to discuss Good Charlotte's sophomore outing, The Young And The Hopeless . We'll talk you through some of their biggest hits like The Anthem and Lifestyles Of The Rich And Famous, and a band led by identical twin brothers is sure to provide s...

For our Thirty-Third installment, James and Connor are exploring America by Thirty Seconds To Mars! This 2018 record is overflowing with polished electronic stadium anthems, and it represents a real shift in the band's style. We cover everything on this record, from its TEN unique album covers to its multitudinous "woah-oh" choruses. Find out the surprisingly scientific story behind the band's nam...

James and Connor better put on their Baby Blue Shades, because Bad Suns are in store this week! Our next A&R Department recommendation, their brand new album Apocalypse Whenever , is taking us to the Electric Circus and back into the wide world of modern alt-pop. This "soundtrack for a movie that doesn't exist yet" is a constant tug-of-war between bright music and dismal lyrics. The Mixtaper's...

On one hand, we could talk about any ol' artist this week. But On The Other Hand, we could talk about Randy Travis' 1986 debut, Storms Of Life ! Full of some of the smoothest vocals ever known to the genre, this reminiscent record takes us through all the heartache and heartbreak you'd expect from one of country's greats. We'll dig up the bones of his troubled past, discuss farming in space, and t...

This week we're talking about Stevie Wonder's Songs In The Key Of Life , and Isn't She Lovely? It's our first-ever Double LP, packed full of funk staples and Stevie Wonder deep cuts that will Knock You Off Your Feet. Learn about his impromptu pilot lessons, marvel at his uniquely punchy lyrics, and feel it all over as we take you all through twenty one groovy tracks. There's plenty to discover abo...

Wouldn't It Be Nice if we talked about Pet Sounds by the Beach Boys ? Yes, it would, so we did. This album is full of surf-adjascent psychedelic pop, with the kind of mid-60s charm that only Brian Wilson can capture. James and Connor will get into the disastrous album cover shoot, the band's famous members and friends, and Connor might even dislike a ballad or two! We'll tell you about the real-li...

Connor needs a lesson in heavy metal, so this week James trying his best to teach him about Avenged Sevenfold's self-titled 2007 record ! From the first organs of Critical Acclaim to the last fading notes of Dear God, this album is every bit the Disneyland Acid Trip the band intended it to be. Between the intense imagery of Scream and A Little Piece Of Heaven and the heartfelt moments of Almost Ea...

We've been told we're not Lady Like , and so has Ingrid Andress . On her 2020 debut album, the hip-hop dancing, pop-country newcomer comes out swinging with a handful of exceptionally personal, relatable songs. From piano breakup ballads to empowerment anthems, we don't think it's Bad Advice to say you should check out this record! You'll learn how to upset her parents, how to be the Life Of The P...

If your name is Jonas or you look just like Buddy Holly (wee-ooo) you're probably familiar with this week's album-- we're covering Weezer's 1994 debut, appropriately called The Blue Album ! New Year, New Podcast, lots of twos. Tune in to learn about the band's connection to Keanu Reeves, the wide world of pigeon racing, and why the band almost left some of their biggest hits off this record. We're...

Happy New Year! Ring in 2022 with James and Connor as they check out the Breakup-Album-to-End-All-Breakup-Albums, Rumours by Fleetwood Mac! Learn about all the drama that inspired this instant classic, and hear the stories behind hits like Don't Stop, Dreams, and Go Your Own Way. The Mixtaper is hoping to return to form with tales of more Olympics (yeah, I know) and a fake Fleetwood Mac! We really...

'Twas the Night Before Christmas and all through the month, James and Connor picked music from movies they love! They picked out a dozen fun favorites to share, in hopes that they'd be fun for everyone, everywhere! The Mixtaper was nestled all snug in his bed, in hopes that old Santa would bring him some bread.  Welcome to the final episode of Spin-ter Wonderland! This Christmas Eve James and...

Welcome back to Spin-ter Wonderland! This week we're losing the instruments and going A Cappella!! Join James and Connor on a Sleigh Ride through the deluxe edition of Pentatonix's 2015 Christmas record, That's Christmas To Me! From holiday classics like Santa Claus Is Coming To Town to songs you might be hearing for the first time like Just For Now, this vocal-only record is sure to help you Have...

Welcome to Spin-ter Wonderland! We're kicking off the Holiday Season with a trip to a LIVE Trans-Siberian Orchestra concert ! It's the 25th anniversary of their album Christmas Eve & Other Stories , and we'll go in depth about the band's unique origins, touring habits, and talk about our overall concert experience! It's the first in-person recording we've done, too, so there are plenty of new...

For our first listener-recommended episode James and Connor are going on a trip through Inner Wave's new album, Apoptosis ! Through concise, vivid-yet-indirect lyrics, the record explores loss, memory, time, and longing in a way that few others can. From the first punchy "wah" hook of One In A Million to the final lyrical gut-punch of Bones, Inner Wave will catch your ear with a release that's ful...

It's a Connor Takeover!! This week Connor's bringing James a new album-- one he's heard 84 times-- and it's James' turn to be a first-time listener. We're talking about the latest record from Miley Cyrus, Plastic Hearts! It's a glam-punk recap of Miley's last decade in the public eye, full of Bangerz (pun intended) like WTF Do I Know and ballads like Angels Like You. The Mixtaper has a few new tri...