Spin It! The Record Ranking Podcast

It's the last stop on our road to The Highwaymen with Waylon Jennings! He's an icon of Outlaw Country, and his 1973 record Honky Tonk Heroes combines his diverse musical influences and Billy Joe Shaver's modern cowboy songwriting into a consistent, ramblin' experience. From his humble DJ beginnings to his near brush with the Day The Music Died, we'll uncover how Waylon (not Wayland) became a stapl...

We're on the Edge Of Glory this week with pop superstar Lady Gaga! After her glam burlesque beginnings and earth-shaking debut, Gaga released her so-called "freedom album" Born This Way. She refines the pillars of her signature sound while seamlessly blending influences across a surprising range of genres. From the religious undertones (and overtones) of Judas to the social commentary in Governmen...

Quiet On Set.. we're going Guerilla this week with Juno, the debut LP by Remi Wolf! James' birthday pick comes with a unique tale of discovery and a lot more chaos than he's used to. Find out why this album had him hooked instantly! Can Connor keep up? We'll talk about Remi's Olympic career, American Idol run, and her dog-centric style. The Mixtaper teaches us about improv and questionable Monster...

Ol' Blue Eyes is crooning his way onto the podcast this week! We're reclining by the fireside, tie loose, scotch in hand, and listening as Frank Sinatra sings for Only The Lonely. It's Connor's first crack at the Year Of Redemption; James scored Sinatra's Watertown years ago (and he was pretty harsh). Will this ballad-laden, melancholy album raise the stakes and earn the Chairman Of The Board a be...

Welcome to the Year Of Redemption! Throughout the year we'll revisit artists we've covered in the past who have received lower scores than we expected and see how their other work compares. Up first is The Beach Boys! After Pet Sounds (Episode 29) failed to meet Connor's expectations, James decided to step a little farther back in time with The Beach Boys Today! It was a pivotal moment of growth f...

The Year Of Discovery comes to a close this week! We're exploring Discovery, the sophomore album from Daft Punk, the iconic robotic French duo that changed the trajectory of electronica as we know it. Their sample-heavy style breathed new life into funk and disco, and hits like Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger and One More Time took the world by storm. From their explosive origins to the record's...

Today we'll answer the age-old question.. WHO IS MEAT LOAF?! From the moment he was born, Marvin Aday lived an unbelievable life. We dive into the lore that led to the ninth-bestselling album in the world, Bat Out Of Hell! Inspired by Jim Steinman's Peter Pan metal musical, this theatrical metal record features major and inexplicable hits like Paradise By The Dashboard Light and Heaven Can Wait. T...

Bunny Is A Rider, and she probably listens to Desire, I Want To Turn Into You by Caroline Polachek! This atmospheric, artsy pop record showcases her voice and musicality as she uses familiar instruments and sounds in new ways. James discovered her on tour with the Queen Dua Lipa but Connor is just hearing of her now. We'll explore her past ventures in haunted house music, draw targets around our a...

We've got an Uncontrollable Urge to de-evolve this week with DEVO, the satirical concept band from Akron, Ohio! Their 1978 debut Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are DEVO! is full of social commentary, wacky lyrics, and disorienting music inspired by classic films, anti-evolution propaganda, and even NORAD. We'll talk about the tragedy that inspired the band, the origin of Booji Boy, and the shocking succ...

Do you Believe in life after love? We do! And so does Cher, one of pop music's legends. We'll trace her path to superstardom through every Ch-era. We'll talk about her time with Sonny, a handful of TV shows, her endless comebacks, and her eruption into the world of dance pop with her 22nd studio album Believe! It features hits like the title track, Strong Enough, and Love Is The Groove (same songs...

This week we're lost in love and Washed Up Together with Knox Hamilton's debut record The Heights! This Little Rock-based alt pop band picked up thrift store instruments, named themselves after a rockin' yearbook photo, and took the radio by storm with their hit Work It Out! And Rightfully So... we'll talk about the band's mission to keep the good vibes flowing with every track on this two-in-one...

It's a marvelous night for a podcast, and this week we're heading Into The Mystic with Van Morrison's 1970 record Moondance! After an accidental first record, a hit single in Brown Eyed Girl, and a commercial flop in Astral Weeks, Moondance was Morrison's last-ditch comeback effort to avoid starvation. It ended up becoming a classic soft rock album and a hit with hippies, featuring classic-caliber...

We've got it bad, got it bad, got it bad... We're hot for Van Halen! Their sixth studio album 1984 (their final with David Lee Roth) took the band in a bold new direction that blended their signature glam rock edge with sleek synthesizers to produce all-time hits like Panama, I'll Wait, and of course the iconic Jump! We explore Eddie Van Halen's revolutionary guitar skills, find a sneaky music vid...

Ever wonder what kind of Rolling Stones merch you can buy? Us too... The Mixtaper compiled a list of 200 unique items the band has allegedly sold, but some are 100% made up. We picked 15 items at random for Fact Or Spin during our full episode on Sticky Fingers (#200), but we decided that wasn't enough and are back to play Fast Fired Facts and work through the entire list! See if there's any cloth...

Ladies and Gentlemen, The Rolling Stones!! For our 200th episode we're hunting for treasure with their 1971 record Sticky Fingers! From rock classics like Brown Sugar to ballads like Sway to improvised jams like Can't You Hear Me Knocking, this album has a little bit of everything. We'll talk about Mick Jagger & Keith Richards' childhood friendship, the band's rise to international superstardo...

New Person, Same Old Podcast! James & Connor are talking about Tame Impala (just one guy!) and their 2015 record Currents! Kevin Parker's self-created album is the result of hundreds of hours of work, thousands of vocal takes, and a lifetime of passion for music. With themes of change and personal growth, this album sets Reality In Motion with electronic hooks and ambient, saturated vibes. We'...

It's Connor's birthday! We finally remembered, but that doesn't mean things go any better... His latest pick is Flying by Cody Fry, an orchestral pop record featuring the viral TikTok hit I Hear A Symphony! In a shocking turn of events, it's an album James has known for 7 years. How will sweeping scores and saturated modern pop Hold On in the rankings? The Mixtaper has done his research into illeg...

We're crawling through Landmines this week as we explore St. Vincent's debut album Marry Me! Her unique, emotionally ambiguous polysemous lyrics paired with complex-but-intuitive instrumental arrangements bring this very gray self-made album to life in vibrant colors. We'll talk about her early life and the Sufjan Stevens connection that landed her a record deal! Then The Mixtaper will teach us ab...

YOW!! We feel good, like you knew that we would when we listened to James Brown's album Out Of Sight! It features the debut of his iconic hit alongside other standards like Mona Lisa, Only You, I Loves You Porgy, and the ethereal Nature Boy. We'll talk about James Brown's time with the Famous Flames and learn how he became the hardest working man in show biz! Find out about the Godfather Of Soul's...

Welcome to the Modern Age! The Strokes designed their 2001 debut album Is This It to be like a band from the past making an album in the future. Will its live sound and raw energy land its score among the greats? We'll go back to When It Started and learn how the band changed the conversation around post-punk and alternative music with hits like Last Nite and Someday! The Mixtaper will teach us ho...

Sabrina Carpenter leaves quite an impression (5 feet, to be exact) with her explosive breakout album Short N' Sweet! James & Connor may not be the Sharpest Tools in the shed, but we're ready to break down this album! We'll talk about Sabrina's Best New Artist credentials, her probable and improbable family members, and all the dumb guys in these dozen tunes. The Mixtaper will give us a Taste a...

Okayokayokayokay, we're heading to the Garden Shed this week and going back to November with Flower Boy, the hazy 2017 record from Tyler, The Creator! Find out whether this non-rap fusion record holds up or whether we have to unleash Connor, The Destroyer. We'll shine like Glitter, discover horrorcore, and eat all the ice cream we can handle as we learn about one of hip-hop's most provocative arti...

Happy March Madness! Grab your controllers... We're taking on another bracket tournament featuring 32 iconic video game soundtracks! From action & RPGs to multiplayer and simulation games, find out which games and their music made the cut and which franchises will only make it to Game Over. We'll consider every detail, from popularity and cultural impact to the effect the music has on the game...

We're waiting for it, that Green Light! This week Jamese and Connore are getting wild & fluorescent with Melodrama, the sophomore coming-of-age breakup album by New Zealand's resident royalty, Lorde! She broadcasts the boom boom boom, we decide whether it belongs in the Louvre. We'll discuss the complexities of dual citizenship before enjoying a Supercut of facts (or spins) about intimate art,...

Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to get through this thing called Life... and learn about one of pop music's biggest icons, Prince! His legendary film and soundtrack album Purple Rain dominated the mid-80s, whether he was tearing up the dance charts with When Doves Cry or triggering a congressional hearing full of parental outrage for Darling Nikki! We'll talk about the creation of the f...