Spin It! The Record Ranking Podcast

Take the A-Train with us this week! We're stepping back in time into an era of jazz, and celebrating the special birthday of someone very near and dear to the podcast... Duke Ellington! He'd be 124 this year, so we're taking a look at his 1953 record Ellington Uptown! It features some of the most complex and engaging instrumentals we've seen yet (including our longest drum solo to date), and it co...

Are you gonna take it? We're not! And neither is Twisted Sister, the iconic hair metal band that wants to rock (Rock)! As we learn about their third and most famous LP, Stay Hungry, James and Connor are exploring the band's relentless work ethic, their genre-shaping career, The Price they had to pay, and the role they played in getting "Parental Advisory" labels attached to albums. We'll talk abou...

Just how heavy are wings, anyway? This week James and Connor are running (just in case) with Miranda Lambert's first double-album that reads more like pages straight from her diary than a record of chart-toppers, The Weight Of These Wings! This reflective record will keep it country til the Ugly Lights come on.. We're talking about another Vice, the Tin Man, and melodies so catchy they go beyond e...

Connor's Year Of Vengeance is almost over, and this week he lands another blow with a new concept-- Ray Stevens' Career Classics! We're talking about all his greatest hits, serious and silly alike, and getting to know the voice behind novelty hits like The Streak and The Great Mississippi Squirrel Revival like we've never known him before. We'll talk about bagpipes, his piano bar, and evergreen hi...

Welcome to the '90s! We're kicking off this podcast era with a special Singles episode dedicated to the biggest hits from one of music's most unpredictable decades, the 1990s! The charts were full of surprises, from up-and-coming superstars like Britney Spears to one-hit wonders like Lou Bega to career-evolving resurgences of artists like Cher! James and Connor will talk about 13 of the most influ...

Every girl's crazy about a Sharp Dressed Man, and this week WE'RE going crazy about ZZ Top's blues-rock crossover hit, Eliminator! We're talking about the iconic bearded trio and learning about their history, their smallest audience, and a million-dollar offer they had to refuse. Then we get into this synth-infused record that took some special recording techniques and thrust the band to the top o...

Somebody stole my Car Radio so now I just listen to Spin It! We're going Semi-Automatic this week with Vessel, the major-label debut of central Ohio alt-pop duo Twenty One Pilots. From the erratic, unpredictable Ode To Sleep to the gentle lullaby of Truce, this relentless record explores the boundaries of alt hip hop and emotion alike, and foreshadows just what the band would become. James and Con...

We're having a Record Year so far, and we're keeping the Round Here Buzz coming with Eric Church's fifth album, Mr. Misunderstood! Written, recorded, and released in just 70 days, this record is a prime example of the Chief's raw, neo-Outlaw Country sound and lyrical wordplay that tells a captivating story with each new turn of phrase. James and Connor are learning about his unique practice of "no...

It's like Butter, baby! James and Connor are kickin' it (yes, we can) with A Tribe Called Quest and their sophomore record, The Low End Theory! Aside from being one of the most renowned and transformational records in hip-hop, the album features breakout moments for Phife Dawg and Busta Rhymes, as well as stellar sampling and production from Q-Tip. Their lyrics and inverted syntax flow seamlessly...

You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave! Join James and Connor as we live Life In The Fast Lane and spend some time with the Eagles' best-selling studio album of all time: Hotel California! With the introduction of Joe Walsh to the band's lineup, the group explores uncharted territories of country rock in each of these nine classic tracks. From guitar solos to vocal arrangemen...

Oh, Great Illinois, it can only start with you! In 2005 Sufjan Stevens put out the second (and final) album of his ambitious 50 States Project, a 22-track tribute to the Midwest's "center of gravity," Illinois! Months of research went into this entirely self-made record that's basically a massive history lesson told through song. Stevens pays tribute to the state's greatest cities, notable individ...

HAPPY GRAMMYS WEEK! It's our second annual Grammy Special, and this Podcast For A Sushi Restaurant is taking on another Album Of The Year winner, Harry's House by Harry Styles! We'll talk about our experience watching this year's history-making show, the accuracy of our predictions, and much more. Learn about Harry's candy (and tongue) eating habits, his famous fake parents, and get our thoughts o...

Anxious? Doubtful? Making Mistakes? Well you've got time to Think It Over this week as we talk about Bambi by the ever-evolving alt-pop band Hippo Campus! Inspired to shake things up after a solid first record, Bambi is the band's attempt to challenge themselves and "burn the room" into an entirely new sound. This batch of cathartic, vibey songs will definitely get us talking, and Fact Or Spin mig...

It's One For The Money, Two For The Show, Three To Get Ready, Now Go, Cat, Go! We're putting on our finest Blue Suede Shoes this week and talking about the self-titled 1956 debut record of the King Of Rock And Roll himself, Elvis Presley! We'll talk about how this small-town Mississippi boy came to be one of music's most influential superstars and dig into hit songs like Tutti Frutti, I Got A Woma...

We're going back to The Night Me And Your Mama Met this week with Childish Gambino (and Donald Glover)! His 2016 record, "Awaken, My Love!" sent shockwaves through the music world with its psychedelic soul and funk-infused R&B sounds. We'll talk about Glover's ambitious projects, from Simpsons scripts to moon movies to hit shows like Community and Atlanta. We trade bits, share secrets, learn a...

Take a walk West Of The Fields this week as we listen to R.E.M.'s debut album Murmur! Widely considered one of the first acts in alt rock, learn how the Athens, Georgia band got their start on a $2 budget, overcame producer hardship on the original Catapult, and quickly rose to prominence beyond their wildest expectations thanks to hits like Radio Free Europe! We'll talk about Michael Stipe's uniq...

Don't cross him, don't boss him! We're screaming like a panther in the middle of the night this week with Willie Nelson's career-defining classic, Red Headed Stranger! This 1975 concept LP was mistaken for a demo when record execs first heard it, but hits like Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain and Remember Me helped cement its legacy. We'll follow the Preacher on a redemptive journey full of love, lust...

Nina Simone has us Feeling Good this week with her twelfth studio album, I Put A Spell On You! She's come to be known as the High Priestess Of Soul, and for good reason -- her classically-trained piano playing and expressive vocals lend themselves perfectly to the soulful R&B and jazz music she chose to sing. As a vocal figure during the Civil Rights Movement she helped give rise to the protes...

Spinter Wonderland is upon us once again... We've compiled a list of the best holiday singles recorded by artists we've covered on the show and now it's time to get YOUR vote! We streamed this episode live and let you pick your favorites in head-to-head matchups, with some twists, turns, and surprises along the way. We'll talk about our Christmas wishes, play a brand new game, check in with the Mi...

The Doctor Is In!! It's Spin-ter Wonderland season, and we're kicking off the holidays with Connor's pick: Dr. Demento's Greatest Christmas Novelty CD Of All Time! Brace yourself. This festive record is packed with a wide array of comedic tunes, from staples that have transcended novelty like Christmas Don't Be Late, Hippopotamus For Christmas, and Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer to lesser-know...

It's time to get Sparky with PEP , the latest record from Canadian pop music's own Prodigal Daughter, Lights! This "electronic landscape of moody sunset times" strikes a balance between joy and sadness like few other records can, from the brooding Beside Myself to the unbridled energy of Money In The Bag. We're going where no music podcast has dared to go before-- join us as we learn about the lar...

You Oughta Know the '90s is a state of mind. We're taking a Jagged Little Pill with Alanis Morissette's third record this week, featuring hits like Hand In My Pocket and the not-so-ironic Ironic. This album's got a lot to say, and this post-punk garage rock will fill the void that's solely yours. We'll talk about Alanis' peanut butter preferences, that time she got mugged before meeting Madonna, a...

So I was taking a walk the other day... We're talking about Kendrick Lamar's 2017 record, DAMN. this week. Kendrick tackles a wide range of emotions and challenges, from Fear to Loyalty to Pride. This concept record was designed to be played forward AND backward, so we'll talk about all the intricacies that come with an album like that. We also learn about another celebrity prank, the perfect cere...

Better make a little Room For Squares this week.. It's time to party like it's 2001 with John Mayer's debut album! It features hits like Why Georgia and Your Body Is A Wonderland! This acoustic singer-songwriter soft pop record showcases Mayer's skill with a guitar and shows off his ability to craft a metaphor, even if it plateaus pretty early on. We'll talk about his murder ties, take a ride on t...

You can't plant us in your penthouse, we're going back to Goodbye Yellow Brick Road by the Rocket Man himself, Sir Elton Hercules John! This ambitious double-LP features some of his biggest hits of all time, including Candle In The Wind, B-B-B-Bennie And The Jetsss, and Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting! We'll talk about his remarkable journey to superstardom and uncover the truth about his dr...