Spin It! The Record Ranking Podcast

Hang On To A Dream with us this week! We're spinning Everything As Nice As Mother Makes It (aka The Nice Album) by the grandfathers of Prog Rock and launchpad for famed pianist Keith Emmerson, The Nice! Half the album consists of the last batch of studio tracks the band would ever record, while the back half features two raucous live performances from New York City's Fillmore East. Hear the roots...

Mixtober comes to its epic conclusion this week! Connor can't make it to the recording so we have a special guest host... Join us as the Mixtaper takes us on a journey through the story of HIS favorite masked villian, The Phantom Of The Opera! We're talking about Andrew Lloyd Webber and the 2004 film adaptation of his 1986 show that's become a staple of musical theatre everywhere. We'll learn why...

Keep Mixtober coming this week with another creepy Halloween-themed album! This week we're venturing into The In-Between with In This Moment's 2020 record Mother! This sweeping monolith of an album lands firmly in a genre we've dubbed "aluminum metal"-- come see why! We also discuss the band's surprising touring connections, debate the best way to cover a song, and shed some light on all the "spoo...

Welcome to Mixtober! We're taking Spin It to the movies this week with Ice Nine Kills' Silver Scream! Each track is inspired by a classic horror movie and brought to life through the band's signature music videos and metal "theatricore" sound. Prepare yourself for slashers, monsters, serial killers, and the most disgusting Fact Or Spin fact we've had yet. Stay tuned for more special Mixtober episo...

What's Love Got To Do With It? We don't know, but Tina Turner does! This week we're showing some respect to her 1984 record Private Dancer! This pivotal first record after her divorce helped reinvigorate and elevate her solo career to the next level. James and Connor are discussing this time capsule of an album, digging into her world records and horseback riding habits, and getting into heated de...

These are our drums. This.. is our podcast! James and Connor are headed deep into Bummerland with AJR's OK Orchestra! From transparent underpants to paintball islands, find out what this band of brothers has been up to when they're not busy churning out snappy electropop hits from their living room! Featuring hits like Bang! and Way Less Sad, the band's latest, pandemic-inspired record continues t...

Picture This: A Blondie episode. One Way Or Another we were going to do it. This week we're spinning their breakthrough 1978 record Parallel Lines, which catapulted them from the New Wave underground into power pop superstardom. From the sing-songy melodies to the gritty guitars, this album is nothing short of a wild ride. We'll talk about Debbie Harry's closest encounters, including her ties to G...

You may be asking yourself, "where is Tim McGraw? " Would you believe us if we said he's Everywhere? At least, that's what he tells us on his 1997 record, Everywhere! From the blizzards of Albuquerque to the tip of his hat-bearing fivehead, Tim McGraw puts his best foot forward and delivers SIX Top 2 singles, including classics like Where The Green Grass Grows, Just To See You Smile, and It's Your...

Revisit the peak of 1960s folk with Bob Dylan's sixth album, Highway 61 Revisited! Recorded and released in the wake of the genre-changing Newport Folk Festival where Dylan "went electric," this record features nine songs that helped re-shape the genre's sound altogether including Like A Rolling Stone and the mysterious Ballad Of A Thin Man. We're digging into Dylan's history and legacy, plus lear...

You want One Hit Wonders? We Got 'Em. In our first-ever Bracket Challenge we put 16 of the biggest hits from the last 50 years head-to-head in a cutthroat single-elimination tournament. The catch? YOU decided our winners! We recorded this episode LIVE on our Twitch and let the chat choose the outcome! Connor and James made their own brackets and are competing for accuracy... Who will win? Can we e...

We all go up in flames... James and Connor are going out in style this week with Coheed And Cambria's Vaxis II: A Window Of The Waking Mind! Set in frontman Claudio Sanchez's fictional Amory Wars universe, this concept album tells the story of a pair of criminals on a quest to save their son's life. We're digging into the lore, fandom, and outstanding music behind the story this week. Mama, watch...

Jitterbug! Put the boom-boom into your life with James and Connor! We're taking you back to 1984 with Make It Big, the second and final studio album by British power pop duo Wham! George Michael and Andrew Ridgely bring all the hits, including Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go, Everything She Wants, and the iconic Careless Whisper. We'll dive into the world of F3 racing, discuss capybara care, and figur...

A million here, a million there... James and Connor are trying to Phone Home with Lil Wayne! His Three-Peat sixth record, Tha Carter III , features career-defining chart-toppers like A Milli, Dr. Carter, and the crossover hit Lollipop. From his innovative, on-the-spot lyrics to his captivating instrumentation, Weezy really brings his all to this record that led the charge for 2008 hip hop. We also...

We thought love was only true in fairytales. Then we listened to More Of The Monkees and now we're believers! This sophomore album from mid-60s TV stars The Monkees has a really unique backstory unlike any album we've talked about! Born of controversy, label control, and mounting tension, this album surprised everyone- even the band- when it came out. Learn about their revolutionary TV show and tr...

Need a little Post-Hardcore in your life? We did, so we turned to Dance Gavin Dance's 2016 release Mothership! Powered in equal parts by captivating instrumentals, smooth-yet-bouncy melodies, and corrosive, nonsensical John Mess screams, this is unlike any record we've covered to date. Learn the truth behind Trumpeter Swans, Feathercore metal music, and prep for the release of their upcoming Jackp...

It's Brutal out there, so it may be Good 4 U to listen to this episode of Spin It! We're getting swept off our feet by Olivia Rodrigo's record-breaking debut, SOUR! Featuring the smash hit Drivers License, this pop album with punk roots will have us taking steps forward, backward, and all over the place. Find out how much money she spent on a designer doghouse, how many undercut slaps are headed y...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY! We're starting off Year Two with a different kind of album. It's the ephemeral, genre-fluid, medium-challenging fourth studio album from British innovators Radiohead: Kid A! From weird instruments (like the Ondes Martenot and the EBow) to snippets of lyrics pulled from a hat, we kind of figure this album is like listening to a painting. Some favorite facts return, and The Mixtaper...

It's the last episode of Year One, so Connor's taking a shot at redemption with his third pick: Crazy Love by modern music's favorite crooner, Michael Bublé ! We'll talk about how his pipe dreams turned into a surprising career, discuss his proudest accomplishment (no, it's not his four Grammys), and explore how he stood his ground against record labels to cover pop and jazz standards, and keep th...

Happy Fourth Of July! Celebrate Independence Day with Green Day's 2004 rock opera, American Idiot! Brimming with Billie Joe Armstrong's scathing critiques of the nation, this snot-rock masterpiece follows Jesus Of Suburbia on a journey of self-discovery down the Boulevard Of Broken Dreams. We'll talk about how one of punk's most recognizable trios rose from the halls of high school via Bookmobile...

Do you wanna Rock And Roll All Nite? Then you won't wanna miss this episode on Kiss! James and Connor are Rock N Roll Partying their way through the band's most successful album, Destroyer , featuring hits like Beth, Detroit Rock City, and God Of Thunder! With a billion-dollar brand and industry-changing tour practices, there's plenty to explore, from famous pyrotechnics to Gene Simmons' tongue. T...

We know when you're around cause we know the sound of The 1975! This week we're talking about their pivotal sophomore album, I Like It When You Sleep, For You Are So Beautiful Yet So Unaware Of It! This genre-fusing ambient concept record tackles themes of love and loss through the cynical-but-never-hopeless eyes of Matty Healy. From the synth-pop vibes of The Sound to the gospel-infused If I Beli...

Any guesses what album we're breaking into this week? Yes! That's right, it's Yes (the band) and their 1971 record, Fragile! This one-of-a-kind record features a solo contribution from each band member alongside landmark prog rock tracks like Roundabout and South Side Of The Sky! Join us as Connor tries to create a nickname and the Mixtaper tries to pull off some REALLY conniving spins. Come disco...

Ever wonder what would happen if you took four funk-rockers, covered them in rap, and sent them to California? Well, they might write an album like the Red Hot Chili Peppers' 1999 record, Californication! The record features some monumental tracks including Scar Tissue, Otherside, and Around The World. James and Connor discuss what really happened Under The Bridge and find out how many Fleas it ta...

Call Us By Your Name... We're talking about Montero by the Industry Baby himself, Lil Nas X ! Learn the story behind one of the most sweeping pop-rap success stories ever, Old Town Road, and get Lost In The Citadel with James and Connor as we figure out his namesake, play the video game he created, and discuss how he got world-renowned chef Gordon Ramsay to take up arms. We'll venture into unknown...

SPIN IT SINGLES RETURNS! You sent us your favorite songs by your favorite artists, and we're live-listening and putting our own spin on them! We also trade our own singles; find out about Connor's gopher fantasies and his descent into madness and hear a song James thinks is cool. Plus, the Mixtaper returns with a few rounds of Guess Who... Or Spin. Our second Singles episode is sure to have someth...