Spin It! The Record Ranking Podcast

We're heading to the Land Of Sweets this week and reviewing The Nutcracker ballet, an annual seasonal staple around the globe! The 1892 ballet proved to be Pyotr Tchaikovsky's swansong, serving as a capstone on a composing career that brought Russian music to western audiences. Today, the ballet brings in more than $50 million in annual ticket sales to support dance companies and education... but what made it so popular in the first place? Sure, it features iconic songs like the March, the Russian Dance, and the Dance Of The Sugar Plum Fairy, but the remarkable history of The Nutcracker goes deeper than we realized!James & Connor are talking holiday traditions! We look at the ballet's striking stats, meet Connor's (actual) 5'11" nutcracker Nick and the world's LARGEST functional nutcracker, and talk about some idiosyncrasies between different adaptations of the ballet. We'll explore Tchaikovsky's legendary career, from the 1812 Overture to Swan Lake. The Mixtaper has lost his head with some 19th-century Fact Or Spin tidbits about superstitions, giant bees, and grand theft Celesta during the Waltz Of The Dastard. Then we learn what sugar plums actually are and share our thoughts on the plot, characters, and music that make up this Christmas classic!Have you seen The Nutcracker live? What's your favorite version of the ending? Have you ever had a sugar plum?! And... how do you decorate your tree? Let us know in the comments or on any of our social media! See you next week for our own tradition-- the annual Naughty Or Nice competition!Keep Spinning at www.SpinItPod.com!Thanks for listening!0:00 Intro8:27 Modern Nutcracker Statistics12:09 About Pyotr Tchaikovsky18:19 About The Nutcracker21:45 Why Did The Ballet Get So Famous?26:58 Fact Or Spin33:21 Tchaikovsky Was Afraid Of Losing His Head37:31 He Was A Musical Secret Agent42:47 The Original Ballet Avoided 13 Of Everything47:01 The Original Nutcracker Was Quite The Buzz53:53 Breaking Down The Ballet54:15 What Are Sugarplums?56:23 The Plot: Act I59:06 The Plot: Act II1:01:17 The Music1:03:51 The Suite1:10:52 The Dance Of The Sugarplum Fairy1:12:23 Decorating The Christmas Tree1:15:49 Full Ballet Vs. Suite?1:16:50 Final Spin

It's All Blues this week as we review and rank Kind Of Blue, the revolutionary instrumental modal jazz album by the legendary Miles Davis! Davis and his sextet (full of icons like John Coltrane and Julian "Cannonball" Adderley) abandoned the idea of chord progressions and studied scales, with minimal rehearsal. The result is a five-track improvised album that "changed the language of music." Its songs have become staples in the jazz canon, to the point that a certain chord is named the So What chord because it's so recognizable from this album. We'll talk about Miles' storied life and fluctuating career that led to his 1959 masterpiece... and then figure out why he later dismissed it as "warmed-over turkey."James and Jazzy Connor talk about bearing Davis' torch into the future! As our resident trumpeter, Connor is quite familiar with Miles Davis. We learn how puffed up he can get. The Mixtaper is freestyling Fact Or Spin with tales about a vow of silence, a mysterious good Samaritan, and a Presidential Mix-Up that ended up Kinda Red. Then, get ready for a five-course meal as we examine the album track by track. Whether you're a decadent soup or an arugula dressed in regret, there's something on this album for every appetite.How's this jazz album sit with you? Are there other foods you'd put in your five-course meal? Let us know if hard bop and modal jazz is music to your ears in the comments or on social media, and be sure to give us a follow! It's all no charge-- there are no Freddie Freeloaders here!Keep Spinning at www.SpinItPod.com!Thanks for listening!0:00 Intro4:01 About Miles Davis16:34 About Kind Of Blue28:18 Awards & Accolades29:19 Fact Or Spin30:52 He Took A Year-Long Vow Of Silence35:05 He Had A Presidential Mix-Up38:49 He Was Saved By A Famous Good Samaritan45:34 Albino Loco Punched Him In The Face50:25 Album Art51:23 So What57:01 Freddie Freeloader1:00:41 Blue In Green1:05:03 All Blues1:09:18 Flamenco Sketches1:12:37 Final Spin

It's like paradise spread out with a butter knife! This week we wanna scream "EUREKA!" with the colorful third record from Canadian sibling band Mother Mother! Ryan and Molly Guldemond noticed a striking lack of powerful melodic rock and set out to make the music they wanted to hear. After becoming British Columbia's next big thing (and releasing the future viral hit Hayloft), the band pushed high-concept emotional rock to infectious levels with tracks like Oleander, Problems, and their first charting hit, The Stand! This self-made creative endeavor stands out from the rest of the band's discography with its sleek, polished romp through internal turmoil.James & Connor Connor learn about Quadra Island, talk about the Greek & gold rush origins of the album title, and explore why the band became TikTok famous in the early 2020s. The Mixtaper will blow our hair and ears away as he belts out four supposedly-true facts about anthropomorphic metronomes, cover art cosplay, and a new type of magnet that fans took a bit too far. Will the album Carve A Name into our hearts, or will we have to Getaway to something new? Eureka might just awaken a new bad habit for Connor...Let us know if you'd bring your own Mother to Mother Mother! Have you ever been poisoned by oleander? Are you.. some sort of butter knife hater? Chime in down in the comments and on social media!Keep Spinning at www.SpinItPod.com!Thanks for listening!0:00 Intro1:27 About Mother Mother7:17 About Eureka!13:28 Awards & Accolades13:53 Fact Or Spin15:27 Ryan's Hair And Ears Were Blown Away20:45 They Pitched A Mother Mother Cartoon26:19 They Dressed As Their Album Art For Halloween30:02 They Became A Mother Magnet35:43 Album Art39:19 Chasing It Down41:31 The Stand44:38 Baby Don't Dance46:17 Original Spin47:40 Born In A Flash48:50 Simply Simple50:23 Problems51:55 Aspiring Fires53:32 Getaway54:49 Far In Time56:02 Oleander58:00 Calm Me Down59:12 In The Wings1:01:34 Carve A Name1:02:46 Final Spin

If you've lived your whole life before the First Light, you'd better check out Hozier's latest LP, Unreal Unearth! James & Connor are reviewing the "Unaired" edition of the album, with seven bonus tracks including Too Sweet, his biggest hit since Take Me To Church! This concept album inspired by Dante's Inferno takes us down circle by circle, vice by vice, so seamlessly that you'll forget you're in the middle of the descent. Through moving songs like Francesca, All Things End, Butchered Tongue, and Eat Your Young, Hozier explores our relationship to darkness, power, and human connection through his well-sifted lyrics and unique creative lens.We'll dig into Hozier's Irish roots, from a small hometown to the country's national choir, and discover his rise from starving artist to folk pop sensation. We refamiliarize ourselves with the mythology behind the Divine Comedy, reminisce on the popularity of Take Me To Church, and gear up for Thanksgiving before The Mixtaper brings us his Hoziest facts to date! Twitter stalkers, lead pants, and a well full of digestive biscuits (for the land) await us in Fact Or Spin! Then we'll discuss the whopping 16-track record and its accompanying EPs in their entirety! Will this hellish descent be able to rise above the competition?Let us know which EP songs you think should have made the album! Did we get close on pronouncing "uiscefhuaraithe?" If this podcast felt like Hozier's yell, let us know in the comments and on social media.. and be sure to follow along through the holiday season! Happy Thanksgiving!Keep Spinning at www.SpinItPod.com!Thanks for listening!0:00 Intro4:30 About Hozier13:04 About Unreal Unearth18:13 Podcast Segment That Feels Like Hozier's Yell19:10 Awards & Accolades21:22 Fact Or Spin22:50 His Fans Track Him27:22 He Nearly Drowned31:22 He's Immortal34:43 He Offered Biscuits To Faeries43:04 Album Art44:30 Nobody's Soldier46:22 July48:53 That You Are51:18 Too Sweet55:44 Wildflower And Barley (feat. Allison Russell)59:09 Empire Now1:01:00 Fare Well1:02:34 De Selby (Part 1)1:04:55 De Selby (Part 2)1:08:09 First Time1:10:49 Francesca1:13:43 I, Carrion (Icarian)1:16:59 Eat Your Young1:20:19 Damage Gets Done (feat. Brandi Carlile)1:22:56 Who We Are1:26:34 Son Of Nyx1:28:26 All Things End1:30:22 To Someone From A Warm Climate (Uiscefhuaraithe)1:33:44 Butchered Tongue1:36:05 Anything But1:38:41 Abstract (Psychopomp)1:40:50 Unknown / Nth1:42:52 First Light1:45:05 Final Spin

You know him, you love him, You've Got A Friend In Him... It's Randy Newman! This week we're exploring his sardonic, sarcastic wit as we review and rank his commercial breakthrough, Sail Away! After years as a hit songwriter behind the scenes and a false start to his own recording career, Newman turned his greatest hits into a studio album full of social commentary that still resonates today. From the frolicking Simon Smith And The Amazing Dancing Bear to the rollicking You Can Leave Your Hat On, this songsmith and his piano crank out hits faster than you can say "satire."We'll trace Randy's roots to a family tree that's full of talent (the most Oscar-nominated family tree in history, actually). We'll talk about the rocky road into recording, the artists whose covers paved the way, and more! Then we reminisce about our favorite Newman-scored films, talk about his career in score, and find out how he broke his Oscar drought! The Mixtaper is bringing a roster of four supposedly true Friends of Randy Newman, from athletes to archeologists to... literal dancing bears. From Major League to Monsters Inc., Randy Newman's music has shaped generations of entertainment... but how will this solo record fare in our rankings? Tune in and find out!We wouldn't have nothin' if we didn't have you-- tell us your favorite Randy Newman-scored movie! How does his hard-hitting satire resonate with short people? Rednecks? Politicians?? Tell us your take in the comments and on social media!Keep Spinning at www.SpinItPod.com!Thanks for listening!0:00 Intro3:14 About Randy Newman12:50 About Sail Away20:40 Awards & Accolades23:58 Fact Or Spin24:44 Randy Newman Has A Friend In The Cincinnati Bengals27:37 He's Got A Friend In A Dancing Bear30:28 He Has A Friend In A FAKE Dancing Bear33:02 Randy Newman's Got A Friend In Harrison Ford38:12 Album Art39:58 Sail Away45:04 Lonely At The Top46:27 He Gives Us All His Love47:49 Last Night I Had A Dream49:27 Simon Smith And The Amazing Dancing Bear51:45 Old Man53:58 Political Science56:35 Burn On59:13 Memo To My Son1:00:43 Dayton, Ohio - 19031:02:30 You Can Leave Your Hat On1:04:05 God's Song (That's Why I Love Mankind)1:05:13 Let It Shine1:06:48 Final Spin

Almost 200 weeks ago we explored Thirty Seconds To Mars' 2017 record America and... let's just say it didn't go well. For the Year Of Redemption, we decided the band needed a second chance so we're back to talk about A Beautiful Lie, the band's sophomore record that really solidified their arena rock sound. Jared Leto sings and screams his way through some of the band's all-time classics like Attack, The Kill, and From Yesterday. Their lyrics pull back from cosmic generality and hone in on the angsty, intimate side of the human experience. Bartholomew Cubbins is also back in the picture and we'll talk about some of his directorial feats, including a climate change documentary and a music video from the Forbidden City!James & Connor reminisce on Episode 33, talk about cotton candy grapes (and yes, the ear), and then learn more about 30STM's early days before The Mixtaper enters the scene with Beautiful (Potential) Lies about pyramid schemes, cult islands, and ambitious zero-G promotion in Fact Or Spin! Then we'll take a look at this top-heavy rock record and decide whether it reigns supreme. Will Thirty Seconds To Mars blast off to redemption, or are they doomed to be one of our lowest-scoring bands of all time? Did our 30STM takes get a little too hot? Too cold?? Is there an even better record we could have chosen for redemption? And... do you like cotton candy grapes as much as Connor does? Okay.. the answer to the last question is "no," but check in with us in the comments or on socials about the rest! Follow us for more album reviews and rankings every week!Keep Spinning at www.SpinItPod.com!Thanks for listening!0:00 Intro0:48 Last Time: America3:18 Past 30STM Experience6:58 About Thirty Seconds To Mars11:10 About A Beautiful Lie20:18 Awards & Accolades21:26 Fact Or Spin24:05 The Band's Desert Pyramid Extravaganza28:13 The Tale Of Mars Island35:45 They're Pioneers Of Space Rock Marketing39:16 The Band Wanted To Record On The International Space Station47:39 Album Art49:19 Attack52:54 A Beautiful Lie57:16 The Kill1:03:16 Was It A Dream?1:04:52 The Fantasy1:05:59 Savior1:07:00 From Yesterday1:09:28 The Story1:10:56 R-Evolve1:12:34 A Modern Myth1:13:06 Battle Of One1:14:13 Hunter1:15:26 Final Spin

The Early November came out of nowhere in 2001, and after a strong debut in The Room's Too Cold, frontman Ace Enders got ambitious. Their sophomore record, The Mother, The Mechanic, And The Path, is a three-disc concept album that pushed every boundary. It's the longest album we've ever reviewed and scored, clocking in at 2 hours and 12 minutes, with more than 45 tracks that tell the story of a broken family and a boy who's afraid to follow in his father's footsteps... and make his father's mistakes. It's all told in their quintessential 2006 emo-punk sound, over the course of hits like Decoration, Hair, and 1,000 Times A Day. Whether it's a big hit or a big miss, you can't deny it's a big swing for this new band.We'll talk about the band's debut in the rock scene and their acoustic re-workings of their early songs that help develop their softer side. The Mixtaper introduces us to a record-breaking Conga and a new adrenaline sport, as well as the art of van-flipping. We do have a Mixtober tie to break in Fact Or Spin, after all! Then we'll work our way through the album disc by disc by disc, sharing our favorite moments, our impressions of the story, and more. Which disc will reign supreme? Will Connor be able to overlook integrated dialogue on The Path, a section that feels more like an audio drama than an album? If there's A Bigger Meaning to this record we'll Figure It Out this week!What did YOU think about this self-indulgent album? Does the unique storytelling structure justify the immense length? Which of the three discs was your favorite? Reach out and let us know in the comments or on social media, and be sure to follow for more!Keep Spinning at www.SpinItPod.com!Thanks for listening!0:00 Intro8:31 About The Early November11:18 About The Mother, The Mechanic, And The Path18:29 Fact Or Spin20:21 They Have An Impressive Conga29:38 They Had A Tarot Interpreter32:07 They Wrote A Hit While Desert Surfing35:37 They Might Hold The Record For Most Replaced Equipment In A Month42:18 Album Art43:33 Doing Things A Little Differently44:41 Disc 1: The Mechanic46:28 Decoration47:33 No Good At Saying Sorry49:24 Outside49:55 The Car In 2050:10 Figure It Out51:09 Disc 2: The Mother52:00 My Lack Of Skill52:23 A Little More Time53:11 Hair55:13 The Truth Is / 1000 Times A Day57:18 Disc 3: The Path1:04:43 Story Content1:07:33 Standout Disc 3 Moments1:07:42 Long Talks1:08:20 Guess What1:09:56 Runaway & Runaway II1:11:31 Final Spin

Bonus Content! We sent our wolves to war with Asking Alexandria's Reckless And Relentless on Episode 224... but Connor wondered whether an album with less screaming and more melody could pique his interest. He listened to the band's 2017 self-titled album on his own, and we decided it needed a second look with this Backtrack. The band's shifted away from screaming and blended electronica into their metalcore sound, but how will it compare to the darker, more introspective songwriting of R&R? The self-titled record comes after Danny Worsnop's departure and return, so in some ways it IS still a return to form, but tracks like Alone In A Room, Into The Fire, and Vultures take their sound to new arena rock heights. Did we pick the right album? Will this tame the two wolves? And whose ship is it, anyway?! Find out if we truly need to backtrack after this unique record.Listen to Spin It Episode 224 wherever you get your podcasts!Keep Spinning at www.SpinItPod.com!Thanks for listening!0:00 Intro1:57 About Asking Alexandria (2017)5:50 Our Opinions15:54 Wrap-Up

Got questions about being Reckless And Relentless? We do, and we're Asking Alexandria about their 2011 album. (Not literally asking, but we'll review and rank it just the same!) After guitarist Ben Bruce "Ship-Of-Theseused" his band from South Africa to London, they started making waves with vocalist Danny Worsnop and a metalcore sound that ruffled feathers and explored the human condition. On Reckless & Relentless, tracks like Someone Somewhere, Another Bottle Down, and Morte Et Dabo tackle themes of addiction, loss, and love in a gritty, dark way based in realism.We'll trace the band's journey and maturation from album to album! This record is on the precipice of the band's commercial success, but they continue to push the envelope in its wake. Then the Mixtaper has some hot new facts that bring the roof down as he introduces us to Metal Elvis and some DEVOTED fans. Then, two wolves inside Connor go to war as we balance intense screaming with intricate instrumentals.. and then he does something that's a podcast-first. See how this record stacks up as we close out Mixtober!Which Asking Alexandria tracks leave you Breathless? Need a little extra Closure? Reach out on social media and follow or rate wherever you're listening for more!Keep Spinning at www.SpinItPod.com!Thanks for listening!0:00 Intro3:52 About Asking Alexandria8:09 About Reckless & Relentless15:49 Awards & Accolades16:09 Fact Or Spin17:45 They Performed With Elvis21:50 Asking Alexandria Flooded A Venue25:20 They Literally Brought The House Down28:45 They Have VERY Passionate Fans34:43 Album Art35:43 Welcome36:49 Dear Insanity39:42 Closure41:09 A Lesson Never Learned43:02 To The Stage44:42 Dedication45:33 Someone, Somewhere48:05 Breathless49:03 The Match51:38 Another Bottle Down52:33 Reckless & Relentless54:31 Morte Et Dabo56:27 Final Spin