spinquiries

JAMES: At least! Everything on the spreadsheet is something I’ve either listened to since I was young or it’s come through the Albums Of The Month playlist, which consists of all the new music I have on repeat for the entire month. In general, I’d guess I’ve listened to all the records I’ve ranked at the very least 10 times each.

CONNOR: No, that's James’ shtick! I'm mainly a mixtape kinda guy so I typically have only heard each album in its entirety once, the day before the recording.

2.) Do you really only listen to the album ONE time the night before recording the episode?

JAMES: No, that's Connor’s shtick! Honestly I probably listen to each album, like, three EXTRA times in the day or two leading up to the episode. Gotta get the feel for it and know it inside and out!

CONNOR: YUP, that's it! One listen is all the album gets to make as big an impression on me as it can, but sometimes its hard not to go back and listen to some of my favorite songs.

3.) Which episode has been your favorite so far?

JAMES: So far I think our episode on Nevermind by Nirvana has been my favorite. I feel like we found a lot of interesting stories about them and spread everything pretty evenly throughout the episode. I already loved the album, but I walked away feeling like I still learned a lot. (That’s Episode 4 if you’re curious!)

CONNOR: Billy Joel will always hold a special candle in my heart (if you know you know). But from an episode standpoint, Dua Lipa’s Future Nostalgia has been my favorite. I didn’t even know she existed until James introduced her to me, but she's become an instant powerhouse on my driving playlist.

4.) What's your favorite song?

JAMES: … You’re gonna make me choose? It shifts with my mood, the time of day, the weather, what my playlist decides to shuffle, anything. But a handful of “never-skip” songs that I like? “Don’t Let Me Down” by The Beatles, “Pretty Way To Fight” by Knox Hamilton, “Inspire The Liars” by Dance Gavin Dance, “Pancho And Lefty” by Merle Haggard & Willie Nelson, “Kyoto” by Phoebe Bridgers… the list goes on.

CONNOR: I plead the 5th.

5.) What’s your favorite album?

JAMES: Well, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band by the Beatles has earned my highest ranking, but honestly I don’t think I truly have a favorite album. I like them all for different reasons, some objective and some personal. I’d love to know your favorite album, though, so get in touch via our Get Connected tab!

CONNOR: Not much of an album guy, but since starting the podcast I’ve found myself listening to more and more full albums. I’d say my current favorite is Plastic Hearts by Miley Cyrus... Maybe one day I’ll convince James to let me pick an album for an episode.. ;)

6.) What is the real identity of the mixtaper?

JAMES: Don’t tell Connor, but I’m starting to suspect the Mixtaper might be someone he knows personally…

CONNOR: I have no idea, I live with the guy, but I've never seen him without his signature mask on. The fact that he can make his voice sound like anyone doesn’t help. Don’t let his dastardly spins fool you though, he’s a real great roommate. He’s always there when I need him, even if I don't ask him to... it’s like he’s in my mind.

7.) What inspired you to make this podcast?

JAMES: It was a combination of loving music, having too much free time, catching the creativity bug, and peer pressure. Plus, I’ve always talked my friends’ ears off about music and now it’s just nice that they’ll have some idea what I’m talking about. I had to do something with all those rankings, after all!

CONNOR: James has always talked my ear off about music and I got tired of having no idea what was going on. Plus now I have an excuse to talk HIS ear off too!

8.) Where do you see this podcast in 5 years? In 10? In 20?

JAMES: I see this podcast on episodes 260, 520, and 1,040, respectively. Of course, we’ll undergo some format changes, because I’m sure by 2040 albums won’t exist and you’ll have podcasts beamed straight into your iBrain or something. But don’t worry, we don’t plan on going anywhere!

CONNOR: In 5 years I’d like to see the podcast start school, by year 10 hopefully it’ll be the most popular podcast at school and have plenty of friends to play with. Of course by 2040 it better be out of the house and attending a college or working full time. I'm not gonna let it just live in the basement doing nothing but eating Cheetos and listening to music as it's beamed into its iBrain!

9.) What's your favorite running joke on the podcast?

JAMES: Personally, I love all our departments. They do great work, and they’re really the glue that holds Spin It together. Not sure where we’d be without them.

CONNOR: How can I narrow it down?! As you have probably figured out by listening to the episodes, I'm a huge goofball and dumb running jokes are my favorite. I personally like the wacky units I come up with for my scores each episode.

10.) What qualifies you two to rank albums?

JAMES: Mostly I’m doing this for the fun of it, and I’m curious to know how my own 480+ favorite albums compare to one another. I’ve always said music is super subjective, so our listeners might totally agree with me or think everything I say is totally wrong. That’s the cool part of it! I think anyone’s qualified to rank albums, really. We’re just the ones that decided to turn that into this podcast.

CONNOR: I think I’ve made it pretty clear from Episode 0 that I am in no way qualified to rank albums. At all. Seriously. I'm like the guy who lied on his resume to get the job and is now just making things up as he goes and hopes no one will notice.

11.) Is the faq page finished?