Rock And Roll Ain't Noise Pollution, and we're cranking it to 11 with AC/DC's iconic record Back In Black! Join James and 2008 Connor as we journey through this album one (or more) metaphors at a time. In the wake of Bon Scott's passing and largely shaped by new lead singer Brian Johnson, this record would go on to be one of the best-sellers in the entire world. Hits like Shoot To Thrill, Hells Bells, and You Shook Me All Night Long solidified the Australian pub rock band's place in history. We'll talk about outfits and rituals in a record-setting TWO Fast Fire Facts, and learn about everything from their sewing machine name to the time their music provided the soundtrack for a nuclear attack. Connor owns it, do you? (Oh.. and there WILL be a test.)

Happy Thanksgiving! King Harvest has surely come and we're heading Across The Great Divide to celebrate with The Band! Their self-titled sophomore album builds on everything that made Big Pink great. Expect lots of characters, evocative lyricism, jug-band style jams, and harmonious ballads. We'll get into their award-winning, iconic Last Waltz concert, a feast that included literal tons of food, an elephant mishap, Garth Hudson's toilet seat preferences, and their instrumental round-robins! Whether you're Up On Cripple Creek or reminiscing on The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down... Keep an open mind.

Welcome! This week we're wild about the third record by the Nashville-based folk string trio The Arcadian Wild! With an innate sense of rhythm, a knack for tight vocal harmony, and raw instrumental talent, the band takes their skills to new heights on Welcome to put a spring in the step of sentimentality. We'll go all the way from ancient Greece to Big Sky, MT as we learn about cherry gardens, pinball wizardry, ACTUAL wizardry, and dinner parties. Can we unplug from Dopamine, decode the Fable Of The Times, and determine which of the Two Kinds of people we are? There's a little something for everyone on this record and in this episode that you don't want to miss. Connor will remember that.

Hello, Younkers! This week we're rhapsodizing about the marvelous Queen Of Jazz herself, Ella Fitzgerald! Her 1957 album Like Someone In Love features songs from a wide range of contemporary songwriters that give us another glimpse into the Great American Songbook. We'll follow her rise to legendary status from the streets of New York all the way to the White House and learn about her improvised Grammy-winners, her heavy medals, and more. The Mixtaper has tales of what's allegedly one of her worst songs ever, and what's gonna work? Teamwork. Pour yourself a tall glass of milk and gaze at the Midnight Sun.. Then we'll be tired of this album.

Attention all planets of the Solar Federation! We have assumed control, and this week we're talking about Rush's iconic record 2112! Designed to be a defiant last-ditch middle finger at their record label, this album features a 20-minute sci-fi prog opera as its first side. James and Connor will talk about this timeless tale of triumph over tyranny and learn a lot along the way, from new words like "scraunch" to fun ways to smack plywood. Plus, find out about Neil Peart's cameo in one of our very niche favorite movies! This prog rock record is truly out of this world.. tune in to see if Connor has learned his Lessons or if he leaves James in Tears.

Happy Mixtober! Connor's out of town so this week we're letting The Mixtaper take over and share his playlist of the 13 best Halloween songs to get you in the spirit (pun intended) of the season! From movie soundtracks to hit singles to novelty songs, this dastard has brought every trick in his arsenal to make this episode unforgettable. Join James as he opens three surprise mystery gifts from The Mixtaper and play along as we try to guess each entry on the countdown with some (mostly) true facts about each song! Recorded live on our Twitch channel (@SpinItPod). Be sure to check out our socials for all the graphics, present pics, costumes, and more!

SEE THE FULL STREAM HERE!

Kveðja vinir! Mixtober continues with a very Icelandic episode about Kaleo, whose blues rocking 2016 debut record A/B took the world by storm! You might know songs like No Good and Way Down We Go from any number of TV shows, movies, or video games. James and Connor are getting to the heart of this powerful, atmospheric album with a sum greater than each of its intriguing halves. Our favorite villain is bringing elvish advice, mosquito bites, and Wolverine to Fact Or Spin, and this time he's really done his Mixtaper research (which is just like normal research, but it's wearing a mask). This episode is absolutely full of surprises... Tune in to hear Connor try to pronounce all sorts of words and more!

Forgive our Northern Attitude, but this week we're headed to Vermont with Noah Kahan's breakout folk-pop record Stick Season! This album takes a few general ideas and distributes them to a wide range of relatable situations- songs of change, loneliness, growth, and perspective provide a bit of nostalgia for a place you've never been but already know intimately. The Mixtaper is giving us All His Love with an unforgettable new challenge and facts about geckos, dry shampoo, and a record-ranking dog! We sure have a New Perspective on The View Between Villages.. Grab a frosty and yearn with us on a journey through the season of the sticks this Mixtober! 

You best Protect Ya Neck! This week we're heading into an auditory kung fu movie with another listener recommendation: it's the revolutionary hip-hop debut Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) by the Wu-Tang Clan! We'll talk about the group's unique blend of influences and their expert sample selection, and we'll go behind the scenes to learn how these songs came to be. Who had to rap battle for a solo track? What is Chessboxing? How many flavors of Tang are there? Can you be a juggle-hating juggler? All these questions and more will be answered as we move through the 36 chambers. Can It All Be So Simple? With us, it never is. Dollar dollar bills, y'all.

Royalty returns to the podcast this week as we celebrate the King Of Country Music: George Strait! This former Texan Of The Year's sophomore album Strait From The Heart features some of the greatest country singles of all time, including Amarillo By Morning and Fool Hearted Memory. James and Connor are getting familiar with a voice as smooth as chocolate cake and learning about a whiskey made of crustaceans! Plus, the Mixtaper is taking us down a shocking (nearly unimaginable) Opry tangent. George Strait is A Fire We Can't Put Out, and you'll love this episode (even if you can't see Texas from here)! Aliens, look no further!

She was a girl, we were a podcast. Could I make it any more obvious? We're talking about Sk8r Girl Avril Lavigne's 2002 debut album Let Go! After grappling with her signature sound for years, this collection of angsty tracks gives a glimpse into the life of a skateboarding, hockey-playing Canadian teen. From Losing Grip to Unwanted, this record is Anything But Ordinary. The Mixtaper is making things Complicated with facts about a sneaky prize, a forgotten classic film, and mislabelled shirts that will send you down the rabbit hole. Get ready to throw this album on repeat, because with Avril Lavigne enough is never enough!

Well, well, well.. Otis Redding is ringing a bell this week with his pivotal record Otis Blue / Otis Redding Sings Soul! We're out to prove he's been doing more than just Sittin' On The Dock Of The Bay... Get ready to go Down In The Valley to learn about a career that literally defined soul music before it was tragically cut short in its prime. The album's full of songs you probably already know pretty well, from Respect to My Girl to Satisfaction, with rich, brassy arrangements that bring new life to some true classics. The Mixtaper will also dazzle us with royal coups, elevator tricks, and a nuclear accident of Big O proportions! What a Wonderful World this will be!

It's time. This is our most requested episode EVER.

I don't know about you, but we're feeling Red by Taylor Swift!! We're standing on Holy Ground as we talk about her evolutionary, pop-country crossover fourth record, with hits like I Knew You Were Trouble and We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together. We talk about her songwriting skills, secret messages, and the production techniques that take Red to another level. Plus, the Mixtaper brings back some facts we know All Too Well as we learn about Girl the girl and an unhappy holiday. Whether you're a Swiftie, a Slowie, or a... Cruisie (?), you'll want to witness the record that made Connor break his most sacred rule..

Plus, check out the B-Side Extended Cut (Mixtaper's Version) of this episode exclusively on SpinItPod.com (From The Vault)! Explore all the eras with us as we learn about her rise to international superstardom, unpack the music business technicalities behind re-recording Taylor's Versions, and talk about the record-breaking music event of the year, the Eras Tour! Our favorite supervillain is also bringing two more exciting games to the table during Fact Or Spin, and we'll go in-depth about all sixteen tracks. It's a record-breaking B-Side in more ways than one, so don't Stay Stay Stay here, go check it out!!

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO THE B-SIDE!

Bada-ya, we're dancin' into September with I Am, the groovy 1979 album by everyone's favorite Afro-gospel-jazz-blues-rock-funk collective: Earth, Wind & Fire! Born out of Maurice White's jingle-writing Chicago days and boosted by the incomparable talents of the Phenix Horns, EWF truly gives their all to this record and to the magical shows they put on to accompany it. Plus, we're talking about the band's all-time classic single September! We'll explore the career of a young David Copperfield as he took the band to new heights (and even made them disappear)! Fire up the time machine, lace up those ice skates, and get ready to dance your way through a Boogie Wonderland with us this week!

We're Cheating On The Blues tonight with Brooks & Dunn's 1991 debut album Brand New Man! We'll talk about the duo's origins, a Marlboro-sponsored contest, and figure out just how Brand New we really are. This neotraditional honky tonk country breakup album will have you shakin' till the break of dawn! If you've got a lot to learn you can dig into little-known facts about a high stakes steak challenge, several successful presidential campaigns, and more! We'll commiserate about our days as middle school line dancers trying our very best to Boot Scootin' Boogie, and why we'll heel-toe-do-si-do until the day we die. We're still in our Neon Moon era, but if we had a horse... 

Connor's taking us on a journey this week- a Journey journey!! We're talking about their 1983 record Frontiers, featuring hits like Separate Ways, Faithfully, and Ask The Lonely. From aggressive synth rock staples to arena rock power ballads, Elmo pilots us to the farthest reaches of the sonic universe. Will the Mixtaper finally best Connor? He's got facts about cattle, baseball, and a certain semi-aquatic egg-laying mammal of action... will it be enough? Make a move across the Rubicon with us as we diss Tron, fire facts fast, and pretend B-b-b-b-Back Talk doesn't exist this week for Connor's first pick in the Year Of Healing!

Bored? Don't break up with your girlfriend, listen to this episode of Spin It instead! We're talking about Ariana Grande's record-smashing fifth album, 2019's Thank U, Next! It features some of her biggest recent hits that will lead us to discover how bloodlines work and why 90% of the royalties from 7 Rings will go to cowriters who never heard the song. We'll be baffled by a very special cloud drink, figure out the right way to pronounce her name, and learn about a Chinese Banana Ban as we dig into this very emotional, extremely personal album that came after the stress of a series of unfortunate events in Ariana's life and career. One thing is for sure: there are no Fake Smiles here (but there might be a Holy Grail??)! 

Big wheels keep on turning! Get ready for a Second Helping of Lynyrd Skynyrd! We're talking (for the first time) about the group's sophomore album, featuring rowdy hits like Call Me The Breeze and Sweet Home Alabama and impactful ballads like The Ballad Of Curtis Loew. Learn about their history, from the ballpark to Battle Of The Bands to the classroom of their namesake gym teacher. We've also got surprising facts about their ill-fated 1977 flight.. there were a lot of bare feet and a few shots fired. Get ready to explore Southern Rock at its finest with a band who helped define the genre! Don't ask us no questions, and we won't tell YOU no lies!

I want it, I need it... We're embarking on Safe Travels with the third record from piano power pop trio Jukebox The Ghost this week! From peppy, punchy pop to the depths of death, this record rides a unique wave of energy spurred along by two distinct but complementary songwriting styles. We'll learn what makes Connor a Tommy guy, figure out where the band got their name, and get a pretty succinct summary of Fiddler On The Roof this week! You'll also get a peek into jukebox patents, learn how to tell your Olive Garden waiter you've had ENOUGH, and witness the return of a daunting, haunting fact! We won't let you fall behind, even with devils on your side. Fair enough?

It's gonna take a lot to drag us away from TOTO IV, Toto's career-saving collection of pop rock classics! James and Connor will dabble in the opening notes of Jeff Porcaro's iconic Rosanna Shuffle and bless the rains down in Africa. We'll explore Toto's unexpected connections with diverse corners of the music world, from Hakuna Matata to Michael Jackson's Thriller to Star Wars. We've got facts about all 10 songs from this 1982 record, plus we discover a brand new drink and learn about an art installation hidden somewhere in the vast Namib Desert. Between great rockers like Good For You and We Made It to power ballads like I Won't Hold You Back, you can be SURE we're not in Kansas anymore! 

From the streets of Kyoto to a Graceland shrine in Mississippi,  Phoebe Bridgers' sophomore album Punisher is an emotional record that expands her sound in a dramatic way, with themes of healing, emptiness, and self-awareness playing out over the backdrop of gardens, costume parties, and imagined encounters with idols. We're breaking into the filing cabinet to learn about her inspirations, aspirations, and the stories behind these songs that made this record one of 2020's most talked-about releases. The Mixtaper has some new tricks... get to know the art of candle-making and help us invent a new chestnut-themed sport. If You Know The End and feel something when ICU, get ready to scream your way into the Year Of Healing with us!

Good Moon Afternoon! The Year Of Vengeance and the Year Of Healing will be like Day 'n' Nite, and we're putting the nightmares behind us in Pursuit Of Happiness with Kid Cudi's 2009 debut record Man On The Moon: The End Of Day! Cudi welcomes us to his world with the Soundtrack 2 His Life. We'll talk about moon phases, Cudi's rise to prominence as a producer, and we'll discover how this record revolutionized the genre by opening a dialog around mental health. There will be debate, confusion, a ridiculous number of cheeseburgers, and podcast history will be made as we head Up Up & Away through the Cudi Zone (and where did all the snow leopards go??). Thanks for a great end to Year 2!!

Let it rock! We're Livin' On A Prayer this week with Bon Jovi's first of two back-to-back knockout albums, Slippery When Wet! This 1986 classic bridges the gap between glam metal and pop, walking a fine line with help from outside songwriters like Desmond Child. We're jamming to hits like You Give Love A Bad Name and Wanted Dead Or Alive, with plenty of woah-ohs in the chorus to keep us engaged. Discover what things are actually slippery when wet and learn about the phenomenon of the Litter Critter as we discuss Bon Jovi's droid-themed Christmas record, his famous Bongiovi family ties, and his Godfather cameo appearance this week!

We hit the sidewalk and this is how it starts. James and Connor are going Guns Out for Young The Giant's 2011 eponymous debut album! This so-called "beach" record tackles weighty concepts through tracks like My Body, Strings, and Cough Syrup, to varying degrees of success. Learn about the parental intervention they had to have in order to keep the band going, their top-secret clubbing ritual, and a world-record breaking tongue during Fact Or Spin, and learn about various kinds of citrus fruits like Finger Limes, Buddha's Hand, and pomelos as our jokes make rough landings. Are 12 Fingers too many? What does the name Young The Giant even mean? All this and more awaits in this copacetic episode! 

Oye Como Va! Grab your guitars and your guiros... we're talking about Santana's sophomore album, Abraxas! This primarily instrumental Latin fusion record features some of the band's all-time classics, including their iconic cover of Black Magic Woman. Between the mind-boggling percussion and guitar solos that are as expressive as they are technically impressive, Abraxas has a little something for everybody. We're talking about his first day job as a TikTok Star and we discover a few things that bear his name, from worms to women's shoes to a school he never went to. Can you dig it? We sure can.