¡Hola! In our annual Grammy Special, we're reviewing and ranking the Album Of The Year: DeBÍ TIRAR MáS FOTOS by Puerto Rican sensation Bad Bunny! This reggaeton fusion record is a love letter to Benito's roots and homeland, from plena and dembow beats to vibrant traditions. With diverse instrumentation, nostalgic lyrics, and his signature swagger, Bad Bunny delivers on his promises and takes us straight to the Enchanted Isle (and El Clúb)! After a near-miss at the 2023 Grammys, find out how this award-winning album rose above all the competition!

It all kicks off with our Grammy recap. We'll reveal the results of our predictions, debrief about the night's biggest winners, and talk ceremony highlights. Then we discover our (somewhat minimal) experience with Spanish and discuss various influential rabbits as we explore Bad Bunny's unique rise to the top of the global charts! The Mixtaper is back in Fact Or Spin to bestow new Awards For The Shellbound, spanning conservation, soap operas, and gastroparesis. Find out which of these 17 tracks Bad Bunny loves, and get ready for his Super Bowl LX halftime show with this special episode!!

¿Entiendes español? Was Bad Bunny your AOTY champion, or did you make other predictions? What did you think of the Grammys? Let us know in the comments or on socials, and stay tuned for another album next week!

Happy Gopher Day! Join James and Connor (aka the Country Road Kid) as we rank and review Highwayman, the debut studio album by country supergroup The Highwaymen! In an attempt to stay relevant in an ever-changing country music landscape, four legends came together to create something different: Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, and Kris Kristofferson. After collaborating and admiring each others' work for decades, the Mount Rushmore of rugged outlaw country took to the studio, armed with ten hits like Against The Wind, Deportee, and Cash's own Big River. Would this Hail Mary effort jumpstart their iconic careers?

We'll talk about the four episodes that led us here -- one about each individual Highwayman-- and learn about the holiday specials and films that brought them all together in the first place. We'll explore their group dynamics and talk about the ways music had changed around them between their debuts and 1985. All the while we'll reminisce about panning for gold in the sandbox, hearing these songs as kids, and more. The Mixtaper has facts (or spins) about hotel horses, midwife pranks, and a suspiciously Bill-Murray-adjacent Midnight Breakfast fact. Turn those suits inside out and get ready to ride with some of the genre's greatest.

What do you think about the Highwaymen supergroup? Is this album over- or under-ambitious, and is it the best of their three records to cover in an episode? How do you think the Groundhog Day time loop mechanics work? Let us know in the comments or on socials, and be sure to follow for our Grammy Special coverage next week!

We're just living that life, Von Dutch, cult classic as we rank Charli XCX's hyperpop club record Brat! Its danceable melodies, carefree bite, and minimalist neon green aesthetic sparked a cultural movement in Brat Summer, and hits like 360, Apple, and Sympathy Is A Knife turned into certified Club Classics. Inspired by her early days in London's underground illegal rave scene, Brat sees Charli showing off striking vulnerability through crisp, energetic songs with memorable melodies. From relationships to generational trauma to impending motherhood (or even to just a good party song), this record really does it all.

James & Connor are ready to Talk Talk about Charli's unique path to superstardom, from I Don't Care and Boom Clap to Wuthering Heights. The Mixtaper is so Julia as we ponder her homecoming coup, a sentimental vault track, Bratcoin, and even more VERY passionate fans during Fact Or Spin! Then we Rewind to 2023 and reminisce about Brat Summer as we work through these bite-sized pop beats. Where will Connor score Charli XCX compared to her fellow Album Of The Year nominees? James might even go so far as an on-the-spot redemption for this one!

Did you catch the main metaphor in Apple? What foods would you make into footlongs? Are we your favorite reference? Tell us all about it in the comments or on socials! Follow for more next week as we go for a supergroup during our Gopher Day Special!!

Same as it ever was... We're letting the days go by as we review and rank Remain In Light by the Talking Heads! For their iconic 1980 record, Tina Weymouth and Chris Frantz migrated to the Bahamas to escape city life. While they were there they developed an affinity for the Caribbean ethos and African-inspired percussion, which they brought into the studio alongside producer Brian Eno. The result is a polyrhythmic, pulsing new-wave sound, made with "human sampling" techniques and a flair for the funky. The record is home to instant classics like Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On) and Once In A Lifetime, but how will the rest of these intense-yet-danceable tracks hold up?

James & Connor (your own resident talking heads) walk through the band's history and a breakup so sudden only David Byrne knew it had even happened! We'll talk about their inspirations and legacy, and we'll learn why this blotchy album cover is the first of its kind! The Mixtaper's ready for another round on the Great Curve of Fact Or Spin with tales of limo dispatches, sticky shaving, and a humiliating burglary at letter-opener point. Then we'll Overload you with facts about the 8 tracks that make up Remain In Light... but the Talking Heads' score remains to be Seen And Not Seen.

You may ask yourself, "well, how did I get here?" Good question. Let us know on our socials and wherever you get your podcasts! Are you a Talking Head-head? Do you have a tiny way mouth? What's the worst shaving liquid? We want all your thoughts in the comments!!

Ooh-wah-ah-ah-ah!!! This week we head into the Eye Of The Storm as we review and rank Immortalized, the riotous sixth studio album from Disturbed! After an indefinite hiatus in the early 2010s the band roared back onto the scene with this surprise record in 2015, featuring iconic moments like The Vengeful One, the ballad-adjacent The Light, and an unforgettable cover of The Sound Of Silence. Sucker punch hooks and powerful vocals keep the album moving, but did the band play it too safe by sticking to their tried-and-true formula?

Connor first recommended Disturbed's Evolution to James half a decade ago. It was a solid record, but scored low on his ranking list. In the Year Of Redemption, Connor's hoping a more lively record can Fire It Up and recalibrate James' opinions. We'll talk about the band's rise to greatness, David Draiman's decision to walk from a six-figure salary, and learn about the secret reunion that led to Immortalized! The Mixtaper is brewing up facts about a wrestling wife, defenestration, and a four-year follicular fakeout. Can Disturbed Open Our Eyes or have we Saved Our Last Goodbye for the latest of Connor's picks?

Have you ever been to Oconomowoc, WI? Did we even get close to saying that one right? Did you recognize that gurgly sound? Let us know in the comments or on social media! And be sure to like and subscribe for more-- in the words of Disturbed, "What Are You Waiting For?!"

Honey, Just Allow Him One More Chance! The Year Of Redemption blows us back into the North Country this week to revisit The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan! After Highway 61 Revisited didn't exactly leave Connor "going electric," we decided to wind back the clock to 1962 and explore one of Dylan's first masterpieces. After barely breaking even with his debut people called him a folly... but with his sophomore effort, this so-called spokesman of a generation set out to prove them wrong! Armed with a guitar and a harmonica and inspired by social upheaval that defined the decade, the future folk legend suddenly came into his own with hits like Blowin' In The Wind, A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall, and Don't Think Twice, It's All Right.

James & Connor break down what went wrong for Dylan in our first episode. Then we'll explore his backstory and dive deeper into the making of Freewheelin', from its jazz producer to its strikingly cool (literally) cover photo. The Mixtaper is back to redeem himself with facts about loitering crime, scared children, and a $100,000,000 secondhand couch. As we move through Freewheelin' track by track we'll discover the traditional roots of so many of these songs and learn the social, political, and personal context behind lyrics that evolved the course of popular music. Whether you're here for pacifist protest pieces like Masters Of War, heartaching ballads like Girl From The North Country, or you just want to hear him say "needle" in a funny voice... Freewheelin' could be just the Bob Dylan redemption you need.

Have you tried the infamous cherry cordial milk? Would you be kind to a scruffy vagrant? Is YOUR favorite Dylan track in the acoustic or electric style? Let us know if Dinky Dylan deserved a follow-up in the comments or on socials. See you soon for another album; Happy New Year!!

We're gonna keep on dancing into 2026 with Chappell Roan's electric debut album The Rise And Fall Of A Midwest Princess! Join us as we review and rank this Grammy-nominated record full of powerful pop hits like Red Wine Supernova and HOT TO GO! From a small town in Missouri to the world's biggest stages, Chappell Roan's rise has been surreal. We'll talk about her early folk songwriting days, her move to Los Angeles (and a devastating false start to her career), and the slow and steady rising tide that propelled tracks like Pink Pony Club from obscurity into the spotlight. We'll talk about what makes her music stand out in the modern pop arena, from her unique vocals to her genuine, heartfelt lyrics. 

James & Connor are keeping it Casual this week. After sharing our Chappell Roan discovery stories and learning her history, The Super Graphic Ultra Modern Dastard (aka The Mixtaper) is back at it again with facts about a private pizza party, an accidental duel with a stranger, and a wrestling spectacular! Then we break down this record one track at a time. Listen to Connor struggle to pronounce "Femininomenon," learn the loopholes to being Naked In Manhattan, and reminisce about kaleidoscopes with us! Find out why we'd change the end of the album and see if this Midwest Princess will rise or fall in our rankings!

What's your Guilty Pleasure? Are you an expert at the HOT TO GO dance? Would you stop the world just to stop the feeling?? Give us all your Chappell Roan takes in the comments or on social media. Maybe TikTok? Thanks for ringing in the new year with us! Follow for many more album reviews in 2026.

The Spin-ter Wonderland season is upon us! Get ready for a head-to-head bracket elimination of your favorite holiday hits with our annual NAUGHTY OR NICE Competition! We've selected fourteen songs by artists we've covered on the podcast in the last year and pitted them against one another to determine who comes out on top, based on YOUR VOTES! From Frank Sinatra's crooning Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas to Lady Gaga's Christmas Tree, we've got a blend of new tunes and familiar favorites in the running this year. The Beach Boys' Little Saint Nick is also looking for redemption after underperforming a few years back. Will Fall Out Boy's Yule Shoot Your Eye Out remain our champion??

James & Connor are back to talk about their holiday traditions, previous Naughty Or Nice contests (including the tragic and complicated elimination of Wham! and Last Christmas a year ago). We'll play memory games about Connor's scores and units, learn about each of these seasonal staples, and compete against each other with our own brackets to break a years-long tie. Then we'll end the episode with a new memory game that might end up with James on the naughty list after all!

Thank you for another great year! Which of these holiday songs were your favorites? Would your bracket have matched the final score? Are there any artists we've covered with more deserving Christmas classics? Let us know on social media, and follow us into 2026 next week wherever you get your podcasts!

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!

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! 

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!

If you've lived your whole life before the First Light, you 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 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!

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!

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? Is there an even better record we could have chosen? 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!