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 Intro

4:30 About Hozier

13:04 About Unreal Unearth

18:13 Podcast Segment That Feels Like Hozier's Yell

19:10 Awards & Accolades

21:22 Fact Or Spin

22:50 His Fans Track Him

27:22 He Nearly Drowned

31:22 He's Immortal

34:43 He Offered Biscuits To Faeries

43:04 Album Art

44:30 Nobody's Soldier

46:22 July

48:53 That You Are

51:18 Too Sweet

55:44 Wildflower And Barley (feat. Allison Russell)

59:09 Empire Now

1:01:00 Fare Well

1:02:34 De Selby (Part 1)

1:04:55 De Selby (Part 2)

1:08:09 First Time

1:10:49 Francesca

1:13:43 I, Carrion (Icarian)

1:16:59 Eat Your Young

1:20:19 Damage Gets Done (feat. Brandi Carlile)

1:22:56 Who We Are

1:26:34 Son Of Nyx

1:28:26 All Things End

1:30:22 To Someone From A Warm Climate (Uiscefhuaraithe)

1:33:44 Butchered Tongue

1:36:05 Anything But

1:38:41 Abstract (Psychopomp)

1:40:50 Unknown / Nth

1:42:52 First Light

1:45:05 Final Spin

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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 Intro

3:14 About Randy Newman

12:50 About Sail Away

20:40 Awards & Accolades

23:58 Fact Or Spin

24:44 Randy Newman Has A Friend In The Cincinnati Bengals

27:37 He's Got A Friend In A Dancing Bear

30:28 He Has A Friend In A FAKE Dancing Bear

33:02 Randy Newman's Got A Friend In Harrison Ford

38:12 Album Art

39:58 Sail Away

45:04 Lonely At The Top

46:27 He Gives Us All His Love

47:49 Last Night I Had A Dream

49:27 Simon Smith And The Amazing Dancing Bear

51:45 Old Man

53:58 Political Science

56:35 Burn On

59:13 Memo To My Son

1:00:43 Dayton, Ohio - 1903

1:02:30 You Can Leave Your Hat On

1:04:05 God's Song (That's Why I Love Mankind)

1:05:13 Let It Shine

1:06:48 Final Spin

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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 Intro

0:48 Last Time: America

3:18 Past 30STM Experience

6:58 About Thirty Seconds To Mars

11:10 About A Beautiful Lie

20:18 Awards & Accolades

21:26 Fact Or Spin

24:05 The Band's Desert Pyramid Extravaganza

28:13 The Tale Of Mars Island

35:45 They're Pioneers Of Space Rock Marketing

39:16 The Band Wanted To Record On The International Space Station

47:39 Album Art

49:19 Attack

52:54 A Beautiful Lie

57:16 The Kill

1:03:16 Was It A Dream?

1:04:52 The Fantasy

1:05:59 Savior

1:07:00 From Yesterday

1:09:28 The Story

1:10:56 R-Evolve

1:12:34 A Modern Myth

1:13:06 Battle Of One

1:14:13 Hunter

1:15:26 Final Spin

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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 Intro

8:31 About The Early November

11:18 About The Mother, The Mechanic, And The Path

18:29 Fact Or Spin

20:21 They Have An Impressive Conga

29:38 They Had A Tarot Interpreter

32:07 They Wrote A Hit While Desert Surfing

35:37 They Might Hold The Record For Most Replaced Equipment In A Month

42:18 Album Art

43:33 Doing Things A Little Differently

44:41 Disc 1: The Mechanic

46:28 Decoration

47:33 No Good At Saying Sorry

49:24 Outside

49:55 The Car In 20

50:10 Figure It Out

51:09 Disc 2: The Mother

52:00 My Lack Of Skill

52:23 A Little More Time

53:11 Hair

55:13 The Truth Is / 1000 Times A Day

57:18 Disc 3: The Path

1:04:43 Story Content

1:07:33 Standout Disc 3 Moments

1:07:42 Long Talks

1:08:20 Guess What

1:09:56 Runaway & Runaway II

1:11:31 Final Spin

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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 Intro

1:57 About Asking Alexandria (2017)

5:50 Our Opinions

15:54 Wrap-Up

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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 Intro

3:52 About Asking Alexandria

8:09 About Reckless & Relentless

15:49 Awards & Accolades

16:09 Fact Or Spin

17:45 They Performed With Elvis

21:50 Asking Alexandria Flooded A Venue

25:20 They Literally Brought The House Down

28:45 They Have VERY Passionate Fans

34:43 Album Art

35:43 Welcome

36:49 Dear Insanity

39:42 Closure

41:09 A Lesson Never Learned

43:02 To The Stage

44:42 Dedication

45:33 Someone, Somewhere

48:05 Breathless

49:03 The Match

51:38 Another Bottle Down

52:33 Reckless & Relentless

54:31 Morte Et Dabo

56:27 Final Spin

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Black Sabbath has us Paranoid as we review their sophomore album this week! After Ozzy Osbourne, Geezer Butler, and company literally invented the genre of heavy metal with their debut they knew they needed to push the envelope to further define and refine their style with the next release. With just three days of studio time and hits like War Pigs and Iron Man in their arsenal, find out if Paranoid ranks among the greats... or if it gets an Electric Funeral.

James & Connor explore the record's origins as Walpurgis, talk about the Prince Of Darkness' life and legacy, and dive into the recording techniques used to make Paranoid stand out-- from floaty flutes to metal fan blades. Connor the Concept King tries to imagine the Iron Man story woven into the MCU, and The Mixtaper is bringing us facts of the band's unbelievable antics (emphasis on the ANT). We'll talk about mysterious aerosol poisons, exploding fish, and Michael Bolton's branching career path during Fact Or Spin. Can Black Sabbath make this a Mixtober to remember? 

We've got one more Mixtober week in store, so make sure to subscribe and follow for more! This album has the band's highest concentration of hits... but is it Black Sabbath's best? Let us know your thoughts in the comments or on socials!

Keep Spinning at www.SpinItPod.com!

Thanks for listening!

0:00 Intro

2:13 About Black Sabbath

10:32 About Paranoid

18:48 Back To The Beginning Reunion Show

19:44 Awards & Accolades

20:10 Fact Or Spin

21:30 They Almost Had A Wildly Different Lead Singer

26:02 Ozzy Snorted A Line Of Live Ants

31:10 Ozzy Accidentally Poisoned His Drummer

34:54 Richard Branson's Fish Had A Bad Christmas

43:20 Album Art

45:11 War Pigs/Luke's Wall

48:49 Paranoid

51:43 Planet Caravan

54:33 Iron Man

58:43 Electric Funeral

1:01:13 Hand Of Doom

1:03:40 Rat Salad

1:05:27 Jack The Stripper / Fairies Wear Boots

1:07:53 Final Spin

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Will The Real Slim Shady please stand up? Mixtober continues as we score and rank The Marshall Mathers LP, the third record by legendary Detroit hip-hop artist Eminem! His shocking, horror film-esque lyrics exploded onto the scene with his Slim Shady LP, and this time around (as the title suggests) he gives us a peek behind the persona with a personal glimpse into sudden fame and public backlash about his music. The record produced hits like the iconic Real Slim Shady, The Way I Am, and of course one of Em's all-time greats in Stan!

We'll talk about the Rap Olympics that launched Eminem's career, explore his meaningful relationship with Dr. Dre that led to the album's distinct sonic profile, and learn about villains on the M&Ms wiki as we break down this record. Connor's already claimed Eminem as a favorite rapper... but will his score reflect that? The Mixtaper is pulling no punches with facts about an insulting feud, a taste of how Eminem vents his frustration, and a home sold off one piece at a time. Will this album scare us away, or will this Criminal-ly catchy wordplay keep us Under The Influence?

Follow us for more Mixtober-y albums all month long! Let us know your favorite Eminem facts in the comments or on socials, and give us a like if you learned something (about the rapper OR about the little dragee lentil candies)!

Thanks for listening!

Keep Spinning at www.SpinItPod.com!

0:00 Intro

3:36 About Eminem

13:38 About The Marshall Mathers LP

22:05 Awards & Accolades

24:01 Fact Or Spin

27:31 Eminem Had A Feud Live On TV

32:12 He Puts His Enemies On Dartboards

35:19 Eminem Sold His Childhood Home (Piece By Piece)

40:59 He Used A Chainsaw To Kill A Barracuda

47:12 Album Art

48:38 Public Service Announcement 2000

49:50 Kill You

53:31 Stan

58:05 Paul - Skit

58:27 Who Knew

1:00:41 Steve Berman

1:01:25 The Way I Am

1:03:54 The Real Slim Shady

1:07:20 Remember Me?

1:08:39 I'm Back

1:09:40 Marshall Mathers

1:10:42 Ken Kaniff - Skit

1:11:41 Drug Ballad

1:12:41 Amityville

1:14:32 B** Please II

1:15:42 Kim

1:18:02 Under The Influence

1:19:03 Criminal

1:20:39 Final Spin

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HAPPY MIXTOBER! Connor is out of town, so once again the Mixtaper is taking over for his annual Halloween Thirteen playlist, with 13 songs guaranteed to get you into the spirit of the season! But there's a twist: too many holidays each year go underappreciated (and under-soundtracked), so this time around our resident dastard has decided to share some Halloween Hits with other holidays throughout the year. James will have 60 seconds to solve his clues and figure out which special day will be rocking these songs. You definitely already celebrate some of these holidays and definitely haven't heard of the rest. It's Another Another spooky special in the way only The Mixtaper can, so celebrate Mixtober all month long with us as we kick it off this week!

Listen along with The Mixtaper's playlist on Spotify and YouTube!

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1yMLM0aeo8Ns8TtxVsSxmx?si=9c947311e2b6401f

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1O2-oFmWXM&list=PLYumnChiw_I8Z68AxRXm4_r4Bbc6r4gqj

Keep Spinning at www.SpinItPod.com!

Thanks for listening!

0:00 Intro

2:49 Previous Halloween 13s Recap

5:14 What's New For Another Another Halloween 13

8:54 Rules Of The Game

10:43 The Time Warp - Rocky Horror Picture Show

15:36 Werewolves Of London - Warren Zevon

19:31 Haunted - Taylor Swift

23:47 Purple People Eater - Sheb Wooley

26:50 Spooky Scary Skeletons - Andrew Gold

30:58 People Are Strange - The Doors

33:55 The Addams Family Theme

37:29 Hungry Like The Wolf - Duran Duran

40:00 Hell's Kitchen - Alice Cooper

43:16 The Season Of The Witch - Donovan

45:45 Bela Lugosi's Dead - Bauhaus

49:23 Abracadabra - The Steve Miller Band

52:02 Strange Brew - Cream

54:26 Another Another 13 Recap

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No alarms and No Surprises! This week we're revisiting Radiohead for the Year Of Redemption! Connor tore into the experimental nature of Kid A on Episode 53, so we're turning back the clock to another definitive, revolutionary Radiohead record: OK Computer. We'll learn the story behind this iconic album (from transportation anxiety to haunted mansions), which features some of their greatest hits like Paranoid Android and Let Down! The Mixtaper plays the role of Karma Police with Fact Or Spin rounds about sleepy fans, puppet publicity, and bullying. Can this song-shaped non-concept album get Lucky and increase Connor's score, or is Radiohead a band doomed to the bottom of his rankings?

Keep Spinning at www.SpinItPod.com!

Thanks for listening!

0:00 Intro

3:59 About Radiohead

6:38 About OK Computer

20:43 Awards & Accolades

21:39 Fact Or Spin

23:18 They Stopped A Show To Help A Sleepy Fan

26:46 Thom Yorke Did An Interview With A Sock Puppet

30:09 Radiohead Bullied A Child

35:50 Radiohead Has Ghost Detecting Equipment

43:58 Album Art

46:24 Airbag

51:39 Paranoid Android

57:53 Subterranean Homesick Alien

1:00:23 Exit Music (For A Film)

1:04:54 Let Down

1:08:18 Karma Police

1:11:59 Fitter Happier

1:14:27 Electioneering

1:16:48 Climbing Up The Walls

1:19:28 No Surprises

1:23:35 Lucky

1:25:19 The Tourist

1:27:30 Final Spin

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