On this episode of Vinyl Verdict, Adam and Jamie are joined once again by their friend, Dan Besser! Dan joins us today to talk about Adam's next pick, Igorrr's "Spirituality and Distortion". Released in 2020, it was his fourth album. A mix of avant-garde music, metal, and most perplexingly...polka, "Spirituality and Distortion" is a wildly eccentric album, named in 2024 as one of the 10 most wacky by Loudwire. But what will Dan and the boys think of the combo of blast beats and accordion? Will t...
Apr 17, 2026•1 hr 2 min•Season 4Ep. 11
On this episode of Vinyl Verdict, Adam and Jamie are joined by their new friend Wade! Better known as the hands behind the YouTube channel Dankpods , Wade was visiting us all the way from Australia. His pick for this episode, the Avishai Cohen Trio's "Gently Disturbed" was a favourite from when Wade studied jazz in university. Released in 2007, the trio at the time featured Avishai Cohen on bass, Mark Guiliana on drums and Shai Maestro on piano. At the time of recording, Shai Maestro was only 21...
Apr 02, 2026•1 hr 42 min•Season 4Ep. 10
On this episode of Vinyl Verdict, Adam and Jamie are joined again by Sven - this time for his pick, Linkin Park's "Hybrid Theory" . Released in the distant future of the year 2000, the album was released to critical success. It spawned four singles, "One Step Closer", "In the End", "Crawling" and "Papercut", all of which charted. At the 44th Grammy Awards, "Crawling" won the award for Best Hard Rock Performance. The album has gone on to be named on several Best Of and Must Own lists, but what wi...
Mar 20, 2026•1 hr 1 min•Season 4Ep. 9
On this episode of Vinyl Verdict, Adam and Jamie are joined by their friend and former guest, Sven. This time, Sven is here to talk about Jamie's next pick, Neil Young's 1972 album, "Harvest" . Released to lukewarm critical reception, the album went on to be the highest selling album of 1972, and remains Neil's most successful album. Its success was propelled forward by two huge singles, "Heart of Gold" and "Old Man", with "Heart of Gold" being Neil's only #1 single in his career. But what will ...
Mar 05, 2026•1 hr 6 min•Season 4Ep. 8
On this episode of Vinyl Verdict, Adam and Jamie are joined yet again by their friend Plouffe. His pick today is the 2017 album from Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, "Pizazz". Described as a funk jam band, Pigeons Playing Ping Pong was formed in 2009. A staple in the jam band community, they are the organizers of the Domefest music festival. But are they actually funky? Do they "put the fun in funk", or is this album "too long"? Come along and find out!
Feb 23, 2026•39 min•Season 4Ep. 7
On this episode of Vinyl Verdict, Adam and Jamie are joined once again by Plouffe to discuss Adam's pick, Geese's "Getting Killed" . Released in September 2025, it received nearly unanimous critical acclaim and was ranked highly on many year-end album lists. The album features a lot of surreal imagery and explores a number of themes, such as power and transformation. But what will the boys think of this critically acclaimed album? Will they feel the need to pay their "Taxes"? Will it feel "Half ...
Feb 11, 2026•50 min•Season 4Ep. 6
On this episode of Vinyl Verdict, Adam and Jamie are joined by their friend and former longtime host, Bell. Coming back with him is Begonia, whose album "Fear", we covered in season 1 of the podcast. This time, the album is her 2023 release, "Powder Blue" . Nominated for several awards, including a Juno and a Polaris prize, the album explores more lighthearted emotions than her previous release. The album also utilizes several different musical styles and genres throughout, creating a very lusci...
Jan 28, 2026•52 min•Season 4Ep. 5
On this episode of Vinyl Verdict, Adam and Jamie are joined by their friend and former host, Plouffe to talk about his pick: John Mayer's "Room For Squares" . His debut album, it was released initially as a digital download in June 2001, before being released as an actual physical album in September 2001. Spawning three hit singles, the album has gone on to sell five million copies in the US alone, and earned John Mayer a Grammy in 2003. But what will the boys think of this album? Will they say ...
Dec 02, 2025•58 min•Season 4Ep. 3
On this episode of Vinyl Verdict, Adam and Jamie talk about Jamie's first pick of Season 4, Dire Straits' "Alchemy". Released in 1984, it was their first live album and their fifth album in total. This album has been requested by our most loyal fan, Dave (sorry Sarah). Clocking in at two LPs and just a hair under 90 minutes in length, "Alchemy" represents the final show of the tour in support of the album "Love Over Gold". Recorded via the Rolling Stones Mobile Studio at the Hammersmith Odeon, t...
Nov 16, 2025•55 min•Season 4Ep. 2
Welcome to season four of Vinyl Verdict! On this episode, Adam and Jamie discuss Adam's first pick, Vampire Weekend's "Modern Vampires of the City" . Released in May 2013, it was their third studio album. Following the success of their second album "Contra" , the band took a break before coming back to record this album. The result was an immediate commercial and critical success, with dozens of outlets calling the album one of the best of 2013. The album was supported by three singles - "Diane ...
Nov 05, 2025•1 hr 1 min•Season 4Ep. 1
On this episode of Vinyl Verdict, the boys discuss the season that was. We re-rank the albums, talk about winners and losers, and what albums really stood out to us this year. We also get into albums from previous years! On a less fun note, we also discuss some changes for Season 4. Will their be laughter? Will there be tears? Come along and find out! Here's our Top 10s Bell: Frank Ocean - Blond(e) Pink Floyd - The Dark Side of the Moon Mac DeMarco - This Old Dog Jack J - Blue Desert NxWorries -...
Aug 09, 2025•1 hr 8 min•Season 3Ep. 44
On this episode of Vinyl Verdict, Bell, Jamie and Adam listen to Adam's last pick for the season, Lupe Fiasco's "Samurai". Released in 2024, it was his ninth studio album. The whole concept for the album is based around a voicemail Amy Winehouse left her producer, stating that she kept coming up with battle raps, and Lupe Fiasco makes the quote a reality. Coming in at a tight 30 minutes in length, the album explores themes such as the struggle artists face, fame and self doubt. But will the boys...
Aug 05, 2025•54 min•Season 3Ep. 43
On this episode of Vinyl Verdict, Bell, Jamie and Adam listen to Jamie's final pick for Season 3, The Beach Boys' "Pet Sounds" . Released in 1966, it was a monumental work that influenced many artists. Inspired by the Beatles' 1965 album "Rubber Soul" , Brian Wilson, the creative head of The Beach Boys decided to make an album that surpassed it in every way. The pursuit of perfection meant that the band didn't actually play on many of the songs and instead enlisted many session musicians to comp...
Jul 26, 2025•1 hr 2 min•Season 3Ep. 42
Hey it's your buddy Jamie - sorry we've missed a few uploads here and there lately, all of us have been very busy! On this episode of Vinyl Verdict, Bell, Jamie and Adam listen to Bell's last pick for this season, Amy Winehouse's "Back to Black" . Released in 2006, it was her second and final studio album before her death in 2011. Propelled by the singles "Back To Black" , "Rehab" and "Y ou Know I'm No Good ", the album hit #1 in 19 countries. At the 2007 Grammy Awards, it won Record of the Year...
Jul 18, 2025•48 min•Season 3Ep. 41
On this special episode of Vinyl Verdict, Bell, Jamie and Adam go see a concert film! In a first for the podcast, we cover Pink Floyd's "Live At Pompeii" film, which was recently re-released to theatres in IMAX format. Along with restored visuals, the films' audio was reworked with a new 5.1 mix by Steven Wilson. Filmed partially inside the Amphitheatre of Pompeii and partially within a studio, the film explores their music prior to the release of "Dark Side of the Moon", and is bookended by a p...
Jun 19, 2025•54 min•Season 3Ep. 40
On this episode of Vinyl Verdict, Bell, Jamie and Adam are joined by their friend Reece to talk about Adam's next pick - Joey Valence & Brae's "No Hands". Released in 2024, it was their second album. With a sound that is a callback to hip-hop of days past, the duo raps with a style reminiscent of the Beastie Boys, which we've covered before in our episode on their album "Paul's Boutique". The group's ability to go viral on platforms such as TikTok has allowed them to skyrocket in popularity ...
Jun 11, 2025•51 min•Season 3Ep. 39
On this episode of Vinyl Verdict, Bell, Jamie and Adam listen to Jamie's next pick, AC/DC's "Back in Black" . Released in 1980, it was their seventh studio album. Following the death of their lead singer, Bon Scott in February 1980, the band sought out a new singer and selected Brian Johnson who was formerly of the band Geordie. The album was recorded quickly and released in July 1980 to tremendous success. It is the second-best selling album with an estimated 50 million records sold, following ...
Jun 04, 2025•41 min•Season 3Ep. 38
On this episode of Vinyl Verdict, Bell, Jamie and Adam listen to Bell's next pick, Limp Bizkit's "Significant Other". Released in 1999, it was their second studio album. Following the success of their previous album "Three Dollar Bill, Y'all", the band was invited to perform at Woodstock '99. The band's performance has been widely criticized as having further instigated violence at the festival, particularly during their performance of the song Break Stuff. Controversy surrounding this appearanc...
May 26, 2025•58 min•Season 3Ep. 37
On this special episode of Vinyl Verdict, Bell, Jamie and Adam are joined by their friend and former host, Plouffe! Plouffe's pick for this week is "Demon Days" by Gorillaz, a call back to our first episode, which was their album " The Now Now". Released in 2005, it was their second album. Propelled ahead by the success of the singles "Feel Good Inc", which later won the Grammy for Best Pop Collaboration and "DARE", the album is their most successful in terms of sales to date. The album discusse...
May 09, 2025•1 hr 9 min•Season 3Ep. 36
On this episode of Vinyl Verdict, Bell, Jamie and Adam listen to Adam's next pick, Deafheaven's "Sunbather" . Released in 2013, it was their second album. The album was critically well received, with many reviewers noting its ability to unite elements of other genres and styles into one cohesive sound. On year-end lists for 2013, it was listed as one of the top albums of the year, with many publications saying it was the best Metal album of that year. But will this be the best metal album of thi...
May 03, 2025•55 min•Season 3Ep. 36
On this episode of Vinyl Verdict, Bell, Jamie and Adam listen to Jamie's next pick, Carole King's "Tapestry". Released in 1971, it was her second studio album. By the time of the release of this album, Carole King was already an established songwriter, having written or co-written dozens of hit singles. This album won 4 Grammy Awards in the following year, including Album of the Year. It is one of the highest selling albums of all time, with over 25 million copies sold, and holds the record the ...
Apr 26, 2025•40 min•Season 3Ep. 35
On this episode of Vinyl Verdict, Bell, Jamie and Adam listen to Bell's next pick, Mother Mother's "O My Heart". Released in 2008, it was their second album. A band local to us in Vancouver, they got their start on Quadra Island, which is between the mainland and Vancouver Island. In 2020-1, several tracks off of "O My Heart" went viral on TikTok, leading to a resurgence of interest in this album. But will the boys have a resurgence of interest in listening to this album again? Will they instead...
Apr 20, 2025•52 min•Season 3Ep. 34
On this episode of Vinyl Verdict, Bell, Jamie and Adam listen to Adam's next pick, Wilco's "A.M. " Released in 1995, it was their debut album. The band was formed following a series of disputes between Jeff Tweedy and Jay Farrar of Uncle Tupelo, with Tweedy going on to form Wilco and Farrar going on to form Son Volt. Both " A.M." and Son Volt's album "Trace" were highly anticipated because of the turmoil in Uncle Tupelo. Ultimately, "Trace" became the more critically respected album, and Wilco e...
Apr 13, 2025•52 min•Season 3Ep. 33
On this episode of Vinyl Verdict, Bell, Jamie and Adam listen to Jamie's next pick, Peter Gabriel's " So". Released in 1986, it was this fifth studio album after leaving Genesis in 1976. This album is his highest charting, most critically well respected and most awarded. Five singles from the album charted, with the most successful being Sledgehammer, which we covered in the Season One episode Hot Singles in Your Area . The album was nominated for Album of the Year at the Grammy Awards, but lost...
Apr 05, 2025•1 hr 5 min•Season 3Ep. 32
On this inaugural episode of CD Consensus, Bell, Jamie and Adam explore the magic world of music played by lasers! Adam brings Weird Al’s album Straight Outta Lynwood, released in 2006 . Bell brings the soundtrack to the 2015 game Life is Strange . Jamie brings the Foo Fighters The Colour and the Shape , released in 1997. Just like our previous incarnation as a vinyl record podcast, the choices could not be more different! Come along as we discuss the compact disc!...
Apr 01, 2025•2 hr 29 min•Season 3Ep. 31
On this episode of Vinyl Verdict, Bell, Jamie and Adam listen to Bell's next pick, NxWorries' "Why Lawd?". Made up of the duo of Anderson .Paak and Knxwledge, this is their second album, released in 2024. Following Anderson .Paak's painful divorce, the album touches on a number of related emotions and thoughts. Critically well received, the album was praised for Knxwledge's intricate production work. At the 67th Grammy Awards, the album won Best Progressive R&B Album. But will the album be w...
Mar 22, 2025•1 hr•Season 3Ep. 30
On this special epsiode of Vinyl Verdict, Bell, Jamie and Adam ask their sisters to pick an album from their collection. Bell's sister Ashley picks Bill Withers' "Just As I Am" , released in 1971. The album was critically well received upon release and was home to the hit single "Ain't No Sunshine" , which won the Grammy Award for Song of the Year. Adam's sister Karen picks twenty one pilots' "Vessel", released in 2013. The album received mostly positive reviews upon release and is considered on...
Mar 16, 2025•2 hr 23 min•Season 3Ep. 29
On this episode of Vinyl Verdict, Bell, Jamie and Adam listen to Adam's next pick, King Crimson's "Red". Released in 1974, it was their seventh studio album, and the last King Crimson album until the group was re-formed by bandleader Robert Fripp in 1981. The album has been cited as an important work in both progressive rock and heavy metal, influencing a multitude of other artists, such as Kurt Cobain. But what will the boys think of the album? Will they describe it as "One More Red Nightmare" ...
Mar 08, 2025•50 min•Season 3Ep. 28
On this episode of Vinyl Verdict, Bell, Jamie and Adam listen to Jamie's next pick, Paul McCartney & Wings' "Band on the Run". Released in 1973, it was his fifth album since leaving The Beatles in 1970, and his third album with his new group, Wings. To date, it is his most successful post-Beatles album in terms of sales and critical rating. Recorded partially in Lagos, Nigeria with final overdubs recorded in London, the album won Best Engineered Non-Classical Album at the 17th Grammy Awards ...
Mar 02, 2025•1 hr 5 min•Season 3Ep. 27
On this episode of Vinyl Verdict, Bell, Jamie and Adam listen to Bell's next pick, Pezz's "Watoosh!". Released in 1999, it is the only album from Pezz, because as it turns out, there was another band called Pezz already. The band later changed their name to Billy Talent and is now one of Canada's most successful artists. "Watoosh!" is reminiscent of a number of albums we have covered previously because it is a little bit of what you might hear on a Tony Hawk soundtrack. But what will the boys th...
Feb 25, 2025•1 hr 2 min•Season 3Ep. 26
