Content warning for this episode: we talk about hate crimes, sex crimes and spousal abuse. We also left the swears in. Come back to us next week for a not as spicy episode if any of that sounds rotten to you. On this episode of Vinyl Verdict, Bell, Jamie and Plouffe talk about albums in their collections from artists who have bad things . Bell's pick, Kids See Ghost's only album, features notorious rapper Kanye West. Plouffe's pick is Queens of the Stone Age's Villains . Jamie's pick is Brand Ne...
Feb 19, 2023•1 hr 19 min•Season 1Ep. 35
On this episode of Vinyl Verdict, Bell, Jamie and Plouffe listen to Plouffe's next pick, Steve Hiett's Down on the Road by the Beach. Steve Hiett started off as a concert photographer for such greats as Jimi Hendrix, The Doors and The Beach Boys, and then graduated to being a fashion photographer for publications such as Vogue. Along the way, it was requested that he write and perform an album of music to go with an exhibition of his art. The resulting album and exhibition was titled Down on the...
Feb 12, 2023•42 min•Season 1Ep. 34
On this episode of Vinyl Verdict, Bell, Jamie and Plouffe listen to Jamie's next pick, Led Zeppelin's Untitled Fourth Album . Commonly referred to as Led Zeppelin IV , it was released in 1971. After reviews of the band's third album were lukewarm at best, Led Zeppelin sought out to make an album and give it no title, instead representing it by three hand drawn symbols by each member of the band. While this move was opposed by the record company, they eventually relented and released the album. S...
Feb 04, 2023•34 min•Season 1Ep. 33
On this episode of Vinyl Verdict, Bell, Jamie and Plouffe listen to Bell's next pick, Green Day's American Idiot . Released in September 2004, American Idiot was somewhat of a departure for the band in that it was their first album that sought to tell a whole story, rather than just be a collection of songs. The album was an overwhelming success, spawning five singles that received a good amount of radio airtime and later, a musical based on the songs and characters of the album. The album later...
Jan 28, 2023•51 min•Season 1Ep. 32
On this episode of Vinyl Verdict, Bell, Jamie and Plouffe talk about their favourite live albums. Bell and Plouffe bring two albums from the MTV Unplugged series - Courtney Barnett's Live in Melbourne, released in 2019 and Alice in Chains' MTV Unplugged, released in 1996. Changing up series and sounds, Jamie's pick is Sam Cooke's Live at the Harlem Square 1963, released in 1985. Join the boys as they discuss all three albums - what they like about them, what they look for in a live album and whe...
Jan 21, 2023•1 hr 4 min•Season 1Ep. 31
On this episode of Vinyl Verdict, Bell, Jamie and Plouffe listen to Plouffe's next pick, Aesop Rock's The Impossible Kid . His seventh album, it was released in 2016 to overwhelmingly positive reviews. Aesop Rock is known for using deep wordplay in his lyrics, where the listener is left to decide what the meaning is and many publications noted that this trend continued, but in a more introspective and personal direction. Despite being released independently, the album was a commercial success as...
Jan 15, 2023•50 min•Season 1Ep. 30
On this episode of Vinyl Verdict, Bell, Jamie and Plouffe listen to Jamie's next pick, ZZ Top's Eliminator . Their eighth studio album, Eliminator was released in 1983 and marks a departure from their earlier blues influenced sound to something very in keeping with the 80s. The album featured the use of drum machines and synthesizers, with guitarist Billy Gibbons saying he took inspiration from bands such as Depeche Mode and Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark for this change in their sound. The a...
Jan 09, 2023•49 min•Season 1Ep. 29
On this episode of Vinyl Verdict, Bell, Jamie and Plouffe listen to Bell's next pick, Ween's The Mollusk. Their sixth album, The Mollusk was the first album done in a traditional recording studio and with an expanded lineup, adding a drummer in place of a drum machine used on previous albums. Like the Audioslave album we covered a couple weeks back, the album cover was designed by Storm Thorgerson, who had previously done album covers for bands such as Pink Floyd. The album was a great influence...
Dec 31, 2022•38 min•Season 1Ep. 28
On this episode of Vinyl Verdict, Bell, Jamie and Plouffe talk about their favourite holiday records! Plouffe and Jamie bring two Christmas classics with Bing Crosby's Merry Christmas and Percy Faith's Music of Christmas . Bell brings a Hannukah themed album with the soundtrack to Eight Crazy Nights . Along the way they discuss holiday memories such as "having the tree". What does that mean? Come along and find out, and Happy Holidays from the three of us at Vinyl Verdict!...
Dec 25, 2022•57 min
On this episode of Vinyl Verdict, Bell, Jamie and Plouffe listen to Plouffe's next pick, Audioslave's Audioslave . Like the self-titled release from Boston we covered a few episodes back, Audioslave came out of the gate hot. Made up of Chris Cornell from Soundgarden on vocals, and everyone who isn't named Zack de la Rocha from Rage Against the Machine, Audioslave was one of the 21st century's first supergroups. The album spawned five singles, propelled by the loud and often weird guitar sounds f...
Dec 17, 2022•42 min•Season 1Ep. 27
On this episode of Vinyl Verdict, Bell, Jamie and Plouffe listen to Jamie's next pick, Miles Davis' Workin' With the Miles Davis Quintet. Recorded in two sessions in 1956, Workin' is part of a series of albums - Workin', Steamin' Cookin' and Relaxin' . All four albums are considered staples of 50's jazz and are widely regarded as some of the best jazz albums of all time. Will the boys discover that jazz is around every corner? Come along and find out!
Dec 10, 2022•36 min•Season 1Ep. 26
On this episode of Vinyl Verdict, Bell, Jamie and Plouffe listen to Bell's next pick, Begonia's Fear. Hailing from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Begonia was formerly a member of Juno Award winning band Chic Gamine, before starting a solo career in 2017. Her first album, Fear , was shortlisted for a Juno Award. Will the boys fear this album, or will they be living on the ceiling after listening to it? Come along and find out!
Dec 03, 2022•38 min•Season 1Ep. 25
On this episode of Vinyl Verdict, Bell, Jamie and Plouffe are joined by Adam Sondergard to talk about his pick, Sleep's Dopesmoker . Their third record, Dopesmoker was recorded in 1996 and was supposed to be their major label debut, but it all went wrong. When the band presented this as their album, London Records balked at releasing an album that was a single long song. It went unreleased until 1999, when Earache Records released it as Jerusalem in a slightly different configuration. This versi...
Nov 26, 2022•45 min•Season 1Ep. 24
On this episode of Vinyl Verdict, Bell, Jamie and Plouffe listen to Plouffe's next pick, The Mars Volta's The Mars Volta . Their seventh studio album, The Mars Volta represents somewhat of a clean slate for the band and a clear departure from their earlier, more progressive rock sound. Released to critical acclaim, the album reached #6 on the Billboard Alternative chart. Will the boys also critically acclaim the album? Will Jamie finally enjoy anything by the Mars Volta? Come along and find out!...
Nov 21, 2022•38 min•Season 1Ep. 23
On this episode of Vinyl Verdict, Bell, Jamie and Plouffe listen to Jamie's next pick, Boston's Boston . Their self titled debut album, Boston marks the culmination of years of home recording by Tom Scholz, the lead guitarist and founder of the band. Recorded in both Scholz' basement, and in Los Angeles, the album was released in August 1976 and became an overnight hit. It was first picked up by a single radio station in Cleveland, and then the following week had made it to 392 stations througho...
Nov 12, 2022•32 min•Season 1Ep. 22
On this episode of Vinyl Verdict, Bell, Jamie and Plouffe listen to Bell's next pick, Radiohead's In Rainbows. Their seventh studio album, In Rainbows was originally released as a digital download with the payment of any amount getting you a copy of the album. It later received a worldwide release on CD and vinyl. Spanning several genres including Art Rock, Alternative and Electronica, In Rainbows was named as one of the best albums of 2007, and later one of the best albums of the 00's. In 2020,...
Nov 05, 2022•35 min•Season 1Ep. 21
On this episode of Vinyl Verdict, Bell, Jamie and Plouffe talk about their favourite singles. Jamie brings a bucket of singles to share with the boys, before getting into his single - Peter Gabriel's "Sledgehammer". Plouffe brings his beloved single by Takako Mamiya "Love Trip" and discusses the mystery surrounding the artist. Wrapping the episode, Bell talks about Kero Kero Bonito's "Flamingo" and how much fun it is. If you wondered what our favourite singles were - or whether Jamie knows how t...
Oct 30, 2022•36 min•Season 1Ep. 20
On this episode of Vinyl Verdict, Bell, Jamie and Plouffe listen to Plouffe's next pick, The Growlers' Chinese Fountain. Their fourth studio album, Chinese Fountain could best be described as psychedelic surf and garage rock, with a lot of the lyrical content dealing with finding and losing love. Upon release, the album received positive reviews, with many reviewers saying that it was one of the best indie albums of 2014. The album also charted well, hitting #7 on the Heatseekers chart and #35 o...
Oct 24, 2022•29 min•Season 1Ep. 19
On this episode of Vinyl Verdict, Bell, Jamie and Plouffe listen to Jamie's next pick, the Beastie Boys' Paul's Boutique . Either one long single LP, or two LPs in the case of Plouffe's special edition copy, Paul's Boutique is their second album. Coming three years after the release of the wildly successful License to Ill, this album was a wild departure from that album. Early critical reaction to album was largely mixed, with reception of the album becoming overwhelmingly positive as time went ...
Oct 15, 2022•54 min•Season 1Ep. 18
On this episode of Vinyl Verdict, Bell, Jamie and Plouffe listen to Bell's next pick, Yaeji's EP1 + EP2. A compilation album comprising her first two EPs, EP1 +EP2 has been described as being in both the lo-fi house and trap genres. The album features lyrics in a combination of both English and Korean, reflecting Yaeji's upbringing in both the United States and Korea. Will the boys go to the club and beat up the beat, or will they give the record two thumbs way down? Come along and find out!...
Oct 08, 2022•38 min•Season 1Ep. 17
On this episode of Vinyl Verdict, Bell, Jamie and Plouffe listen to their picks for the records they regret adding to their collection. What makes a record a regretful experience? Is it bad art? Poor quality audio? Or is it that it's a Rush album? Come along and share in the regret with us!
Oct 02, 2022•46 min•Season 1Ep. 16
On this episode of Vinyl Verdict, Bell, Jamie and Plouffe listen to Plouffe's next pick, Blind Melon's Nico . Released after the death of lead singer Shannon Hoon, Nico is named after his daughter, Nico Blue. Nico is a compilation album made up of odds and sods from various Blind Melon recording sessions, answering machine messages and alternate takes. Proceeds from the royalties and album sales were initially placed in a college trust for Nico Blue. Will the boys find the album to be the greate...
Sep 24, 2022•28 min•Season 1Ep. 15
On this episode of Vinyl Verdict, Bell, Jamie and Plouffe listen to Jamie's next pick - The Rolling Stones' Exile on Main St . Recorded mostly in the basement of Keith Richards' rented villa in the south of France, Exile on Main St. was recorded at a time of transition for the band. While reviews at the time of release in 1971 were mixed at best, it has been since re-evaluated as the Stones' greatest album and has earned accolades including #7 on the list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time i...
Sep 17, 2022•44 min•Season 1Ep. 14
On this episode of Vinyl Verdict, Bell, Jamie and Plouffe listen to Bell's next pick - Mac Miller's Swimming in Circles . Released posthumously, Swimming in Circles is a box set of Swimming, his fifth album and Circles, his sixth and final, studio album. The albums explore themes relating to the era of life Mac Miller felt he was in at the time. Both albums were critically well received at the time of their release, with many reviewers praising how cohesive and introspective the lyrics were. Wil...
Sep 10, 2022•44 min•Season 1Ep. 13
On this episode of Vinyl Verdict, Bell, Jamie and Plouffe are joined by Colin Worobetz to talk about his pick - Jungle - For Ever . Jungle is a neo-soul/funk band from England, consisting of only two members because much of their sound is based in electronic techniques. On tour the band expands to seven members! Released in 2018, For Ever is Jungle's second album and it went to #10 in the UK and #6 on the US Billboard Top Dance/Electronic albums chart. Will the boys put this album at the top of ...
Sep 03, 2022•38 min•Season 1Ep. 12
On this episode of Vinyl Verdict, Bell, Jamie and Plouffe listen to Plouffe's next pick, Jazz Spastiks' Scratch & Sniff. Jazz Spastiks are an underground hip-hop and beat making group from the UK, sometimes referred to as the "rough smooth duo". Scratch & Sniff is a record with a theme centered around smells and was sold with a booklet with you guessed it - scratch and sniff stickers for each track. Will the record pass the sniff test with the boys? Will it be an olfactory delight or jus...
Aug 28, 2022•32 min•Season 1Ep. 11
On this episode of Vinyl Verdict, Bell, Jamie and Plouffe listen to Jamie's next pick - Rod Stewart's Every Picture Tells a Story. Released in 1971, this is Rod Stewart's third studio album. Featuring the members of his previous group The Faces, it reached number one on the charts in Australia, Canada, the UK and the US in 1971. Will the boys like this album or will it paint a picture best left forgotten? Come along and find out!
Aug 20, 2022•46 min•Season 1Ep. 10
On this episode of Vinyl Verdict, Bell, Jamie and Plouffe listen to Bell's next pick - Lianne La Havas' - Lianne La Havas. Her third studio album, Lianne La Havas came out after a five year hiatus following her second studio album. Released to overwhelmingly positive reviews by critics, the album has been called "truly captivating" and "jazzy, soulful and understated". Will the boys find the album truly captivating, or will they find the album paper thin? Come along and find out!...
Aug 13, 2022•45 min•Season 1Ep. 9
Today on Vinyl Verdict, Bell, Jamie and Plouffe take a listen to their favourite TV and Movie soundtracks. Come along as the boys talk about what they like in a soundtrack. Will it be a cinematic experience? Will there be laughs? Will there be Conan the Barbarian? Tune in and find out!
Aug 06, 2022•1 hr 10 min•Season 1Ep. 8
On this episode of Vinyl Verdict, Bell, Jamie, and Plouffe listen to Plouffe's next pick -- Gift of Gab's Rejoice! Rappers are Rapping Again! Gift of Gab was a prolific artist both solo and with Blackalicious, having put out a multitude of albums, mixtapes, EPs and collaborations before his death in 2021. Released in 2017, Rejoice! Rappers are Rapping Again! is Gift of Gab's third EP, and it comes in at a swift 21 minutes long. Will the boys enjoy their brief time with the album, or will they th...
Jul 30, 2022•36 min•Season 1Ep. 7
