The Album of Record

The Album of Record podcast is a weekly conversation between Craig Lyndall and Andrew Schnitkey through the lens of growing up with 90s rock music as the backdrop.

Rest in Peace Bo Lueders 04/10/2026

Acid Bath, Ben Quad, Filth is Eternal, and More 04/03/2026

Ticketmaster Settlement is a Joke 03/13/2026

Louder Than Life has Too Many Bands, Plus Angel Du$t Review 02/27/2026

Superbowl Halftime Show, Agriculture Live, Plus Epstein Fallout in the Music Biz 02/13/2026

Turnstile Takes Home Grammys 02/06/2026

Turnstile Takes Home Grammys In this episode of the Album of Record podcast, hosts Craig Lyndall and Andrew Schnitkey dive into the latest in indie, punk, and metal, headlined by a review of Joyce Manor’s seventh studio album. They also provide extensive coverage of the 2026 Grammy Awards, celebrating a historic night for the Baltimore hardcore band Turnstile. The conversation transitions from modern punk to a surprising exploration of classical music, as Andrew shares his newfound appreciation for Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony, drawing parallels between orchestral "breakdowns" and hardcore music. The episode concludes with a Recommendation Corner featuring a mix of doom shoegaze and southern indie rock. Chapters 00:01 – Introduction and Hoodie Season The hosts catch up on the cold February weather and Andrew's recurring Deftones sweatshirt. 01:09 – Review: Joyce Manor’s New Album A deep dive into the band's latest release, discussing its signature short runtime, infectious hooks, and themes of wistful depression. 09:33 – Pitchfork Ratings & Final Scores Craig and Andrew compare their personal scores of 7.0 and 7.6 to the Pitchfork critic and reader ratings. 12:14 – 2026 Grammys: Turnstile’s Historic Night Reaction to Turnstile winning Best Metal Performance and Best Rock Album, including a debate on their status in the hardcore scene. 24:58 – The Cure and Grammy Eligibility Debates A discussion on The Cure's first Grammy win for Songs of a Lost World and Craig’s defense of the Grammy cutoff for album eligibility. 32:24 – Classical Music for Hardcore Fans Andrew explains how The West Wing and ChatGPT led him to discover the frenzied similarities between Beethoven and punk. 38:24 – Recommendation Corner Craig recommends the all-female doom shoegaze band Blackwater Holy Light, and Andrew previews the new Rat Boys record. 49:06 – Looking Ahead: Agriculture & Angel Dust Anticipation for seeing the band Agriculture live in Cleveland and next week's highly anticipated Angel Dust release. /episode/index/show/21a62bad-1791-48b3-b56b-4db62e1e212a/id/40019910

Geese on SNL, Kanye Apologizes, and More 01/30/2026

Pitchfork Gets a Paywall 01/23/2026

Celebrating the Music of 1996 (30th Anniversary) 01/09/2026

Foxing's Farewell Shows at Thalia Hall in Chicago 12/26/2025

We Give Our Top Ten Records of 2025 12/19/2025

Ranking Our Favorite Records of 2025 12/12/2025

Ranking Our Favorite Records of 2025 Summary In this episode, Craig and Andrew reflect on their favorite music from the past year, discussing various albums and ranking them using a tier list. They explore the criteria for what makes an album stand out, share personal favorites, and engage in lively debates about different artists and their latest releases. The conversation highlights the diversity of music and the subjective nature of musical appreciation, making for an engaging and insightful discussion. In this episode, Andrew Schnitkey and Craig Lyndall dive deep into their thoughts on various album releases from the year, exploring genres like pop punk, hardcore, and singer-songwriter vibes. They discuss the evolution of artists like Danny Brown and the maturity of bands like Deftones, while also celebrating the sense of community found in hardcore music. The conversation touches on the challenges of ranking albums, the impact of anticipation, and the resurgence of emo music. With a mix of personal favorites and new discoveries, the hosts provide a comprehensive overview of the music landscape for the year. Chapters 00:00 Year in Music Overview 05:41 Exploring Emo and Indie Albums 11:53 Emerging Artists and Surprises 17:23 Rap and Hip-Hop Insights 25:19 Final Thoughts and Recommendations 29:54 Disappointments and Surprises in Music 33:53 Exploring New Sounds: Fust and Beyond 39:03 Greet Death: A Career-Defining Album 43:03 Cloakroom: A Mixed Bag 43:49 Blood Brothers and Combust: Hardcore Highlights 45:55 Danny Brown: A Party Album 48:42 Deftones: Maturity in Music 49:39 Drain: The Most Reliable Hardcore Band 51:01 Fleshwater: A Divisive Album 51:59 Froglord: A Solid Listen 52:43 Geese: Glad We Heard It 53:47 Runner: An Album of Record 54:59 Glitterer: A Recent Discovery 55:32 Higher Power: Solid Hooks 56:37 Home is Where: Good but Not Great 56:54 Hotline TNT: A Forgotten Gem 59:03 Exploring MS Paint and Noctambulist 01:00:18 Deafheaven and Restraining Order: A Deep Dive 01:01:38 Taylor Swift and The Armed: Ranking the Albums 01:03:08 Shoegaze and Emo: The Sounds of 2023 01:05:33 New Discoveries: Ben Quad and Turnstile 01:07:32 Anticipated Releases: Sam Fender and Dyspitz 01:09:29 Emo Files: Kerosene Heights and The Low Blow /episode/index/show/21a62bad-1791-48b3-b56b-4db62e1e212a/id/39357370

Best Albums of 2025 via Pitchfork and Stereogum 12/05/2025

Deafheaven's Lonely People With Power 11/27/2025

Deafheaven's Lonely People With Power Craig revisits an April conversation with Andrew about Deafheaven’s 2025 album Lonely People With Power. They talk about why it hit them so hard, how it balances heaviness with melody, and why it feels like a culmination of everything the band has done. They break down the intentional role of the three “Incidentals,” highlight the musicianship of Kerry McCoy, George Clarke, Daniel Tracy, Shiv Murali, and Chris Johnson, and compare the production to the band’s earlier work. Track standouts include Doberman, Magnolia, Amethyst, Body Behavior, Revelator, Winona, and The Marvelous Orange Tree. Both hosts agree the record may be Deafheaven’s best and expect it to show up on year-end lists. Timestamp Notes 00:00 – Intro and setup for the replay 00:40 – Why this album will appear on year-end lists 01:20 – Opening banter 02:00 – First impressions: both hosts love it 03:00 – Craig’s note on why Deafheaven isn’t for everyone 04:00 – Andrew’s early struggles with Sunbather 06:00 – Wondering if this record would continue Infinite Granite 07:00 – Roadrunner Records and the return to heaviness 08:00 – The band’s mystery and unpredictability 09:00 – Where Deafheaven sits in the broader music world 10:45 – The “Incidentals” and how they shape the album 12:00 – Incidental I leading into Doberman 13:00 – Incidental II analysis and Jay Matthews’s part 16:00 – Incidental III and Paul Banks 17:00 – Why the sequencing matters 19:00 – Doberman and Magnolia as re-introductions 22:00 – Where Deafheaven fits on festival lineups 25:00 – Their evolution from Sunbather to now 28:00 – George Clarke on feeling exposed during Infinite Granite 30:00 – Why Infinite Granite was necessary for this album 34:00 – The album’s length and relentlessness 37:00 – Body Behavior and Chris Johnson’s bass moment 40:00 – Overall musicianship discussion 48:00 – Amethyst as the emotional core 52:00 – Production shift with Justin Meldal-Johnsen 56:00 – Amethyst as the purest form of the band 58:00 – Winona vs. The Marvelous Orange Tree 1:00:00 – How critics are receiving the album 1:03:00 – Why the album feels personal to the hosts 1:05:00 – Is this their best album? 1:06:00 – Closing remarks and sign-off /episode/index/show/21a62bad-1791-48b3-b56b-4db62e1e212a/id/39184525