Top Plays: Recent Episodes
Tyler Duke
Tyler & Ward became friends while talking about music and sports on a daily basis and decided to take those conversations to the microphone. Join us as we discuss football, basketball, vinyl, concerts, and all things music each week.
Fresh from an episode of The Heater, the guys recap the week’s best college and pro football games, talk Furnace Fest, Tyler’s National luck, and an absolute stunner in Boulder.
Side A: The Aaron Rodgers era lasted 4 plays for Jets fans. Our instant reaction to it, fantasy week 1, and the games from the college and pro weekend. Side B (35:25): Since the episode didn’t get recorded last week, we have two weeks of music to bring to the table (With Honor, Noah Gunderson, Olivia Rodrigo, Slowdive, Romy) Ward shares a personal Jimmy Buffet story. Tyler relives The Postal Service/Death Cab For Cutie show.
Side A: Fantasy season is here, and Tyler, fresh from a fantasy draft, brings some tips for the upcoming season whether you’re a rookie or a vet. Still riding high on his Jags pick last year, Tyler gives his way too early playoff predictions. Side B (1:16:21): MxPx dropped an album, and Furnace Fest dropped a schedule. The Pir give you first impressions of each.
Side A catches listeners up with Ward’s goal of hip-hop discovery in 2023. What’s hitting with him; what’s missed the mark? Then he tells about his experience at the Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit concert. Side B (1:08:56) lightly touches on actual sports this week. Mainly an abbreviated fantasy plan for the upcoming draft.
Side A: We share stories about mishaps in the vinyl world, but every so often, we need to shoutout an incredible experience. Tyler shares that tale, and his wallet begs him to stop buying anymore vinyl this week. New tunes for ya. Side B (1:14ish): a brief convo about Women’s World Cup, Pirates trade deadline moves, and the wiff start to the preseason.
Flipping it up this week and bringing music on side A. Two Fridays have brought new music to our ears, and it’s time to bring the updates to yours. A wild AOTY contender has entered the area for Ward. Also, ghost stories of two varieties. Side B (1:16:29) is all business with Saquon, Jaylon, and Mbappé contracts news.
For side A this week, Ward and Tyler discuss the MLB all-star game and home run derby. While the USA’a CONCACAF run comes to an end. They step out of bound to discuss the Hollywood writers’ strike and what it means for SAG-AFTRA to join them (36:00). Side B dives into the Furnace Fest pre-shows and new music from the week.
Side A checks in with the latest free agency news and a men’s national team recap while side B (32:04) tackles which album have captivated our ears this year.
Starting side A discussing… baseball? No longer just a mention in passing on this podcast! Falling Pirates and Ella De La Cruz has himself a night! The duo also discuss the NBA draft, and Tyler makes a bold prediction about the Spurs. Side B (58:05) touches some new releases before it’s story time about the boygenius concert.
Usually sports and music are our go to’s, but occasionally, we like to discuss other ‘play’ subjects. This week we go out of bounds for a spoiler-free reaction to Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse and a few video game announcements including Final Fantasy VII Remake (TWO DISCS) and Spider-Man 2. Side A (24:43) brings everyone up to date on the Finals and the impending doom facing the Heat as well as Cutch’s 2k hits milestone. On side B (55:48), Ward receives a vinyl preorder BEFORE the release date and gives his first impressions of the new Jason Isbell album, a potential AOTY nominee. A new song and EP drop (called it) from Anberlin and some Teenage Wrist love.
Side A is a reaction to the first two games of the NBA Finals and how Ward and Tyler think it will develop over the next two games. Tyler is thrilled the Pirates are on another mini winning streak. Then side B (29:30) first steps out of bounds to discuss thoughts from a Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse rewatch. Ward shares excitement about the upcoming Jason Isbell and the new Avenged Sevenfold album.
Side A recaps a surprisingly long conference finals, at least for the east and a primer for the NBA Finals. Then Side B (1:08) is a retelling of an emotional night at… a blink-182 concert?! Ward is hyped for Jason Isbell.
Side A is a jump straight into music as Tyler discusses the new Clairo EP and how much of a fuller sound it has versus the studio tracks. Ward talks Hot Mulligan. Ja Morant did it again (39:30). The duo discusses his latest gun situation and the NBA conference finals for side B.
Excruciatingly late posting due. Side A is about the NBA playoffs up to roughly games 3-4. We go out of bounds (29:30) to discuss Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and where it stands post-Endgame (SPOILER WARNING). Side B recaps the Snail Mail concert and some new tunes for Ward (54:35).
Side A starts off with some James Harden thoughts after his big night against Boston. We react to Steph’s legendary performance in game 7 and predict how the next round will play out before giving a few thoughts on the Pirates hot start and the NFL draft. Side B: We need to talk about Frank. What’s the expectation from an artist at a concert? New albums from Joy Oladokun & The National are given first reactions.
Side A is an instant reaction to Jimmy Butler’s wild, historic night. Plus a breakdown of where we are in the first round of the NBA playoffs. Side B (48:10) recaps their RSD experience and what was different this year versus previous years. Plus what records got added tot he collection from a busy weekend.
Side A: Tyler and Ward discuss games 1s of the NBA playoffs. Side B (1:06:33): Record Store Day is upon, and the guys discuss their plans for the weekend. Ward changes his tune on Daughter and touts the new Jesus Piece album while Tyler discovers Blondshell.
We get you ready for the play-in and 1st round of NBA playoffs on side A this week. We share which teams we like and which matchups we expect. Side B (1:13:58) tackles new releases from Scowl and Daughter plus Tyler gets boygenius tickets!
The college basketball season is finally over, and on side A, Ward and Tyler discuss the final weekend of games from the women and men’s brackets, including the best game of the tournament. Rejoice! Boygenius has finally released, but did it live up to the hype the guys built up? Side B (1:04:26) dives into that topic and two bands you need on your radar, Scowl and High Vis.
Side A contains a lot of vinyl talk, surprise, surprise. What’s the deal with all the grails hitting the secondary markets over the last week? Ward & Tyler react to new albums from Fall Out Boy, JPEGMAFIA/Danny Brown, and more. Side B (1:24:08) brings more March Madness mayhem, Ward ready to stick a fork in the Mavs, and thoughts about Lamar Jackson’s contract situation.
Side A talks are all about Tyler’s March Madness staycation. The upsets, players, and great games are explored. On side B (50:00), the wait is finally over for the new Aly & AJ album, and it’s… surprisingly country. Did Tyler enjoy the stylistic change? The duo also gushes over the Revolver pressing of Underoath’s The Changing of Times.
A podcast episode about March Madness talks mainly about… music? Yep! Side A is filled with vinyl talk and stories as well as reactions to new music from Manchester Orchestra & Story of the Year. Side B (1:20:25) is where you can get our takes on bracket talk. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
Side A catches you up on the latest NFL free agency news (Carr, Henry rumors, Geno getting a bag, and Jags making moves), NBA happenings, and some championship week talk. Side B (44:45) dives into Ward’s two shows in one night insanity, new singles from boygenius & Underoath, and vinyl temptation facing Tyler over the week.--- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
Side A: Tyler & Ward recap a big weekend of NBA action including what to make of the Lakers sans LeBron and the sneaky Heat. Side B (54:41) opens out of bounds as Tyler gives some feedback on M3GAN before diving into some recent vinyl arrivals and impressions of The Weeknd’s concert special.--- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
Cancel all plans and pause Seinfeld. Furnace Fest just dropped the whole damn lineup for ‘23. Ward & Tyler weigh in on it and list who they’d like to see. (Side B 1:21:12) NBA All-Star Weekend gets pushed to side B. What worked and didn’t work? The duo goes over the highs and lows.--- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
Side A: No waiting on music this week as we look over the freshly released Record Store Day list. What made our personal lists? The new Paramore album has been out for a week, and we share our opinions on it. Side B (54:01): we finally present our Super Bowl recap (a tad late). What did we think about the game, commercials, and Rihanna? Lastly, we preview the upcoming NBA All-Star Weekend. Tyler wants to replace the dunk contest and has a fresh idea on what event could take its place.--- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
0 to 100 real quick. That sums up the flurry of trades from KD being moved late at night to the 3pm deadline. It was hard to keep up with it all! Ward and Tyler discuss its impact on teams gunning for a playoff spot and which teams improved.--- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
A lot of ground to cover this week; Sunday was relentless. Kyrie got traded to Ward’s team, and he is not pleased. The guys give some thoughts on what it could do for the Mavs season. Also, a few Super Bowl picks and LeBron is about to break the NBA scoring record.(Side B 35:36) Hip-hop won the guys over at the Grammys after a magnificent performance from absolute legends. The duo discuss their favorite moments of the night from the red carpet to AOTY. Mainly hits, some misses, and a stealing of hips.--- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
We start Side A discussing the conference championship games and how we think the teams will match up in the Super Bowl before getting into Tom Brady speculation. Oops, he retired the day after recording. Ward is frustrated with NBA refs. On Side B (1:08:02), we discuss initial reactions to new releases from Sam Smith & Lil Yachty. We go out of bound briefly to discuss The Last of Us S1 E3 (spoiler warning).--- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
What a wild week for music news and vinyl preorders. You know it’s bad when you have to take 5 to recover. Ward & Tyler are here to break it all down on side A. Side B is a breakdown of the divisional games from the weekend and a preview of the conference title games. What did we like from the games we watched that may carry over into the next round?--- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
Ward & Tyler are back from the holiday break, and there are NFL playoff games to breakdown. The duo talk about what to expect from the first round of action on side A. Ward wants to discuss Tyler’s 2023 album release predictions because there’s an alarming rate of them coming true early in the year on side B (1:23:53).--- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
It’s here! Finally time to breakdown the albums that had the biggest impact on us this year. Before jumping into the list, we preview which artists/bands we think will release new albums in ‘23.--- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
A sports only episode before we bring you our favorite albums of the year. From World Cup to NFL, the games were unbelievable this weekend. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
It’s finally time to let our listeners what caught our attention in 2022. For the first part, we present to your our favorite TV shows and movies from the last year and why they made our lists (28:44). Prior to that we break down a bit of sports and pour one out for Ward’s fantasy season.--- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
R.I.P. to the US national team, fantasy football wins, and a big game between Cincy & KC. The college football playoff is set, and Tyler & Ward give their predictions. What’s next for SF after losing Jimmy G for the season? The pair also discuss some recent vinyl pickups and arrivals.--- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
Friend of the pod Brett Wilson joins us for an extended talk about World Cup, what music has caught his ear in ‘22, and August Burns Red Christmas shows.--- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
Side A isn’t about football or basketball this week; World Cup has begun! We discuss the USA match and lay out our expectations of how far the national team can go. A flat fantasy week from the big stars, and you never leave time in the clock for Mahomes. Side B (45:55) brings some Black Friday Record Store Day talk, a Turnstile/Snail Mail concert recap, and thoughts about mixing genres on a tour bill.
This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
We start off a shorter sports segment discussing the Vikings/Bills classic and the fantasy matchup between cohosts. Spoiler alert, Tyler won. Then we break down the newly announced Grammy nominations, step out of bounds for some Black Panther Wakanda Forever talk, and cap off the episode with Ward sharing some new music (56:25).
This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
Ward laments the downfall of his fantasy football team. The two recap the World Series (baseball?!), the dud of a game between Tennessee & Georgia, and the slow and surprising starts to the NBA season. There was a lot of music released this past Friday. Did Drake & 21 Savage deliver? Turnover did release an album. Tyler forgot about Kings Kaleidoscope last week and is still stuck on music from 2012 while Ward gets his favorite albums list together. (56:03)
This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
Recovering from post-wedding fuzz, Tyler & Ward discuss where they stand in the current fantasy season, the Steelers offensive woes, and what’s wrong with the Sixers before talking about some Halloween movies and spooky tunes.
Side A: It’s been two long weeks since our last episode so it’s time to dive into our fantasy woes, the sputtering Packers & Bucs offense, and the first week of NBA action. Side B (1:07:15) While we do talk about other music catching our ears, we need to talk Taylor’s new record. What are our initial thoughts, and how does it stack up against the rest of her discography?
This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
Victor Wembanyama made his US debut last week, and wow, was it impressive. Tyler shares some initial thoughts. Ward & Tyler discuss the upcoming NBA season a week away and some fantasy letdowns. They close the episode by discussing some new music that has caught their ears.
This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
It’s time for the big FF breakdown! This episode we discuss: bands we saw, vinyl purchased, beers consumed, restaurants tried, and Birmingham sights. Tyler shares a view of The National from the front row and some new music on his radar. It wouldn’t be a Top Plays episode without some fantasy talk.
This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
Side A: The NFL is back, and that means fantasy football is back! Tyler and Ward square off against each other in a week 1 battle. They react live to the Seattle/Denver game and the boneheaded play calling at the end of the game, discuss some week 1 action, college football upsets, and some potential fantasy moves in preparation for week 2.
Side B (1:44:06): A white whale for Tyler (New Found Glory's Coming Home) gets a vinyl pressing. How was the experience trying to catch it? Armor For Sleep's new album, The Rain Museum, gets reviewed. Ward gives his reaction to the new Hidden In Plain View EP. There's an album from early 2022 that's moving up the rankings for the hosts...
This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
Side A: Happy one year anniversary to Top Plays! A worthy way to ring it in by recapping the fantasy football draft Ward and Tyler just completed. How did things go? College football started with a bang. What games stood out from opening week? Serena's curtain call. The Cavs made. trade to position themselves among the east's elite.
Side B (2:11:30): Tyler acquired grails from The National & Cartel with New Found Glory's Coming Home on the horizon. Taylor Swift is releasing a new album. The guys chat about the Furnace Fest schedule drop and who they want to see.
This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
Side A: For you listeners that are non-sports fans, this will be the last fantasy football preview we give you. Tyler gives tips on building a roster from a newbie perspective, how to build a team on a budget, and what to look for when you draft.
Side B (1:23:53): Ward talks about two albums he's diving into this week from Becoming the Archetype and Butch Walker.
Side A: The time has finally come for us to talk in-depth about the upcoming fantasy football season. Which rookies should you target that may make an impact this year and possibly win you your league?
Side B (1:04:32): Saturday marked the 20th anniversary of Blindside's Silence. Ward and Tyler talk about its importance to them and look ahead to the upcoming performance of it at Furnace Fest. mewithoutYou wrapped up a staggering career Saturday night. The duo shares what the band meant to them and the scene over the years. They close out the show talking about 1-2 players at each position they would like to add to their fantasy team this season.
Side A: Tyler and Ward return without audio issues! They discuss the start of preseason and some potential fantasy conundrums some of you may have in fantasy drafts.
Side B (1:04:11): Ward's white whale arrives beat to shit. Why you shouldn't mail vinyl in a bubble envelope. They discuss new releases from Norma Jean, Danger Mouse & Black Thought, and Goo Goo Dolls.
For starters, sorry for the audio issues. Trying a new platform for this episode until my (Tyler’s) new computer arrives. Should be back to normal next week. Also, we’re trying a new pop up segment called The Heater which will show in this feed as well. We’ll be discussing songs that are on heavy rotation for, what stands out about them to us, and why we like them. The songs will be embedded in the episode so it’ll be a Spotify exclusive episode. However, you can still listen to it for free on Spotify. This week Side A covers Deshaun Watson and his penalty for the upcoming NFL season. Ward and Tyler go out of bounds (35:38) for a few to discuss Prey, the Avengers video game, and beer. They wrap up the pod on Side B (1:06:45) discussing their music finds of the week featuring Least, New Radicals, Carly Rae Jepsen, and Bell and the Hammer. Link for The Heater playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2rNkZCgkR3w8qKoPqrzTqd?si=Rm3uHnZZTi6Vt62kKMizMA
Side A: Guest Brett Wilson educates on Baseball and Hockey. We also talk about who our teams are, why Tyler loves Fantasy Football, and a short amount of NFL & NBA.
Out of Bounds (1:10:00) Brett inspires a chat about cigars and beer. Ward is the cigar guy, but Brett no Tyler both love the beer. Ward enjoys, but cannot keep up with these 2 connoisseurs.
Side B: (1:30:00) Tyler and Ward have a few new releases worth mentioning, Maggie Rogers and Anberlin. Tyler and Ward are fans of both, and give their thoughts on them. Brett joins in discussing his favorite acts in the metal genre such as August Burns Red, and with Ward’s help convinces Tyler to be the next big Ice Nine Kills fan, and more.
Out of Bounds: After last week's Thor review, we have to jump into the MCU news out of Comic Con. We react to and give our first impressions of the Black Panther trailer as well as discuss what we're looking forward to most in the coming phases.
Side A (30:40): Have you been sticking it out with us on this ride waiting for us to mention something baseball related? It's your lucky day. Tyler watched the Home Run Derby.
Side B (54:00): Lots of new singles this week, and Ward is feeling the new Jack White album. The pair discuss it as well as new music from Norma Jean, Julien Baker, and more.
Side A: Not much on the sports front this week, but we do discuss the impact of Ayton staying with the Suns and the possibility of Mitchell going to the Knicks.
Out of Bounds (26:55): We're covering some other topics while sports are slow. Tyler talks about what movies he's watched lately including Thor Love and Thunder, Everything Everywhere All at Once, and Men along with a new must-see TV show, The Bear. Big dive into Thor and MCU phase 4. Spoiler Warning
Side B (1:21:45): Do you collect vinyl? What record(s) do you want to add to your collection? Are any what could be called a 'white whale' record? Ward & Tyler discuss what makes a white whale record and share stories of obtained whales and lament ongoing searches.
Side A: Peak sports are winding down, but there's a little time to spend discussing the Baker Mayfield trade, James Wiseman's return, and the looming fantasy football season.
Side B (30:45): Finally we bring to you in all its glory, The Art of Playlists! We've been discussing this as a main episode topic for months. It's time to discuss all things playlists: how to build them, vibe or purpose, shuffle or determined order, single or multiple genres. Whatever it is we have you covered!
Tyler’s playlists:
shuffleupagus v2.0 https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5dNYPhNrHpxebNO5QwoFr9?si=kPREYNSjSvqM0dmozieUFw
New Wave (of Emo) https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1GkkOMjgCkWpkslg2pfjeS?si=QX87TVH7QhyDDcA54X1ksw
nightvibes https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0oet8TxkmScDGmzvbLn9Iw?si=UV8E2aGTQGahCxvXBYQWOw
LA Daze https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2iBEI3gDuXWRj1tRKYGQjF?si=b82wRuoeSu238JRHYCazOQ
Sunday Soundtrack https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0tjgnyTNCq6XTfGMqbGlNH?si=hBMKlo62R_K0hFzpnMXUDA
Hipster Trash, Indie Garbage https://open.spotify.com/playlist/274WLzX35KKDqs61hKK6Ql?si=8kDEa6pqSAmWLznjA007hw
Influenced https://open.spotify.com/playlist/22v8xyns77CW3c8syY4knD?si=1g9vV_cFRH-2u91ou7oeRA
12.19.16 https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1rtRy2TIukZglIs1FAB5NS?si=Lz12oujkQxSsFoLWWetaBA
Lo/Chill https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5a218xLRYL4tVKT413kywH?si=IZDBQxF0Tnez30vVl5sPKQ
in the clouds. https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3t1rDTVnIEGQkTin73JF79?si=jsegyiQUSF-EmawBMpxWHw
Ward’s playlist:
Summer 2022 https://music.apple.com/us/playlist/summer-2022/pl.u-YMXyTP6pE0r
Side A: For those of you that enjoy the music talk more, you'll be happy to know we're headed into a drought so music will be amplified in the coming weeks (no pun). We recap the NBA draft and talk about some players that could be on the move as free agency approaches.
Side B (49:22): Soccer Mommy, Alexisonfire, and Coheed & Cambria all released new albums this week. We give you our first impressions before Tyler discusses attending the Motion City Soundtrack anniversary tour for Commit This to Memory.
Here is the link to the birthday playlist (listen on shuffle): https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0tTwisxa386wcGKoZTKs0N?si=1b4fff3ba338443b
Side A: Jumping into music to start this week. Why do people hate the new Drake album? What do the guys think of it? Last week, Ward & Tyler discussed diving into Friend Club Records bands. This week they sharing their findings and what bands on the label caught their ear. Tyler gives some thoughts on the new Foals album.
Side B (1:30:00): Time to put a bow on the NBA season. Tyler and Ward talk about what they saw from the Finals from each team and what each can do in the off-season. Who should Ward's beloved Magic draft with the #1 pick this Thursday?
Side A: What a game! Steph Curry put on a show in game 4. Ward and Tyler discuss how the W's pulled it off and preview game 5.
Side B (41:00): On side B, they guys talk about shady business that some brick and mortar stores are pulling with the new Halsey album. When is it okay, if ever, for a record store to flip? Ward recaps his Jason Isbell/Sheryl Crow/Waxahatchee concert experience. The duuo show some love to the small bands and labels that make being a music fan such a rewarding experience.
Side A: Tyler and Ward go live after the NBA Finals for instant reactions to game 2 and recap the changes from game 1.
Side B (1:00:27): Ward loved seeing Phoebe in concert and wants to discuss it in greater depth. The Ward Birthday Tour continues with a Jason Isbell concert looming on the horizon. Valleyheart lived up to Ward's expectations, but did Poliça live up to Tyler's?
We HAD to get an episode recorded before the Finals start. What kind of sports podcast would we be without one? We decided to hit you with an EP length episode before Ward's trip and on his birthday no less. Ward and Tyler offer brief thoughts on the Miami/Boston series before diving into their Finals takes and how they think it'll play out. A few music thoughts are weaved into the end.
Side A: Sorry folks, we never had a chance to jump on for a mini episode and discuss Dr. Strange and the Multiverse of Madness more. We start out wrapping up our thoughts of it and the current state of Marvel Phase 4. Tyler is finally ready to talk Kendrick. Where does Mr. Morale stack up against his other albums (27:16)? Ward is stuck in a 90s time warp with Tonic & RHCP while Tyler anticipates the new Poliça album. A Phoebe Bridgers concert is on the horizon...
Side B (1:21:27): Hopefully you like the NBA because Ward & Tyler discuss the conference finals at length.
Side A: The game 7s were a letdown to say the least. Brief thoughts on them before previewing the conference finals. Tyler and Ward's friendship will be put to the test during the W's/Mavs series.
Side B (40:50): Tyler doesn't feel prepared for Kendrick analysis, but Ward give his initial reactions. What else have the guys been digging this week?
Out of Bounds (1:46:28): Dr. Strange and the Multiverse of Madness released recently, and we MUST discuss it. We mention it on the show, but as one would guess, watch out for spoilers.
Side A: Ward and Tyler return after Tyler's bout with Covid kept them off for a week. They catch up on what's been happening in the NBA playoffs and how the series look to go as they head into the conference finals.
Side B (1:01:00): Tyler went to see Aly & AJ VIP style and has all the details.
Side A: Before they dive into the pickups from RSD, Ward and Tyler discuss the NBA playoff action. Ward says goodbye to Kyrie until next season.
Side B (58:25): The guys talk about their Record Store Day adventures.
Side A: Ward and Tyler talk about the start of the NBA playoffs and their initial reaction to the series.
Side B (40:33): Record Store Day is upon us (Saturday, April 23rd)! The guys discuss what's on their list, how they plan to attack it, and share some memories from past RSD.
Side A: NBA play-in preview & the passing of Dwayne Haskins
Side B (33:03): Sooo much music released this week. Let's catch you up on what we're spinning. Thoughts on Father John Misty, Jack White, Banks, Wet Leg, and Vince Staples. We go out of bounds and talk TV with Severance and Atlanta. Gather your lists; Record Store Day is next week!
Side A: Tyler will be front row at The National! Furnace Fest reveals their lineup. mewithoutYou announces their farewell tour. New music thoughts on Soccer Mommy, Maggie Rogers, beabadoobee, and Watashi Wa. Ward gets denied the Euphoria soundtrack.
Side B (1:28:20): March Madness continues, the NBA season is coming to a close, and something smells funky about this Bruce Arian's situation...
Side A: Get ready for a Tyler rant. He starts off the episode with a situation that occurred earlier in the day. What's the proper etiquette to use when selling records? Ward and Tyler discuss what makes a good pop record fresh from listening to the new Charli XCX album. Maylene is BACK!
Side B (1:06:35): What a wild weekend in sports! Deshaun Watson & Davante Adams were traded, Tyler's favorite Steeler joined KC, and a plethora of March Madness games. The episode ends full circle with the conclusion of the story that started them off.
Side A: Ward and Tyler go live after the bracket reveal and break down the brackets for all of your gambling needs. Also, Tom Brady is back. What do the guys think?
Side B (1:13:39): Tyler gives some brief thoughts at the top of the episode regarding the new Kanye doc on Netflix. Blindside at Furnace Fest?!? Ward shares what has his ear this week.
No sports talk; this one is all about music and The Batman. Tyler brings up a situation that needs to be addressed with online sellers and asks if it's ever happened to Ward. Ward fills us in on some new music that caught his ear recently then the two talk about the new Batman film. What did they like, what didn't they like, where does it rank with the other Batman movies? All that and more as they go out of bounds.
What a busy week of NFL news! Tyler and Ward discuss the Russell Wilson trade and the impact on each team, Aaron Rodgers staying in Green Bay, and Calvin Ridley's suspension. They wrap up the episode talking about the falling Warriors and the Joker's case for MVP.
Side A: Love them or hate them, cassettes have been positioning themselves for a return. Why? Are they more of a novelty or worth buying for listening purposes? We share our thoughts as well as catch you up on some of the week's releases and record drops.
Side B (1:06:47): What are the early results of the Harden trade? We're watching Ja Morant become a superstar and MVP candidate in front of our eyes. Some brief thoughts on the baseball strike.
Side A: Late at night and fresh from watching the all-star festivities, Ward & Tyler break down the night's events and get ready for the second half of the season.
Side B (1:08:23): There is no major side B news, and we're ending on a short episode until Ward asks Tyler to explain bootlegs and their impact on artists. The the ball and conversation get rolling.
Side A: This week we go live after the big game and give our thoughts on it, commercials, next season, and more.
Side B (1:02:20): How did the halftime show measure up to our expectations?
Side A: We recorded this before the NBA trade deadline. What did we get right? Hint: Harden for Simmons. We run through a few more possibilities that may or may not have happened. Oh, the life of a Jags fan. Ward rants about the latest happenings. The Winter Olympics have started, and we're in!
Side B (1:12:00): It's finally release day for Mitski's Laurel Hell! We give our first thoughts. We take a step out of bounds and discuss Euphoria and its music.
Side A: Live championship weekend reactions, Super Bowl predictions/halftime show, NBA recap, and Tom Brady retires
Side B (1:15:23): New Kanye already?!, a Gap YZY hoodie review, batch 1 of bands for Furnace Fest thoughts, and some vinyl talk about recent adds to our collections
What a wild weekend of football! Instant reactions recorded right after the KC/Buffalo game as well as a discussion of the rest of the weekend's games for our side A topic this week. We blew it last week and forgot to discuss the Every Time I Die breakup. Hey, it was late. We dive in head first this week. Also, is this When We Were Young festival lineup real? Let's talk logistics (1:01:40)!
This week on side A we recap the NFL Super Wild Card Weekend, get you ready for the divisional round, and talk KD's injury. Then on side B we discuss Dawn FM's concept and new albums from Earl Sweatshirt and Underoath (1:17:30).
This week on the first Top Plays of 2022, we wrap up our fantasy playoffs, discuss the NFL playoff matchups, and give our predictions of who will win in this weekend's games. Then on Side B (1:26:40) we list some albums we're looking forward to hearing in '22 and do a dive into Dawn FM, the new album from The Weeknd. What's its connection to After Hours?
Nursing a hangover? Start the new year off by listening to part 2 of our favorite albums from 2021. This episode focuses on records that impacted us most last year. Some include: Turnstile, Snail Mail, Every Time I Die, Julien Baker, Silent Planet, Kacey Musgraves, and Japanese Breakfast.
Sports are at a minimum this week. Briefly, we fill you in on our fantasy football playoffs and the Covid cases that are wrecking the NFL & NBA seasons before diving into an episode we've been working towards for months, our favorite albums from 2021! Which albums made our lists? Which albums have you been sleeping on this year? Which weren't on your radar? Time to find out...
Side A: A longer than intended dive into the current NBA season and Steph Curry breaking the 3-point record. Then Ward's fantasy run comes to an end, and we talk what moves we may make in the 2022 fantasy draft based off what happened this year.
Side B (1:24:20): We're inching closer to completing our favorite albums list. This week Ward discusses some cuts from his, and Tyler presents his honorable mentions.
Side A: Ward's big fantasy football playoff push is in full swing! A Steelers/Ravens wild finish where Tyler and Ward are on opposite sides.
Side B: Country music?! Olivia Rodrigo & Phoebe Bridgers play Austin City Limits. What would a TPP episode be without a Turnstile discussion? (50:00)
Links:
Ward's Gilt article: https://www.narrowonline.com/blog/2021/11/30/guilt-shooting-up-the-ladder-of-change?fbclid=IwAR0LA9nLE5ZtglyVp6wq7q7poDQeYB1Y0SUd1zs0SZx22qJNwrBCQfTVLUg
Tyler's 2021 playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3CD3Ussu7uPuxjYIECUK7a
Ward's 2021 playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3WyAQIVB9UkkAPWTbsQ1ig?si=we30cJ2YSR-SsaOqozjwtQ&nd=1
Olivia & Phoebe's ACL episode: https://www.pbs.org/video/olivia-rodrigo-phoebe-bridgers-umz1ai/
Decided to try something new this week; we record while watching the game between the Suns and the Warriors. We discuss the latest happenings in the NBA, recap our week in fantasy, and give out predictions of what the final college football playoff picture will look like. On side B, we discuss the Grammy nominations, how we are going about ranking our personal favorite albums of '21, and Ward recaps the Every Time I Die/'68 show (1:04:17).
We have a packed episode for you this week. On side A, we discuss the Steelers comeback, LeBron's elbow, college hoops, and Thanksgiving Day games. Side B (1:01:38) contains a celebration of Kanye's My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (11-year anniversary), deep dives into new albums from Snail Mail, Silent Planet, and Taylor Swift, and a preview of Black Friday Record Store Day (along with a few other drops).
Side A: We start off recapping the week in fantasy football and dealing with the blow of injuries while en route to a title (R.I.P. King Henry) then dive into NBA week 2 reactions. Which teams have surprised us most so far?
Side B: Tyler starts the music convo discussing Armor For Sleep in concert, going to the record store, and gushes endlessly over the Snail Mail record. Is Ward's record beef squashed? What did the guys think of the new War on Drugs record? (55:15)
Side A: The fate of the hosts' battle against each other in fantasy football is decided pretty early on in the episode, but of course, that doesn't stop us from recapping the week of our respective teams. Next, we gush over a glorious return of NBA basketball and breakdown the Top 76 list.
Side B: There were a lot of releases on our radar Friday, and we discuss first impressions of Every Time I Die, Lana Del Rey, Empty, and more. Ward has a mini rant about the current state of vinyl distribution. Tyler preps for an upcoming Armor For Sleep anniversary show. Also, let's step out of bounds with some thoughts on Dune (no spoilers).
Ward and Tyler live out their fantasy football fates in real time while catching up on some weekend games, previewing the upcoming NBA season, and recapping the week in music including Noah Gundersen, Jason Isbell, Starflyer 59, and their vinyl purchases.
We start the show on side A by addressing Jon Gruden's emails and live reacting to him stepping down as the Raiders' head coach. Next, we address Ben Simmons ending his holdout in Philly and the Kyrie Irving situation in Brooklyn. Ward has had the kiss of death in fantasy football this year, but we witness his 50 point comeback live after Lamar's big night. On side B, Ward breaks down his thoughts on the MxPx box set.
Ward and Tyler continue their conversation with guest Alexander Hoagland (of the bands Feral Vices & Drying Out) about their time at Furnace Fest. Conversation centers around the bands Beloved, Further Seems Forever, and Showbread. The three also discuss the crowd, atmosphere, and over vibe of the festival, tracking down festival exclusive vinyl, Labeled Fest, and bands they'd like to see play Furnace Fest '22. When you're done listening to this episode go check out Alexander's band Feral Vices. You're in for a treat if you like Death From Above 1979.
Check out Feral Vices at: https://www.feralvices.com/
Listen to Feral Vices on Spotify at: https://open.spotify.com/artist/19A9fXIkL7MkYBdLI0qZro?si=LuGMHlWFR3ubey1pVbdTzw&dl_branch=1
Follow Feral Vices on Instagram for EP updates: https://instagram.com/feralvices?utm_medium=copy_link
After a brief recap of a few games, Ward and Tyler are joined by Alexander Hoagland (of the bands Feral Vices & Drying Out) to discuss Furnace Fest. The three talk about the bands and experiences that made the weekend unforgettable. Standouts include: Turnstile, Showbread, Stavesacre, Beloved, and Shai Hulud.
Check out Feral Vices at: https://www.feralvices.com/
Listen to Feral Vices on Spotify at: https://open.spotify.com/artist/19A9fXIkL7MkYBdLI0qZro?si=LuGMHlWFR3ubey1pVbdTzw&dl_branch=1
Follow Feral Vices on Instagram for EP updates: https://instagram.com/feralvices?utm_medium=copy_link
A music heavy episode with Tyler and Ward, but first on side A, they discuss the complete shellacking Ward received from Tyler in fantasy football and the weekend's college games that caught their attention. Side B is all about Furnace Fest, baby. The two discuss their plans for the festival and which bands they're excited to catch live.
While checking out Monday Night Football's new format with the Manning brothers, Tyler & Ward discuss video game soundtracks, Kacey Musgraves, Furnace Fest, the struggles of fantasy football, and recap a few games from the weekend.
Welcome to episode 0.0, the inaugural episode of top plays! Tyler and Ward kick things off with a discussion of the highs and lows of fantasy football, their excitement for Furnace Fest, and dreaming of plans for what the podcast will be. Sit back and enjoy this entertaining discussion as we invite you into our conversations of our top plays in sports and music.