Judged by the Cover

Kick off 2026 with Josh and Phil as they recap the standout album art, physical packaging, and music moments from 2025. They debate if the song of the summer is officially dead, spotlight their favorite album covers (including Buddy Guy, Mammoth, and Andy Mineo), and highlight unique vinyl releases like Fine Young Cannibals' 40th anniversary edition and the rise of tiny vinyls. Plus, they share the best new artists and live music experiences that shaped their year.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year on Judged by the Cover! In this special Christmas episode, Josh and Phil deck the halls with stories behind the most iconic Christmas movie soundtracks and their own favorite holiday albums. Whether you’re team White Christmas or Home Alone, a Peanuts purist, or an NSYNC 90s kid, there’s something in this episode for everyone.Whether you’re trimming the tree or just need a festive soundtrack for your day, press play and share a laugh—and some music history—with your favorite podcast duo. Merry Christmas and Happy Ho...

In this episode of Judged by the Cover, Phil Hyland takes us on a nostalgic journey through his musical past. He shares the story behind "Reel to Real," a collection of 90s demo recordings recently brought back to life. Josh from JW Creates details the creative process behind the album artwork, incorporating weathered textures and Phil's handwriting to capture the essence of the era.The duo discusses the importance of physical formats in music, from cassettes to CDs, and how they shaped the industry. Phil reminisces about recording techniques, the New York music scene, and the thrill...

In this episode of Judged by the Cover, Josh and Phil dive into a new round of musical discovery—choosing albums based purely on their cover art. This time, they stumble upon the Outlaws, a band that blends southern rock with a country flair, and share how striking visuals led them to this unexpected find.The hosts unpack the Outlaws' sound, drawing comparisons to Lynyrd Skynyrd and spotlighting standout tracks like “There Goes Another Love Song” and " Green Grass and High Tides." They also dig into the band’s backstory, from their Tampa roots to signing with Arista R...

Get ready for an electrifying episode of "Judged by the Cover" as we explore the legendary comebacks of two iconic bands—AC/DC and Linkin Park. Josh and Phil dive into the history and evolution of these musical giants, comparing AC/DC's "Back in Black" with Linkin Park's latest release, "From Zero."Join us as we unravel Linkin Park's journey from their early days to their recent resurgence. Discover how the band navigated the challenges following Chester Bennington's passing and embraced a new era with Emily Armstrong. Josh shares insights into their innovative album pr...

Get ready to rock! In this episode of "Judged by the Cover," we explore the legendary album "Back in Black" by AC/DC. From the band's history and transition after Bon Scott's tragic death to the creation of this iconic record, we cover it all. Discover how Brian Johnson stepped in, and the band recorded this masterpiece in just two months.We dive into the album's striking cover art—a tribute to Bon Scott—and its lasting impact on music lovers and collectors alike. Even in the digital age, strong visual branding remains crucial. <p...

On this episode of Judged by the Cover, Josh and Phil take a deep dive into the standout album covers, physical packaging, and unforgettable music of 2024. From the bold and cinematic artwork of Linkin Park’s From Zero to the nostalgic aesthetic of Logan Crosby’s 2019, they break down what made these covers visually striking and how they complement the music within. Along the way, they share their personal favorites, unexpected discoveries, and the biggest design trends shaping the industry this year. Whether you’re a die-hard collector or just love great album art, this episode is packed with insights...

Christmas music holds a special place in the hearts of so many. For an artist, releasing a Christmas album comes with its own unique pressures—but it can also become a defining moment, etching their music into the memories of the holiday season.In this festive episode of Judged by the Cover, we’re diving into a few unexpected Christmas albums—the ones you didn’t see coming! Some are from artists you might not know ventured into holiday tunes, while others represent genres not typically associated with Christmas cheer.Get ready for a fun and surpri...

It was way past time to refresh our podcast trailer! This year has been incredible for Judged by the Cover, especially with the energy Phil Hyland has brought to the show since joining. Together, we’ve explored iconic album covers, uncovered fascinating stories, and shared endless laughs along the way.As we gear up for even bigger plans in 2025, we’re taking a moment to celebrate some of our favorite moments from this year. From unforgettable album cover discussions to behind-the-scenes highlights, this “Greatest Hits 2024” trailer episode captures the best of what Judged by the Cover is all about.<

The guys are back! After a few months away, Judged by the Cover returns with more deep dives into the fascinating world of album art and music discovery. In this episode, we explore Crashing Dream by Rain Parade, a lesser-known band that holds a special place in Phil's heart. While the music hits all the right notes for Phil, the cover art falls a lil flat. Join us as Josh critiques the artwork and shares his vision for elevating it to better match the album’s voice. Don’t miss out—stay tuned until the end to see the reimag...

In this special episode of the Judged by the Cover podcast, we invite five music/entertainment industry professionals to put their expertise to the test. Join us as our guests blind judge a selection of album covers, rating each one out of 10 purely on visual appeal. But that's not all—they also take a shot at guessing the music genre behind each cover! The panel includes music producer Brent, local podcaster Iggy, artist Finding Zero, and band members Sydney and Brayden from In the Company of Wolves. Tune in for insightful critiques, surprising genre guesses, and a whole lot of...

In this episode of the Judged by the Cover podcast, hosts Josh and Phil dive into the world of Pink Floyd's legendary Dark Side of the Moon. With an iconic album cover like this, there is a lot to talk about. Josh also drops a hot take about Wolfgang Van Halen, and asks the question - Is he (Wolfgang) more talented than his father Eddie...? Check it out to hear our thoughts!!!

To celebrate Record Store Day 2024 the guys stop in at Retro Vinyl Records, in Chattanooga, to hang out with Scott and talk all things music, vinyl records and album covers. We got a bonus interview with Scotts daughter Dala who is a huge Red Hot Chili Peppers fan, and her love of all things music.

Unfortunately this is not an episode on your favorite Nickelback album, but we are looking at photographs on album covers. Join Josh & Phil as we talk about some of the best practices, and things to think about when using a photo on your album cover. In this episode we also revive our Near Miss segment where we discuss a genre that is a repeat offender in their use of photos that look like bad high school senior portraits. Grab your popcorn and settle in, we have a fun one for you today!!!Video Episode<...

On todays episode of the Judged by the Cover podcast, we are doing a little music discovery. I (Josh) spent some time digging through crates of vinyl at my 3 favorite record stores in town, and picked up some albums based solely on the cover art. We are focusing on one of those albums today by the band The Dangerous Summer, and it's their album from 2022 called Coming Home. This was easily one of the most fun experiences I have had in discovering new music, and can’t wait for y’all to check it out!Yo...

Welcome to the first Judged by the Cover of 2024!! With a new year come big changes, so everyone give a warm welcome to our new co-host Phil Hyland! Phil has been on the show before as a guest, and he brings a totally different music perspective and energy to the show that I'm really excited about. Join us in this episode as we discuss some of our favorites of 2023 in album cover design, physical packaging, music and so much more!! Make sure to also check out the liner notes page using the link below to view all the digital...

There is no shortage of interesting Christmas album covers, and in this episode of the Judged by the Cover podcast we take a look at 3 of the most unusual ones! Get ready to learn about some great Christmas albums with questionable album covers, and hopefully learn something about them you didn't know before. A link to the digital content will down below as usual. Have a merry Christmas and thanks for listening!!Digital Content

We have finally reached our 10th episode!!! Today is another special interview episode of the Judged by the Cover podcast, and this time it is with a great friend of mine Brent Crowe! Brent is an amazing song writer, musician, producer and owner of the studio Backbeat Sound Design here in Chattanooga TN. The conversation ranges from song writing, to production and recording knowledge, and as always we discuss the importance of branding, album covers, and some of Brent's favorite album covers. We discuss one of my favorite cover art project I Never Knew, which is a song Brent...

Do you enjoy stories that have a little controversy to them...? Well then you are in for a treat, todays episode dives into the influential album and cover design of The Clash's album London Calling. We dive into some of the interesting facts behind the album covers inspiration, and learn why the bass player decided to smash his treasured Fender P-bass. We also have a fun cover to discuss in the Near Miss segment of the show, and there is new segment music!!! Grab your snack of choice, and lets learn about some great cover art design, and how...

Meet Abe Montalvo with Monoliths, and check out his newest Single brave the storm. It doesn't stop there, we are talking song writing, favorite album covers, the importance of branding, synthwave projects and so much more!! Abe also drops some info on a new 2 song EP dropping in October that you don't want to miss. Hear it here first on the Judged by the Cover podcast.Digital content linkJudged by the Cover is a proud partner of the PodNooga Network. Follow Podnooga on facebook and instagram, or find...