Judged by the Cover

This week we're doing something a little different.Instead of diving deep into one album, we're sharing the Christian records that left a lasting impact on our lives as musicians, creatives, and people.Josh explores why Elevation Worship's Paradoxology became such a defining creative influence during the early days of building JW Creates, while Phil shares the unexpected story of how a Willie Nelson gospel album became part of his journey back to faith.Along the way, we talk about:Why albums deserve more than a single listenCreative excellence in worship musicAlbum artwork and visual storytellingMusic that becomes attached to life's biggest momentsWhy revisiting and reimagining your creative work can give it new lifeWhether you're a lifelong Christian, simply curious about Christian music, or just love hearing the stories behind meaningful records, we think you'll find something to connect with.Mentioned in this episode:• Elevation Worship – Paradoxology https://youtu.be/GsrgkyUXnsE?si=xZt8q_7KcWEJQI_C• Willie Nelson & Bobbie Nelson – How Great Thou Art• Chris Tomlin• The upcoming Judged by the Cover Record of the Month Club

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 surprising discussion as we unwrap these musical gems. So grab your hot cocoa, pull up your favorite Santa blanket, and cozy up by the fire—it’s time to enjoy the holiday spirit with us.

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 reimagined cover art!

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!!!

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

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 content for this episode. 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 wrote, and give you some behind the scene info in how that cover came to be. Brent has been a super supporter of me and what I'm doing with JW Creates and Judged by the Cover from the beginning, so it is really awesome to spotlight who Brent is. Digital Content

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 link Judged by the Cover is a proud partner of the PodNooga Network. Follow Podnooga on facebook and instagram, or find us on the web at podnooganetwork.com