We had a great time on Tuesday night hearing all the terrific Round 2 entries for the first time. If you missed the Listening Party, you can download or stream the full Round 2 album on Bandcamp or embedded below. As always, our faithful graphic designer Matt Schubbe provides brand-new album artwork. Happy listening!
Thursday, September 25, 2025
Monday, September 22, 2025
ST25 Round 2 Deadline News; Tuesday Listening Party; Round 1 Review Podcast
Hello all!
The Round 2 deadline has passed. Congratulations to everyone who submitted. We received 20 out of 21 eligible submissions, leaving one spot open for shadow reinstatement. The contestant closest to the elimination cutoff in Round 1 has been reinstated. Welcome back to the competition, Möbius Strip Club!
Your first chance to hear all 21 competing entries and five shadows is at tomorrow night's Round 2 Listening Party hosted by Tommy G. He'll start spinning the Round 2 entries at 9 pm EDT tomorrow (Tuesday, September 23). Join us on YouTube or embedded below.
In the meantime, be sure to check out the latest episode of Two Jerks One Vote, where SpinTunes 13 Champions Ryan and Chumpy of Jerkatorium are joined by our own ST25 judge Joy Sitler to review and discuss the Round 1 entries. It's a great listen, full of insight, pleasant conversation, and humor - be sure to check it out!
Monday, September 15, 2025
All-Request Listening Party!
Tonight at 8 pm EDT, Tommy G is hosting an All-Request Listening Party! He'll be spinning SpinTunes classics from past competitions and wants to play your requests!
Leave a comment here on the blog or email me at SpinTunes Contest@gmail.com and I'll pass your requests on to Tommy G!
Join us tonight on YouTube or embedded below:
Sunday, September 14, 2025
SpinTunes 25 Round 1 Results
SpinTunes 25 Round 1 is officially in the books. And what a round it's been! The quality and variety on display have already resulted in some intriguing differences in judging. It stands to reason - when the batch of songs as a whole is this good, technical details, personal preference, prior experience, and simple gut feeling may guide one judge one way and another judge another way.
However, even in a round this good, there are usually a few entries that rise to the top, and this round is no exception. One song in particular made a big impact, receiving the first place spot from four out of the five judges and earning its artist their first SpinTunes round victory. Congratulations to Hot Pink Halo, whose plaintive, affecting song "Move Mountains" wins SpinTunes 25 Round 1!
Showcasing the stylistic diversity within SpinTunes, two very different entries fill out the podium: The Alleviators' "Right By You", a tender tale of a family supporting each other the best they can, takes second place; and Wendy Wiseman Fisher's tale of a grisly road trip, "Where the Pumpkins Lie" comes in third.
Read on for the full results!
ST25.1 Rankings and Reviews - Joy Sitler
Here are your Round 1 rankings from Joy Sitler:
Read on for Joy's reviews, and be sure to check out her appearance on the Two Jerks, One Vote podcast as well!
ST25.1 Rankings and Reviews - Mike of The Dutch Widows
Here are your rankings from Mike of the Dutch Widows:
Read on for Mike's reviews!
ST25.1 Rankings and Reviews - Nancy Rost
Here are your rankings from Nancy Rost:
Read on for Nancy's reviews!
ST25.1 Rankings and Reviews - Vehicles of Beware
Here are your rankings from SpinTunes 25 Champion Vehicles of Beware (aka Phil):
Read on for Phil's reviews!
ST25.1 Reviews - Micah Sommersmith
What a great batch of songs to start this tournament with! I really enjoyed hearing the various takes on the "Day in the Life" challenge - I was particularly drawn to songs that managed to sketch out a wider timeline in the past or future while keeping the events that were directly portrayed within a single day, as well as - independently of this specific challenge - songs that surprised me, that offered a thoughtful central insight or vivid image, or simply made me smile.
Of course, since I'm not an actual judge, my opinions have no bearing on your performance in the contest, but I offer them anyway. I also gave some listening recommendations; my intention was to include one for every entry, but it quickly became apparent that my time was better spent commenting on your own songs. If you got a listening recommendation, I hope you enjoy it. If you didn't, please know it isn't personal!
Read on for my reviews, in submission order.
Saturday, September 13, 2025
Tables of Secondary Dominant Chords
This blog post is a resource to help you in fulfilling the SpinTunes 25 Round 2 challenge. Included in this post are tables of secondary dominant chords and the chords they resolve to, in 12 major keys and 12 minor keys.
To use them, find the key of the song you are writing to see which secondary dominant chords and resolutions are available in that key. You are not required to use every progression listed in any given key, and you may of course also use progressions in your key that are not listed here.
SpinTunes 25 Round 2 Challenge
While the judges finish their Round 1 deliberations, you get a head start on Round 2. While the Round 1 challenge was lyric-based, this one is music-based. It's based on a simple harmonic concept that might be familiar to you, or this might be your chance to learn something new. In either case, your Round 2 challenge is waiting for you. Read on:
Wednesday, September 3, 2025
ST25 Round 1 Album, and What to Do While the Judges Judge
If you missed Monday night's Listening Party, the full Round 1 album is available to stream or download for free on Bandcamp or embedded below. As always, our faithful and talented graphic designer Matt "Shoobs" Schubbe provides brand-new cover art. Thank you, Shoobs!
The Round 2 challenge is posted on Saturday September 13, and the results of Round 1 judging are posted on Sunday September 14. You may be wondering, "What the heck do I do until then?" Here are a few ideas!
Did you fall in love with someone else's Round 1 song? Record a cover version of it for the Bonus Round! I'll take Bonus Round covers any time throughout the tournament; submit them to me the same way you submit regular entries.
You're also welcome to write your own reviews of the Round 1 songs and post them on the Song Fight! bulletin board. Our friends over at Song Fight! have graciously given us space on their forums to do so, and if you need help registering an account there, they're quick to respond and get you sorted.
If you're simply itching to create more music, Song Fight! is always active throughout the year. Unlike SpinTunes, they post a song title which you are required to use for your song. After the deadline, the songs are all posted, participants (and anyone else) vote for the winner, and another fight begins. You can find the current title, deadline, and submission instructions on the Song Fight! homepage. Be aware: Song Fight! participants do not shy away from criticism of each other's songs, but it's a great way to grow as a musician and a fun community to be part of.
Monday, September 1, 2025
ST25 Round 1 Listening Party and Deadline News
Congratulations to everyone who submitted to Round 1 of SpinTunes 25. We have 29 competing entries as well as two non-competing shadow entries, and your first chance to hear them all is at tonight's Listening Party hosted by Tommy G at 8 pm EDT. Join us on YouTube or embedded below.
The judges have two weeks to listen to, review, and rank your songs. Based on the judges' rankings, the elimination schedule for the tournament will proceed as follows:
- Round 1: 29 entries. 8 eliminated; 21 proceed to Round 2.
- Round 2: 21 entries. 8 eliminated; 13 proceed to Round 3.
- Round 3: 13 entries. 8 eliminated; 5 (top 4 + 1 Wild Card) proceed to the Final Round.
- Final Round: 5 entries. 4 eliminated; 1 named SpinTunes 25 Champion.
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