You, Me and An Album (Al Melchior)
Explorez tous les épisodes de You, Me and An Album
| Date | Titre | Durée | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 06 Feb 2022 | 59. Kevin Brown Discusses Kacey Musgraves, Golden Hour | 01:04:51 | |
ESPN and Baltimore Orioles broadcaster Kevin Brown makes his return to You, Me and An Album, after first appearing on episode 15 (with Lindsey Adler) to discuss Oasis’ Definitely Maybe, This time, Kevin chose Kacey Musgraves’ 2018 album, Golden Hour. Kevin talked about how he got into this album, which tracks are his favorites and what makes this album one that he still goes back to listen to regularly. Corrections and clarifications: Kevin asked me how many other repeat guests have been on the show, and I wasn’t sure of the exact number. I can now confirm that he is the fourth guest to have appeared on two episodes of this podcast. I referred to there being auto-tune at the beginning and end of “Oh. What a World.” Kevin noted that those sections featured vocoder, and in retrospect, I realized that I mistook vocoder for an auto-tuned vocal. I will be writing more on this in the upcoming edition of YMAAA: The Newsletter. I misspoke in my analysis of “Happy & Sad” I said it was “simplistic but not simple,” but I actually meant to say it the other way around. In any event, I was just trying to say it’s a great song. Al has recently launched You, Me and An Album: The Newsletter. You can subscribe for free to get Al’s monthly posts, but paid subscriptions give you access to weekly posts and much more. Please consider trying a paid subscription as it also helps to support this podcast! https://youmealbum.substack.com 1:14 Kevin joins the show 4:34 Listening to Kacey Musgraves — and country music generally — is a bit of a departure for Kevin 8:17 Al and Kevin had similar experiences with their first listens to Golden Hour 11:19 Kevin explains why he decided to give Golden Hour a try 13:55 Al wouldn’t mind doing a whole episode just on “Slow Burn” 15:48 Kevin loves the production on Golden Hour Reactions to the album’s tracks 17:20 Slow Burn 21:19 Lonely Weekend 24:41 Butterflies 26:34 Oh, What a World 31:59 Mother 34:15 Love Is a Wild Thing 37:26 Space Cowboy 40:44 Happy & Sad 44:01 Velvet Elvis/Wonder Woman 46:43 High Horse 48:28 Golden Hour/Rainbow 52:08 Kevin recaps Golden Hour’s great moments 53:04 Kevin recommends another Kacey Musgraves album 54:46 Kevin talks about writing about his memories of listening to Meat Loaf and emotional connections to music 57:07 Al tells his own Meat Loaf-related story 58:55 Kevin is staying busy even in the absence of baseball activity | |||
| 13 Feb 2022 | 60. Mara Davis Discusses The Chicks, Taking the Long Way | 01:02:51 | |
Radio/TV/podcast host and talent booker Mara Davis introduces Al to the The Chicks’ (formerly The Dixie Chicks) Taking the Long Way, released in 2006. Several of the tracks address the backlash to lead singer Natalie Maines' comments about President George W. Bush made three years earlier, and Mara talked about how The Chicks’ response to the incident helped to make her a fan of the group. She also highlighted her favorite tracks on the album, discussed the Spotify-Joe Rogan-Neil Young controversy and talked about the VOTEHER podcast that she co-hosts with Georgia state senator Jen Jordan. You can find all of the episodes of Mara and Jen’s VOTEHER podcast right here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/voteher-podcast-with-jen-jordan-and-mara-davis/id1529098225 While you’ve got your podcast app open, you owe it to yourself to check out The Jump with Shirley Manson (Mara books the guests for this show!): https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-jump-with-shirley-manson/id1469077859 Al has recently launched You, Me and An Album: The Newsletter. You can subscribe for free to get Al’s monthly posts, but paid subscriptions give you access to weekly posts and much more. Please consider trying a paid subscription as it also helps to support this podcast! https://youmealbum.substack.com 0:50 Mara joins the show 1:48 Mara talks about The Chicks’ crossover into more pop-oriented music 3:52 Mara appreciates how The Chicks dealt with the George W. Bush controversy 6:43 Mara was only slightly familiar with The Chicks prior to the controversy 7:45 The Chicks' albums were not representative of the type of music that Mara previously listened to 9:14 Mara had no doubt about which album to discuss 10:55 Mara and Al don’t respond to "The Long Way Around" the same way 13:49 Mara discusses some of her other favorite tracks from the album 17:40 Mara also admires Kacey Musgraves 19:42 The Chicks have not been welcomed back the way that Morgan Wallen has been 22:48 Mara is also impressed by The Chicks as a live act 25:00 Mara gets back to some of her other favorite tracks 27:48 Al has some opinions about the album’s track sequence 29:41 Mara contrasts the current Spotify controversy with the treatment of The Chicks 37:44 One more track that Mara loves: “So Hard” 39:34 The tracks that stood out to Al 44:00 Mara talks about why she connects with the female artists she loves 45:33 The one track that Mara skips sometimes 47:00 Mara and Al talk about the album’s writing collaborations 48:52 Mara now listens to a lot more country music 52:43 Mara explains how she started the VOTEHER podcast with Jen Jordan 58:55 Mara talks about booking talent for Shirley Manson’s podcast, The Jump | |||
| 20 Feb 2022 | 61. (NOTE: GRAPHIC CONTENT) Sean Inderbitzen Discusses Sufjan Stevens, Illinois | 00:55:56 | |
NOTES: This episode includes some discussion of graphic and disturbing lyrics during the section on the track, “John Wayne Gacy, Jr.,” beginning at the 9:47 mark. Also, there were some issues with audio quality on this episode. I apologize for the quality in some spots and hope you can bear with them (I think you’ll find it’s worth it!). Behavioral health therapist Sean Inderbitzen joins Al for this episode, as he introduces him to Sufjan Stevens’ critically-acclaimed 2005 album, Illinois. Sean discusses why he chose this album and how he came to love it. Sean also delves into how he sees the album’s songs as a reflection of the times they were created in and the more timeless meaning that they hold for him. 1:32 Sean joins the show 1:44 Al explains how he and Sean know each other 3:28 Al consciously avoided listening to Sufjan Stevens’ work 4:21 It took Sean several years to appreciate Sufjan’s work 6:12 “Chicago” was the gateway for Sean “getting” this album 9:47 Sean is fascinated by “John Wayne Gacy, Jr.” (WARNING: Includes discussion of graphic and disturbing lyrics) 14:50 Sean and Al have a hard time finding something to compare Illinois to 18:59 The intensity of Illinois reflects the time in which it was made 22:09 Sean reflects more on the message of “John Wayne Gacy, Jr.” Reactions to additional tracks 24:00 Casimir Pulaski Day 26:21 Concerning the UFO Sighting near Highland, Illinois 30:22 A Short Reprise for Mary Todd, Who Went Insane, but for Very Good Reasons 32:34 Prairie Fire That Wanders About 33:52 Casimir Pulaski Day (again) 34:55 The Predatory Wasp of the Palisades Is Out to Get Us! 35:31 Chicago (again) 39:48 Come On! Feel the Illinoise! 46:32 Why didn’t Sean choose a Machine Gun Kelly album? 48:26 Digging further into the album will require more than the usual effort for Al 50:11 Sean talks about a project he’s excited about | |||
| 27 Feb 2022 | 62. Mike Lord and Tom Roche Discuss Phil Collins, Testify | 01:26:22 | |
Mike Lord and Tom Roche — co-hosts of Tabletop Genesis — take a busman’s holiday from their own podcast to have a Genesis-adjacent conversation on this podcast. Mike, Tom and Al discuss Phil Collins’ seventh solo album, Testify — an album that Al had never explored despite being an ardent Genesis and Phil Collins fan. Mike explains why he recommended this album to Al, despite its less-than-glowing reviews, and Tom discusses his own journey with the album. The whole crew reveals where they would rank Testify among Phil’s albums. Some assorted notes: I criticized Phil for having a lyrical theme that was too close to that of a big hit by The Police. Then I referred to “Every Breath You Take” as “Every Step You Take,” which was a far greater offense than the thing I was criticizing. I could not find a link to the Toyota Avalon commercial with "Can’t Stop Loving You." In my searches I did, however, learn that Taylor Swift did her own cover version in 2019. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6FXmdoGut8 I recommended a couple of YouTube channels, so here are the links! Tim Pierce: https://www.youtube.com/c/timpierceguitar Leland Sklar: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCs5yDeiOgkyRZGZGphlSbIw And here is the episode where Lee tells the story about playing on Leo Sayer’s version of “Can’t Stop Loving You.” It starts at 16:26. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I74es0kSFlw&t=1062s Follow Tom and Mike on Twitter! Tom Roche is @burningfirebush Mike Lord is @zorknapp Their Tabletop Genesis podcast is on Twitter, too! Follow them at @GenesisTabletop The show also has a Facebook page (Tabletop Genesis) and a website, http://tabletopgenesis.com/, where you can get the podcast, take their polls and learn more about the program. (To the tune of Follow You, Follow Me) You can follow them, will you follow me… Al is on Twitter at @almelchiorBB, and this show has accounts on Twitter and Instagram at @youmealbum. Be sure to follow @youmealbum to find out in advance about upcoming guests and featured albums for this podcast. Al has recently launched You, Me and An Album: The Newsletter. You can subscribe for free to get Al’s monthly posts, but paid subscriptions give you access to weekly posts and much more. Please consider trying a paid subscription as it also helps to support this podcast! https://youmealbum.substack.com 1:16 Mike and Tom join the show 3:01 Al and Mike explain how this episode came to be 6:47 Tom hadn’t listened to Testify much before preparing for this episode 8:53 Al didn’t even know Testify existed until several years after its release 9:49 Al wonders if he can evaluate Testify fairly and enlists Tom and MIke’s help 16:40 Mike and Al consider whether they would have liked Testify 20 years ago 17:54 Phil Collins’ albums often reflect his mood at the time he records them 18:47 Testify has a different sound than Phil’s other albums Reactions to the album’s tracks (slightly out of order) 20:14 Wake Up Call 26:37 Testify 30:38 Come with Me 35:47 Don’t Get Me Started 40:34 Swing Low 44:28 It’s Not Too Late 50:46 This Love This Heart 53:08 Driving Me Crazy 57:55 The Least You Can Do 1:00:27 Can’t Stop Loving You 1:06:58 Thru My Eyes 1:09:31 You Touch My Heart 1:11:36 Tom, Mike and Al consider how to re-sequence the album 1:13:48 Tom, Mike and Al determine where they’d rank Testify among Phil’s albums 1:22:24 Mike was plea | |||
| 06 Mar 2022 | 63. Sam Wirsching Discusses Tonio K., Life in the Foodchain | 01:05:46 | |
There have been few episodes to date where Al has never heard of the artist or the album being discussed, but fantasy baseball analyst and pet supply store proprietor Sam Wirsching chose an album that fits that category. Sam selected Tonio K.s Life in the Foodchain for this episode, and it’s an album that played an important and memorable role in his childhood. In addition to analyzing several of the album’s tracks, Sam talks about how well the album has held up for him, other artists he listened to growing up and his new podcast, Peace Love Baseball. Sam mentioned a clip he had seen of Janis Joplin performing “What’s New Pussycat” with Tom Jones, but I was unable to find it. I did find this performance of “Raise Your Hand,” and it’s definitely worth checking out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZmiefQ5y4U. I was also able to locate the clip of CSNY and Tom Jones performing “Long Time Gone” that I had mentioned (though I incorrectly said it was CSN). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dIDzA0YDso8 Find and follow Sam on Twitter! @SamFBB1 Sam’s Peace Love Baseball podcast has a Twitter account. Follow his show at @plbpodcast. Al is on Twitter at @almelchiorBB, and this show has accounts on Twitter and Instagram at @youmealbum. Be sure to follow @youmealbum to find out in advance about upcoming guests and featured albums for this podcast. Al has recently launched You, Me and An Album: The Newsletter. You can subscribe for free to get Al’s monthly posts, but paid subscriptions give you access to weekly posts and much more. Please consider trying a paid subscription as it also helps to support this podcast! https://youmealbum.substack.com/ 1:11 Sam joins the show 2:29 Sam explains why he chose Life in the Foodchain as his album 3:03 Sam and Al try to find ways to describe Tonio K’s music 5:21 Sam likes the album’s irreverent tone 7:31 Al shares his initial reaction to the album Reactions to (nearly all of) the album tracks: 8:53 The Funky Western Civilization 12:40 Life in the Food Chain 14:51 Al and Sam wax nostalgic about music from the late 70s 17:47 Sam and Al highlight what makes Tonio K. unique 20:44 Sam and Al wind up taking a detour to talk about Tom Jones 23:29 Life in the Food Chain (cont.) 28:55 Willie and the Pigman/The Ballad of the Night the Clocks All Quit (And the Government Failed) 36:55 H-A-T-R-E-D 43:03 A Lover’s Plea 47:40 How Come I Can’t See You In My Mirror? 50:53 Better Late Than Never 53:15 Sam talks about some other artists he listened to growing up 58:26 Sam discusses his new baseball podcast | |||
| 13 Mar 2022 | 64. Glen Phillips Discusses Dirty Projectors, Lamp Lit Prose | 01:16:07 | |
Glen Phillips from Toad the Wet Sprocket pays Al a visit to talk about Dirty Projectors’ ninth and most recent album, Lamp Lit Prose. Glen explains why he loves this album, what lessons he takes from it for his own work and what’s in store for him in the studio and on the road. He also talks about other artists he admires, other albums he thought about discussing here and a past project of his that Al just discovered. Al’s notes: As I mentioned on this episode, Glen was Brian Koppelman’s guest on his podcast, The Moment, several years ago. It’s a great conversation, and they get deeper into Glen’s career than he and I did on this podcast. Check it out here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/glen-phillips-9-6-16/id814550071?i=1000519286763 Glen made reference to “the Bob Schneider songwriting game.” I admit I had to look this up after recording the episode. Glen described it well here, but if you want to know more about it, this article is a good place to start. https://www.npr.org/2013/11/24/246755925/for-a-few-musicians-beating-songwriters-block-is-all-in-the-game Websites: Though Glen said he doesn’t use social media much, you can still give him a follow on Twitter at @glenphillips. You can access his weekly livestream concerts there or on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/c/glenphillipsofficial. Al is on Twitter at @almelchiorBB, and this show has accounts on Twitter and Instagram at @youmealbum. Be sure to follow @youmealbum to find out in advance about upcoming guests and featured albums for this podcast. Al has recently launched You, Me and An Album: The Newsletter. You can subscribe for free to get Al’s monthly posts, but paid subscriptions give you access to weekly posts and much more. Please consider trying a paid subscription as it also helps to support this podcast! https://youmealbum.substack.com/ 1:03 Glen joins the show 1:32 Glen talks about how he has been influenced by Talk Talk and Peter Gabriel 3:03 Glen discusses his EP, Secrets of the New Explorers 5:21 Glen has known Brian Koppelman since his late teens 6:16 Glen and Al talk about how much they love Talk Talk 9:52 Glen lists other albums he thought about picking for this episode 12:11 Glen talks about how he got into Dirty Projectors 14:51 Al shares his reaction to Lamp Lit Prose Reactions to selected tracks: 15:43 That’s a Lifestyle 20:53 I Feel Energy 23:54 I Found It In U 24:46 Zombie Conqueror (and a discussion of drummers who play out of the pocket) 31:01 Right Now 38:03 Al talks about exploring other Dirty Projectors albums 40:56 Right Now (cont., and a discussion of hocketing) 44:23 Break-Thru 48:13 Glen talks about how different his songwriting approach is compared to David Longstreth’s 51:24 Glen considers whether Dirty Projectors has influenced his music 56:59 Glen also admires the work of Bjork and tUnE-yArDs 58:45 One of Glen’s favorite musicians almost never performs 1:01:14 Glen enjoys leading a community choir 1:05:18 Al explains why he dug further into this album than others discussed on this podcast 1:06:33 Glen talks about the solo project he’s been working on and the upcoming Toad the Wet Sprocket tour Outro musi | |||
| 20 Mar 2022 | 65: Rain Perry Discusses Bruce Springsteen, Nebraska | 01:06:12 | |
Al has had issues with Bruce Springsteen’s music for more than 40 years, and singer/songwriter Rain Perry is here to help him work through them. She introduces Al to Springsteen’s first solo album, Nebraska, and analyzes his particular approach to songcraft. Rain also talks about how she became a Springsteen fan, as well as what she doesn’t like about his music. She also delves into her soon-to-be-released A White Album. Correction: Al cites April 15 as the release date for Rain’s new album and the tax filing deadline in the U.S. While this is the correct date for Rain’s album release, Tax Day is actually April 18 this year. Buy Rain’s music! https://rainperry.bandcamp.com While you’re at it, sign up for her mailing list at rainperry.com. Also, you can follow Rain on Twitter and Instagram at @rainperry. Al has recently launched You, Me and An Album: The Newsletter. You can subscribe for free to get Al’s monthly posts, but paid subscriptions give you access to weekly posts and much more. Please consider trying a paid subscription as it also helps to support this podcast! https://youmealbum.substack.com/ 0:59 Rain joins the show 1:37 Al feels like the only person in the world who doesn’t like Bruce Springsteen’s music 3:24 Rain talks about her formative musical experiences 6:51 Springsteen’s music resonates with Rain because of the way he tells personal stories 8:22 Rain identifies which Springsteen album she first got into 9:26 Rain explains why she chose Nebraska instead of another Springsteen album 11:53 The track “Johnny 99” highlighted Al’s sense of disconnect with Springsteen’s songs 14:53 Rain talks about her initial impressions of Nebraska 17:01 The six major themes of Springsteen’s songs Reactions to selected tracks: 18:16 Johnny 99 22:11 Highway Patrolman 27:46 Nebraska 30:13 Reason to Believe 33:45 Atlantic City/Used Cars 37:21 Open All Night 38:42 Springsteen on Broadway left an impression on Rain 42:11 Springsteen inspires Rain to write from other people’s perspectives 47:27 Rain talks about what she likes and dislikes about Springsteen’s songs musically 54:56 Rain and Al discuss her new record, A White Album | |||
| 03 Apr 2022 | 66. Joan Holliday Discusses Al Stewart, Modern Times | 00:53:36 | |
You, Me and An Album takes the show on the road for this episode, recording at WRSI The River studios in Northampton, Mass. The station’s program director, production director and afternoon host, Joan Holliday, was not only gracious enough to join me on this episode and introduce me to Al Stewart’s Modern Times, but also to provide a wonderful venue for our conversation. In addition to talking about the tracks from this 1975 album, as well as some others from Stewart’s discography, Joan discussed her friendship with Stewart, her career in radio and The River’s unique approach to programming. As Joan mentioned on the show, you can reach her via mail: joan@wrsi.com. Al is on Twitter at @almelchiorBB, and this show has accounts on Twitter and Instagram at @youmealbum. Be sure to follow @youmealbum to find out in advance about upcoming guests and featured albums for this podcast. Al has recently launched You, Me and An Album: The Newsletter. You can subscribe for free to get Al’s monthly posts, but paid subscriptions give you access to weekly posts and much more. Please consider trying a paid subscription as it also helps to support this podcast! https://youmealbum.substack.com/ 1:01 Joan joins the show 2:25 Joan explains how she chose Modern Times for this episode 3:37 Joan recounts how she became an Al Stewart fan 4:52 Joan talks about her friendship with Al Stewart 9:49 Joan contrasts Modern Times with Year of the Cat 12:35 Joan appreciates how Al Stewart can embody different characters in a song 13:22 Joan and Al discuss how albums like Modern Times don’t become pop albums anymore 15:03 Joan highlights the aspects of Al Stewart’s music that she loves 17:46 Joan has seen Al Stewart perform too many times to count Reaction to (nearly all of) the album’s tracks: 19:05 Apple Cider Re-Constitution 21:29 Not the One 24:25 Sirens of Titan 25:46 Carol 28:12 What’s Going On? 30:37 The Dark and the Rolling Sea 34:54 Next Time 38:10 Joan implores us to explore more of Al Stewart’s catalog 42:10 Joan talks about how Al Stewart’s sound changed after the success of Year of the Cat 44:04 Does Tony Banks sound like Al Stewart? 45:24 Joan talks about how she started at The River 46:43 Joan describes The River’s approach to programming | |||
| 17 Apr 2022 | 67. Marissa R. Moss Discusses Margo Price, Midwest Farmer's Daughter | 01:06:29 | |
Music journalist Marissa R. Moss, author of the soon-to-be-released Her Country: How the Women of Country Music Became the Success They Were Never Supposed to Be, stops by to get me acquainted with Margo Price’s 2016 debut album, Midwest Farmer’s Daughter. Marissa talks about the circumstances that brought her to Nashville, how she became acquainted with Price’s music, and what makes Midwest Farmer’s Daughter a special album. Give Marissa a follow on Twitter and Instagram at @marissarmoss! You can also learn more about Marissa and her work at her website, https://www.marissarmoss.com/. Al is on Twitter at @almelchiorBB, and this show has accounts on Twitter and Instagram at @youmealbum. Be sure to follow @youmealbum to find out in advance about upcoming guests and featured albums for this podcast. Al has recently launched You, Me and An Album: The Newsletter. You can subscribe for free to get Al’s monthly posts, but paid subscriptions give you access to weekly posts and much more. Please consider trying a paid subscription as it also helps to support this podcast! https://youmealbum.substack.com/ 1:12 Marissa joins the show 2:22 Marissa explains why she moved to Nashville 7:14 Marissa first saw Margo Price with Buffalo Clover 10:43 Margo Price’s music isn’t necessarily easy to categorize 12:42 Marissa knew Midwest Farmer’s Daughter was special almost instantly Observations about (nearly all of) the album’s tracks: 14:16 Hands of Time 19:57 Marissa helps Al understand the distinction between Americana and country music 24:05 Hurtin’ (On the Bottle) 25:19 This Town Gets Around 26:15 Since You Put Me Down 30:27 Tennessee Song 32:46 Four Years of Chances 38:26 Hurtin’ (On the Bottle), again 41:55 How the Mighty Have Fallen 48:35 Weekender/World’s GreatestLoser/Desperate and Depressed 55:38 Marissa talks about why she wanted to tell the story she tells in Her Country 1:00:58 Marissa discusses her upcoming plans | |||
| 01 May 2022 | 68. Adam Aizer Discusses Aerosmith, Get a Grip | 01:00:57 | |
The man who taught Al everything he knows about podcasting — podcast and video host Adam Aizer of CBSSports.com — pays a visit to the show, and he introduces Al to Aerosmith’s 1993 album, Get a Grip. In addition to discussing the album and nearly all of its tracks in detail, Adam and Al reminisce about their time podcasting together for CBSSports.com and explore the lack of overlap in their musical tastes. Al made a reference to a Misheard Lyrics video for Pearl Jam’s Yellow Ledbetter. He and Adam highly recommend it. Give it a watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLd22ha_-VU 1:07 Adam joins the show 1:48 Al acknowledges his debt to Adam 2:27 Adam recalls a tense podcast that he and Al did 4:56 Adam and Al are continuing previous conversations about Get a Grip 6:18 Adam explains how he got into Aerosmith and Get a Grip 10:07 Adam and Al talk about the videos Aerosmith made for tracks on Get a Grip 12:12 Al discovers why he hasn’t liked Aerosmith more 14:48 Adam describes how he sees the evolution of Aerosmith’s personality 19:03 Adam addresses one criticism of Get a Grip 19:38 Al has lumped Aerosmith in with several ‘70s artists who changed their style in the ‘80s 21:46 Adam and Al disagree on who is the best American rock band 23:30 Adam reveals something about his music-listening habits 24:52 Al — and not Adam — picked this episode’s album 25:23 Adam also liked the albums Aerosmith released after Get a Grip 27:33 Adam talks about why Get a Grip is his favorite Aerosmith album
29:09 Amazing 31:34 Crazy 33:13 Livin’ on the Edge 35:55 Adam ranks his six favorite tracks from the album 37:04 Eat the Rich 41:46 Adam brings up the most unfortunate part of the album 43:33 Shut Up and Dance 45:00 Line Up 47:05 Gotta Love It 48:31 Al compares Eat the Rich with Livin’ on the Edge 50:16 Adam thinks the sequencing of Get a Grip is interesting 52:29 Al takes another crack at comparing Eat the Rich and Livin’ on the Edge 54:46 Al sums up his opinion of Get a Grip 55:20 Adam recommends another album for Al to listen to 56:38 Adam discusses his work with CBSSports.com | |||
| 15 May 2022 | 69. Willie Heath Neal and Kira Annalise of The Waymores Discuss Waylon Jennings, Honky Tonk Heroes | 01:16:15 | |
Country musicians Willie Heath Neal and Kira Annalise, who perform as The Waymores, introduce Al to an album by their band’s namesake, Honky Tonk Heroes by Waylon Jennings. Willie and Kira talk about why this album is so special to them, and they also tell Al about their farm in central Georgia and discuss their new album, Stone Sessions. Be sure to follow Willie and Kira on Twitter at @TWaymores and on Instagram at @thewaymores! As they mentioned, they also have a YouTube channel. Check it out at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJWGJRTKouBz7IO3YkUJD4Q. You can also find out more about the band’s music and tour dates on their website, thewaymores.com. Al is on Twitter at @almelchiorBB, and this show has accounts on Twitter and Instagram at @youmealbum. Be sure to follow @youmealbum to find out in advance about upcoming guests and featured albums for this podcast. Al has recently launched You, Me and An Album: The Newsletter. You can subscribe for free to get Al’s monthly posts, but paid subscriptions give you access to weekly posts and much more. Please consider trying a paid subscription as it also helps to support this podcast! https://youmealbum.substack.com/ 1:22 Willie and Kira join the show 1:49 Willie and Kira cite the other albums they considered for this episode 3:05 Willie and Kira talk about the origins of The Waymores 8:23 Kira and Willie revisit Kira’s introduction to Honky Tonk Heroes 13:03 Willie thinks about Honky Tonk Heroes as a concept album 13:33 Willie recounts his first experience of closely listening to Honky Tonk Heroes 16:00 Kira and Willie explain why they think the album is brilliant 17:58 Al had trouble focusing on the music on the album 19:25 Waylon Jennings’ message and vocal delivery made the album meaningful for Kira 21:09 Shoddy production is part of the album’s charm for Willie 23:06 Willie and Kira delve into the particulars of Waylon’s vocal delivery 26:28 Willie talks about his long-standing fixation with Honky Tonk Heroes 29:00 Kira tells the story behind the partnership of Waylon and Billy Joe Shaver 34:31 Kira and Willie laud the quality and uniqueness of Waylon’s voice 37:37 Willie repeats a story told to him by Billy Joe Shaver Discussion of selected tracks: 39:35 We Had It All 42:00 Ain’t No God in Mexico 42:44 Low Down Freedom/Omaha 46:59 Kira and Willie talk about a particular lesson they take from Waylon’s songwriting 49:21 Honky Tonk Heroes was an aberration for a country album in the early ‘70s 50:56 Kira and Willie talk extensively about “outlaw” vs. “outcast” country 55:29 Willie likes how spacious Honky Tonk Heroes is 57:19 Kira and Willie appreciate the way Waylon paints a picture with his songs 1:00:56 Kira and Willie talk about their farm and their love of animals 1:08:06 Kira and Willie talk about their new album, Stone Sessions | |||
| 22 May 2022 | 70. Maggie Serota Discusses The Teardrop Explodes, Kilimanjaro | 01:06:48 | |
Music journalist Maggie Serota (formerly of SPIN) pays Al a visit to get him acquainted with the 1980 debut album from The Teardrop Explodes, Kilimanjaro. Maggie delves into what she loves about this band and this album, breaks down some of her favorite tracks and discusses the many dramas that surrounded this short-lived band and its frontman, Julian Cope. Be sure to give Maggie a follow on Twitter at @maggieserota! Al is on Twitter at @almelchiorBB, and this show has accounts on Twitter and Instagram at @youmealbum. Be sure to follow @youmealbum to find out in advance about upcoming guests and featured albums for this podcast. Al has recently launched You, Me and An Album: The Newsletter. You can subscribe for free to get Al’s monthly posts, but paid subscriptions give you access to weekly posts and much more. Please consider trying a paid subscription as it also helps to support this podcast! https://youmealbum.substack.com/ 1:05 Maggie joins the show 2:01 Kilimanjaro takes Al right back to 1980 5:21 Maggie explains how she wound up getting into The Teardrop Explodes 9:10 Maggie and Al talk about The Teardrop Explodes’ tumultuous history 12:07 Al identifies a song he might skip 14:41 Maggie is fascinated by Julian Cope’s contradictions 18:38 Maggie discovers the meaning behind a cryptic Cope lyrical reference 21:25 Maggie likes some of the tracks on the deluxe version of the album 25:20 Maggie and Al talk about the album’s closer, “When I Dream” 28:06 Al stuns Maggie by admitting he has never done karaoke 31:05 Al likes the keyboard sound on “Thief of Baghdad” 32:54 Maggie likes how seamless the album’s sequencing is 34:57 Maggie talks about the Julian Cope-Ian McCulloch rivalry 37:31 Maggie explains why she chose Kilimanjaro for this episode 42:09 Maggie and Al take a detour to talk about U2 47:42 Maggie brings up another Julian Cope rivalry 48:33 Maggie and Al each have a track where they have trouble focusing 49:32 “Poppies in the Field” reminds Al of The Police 52:18 Maggie recommends that Al explore more of Cope’s solo work 55:02 Maggie revisits a piece she wrote about So I Married an Axe Murderer 59:21 Maggie talks about recent changes in her work situation | |||
| 29 May 2022 | 71. Anita Lee Elliott Discusses Ace Frehley, self-titled | 00:59:38 | |
Days before the release of Slang’s debut album, Cockroach in a Ghost Town, guitarist Anita Lee Elliott dropped by to talk about Ace Frehley’s self-titled solo album. Anita discussed how she first learned about this album, why she loves it and how she imagines it was received by Ace’s Kiss bandmates. She also talked about how she joined Slang and what some of her favorite tracks are from the band’s new album. Slang's Cockroach in a Ghost Town is out! Stream/buy it here: https://theeslang.bandcamp.com/releases Al highly recommends the video for Viva Voce's "Alive with Pleasure," as he and Anita discussed on this episode. Watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_X7m7xFVJw As discussed on the show, Anita Lee and The Handsome Three have a Facebook page. Check it out...https://www.facebook.com/anitaleeandhandsome3/ You can follow Slang on Twitter at @realslang and on Instagram at @theeslang. Al is on Twitter at @almelchiorBB, and this show has accounts on Twitter and Instagram at @youmealbum. Be sure to follow @youmealbum to find out in advance about upcoming guests and featured albums for this podcast. Al has recently launched You, Me and An Album: The Newsletter. You can subscribe for free to get Al’s monthly posts, but paid subscriptions give you access to weekly posts and much more. Please consider trying a paid subscription as it also helps to support this podcast! https://youmealbum.substack.com/ 1:07 Anita joins the show 1:44 Anita explains how she wound up getting Ace Frehley’s debut album 4:38 Anita discusses the extent of her Kiss fandom 6:47 This album fit right in with other popular rock music of its time 9:48 Anita is a music-first, lyrics-second type of music listener 11:48 Anita’s parents helped her forge a strong connection with albums 15:20 Growing up near Muscle Shoals influenced Anita’s love of electric guitar Discussion of specific tracks 17:35 Speedin’ Back to My Baby 20:10 I’m in Need of Love/Ozone 24:55 New York Groove 29:29 Anita likes how Ace proved his doubters wrong 32:24 Rip It Out 35:01 Wiped-Out 37:16 Fractured Mirror 39:11 What’s on Your Mind? 39:57 This album has been a part of Anita’s life since childhood 40:49 Al asks Anita about a video she made when she was in Viva Voce 44:42 Anita talks about joining Slang 46:46 Anita discussed the recording process for Cockroach in a Ghost Town 48:44 Anita reveals Slang’s tour plans 51:11 Anita identifies some of her favorite moments from Cockroach in a Ghost Town 55:28 Anita talks about her other band, Anita Lee and The Handsome Three | |||
| 05 Jun 2022 | 72. Henning Ohlenbusch Discusses Ultravox!, Ha!-Ha!-Ha! | 01:08:19 | |
Not only does Massachusetts-based musician, songwriter and producer Henning Ohlenbusch introduce Al to an album he didn’t know on this week’s episode, but with Ha!-Ha!-Ha!, he opens Al up to a whole era of Ultravox! that he didn’t even know existed. Henning talks about why this album is special to him, shares his observations on each of the album’s eight tracks and discusses the making of his new solo album, The Dream is to Dream. Henning’s label, Rubwrongways Records, publishes a playlist called 25 Songs for This Week every Monday. Check it out here! https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7fyuMn8ZZh8N3FoJnaP7jo You can find Henning’s work on the Rubwrongways website (rubwrongways.com), as well as on his Bandcamp page (https://henningohlenbusch.bandcamp.com/). Be sure to give Henning a follow! @ItsMeHenning on Twitter and @henningo on Instagram You can also find all things Henning on his website, henningo.com. Al is on Twitter at @almelchiorBB, and this show has accounts on Twitter and Instagram at @youmealbum. Be sure to follow @youmealbum to find out in advance about upcoming guests and featured albums for this podcast. Al has recently launched You, Me and An Album: The Newsletter. You can subscribe for free to get Al’s monthly posts, but paid subscriptions give you access to weekly posts and much more. Please consider trying a paid subscription as it also helps to support this podcast! https://youmealbum.substack.com/ LIVESTEAM INFO!! Also, as mentioned at the outset of this episode, Al will be bringing You, Me and An Album to YouTube! Be sure to set your reminder for viewing the first YMAAA livestream on Monday, June 20 at 2pm ET/11am PT by going directly to the livestream page. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVv9NLptU7Q 0:00 A special announcement 2:16 Henning joins the show 3:15 Henning talks about what he likes about the Northampton music scene 4:36 Al’s first experience of listening to Ha!-Ha!-Ha! was a bit of a shock 6:23 Henning has a strong preference for one version of Ultravox over the other 10:05 Henning names some other bands he could have chosen for this episode 11:28 Al had to reset his expectations for the album Discussion of specific tracks: 12:20 Distant Smile 18:35 ROckWrok 19:07 The Frozen Ones 22:58 Fear in the Western World 25:56 Comparing Side 1 vs. Side 2 27:50 The Man Who Dies Every Day 32:24 Artificial Life 36:56 While I’m Still Alive 41:50 Hiroshima Mon Amour 47:56 Henning is impressed by the loudness of this album 49:50 Henning has had a hard time getting others to explore Ha!-Ha!-Ha! 51:14 Henning has an interesting idea about how the album-listening habit gets formed 53:20 Henning talks about his approach to recording his new album 1:01:44 Henning discusses what’s next for him | |||
| 12 Jun 2022 | 73. Jeff Erickson Discusses Uncle Tupelo, No Depression | 00:57:15 | |
LIVESTEAM INFO!! As Al mentioned towards the end of this episode, he will be bringing You, Me and An Album to YouTube! Be sure to set your reminder for viewing the first YMAAA livestream on Monday, June 20 at 2pm ET/11am PT by going directly to the livestream page. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVv9NLptU7Q Al’s guests will be: Rebecca Clay Cole (Pavement, Wild Flag, The Minders) Mariana Timony (Bandcamp Daily, The Weird Girls Post) Ellen Adair (Homeland, The Sinner, Take Me In To the Ballgame podcast) Eric Gilde (Cryptid, Narrator Syndrome, Take Me In To the Ballgame podcast) There will be Q&A…submit your questions in the live chat or DM them to Al ahead of time at @youmealbum on Twitter or Instagram! _________________________ Uncle Tupelo…yet another band that Al had heard about and read about, but never actually listened to. Jeff Erickson of RotoWire remedies that on this episode, as he introduces Al to the band via their 1990 debut album, No Depression. Jeff and Al talk about several of the album’s tracks, the importance of Uncle Tupelo to the alt-country subgenre, Jeff’s experiences with listening to Wilco and Son Volt, and the nature of being a fan of a band that becomes more popular over time. As he promised, Jeff provided a link to a video of Uncle Tupelo playing live in 1994. Watch and enjoy…https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zWiUkQMs5zM Let Jeff know how much you love Uncle Tupelo on Facebook and at @Jeff_Erickson on Twitter. Al is on Twitter at @almelchiorBB, and this show has accounts on Twitter and Instagram at @youmealbum. Be sure to follow @youmealbum to find out in advance about upcoming guests and featured albums for this podcast. Al has recently launched You, Me and An Album: The Newsletter. You can subscribe for free to get Al’s monthly posts, but paid subscriptions give you access to weekly posts and much more. Please consider trying a paid subscription as it also helps to support this podcast! https://youmealbum.substack.com/ 1:02 Jeff joins the show 2:23 Jeff explains how he discovered No Depression 4:42 Al discusses his experience of seeing Wilco live 6:31 Jeff identifies the reasons why he chose this album 8:12 Jeff connected with No Depression’s earnest tone 9:42 Al appreciates Uncle Tupelo, even if they didn’t totally click for him 13:15 Jeff talks about Uncle Tupelo’s early years, and Al recalls hearing about the band in that era 16:05 Al and Jeff find parallels between Uncle Tupelo and R.E.M. 17:51 Al has a hard time imagining Uncle Tupelo as a punk band 19:08 Al and Jeff compare Jay Farrar and Jeff Tweedy 22:12 Jeff names some of his favorite songs from the album 24:12 Uncle Tupelo doesn’t take credit for creating alt-country, even though others do 25:54 Al talks about a couple of his favorite tracks 28:12 Jeff and Al discuss their struggles with enjoying their favorite bands after they became popular 33:39 No Depression hits Jeff the same way now as it did when he first heard it 34:59 Jeff and Al pick out some of their favorite lyrics from No Depression 42:09 Jeff compares and contrasts Uncle Tupelo with Wilco and Son Volt 48:46 Al asks Jeff where to continue his Farrar/Tweedy exploration 52:00 Jeff talks about his work with RotoWire | |||
| 19 Jun 2022 | 74. You, Me and An Album Comes to YouTube! | 00:21:04 | |
On this episode, Al unveils the new You, Me and An Album YouTube channel. He announces the first offerings on the channel -- namely, a new playlist and a livestream event. In discussing the livestream, Al revisits excerpts from some previous episodes that featured the livestream guests: Eric Gilde, Rebecca Clay Cole, Ellen Adair and Mariana Timony. REBECCA CLAY COLE (Pavement, Wild Flag, The Minders), MARIANA TIMONY (Bandcamp Daily), ELLEN ADAIR (The Sinner, Homeland, MLB Network), ERIC GILDE (Cryptid, Narrator Syndrome) Topic: our experiences of being deeply immersed in our favorite music
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| 26 Jun 2022 | 75. Matt Norlander Discusses Pearl Jam, Yield | 01:00:41 | |
Matt Norlander, basketball writer and analyst for CBS Sports and host of the Records & Riffs podcast, is this episode's guest, and he introduces Al to Pearl Jam's fifth album, Yield. Matt talks about his fandom for Pearl Jam in general and his love for this particular album, commenting in detail on nearly every track. He also delves into his viral moment involving a Guster sticker and what's coming up for him, both at CBS Sports and on Records & Riffs. Al is on Twitter at @almelchiorBB, and this show has accounts on Twitter and Instagram at @youmealbum. Be sure to follow @youmealbum to find out in advance about upcoming guests and featured albums for this podcast. Al launched You, Me and An Album: The Newsletter earlier this year. You can subscribe for free to get Al’s monthly posts, but paid subscriptions give you access to weekly posts and much more. Please consider trying a paid subscription as it also helps to support this podcast! https://youmealbum.substack.com/ 1:24 Matt joins the show 2:22 Matt talks about interviewing Steve Lillywhite for his music podcast 5:46 Matt explains why he picked Yield 8:37 1998 was a great music year for Matt 10:39 Why is Yield Matt’s favorite Pearl Jam album? 19:00 Al references albums that were the first ones he loved from certain bands 19:32 Al appreciates the elements that make Yield different from previous Pearl Jam albums 22:31 Matt thinks the band’s collaborative approach on Yield produced great results 25:38 Matt singles out his favorite songwriter in Pearl Jam Discussion of specific tracks 27:52 No Way/Faithful 31:50 Wishlist and an appreciation of Jack Irons 34:22 Given to Fly 36:28 Brain of J./Do the Evolution 38:33 Red Dot/Push Me, Pull Me 42:15 Matt surmises which other albums Yield’s tracks could have been placed on 43:45 MFC 45:57 Low Light 47:42 Matt admires Brendan O’Brien’s production on Yield 48:44 Matt’s closing thoughts on the album 52:04 Matt talks about his current work at CBS Sports and with Records & Riffs 56:29 Matt talks about the viral moment he had with his Guster laptop sticker | |||
| 03 Jul 2022 | 76. Livestream #1: Our Musical Obsessions | 01:04:57 | |
This episode is an audio-only version of the livestream event that occurred on Monday, June 20. The participants discussed musical artists they have listened to the most in their lives, the benefits of digging deeply into their favorite artists' work and whether they feel FOMO when focusing their listening attention narrowly. The participants and host also picked albums that they wanted the other participants to hear. | |||
| 10 Jul 2022 | 77. Carla Olson Discusses The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Axis: Bold as Love | 01:20:19 | |
Guitarist, vocalist, songwriter and producer Carla Olson is this week's guest, and she introduces Al to The Jimi Hendrix Experience's second album, Axis: Bold as Love. Carla co-founded The Textones (with Kathy Valentine), collaborated with Mick Taylor, Bob Dylan, Gene Clark and countless others, and co-produced and performed on the new compilation album, Americana Railroad. Carla talks about her favorite things about Axis, as well as her own encounter with Hendrix, her work with Taylor, the story behind Americana Railroad and much more. Also, you can see Carla's performance on the "Sweetheart Like You" video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PpRKstHl7Y0 As Carla mentioned, you can stream/purchase Americana Railroad everywhere now. Here is one place to check it out: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_nH73kV_CiBB9ooznmJi3W-BLiz6YdcOLg There are lots of places to keep current with Carla's work! @CarlaOlsonMusic on Twitter and Instagram @CarlaBOlson on Instagram @haveharmonywilltravel on Instagram Textones Facebook page
Al launched You, Me and An Album: The Newsletter earlier this year. You can subscribe for free to get Al’s monthly posts, but paid subscriptions give you access to weekly posts and much more. Please consider trying a paid subscription as it also helps to support this podcast! https://youmealbum.substack.com/ 1:24 Carla joins the show 2:08 Carla talks about the time she met Jimi Hendrix 14:27 Carla talks about playing guitar growing up 21:15 Carla recalls how she got introduced to Kathy Valentine 25:46 Carla pinpoints what it is about Jimi Hendrix that made him great 28:00 Carla discusses what was new for Hendrix on Axis 31:36 Carla tells us what Don Henley’s pet peeve with Hendrix was 32:38 Carla and Al talk about how Axis is meant to be listened to in its entirety 33:31 Carla says that the era in which Axis was recorded and toured was one of rapid growth for Hendrix as a musician 34:53 Carla and Al discuss Noel Redding and his pop sensibility 38:14 Carla and Al talk about Hendrix as a vocalist and lyricist 42:07 Listening to Axis has helped Al to better appreciate Hendrix’s impact 49:07 Al wonders why tracks from Axis didn’t get more radio airplay 55:33 Carla recounts the crisis that could have prevented Axis from getting released 59:13 Carla explains how she started working with Mick Taylor 1:05:15 The Americana Railroad compilation album was decades in the making | |||
| 17 Jul 2022 | 78. Orono Discusses The Unicorns, Who Will Cut Our Hair When We're Gone? | 00:59:48 | |
Superorganism's lead vocalist and artist Orono joins Al and picks this week's album, which is Who Will Cut Our Hair When We're Gone? by The Unicorns. Orono explains why she chose this album and what makes it one of her favorites. She also delves into the process Superorganism used to record their new album, World Wide Pop, and the videos they released along with it, and she also talks about her friendship with "cool dad" Stephen Malkmus. Superorganisim's website (with tour dates!): https://www.wearesuperorganism.com/ As Orono noted, you can follow her on Twitter (@oronooo) and Instagram (@ Al is on Twitter at @almelchiorBB, and this show has accounts on Twitter and Instagram at @youmealbum. Be sure to follow @youmealbum to find out in advance about upcoming guests and featured albums for this podcast. Al launched You, Me and An Album: The Newsletter earlier this year. You can subscribe for free to get Al’s monthly posts, but paid subscriptions give you access to weekly posts and much more. Please consider trying a paid subscription as it also helps to support this podcast! https://youmealbum.substack.com/ 1:12 Orono joins the show 2:05 Orono explains how Superorganism wound up appearing on Legion 4:29 Orono’s friend suggested that she choose Who Will Cut Our Hair 6:20 Al tells Orono what his impression of the album is 9:26 Orono loved The Unicorns right at her first listen 12:22 Orono talks about the similarities between The Unicorns and Superorganism 15:54 Orono doesn’t have a favorite track Observations about specific tracks 17:18 I Don’t Wanna Die 20:10 Child Star 25:00 Emasculate the Masculine 27:05 Is this a pop album? 30:18 Inoculate the Innocuous 31:34 Jellybones 32:11 Tuff Luff/Sea Ghost 34:59 Tuff Ghost 36:59 Les Os 39:42 Let’s Get Known 41:36 Orono wishes The Unicorns had stayed together longer 43:28 Orono explains how she got to be friends with Stephen Malkmus 47:13 Orono outlines Superorganism’s process for writing songs for World Wide Pop 50:50 Is Orono an Arizona Diamondbacks fan? 52:27 Orono talks about how Superorganism’s videos get made 54:52 Orono discusses her other current projects | |||
| 24 Jul 2022 | 79. Tim Friese-Greene Discusses My Bloody Valentine, Isn't Anything | 01:05:04 | |
Musician/songwriter/producer Tim Friese-Greene (solo, Short-Haired Domestic, Heligoland, Talk Talk) joins Al to talk about My Bloody Valentine's 1988 debut, Isn't Anything. Tim talks about why this is an important album and which tracks stand out for him. He also discusses his new album, Melodic Apoptosis, and upcoming projects. Be sure to check out Tim's website, https://www.timfriesegreene.co.uk/, and his Bandcamp page, https://calciumchloride.bandcamp.com/! Al is on Twitter at @almelchiorBB, and this show has accounts on Twitter and Instagram at @youmealbum. Be sure to follow @youmealbum to find out in advance about upcoming guests and featured albums for this podcast. Al launched You, Me and An Album: The Newsletter earlier this year. You can subscribe for free to get Al’s monthly posts, but paid subscriptions give you access to weekly posts and much more. Please consider trying a paid subscription as it also helps to support this podcast! https://youmealbum.substack.com/ 1:42 Tim joins the show 2:29 Al’s normal routine for preparing for the show did not serve him well this time 4:06 Tim describes how he and his family listen to music at home 5:47 Tim explains why Isn’t Anything is an important album for him 10:18 Was Talk Talk affected by 1980s music trends that Tim wasn’t fond of? 13:31 Tim explains why he chose Isn’t Anything instead of Loveless 19:06 Tim recounts the one time he met Kevin Shields 21:20 Tim gives an example of the messiness of Isn’t Anything 23:00 Tim appreciates the sound of Isn’t Anything 24:27 Tim is reluctant to call Isn’t Anything a rock album 29:02 Tim imagines what Isn’t Anything would sound like if recorded by an American rock band 31:55 Tim talks about how he typically listens to Isn’t Anything 33:29 Tim gives the songs on Isn’t Anything a passing grade on the “busker’s test” 36:01 Tim identifies a pair of standout tracks 44:02 Tim is curious about My Bloody Valentine’s process for recording acoustic tracks 46:01 Sometimes Tim reflexively analyzes music 47:35 Tim talks about how he connects with Isn’t Anything 50:56 Tim offers Al a suggestion on how he might get more out of the album 54:48 Tim discusses the circumstances around the recording of Melodic Apoptosis 1:01:07 Tim is happy with the way the Short-Haired Domestic album came out 1:01:47 Tim talks about his upcoming albums | |||
| 07 Aug 2022 | 80. David Moss Discusses Richard and Linda Thompson, I Want to See The Bright Lights Tonight | 00:44:17 | |
This episode's guest is David Moss, who performs with his twin brother, Adam, as The Brother Brothers. David introduces Al to Richard and Linda Thompson's first album, I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight. David shares how he first became acquainted with the album and what is special about it, and he also talks about The Brother Brothers' new album, Cover to Cover, and the duo's upcoming plans. Al is on Twitter at @almelchiorBB, and this show has accounts on Twitter and Instagram at @youmealbum. Be sure to follow @youmealbum to find out in advance about upcoming guests and featured albums for this podcast. Al launched You, Me and An Album: The Newsletter earlier this year. You can subscribe for free to get Al’s monthly posts, but paid subscriptions give you access to weekly posts and much more. Please consider trying a paid subscription as it also helps to support this podcast! https://youmealbum.substack.com/ 1:11 David joins the show 1:26 David explains why he chose I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight 1:55 David remembers the exact moment that the album took on special meaning for him 4:30 David talks about the elements of the album that set it apart Discussion of specific tracks: 6:13 Calvary Cross 14:57 The End of the Rainbow 18:52 The Little Beggar Girl 20:44 What makes this a seminal folk rock album? 24:49 David and Al appreciate Linda Thompson’s vocal versatility 26:03 I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight 31:46 The Great Valerio 35:41 David explains why the Brother Brothers made a covers album 37:57 David tells us about what’s coming up for the Brother Brothers 38:46 David recommends an additional album for us to listen to The outro music is from the Brother Brothers' cover of Richard Thompson's "Waltzing's for Dreamers." | |||
| 14 Aug 2022 | 81. Andrew Stern Discusses Rosanne Cash, The River & The Thread | 01:13:14 | |
Andrew Stern, one-half of the Americana duo 3 Pairs of Boots (along with his wife, Laura Arias), joins Al to discuss Rosanne Cash’s 2014 album, The River & The Thread. Andrew talks about why he considers this album a “desert island” pick and how this album has influenced his own work as a producer and a musician. He also talks about 3 Pairs of Boots’ upcoming release, Mighty Love. Where to keep up with Andrew and Laura… @3pairsofboots on Twitter and Instagram Website: 3pairsofboots.com Al is on Twitter at @almelchiorBB, and this show has accounts on Twitter and Instagram at @youmealbum. Be sure to follow @youmealbum to find out in advance about upcoming guests and featured albums for this podcast. Al launched You, Me and An Album: The Newsletter earlier this year. You can subscribe for free to get Al’s monthly posts, but paid subscriptions give you access to weekly posts and much more. Please consider trying a paid subscription as it also helps to support this podcast! https://youmealbum.substack.com/ 1:08 Andrew joins the show 1:23 Andrew explains why he picked The River & The Thread for this episode 7:37 Andrew talks about the ways that John Leventhal has influenced his own work 10:47 Andrew discusses his process for producing an album 18:25 Andrew picks out some examples of great production and arrangement from The River & The Thread 26:28 Al likes how the music complements the lyrics on “Night School” 27:25 Andrew explains to Al how the songs for The River & The Thread were written 29:53 Lyrics are the hardest part of songwriting for Andrew 33:40 Andrew finds the trajectory of Rosanne Cash’s life interesting 36:50 Al and Andrew talk about the theme of homecoming on The River & The Thread 39:06 Al and Andrew have a difference of opinion about the album closer 43:10 Al cites “The Sunken Lands” as another example of great lyrics 43:55 Andrew discusses his favorite tracks on the album 53:47 The River & The Thread reminds Andrew of Bob Dylan’s Rough and Rowdy Ways 55:59 Andrew talks about how he got used to listening to “relaxed” music 1:02:08 Andrew and Laura are already working on another album 1:07:00 Andrew discusses the origins of the 3 Pairs of Boots name Outro is from “Evensong” by 3 Pairs of Boots. | |||
| 21 Aug 2022 | 82. Sherry Thomas Discusses INXS, The Swing | 00:57:14 | |
This episode is dedicated to the memory of Lelya Turcihin, a great friend and a wonderful soul who loved INXS and left us far too early and far too long ago. Sherry Thomas, host of the Analog Smile podcast and contributing writer for The Aquarian, is this episode’s guest, as she gets Al better acquainted with INXS’ fourth album, The Swing. They discuss what Sherry loves about this album and about INXS in general, how she got into music journalism and what made her start her latest podcast. Be sure to follow Sherry on Twitter at @sherryt1970 and on Instagram at @readcoffeerepeat. Also find Sherry on Facebook at Analog Smile Podcast. And listen to Analog Smile! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/analog-smile/id1611061065?mt=2&ls=1 Al is on Twitter at @almelchiorBB, and this show has accounts on Twitter and Instagram at @youmealbum. Be sure to follow @youmealbum to find out in advance about upcoming guests and featured albums for this podcast. Al launched You, Me and An Album: The Newsletter earlier this year. You can subscribe for free to get Al’s monthly posts, but paid subscriptions give you access to weekly posts and much more. Please consider trying a paid subscription as it also helps to support this podcast! https://youmealbum.substack.com/ 1:08 Sherry joins the show 2:39 Sherry identifies her favorite musical decade 5:00 Sherry sees The Swing as a pivotal album in INXS’ catalog 9:40 Sherry and Al talk about Original Sin as a centerpiece of the album 17:02 Sherry explains why she thinks Andrew Farriss and Michael Hutchence were a great songwriting team Discussion of other tracks 18:34 Dancing on the Jetty 22:15 Johnson’s Aeroplane 27:02 Original Sin (remake) 28:37 Sherry talks about Michael Hutchence’s tragic passing 31:40 I Send a Message 33:12 Burn for You 34:02 Melting in the Sun 35:28 Face the Change/Love Is (What I Say) 38:18 Al explains why he was glad Sherry picked this album 42:00 Sherry names her favorite INXS album(s) 45:02 Sherry talks about how she got into music journalism 48:54 Sherry explains why she started Analog Smile 53:06 Al asks Sherry about the origins of her podcast’s name | |||
| 28 Aug 2022 | 83. Lenny DiNardo Discusses The Lemonheads, It's a Shame About Ray | 01:06:12 | |
Former Red Sox pitcher and current Red Sox television analyst Lenny DiNardo drops by for You, Me and An Album’s latest music/baseball crossover. Lenny gets Al better acquainted with The Lemonheads’ fifth album, It’s a Shame About Ray. They talk about why Lenny chose this album for the show, how he got to know The Lemonheads’ Evan Dando personally, what Lenny likes about each of the album's tracks and his own journey as a guitarist. As Lenny had mentioned, his Hot Stove Cool Music performance of “The Outdoor Type” with Evan Dando is on YouTube. Watch/listen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DbDtcu257Cc Lenny had shared with Al this video on the making of The Dropkick Murphys’ “Tessie,” and now he's sharing it with you. If you love music, baseball or both, it’s a worthwhile watch. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKymxOS44Pw&t=5s Be sure to give Lenny a follow on Twitter at @DinardoLenny and on Instagram at @dinardolhp. Al is on Twitter at @almelchiorBB, and this show has accounts on Twitter and Instagram at @youmealbum. Be sure to follow @youmealbum to find out in advance about upcoming guests and featured albums for this podcast. 1:14 Lenny joins the show 3:02 Lenny talks about the eclectic mix of music he grew up with 5:46 Lenny explains what hooked him on It’s a Shame About Ray 6:44 Nic Dalton did a cool thing in the YouTube comments 9:40 Lenny talks about how he met Evan Dando… 12:00 …and how he wound up playing a gig with Evan 13:25 Lenny names a couple of other albums he considered discussing on this episode instead 14:56 Lenny explains why he chose It’s a Shame About Ray Discussion of specific tracks 16:16 Hannah & Gabi 20:28 My Drug Buddy 22:58 Lenny has to listen to the album all the way through 24:35 Rockin Stroll 26:45 It’s a Shame About Ray 29:03 Confetti, Rudderless and the importance of lyrics and vocals 35:56 Mrs. Robinson 39:28 Frank Mills 40:40 The Turnpike Down 42:24 Bit Part/“Shorty Shea” 44:30 Allison’s Starting to Happen 47:08 Lenny talks about how The Lemonheads have evolved over time 50:26 Lenny helped The Baseball Project out with one of their songs 55:46 Lenny recounts some of his experiences with recording music 1:00:48 The one thing Lenny would change in his life if he could | |||
| 11 Sep 2022 | 84. Levi Weaver Discusses David Bazan, Curse Your Branches | 01:01:38 | |
Levi Weaver, who covers the Texas Rangers for The Athletic, joins Al on this episode to introduce him to the David Bazan (of Pedro the Lion) solo album, Curse Your Branches. Levi discusses how this album has helped him to navigate the uncertainty that has come with questioning his religious faith, as well as what he loves about the album musically. He also talks about his career as a recording and touring musician, including a period when he was touring as a member of Imogen Heap's band, and how he transitioned into a sportswriting career. Follow Levi’s great Rangers coverage on The Athletic here: https://theathletic.com/author/levi-weaver/ Al is on Twitter at @almelchiorBB, and this show has accounts on Twitter and Instagram at @youmealbum. Be sure to follow @youmealbum to find out in advance about upcoming guests and featured albums for this podcast. 1:11 Levi joins the show 3:19 Levi talks about playing in Imogen Heap’s band 9:06 Levi explains what about Curse Your Branches appeals to him 12:35 Al and Levi were both impressed by the intro to “Hard to Be” 15:09 Levi recounts the first time he listened to Curse Your Branches 19:13 Levi talks about the role the album has played in his “wrestling match” with his faith 25:21 Levi explains how Bazan is making an analogy between addiction and religious faith 27:26 Levi talks about some lyrics that were especially resonant 31:19 Levi helps Al to clarify the meaning of “In Stitches” 37:06 Al and Levi appreciate how well Bazan can perform music at a slow tempo 40:13 Levi picks out some of the musical moments from the album he loves the most 42:01 Levi points out a few more notable moments from the album 47:12 Levi explains why he left music and how he began his sportswriting career 48:56 Levis talks about his life as a touring musician | |||
| 18 Sep 2022 | 85. Stephanie Phillips Discusses The Amps, Pacer | 00:51:11 | |
Musician and author Stephanie Phillips is this week’s guest, and she introduces Al to The Amps’ one-and-only album, Pacer. Steph talks about why she picked Pacer for this episode, the differences and similarities between this album and Kim Deal’s other work with Pixies and The Breeders and which tracks on the album stand out to her. She also talks about her band Big Joanie’s upcoming album and tour and her book, Why Solange Matters. Follow Steph! @Stephanopolus on Twitter @steffimusics on Instagram And follow Big Joanie, too! @Big_Joanie on Twitter @bigjoanieband on Instagram Al is on Twitter at @almelchiorBB, and this show has accounts on Twitter and Instagram at @youmealbum. Be sure to follow @youmealbum to find out in advance about upcoming guests and featured albums for this podcast. 1:11 Steph joins the show 1:45 Is Pacer a “lost Breeders album”? 2:55 Al’s preparation for this episode was a little different 3:42 Steph explains why she picked Pacer for this episode 5:15 Steph details what’s special about Kim Deal’s songwriting and vocals 8:11 Deal’s approach to playing has influenced Steph’s songwriting 10:30 Steph and Al have trouble categorizing The Breeders and The Amps 12:06 Al found the title track to be an odd pick for an opener 15:19 Steph enjoys the entire album as a journey, rather than focusing on individual tracks 17:28 Steph views some Pacer tracks as a harbinger of future Breeders albums 18:27 Steph and Al both like “Breaking the Split Screen Barrier” 22:31 Steph points out that Deal repurposed a couple of the tracks on Pacer Observations about additional tracks: 24:15 Bragging Party 27:59 Mom’s Drunk/First Revival 30:06 Hoverin’ 31:55 Tipp City 33:43 Empty Glasses 34:32 Al missed some of the album’s subtleties on his initial listens 36:07 There are a couple of tracks that Steph will listen to on their own 37:57 Al talks about his favorite track from Pacer 39:23 Steph thinks Pacer is a good album for getting a feel for Deal as a songwriter 40:56 Steph recommends watching videos of The Amps’ live performances 42:25 Steph talks about the music she listened to around the same time she was initially listening to Pacer 43:50 Steph explains how she decided to write Why Solange Matters 47:09 Steph discusses Big Joanie’s upcoming tour plans The outro is from “In My Arms” by Big Joanie. | |||
| 25 Sep 2022 | 86. Elle Archer Discusses Liz Phair, Exile in Guyville | 01:08:04 | |
This week’s guest is Elle Archer, a Portland-based multi-instrumentalist who records as Shaylee, and she gets Al acquainted with Liz Phair’s debut album, Exile in Guyville. Elle talks about how she first wound up listening to the album, and she identifies the features of the album that make it special. She also talks about her first album with Kill Rock Stars, Short-Sighted Security, and her upcoming plans for Shaylee. Follow Elle/Shaylee! Instagram @shayleeband TikTok @shayleetheband Al is on Twitter at @almelchiorBB, and this show has accounts on Twitter and Instagram at @youmealbum. Be sure to follow @youmealbum to find out in advance about upcoming guests and featured albums for this podcast. 1:13 Elle joins the show 2:03 Elle explains why she first sought out Exile in Guyville 4:34 Elle talks about why she chose this album for this episode 6:47 Elle discusses how she sees the relationship between Exile in Guyville and Exile on Main St. 11:09 Al hears some musical similarities between Liz Phair and The Rolling Stones 12:33 Elle refers to Phair’s own comments about the album’s relationship with Exile on Main St. Observations about specific tracks 14:30 6’1” 19:59 Dance of the Seven Veils 21:56 Never Said/Soap Star Joe 23:04 F*ck and Run 30:10 Explain It to Me 34:25 Elle surmises why Exile in Guyville wasn’t more popular when it was released 39:57 Elle and Al talk about the subsequent critical backlash against Phair 46:08 Elle thinks the production is part of what makes Exile in Guyville so effective 50:49 Elle talks about the difficulty in making a sonically diverse album 55:05 Elle explains how she wound up recording covers of Elliott Smith, Unwound, Jeff Hanson and Deerhoof songs 1:00:08 Elle talks about recording the new Shaylee single, “Clearwater” 1:00:43 Elle eludes to the planned changes for future Shaylee recordings 1:01:30 Elle discusses what’s coming up next for Shaylee The outro music is from “Clearwater” by Shaylee | |||
| 02 Oct 2022 | 87. Kristin Hanggi Discusses India.Arie, SongVersation: Medicine | 01:03:58 | |
This week's guest is director/writer/poet Kristin Hanggi, who received a Tony Award nomination for Best Director of a Musical for Rock of Ages. Kristin is also the author of God, Sex and Musical Theatre (which is in the process of being adapted for a musical) and the co-host (with Natalie Roy) of Let’s Play: The C.R.E.A.T.E. Podcast. She chose the 2017 India.Arie EP, SongVersation: Medicine for this episode. Kristin talks about why this collection of songs is special to her, which lyrics from the EP resonate most strongly with her and how her approach to listening to music informs her work as a director and storyteller. To learn more about Kristin's various projects, workshops and other resources for storytellers, visit her website, kristinhanggi.com. Also be sure to follow Kristin at @hanggilove on Twitter and Instagram. Al is on Twitter at @almelchiorBB, and this show has accounts on Twitter and Instagram at @youmealbum. Be sure to follow @youmealbum to find out in advance about upcoming guests and featured albums for this podcast. 1:13 Kristin joins the show 1:25 Al is intrigued by Kristin’s use of the heroine’s journey as a storytelling framework 3:39 Kristin discusses why she chose SongVersation: Medicine for this episode 5:25 Kristin identifies what it is she loves about India Arie’s music 6:18 Kristin talks about the Arie track that motivated her to check out more of her songs 8:00 There are certain types of moments when Kristin especially enjoys listening to the EP 9:34 Kristin gives an example of a song from the EP that teaches the listener how to process emotional pain 10:30 Al talks about his initial reactions to the EP 12:37 SongVersation: Medicine is different from the type of music that many people associate Kristin with 15:29 The EP helps Kristin when the world feels especially crazy 16:49 Kristin thinks the authenticity of Arie’s writing is key to the album’s ability to move her 18:27 Al was surprised by the album’s dynamics 20:07 Kristin really relates to “Chicken Soup in a Song” 21:30 Kristin likes how the EP helps her to slow down 25:37 Kristin talks about the importance of being emotionally attuned in her work 28:00 Kristin identifies the healing elements of Arie’s music 30:49 Kristin’s approach to listening to music is influenced by her work as a director 32:17 Al points out some of the features of the EP that he enjoys 33:41 Kristin talks about how she would listen to albums growing up — and how that impacts her listening now 37:23 Kristin and Al share some of their favorite lyrics from the EP 49:58 Al came across an Arie song that was a true earworm 51:34 Kristin talks about working with other writers as a “story doctor” 57:10 Kristin discusses her current and upcoming projects | |||
| 09 Oct 2022 | 88. Dennis Diken Discusses The Lovin' Spoonful, Daydream | 01:05:09 | |
Smithereens drummer and music historian Dennis Diken joins Al for this episode to talk about The Lovin' Spoonful's second album, Daydream. Dennis shares why he thinks this is an album worth knowing and why he has been a Lovin' Spoonful fan ever since their first album came out. He also discusses The Smithereens' newly-released LP, The Lost Album, and what the band has in store for the future. Be sure to keep up with Dennis and The Smithereens! Al is on Twitter at @almelchiorBB, and this show has accounts on Twitter and Instagram at @youmealbum. Be sure to follow @youmealbum to find out in advance about upcoming guests and featured albums for this podcast. 1:03 Dennis joins the show 3:03 Dennis talks about “The Empty Set” and his connection to Scott McCaughey 9:15 Al explains why he picked Daydream from Dennis’ short list 10:42 Dennis discusses a couple of personal connections he has with The Lovin’ Spoonful 15:38 Dennis remembers exactly when he first heard The Spoonful 18:22 Dennis explains why he chose Daydream for his short list 19:25 “Summer in the City” was one of the most memorable songs from Al’s childhood 22:15 There is a reason why The Spoonful's singles sounded so different from each other 24:19 The Spoonful's music was a strong influence on Dennis 28:36 Dennis clears up Al’s confusion about who is singing lead vocals 31:45 Dennis and Al dig into “Butchie’s Tune” 36:16 They talk about the album’s two hit singles 40:34 Dennis walks through what he likes about the remaining tracks 44:42 Dennis had a dilemma when he bought Daydream 47:29 Dennis likes the fun vibe of The Spoonful’s albums 50:01 Dennis talks about The Smithereens’ Lost Album 56:04 Dennis talks about his show on WFMU.org 59:38 Dennis has some news about The Smithereens Outro music is from “A World Apart” by The Smithereens. | |||
| 16 Oct 2022 | 89. Doug "Cosmo" Clifford Discusses Doug Sahm, Groover's Paradise | 00:52:17 | |
Doug "Cosmo" Clifford -- yes, that Cosmo Clifford -- drummer for Creedence Clearwater Revival, joins Al for a discussion of Doug Sahm's 1974 album, Groover's Paradise. Cosmo talks about why he thinks Groover's Paradise is a special album and why more people should know about Sahm and his music. Cosmo also discusses his role on the album, which he produced and played drums on. He also talks about the recent release of his album with Bobby Whitlock, California Gold, which was recorded in 1978.
Al is on Twitter at @almelchiorBB, and this show has accounts on Twitter and Instagram at @youmealbum. Be sure to follow @youmealbum to find out in advance about upcoming guests and featured albums for this podcast. 1:13 Cosmo joins the show 1:19 Cosmo reacts to the new CCR documentary 4:19 Doug Sahm liked pot 7:03 Cosmo reveals his favorite track from Groover’s Paradise 9:37 Cosmo talks about the variety of musical styles on the album 15:28 Cosmo held out a “green carrot” for Sahm 16:12 Cosmo discusses the process for creating the sound for the album 20:54 Cosmo wants music fans to know how talented Sahm was 22:49 Sahm liked to give his songs a sense of place 24:49 Sahm had a couple of hits in the ‘60s with the Sir Douglas Quintet 26:17 Cosmo talks about how he first got to know Sahm 29:08 Cosmo discusses one of the recording choices made on “Just Groove Me” 32:33 Cosmo talks about Augie Meyers’ contribution on “Beautiful Texas Sunshine” 34:40 It may not be easy to get a copy of Groover’s Paradise now 36:07 Cosmo explains why he released California Gold 44 years after it was recorded 42:43 Cosmo explains why California Gold sounds like it could have been recorded more recently than 1978 44:23 Cosmo talks about his current plans Outro is from “Rollin’ On” by Doug Clifford featuring Bobby Whitlock | |||
| 30 Oct 2022 | 90. Gilly Ann Hanner Discusses X, More Fun in the New World | 01:09:37 | |
Portland indie rock legend Gilly Ann Hanner (Calamity Jane, Starpower, Braille Stars, No. 2, Desír) drops by the show to introduce Al to X's 1983 album, More Fun in the New World. Gilly talks about how she first learned about X, why this album is one of her favorites and how it has influenced her music. She also talks about the recently-released albums by Desír and No. 2, and the time that Calamity Jane opened for Nirvana in Argentina. Keep up with Gilly and her bands on Instagram! ...and also be sure to check out her website, gillyannhanner.com. As Gilly mentions, you can buy or stream her music on Bandcamp. 1:26 Gilly joins the show 3:14 Al found a connection between Gilly and Liz Phair 6:07 Al explains why he had never listened to X before 8:37 Gilly learned about X from People magazine 11:00 Gilly and Al marvel at completists 13:15 Gilly loves X’s lyrics 14:16 Is More Fun in the New World a punk album? 20:37 “Devil Doll” destroyed many of Al’s preconceptions about punk 21:52 Gilly says X is still a great band live and on record 23:48 Gilly and Al compare X with the B-52s 28:10 Gilly talks about X’s and B-52s’ influence on her own music 31:07 Gilly and Al admire John Doe’s vocals 31:54 Al was surprised by all of the references to older music on More Fun in the New World 37:30 Gilly gives an example of how X supports their lyrics with their music 40:10 Gilly appreciates X’s vocal harmonies 41:39 “True Love Pt. 2” reminds Al and Gilly of a particular classic rock song 43:46 Gilly makes some recommendations for some X-related films to watch 45:20 Gilly talks about the making of Desír’s first album 50:47 Gilly discusses some past projects 52:11 Gilly talks about getting back into making music after a long hiatus 57:08 Gilly recounts Calamity Jane’s infamous show in Argentina, when they opened for Nirvana 1:04:22 Gilly talks about when she first knew Kurt Cobain in Olympia Outro is from “Pugilist” by Desír. | |||
| 06 Nov 2022 | 91. Jeff Melnick Discusses Terry Melcher, self-titled | 01:16:08 | |
American Studies professor Jeff Melnick normally teaches at University of Massachusetts Boston, but on this episode, he gives Al an education on Terry Melcher and his 1974 self-titled debut album. Jeff talks about Melcher's connections with Charles Manson (which Jeff also details in his book, Creepy Crawling: Charles Manson and the Many Lives of America’s Most Infamous Family), how they inform the themes of this album and Melcher's role in the '60s L.A. music scene. Jeff also discusses the book he is currently working on, which deals with the Boston music scene in the '70s, '80s and '90s. Al (for the time being) is on Twitter at @almelchiorBB, and this show has accounts on Twitter and Instagram at @youmealbum. Be sure to follow @youmealbum to find out in advance about upcoming guests and featured albums for this podcast. 1:07 Jeff joins the show 2:06 How Al and Jeff met on Twitter 4:11 Jeff explains how his interest in Charles Manson developed 7:19 Jeff suggests that learning about the Manson Family can tell us a lot about L.A. culture in the late ‘60s 8:56 Jeff’s interest in Terry Melcher preceded his work on Creepy Crawling 10:30 Al’s wife, Mary Beth, had an interest in studying the Manson Family when she was in high school 11:36 Jeff explains how Melcher was connected to Manson 20:14 Jeff ponders why Melcher waited until 1974 to release a solo album 22:15 Jeff conceives of Melcher’s solo debut as a loose concept album 27:31 Al and Jeff find some of Melcher’s vocals hard to listen to 31:10 Jeff appreciates how Melcher captures the miserable side of LA. In the ‘70s 36:33 Self-pity is another major theme of the album 41:08 “Dr. Horowitz” doesn’t necessarily convey the message Melcher intended 42:55 Jeff sees the “Halls of Justice” medley as serving two purposes 57:35 Jeff thinks “covers” is not always the right word to describe the previously-recorded songs Melcher performed on this album 1:02:20 Does Jeff actually love this album? 1:06:50 Jeff talks about the book on the Boston music scene he’s been working on | |||
| 20 Nov 2022 | 92. Mary Beth Melchior Discusses Jesus Christ Superstar (original concept album) | 01:08:13 | |
Mary Beth Melchior returns to You, Me and An Album to discuss the first full-length album she ever listened to -- and just in advance of her and Al's 33-1/3 year wedding anniversary! The original Jesus Christ Superstar concept album has been an important album to Mary Beth for nearly her entire life, and Al finally gets better acquainted with it so they can discuss it for this episode. Mary Beth talks about the circumstances of her first listening to the album, why it's been an important part of her life and why she likes it much better than the other versions that have been released. Al launched You, Me and An Album: The Newsletter earlier this year and has brought it back after a hiatus. You can subscribe for free to get Al’s monthly posts, but paid subscriptions give you access to weekly posts. Please consider trying a paid subscription as it also helps to support this podcast! https://youmealbum.substack.com/
2:24 Mary Beth distinguishes between the Jesus Christ Superstar concept album and other versions 7:35 Mary Beth explains why she wanted to talk about this album on this episode 9:31 Mary Beth talks about how she first heard the JCS album at the age of 5 or 6 13:54 JCS appeared in Mary Beth’s migraine auras 15:00 Do Al and Mary Beth find JCS emotionally draining? 21:14 Was Al justified in thinking that JCS was a “freaky” album? 25:02 JCS allowed Mary Beth to relate to religion without her parents’ filter 27:27 One song from the album still grates on Al 30:12 Mary Beth gives Al a different perspective on how JCS treats Pilate 37:17 Al talks about his favorite track from JCS 41;14 Mary Beth asks Al if he likes her favorite song on the album 44:41 Does JCS have any bangers? 49:41 Al heard “Superstar” in a totally different way than before 52:43 Al considers tracks he would listen to as one-offs 55:23 Mary Beth does have a song from JCS she listens to as a one-off 58:40 Mary Beth talks about her changing relationship with the album 1:02:50 Al sums up his feelings about the album | |||
| 27 Nov 2022 | 93. Megan Mayhew Bergman Discusses Fiona Apple, Tidal | 00:54:56 | |
Author and Middlebury College English and American Literatures professor Megan Mayhew Bergman pays a visit to YMAAA to talk about Fiona Apple’s debut album, Tidal. She revisits the time in her life when she first heard the album, why it was important then and continues to be important to her now, and which songs are her favorites (and which ones she is liable to skip). Megan and Al got into a little bit of a discussion about Genesis as well, and Al stated that he thought Tony Banks wrote “In Too Deep.” Phil Collins is credited with the lyrics, so he was at least partly wrong about this. Al also alluded to a series of Genesis interviews conducted in 2014. You can find them on YouTube in four installments. The first one is here — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JeGVDk0mSY8 — and links to the others are in the notes for that video. One last Genesis-related note: Megan mentioned a baby Jesus statue in Mexico that resembles Phil Collins. Here is one of many stories regarding said statue. https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/jesus-statue-phil-collins-trnd/index.html The show is also now on Mastodon. @youmealbum@mas.to. Al launched You, Me and An Album: The Newsletter earlier this year and has brought it back after a hiatus. You can subscribe for free to get Al’s monthly posts, but paid subscriptions give you access to weekly posts. Please consider trying a paid subscription as it also helps to support this podcast! https://youmealbum.substack.com/ 1:14 Megan joins the show 2:18 Megan has an awesome Genesis t-shirt 3:07 Megan first heard Tidal during a difficult and lonely period of her life 4:38 Megan and Al are impressed by the maturity and sophistication Apple showed on this album 6:47 Megan discusses the specific ways that Tidal helped her get through a difficult time 10:03 Megan breaks down how the drums and percussion amplify the emotional impact of “Sleep to Dream” 11:28 “Criminal” and “Never Is a Promise” also evoke strong emotions 13:54 Megan has a different relationship with Tidal now than when she was in her teens… 18:46 …but some of the messages carry just as much weight now as then 20:30 Megan and Al marvel at how Apple was able to create such an influential album in her teens 25:06 Megan highlights her favorite musical moments on Tidal 28:23 There are songs on the album that Megan will skip 32:28 Megan and Al discuss Tidal’s sequencing 34:32 Megan reveals which song from the album is her favorite now 36:28 Megan likes the “big character energy” of “Criminal” 38:36 Megan appreciates the videos Apple made for this album 41:19 A bonus Genesis discussion! 50:14 Megan talks about her upcoming book on the International Sweethearts of Rhythm | |||
| 04 Dec 2022 | 94. Heidi Moore Discusses Joe Pug, Messenger | 01:13:29 | |
Economics and finance writer/editor Heidi Moore introduces Al to singer-songwriter Joe Pug and his 2010 album, Messenger. Heidi talks about other artists who are a part of Pug’s “cinematic universe,” why the songs of Messenger resonate with her and why she didn’t choose to discuss a Bastille album instead. Heidi mentioned Pug’s weekly Sunday livestreams and his podcast, Working Songwriter. Find them via the following links… Livestream: https://joepugmusic.com/livestream Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-working-songwriter/id1079001185 Al talked about how an essay he wrote for Bandcamp Daily earlier this year relates to some of themes covered on Messenger. You can read that essay here: https://daily.bandcamp.com/resonance/quasi-seal-the-deal-essay. As Heidi mentioned, she has accounts on multiple social media platforms, but you are most likely to find her on Twitter. She is at @moorehn. For the time being, Al is on Twitter at @almelchiorBB, and this show has accounts on Twitter and Instagram at @youmealbum. Be sure to follow @youmealbum to find out in advance about upcoming guests and featured albums for this podcast. The show is also now on Mastodon. @youmealbum@mas.to. Al launched You, Me and An Album: The Newsletter earlier this year and has brought it back after a hiatus. You can subscribe for free to get Al’s monthly posts, but paid subscriptions give you access to weekly posts. Please consider trying a paid subscription as it also helps to support this podcast! https://youmealbum.substack.com/ 1:00 Heidi joins the show 1:38 Why didn’t Heidi choose a Bastille album? 4:24 Al and Heidi talk about shows they’ve attended during the pandemic 6:23 Heidi explains why she chose Messenger for this episode 8:33 Heidi names some other artists she considered discussing 11:36 Heidi talks about the song that started her Joe Pug fandom 16:17 Pug was prescient about how society would change with social media 18:22 The lyrics of Messenger made a huge impression on Al 21:05 Al related to “How Good You Are” in particular 23:16 Heidi compares Pug to Joni Mitchell 29:01 Themes that Pug raises provide lessons that were relevant for the Trump era 39:56 “Disguised as Someone Else” is a meaningful track for both Heidi and Al 44:26 Al sees the opening and closing tracks as outliers on the album 47:01 Heidi explains why she can’t listen to “Unsophisticated Heart” often 52:54 Is songwriting magic? 54:08 Heidi and Al see contrasts between Messenger and Fiona Apple’s Tidal 57:53 Heidi and Al revisit a line from “Unsophisticated Heart” they like 1:00:06 Heidi talks about Pug’s training as a playwright 1:01:50 “The First Time I Saw You” is another of Heidi’s favorite tracks from the album 1:05:44 Heidi talks about a couple of albums she’s been listening to lately | |||
| 11 Dec 2022 | 95. Steve Luongo Discusses Jethro Tull, Thick as a Brick | 01:00:00 | |
Drummer, producer, visual artist and designer Steve Luongo (Rat Race Choir, TorQue) takes the guest seat on this week’s You, Me and An Album to discuss Jethro Tull’s Thick as a Brick. Steve talks about why this album is special to him, which parts are his favorites and whether he considers Jethro Tull to be a prog band. He also delves into the John Entiwistle Oxhumed rarities albums he has been working on. Al talked about some other prog rock suites that were released around the same time as Thick as a Brick, and in doing so, he incorrectly stated that “Supper’s Ready” comprises the second side of Foxtrot by Genesis. Al is mortified at this error, as he is a fan of Steve Hackett’s instrumental, “Horizons,” which kicks off Side 2 before “Supper’s Ready” embarks on its 23-minute run. Steve mentioned a video of West Side Story’s “America” that includes performances from both the 1961 and 2021 versions. Here it is! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0jVQT0Brzw Keep up with Steve and his many projects! For more information on John Entwistle Rarities Oxhumed, go to johnentwistle.com. For the time being, Al is on Twitter at @almelchiorBB, and this show has accounts on Twitter and Instagram at @youmealbum. Be sure to follow @youmealbum to find out in advance about upcoming guests and featured albums for this podcast. The show is also now on Mastodon. @youmealbum@mas.to. Al launched You, Me and An Album: The Newsletter earlier this year and has brought it back after a hiatus. You can subscribe for free to get Al’s monthly posts, but paid subscriptions give you access to weekly posts. Please consider trying a paid subscription as it also helps to support this podcast! https://youmealbum.substack.com/ 1:24 Steve joins the show 2:35 Is Jethro Tull a prog band? 4:02 Steve recalls how he got introduced to Jethro Tull’s music 6:19 Steve explains why Jethro Tull resonated for him more than some other bands 7:19 Steve details why he chose Thick as a Brick for this episode 8:50 Al compares Thick as a Brick with other early ‘70s prog suites 10:51 Steve gives an example of how Jethro Tull is “orchestral” 14:41 Is Thick as a Brick a parody of prog rock? 16:06 Steve and Al agree on their favorite part of the album 17:40 Why aren’t rock flautists more of a thing? 19:49 Steve learned a lot of lessons about drumming from Thick as a Brick 23:34 Steve would still love the album even if he weren’t a drummer 26:22 Steve wonders how the various parts all came together 28:36 The drum solo…too much or just right? 31:29 Steve singles out the key difference between Thick as a Brick and Aqualung 35:05 Steve talks about some music that he appreciates as a listener (as opposed to as a drummer) 43:11 Steve discusses a couple more standout sections of the album 47:24 Would Steve rather listen to a remixed version of this album? 49:34 Steve talks about current projects, including the John Entwistle rarities albums | |||
| 18 Dec 2022 | 96. D.K. Lyons Discusses Charli XCX, Crash | 00:56:43 | |
Musician, songwriter and producer D.K. Lyons makes his second appearance on YMAAA, and just as with The 1975's I Like It When You Sleep..., he chooses an album that's a real challenge for Al. For the first time ever on this show, Al and his guest discuss an album from the current year, as D.K. picked Charli XCX’s Crash for this episode. D.K. talks about how he first got acquainted with Charli XCX’s music, why he chose Crash for this episode, what he likes musically and lyrically about the album and what releases we can expect from him in 2023. Keep up with D.K. on Instagram at @d.k.lyonsmusic. Also be sure to check out the D.K. Lyons YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@user-sk4wz2tf1d, and his website, https://dklyonsmusic.com/. For the time being, Al is on Twitter at @almelchiorBB, and this show has accounts on Twitter and Instagram at @youmealbum. Be sure to follow @youmealbum to find out in advance about upcoming guests and featured albums for this podcast. The show now has an account on Mastodon: @youmealbum@mas.to. Al launched You, Me and An Album: The Newsletter earlier this year and has brought it back after a hiatus. You can subscribe for free to get Al’s monthly posts, but paid subscriptions give you access to weekly posts. Please consider trying a paid subscription as it also helps to support this podcast! https://youmealbum.substack.com/ 1:05 D.K. (re)joins the show 2:03 D.K. talks about his reaction to The 1975’s Being Funny in a Foreign Language 5:01 D.K. explains how he started listening to Charli XCX and why he chose to discuss Crash 7:24 Al heard Crash differently after doing some research on the album 9:18 D.K. and Al talk about Charli XCX’s experimental side 11:56 Al found a particular spot to listen to Crash that helped him to appreciate it more 14:32 D.K. and Al identify aspects of the album’s production that they don’t like 17:54 Crash doesn’t lack for memorable hooks 21:44 D.K. and Al talk about Charli XCX’s collaborators on “New Shapes” 23:41 D.K. talks about the connection between a song from The Goofy Movie and “New Shapes” 24:53 The title track is a standout song for D.K. 26:25 D.K. and Al hear some similarities between Charli XCX and The 1975 27:50 “Good Ones” and “Constant Repeat” are earworms for both D.K. and Al 33:09 Al has a hard time thinking of songs from Crash where he really likes the lyrics 34:50 D.K. noted a few songs where he appreciates the lyrics 37:18 D.K. has a theory about why Charli XCX processes her vocals as much as she does 39:55 D.K. talks about the album’s four bonus tracks 44:56 D.K. sums up what he enjoys about Crash 46:50 D.K. gives Al a recommendation for where to continue his Charli XCX exploration 49:56 D.K. talks about his recent and upcoming releases Outro is from “The Sadness” by D.K. Lyons | |||
| 08 Jan 2023 | 97. Natalie Weiner Discusses Nancy Wilson/Cannonball Adderley | 00:59:37 | |
Music journalist and sportswriter Natalie Weiner kicks off the 2023 episodes of YMAAA on a jazzy note, as she introduces Al to the 1962 album, Nancy Wilson/Cannonball Adderley. Natalie talks about how she got into jazz when she was in high school, why she selected this album for this episode and what she loves about both Nancy Wilson and Cannonball Adderley. She also delves into what’s been different about music in the 2020s and the projects she will be working on in the coming year. Natalie mentioned an essay by Nicholas Payton about why jazz “died” in 1959. You can read it here: https://nicholaspayton.com/on-why-jazz-isnt-cool-anymore/ Be sure to follow Natalie on TwItter (@natalieweiner) and Instagram (@natalieweinerwrites)... ...and check out her website: natalieweiner.com! For the time being, Al is on Twitter at @almelchiorBB, and this show has accounts on Twitter and Instagram at @youmealbum. Be sure to follow @youmealbum to find out in advance about upcoming guests and featured albums for this podcast. The show also has an account on Mastodon: @youmealbum@mas.to. You, Me and An Album: The Newsletter is now free to all subscribers! https://youmealbum.substack.com/ If you are interested in supporting this podcast, please check out the show’s new Patreon site, https://www.patreon.com/youmealbum. Your contributions are greatly appreciated and keep this show going. 1:20 Natalie joins the show 1:57 Playing bass was Natalie’s gateway to getting deeper into music 5:24 Natalie’s jazz band teacher was instrumental to expanding her jazz knowledge 9:06 Natalie talks about the first piece of music writing she got paid to do 11:02 Learning to play “So What” was a turning point for Natalie 12:37 Natalie explains why she chose this album for this episode 15:49 Al found listening to the album relaxing 17:16 Al looks to Natalie to help him hear Nancy Wilson/Cannonball Adderley in a different context 21:51 Al really enjoyed Nancy Wilson’s vocals 22:40 Natalie highlights some of the aspects that make the album special 26:51 Natalie talks about what she loves about Cannonball Adderley’s style of playing 28:49 Natalie appreciates the relative simplicity of the sound on this album 30:29 Natalie and Al talk about the album’s dynamics 32:30 Natalie gets into the particulars of Nancy Wilson’s performance 34:35 Nancy Wilson/Cannonball Adderley came out in the aftermath of what many consider to be jazz’s peak 37:31 Nalalie credits the producers with the album’s high-quality sound 39:33 Al asks Natalie about the sequencing on the different versions of the album 40:30 The song arrangements are part of the album’s appeal for Natalie 46:53 Natalie recommends the album as an introduction to other work by Nancy Wilson and Cannonball Adderley 50:45 Natalie’s music listening habits have changed in the 2020s 54:17 Natalie talks about her current and upcoming projects | |||
| 15 Jan 2023 | 98. Sam Coomes Discusses Velvet Underground, White Light/White Heat | 00:50:32 | |
Portland-based multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and producer Sam Coomes (Quasi, Jon Spencer and the HITmakers, Heatmiser, The Donner Party) takes a break from a busy 2023 to get Al up to speed on the Velvet Underground. Specifically, he introduces our host to VU’s second album, White Light/White Heat. Sam goes in depth on the album’s 17-minute closer, “Sister Ray,” and also talks about the tracks that were his favorites when he first starting listening to the album. He also talks about Quasi’s soon-to-be-released (Feb. 10) album, Breaking the Balls of History, and their upcoming tour. On this episode, Al made reference to an appearance Sam made on Joe Wong’s podcast, The Trap Set. You can listen to that episode here: http://www.thetrapset.net/290-sam-coomes-quasi/. Sam mentioned that Quasi would be releasing a third single from Breaking the Balls of History shortly after the recording of this episode. In fact, that single — “Nowheresville” — is out now, and there’s a great video for it, too. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODVN6LoNL5g&list=RDODVN6LoNL5g&start_radio=1 Be sure to follow Sam on Instagram! @theecoomes Quasi are worth a follow, too! @thee.quasi on Instagram and @TheeQuasi on Twitter For the time being, Al is on Twitter at @almelchiorBB, and this show has accounts on Twitter and Instagram at @youmealbum. Be sure to follow @youmealbum to find out in advance about upcoming guests and featured albums for this podcast. The show also has an account on Mastodon: @youmealbum@mas.to. You, Me and An Album: The Newsletter is now free to all subscribers! https://youmealbum.substack.com/ If you are interested in supporting this podcast, please check out the show’s new Patreon site, https://www.patreon.com/youmealbum. Your contributions are greatly appreciated and keep this show going. 1:21 Sam joins the show 2:09 The Velvet Underground’s first album was Sam’s introduction to the band 4:29 Sam talks about the group that inspired him to play in a band 8:03 Sam and Al wax nostalgic about record stores 9:10 Sam explains why he chose White Light/White Heat 10:17 Is “Sister Ray” prog? 13:27 Sam hears “Sister Ray” as a discussion 16:29 “Sister Ray” was the last song on the album that Sam got into 18:19 The Velvet Underground add unconventional elements to conventional rock songs 21:23 Sam identifies the elements of White Light/White Heat that made him love the album initially 26:33 Al had trouble with some of the more grisly lyrics 27:23 Sam used to focus more on the music than the lyrics in “The Gift” 29:16 Sam talks about the paradox of Lou Reed’s lyrics 31:59 The Velvet Underground got tighter as a band on White Light/White Heat 33:47 Al asks Sam if he models his own sounds on those of Velvet Underground 35:48 Al asks Sam about his hypothetical prog rock podcast 43:08 Sam talks about the soon-to-be-released Quasi album 46:33 Sam discusses his near-term touring plans | |||
| 22 Jan 2023 | 99. Caleb Nichols Discusses Blur, self-titled | 01:08:40 | |
Singer/songwriter/poet Caleb Nichols (Port O’Brien, Soft People) gets Al acquainted with Blur’s 1997 self-titled album, and they also discuss the album’s significance in Blur’s discography as well as to them personally. Caleb talks about how Blur has influenced their own music and the important role that The Beatles have played in their life. Caleb also delves into their Beatles-inspired solo debut album, Ramon, and a couple of current projects. Be sure to follow Caleb on Twitter and Instagram at @seanickels! Caleb is also on TikTok: @theecalebnichols Al is on Twitter at @almelchiorBB, and this show has accounts on Twitter and Instagram at @youmealbum. Be sure to follow @youmealbum to find out in advance about upcoming guests and featured albums for this podcast. The show also has an account on Mastodon: @youmealbum@mas.to. You, Me and An Album: The Newsletter is now free to all subscribers! https://youmealbum.substack.com/ If you are interested in supporting this podcast, please check out the show’s new Patreon site, https://www.patreon.com/youmealbum. Your contributions are greatly appreciated and keep this show going. 1:02 Caleb joins the show 1:28 Caleb recalls when they first got into The Beatles 3:15 Caleb talks about other artists they listened to growing up 7:22 The Blur album was a launchpad into indie rock for Caleb 9:36 Caleb and Al talk about the Blur-Oasis rivalry 15:16 Caleb explains why they chose to discuss Blur on this episode 17:10 Caleb zeroes in on Graham Coxon’s contributions to the album 23:55 Al was surprised by his initial reaction to the album 24:51 Caleb and Al talk about the benefits of listening to an album multiple times 30:02 Caleb likes the blending of random noises with pop elements 34:53 Caleb identifies their favorite parts of the album 37:42 Caleb appreciates how Blur put themselves into a conversation with David Bowie 38:45 How is Blur a dangerous album? 44:41 Al talks about his favorite parts of the album 47:20 Caleb notes Blur’s use of older synth sounds 50:16 Something in “Essex Dogs/Interlude” shocked Al 54:41 Caleb mentions an athletic feat from Graham Coxon that they witnessed 56:02 Caleb comments on a few more tracks 58:44 Some confusion over Supertramp 59:58 Caleb talks about their upcoming album and book of poems Outro is from “Run Rabbit Run” by Caleb Nichols. | |||
| 29 Jan 2023 | 100. Kelley Deal Discusses Julian Cope, Droolian | 01:05:25 | |
YMAAA winds up its first 100 episodes with a great last splash! Kelley Deal of The Breeders and R. Ring joins Al to discuss Julian Cope’s 1990 lo-fi album, Droolian. Kelley talks about the unusual circumstance in which she first listened to Droolian, the narratives she has created around the album and what she loves about it. She also talks about her involvement with The Amps’ Pacer album and what a busy 2023 has in store for her and The Breeders. R. Ring’s brand-new album, War Poems, We Rested, is out, and it’s great! https://rring.bandcamp.com/album/war-poems-we-rested Kelley had mentioned a cover of a Guided By Voices song, “Scalding Creek,” that she recorded with Buffalo Killers. It’s worth your time to check it out. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vZAOwdXhYc Al made a couple of error in his discussion with Kelley: He said Kelley was listed on the Pacer Wikipedia page, but what he was thinking of was her inclusion on The Amps’ Wikipedia page. He mentioned a piano melody on R.E.M.’s “Why Not Smile,” but it’s actually played on a marimba (he thinks). Be sure to follow Kelley on Twitter and Instagram! @kelleydeal… …and check out her online store: store.kelleydeal.com Al is on Twitter at @almelchiorBB, and this show has accounts on Twitter and Instagram at @youmealbum. Be sure to follow @youmealbum to find out in advance about upcoming guests and featured albums for this podcast. You, Me and An Album: The Newsletter is now free to all subscribers! https://youmealbum.substack.com/ If you are interested in supporting this podcast, please check out the show’s new Patreon site, https://www.patreon.com/youmealbum. Your contributions are greatly appreciated and keep this show going. 1:10 Kelley joins the show 1:51 Al singles out a great Kelley Deal lyric 4:06 Kelley talks about her involvement with The Amps’ Pacer album 7:28 Al’s previous exposure to Julian Cope was almost exclusively through The Teardrop Explodes 8:03 Kelley was first exposed to Droolian in an unusual way 14:13 Kelley and Al consider how the nature of fandom has changed 15:57 Kelley talks about her deep dive into Cope’s catalog 17:32 Kelley compares Droolian with its predecessor, Skellington 20:30 Kelley also listened to some of Cope’s more polished albums 21:28 Droolian was love at first listen for Kelley Discussion of specific tracks 23:49 Look After Your Leathers 28:30 Commin Down 31:00 Yeah Yeah Yeah 32:15 Jellypop Perky Jean/Louis 14th 34:34 …Atonement of Wasp 36:00 Gentleman Dude 37:45 Kelly 41:12 Kelley wants to borrow a harmony from a Teardrop Explodes song 42:33 Church of England 1991/Sqwubbsy 46:46 Kelley explains why her favorite Droolian lyrics are her favorites 50:16 Al wants to try listening to an album the way Kelley first listened to Droolian 51:02 Kelley talks about some of her other CD discoveries 53:13 Kelley discusses R. Ring’s origins 57:18 Kelley previews her 2023 plans with R. Ring, The Breeders and Protomartyr 1:00:09 Is Kelley a competitive knitter? | |||
| 05 Feb 2023 | 101. Rat Discusses Pale Blue Eyes, Souvenirs | 00:55:36 | |
Rat — the guitarist for Ned’s Atomic Dustbin and Obey Robots — makes a return visit to YMAAA, and with a connection to his first visit. On Ep 29, he introduced Al to Public Service Broadcasting’s The Race for Space. Recently, Rat saw PSB live, and he was impressed by the support band, Pale Blue Eyes. He immediately went out and bought PBE’s debut album, Souvenirs, and now he is here to let us know why we should know this album, too. In addition to discussing Souvenirs, Rat talks about Obey Robots’ soon-to-be-released debut album, One In A Thousand, and upcoming plans for Ned’s Atomic Dustbin. Rat and Al talked about Obey Robots’ video for “Let It Snow,” and if you haven’t seen it yet, you should! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cb734Q9HuK4 Twitter: @Rat_Ned Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rat.ned/ And check out his weekly playlist, as discussed on this episode:
Twitter and Instagram: @penfriendrocks Facebook: search for Laura Kidd or Penfriend Website: https://penfriend.rocks/
You, Me and An Album: The Newsletter is now free to all subscribers! https://youmealbum.substack.com/ If you are interested in supporting this podcast, please check out the show’s new Patreon site, https://www.patreon.com/youmealbum. Your contributions are greatly appreciated and keep this show going.
1:45 Rat talks about how he first learned about Pale Blue Eyes 4:34 Rat explains what makes Pale Blue Eyes a great live act 7:52 Rat encourages us to support the support bands 9:44 Souvenirs’ sequencing adds to the listening experience for Rat Observations about specific tracks 12:41 Chelsea 16:53 Honeybear 20:59 Little Gem 24:29 Champagne (and a discussion of ‘80s music) 30:36 TV Flicker 31:52 Globe 33:04 Dr Pong 35:29 Neither Rat nor Al bothered much with listening to the lyrics 37:19 Sing It Like We Used To 38:52 Under Northern Sky 41:21 Rat and Al talk about the new Obey Robots album and videos 45:25 What’s next for Obey Robots? 47:25 What’s coming up for Ned’s Atomic Dustbin? 50:44 Rat talks about his new weekly playlists | |||
| 12 Feb 2023 | 102. Eva Walker Discusses Funkadelic, Maggot Brain | 01:09:46 | |
Guitarist, vocalist and songwriter Eva Walker of The Black Tones — who is also a DJ for Seattle’s KEXP — joins Al to talk about Funkadelic’s 1971 album, Maggot Brain. Eva delves into how she first discovered Maggot Brain, the elements of the album that make it a great listen and other albums she also considered discussing on this episode. She also talks about the status of The Black Tones’ second album and the band’s video game, They Want Us Dead! Be sure to follow Eva and The Black Tones! Twitter: @The_Black_Tones Instagram: @theblacktones And visit The Black Tones’ website! https://theblacktones.bandcamp.com/ Al is on Twitter at @almelchiorBB, and this show has accounts on Twitter and Instagram at @youmealbum. Be sure to follow @youmealbum to find out in advance about upcoming guests and featured albums for this podcast. You, Me and An Album: The Newsletter is free to all subscribers! https://youmealbum.substack.com/ If you are interested in supporting this podcast, please check out the show’s Patreon site, https://www.patreon.com/youmealbum. Your contributions are greatly appreciated and keep this show going. 0:59 Eva joins the show 1:43 Eva had a difficult time choosing an album to discuss 3:49 Eva first listened to Maggot Brain because of the album artwork 6:28 Al never understood why Parliament-Funkadlelic was hyphenated 7:44 Eva talks about listening to her mother’s records growing up 10:12 Seattle didn’t always embrace Jimi Hendrix 13:18 Maggot Brain completely defied Al’s expectations 18:29 Is there funk on Maggot Brain? Observations about specific tracks 20:18 Hit It And Quit It 24:31 Wars of Armageddon (and a discussion of upbeat sad songs) 31:12 Maggot Brain 33:03 Can You Get To That (and a discussion of misheard lyrics) 36:37 You and Your Folks, Me and My Folks 41:45 The link between You and Your Folks, Me and My Folks and The Black Tones’ Blue Matrimony 44:39 Super Stupid 47:29 Back In Our Minds 50:42 Eva talks about her musical influences 53:39 Eva discusses The Black Tones’ current plans 56:24 One of the early reviews of Cobain and Cornbread had an issue with song structure 57:17 Eva explains the lyrics to “Plaid Pants” and “Welcome Mr. Pink” 1:01:32 Eva talks about The Black Tones’ video game Outro is from “Welcome Mr. Pink” by The Black Tones | |||
| 19 Feb 2023 | 103. Greg Saunier Discusses Atrium Musicae de Madrid, Music of Ancient Greece | 01:24:26 | |
Greg Saunier, drummer and founding member of Deerhoof, joins You, Me and An Album for much more than just a discussion of a favorite album. He does talk about one of his favorite albums — Ancient Music of Greece by Atrium Musicae de Madrid — but he also considers what this album can teach us about contemporary music, classical music and Western culture in general. Greg also talks about Deerhoof’s soon-to-be-released album, Miracle-Level, and the band’s 2021 cover of Sleater-Kinney’s “Don’t Talk Like.” Follow Greg and Deerhoof on Twitter and Instagram at @deerhoof! You can get information on Miracle-Level and Deerhoof tour dates at https://deerhoof.website/ or https://deerhoof.bandcamp.com/. Also, Greg mentioned Deerhoof’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@GregFromDeerhoof. Al is on Twitter at @almelchiorBB, and this show has accounts on Twitter and Instagram at @youmealbum. Be sure to follow @youmealbum to find out in advance about upcoming guests and featured albums for this podcast. You, Me and An Album: The Newsletter is free to all subscribers! https://youmealbum.substack.com/ If you are interested in supporting this podcast, please check out the show’s Patreon site, https://www.patreon.com/youmealbum. Your contributions are greatly appreciated and keep this show going. 1:06 Greg joins the show 1:44 Greg and Al talk about their research on the album’s backstory 3:18 Greg recounts how he first learned about the album 4:18 Greg explains what the premise of Music of Ancient Greece is 6:27 Greg identifies modern Western musical conventions that can be linked to ancient Greece 13:55 Greg explains why he wanted to explore music from such a distant time 21:46 Why does some of the album sound modern? 24:30 Greg outlines several of the ways the musicians chose to interpret an incomplete score 31:50 Greg thinks the musicians made a conscious decision to make the music ugly 38:00 Are recent technology trends in music democratizing? 49:19 Do the features of Music of Ancient Greece work their way into Deerhoof’s music? 51:50 Al sees a connection between Music of Ancient Greece and a Deerhoof cover of a Sleater-Kinney song 56:40 Greg argues that today’s music technology codifies elite values 1:00:19 Greg finds Music of Ancient Greece’s mix of scholarship and amateurism charming 1:05:57 Deerhoof made a point of bringing their upcoming tour to Western Massachusetts 1:08:43 Greg talks about Miracle-Level being Deerhoof’s first album with all Japanese lyrics 1:12:23 Greg discusses the fragmentary nature of Deerhoof’s songwriting 1:17:44 Greg argues that artists don’t know what their art means | |||
| 26 Feb 2023 | 104. Elizabeth Nelson Discusses Pavement, Slanted and Enchanted | 01:23:47 | |
Elizabeth Nelson does it all…singer/songwriter for The Paranoid Style, journalist, copywriter, educational consultant…and she took some time out to join Al for this episode of YMAAA. Elizabeth discusses Pavement’s debut album, Slanted and Enchanted, and details what she loves about the record and all of the various influences that went into it. She also talks about the upcoming Paranoid Style album, the story behind a Paranoid Style video and her @paranoiacs Twitter account.
Elizabeth wrote a great piece for the New York Times Magazine on some recent TV series reboots. It’s just one click away…https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/08/magazine/night-court-velma-that-90s-show-reboots.html As noted above, Elizabeth is on Twitter at @paranoiacs, and she is a must-follow for any music fan. You can also follow her on Instagram at @paranoid_style. Treat yourself to the music of The Paranoid Style! https://theparanoidstyle.bandcamp.com/ To read the bio/essay on The Paranoid Style’s namesake, head on over to the Bar None Records website. http://www.bar-none.com/the-paranoid-style Al is on Twitter at @almelchiorBB, and this show has accounts on Twitter and Instagram at @youmealbum. Be sure to follow @youmealbum to find out in advance about upcoming guests and featured albums for this podcast. You, Me and An Album: The Newsletter is free to all subscribers! https://youmealbum.substack.com/ If you are interested in supporting this podcast, please check out the show’s Patreon site, https://www.patreon.com/youmealbum. Your contributions are greatly appreciated and keep this show going. 1:13 Elizabeth joins the show 1:34 Elizabeth provides a timetable for the new Paranoid Style album 2:40 Al asks Elizabeth about her Twitter ambivalence 6:29 Al explains why he is especially embarrassed about his lack of Pavement knowledge 9:13 Al and Elizabeth talk about their experiences with watching Pavement live 11:15 Elizabeth identifies a band she became a fan of after seeing them in concert 14:52 Elizabeth explains why she chose Slanted and Enchanted for this episode 20:10 Al is exploring Stephen Malkmus backwards 21:26 Elizabeth talks about Pavement’s influences 23:22 Elizabeth pieces together the details of how she first heard Slanted and Enchanted 25:57 Elizabeth details what she has liked about Pavement from the first time she listened to them 27:17 Is Pavement a slacker band? 28:59 Al finds Pavement confusing 30:53 Elizabeth enjoys Pavement’s variety of influences Discussion of specific tracks 33:51 Summer Babe 39:35 In the Mouth a Desert 46:19 Fame Throwa 48:30 Our Singer 50:42 Jackals, False Grails: The Lonesome Era 51:19 Two States 53:35 Conduit for Sale! 1:02:00 Zürich Is Stained 1:03:47 Here 1:08:48 Al feels like he didn’t pay sufficient attention to the lyrics 1:11:22 Elizabeth talks about the making of the video for “The Thrill is Back!” 1:16:24 Elizabeth alerts us to her current projects 1:17:18 Elizabeth suggests a topic for a future episode Outro is from “The Worst of My Love” by The Paranoid Style, | |||
| 05 Mar 2023 | 105. Allie Goertz Discusses Nine Inch Nails, The Downward Spiral | 01:08:44 | |
TV writer, editor and musician Allie Goertz introduces Al to an album that’s been central to her life for the past year — The Downward Spiral by Nine Inch Nails. Allie talks about how she first heard the album, why it’s been important to her and how she covered several of the tracks on her upcoming album, NIN, Peeled Back. She also talks about the Nerf Herder song that bears her name. Correction: Al incorrectly stated that "Closer" was the album's first single. “March of the Pigs” was actually the lead single, though “Closer” was the first track Al had heard on the radio. It’s ridiculously easy to find and follow Allie online (and you should)! Twitter, Instagram and YouTube: @alliegoertz Bandcamp: https://alliegoertz.bandcamp.com/ Al is on Twitter at @almelchiorBB, and this show has accounts on Twitter and Instagram at @youmealbum. Be sure to follow @youmealbum to find out in advance about upcoming guests and featured albums for this podcast. You, Me and An Album: The Newsletter is free to all subscribers! https://youmealbum.substack.com/ If you are interested in supporting this podcast, please check out the show’s Patreon site, https://www.patreon.com/youmealbum. Your contributions are greatly appreciated and keep this show going. 1:10 Allie joins the show 1:35 Allie achieves a first for You, Me and An Album 2:03 Allie talks about why The Downward Spiral is an important album for her 4:56 Has Allie gotten obsessive about other bands? 9:30 How does The Downward Spiral make Allie feel? 12:08 Al was not prepared for the experience of listening to The Downward Spiral 15:45 Al was more familiar with the NIN version of “Hurt” than he realized 17:16 “Closer” has always given Al the creeps 20:50 Al explains what it is about NIN that makes listening difficult 27:24 Allie sees humor in NIN’s music 30:04 The Downward Spiral reminds Al of another album 33:02 Allie talks about her initial experiences with listening to NIN 35:32 There was only one track on The Downward Spiral that was hard for Allie to hear at first Discussion of other tracks: 36:50 March of the Pigs 40:27 Hurt (again) 43:07 Does Allie have albums that she appreciates but can’t listen to? 44:13 Piggy/Heresy 47:47 Reptile 51:27 Ruiner 53:13 Big Man with a Gun 55:20 Allie talks about her upcoming NIN covers album 1:00:01 Allie talks about the Nerf Herder song Outro is from “Nerf Herder Girl” by Allie Goertz | |||
| 12 Mar 2023 | 106. Highlights from #MWE | 00:32:16 | |
This year, for the first time, Al took part in #MWE — aka Music Writer’s Exercise — listening to and writing about a new album every day throughout the month of February. Al discusses 10 of his favorite albums out of the total of 28, explaining why he chose them for the project and what he liked about them. Al mentioned the Sara Lund interview on the Tour Stories podcast, where she discussed Alice Coltrane’s Journey in Satchidananda. You can listen to that episode here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-check-in-with-sara-lund-unwound/id1482193534?i=1000575099615. Al is on Twitter at @almelchiorBB, and this show has accounts on Twitter and Instagram at @youmealbum. Be sure to follow @youmealbum to find out in advance about upcoming guests and featured albums for this podcast. You, Me and An Album: The Newsletter is free to all subscribers! https://youmealbum.substack.com/ If you are interested in supporting this podcast, please check out the show’s Patreon site, https://www.patreon.com/youmealbum. Your contributions are greatly appreciated and keep this show going. 0:48 A #MWE primer 2:06 How Al picked his 28 albums Highlight albums 4:06 Television, Marquee Moon 6:54 Tacocat, Lost Time 9:17 Tool, Lateralus 11:42 Alice Coltrane, Journey in Satchidananda 13:19 Horsegirl, Versions of Modern Performance 15:31 Obey Robots, One In A Thousand 18:38 Quasi, Breaking the Balls of History 20:10 Caroline Polachek, Desire, I Want to Turn Into You 23:21 The Black Tones, Cobain & Cornbread 25:02 Bruce Springsteen, Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J. 28:06 Al sums up his #MWE experience | |||
| 19 Mar 2023 | 107. Chris Slusarenko Discusses The Fall, Perverted by Language | 01:09:53 | |
Chris Slusarenko of the Portland-based band Eyelids joins Al to talk about The Fall’s 1983 album, Perverted by Language, and their “Kicker Conspiracy” single, which was released in the same year. Chris explains how he wound up getting up obsessed with The Fall, why he chose to focus on these particular records for this episode and how The Fall has influenced his own creative process. He also talks about Eyelids’ recently-released fourth album, A Colossal Waste of Light, and the experience of being produced by and touring with Peter Buck. Chris made repeated reference to The Annotated Fall, which lists and, yes, annotates the lyrics to The Fall’s songs. If you’re new to The Fall like Al is (or probably even if you’re not), it’s an indispensable resource. http://annotatedfall.doomby.com/pages/the-annotated-lyrics/ Where’s the cursor?? Where’s the eraser?? Here’s where to find Eyelids on your computer… Be sure to follow Eyelids on Twitter and Instagram! @musicofeyelids To follow/visit Eyelids on Bandcamp, go here: https://musicofeyelids.bandcamp.com/ You can get Eyelids merch, tour info and much more at https://musicofeyelids.com/. Al is on Twitter at @almelchiorBB, and this show has accounts on Twitter and Instagram at @youmealbum. Be sure to follow @youmealbum to find out in advance about upcoming guests and featured albums for this podcast. You, Me and An Album: The Newsletter is free to all subscribers! https://youmealbum.substack.com/ If you are interested in supporting this podcast, please check out the show’s Patreon site, https://www.patreon.com/youmealbum. Your contributions are greatly appreciated and keep this show going. 1:19 Chris joins the show 1:26 Chris talks about the importance of music in his family 3:21 Chris explains the origins of the title of Eyelids’ new album 6:23 Chris discusses how he got obsessed with The Fall 9:29 Chris walks through the various stages of The Fall’s discography 12:29 “Eat Y’self Fitter” exemplifies many of the things Chris loves about Perverted by Language 18:38 There’s a lot one can read about The Fall 20:17 Why was Mark E. Smith singing about computers in 1983? 22:22 The Fall isn’t for everybody 23:17 Chris addresses the similarities between The Fall and Pavement 24:43 Al talks about his initial impressions of Perverted by Language 26:55 Chris sees Perverted by Language as a transitional album 28:51 Chris and Al disagree as to how cohesive the album is 31:36 Chris talks about The Fall’s frequent changes in personnel 34:05 Chris is impressed by the confidence of The Fall on Perverted by Language 37:48 Chris has trouble picking a favorite track 40:49 Al and Chris admire Steve Hanley’s bass playing 43:58 Chris talks about the “Kicker Conspiracy/Wings” single 48:24 Chris doesn’t think The Fall sold out after Perverted by Language 49:56 Chris suggests some other albums by The Fall for Al to explore 52:56 Chris appreciates Mark E. Smith’s lyrics 54:14 Chris clarifies a misheard lyric for Al 57:03 Eyelids took a different approach to songwriting for A Colossal Waste of Light 1:00:55 Chris talks about Peter Buck’s involvement on A Colossal Waste of Light 1:05:41 Chris discusses Eyelids’ current tour Outro is from “That’s Not Real At All (B. Midweek Pg. 207)” by Eyelids. | |||
| 26 Mar 2023 | 108. Neal Barnard Discusses Cream, Wheels of Fire | 01:02:39 | |
Dr. Neal Barnard is a clinical researcher who is the founding president of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, and he is also a multi-instrumentalist who founded the band CarbonWorks. Neal joins Al on this episode to discuss Cream’s third album, Wheels of Fire, and along the way, he talks about Jimi Hendrix, The Beatles, the good and the bad of Cream’s collaboration and CarbonWorks’ upcoming album, Vanishing Act. You can find Neal on Twitter and Instagram! @DrNealBarnard There are also accounts for CarbonWorks on both platforms: @carbonworksband on Twitter, @carbonworksmusic on Instagram. Neil also mentioned the CarbonWorks YouTube channel, where you can find their videos, including some for their new songs: https://www.youtube.com/@carbonworks1770 Also be sure to visit CarbonWorks’ website: www.carbonworksmusic.com Al is on Twitter at @almelchiorBB, and this show has accounts on Twitter and Instagram at @youmealbum. Be sure to follow @youmealbum to find out in advance about upcoming guests and featured albums for this podcast. You, Me and An Album: The Newsletter is free to all subscribers! https://youmealbum.substack.com/ If you are interested in supporting this podcast, please check out the show’s Patreon site, https://www.patreon.com/youmealbum. Your contributions are greatly appreciated and keep this show going. 1:22 Neal joins the show 2:18 Neal shares his thoughts on Jimi Hendrix’s discography 6:44 Neal explains why he wanted to discuss Wheels of Fire 11:54 Neal expands on some of his thoughts about The Beatles 14:23 Did Al misinterpret “Politician”? 16:27 Neal and Al continue a discussion of lyrics with “Pressed Rat and Warthog” 19:05 Cream took their time making this album 21:28 The various elements of Cream's music work well together 26:17 Neal talks about how he related to Cream’s music when he first listened to them 28:24 Neal and Al discuss their efforts to separate the artists from the art that Cream made 30:24 Neal finds a flaw in Eric Clapton’s “Crossroads” solo 32:56 Neal offers his perspective on criticisms of Clapton’s playing 36:16 Al’s first impression of “Traintime” didn’t last long 37:34 Is a 16-minute drum solo too much drum solo? 40:44 Neal delves into Cream’s dysfunctions 43:21 Can Neal and Al separate Clapton’s actions from his music? 47:15 Neal discusses the origins of his CarbonWorks project 50:17 Neal talks about how CarbonWorks’ music comes together 51:31 Neal’s experience as an exchange student in Belgium changed how he listened to music 53:19 Neal brings up a couple of songs on Vanishing Act that exemplify his approach to music Outro is from “Tout Ira Bien” by CarbonWorks. | |||
| 02 Apr 2023 | 109. Neil Gust Discusses Nigeria 70, Vol. 1 (Funky Lagos) | 01:00:36 | |
Neil Gust, guitarist, songwriter and vocalist for Portland rock trio No. 2 (and previously of Heatmiser) becomes the first YMAAA guest to discuss a compilation. He introduces Al to Nigeria 70, Vol. 1 (Funky Lagos), and in the process, sparks a discussion about several key Afrobeat artists. Neil also talks about No. 2’s recent touring behind their 2022 album, First Love — his first live performances in more than 20 years. There are three, three, three! places to follow Neil on Instagram: @neilgust, @___numberdeux___, @heatmiser_archv Check out No. 2’s Bandcamp page…https://no2music.bandcamp.com/ …and YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@No-oe3yq 1:09 Neil joins the show 2:12 Neil explains why he chose to discuss this compilation 6:24 Al has yet to learn about the featured artists in depth 7:35 Neil’s listening experience for this album was different from his usual album-listening experience 10:33 Neil talks about the importance of Fela Kuti and Tony Allen to Afrobeat Discussion of other Afrobeat artists 11:55 Blo 13:45 The Funkees/Osibisa 15:16 William Onyeabor 16:03 Neil talks about the Nigerian Civil War and the Lagos music scene that emerged in its aftermath 19:25 Al and Neil talk about the artists who introduced Western audiences to Afrobeat 20:54 The compilation spans a variety of genres 22:02 Neil and Al talk about the brutal misogyny reflected in “Woman Made The Devil” 24:56 Al talks about artists on the album he wants to learn more about 28:30 Segun Bucknor & His Revolution’s “La La La” is a highlight for Neil 31:01“Jeun Ko Ku” was a springboard into Fela Kuti’s music for Neil 33:25 Neil talks about some of Tony Allen’s various projects 37:22 There are a couple of tracks that Neil doesn’t like as much as the others 39:45 It took Al some time to more fully appreciate the compilation 42:39 Neil expects Al will make more connections between Afrobeat and Western rock over time 44:44 Neil talks about the albums he considered discussing but didn’t 46:44 Neil talks about playing live with No. 2 for the first time in more than 20 years 51:52 Will Neil tour again? 53:55 What was Neil’s favorite part of playing live again? Outro is from “Model of the Universe” by No. 2. | |||
| 09 Apr 2023 | 110. Elizabeth Nelson Takes Over and Al Melchior Discusses Genesis, self-titled | 00:54:04 | |
Elizabeth Nelson of The Paranoid Style turns the tables on Al for this episode, serving as host and asking Al about why he loves Genesis and their 1983 self-titled album (also known as the “Shapes” album). Al talks about how he became a Genesis superfan, what his first impressions were of the “Shapes” album and how those impressions have changed over the decades. Check out the music of The Paranoid Style! https://theparanoidstyle.bandcamp.com/ Al is on Twitter at @almelchiorBB, and this show has accounts on Twitter and Instagram at @youmealbum. Be sure to follow @youmealbum to find out in advance about upcoming guests and featured albums for this podcast. You, Me and An Album: The Newsletter is free to all subscribers! https://youmealbum.substack.com/ If you are interested in supporting this podcast, please check out the show’s Patreon site, https://www.patreon.com/youmealbum. Your contributions are greatly appreciated and keep this show going. 1:16 Elizabeth takes over! 2:14 Al joins the show 2:39 Al revisits how this episode came about 4:11 Al explains how he got into Genesis as a teenager 7:39 Al walks Elizabeth through the history of Genesis 11:53 Al identifies a Genesis album that is the best gateway to their proggy side 15:35 Al talks about his initial experience with listening to the “Shapes” album 19:35 Elizabeth shares Al’s opinion of “That’s All” 20:53 Al compares the versions of Genesis with three, four and five members Discussion of specific tracks 24:06 Mama 29:00 Elizabeth asks Al what he thinks about the drum sounds on the album 32:44 Taking It All Too Hard 34:49 It’s Gonna Get Better 38:48 That’s All 39:20 Just A Job To Do 42:37 Illegal Alien 45:24 Silver Rainbow 47:38 Al recommends three songs from the album and three songs from the entire catalog to listen to as an introduction to each Outro is from “The Thrill Is Back” by The Paranoid Style. | |||
| 16 Apr 2023 | 111. Michael Peter Olsen Discusses Van Halen, 1984 | 01:09:41 | |
Cellist Michael Peter Olsen joins Al to familiarize him with an album he thought he mostly knew: Van Halen’s 1984. Michael makes the case that a careful listening of the album reveals an experimental side of Van Halen. He also talks about why Van Halen, and this album is particular, is an inspiration to him, his recent experience of meeting Greg Saunier of Deerhoof (who was a recent guest on this show) and what Post-Cello is all about. 1:10 Michael joins the show 1:47 Michael explains why he started playing the cello 2:55 Michael made a strong case for breaking one of Al’s rules 4:31 Hearing 1984 was an ear-opening experience for Michael when he first heard it 10:13 Michael talks about how 1984 is an outlier in the Van Halen discography 11:57 Michael break downs the elements that make 1984 special 14:54 Michael describes the process behind the recording of 1984 19:37 1984 epitomizes Van Halen’s combination of virtuosity and silliness 22:45 “Panama” is a more straightforward Van Halen song 24:05 There’s a lot going on in “Jump” 29:29 Michael gives Michael Anthony and David Lee Roth their props 30:29 Van Halen were always a different type of metal band 32:31 Michael has a theory about the album cover 36:05 Al has questions about “I’ll Wait” 40:06 Michael talks about the lack of overdubs… 41:55 …except for one notable exception 44:11 Michael discusses some of the innovations Eddie Van Halen used on this album 46:33 Al is more interested in exploring the Van Halen discography now 50:41 Michael talks about how he recently got to meet Greg Saunier 57:00 Michael explains what Post-Cello is 1:05:07 Michael talks about his upcoming album Outro is from “Falling Forward” by Michael Peter Olsen | |||
| 23 Apr 2023 | 112. Jake Uitti Discusses Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, The Heist | 01:00:53 | |
Music and sports writer Jake Uitti visits YMAAA to introduce Al to Macklemore and Ryan Lewis’ The Heist. Jake talks about why he chose the album for this episode, how it became a breakthrough album and what he loves about it. He also discusses his recent and upcoming projects, including a book he co-authored with former NBA veteran Earl Cureton. On this episode, Jake talked about his recent cover story for American Songwriter on Macklemore and his new solo album, Ben. Be sure to check it out; you can read it here: https://americansongwriter.com/macklemore-finding-his-purpose/ Jake also mentioned Macklemore’s video for “Maniac,” which features Eva Walker and Narduwar. Great song, great video! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MkrKSgwtVk0
You, Me and An Album: The Newsletter is free to all subscribers! https://youmealbum.substack.com/ If you are interested in supporting this podcast, please check out the show’s Patreon site, https://www.patreon.com/youmealbum. Your contributions are greatly appreciated and keep this show going. 1:04 Jake joins the show 2:27 Jake is married to a previous guest of YMAAA 3:53 Jake talks about his New Jersey roots 6:15 Jake explains why he chose to discuss The Heist 10:20 Jake and Al appreciate how well The Heist was crafted 13:14 Jake talks about how The Heist was well positioned 22:34 Making the album Seattle-centric was part of the positioning 24:07 Jake summarizes his experience of listening to The Heist 28:41 Jake shares his interpretation of “Jimmy Iovine” 33:36 Jake’s appreciation for Macklemore and Ryan Lewis’ songcraft has grown over time 36:43 Macklemore’s lyrics can be corny 41:21 Jake and Al take a different approach to hearing lyrics 42:57 Al cites an example of great sequencing on the album 46:11 The Heist can be viewed as a gateway to learning more about the Seattle music scene 47:18 Jake and Al both like “Cowboy Boots” as an album closer 51:30 How well does Jake know Macklemore? 53:17 Jake talks about Macklemore’s new solo album 56:35 Jake discusses his upcoming book with Earl Cureton | |||
| 30 Apr 2023 | 113. David Joseph Discusses Mark Hollis, self-titled | 01:14:47 | |
Multi-instrumentalist and composer David Joseph of Held By Trees has played with several of the musicians who performed on the final two Talk Talk albums, so there is no one better to introduce Al to Mark Hollis’ solo album, which featured many of the same people. In addition to talking about what makes Mark Hollis a special album, David discusses how he became a fan of Talk Talk and how the band has inspired his own work. He also chats with Al about his latest recordings with Held By Trees, which were made at Peter Gabriel’s Real World Studios. Al mentioned and recommended a video of Talk Talk performing at the 1986 Montreux Jazz Festival. You can watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTOYdH6tdSQ Al also noted some previous interviews David did that go into more detail about how Held By Trees came about. This one from Classic Pop is pretty comprehensive: https://www.classicpopmag.com/2022/07/held-by-trees-interview/. Follow David and Held by Trees! @heldbytrees on both Twitter and Instagram And, of course, stream/buy David’s music on Bandcamp: https://heldbytrees.bandcamp.com/ You can pre-order Held By Trees’ upcoming twin EPs here: https://www.innersleeve.com/collections/held-by-trees Al is on Twitter at @almelchiorBB, and this show has accounts on Twitter and Instagram at @youmealbum. Be sure to follow @youmealbum to find out in advance about upcoming guests and featured albums for this podcast. You, Me and An Album: The Newsletter is free to all subscribers! https://youmealbum.substack.com/ If you are interested in supporting this podcast, please check out the show’s Patreon site, https://www.patreon.com/youmealbum. Your contributions are greatly appreciated and keep this show going. 0:00 A couple of announcements 2:39 David joins the show 3:23 Why the Mark Hollis album was not a Talk Talk album 4:59 Al makes note of the connection between Talk Talk and Held By Trees 5:34 A Chris Martin interview led David to explore the later period of Talk Talk/Mark Hollis 9:09 Al talks about how he got into Spirit of Eden and Laughing Stock 11:10 David explains what distinguishes Mark Hollis from Talk Talk albums 16:51 David and Al talk about Mark’s approach to vocals and lyrics on this album 20:40 David feels that Mark Hollis asks something different of him as a listener 24:43 The songs on Mark Hollis don’t have many hooks 29:14 Al finds a couple of examples of hooks on Mark Hollis 31:31 David talks about the difficulty Mark had in making this album 34:37 David explains how Mark was able to achieve the album’s pure sound 36:24 Al and David comment on the album’s sequencing 40:02 David notes that Mark had co-writers on nearly all of the tracks 44:01 David gives Lee Harris and Paul Webb their due 52:06 David offers suggestions for how to get the most out of listening to Mark Hollis 55:38 David discusses how Held By Trees’ Solace was recorded 1:05:55 David appreciates the reception that Solace has received 1:07:47 David talks about Held By Trees’ upcoming twin EPs 1:09:44 David discusses the experience of meeting Peter Gabriel Outro is from “In The Trees” (live) by Held By Trees. | |||
| 07 May 2023 | 114. Peter Case Discusses Bob Dylan, self-titled | 01:12:15 | |
Singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer Peter Case (The Nerves, The Plimsouls, solo) drops by YMAAA to give Al a long-overdue introduction to Bob Dylan’s self-titled debut album. Peter talks about how he got introduced to Dylan’s music during his childhood, his life as a busker in San Francisco prior to his time with The Nerves and what is particularly special about Dylan’s first album. He also talks about his new album, Doctor Moan, and his recent experiences with playing live shows. Keep up with Peter! @ThePeterCase on Twitter, @petercase111 on Instagram Peter’s music, tour info, blog and more are on his site, petercase.com. Be sure to pay it a visit! Al is on Twitter at @almelchiorBB, and this show has accounts on Twitter and Instagram at @youmealbum. Be sure to follow @youmealbum to find out in advance about upcoming guests and featured albums for this podcast. You, Me and An Album: The Newsletter is free to all subscribers! https://youmealbum.substack.com/ If you are interested in supporting this podcast, please check out the show’s Patreon site, https://www.patreon.com/youmealbum. Your contributions are greatly appreciated and keep this show going. 1:03 Peter joins the show 2:23 Peter played songs from Bob Dylan’s debut album when he was a busker 3:50 Peter talks about his introduction to Dylan’s music 5:10 Peter explains what makes the debut album different from other Dylan albums 8:17 “You’re No Good” exemplifies several things that Peter loves about the album 13:10 Peter notes a similarity between Dylan and early Elvis Presley 15:02 Could a young Dylan sing about death and relationships with authenticity? 22:43 “Talkin’ New York” was not as much about Dylan’s experience as Al thought 25:51 Peter likes the symphonic quality of “In My Time of Dyin’” 27:55 Peter talks about The Animals’ covers of Dylan’s songs 30:17 Peter breaks down the arrangement of “Man of Constant Sorrow” 33:00 Al asks Peter what it was like to hear early Dylan when it was new and fresh 38:25 Peter talks about the mystery of how people decide to let unfamiliar music into their lives 40:44 Al decided to listen to “Murder Most Foul” 44:53 Peter reveals which Dylan album he listens to the most 47:07 Dylan is an inspiration for Peter 51:00 “Baby, Let Me Follow You Down” is another one of Peter’s favorite tracks from the album 54:23 Peter talks about the community that helped shape Dylan’s music 57:28 Peter cites the song that got his kids into Dylan 59:42 Peter recounts his journey over the years as a Dylan fan 1:03:54 Peter talks about his new album and just-completed tour Outro is from “Have You Ever Been In Trouble?” by Peter Case | |||
| 14 May 2023 | 115. Mike Robbins Discusses A Tribe Called Quest, The Low End Theory | 00:58:24 | |
Author, speaker and former professional baseball player Mike Robbins introduces Al to A Tribe Called Quest’s 1991 album, The Low End Theory. Mike talks about how he was first introduced to ATCQ in high school, the culture shock he experienced hearing unfamiliar music when he went to college and why The Low End Theory has stood the test of time more than 30 years after its release. Keep up with Mike’s podcast, blog and publications at his site: mike-robbins.com. You can also get Mike’s podcast, We’re All In This Together, here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/were-all-in-this-together/id1134737783. Be sure to follow Mike on Twitter and Instagram! @mikedrobbins Al is on Twitter at @almelchiorBB, and this show has accounts on Twitter and Instagram at @youmealbum. Be sure to follow @youmealbum to find out in advance about upcoming guests and featured albums for this podcast. Subscribe for free to You, Me and An Album: The Newsletter and participate in weekly chats about this podcast’s featured albums! https://youmealbum.substack.com/ If you are interested in supporting this podcast, please check out the show’s Patreon site, https://www.patreon.com/youmealbum. Your contributions are greatly appreciated and keep this show going. 1:16 Mike joins the show 3:31 Mike talks about what initially appealed to him about A Tribe Called Quest 9:07 Mike alludes to Q-Tip’s affinity for jazz 11:06 Mike talks about the rap community in Oakland 12:36 No one listened to rap when Mike went to Stanford 15:21 Not all rap from the ‘90s holds up for Mike 19:02 Mike distinguishes between the different styles of Q-Tip and Phife Dawg 20:58 Rapping is hard 23:35 Mike talks about the Native Tongues collective 26:00 Hip-hop and basketball were important to Mike growing up, and they were connected 26:43 Al likes how the first two tracks set up the album 29:41 Al and Mike review some of the sports references made on the album 34:21 Mike discusses the different approaches ATCQ took on various tracks 37:31 Mike finds “The Infamous Date Rape” both problematic and nuanced 44:22 Mike thinks The Low End Theory holds up really well 47:17 Al had heard Q-Tip on a guest appearance he made on another band’s album 48:29 Mike enjoys artists with eclectic musical backgrounds 50:45 Al asks Mike to recommend his next ATCQ album to listen to 53:08 Mike’s daughters help keep him current on music 54:05 Mike talks about his current and upcoming work | |||
| 21 May 2023 | 116. Louise Post Discusses Kate Bush, Hounds of Love | 01:11:04 | |
Louise Post of Veruca Salt pays YMAAA a visit to talk about Kate Bush’s 1985 album, Hounds of Love. Louise explains why Hounds of Love is one of her favorite albums, how Kate Bush was something of an acquired taste for her and which tracks on the album are the most special to her. The conversation also frequently turns to The Beatles and Post Malone, and Louise talks about how she wound up teaching music in the L.A. public schools. She also discusses the writing and recording process for her upcoming solo album, Sleepwalker, and the band she has assembled for her tour. Al referenced an interview that Louise and Nina Gordon did for the Women in Rock Oral History Project. You can find it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ju8QAzTGC-8. Al’s memory of Kate Bush’s appearance on Saturday Night Live was inaccurate, even though he said he was “99 percent sure” he remembered it correctly. She performed “The Man With the Child In His Eyes” and “Them Heavy People,” and not “Wuthering Heights” and “Babooshka,” as he had remembered. Also, the broadcast was in 1978, and not in 1979 or 1980. Follow Louise on social media! Instagram and Tiktok: @louiselightnerpost YouTube: @louisepost Facebook: louisepostmusician You can find Louise’s music, tour information, VIP package information and merch on louisepost.com. Keep up with Veruca Salt, too! Twitter: @verucasalt Instagram: @verucasaltband Al is on Twitter at @almelchiorBB, and this show has accounts on Twitter and Instagram at @youmealbum. Be sure to follow @youmealbum to find out in advance about upcoming guests and featured albums for this podcast. Subscribe for free to You, Me and An Album: The Newsletter and participate in weekly chats about this podcast’s featured albums! https://youmealbum.substack.com/ If you are interested in supporting this podcast, please check out the show’s Patreon site, https://www.patreon.com/youmealbum. Your contributions are greatly appreciated and keep this show going. 1:16 Louise joins the show 1:26 Louise talks about one of the first albums she ever listened to 5:25 Louise explains why she chose Hounds of Love for this episode 10:28 It took time for Louise to get into Kate Bush, Joni Mitchell and Rickie Lee Jones 15:04 Louise talks about her experience with listening to the album’s two suites 18:43 Louise gives her interpretation of the album’s meaning 23:36 How important are lyrics to Louise when she listens to music? 26:42 Louise taught music in the L.A. public schools 31:03 Al and Louise dig into the lyrics for “Cloudbusting” 37:57 Louise identifies her favorite parts of the album 41:33 Louise singles out “Hello Earth” as an important song 44:58 Al was impressed by Kate Bush’s videos 47:24 Louise relates to the themes and images evoked on Hounds of Love 50:43 Louise talks about how she got started as a songwriter 55:04 Louise explains her songwriting and arranging process for some of her new songs 1:01:37 Louise provides an update on Veruca Salt 1:03:51 Louise talks about the band she has assembled for her solo album and tour 1:05:38 It took Al a while to realize he was reading Louise’s posts on Instagram Outro is from “Guilty” by Louise Post. | |||
| 28 May 2023 | 117. Joe Casey Discusses Tyvek, Fast Metabolism | 00:50:18 | |
Vocalist and songwriter Joe Casey of Protomartyr pays YMAAA a visit and introduces Al to a band with which he is completely unfamiliar. Joe talks about Detroit-based punk band Tyvek and their 2007 album, Fast Metabolism, which is a compilation of some of their earliest singles and EPs. Joe explains why he chose this album for the show and discusses his personal connections to Tyvek and why they have been an inspiration to him. Joe also talks about Protomartyr’s upcoming sixth album, Formal Growth in the Desert, and answers some questions about the tour for the album. Al referred to a video that Joe did for Amoeba Music’s What’s In My Bag series. Watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JIYyJD24Ppg&t=4s Joe and Al talked extensively about Protomartyr’s video for “Elimination Dances.” You should definitely check it out. It’s really cool. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Uf98p7Dsdk Joe talked about the difficulties that Protomartyr had in scheduling an album release event date in Detroit. Update: They scheduled it, and it happened on May 27…before the Tigers-White Sox game at Comerica Park! Be sure to follow Protomartyr on Twitter and Instagram: @protomartyrband They also have a very nice website, http://protomartyrband.com/, and a Bandcamp page: https://protomartyr.bandcamp.com/. Al is on Twitter at @almelchiorBB, and this show has accounts on Twitter and Instagram at @youmealbum. Be sure to follow @youmealbum to find out in advance about upcoming guests and featured albums for this podcast. Subscribe for free to You, Me and An Album: The Newsletter and participate in weekly chats about this podcast’s featured albums! https://youmealbum.substack.com/ If you are interested in supporting this podcast, please check out the show’s Patreon site, https://www.patreon.com/youmealbum. Your contributions are greatly appreciated and keep this show going. 1:13 Joe joins the show 2:05 Joe explains how Tyvek inspired him and helped him get Protomartyr started 6:31 Kevin Boyer influenced Joe’s musical tastes and lyric writing 10:34 Joe explains why he picked Fast Metabolism for this episode 11:48 Tyvek received some flak over the cover for their first album 16:39 Joe talks about the specifics of why he loves listening to Fast Metabolism 17:55 Joe discusses his favorite tracks from the album 21:43 What makes “Honda” a blueprint for other punk songs? 25:39 Al talks about some lyrics he enjoyed 28:46 Joe talks about the art of writing about a specific place 31:00 Al sees “Air Conditioner” as being different from the other songs on the compilation 33:20 It’s important to Joe to remind people to listen to overlooked bands like Tyvek 34:39 Joe shares some updates on Tyvek 35:48 Making artwork is a reason why Joe wanted to be in a band 37:10 Joe talks about the development of the concept for Protomartyr’s “Elimination Dances” video 41:45 We have another new Protomartyr video to look forward to 42:56 Joe explains why Protomartyr recorded Formal Growth in the Desert in West Texas 44:27 Joe answers Al’s questions about Protomartyr’s upcoming tour Outro is from “Elimination Dances” by Protomartyr. | |||
| 04 Jun 2023 | 118. Brian Dunne Discusses Vampire Weekend, Father of the Bride | 00:59:39 | |
Singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Brian Dunne joins Al for this episode to introduce him to Vampire Weekend’s Father of the Bride. Brian talks about why he loves the album’s frequent shifting of genres, what he admires about Ezra Koenig as a songwriter and the specific time period that the album references. Brian also discusses his new album, Loser On The Ropes, and playing the songs from the album live for the first time. Al has a previous guest to thank for his being aware of Brian’s music, and ultimately, for Brian joining him for this episode. Joan Holiday, who was Al's guest on ep. 66, played “Rockaway” on her drive time show on WRSI The River. At 51:46, Al and Mary Beth’s horse Fynn makes his first podcast appearance! Be sure to follow Brian on Twitter and Instagram at @briandunnemusic! Brian also has a website, https://www.briandunnemusic.net/… …and a Bandcamp page: https://briandunne.bandcamp.com/. Al is on Twitter at @almelchiorBB, and this show has accounts on Twitter and Instagram at @youmealbum. Be sure to follow @youmealbum to find out in advance about upcoming guests and featured albums for this podcast. Subscribe for free to You, Me and An Album: The Newsletter and participate in weekly chats about this podcast’s featured albums! https://youmealbum.substack.com/ If you are interested in supporting this podcast, please check out the show’s Patreon site, https://www.patreon.com/youmealbum. Your contributions are greatly appreciated and keep this show going. 1:15 Brian joins the show 1:36 Brian explains why he chose to discuss Father of the Bride 3:03 The album’s frequent changes in styles and genres made an immediate impression on Brian 5:47 Brian cites an example of great songwriting on the album 9:30 Father of the Bride has been a polarizing album for Vampire Weekend fans 11:23 Al wonders why he has such a hard time “getting” Vampire Weekend 14:05 Brian places Vampire Weekend in the context of indie rock 17:30 There is a purpose to all of the switching between genres 21:56 Brian talks about growing up with classic rock 24:11 Brian digs into his favorite songs on the album 27:57 Al asks Brian for his interpretation of “Jerusalem, New York, Berlin” 31:49 Brian understands that Father of the Bride is not for everybody 33:04 Al talks about one of his favorite moments on the album 34:50 Brian sees Modern Vampires of the City as a pivotal album 37:07 Father of the Bride takes Brian back to 1994 40:45 Brian makes an analogy between Father of the Bride and Bruce Springsteen’s The River 46:46 Brain explains what he was conveying with the song “Rockaway” 51:58 Brian talks about playing the songs from Loser On The Ropes live Outro is from “Rockaway” by Brian Dunne. | |||
| 11 Jun 2023 | 119. Nili Brosh Discusses Steve Stevens, Flamenco A Go-Go | 00:42:26 | |
Guitarist Nili Brosh takes a quick time out from her many gigs (e.g., Danny Elfman, Dethklok, Cirque du Soleil, solo) to introduce Al to Steve Stevens’ 1999 album, Flamenco A Go-Go. Nili talks about her first impressions of the album, why she thinks a lot more people need to know about it and how it has influenced her own work. She also discusses her love of the band Extreme, her experience of playing with Alphonso Johnson and Chester Thompson and her new songs and upcoming tour dates. There’s a whole bunch of places where you can keep up with Nili! Instagram: @nilibrosh YouTube: @nilibrosh Facebook: NiliBroshMusic soundcloud.com/nilibrosh nilibrosh.com Al is on Twitter at @almelchiorBB, and this show has accounts on Twitter and Instagram at @youmealbum. Be sure to follow @youmealbum to find out in advance about upcoming guests and featured albums for this podcast. Subscribe for free to You, Me and An Album: The Newsletter and participate in weekly chats about this podcast’s featured albums! https://youmealbum.substack.com/ If you are interested in supporting this podcast, please check out the show’s Patreon site, https://www.patreon.com/youmealbum. Your contributions are greatly appreciated and keep this show going. 1:07 Nili joins the show 1:57 Nili talks about her Extreme fandom 5:48 Nili doesn’t really associate Steve Stevens with Billy Idol 7:33 Nili explains why she wanted to discuss Flamenco A Go-Go 8:09 Nili and Al talk about the album’s eclecticism 10:21 Does Flamenco A Go-Go sound like a turn-of-the-millenium album? 11:59 Nili and Al talk about the vibes they get from the album 13:53 Nili recalls how she first heard about the album 16:28 Nili discusses her first impressions of Flamenco A Go-Go 17:53 Flamenco A Go-Go influenced Nili’s own writing and playing 20:16 How did Steve Stevens pull off blending so many different types of genres? 23:03 Nili identifies the most magical parts of the album 25:51 Al wonders if there is a live track on the album… 27:58 …and if Steve Stevens might have contributed vocals 29:06 Al makes his obligatory Genesis reference 31:46 Al asks Nili about her experience of performing with Chester Thompson and Alphonso Johnson 34:15 Nili talks about her two newly-released songs 37:53 Nili discusses her upcoming live dates Outro is from “Lavender Mountains” by Nili Brosh. | |||
| 18 Jun 2023 | 120. Scott McCaughey Discusses Neil Young, Tonight's the Night | 01:17:37 | |
Scott McCaughey (The Minus 5, Young Fresh Fellows, Filthy Friends, The Baseball Project, The No Ones, R.E.M.) returns to the show (he first appeared on episode 9) to discuss Neil Young’s Tonight’s the Night. Scott talks about what the album means to him, how Neil Young conveyed a sense of fun on the album despite its tragic themes, and his own experience with hearing the songs performed live. Scott also talks about the new No Ones and Minus 5 albums and the upcoming Baseball Project album, Grand Salami Time. Scott made a reference to the Neil Young Archives, and they’re definitely worth checking out: https://neilyoungarchives.com/. Here are just some of the places you can find Scott on social media: @ScottMcMinus5 on Twitter @the_minus_5 on Instagram @BaseballProject on Twitter and Instagram The Minus 5 on Facebook And a couple of places to find Scott’s music: https://scottthehoople.bandcamp.com/ https://www.yeproc.com/artists/the-minus-5/ Al is on Twitter at @almelchiorBB, and this show has accounts on Twitter and Instagram at @youmealbum. Be sure to follow @youmealbum to find out in advance about upcoming guests and featured albums for this podcast. Subscribe for free to You, Me and An Album: The Newsletter and participate in weekly chats about this podcast’s featured albums! https://youmealbum.substack.com/ If you are interested in supporting this podcast, please check out the show’s Patreon site, https://www.patreon.com/youmealbum. Your contributions are greatly appreciated and keep this show going. 1:18 Scott joins the show 1:28 It’s hard to keep track of all of Scott’s bands 2:59 Scott has three releases coming out within a few weeks of each other 4:59 Why Scott hasn’t recorded any covers from Tonight’s the Night 6:58 Scott talks about Mike McCready’s contributions to his first Neil Young covers album 11:12 Al has never quite “gotten” Neil Young 13:16 Scott thinks Al’s Genesis fandom explains a lot about his ambivalence about Neil Young 20:00 Scott says Tonight’s the Night is Neil Young’s most emotionally intense album 22:19 Scott can listen to Tonight’s the Night anytime 25:44 Neil Young made a huge impression on Scott when he was a teen 27:27 Scott talks about the career trajectory that led Neil Young to make Tonight’s the Night 31:45 Why are there two versions of the title track on the album? 35:15 Scott talks about the inclusion of the tracks not recorded at SIR Discussion of other tracks from the album: 41:07 Tired Eyes 46:34 Albuquerque 48:51 Roll Another Number 53:03 Neil Young’s live album from The Roxy exemplifies the fun that he and his band had playing songs from Tonight’s the Night 55:11 Scott and Al note the variety of musical styles on Tonight’s the Night 57:31 Scott references a track with Joni Mitchell posted to Neil Young Archives 58:49 Scott sees the album as ultimately about the importance of friends and music 1:00:44 This episode could have been about Jenny Lewis instead 1:03:26 Scott talks about his upcoming No Ones tour 1:05:03 The new Baseball Project album was several years in the making 1:09:12 Will there be a new Filthy Friends album? (Plus some Sleater-Kinney news) Outro is from “Hitchhiker” by The Minus 5. | |||
| 25 Jun 2023 | 121. Isaac Slusarenko Discusses Bubble Puppy, A Gathering of Promises | 00:48:13 | |
YMAAA has never been visited by the head of a record label or proprietor of a record store, but this week’s guest, Isaac Slusarenko, is both! Isaac runs the Jackpot Records label and store, and on this week’s episode, he introduces Al to Texas-based psychedelic rock band Bubble Puppy and their lone album, 1969’s A Gathering of Promises. Isaac talks about how he learned about this band and this album and how it changed the way that he sought out new music to listen to. Isaac also explains how he wound up opening the Jackpot Records store more than 25 years ago and which new releases we can expect from the label,. Follow Isaac and Jackpot Records on Twitter and Instagram at @jackpotrecords! Also be sure to visit the store’s website at jackpotrecords.com. Al is on Twitter at @almelchiorBB, and this show has accounts on Twitter and Instagram at @youmealbum. Be sure to follow @youmealbum to find out in advance about upcoming guests and featured albums for this podcast. Subscribe for free to You, Me and An Album: The Newsletter and participate in weekly chats about this podcast’s featured albums! https://youmealbum.substack.com/ If you are interested in supporting this podcast, please check out the show’s Patreon site, https://www.patreon.com/youmealbum. Your contributions are greatly appreciated and keep this show going. 1:09 Isaac joins the show 1:52 Isaac talks about why he opened Jackpot Records 3:32 Al remembers learning about Djangos 5:38 Isaac explains why A Gathering of Promises is a special album for him 12:17 Isaac talks about other small label discoveries he made, emboldened by his discovery of Bubble Puppy 15:59 Isaac discusses Bubble Puppy’s second iteration called Demian 17:08 Bubble Puppy inspired Isaac to make a pilgrimage to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 18:03 There is a Bubble Puppy-Funkadelic connection 19:44 How was “Hot Smoke and Sassafras” a top 20 hit?? 21:41 Bubble Puppy reminded Al of a lot of other bands 24:30 Bubble Puppy apparently had a following in England 26:13 Mike Mills is a fan of the album 26:52 Al doesn’t know if this is an album he’ll go back to often 28:19 Isaac talks about the importance of an album’s artwork 30:17 Isaac doesn’t find it easy to single out favorite tracks 33:33 Isaac reveals some of his other finds 37:51 Isaac discusses the origins of the Jackpot Records label 40:00 Isaac talks about how he determines what gets published on his label 44:21 Isaac reports on Jackpot Records’ upcoming releases | |||
| 02 Jul 2023 | 122. Mind Blown! YMAAA Conversations That Could Change How You Hear Music | 00:57:50 | |
This week, Al takes a break from the usual format to revisit nine previous episodes where the guest changed the way that he thinks about or listens to music. Al groups the excerpted discussions into the two groups: guests who helped him to give artists he had neglected a more careful listen and guests who taught him to think about music in new ways. Subscribe for free to You, Me and An Album: The Newsletter and participate in weekly chats about this podcast’s featured albums! https://youmealbum.substack.com/ If you are interested in supporting this podcast, please check out the show’s Patreon site, https://www.patreon.com/youmealbum. Your contributions are greatly appreciated and keep this show going. 0:17 Al explains why he is revisiting some past episodes on this episode Insights into Artists Al Didn’t Get 3:58 Peter Case on Bob Dylan’s self-titled album (Ep. 114) 7:04 Rain Perry on Bruce Springsteen’s Nebraska (Ep. 65) 11:33 Sam Coomes on Velvet Underground’s White Light/White Heat (Ep. 98) 18:35 Anita Lee Elliott on Ace Frehley’s self-titled album (Ep. 71) 24:14 Michael Peter Olson on Van Halen’s 1984 (Ep. 111) The Different Ways We Listen To Music 28:48 Greg Saunier on Atrium Musicae de Madrid’s Music of Ancient Greece (Ep. 103) 38:07 Glen Phillips on Dirty Projectors, Lamp Lit Prose (Ep. 64) 44:31 Kristin Hanggi on India.Arie, SongVersation: Medicine (Ep. 87) 49:05 Kelley Deal on Julian Cope, Droolian (Ep. 100) | |||
| 09 Jul 2023 | 123. Phill Brown Discusses Murray Head, Nigel Lived | 00:59:59 | |
Legendary audio engineer and author Phill Brown, who has worked with The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Bob Marley, Talk Talk and countless other prominent artists over the last 50-plus years, comes to YMAAA to talk about one of the more underappreciated albums he has contributed to. He and Al discuss Murray Head’s 1973 debut solo album, Nigel Lived, and Phill talks about what he learned from making the album, why it’s special to him and what made it such an ambitious project for the time in which it was recorded. He also talks about his subsequent work with Talk Talk and Mark Hollis and the recent recordings by Held By Trees, which he has worked on. Al made reference to a few previous episodes that are related to this one. Be sure to check them out, if you haven’t already! Ep 92 with Mary Beth Melchior on the Jesus Christ Superstar concept album (featuring Murray Head): https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/92-mary-beth-melchior-discusses-jesus-christ-superstar/id1545282273?i=1000586877486 Ep 113 with David Joseph on Mark Hollis' self-titled solo album: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/113-david-joseph-discusses-mark-hollis-self-titled/id1545282273?i=1000611196557 Ep 79 with Tim Friese-Greene on My Bloody Valentine’s Isn’t Anything: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/79-tim-friese-greene-discusses-my-bloody-valentine/id1545282273?i=1000571013242 As mentioned on this episode, Phill has a website where you can order his book, keep up with his ever-growing list of artists he’s worked with and more. It’s tapedemon.net. Al is on Twitter at @almelchiorBB, and this show has accounts on Twitter, Threads and Instagram at @youmealbum. Be sure to follow @youmealbum to find out in advance about upcoming guests and featured albums for this podcast. Subscribe for free to You, Me and An Album: The Newsletter and participate in weekly chats about this podcast’s featured albums! https://youmealbum.substack.com/ 1:24 Phill joins the show 1:43 Phill explains why he wrote “Are We Still Rolling?” 3:48 Al was thrilled with Phill’s album choice 4:38 Phill found working on Nigel Lived to be inspirational 6:24 The album’s story allowed Murray Head to showcase his versatility 8:16 Making Nigel Lived changed the way Phill worked on albums 10:33 Phill talks about how they used mobile recording on certain tracks 16:38 Phill got some great sounds with hidden mics 20:55 Phill talks about using the mobile studio to record a church organ and choir 24:17 Phill singles out a few of his favorite tracks from Nigel Lived 28:19 Murray thought the timing of the album’s release worked against it 31:15 Having the physical album makes it easier to follow Nigel’s story 32:54 Nigel Lived sounds different from most rock albums of its era 34:53 Was there a larger message in Nigel Lived? 36:51 Phill summarizes what makes the album special to him 37:56 Al finds “Junk” difficult to listen to 41:05 One of the craziest things Phill has ever recorded was on “The Party” 42:20 Phill explains how he got involved with Held By Trees 45:51 Phill revisits the process of making Talk Talk’s Laughing Stock 49:12 Phill talks about a track from Laughing Stock that he couldn’t listen to 54:17 Phill and Al talk about the quietness of Mark Hollis 55:18 Phill mentions an album he’ll be working on Outro is from “Grow Dark” by Held By Trees from their upcoming EP, Eventide. | |||
| 16 Jul 2023 | 124. Maia Sharp Discusses Lucy Dacus, Historian | 01:07:16 | |
Singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer Maia Sharp introduces Al to Lucy Dacus’ second album, Historian. Maia talks about how she wound up getting obsessed with the album and how it has influenced her songwriting and production approach. She also discusses her soon-to-be-released album, Reckless Thoughts, and her upcoming tour and production work. There’s lots of places to keep up with Maia and to find her work online! @maiasharpmusic on Instagram maiasharpofficial on Facebook @maiasharp4091 on YouTube Maia’s Patreon is cool! https://www.patreon.com/maiasharp Be sure to visit Maia’s website, too: maiasharp.com Al is on Twitter at @almelchiorBB, and this show has accounts on Twitter, Threads and Instagram at @youmealbum. Be sure to follow @youmealbum to find out in advance about upcoming guests and featured albums for this podcast. Subscribe for free to You, Me and An Album: The Newsletter and participate in weekly chats about this podcast’s featured albums! https://youmealbum.substack.com/ 1:15 Maia joins the show 1:26 Why Maia chose Historian over Rickie Lee Jones’ debut album 7:43 Maia talks about the ways she keeps up with new music 12:12 Maia recalls how she introduced herself to Lucy Dacus’ music 14:42 Maia explains how Dacus has influenced her own music 18:33 Dacus is masterful at building up the intensity of her songs 20:23 Hearing Dacus’ vocals gave Maia a different perspective on her own 25:15 Al grappled with understanding Dacus’ music when he listened to Home Movies 28:18 Maia surmises what might make Dacus so popular with so many people 31:43 Maia discusses the elements of Historian that made a particularly big impression on her 36:32 Different parts of “The Shell” made a big impact on Al and Maia 40:04 Maia explains why the lyrics of “Pillar of Truth” are so powerful 44:16 Maia likes the lower, darker tones of the album 48:14 Has Maia completed the Lucy List? 49:53 Maia asks Al which album he is obsessed with now 51:13 Maia has also gone through obsessions with Bon Iver albums 54:21 Maia discusses her soon-to-be released album, Reckless Thoughts, and upcoming tour 59:58 Maia also has some production work in her near future Outro is from “Kind” by Maia Sharp | |||
| 23 Jul 2023 | 125. Earl Cureton Discusses Earth, Wind and Fire, Gratitude | 01:02:35 | |
Earl Cureton, veteran of 12 NBA seasons and author of Earl the Twirl: My Life in Basketball (with Jake Uitti), joins Al to discuss Earth, Wind and Fire’s 1975 double album, Gratitude. Earl talks about what he loves about EWF and about this part-live, part-studio album in particular. He also discusses how music and basketball has been intertwined in his life and in the lives of others he has known, including Julius Erving. Earl also delves into his book and his work as the Detroit Pistons’ Community Ambassador. As Earl and Al mentioned on the episode, you can pre-order Earl’s book now. Here’s the link! https://www.amazon.com/Earl-Twirl-My-Life-Basketball/dp/1476693838/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1QJI8P93F3V0T&keywords=earl+the+twirl&qid=1684467193&sprefix=earl+the+twirl%2Caps%2C147&sr=8-1 Also, be sure to keep up with Earl on Twitter: @EarlTheTwirl Al is on Twitter at @almelchiorBB, and this show has accounts on Twitter, Threads and Instagram at @youmealbum. Be sure to follow @youmealbum to find out in advance about upcoming guests and featured albums for this podcast. Subscribe for free to You, Me and An Album: The Newsletter and participate in weekly chats about this podcast’s featured albums! https://youmealbum.substack.com/ 1:18 Earl joins the show 2:50 Earth, Wind and Fire was a popular band when Earl was in college 4:54 Gratitude introduced Al to sides of EWF he didn’t know about 7:39 Earl remembers back to listening to Gratitude and other albums in the dorm 11:06 Earl talks about music that evokes memories for him 14:27 Certain tracks from Gratitude bring back memories for Earl 18:31 The early ‘80s were a great time for Philadelphia sports 21:26 Earl explains why he decided to write his book 24:24 Earl talks about his current work with the Detroit Pistons 25:40 Were The Temptations the first group to rap? 28:00 Does Earl focus more on EWF’s lyrics or their music? 29:56 Earl saw Maurice White frequently in the Sixers’ locker room 33:42 Earl has listened to EWF throughout the years Discussion of specific tracks: 35:03 Reasons 37:30 Shining Star 38:20 Sun Goddess/New World Symphony 40:38 Al thinks he hadn’t appreciated EWF enough after the ‘70s ended 42:28 Earl talks about an Alicia Keys concert he had just attended 44:19 Earl lets readers know what they can expect from his book 54:16 Earl talks about Marvin Gaye and Dave Bing growing up together in Detroit 56:48 Earl recently performed in a lip synch competition | |||
| 30 Jul 2023 | 126. Beth Bombara Discusses Hiss Golden Messenger, Terms of Surrender | 00:54:23 | |
Singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer Beth Bombara joins Al to introduce him to Hiss Golden Messenger’s 2019 album, Terms of Surrender. Beth talks about her first impressions of the album, what makes it a great album for her and how it has helped to inform her own writing and playing. She also talks about the process of making her new album, It All Goes Up, and her upcoming tour plans. A couple of notes about some music clips that were included…Al included an excerpt from Talk Talk’s “Ascension Day.” He used it in the context of making some comparisons between Terms of Surrender and Spirit of Eden, but he actually found that this track from Laughing Stock illustrated his point better than any track from the album he was referencing. Al also included a clip from “My Wing” at 19:44, just after Beth had referenced a part of the album that featured some interplay between two acoustic guitars. The guitars in the clips are electric, so Al’s apologies to Beth if she had another clip in mind! Follow Beth online! Find her music! @BethBombara on Twitter/X, Threads and Instagram https://bethbombara.bandcamp.com/ And you can support Beth’s work here: https://www.patreon.com/bethbombara 1:15 Beth joins the show 3:06 Is Terms of Surrender a good album for the car? 8:50 Beth talks about what she likes about MC Taylor’s vocals 10:31 Beth and Al talk about lyrics on the album that made an impact on them 13:07 Was MC Taylor influenced by Talk Talk? 17:55 Beth identifies the musical features of the album that are so appealing to her 26:01 Beth has enjoyed listening to some of HGM’s live versions of older songs 28:21 Going to see HGM live is on Beth’s bucket list 30:24 Beth and Al find “I Need A Teacher” to be different from the rest of the album 32:33 Beth likes listening to non-traditional vocalists 38:33 Beth talks about how her writing has been influenced by listening to Terms of Surrender 40:13 Beth discusses some of the obstacles she faced with recording parts of It All Goes Up remotely 43:02 Beth acknowledges the importance of receiving outside support for her work 46:58 Beth talks about her album release party and upcoming tour 49:27 Beth is looking forward to making some new videos Outro is from “Moment” by Beth Bombara. | |||
| 06 Aug 2023 | 127. Tiff Hannay Discusses Mitski, Be The Cowboy | 01:09:13 | |
Tiff Hannay, vocalist and guitarist for the Lansing-based band Rodeo Boys, introduces Al to Mitski’s fifth album, Be the Cowboy. Tiff talks about what they love about this album and how they think of it in relation to the other albums in Mitski’s discography. Tiff and Al also share their impressions of various lyrics from the album. Tiff discusses Rodeo Boys’ latest album, Home Movies, and the band’s upcoming tour. Tiff recommended watching Mitski’s 2015 NPR Tiny Desk performance. You can view it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0lNFHD0lUAQ. Also, as promised in this episode, here is the link to Miley Cyrus’ performance of “Heart of Glass”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NbdRLyixJpc. Follow Tiff and Rodeo Boys! @rodeoboysofficial on Instagram and YouTube https://www.rodeoboysofficial.com/ https://rodeoboys.bandcamp.com/ Al is on Twitter/X at @almelchiorBB and on Bluesky at @almelchior.bsky.social. This show has accounts on Twitter/X, Threads and Instagram at @youmealbum. Be sure to follow @youmealbum to find out in advance about upcoming guests and featured albums for this podcast. Subscribe for free to You, Me and An Album: The Newsletter and participate in weekly chats about this podcast’s featured albums! https://youmealbum.substack.com/ 1:15 Tiff joins the show 1:25 Tiff talks about the album title, Be the Cowboy 3:37 Tiff explains why they chose to discuss Be the Cowboy 7:36 Tiff puts Be the Cowboy in the larger context of Mitski’s discography 12:53 What does Tiff pay the most attention to when listening to this album? 17:01 Tiff talks about some of their favorite songs on the album 20:44 Al thinks some of Be the Cowboy goes over his head 24:37 Tiff loves the beefy Stratocaster sound 26:20 Kissing is a repeated theme on Be the Cowboy 28:56 Tiff recommends Crying in H Mart to Al 33:00 Tiff and Al discuss the songs where Mitski is telling a story from an older perspective 41:12 Al is impressed by the economy of Mitski’s songwriting 44:51 Tiff highlights a few other tracks that are among their favorites on the album 48:26 Al makes note of some of his favorite lyrics on Be the Cowboy 51:31 Al tries to explain his reaction to the album 52:56 Mitski had a huge breakout on Tiktok 55:55 Rodeo Boys once played the Masonic Temple in Detroit 57:15 Al asks Tiff about covering Blondie’s “One Way or Another” 1:02:39 Rodeo Boys are opening for Fishbone…and no one told them about it Outro is from “Sugar” by Rodeo Boys. | |||
| 13 Aug 2023 | 128. Meghan Minior Discusses Naomi Punk, Television Man | 00:50:23 | |
Vocalist, bassist, artist and graphic designer Meghan Minior (Longings, Corrode) introduces Al to Naomi Punk’s 2014 album, Television Man. Meghan talks about what makes this an album she returns to over and over again and what makes it a rewarding listen from start to finish, while Al likens Naomi Punk to another band that came out of Olympia, Washington. Meghan also talks about the new Longings album, Dreams In Red, and her upcoming plans musically and otherwise. Meghan recommended several music venues to check out for anyone who lives in or is visiting Western Massachusetts. These are the ones she mentioned. Flywheel Arts Collective: puts on shows at various venues 10 Forward in Greenfield: https://www.10forwardartsvenue.org/ Marigold in Easthampton: https://marigoldtheater.com/ The Drake in Amherst: https://www.thedrakeamherst.org/ Tree House Brewing Company in Deerfield: https://treehousebrew.com/visiting-deerfield Hutghi’s in Westfield: https://hutghis.square.site/ Find/Follow Meghan on the internet! @mminior and @static_frame_ on Instagram Al is on Twitter/X at @almelchiorBB and on Bluesky at @almelchior.bsky.social. This show has accounts on Twitter/X, Threads and Instagram at @youmealbum. Be sure to follow @youmealbum to find out in advance about upcoming guests and featured albums for this podcast. Subscribe for free to You, Me and An Album: The Newsletter and participate in weekly chats about this podcast’s featured albums! https://youmealbum.substack.com/ 1:19 Meghan joins the show 2:22 Television Man has been a frequent topic of conversation for Meghan 4:12 Meghan discusses her process for picking an album for this episode 5:40 Al talks about his initial reaction to Television Man 8:08 Meghan explains why the album has stuck with her over the years 9:06 Meghan and Al talk about “Firehose Face” as the album’s opening statement 12:03 Meghan describes Naomi Punk’s sound 13:53 Al was surprised by a Naomi Punk live performance video he watched 15:39 Meghan appreciates the uniqueness of Naomi Punk’s sound 17:30 Television Man is a very visual album for Meghan 24:32 Meghan likes the album’s flow and sequencing 30:30 Is this a punk album? 33:53 Meghan is not sure how much her work has been influenced by Naomi Punk 35:07 Television Man moved Naomi Punk towards a more experimental approach 37:20 Al sees parallels between Naomi Punk and Unwound 40:10 The new Longings album was years in the making 42:03 Meghan talks about her future plans, including with Longings and Corrode 44:10 Meghan gives Al some recommendations for music venues to visit in Western Massachusetts Outro is from “Expensive Graves” by Longings. | |||
| 20 Aug 2023 | 129. Laura King Discusses The Bangles, All Over the Place | 00:58:15 | |
Drummer Laura King (Superchunk, Bat Fangs, R. Ring, Speed Stick) talks about her love for the album that kickstarted The Bangles’ run of ‘80s hits, All Over The Place. Laura recounts the event that started her childhood obsession with The Bangles, breaks down what makes the album special and shares her thoughts on the band’s more successful albums. She also provides updates on the many bands she plays with. As Laura and Al mentioned, R. Ring released a new video for “Cartoon Heart/Build Me a Question” just hours before their conversation. It’s great! Check it out. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fG1RGmkPdBo They also discussed the really cool video for R. Ring’s "Def Sup." Watch it here! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ovFJidJAO14 It’s also worth your time to check out the video of Speed Stick performing at the North Carolina Museum of Art. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_gpKgwyzfc Find Laura and her music online! @lkbroiler on Instagram Superchunk tour dates: https://www.mergerecords.com/tour Al is on Twitter/X at @almelchiorBB and on Bluesky at @almelchior.bsky.social. This show has accounts on Twitter/X, Threads and Instagram at @youmealbum. Be sure to follow @youmealbum to find out in advance about upcoming guests and featured albums for this podcast. Subscribe for free to You, Me and An Album: The Newsletter and participate in weekly chats about this podcast’s featured albums! https://youmealbum.substack.com/ 1:07 Laura joins the show 1:11 Laura talks about discovering The Bangles during her childhood 3:44 Laura remembers back to the first instruments she had 6:51 Laura’s Bangles obsession actually started with Different Light 8:40 Laura explains why she wanted to discuss All Over the Place 9:30 Al forgot a lot of things he previously knew about this album 12:19 Laura talks about the elements of the album that make it special 15:24 Laura highlights some of her favorite parts of the album, including the cover art 18:42 Laura and Al talk about the cover songs on the album 25:09 Did commercial success spell the end of The Bangles? 26:48 Al rants against rants about new music 28:51 Laura talks about some of the music she plays while working at a bar 31:53 Al developed an opinion about the attention Susanna Hoffs received 35:12 Laura defends the Bangles’ post-All Over The Place direction 38:19 Laura summarizes her feelings about the album 39:04 Laura talks about the upcoming Superchunk tour 41:06 Updates on Bat Fangs, R. Ring 43:19 Laura talks about collaborating with Kelley Deal and Mike Montgomery on “Def Sup” 47:02 Laura is in a band where she plays bass 48:00 Laura discusses the last Speed Stick album and possibly the next one 51:28 Al asks Laura about her sharing a kick drum in Speed Stick Outro is from “Online Tangle = HiSSS” by Speed Stick. | |||
| 27 Aug 2023 | 130. Willie Heath Neal and Kira Annalise of The Waymores Discuss Willie Nelson, Red Headed Stranger (see show notes for TW) | 01:10:42 | |
The Atlanta-based country music duo The Waymores makes a return appearance on YMAAA, and this time, Willie Heath Neal and Kira Annalise introduce Al to Willie Nelson’s 1975 breakthrough album, Red Headed Stranger. Willie and Kira talk about the album’s importance to them musically and personally, the concept behind the album and the aspects of the performance and production that they particularly enjoy. They also discuss their just-released album, Greener Pastures, which was produced by the legendary Shel Talmy (The Who, The Kinks). Be sure to give The Waymores a follow! @thewaymores on Instagram and Threads @TWaymores on Twitter/X Website: thewaymores.com Al is on Twitter/X at @almelchiorBB and on Bluesky at @almelchior.bsky.social. This show has accounts on Twitter/X, Threads and Instagram at @youmealbum. Be sure to follow @youmealbum to find out in advance about upcoming guests and featured albums for this podcast. Subscribe for free to You, Me and An Album: The Newsletter and participate in weekly chats about this podcast’s featured albums! https://youmealbum.substack.com/ 1:21 Kira and Willie join the show 2:45 Kira has had to overcome some health challenges recently 9:31 Willie and Kira talk about the things that make Red Headed Stranger special 13:57 This album was the first one for which Willie Nelson had complete artistic control 16:56 Al learned a lot about Willie Nelson’s life and career in preparing for the episode 19:20 Willie cites a Willie Nelson cover he actually doesn’t like 21:12 Why was Red Headed Stranger such a big hit? 27:03 Willie, Kira and Al discuss how reprises enhance the storytelling 31:22 Does the story’s action move fast or slow? 33:25 Red Headed Stranger opened Willie up to concept albums (TW // reference to suicide) 39:00 Kira and Willie appreciate Willie Nelson’s choice of covers for the album 42:44 Al found the album surprisingly relaxing 44:49 Kira and Willie talk about working with Shel Talmy on their new album 53:00 Kira and Willie highlight some of the things they did differently for Greener Pastures 1:02:51 One track was particularly tough for Willie to record 1:05:50 Kira and Willie discuss their tour plans Outro is from “But I Don’t” by The Waymores. | |||
| 03 Sep 2023 | 131. You, Me and A Band: Ex Hex Discusses Ex Hex | 00:55:51 | |
This episode marks a YMAAA first, as it focuses on a band rather than an album. Al talks to each member of the Washington, DC-based alternative rock band Ex Hex — Mary Timony, Betsy Wright and Laura Harris — about the group's two albums and upcoming live dates. The interview with Timony is an excerpt from an upcoming episode, while the interview with Wright is an excerpt from Ep. 44. Al’s discussion with Harris is a standalone interview (though she will also be on a new episode soon). Get information on Ex Hex’s live shows and more on Instagram at @exhexband and on their website, https://exhexband.com/shows! More social media for Ex Hex and its members… Ex Hex: @exhexband on Twitter/X Mary Timony: @MaryT_Money on Twitter/X @marytimony on Instagram Betsy Wright @betsybooots on Instagram Laura Harris @heylisaharris on Instagram Al is on Twitter/X at @almelchiorBB and on Bluesky at @almelchior.bsky.social. This show has accounts on Twitter/X, Threads and Instagram at @youmealbum. Be sure to follow @youmealbum to find out in advance about upcoming guests and featured albums for this podcast. Subscribe for free to You, Me and An Album: The Newsletter and participate in weekly chats about this podcast’s featured albums! https://youmealbum.substack.com/ 1:18 Al explains why he’s doing a You, Me and a Band episode 2:51 Introducing the members of Ex Hex Mary Timony interview excerpt 4:11 Mary explains why Ex Hex is playing shows again 6:51 When did Mary first get the idea to form Ex Hex? 9:10 Mary challenged herself to craft catchy pop songs 11:09 Does Mary prefer one Ex Hex album over the other? Laura Harris interview 13:16 Ex Hex recently played a “warmup” show 17:45 Laura talks about how she joined Ex Hex 21:53 Laura compares the two Ex Hex albums 28:16 Which bands have influenced Ex Hex’s sound? 35:42 Laura’s playing style has varied with different bands she’s been in 39:59 Which Ex Hex songs are Laura’s favorites to play? Betsy Wright interview excerpt 44:57 Betsy talks about how Ex Hex’s songwriting process evolved 48:02 Betsy compares Rips with It’s Real 50:50 Betsy clears up a misheard lyric for Al 52:52 Al wraps things up Outro is from “Want It To Be True” by Ex Hex. | |||
| 10 Sep 2023 | 132. Megan Mayhew Bergman Discusses The Audacity of Kenny Loggins | 01:02:03 | |
This week’s episode isn’t about an album, but rather about a particular artist’s legacy. Author and professor Megan Mayhew Bergman makes her return to YMAAA (she had been the show’s guest on Ep 93) to make the case for reexamining the career of Kenny Loggins. Megan also argues that Loggins’ musical career has been marked by audacious decisions, including choices made regarding his arrangements, lyrics, collaborations and music videos. She and Al explore the theme of audacity through a discussion of several of Loggins’ better-known songs that span the various eras of his career. Al made note of Megan’s recent piece in The Atlantic on this summer’s flooding in Vermont. You can read it here (subscription required): https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2023/07/climate-change-safe-states-vermont-floods/674780/ 1:14 Megan joins the show 1:24 Why are Megan and Al talking about Kenny Loggins? 2:27 Megan and Al put their Kenny Loggins game faces on for this episode 3:47 Megan recounts the moment when she realized Loggins needed a deeper examination Song-by-song analysis 6:31 Danny’s Song 9:38 Whenever I Call You “Friend” 13:15 Was Loggins a trend-setter or trend-follower? 17:16 Celebrate Me Home 22:34 This Is It/What A Fool Believes, and a discussion of “yacht rock” and “blue-eyed soul” 31:06 I’m Alright 34:26 Don’t Fight It 35:47 Heart to Heart 38:16 Megan reveals another aspect of Kenny Loggins’ audacity 40:54 Footloose/I’m Free 42:41 Danger Zone 49:07 Meet Me Half Way 52:17 Conviction of the Heart 54:16 We’ve lost track of how much of pop music’s foundation Loggins is responsible for 59:04 Megan updates us on her latest projects | |||
| 17 Sep 2023 | 133. Maura Weaver Discusses Elliott Smith, self-titled | 01:14:26 | |
Vocalist and guitarist Maura Weaver (Mixtapes, Ogikubo Station) joins Al to introduce him to Elliott Smith’s self-titled album. Maura talks about how she got introduced to Elliott Smith’s music, why this album holds a special place for her and how it has helped to shape her own work. She also talks specifically about the throughlines between this Elliott Smith album and her just-released solo debut, I Was Due For A Heartbreak. Be sure to keep up with Maura and her work! @mauraweaver on Instagram and Threads @everreadyy on Twitter/X Al is on Twitter/X at @almelchiorBB and on Bluesky at @almelchior.bsky.social. This show has accounts on Twitter/X, Threads and Instagram at @youmealbum. Be sure to follow @youmealbum to find out in advance about upcoming guests and featured albums for this podcast. Subscribe for free to You, Me and An Album: The Newsletter and participate in weekly chats about this podcast’s featured albums! https://youmealbum.substack.com/ 1:12 Maura joins the show 2:08 Al explains why he was glad that Maura chose this album 3:18 Maura talks about the first songs that got her into Elliott Smith 6:38 Maura gives one reason for why this album is special to her 8:08 Al starts to talk about his first reaction to Elliott Smith 9:18 Did it take time for Maura to get used to the sound of Smith’s music? 13:50 Maura discusses the elements of Elliott Smith that are poppy 19:12 Al expands on his experience with the album 23:03 Covers are the gateway to Elliott Smith’s music for some people 26:21 Maura explains what she loves about Smith’s guitar-playing style 28:49 Maura mentions some of Smith’s songs that she sometimes plays 30:51 Maura put her love of indie folk to the side with Mixtapes 33:53 Maura is an Elliott Smith power listener 36:25 Drug addiction is a major theme on Elliott Smith…or is it? 39:38 Al pinpoints what made Elliott Smith hard to access at first 43:24 Maura talks about some ways in which she relates to Smith’s music 48:45 Maura and Al discuss some of the album’s lyrics 52:37 Maura elaborates on how Smith influenced I Was Due For A Heartbreak 55:45 Could Maura draw inspiration from a bee sting? 57:06 Maura cites another example of Smith’s influence on her lyrics 59:53 Good lyrics are important to Maura 1:01:43 Which band is a guilty pleasure for Maura? 1:03:46 Maura talks about the changes in her singing style 1:09:20 Maura discusses her upcoming performances Outro is from “As If Your Love” by Maura Weaver. | |||
| 24 Sep 2023 | 134. Juliana Hatfield Discusses Xanadu (soundtrack) | 01:00:01 | |
Indie rock icon Juliana Hatfield pays YMAAA a visit to talk about the soundtrack album for the 1980 musical motion picture, Xanadu, which features Olivia Newton-John and Electric Light Orchestra. Juliana talks about being a fan of both artists growing up, her Olivia Newton-John covers album and her upcoming ELO covers album and the difficulties involved in covering other artists’ songs in general. Juliana made a reference to the How Did This Get Made? podcast. If you want to check it out, you can find it here: https://www.earwolf.com/show/how-did-this-get-made/ Al mentioned an interview with Fee Waybill that he had read in which he discusses The Tubes’ involvement in Xanadu. Here’s the link: https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/the-tubes-fee-waybill-recalls-bonkers-xanadu-scene-214128554.html?fr=sycsrp_catchall Here are links to the videos for “Dancin’” that Al mentioned. Clip of the scene from Xanadu: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ts9GdyGD5e4 Olivia Newton-John and Tubes video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WckwVPVnLyM Juliana is on Instagram at @julianahatfield. Also, check out her website, https://www.julianahatfield.com/… …and her Substack: https://julianahatfield.substack.com/. Al is on Twitter/X at @almelchiorBB and on Bluesky at @almelchior.bsky.social. This show has accounts on Twitter/X, Threads and Instagram at @youmealbum. Be sure to follow @youmealbum to find out in advance about upcoming guests and featured albums for this podcast. Subscribe for free to You, Me and An Album: The Newsletter and participate in weekly chats about this podcast’s featured albums! https://youmealbum.substack.com/ 1:19 Juliana joins the show 1:36 Juliana’s album choice is the perfect one for her 2:34 Juliana chose the Xanadu soundtrack for a variety of reasons 6:02 John Farrar’s songwriting was important to this album 8:29 Juliana faced some challenges when trying to cover “Suddenly” 14:57 Why didn’t Juliana include a cover of “I’m Alive” on her new ELO covers album? 17:59 Juliana didn’t become familiar with ELO’s deeper cuts until recently 23:18 Al was fascinated by “Dancin’” 30:10 Gene Kelly makes an appearance on the soundtrack 31:16 Juliana didn’t care about Xanadu being perceived as uncool 33:31 Al talks about what he likes about Juliana’s cover of “Magic” 35:50 Juliana and Al get into a discussion of Weezer’s covers 38:22 Juliana explains why she wanted to make an ELO covers album 41:25 Artists borrowing from other artists doesn’t bother Juliana 46:41 Juliana learned a lesson from covering “Don’t Bring Me Down” 50:27 Covering ELO had its own specific challenges 54:26 Did Juliana intend to record a series of covers albums? Outro is from “Can’t Get It Out Of My Head” by Juliana Hatfield. | |||
| 02 Oct 2023 | 135. Steve Hackett Discusses Foxtrot At Fifty + Hackett Highlights (Live In Brighton) | 00:32:42 | |
Former Genesis lead guitarist, prolific solo artist and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Steve Hackett joins Al — an ardent Genesis fan — to discuss his just-released live album, Foxtrot At Fifty + Hackett Highlights (Live In Brighton). Steve talks about his setlist choices for this album, how the songs differ from their original studio versions, which period of Genesis he thinks was the best and his upcoming studio album and tour plans. Just about everything Steve Hackett-related can be found on his website, hackettsongs.com. Also, be sure to follow Steve on Twitter/X and Instagram! Twitter/X: @HackettOfficial IG: @stevehackettofficial Al is on Twitter/X at @almelchiorBB and on Bluesky at @almelchior.bsky.social. This show has accounts on Twitter/X, Threads and Instagram at @youmealbum. Be sure to follow @youmealbum to find out in advance about upcoming guests and featured albums for this podcast. Subscribe for free to You, Me and An Album: The Newsletter and participate in weekly chats about this podcast’s featured albums! https://youmealbum.substack.com/ 1:12 Steve joins the show 2:14 Steve talks about next year’s Lamb Highlights tour and upcoming studio album 6:43 Steve explains the setlist choices for his new live album 9:34 Steve remembers back to Genesis’ Lamb Lies Down on Broadway tour 10:53 Steve discusses the importance of playing live versions that are different from the studio originals 14:40 Steve reveals how new versions of his songs typically get created 16:29 Steve talks about his band’s rhythm section 18:30 Steve discusses his band’s English-American-Swedish connection 21:06 Steve explains why Genesis gave up on playing “Can-Utility and the Coastliners” live 23:18 Steve thinks Genesis’ best work was still to come after Foxtrot 26:23 Which part of Foxtrot has Steve’s band improved upon the most? 28:23 Steve recommends an album that he loves Outro is from Steve Hackett, “Watcher of the Skies (live).” | |||
| 08 Oct 2023 | 136. Rachel Lichtman Discusses The Anita Kerr Singers, Grow to Know Me | 01:17:41 | |
Visual artist, writer, producer, director and filmmaker — and creator of Programme 4 and Easy AM 66 — Rachel Lichtman introduces Al to The Anita Kerr Singers’ 1971 album, Grow to Know Me. Rachel talks about the special role this album has played for her over the last few years, why she is a fan of vocal groups and easy listening and why we should appreciate Anita Kerr’s contributions to popular music more. She also talks about why she created Programme 4 and Easy AM 66 and what inspired their creation. As Rachel mentioned, it’s best to follow her on Instagram: @rachellichtman and @programmefour… …but she’s also on Bluesky at @rachellichtman.bsky.social and on Twitter/X at @rachelichtman. Al is on Twitter/X at @almelchiorBB and on Bluesky at @almelchior.bsky.social. This show has accounts on Twitter/X, Threads and Instagram at @youmealbum. Be sure to follow @youmealbum to find out in advance about upcoming guests and featured albums for this podcast. Subscribe for free to You, Me and An Album: The Newsletter and participate in weekly chats about this podcast’s featured albums! https://youmealbum.substack.com/ 1:16 Rachel joins the show 1:54 Rachel explains her affinity for vocal groups 5:35 Rachel explains why she chose to talk about Anita Kerr 8:25 The cover for Grow to Know Me primed Rachel to get excited about the album 11:58 Grow to Know Me strikes Rachel as a transitional album 15:07 Rachel talks about the different versions of the album 18:19 Is Grow to Know Me a concept album? 19:50 Rachel talks about why Grow to Know Me is special to her 22:23 Rachel discusses some of the songwriters and vocalists Kerr worked with 25:48 Why does easy listening get labeled as “uncool”? 35:42 The culture of easy listening was more accepting than rock culture 37:58 Rachel found easy listening comforting early on during the pandemic 39:40 A short break 40:57 Easy listening is already getting reevaluated 45:56 Al talks about a couple of tracks that defied his expectations 47:23 Rachel wants to hear a Flat Five version of “Blame It On a Monday” 49:44 The songwriters and vocalists represented on the album were versatile 54:02 Rachel has a remedy for overcoming a concern for “coolness” 58:46 Kerr may have suffered from getting pigeonholed 1:01:01 The songs on Grow to Know Me highlight the full range of Kerr’s talents 1:04:27 Rachel summarizes what Programme 4 is about and why she created it | |||
| 22 Oct 2023 | 137. Laura Harris Discusses Bruce Haack, The Electric Lucifer | 01:19:27 | |
Ex Hex drummer Laura Harris makes her return to YMAAA to talk about Canadian electronic music pioneer Bruce Haack and his album, The Electric Lucifer. Laura shares why this album holds a special place for her, discusses her favorite tracks from the album and explores how it relates to her general fascination with synthesizers. She also talks about the recent Ex Hex tour and what’s happening with her other bands, Ecstatic International and The Owners. Note: This episode was recorded at the lesson and rehearsal space where Laura works, and about an hour in, you can hear drumming in the background (presumably from someone’s lesson). Take lessons with Laura! You can book sessions through the 7 Drum City website (https://www.7drumcity.com/laura-harris-bio.html) or by contacting her directly by email at laurajeanharris12@gmail.com. Also, be sure to follow each of Laura’s bands on Instagram! Ex Hex: @exhexband Ecstatic International: @ecstatic_international The Owners: @the.owners.band 1:24 Laura joins the show 2:40 Was Bruce Haack the Father of Techno? 4:17 The Electric Lucifer marks Haack’s transition away from music for children 7:10 Haack made some interesting appearances on TV 8:28 Laura provides some background information on Haack 15:30 Some music and TV shows made for kids are pretty scary 19:57 Children play a key role in the story told in The Electric Lucifer 23:11 How did The Electric Lucifer get released on a major label? 26:55 Laura finds the disjointedness of the album’s music appealing 30:12 It’s a strange album, but it has some jams 31:09 Laura explains why she chose The Electric Lucifer 36:33 Laura identifies one of her favorite tracks from the album 41:12 Laura addresses the psychedelic aspects of the album 46:40 Laura and Al break down the song “War” 51:42 Laura discusses “Song Of The Death Machine” and her rescue parrots 58:34 Laura and Al get into a Genesis discussion…and relate it back to Laura’s fascination with Bruce Haack and synthesizers 1:04:03 Laura summarizes what’s great about the album 1:07:10 Laura talks about the recent Ex Hex shows 1:10:45 Laura updates us on what’s next for Ecstatic International and The Owners Outro is from “Corridor” by Ecstatic International. | |||
| 05 Nov 2023 | 138. Casper Iskov Discusses Ride, Going Blank Again | 00:55:53 | |
Musician and songwriter Casper Iskov joins Al to talk about Ride’s second album, Going Blank Again. He explains how he got acquainted with Ride’s music and why they have become a favorite band of his despite a negative first impression. Casper also talks about how he recently remade My Bloody Valentine’s Isn’t Anything in the style of a Green Day album and how an episode of You, Me and An Album with producer Tim Friese-Greene helped to inspire him to do so. The episode with Tim Friese-Greene just referred to above to was Ep. 79. You can listen to that one here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/79-tim-friese-greene-discusses-my-bloody-valentine/id1545282273?i=1000571013242. You should absolutely check out Casper’s cover of the entire Isn’t Anything album. You can listen to it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AyriOMmEtyw&t=256s Find Casper and his music at @casperiskov on Instagram and YouTube, or search for him on Spotify! Al is on Bluesky at @almelchior.bsky.social. This show has accounts on Instagram and Threads at @youmealbum. Be sure to follow @youmealbum to find out in advance about upcoming guests and featured albums for this podcast. Subscribe for free to You, Me and An Album: The Newsletter! https://youmealbum.substack.com/ 1:15 Casper joins the show 1:34 Al explains how he became aware of Casper’s music 2:17 Casper talks about his introduction to Ride’s music 6:37 What does Casper like—and dislike—about shoegaze? 10:54 Casper and Al hear an interesting blend of different influences on Going Blank Again 12:20 Al has opinions about Ride’s drummer, Loz Colbert 16:31 Casper marvels at the album’s depth of good songs 19:02 Are the critiques of Ride’s lyrics fair? 25:18 Casper helps Al hear what’s happening in “Chrome Waves” 28:21 Casper likes the album’s combination of pop and experimental writing 29:58 Casper finds the album inspires him to do things that make him feel alive 31:59 Casper explains why he makes covers 36:59 Concluding thoughts on Going Blank Again 38:00 Casper explains why he decided to cover the entirety of Isn’t Anything in the style of Green Day 41:54 Al shares his reaction to Casper’s version of Isn’t Anything 43:29 Casper walks through the process of making his MBV covers 49:14 Casper talks about his new single and video and his future plans The music featured in the outro is from “Soft as Snow (But Warm Inside)” by Casper Iskov. | |||
| 19 Nov 2023 | 139. Jeff Palfini Discusses The Last Days of Disco (soundtrack) | 01:08:24 | |
Jeff Palfini, the co-founder of the Connecticut-based Boondocks Film Society, joins Al to talk about the soundtrack to the 1998 film, The Last Days of Disco. Jeff talks about the intersection of film and music, why movie soundtracks have been important to him and why this particular soundtrack is a favorite of his. He also highlights some of his favorite songs on the album and discusses the upcoming plans for Boondocks Film Society. Jeff made a reference to a podcast called Hit Parade, and you can check it out here: https://slate.com/podcasts/hit-parade As Jeff suggests in this episode, you should follow Boondocks Film Society to keep up with their events! @boondocksfilmsociety on Instagram and https://boondocksfilmsociety.org/ Al is on Bluesky at @almelchior.bsky.social. This show has accounts on Instagram and Threads at @youmealbum. Be sure to follow @youmealbum to find out in advance about upcoming guests and featured albums for this podcast. Subscribe for free to You, Me and An Album: The Newsletter! https://youmealbum.substack.com/ 1:10 Jeff joins the show 2:18 Jeff talks about his work with Boondocks Film Society 6:02 Jeff discusses the premise of The Last Days of Disco 9:10 Jeff explains why he chose the soundtrack for this episode 14:59 Al wonders how people who aren’t into movies keep up with new music 16:33 Jeff talks about passive influences on musical tastes 19:33 Jeff discusses the mix of songs on the soundtrack 20:50 Jeff recently learned about how members of Chic produced much of his favorite music 28:35 Jeff and Al talk about disco’s long-overdue reevaluation 34:34 More love for Chic! 35:55 Jeff focuses on the diversity of artists represented on the soundtrack 41:39 Al heard “Knock on Wood” differently than when it first came out 46;11 Jeff and Al discuss “I Love the Nightlife” 50:00 Jeff highlights a couple of his favorite vocal performances on the album 52:16 Jeff discusses the song that might be his favorite on the soundtrack 54:47 Great songs are often saved for the closing credits 1:02:24 Jeff talks about the upcoming plans for Boondocks Film Society | |||
| 03 Dec 2023 | 140. Joe Steinhardt Discusses Iris DeMent, The Way I Should | 01:06:09 | |
Joe Steinhardt, the co-founder and owner of the Philadelphia-based record label Don Giovanni Records and guitarist, vocalist and songwriter for the band Modern Hut, drops by YMAAA to introduce Al to Iris DeMent’s The Way I Should. Joe talks about why this is an important album for him and how it changed the way he thinks about music. He delves into several of his favorite tracks from the album and updates us on what’s new at his record label. Joe mentioned a live performance of “Wasteland of the Free” that he watches frequently (and recommends that we do too). You can find the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hhgb9hYjX3g. He also discussed DeMent’s performance of “Surely, I Will, Lord”. It’s not the performance he saw, but you can see DeMent play the song here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=USUvLDhcrgY. Follow Don Giovanni Records on Instagram: @dongiovannirecords …and check out the label's website at https://www.dongiovannirecords.com/. Al is on Bluesky at @almelchior.bsky.social. This show has accounts on Instagram and Threads at @youmealbum. Be sure to follow @youmealbum to find out in advance about upcoming guests and featured albums for this podcast. Subscribe for free to You, Me and An Album: The Newsletter! https://youmealbum.substack.com/ 1:14 Joe joins the show 1:44 Joe talks about his progression for exploring Iris DeMent’s music 9:22 Joe explains why he choose The Way I Should for this episode 11:22 Al understands why Joe went with The Way I Should after initially picking a different album 16:18 Joe mentions the tracks he might skip on The Way I Should 19:24 “Wasteland of the Free” has been a perspective-shifting song for Joe 28:44 Joe relates to DeMent’s songs in a different way as he gets older 32:13 Joe and Al discuss “Letter to Mom” 35:55 Joe talks about some of DeMent’s more recent work 37:48 Joe appreciates how DeMent takes risks with her songs 41:11 Joe has some personal connections to DeMent’s music 51:13 Joe explains what makes the title track a highlight of the album 55:26 “Quality Time” is also a song that resonated with Joe and Al 56:54 The Way I Should helped to clarify for Joe the importance of truth-telling in music 1:00:29 Joe talks about some of the new things happening at Don Giovanni Records Outro is from “I Don’t Want to Get Adjusted to This World” by Modern Hut. | |||
| 19 Dec 2023 | 141. Dan Epstein Discusses The Isley Brothers, 3 + 3 | 01:09:38 | |
Music journalist and sports author Dan Epstein joins Al to talk about the Isley Brothers’ 1973 album, 3 + 3. Dan shares his memories of buying the album and listening to it for the first time, and he breaks down each of the album’s nine tracks. He also discusses the Isleys’ longevity, their lack of acclaim compared to contemporaries, such as Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye, and their penchant for recording covers. Dan talked about his excellent Substack newsletter, Jagged Time Lapse. Be sure to check it out and subscribe! It’s at danepstein.substack.com. Follow Dan on Instagram at @dockfidrych! Al is on Bluesky at @almelchior.bsky.social. This show has accounts on Instagram and Threads at @youmealbum. Subscribe for free to You, Me and An Album: The Newsletter! https://youmealbum.substack.com/ 1:12 Dan joins the show 1:59 “That Lady” was Dan’s introduction to the Isley Brothers 4:58 Dan eventually learned the Isleys had been around since the ‘50s 5:50 Dan recounts the day he bought 3 + 3 in 1989 14:44 Dan and Al talk about the progression in the Isleys’ discography leading up to 3 + 3 17:07 Al was astounded when he first heard “Contagious” 18:28 Dan got Ernie Isley to tell him how he got his guitar sound on “That Lady” 20:16 Ernie Isley and Brian May are special guitarists for Dan for a particular reason 21:30 Dan walks through what he likes about each track on the album Observations about each track 23:56 That Lady 24:09 Don’t Let Me Be Lonely Tonight 25:21 If You Were There 26:01 You Walk Your Way 28:17 Listen to the Music 29:26 What It Comes Down To 31:40 Sunshine (Go Away Today) 32:53 Summer Breeze 38:02 The Highways of My Life 40:17 Dan asserts that 3 + 3 is one of the great albums of the early ‘70s 42:56 Dan has an explanation for why 3 + 3 hasn’t received more acclaim 47:34 Why did the Isleys include so many covers on their albums? 52:41 Dan and Al talk about associations they have formed around certain songs 56:08 Dan discusses his Substack, Jagged Time Lapse 57:35 Al sums up how his response to 3 + 3 developed 1:00:31 Dan’s got some holiday content on his Substack 1:06:01 Dan updates us on his upcoming book on Redd Kross | |||
| 31 Dec 2023 | 142. Henning Ohlenbusch Discusses XTC, Skylarking | 01:01:40 | |
Singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer Henning Ohlenbusch (Gentle Hen, the Fawns, solo) makes a return appearance to You, Me and an Album to discuss XTC’s 1986 album, Skylarking. Henning talks about why he loves Skylarking and why XTC is one of his favorite bands. He gets into the aspects of XTC’s songwriting that are especially appealing and how the album reminds him of the Beatles, the Beach Boys and the Kinks. Henning also talks about the new Gentle Hen album, The Whole Point of the Trip, and why it took four years to make. Henning was previously on YMAAA on Ep. 72, discussing Ha! Ha! Ha! by Ulltravox.
To learn more about Gentle Hen, visit their website at gentlehen.com or find their music at https://gentlehen.bandcamp.com/. Al is on Bluesky at @almelchior.bsky.social. This show has accounts on Instagram and Threads at @youmealbum. Subscribe for free to You, Me and An Album: The Newsletter! https://youmealbum.substack.com/ 1:10 Henning joins the show 1:37 Henning explains why he chose Skylarking—and not English Settlement—for this episode 4:28 Henning and Al talk about the impact Todd Rundgren had on the album 7:08 Henning and Al discuss “Dear God”’s eventual placement on Skylarking 11:23 Al summarizes his reaction to the album 12:10 Henning identifies what makes Skylarking a special album for him 15:10 Why did Al have a different reaction to Skylarking than he did to The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society? 17:23 XTC changed the way that Henning listens to albums 22:22 Henning talks about what he likes about XTC’s songwriting 26:00 Al reveals a pet peeve he has about a certain style of songwriting 29:10 All appreciates that Andy Partridge’s songwriting has a subtle side 31:33 Henning thinks of the album as being divided into chunks 33:20 Henning highlights some of his favorite parts of the album 40:01 Henning points out a couple of interesting rhythms from Skylarking 44:12 Henning and Al talk about the “Dear God” controversy 46:08 Henning discusses the vocal similarities of Partridge and Colin Moulding 50:02 Al compares the new Gentle Hen album with XTC and Peter Gabriel 53:02 Henning talks about how The Whole Point of the Trip developed 54:43 When does Henning know it’s time for a Gentle Hen album? 56:30 Henning talks about his near-term plans Outro is from “Birds of Massachusetts” by Gentle Hen. | |||
| 14 Jan 2024 | 143. Danny O'Keefe Discusses Miles Davis, Kind of Blue | 00:53:50 | |
Singer-songwriter Danny O’Keefe, whose songs (including his Top 10 hit, “Goodtime Charlie’s Got the Blues”) have been covered by Jackson Browne, Elvis Presley, Glen Campbell, Judy Collins, Willie Nelson, Allison Krauss and many others, joins Al to get him better acquainted with Miles Davis’ 1959 classic, Kind of Blue. Danny talks about how he was introduced to the album, why it has been the album he has listened to the most in his life and which parts he particularly enjoys. Danny and Al also get into a Steely Dan discussion, as a result of Al comparing some sax solos. Danny recounts his relationship with Ahmet Ertegun and discusses his recently-released album, Circular Turns. Be sure to follow Danny on Facebook and visit his website, dannyokeefe.com! Al is on Bluesky at @almelchior.bsky.social. This show has accounts on Instagram and Threads at @youmealbum. Subscribe for free to You, Me and An Album: The Newsletter! https://youmealbum.substack.com/ 1:20 Danny joins the show 1:50 Danny talks about his introduction to Kind of Blue 5:26 How important is it to know music theory as a musician and as a listener? 10:01 How does Kind of Blue transport Danny? 11:39 Danny identifies a couple of features of the album that he looks forward to 14:08 Al is accustomed to the structure of rock music 15:40 Danny talks about some of the solos from the album 17:27 How has Kind of Blue influenced Danny’s work? 19:13 Danny walks through his songwriting process 22:23 Danny explains the significance of Kind of Blue 25:05 Danny talks about the allure of the folk revolution 26:35 Do you have to connect with an album right away to enjoy it? 30:00 Al did an experiment to try to figure out why he didn’t connect more with Kind of Blue 35:27 Danny talks about his relationship with Ahmet Ertegun and Atlantic Records 43:15 Danny explains how his new album, Circular Turns, came about 45:02 Danny identifies some covers of his songs that he particularly enjoys 48:27 Danny talks about his upcoming plans Outro music is from “The Road” by Danny O’Keefe. | |||
| 28 Jan 2024 | 144. Wanz Discusses Earth, Wind & Fire, I Am | 01:08:52 | |
Seattle-based musician, singer, rapper and songwriter Michael Wansley (aka Wanz) drops in on YMAAA for the first of two episodes to talk about Earth, Wind & Fire’s 1979 album, I Am. Wanz talks about his lifelong EWF fandom, what he loves about I Am, and how it compares to other EWF albums. He also explains how the album is a reflection of the changes in the music industry that were occurring in the late ‘70s. Wanz and Al also discuss other bands that were popular around the same time, including Toto, The Police and Rush. Wanz’ TEDx Talk, "You, Too, Can Be a Unicorn," is outstanding. Watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGPy-bbpRfM Al mentioned that he had interviewed Steve Lukather, David Paich and Joseph Williams of Toto. The interviews were for a couple a pieces for American Songwriter, which are linked below. https://americansongwriter.com/toto-talks-toto-to-celebrate-their-debut-albums-45th-anniversary/ https://americansongwriter.com/6-toto-songs-that-are-miles-away-from-yacht-rock/ Wanz is on Instagram and Threads at @teewanz! Also be sure to check out Want’s music and more at thewanz.com Al is on Bluesky at @almelchior.bsky.social. This show has accounts on Instagram and Threads at @youmealbum. Subscribe for free to You, Me and An Album: The Newsletter! https://youmealbum.substack.com/ 1:36 Wanz joins the show 2:26 Wanz has worked many different jobs to support his music 3:52 Wanz has a collection of EWF t-shirts 6:17 An EWF promo poster connected Wanz with an early bandmate 7:58 Wanz paid close attention to EWF over a span of 10 albums 8:51 Wanz talks about EWF’s progression through the albums leading up to I Am 15:20 EWF was the first concert Wanz ever went to 19:10 Wanz and Al talk about the Police and Sting’s Bring on the Night documentary 21:35 Wanz blames one album for changing radio 23:16 Wanz singles out the decision EWF made that led to their commercial demise 26:24 Maurice White’s death gave Wanz a reason to deep-dive into the EWF catalog again 27:21 Wanz talks more about how radio changed in the late ‘70s 31:10 Wanz remembers how he was introduced to Rush 32:51 Wanz explains what makes “Boogie Wonderland” a perfect song 36:09 Wanz loves the whole second side of I Am 39:15 Wanz explains why I Am is a different-sounding EWF album 43:01 Did the right tracks get released as singles? 46:34 Transcribing “Rock That!” in the pre-digital era was not an easy task 48:12 Al and Wanz talk about the Toto connections to I Am 49:57 Wanz explains how Phil Collins got connected with EWF 53:57 Steve Lukather’s memoir changed the way Wanz understands how the recording industry used to work 57:34 The interludes are one of Wanz’s favorite parts of I Am 1:01:10 Wanz finds some interesting names in the album credits Outro music is from Wanz, “Go Where the Love Is.” | |||
| 04 Feb 2024 | 145. Wanz Discusses "Thrift Shop," Taylor Swift and More | 00:42:10 | |
Al continues his conversation with Seattle-based singer/rapper/musician/songwriter Wanz, which began on Ep. 144. Wanz talks about recording his world-famous hook for Macklemore and Ryan Lewis’ “Thrift Shop,” and his experience with performing in the song’s video. He also talks about the elements of great songwriting, with specific references to Taylor Swift and the Beatles. Wanz winds up by discussing #TheBookOfWanz, his Wanzology podcast and some of the lessons he wants to impart through these and other outlets. Be sure to follow Wanz! @teewanz on Instagram and Threads As Wanz mentioned in this episode, you can find his music and lots else on his website, thewanz.com. The easiest way to find #TheBookOfWanz is to type #TheBookOfWanz into the search field on Amazon. Just be sure to remember the pound sign. Also, check out the Wanzology podcast! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wanzology/id1719005835 Al is on Bluesky at @almelchior.bsky.social. This show has accounts on Instagram and Threads at @youmealbum. Subscribe for free to You, Me and An Album: The Newsletter! https://youmealbum.substack.com/ 1:48 Wanz talks about recording “Thrift Shop” 3:57 Wanz faced an obstacle when filming the “Thrift Shop” video 4:46 Touring with Macklemore was the realization of a dream 7:44 Macklemore created a new blueprint for independent artists 11:32 Wanz explains how Taylor Swift became a phenomenon 15:49 Wanz outlines the keys to good songwriting 17:46 Wanz talks about how each wave of great artists influences the next 19:44 Wanz explains how his TEDx talk led him to #TheBookOfWanz and Wanzology 27:01 Wanz talks about his ongoing musical work 28:57 Wanz explains why he wants to do more public speaking 32:12 Lessons from Yoda, Spock, The Matrix and Ferris Bueller Outro music is from “Wander” by Wanz. | |||
| 11 Feb 2024 | 146. Mary Timony Discusses Andy Pratt, self-titled | 01:06:09 | |
This is the first of a two-part conversation with indie rock singer, guitarist and songwriter Mary Timony (Autoclave, Helium, Wild Flag, Ex Hex, solo). In this episode, Mary introduces Al to Andy Pratt’s self-titled 1973 album. (In Part 2, Mary will discuss her soon-to-be-released solo album Untame the Tiger.) Mary discusses how she came to learn about Andy Pratt, which songs on the album are her favorites and why she thinks more people need to know about his music. Give Mary a follow on Instagram (if you don’t already)! @marytimony Also be sure to visit Mary’s website: marytimonymusic.com Al is on Bluesky at @almelchior.bsky.social. This show has accounts on Instagram and Threads at @youmealbum. Subscribe for free to You, Me and An Album: The Newsletter! https://youmealbum.substack.com/ 1:13 Mary joins the show 1:44 Mary became fascinated with Andy Pratt’s story 5:39 The first seconds of Andy Pratt grabbed Mary and Al’s attention 7:45 Even before starting the conversation, Mary and Al knew they had some shared musical tastes 9:54 Mary has clear favorite tracks from the album 11:55 Mary doesn’t understand why Pratt’s music didn’t become more popular 13:44 Mary explains why she loves “Sittin’ Down in the Twilight” 15:12 Mary was impressed by the musicianship on the album 20:29 Mary and Al were both mesmerized by “Inside Me Wants Out” 23:16 Mary provides some background on Pratt’s career Discussion of the album’s tracks 26:23 Avenging Annie 30:54 It’s All Behind You 37:26 Call Up That Old Friend 40:13 Give It All to Music 47:08 Who Am I Talking To 48:08 Is there such a thing as a perfect album? 51:46 All the King’s Weight 57:34 So Fine 59:09 Deer Song 1:00:31 It’s hard to pick the last song that goes on an album Outro music is from “The Guest” by Mary Timony. | |||
| 18 Feb 2024 | 147. Mary Timony Discusses Untame the Tiger | 00:29:53 | |
This is the second of a two-part conversation with Washington, DC-based singer, guitarist and songwriter Mary Timony (Autoclave, Helium, Wild Flag, Ex Hex, solo). Mary talks about the difficult circumstances under which she made her new album, Untame the Tiger, and how her parents’ illnesses and deaths gave her a new perspective. She also discusses the experience of recording parts of the album on the legendary Sound City mixing board and working with drummer Dave Mattacks. Mary explains how writing songs as a member of Wild Flag has played a critical role in Ex Hex’s sound. (Her discussion of Ex Hex first appeared on Ep. 131.) Give Mary a follow on Instagram (if you don’t already)! @marytimony Also be sure to visit Mary’s website: marytimonymusic.com Al is on Bluesky at @almelchior.bsky.social. This show has accounts on Instagram and Threads at @youmealbum. Subscribe for free to You, Me and An Album: The Newsletter! https://youmealbum.substack.com/ 0:52 Al’s introduction to Part 2 of the conversation with Mary 2:08 Mary explains how difficult circumstances led her to make Untame the Tiger 7:11 Mary talks about the people she worked with on the new album 12:35 Mary discusses making the album while dealing with her parents’ illnesses and deaths 16:54 Mary explains how that period helped her to put life into a different perspective 18:05 Mary talks about writing and playing with Ex Hex 20:40 The experience of writing songs for Wild Flag changed her songwriting process 24:58 Mary compares the two Ex Hex albums Outro music is from “Dominoes” by Mary Timony. | |||
| 03 Mar 2024 | 148. Jim Wilbur Discusses The Triffids, Born Sandy Devotional | 01:00:09 | |
Superchunk guitarist Jim Wilbur joins Al and introduces him to The Triffids’ 1986 album Born Sandy Devotional. Jim talks about how he first heard the album when he was a college DJ, which tracks he gravitated towards and why he still listens to the album now. He and Al compare their impressions regarding both the album’s music and lyrics. Jim also discusses what’s in store for Superchunk in the coming months, including the Merge 35 Festival. Keep up with Superchunk on Merge Records' website! https://www.mergerecords.com/artist/superchunk Also be sure to check out their music on Bandcamp: https://superchunk.bandcamp.com/ Al is on Bluesky at @almelchior.bsky.social. This show has accounts on Instagram and Threads at @youmealbum. Subscribe for free to You, Me and An Album: The Newsletter! https://youmealbum.substack.com/ 1:16 Jim joins the show 2:01 Jim talks about discovering Born Sandy Devotional as a college DJ 4:31 The album almost defies description 7:40 Jim hears all of the album’s songs as relating to a single character 10:00 Jim talks about the connection between the Triffids and Nick Cave 11:49 Jim and Al make note of the lighter and darker sides of Born Sandy Devotional 14:57 Jim explains how the album reminds of him where he grew up 16:58 Jim talks about what it was like to DJ at a small college radio station 19:54 Jim recalls some other bands he played as a DJ 21:26 Jim extols the merits of listening to the album straight through Discussion of specific tracks 23:19 The Seabirds 27:14 Tarrilup Bridge 30:00 Lonely Stretch 33:44 Life of Crime 35:10 Stolen Property 37:27 Jim shares his perspective on the role of David McComb’s lyrics 39:32 Jim talks about what gives Born Sandy Devotional a timeless quality 41:57 Jim’s relationship with rock music has changed over time 43:47 Jim explains why he likes to listen to classical music 45:36 Jim talks about David McComb’s difficult life 48:19 Jim recommends some other Triffids albums to check out 50:14 Al was surprised to see that Born Sandy Devotional was produced by Gil Norton 51:43 Jim provides an update on Superchunk’s upcoming recording and tour plans Outro music is from “Everybody Dies” by Superchunk. | |||
| 17 Mar 2024 | 149. Mark Egan Discusses John Coltrane, A Love Supreme | 01:14:08 | |
Jazz bassist Mark Egan (Pat Metheny Group, Gil Evans Orchestra, Elements) introduces Al to John Coltrane’s 1965 classic A Love Supreme. Mark talks about how he first got acquainted with the album and why it’s a significant album for him personally. He discusses playing with devotional musician Krishna Das and how that connects with his affinity for A Love Supreme. Mark also talks about his experience of playing on Arcadia’s So Red the Rose, as well as the process of writing and recording his new album Cross Currents. Keep up with Mark’s music releases and tours at markegan.com... …Or check out Mark’s music on Bandcamp: https://markegan.bandcamp.com/. Al is on Bluesky at @almelchior.bsky.social. This show has accounts on Instagram and Threads at @youmealbum. Subscribe for free to You, Me and An Album: The Newsletter! https://youmealbum.substack.com/ 1:35 Mark joins the show 2:02 Mark talks about the music he listened to in his teen years 5:31 Mark discusses the period where he first immersed himself in jazz 7:25 Mark explains how A Love Supreme changed his life 11:14 Mark highlights some unique aspects of the album 17:47 Mark explains how A Love Supreme influenced his musical development 24:01 Mark recommends Miles Davis’ Kind of Blue as a prerequisite to listening to A Love Supreme 27:06 Mark explains why he revisits jazz records over and over 30:55 How does Mark hear A Love Supreme when he listens to ti now? 33:14 Mark talks about the process of writing songs for Cross Currents with Shawn Pelton and Shane Theriot 40:51 Once the songs were written, Cross Currents came together quickly 43:29 Cross Currents also benefits from multiple listens 45:51 Mark talks about working on Arcadia’s So Red the Rose 58:04 Mark talks about his work with Krishna Das, and how it connects with A Love Supreme 1:05:17 An eclectic Boston radio station laid the foundation for Mark’s love of A Love Supreme Outro music is from “Cross Currents” by Mark Egan. | |||
| 21 Apr 2024 | 150. Adrian Sutherland Discusses The Killers, Pressure Machine | 01:00:49 | |
(TW: brief mention of lyrics referencing suicide) There’s a lot to keep up with in terms of Adrian’s work, but visiting his website is a good place to get started! https://adriansutherlandmusic.com/ Also, It’s easy to find Adrain on social media…just look for him at @attaboyadrian on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, YouTube and TikTok. Al is on Bluesky at @almelchior.bsky.social. This show has accounts on Instagram and Threads at @youmealbum. Subscribe for free to You, Me and An Album: The Newsletter! https://youmealbum.substack.com/ 1:26 Adrian joins the show 3:14 Pressure Machine is not a typical Killers album 7:40 Adrian explains why he wanted to discuss Pressure Machine—and Nevermind 13:19 The interviews included between songs help paint the picture of Nephi 16:31 Adrian related to the aspects of religious life depicted in Pressure Machine 18:34 Adrian talks about the musical elements of the album he likes 24:41 Al was impressed by Brandon Flowers’ vocal versatility 26:20 Adrian notes a couple of his favorite tracks from the album 29:09 Adrian and Al discuss their responses to songs that cover difficult topics 35:12 Adrian relates to the process The Killers went through making an album during the early part of the pandemic 40:00 Adrian compares the processes in making each of his first two solo albums 46:21 Adrian talks about working with Colin Linden as a producer 50:15 Adrian discusses the making of his video for “Precious” 52:29 Adrian explains why he is writing a book about growing up in Attawapiskat 55:53 Adrian talks about some other current and upcoming projects Outro music is from “Precious” by Adrian Sutherland. | |||
| 05 May 2024 | 151. Julia Massey Discusses The Black Tones, Cobain & Cornbread | 00:51:38 | |
Julia Massey—the vocalist and keyboardist for the Seattle-based band Warren Dunes—comes to YMAAA to discuss The Black Tones’ 2019 album Cobain & Cornbread. Julia talks about how Cobain & Cornbread is one of a small number of albums that are a part of her “musical DNA,” and why the album resonates with her so strongly. She also discusses her friendship with The Black Tones’ Eva Walker and how Eva has influenced her own music. Julia and Al try to categorize Warren Dunes’ sound and delve into their new album Aquamarine. To keep up with Julia and Warren Dunes, be sure to follow them on Instagram at @warrendunesband. They are also on Facebook (@welcometowarrendunes) and X (@warrendunesband). To keep up with Julia’s parrot, follow Bacon the Bird on TikTok. Warren Dunes has a website, too! warrendunesband.com For more information on Warren Dunes’ Pool Party Patreon, as discussed on this episode, go to patreon.com/warrendunes. Al is on Bluesky at @almelchior.bsky.social. This show has accounts on Instagram and Threads at @youmealbum. Subscribe for free to You, Me and An Album: The Newsletter! https://youmealbum.substack.com/ 1:05 Julia joins the show 1:27 There are just a few albums that Julia goes back to again and again 4:18 Julia talks about her reaction after hearing Cobain & Cornbread for the first time 5:48 The album is a reflection of Eva’s personality 7:56 The songs on Cobain & Cornbread are deceptively long 10:31“Rivers of Jordan” and “The Key of Black (They Want Us Dead)” really grabbed Julia’s attention 14:46 Al and Julia were also impressed by “Striped Walls” 16:18 Julia explains how Cedric Walker became the Black Tones’ drummer 18:43 Julia points out the part of “The Key of Black (They Want Us Dead)” that hits her the hardest 21:05 Julia says Eva and Cedric capture the live sound of “Welcome Mr. Pink” 23:26 “Mama! There’s a Spider in my Room” has a quality that is also present in Julia’s music 26:24 Julia’s favorite part of “Plaid Pants” doesn’t have to do with the lyrics 28:17 Julia talks about how Eva has influenced her music 32:10 Julia is impressed by how The Black Tones combine whimsy with power 33:21 Al talks about his reaction to hearing Aquamarine for the first time 35:34 Does Warren Dunes play beach music or “PBS metal”? 41:27 Julia explains why she won’t listen to Aquamarine again for a while 42:18 Julia discusses the Aquamarine launch party and the Warren Dunes “Pool Party” 45:50 Julia talks about upcoming projects for her and for Warren Dunes Outro music is from “Take the Train” by Warren Dunes. | |||
| 19 May 2024 | 152. Will Turpin Discusses Silverchair, Diorama | 00:53:19 | |
Bassist Will Turpin of Collective Soul joins Al to talk about one of his favorite albums, Diorama (2002) by the Australian band Silverchair. Will explains what makes the orchestral arrangements on this album special, and he and Al contrast the orchestral tracks with the ones that are more typical of Silverchair’s earlier grunge sound. Will also talks about Collective Soul’s new album, Here to Eternity, and how he and the band will go about determining setlists for their upcoming tour with Hootie and the Blowfish and Edwin McCain. Be sure to give Will a follow on Instagram at @willturpin! You can also keep up Will and Collective Soul at @collectivesoul on Instagram, @collectivesoultv on YouTube, and on the band’s website collectivesoul.com. Al is on Bluesky at @almelchior.bsky.social. This show has accounts on Instagram and Threads at @youmealbum. Subscribe for free to You, Me and An Album: The Newsletter! https://youmealbum.substack.com/ A video about the making of Diorama is, as Will predicted, available on YouTube. You can view it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZsl387ka48&t=89s. 1:27 Will joins the show 1:55 Will explains how he became familiar with Silverchair 4:17 The songs’ orchestrations are a large part of the album’s appeal for Will 6:47 Will and Al talk about the early 2000s transition to digital music 8:08 Will explains what makes the orchestral arrangements on Diorama superb 11:54 Al describes his initial impression of Diorama 15:14 It didn’t take Will long to warm up to the album 16:01 Will cites the reasons for why “Tuna in the Brine” is one of his favorite tracks 18:04 Does Will focus more on music or lyrics? 19:31 Will wants to teach a master class on a trio of Sting albums 22:33 Will and Al talk about Diorama’s mix of orchestral and grungy songs 28:16 Will and Al discuss the highlights from the latter half of the album 32:20 Will talks about the experience of making the 1995 self-titled Collective Soul album 38:30 Will shares the experience of recording Here to Eternity at the Elvis Presley estate in Palm Springs 41:24 Al asked about a potential influence on Ed Roland’s vocal performance 43:30 Will explains how Collective Soul will form their setlists for their upcoming tour 48:17 Will discusses upcoming projects for himself and Collective Soul Outro music is from “Let It Flow” by Collective Soul. | |||
| 09 Jun 2024 | 153. John JR Robinson Discusses Steve Winwood, Back in the High Life | 01:06:18 | |
Legendary drummer John JR Robinson visits YMAAA to talk about a favorite album of his—and it happens to be one he also played on. JR talks about why he is so fond of Steve Winwood’s 1986 smash Back in the High Life, and why he thinks the album represented the end of an era. He breaks down several of his performances, including those on the No. 1 hit “Higher Love” and the adult contemporary chart-toppers “The Finer Things” and “Back in the High Life Again.” There wasn’t time to discuss JR’s experience with performing on USA for Africa’s “We Are The World,” but he recently shared some thoughts about the recent documentary, The Greatest Night in Pop, on his Instagram account. Check it out here: https://www.instagram.com/reel/C3BUqAjR85b/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA== As JR mentioned on the show, he has a lot of projects in the works, and you can keep up with all of them at his website, https://www.johnjrrobinson.com/. Also, be sure to follow JR on Instagram at @johnjrrobinson1. Al is on Bluesky at @almelchior.bsky.social. This show has accounts on Instagram and Threads at @youmealbum. Subscribe for free to You, Me and An Album: The Newsletter! https://youmealbum.substack.com/ 1:20 JR joins the show 2:05 Al summarizes a small part of JR’s discography 2:55 JR explains how he got involved with the recording of Back in the High Life 6:26 JR talks about putting the drum part together for “Higher Love” 7:13 JR showed up to the studio not knowing he was going to be asked to play on the album 9:00 JR explains how he got the sound of the opening pattern for “Higher Love” 15:39 Back in the High Life was unusual for a pop album 16:54 JR and Al compare Back in the High Life with Roll With It 19:59 JR talks about what’s different about today’s pop music 21:58 JR comment on the cinematic quality of “The Finer Things” 24:37 JR explains why he didn’t play on every track on the album 26:07 JR talks about Tom Lord-Alge’s work on Back in the High Life 27:17 JR discusses his playing on “Split Decision” 30:36 Should “Wake Me Up on Judgment Day” have been a radio hit? 32:24 JR talks about his approach to playing on “Back in the High Life Again” 35:45 Al asks JR about an earlier version of “Back in the High Life Again” 38:08 JR calls Back in the High Life an end of an era 46:00 JR recalls his impressions of “Wake Me Up on Judgment Day” 49:28 A great combination of musicians made “Higher Love” 50:43 JR comments on the tracks he didn’t play on 52:49 On what media did Al listen to the album? 55:02 JR explains why he thinks “Back in the High Life Again” was made the title track 58:55 JR’s final thoughts about the album 1:02:01 JR talks about his current plans, including his upcoming autobiography, King of the Groove: The John ‘JR’ Robinson Story Outro is from “Back in the High Life Again” by Steve Winwood. | |||
| 23 Jun 2024 | 154. Tim Easton Discusses Joni Mitchell, Blue | 01:07:53 | |
Nashville-based singer/songwriter Tim Easton joins Al to discuss an album that has nearly been the subject of several previous episodes (but never quite made the cut), Joni Mitchell’s album Blue from 1971. Tim talks about the unusual circumstance under which he first heard Blue as a teenager, why it is an important album for him and for many songwriters and how it has influenced his own work. He also talks about the time he met Mitchell in Los Angeles, as well as the time he briefly shared a living space and busked with Beck in Paris. Tim talks about making his new album Find Your Way and about his current and upcoming plans. Al mentioned an interview that Tim did with Otis Gibbs. You can access that video on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NtmuIfC-nZM Tim talked about the video he made for “Everything You’re Afraid Of.” Check it out here! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VxeMR2MNCnk Be sure to follow Tim on Instagram and YouTube at @TimEastonSongwriter, and visit his Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/TimEaston. You can find Tim’s music on his website, https://www.timeaston.com/, and his Bandcamp page, https://timeaston1.bandcamp.com/. Al is on Bluesky at @almelchior.bsky.social. This show has accounts on Instagram and Threads at @youmealbum. Subscribe for free to You, Me and An Album: The Newsletter! https://youmealbum.substack.com/ 1:15 Tim joins the show 1:52 Tim can’t believe Blue hadn’t already been covered on YMAAA 3:03 Tim explains the unusual circumstance under which he first listened to Blue 3:53 Tim talks about the personal quality of Blue 7:48 Does one need to be into poetry to “get” Joni Mitchell? 10:52 Tim was impressed by how Mitchell’s voice blends with the instruments 15:23 Tim talks about the subtle sensuality of her lyrics 16:51 Tim shares his story about how Mitchell influenced the making of his album Break Your Mother’s Heart 20:38 Tim talks about the emotional quality that Blue has for him 26:03 Tim hopes to pass on his appreciation of Mitchell to his daughter 26:56 Tim notes the roster of esteemed musicians who accompanied Mitchell on Blue 29:02 Tim explains how Mitchell has influenced his music 33:21 Tim cites what he thinks are the most notable tracks from Blue 39:43 Tim made Find Your Way as a cohesive whole 46:30 Tim walks through the process of recording Find You Way in Canada 49:49 Tim talks about busking with Beck in Paris 56:13 Tim reveals what he might have picked if he didn’t pick Blue 58:59 Tim explains the meaning behind his song “Everything You’re Afraid Of” 1:01:32 Tim talks about his current and upcoming projects Outro music is from “Everything You’re Afraid Of” by Tim Easton. | |||
| 07 Jul 2024 | 155. Stephanie Sammons Discusses Triumph, The Sport of Kings | 00:54:33 | |
Dallas-based singer/songwriter Stephanie Sammons joins Al to introduce him to Triumph’s 1986 album, The Sport of Kings. Stephanie talks about what she loves about this album and what made it an ideal album to blast on her car stereo. She and Al also talk about the interesting circumstances under which Triumph made The Sport of Kings. Stephanie discusses her evolution as a musician and songwriter and how mentors like Mary Gauthier and Emily Saliers have helped her. Al asks Stephanie about her process for writing some of the highly personal songs on her new album Time and Evolution. You can keep up with Stephanie on her website stephaniesammons.com. Also, be sure to give her a follow on Instagram. She’s at @stephaniesammons. Al is on Bluesky at @almelchior.bsky.social. This show has accounts on Instagram and Threads at @youmealbum. Subscribe for free to You, Me and An Album: The Newsletter! https://youmealbum.substack.com/ 1:14 Stephanie joins the show 2:01 Much of Stephanie’s early enjoyment of The Sport of Kings took place in her car 6;26 Does Stephanie lump Triumph together with Rush? 8:42 Stephanie doesn’t remember Triumph getting much radio airplay 10:13 Stephanie pinpoints the specific things she likes about The Sport of Kings 12:39 Al recognized a couple of the album’s tracks right away 14:34 There is one thing Stephanie doesn’t like about The Sport of Kings 15:40 Did Triumph rip off Boston on “Don’t Love Anybody Else But Me”? 18:01 Seeing Triumph live was a memorable experience for Stephanie 19:22 Al hears connections between Triumph and some other bands 21:09 Triumph themselves were not fans of The Sport of Kings 24:13 Do the musicians Stephanie knows think that bands like Triumph and Boston are cool? 28:41 Which artists did Stephanie listen to when she was in college? 31:02 Stephanie got to see Rik Emmett live long after The Sport of Kings came out 32:49 Stephanie talks about her progression from playing music as a hobby to “going pro” 38:31 Stephanie discusses having Emily Saliers as a mentor 41:50 Stephanie talks about writing songs about her relationship with her parents 48:54 Stephanie shares her upcoming plans Outro music is from “Holding on to Jesus” by Stephanie Sammons. | |||
| 21 Jul 2024 | 156. Bruce Sudano Discusses Donna Summer, Bad Girls | 01:01:14 | |
In celebration of the album’s 45th anniversary, musician and songwriter Bruce Sudano (Brooklyn Dreams, Alive N Kickin’, solo) visits YMAAA to talk about Donna Summer’s Bad Girls. He talks about the role he played in the making of the album, his relationship with Summer, to whom he was married for 32 years, and how Bad Girls represents the “peak era” of Summer’s musical career. Bruce also discusses Summer’s versatility as a vocalist and songwriter and how those gifts helped to make Bad Girls one of the most important albums of its era. Bruce concludes by talking about his latest solo album, Talkin’ Ugly Truth, Tellin’ Pretty Lies, and working with esteemed producer Ken Lewis. Keep up with Bruce’s music, tour dates and more at brucesudano.com! Also be sure to give him a follow on Facebook and at @brucesudano on Instagram. Al is on Bluesky at @almelchior.bsky.social. This show has accounts on Instagram and Threads at @youmealbum. Subscribe for free to You, Me and An Album: The Newsletter! https://youmealbum.substack.com/ 1:29 Bruce joins the show 1:49 How did Bruce wind up on the cover of Bad Girls? 3:51 Bruce had not known Summer long when they started working on Bad Girls 4:45 Bruce talks about the general creative approach Summer took on the album 12:04 Bruce addresses the diversity of songs on Bad Girls 18:32 Bruce talks about the writing and recording of “Bad Girls” 22:50 Bruce explains how “Lucky” came together 24:32 Bruce discusses the futuristic quality of Side 4 26:17 The Bad Girls period was an extremely busy one for Bruce and Donna 30:57 “Hot Stuff” is a “very L.A.” recording 35:28 Bruce explains why Summer started writing songs on the piano 38:03 Bruce reveals which rock star Summer wrote “Dim All the Lights” for 40:09 Bruce talks about how Summer took on different personas for different songs 43:51 Bruce discusses how music—and their lives—changed after Bad Girls 48:01 Summer was the complete entertainer 49:48 Bruce talks about making Talkin’ Ugly Truth, Tellin’ Pretty Lies 57:36 Bruce alerts us to his upcoming live dates Outro music is from “Talkin’ Ugly Truth, Tellin’ Pretty Lies” by Bruce Sudano. | |||
| 04 Aug 2024 | 157. Sean Nelson Discusses Leonard Cohen, Songs of Love and Hate (TW: discussion of lyrics pertaining to suicide) | 01:00:16 | |
CONTENT WARNING: There is discussion of suicide as it relates to the lyrics of the song “Dress Rehearsal Rag.” (Discussion begins at 46:44 and ends at 51:58.) Sean Nelson, formerly the frontman for the Seattle-based band Harvey Danger, joins Al to talk about Leonard Cohen’s 1971 album Songs of Love and Hate. Sean talks about how he first heard the album and why he was instantly enamored of it, and why Cohen is one of his favorite vocalists. He also talks about the personal nature of the lyrics for many of the songs on the album. In addition to discussing this album, Sean and Al discuss their experiences with listening to Jennifer Warnes’ covers of Cohen’s songs. Be sure to check out Sean’s new podcast, The Wonder of It All (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt31843073/), wherever you get your podcasts. You can keep up with Sean on Instagram at @actualseannelson. Al is on Bluesky at @almelchior.bsky.social. This show has accounts on Instagram and Threads at @youmealbum. Subscribe for free to You, Me and An Album: The Newsletter! https://youmealbum.substack.com/ 1:25 Sean joins the show 2:11 Sean explains why he wanted to discuss this particular Cohen album 5:03 Sean talks about Cohen as a seeker of truth 6:43 Sean identifies the moment when Cohen really grabbed his attention 12:52 The album made Al confront something about his musical preferences 15:25 Sean explains why he is drawn to dark albums like Songs of Love and Hate 16:53 Sean contrast’s Cohen’s approach to Trent Reznor’s 21:21Sean describes the setting in which he prefers to listen to Songs of Love and Hate 24:07 Sean and Al make note of Cohen’s dialogues with himself on the album 27:22 Sean talks about the successes Cohen had early in his music career, and how it inspired “Avalanche” 34:52 Were “Famous Blue Raincoat” and “Joan of Arc” about actual people in Cohen’s life? 39:43 Sean and Al discuss their reactions to Jennifer Warnes’ covers of Cohen’s songs 46:44 (TW) Sean delves into “Dress Rehearsal Rag” 51:58 Sean talks about his new podcast and the vinyl release of Harvey Danger’s King James Version Outro music is from “(This Is) The Thrilling Conversation You’ve Been Waiting For” by Harvey Danger. | |||
| 18 Aug 2024 | 158. Amy Rigby Discusses Fountains of Wayne, self-titled | 01:14:20 | |
Singer-songwriter Amy Rigby (solo, The Shams, The Last Roundup) has had a longstanding admiration for the power-pop band Fountains of Wayne, and she joins Al to chat about the band’s self-titled debut album from 1996. Amy talks about how she got into Fountains of Wayne and what it is about their first album that makes it especially notable. She highlights some of her favorite songs from the album and discusses how well Chris Collingwood and Adam Schlesinger integrated humor into their songwriting. Amy also delves into the making of her new album Hang In There With Me. If you haven’t already, be sure to check out the Diary of Amy Rigby blog and podcast! Blog: https://amyrigby.substack.com/ Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/diary-of-amy-rigby/id15610945052 Amy also mentioned the Looking for the Magic podcast she did with Elizabeth Nelson. You can find that here: https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/looking-for-the-magic-elizabeth-nelson-amy-7RaT_Iy-DiS/ Amy and Al are both planning to check out the Fountains of ‘Splain podcast…if you want to join them, here it is! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fountains-of-splain/id1547151768 You can keep up with Amy on Instagram at @amymrigby. Al is on Bluesky at @almelchior.bsky.social. This show has accounts on Instagram and Threads at @youmealbum. Subscribe for free to You, Me and An Album: The Newsletter! https://youmealbum.substack.com/ 1:28 Amy joins the show 1:58 Did Amy and Fountains of Wayne run in the same circles in New York in the ‘90s? 7:16 Amy talks about the sports themes in Fountains of Wayne’s songs 9:07 Amy and Al discuss “Sick Day” and its thematic similarity to a song that Amy wrote 15:51 Amy hears “Radiation Vibe” as a great example of a “happy sad song” 17:52 Amy likes Fountains of Wayne’s selfless approach 20:54 Amy wants there to be a Fountains of Wayne documentary 22:35 Amy talks about her two podcasts and her blog 27:34 Amy explains why Fountains of Wayne was an affirming album for her 32:27 There aren’t many rock songwriters who successfully integrate humor into their songs 41:00 Amy highlights a few of her favorite songs from Fountains of Wayne 44:06 Amy thinks Fountains of Wayne set themselves apart from other ‘90s bands 47:24 Amy notes how Fountains of Wayne’s songwriting progressed after the debut album 49:58 Al explains exactly how little he knew about Fountains of Wayne 52:31 Amy talks about the process of making Hang In There With Me 1:05:11 Amy thinks good sequencing is still worth the trouble 1:07:43 Al noticed a similarity between Amy’s songs and those of a previous guest 1:09:04 Amy talks about her upcoming live dates Outro music is from “Dylan in Dubuque” by Amy Rigby. | |||