Send us a text Stephen Deusner, author of Where the Devil Don't Stay: Traveling the South with the Drive-By Truckers , drops by the show to talk about — who else? — the Drive-By Truckers and their acclaimed 2003 album, Decoration Day. In addition to breaking down each of the album’s 15 tracks, Stephen reflects on how he became a music journalist, how being a music journalist shapes his music-listening habits and when he first had the idea to write a book about DBT. You can keep up with Stephen o...
Oct 24, 2021•1 hr 33 min
Send us a text Betsy Wright of Bat Fangs and Ex Hex takes You, Me and An Album to another dimension on this episode, marking the first time a guest has brought a soundtrack album to the show. Betsy and I dig into Bob Dylan’s 1973 soundtrack for Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid, and along the way, we discuss Betsy’s progression from folk guitar and jazz piano to the D.C. and Charlottesville rock scenes, the soon-to-be-released album and upcoming tour dates for Bat Fangs, the songwriting process for ...
Oct 17, 2021•1 hr
Send us a text Sweet Megg and Ricky Alexander take this episode further back than this podcast has gone before, as they introduce me to the Billie Holiday and Lester Young compilation, A Musical Romance. Most of the songs on this compilation were recorded in the late ‘30s and early ‘40s, and Megg and Ricky talked about how they came to love jazz and swing decades after its heyday, as well as their love of the music that Holiday and Young made throughout their careers. They highlighted their favo...
Oct 03, 2021•58 min
Send us a text Novelist, video game writer and musician Antony Johnston (The Coldest City, Resident Evil Village) not only introduced me to a band and album I’d never heard of, but also educated me on the subgenre of doom metal. Antony chose Paradise Lost’s Draconian Times as this week’s featured album. He also discussed his soon-to-be-published book and upcoming album, the similarities between the prog bands and metal bands he loves and the unusual circumstances by which he first listened to Dr...
Sep 26, 2021•1 hr 40 min
Send us a text It's rare that I get to talk about a band I know as well as U2 on this podcast, but I got a real education on the band and on their Pop album from Jordan Stepp of Athens Music Junkie. In addition to walking me through the dozen tracks of Pop, Jordan talked about working for an academic press, writing as a freelance music journalist and the important place that Pop holds in U2's discography. Jordan recommended that I watch the video for Discothèque, and I'm glad that I followed tha...
Sep 19, 2021•1 hr 45 min
Send us a text A classic artist from the ‘80s (and beyond) joins Al to discuss a classic album from the 70s. Mike Skill of The Romantics provides insight into what makes The Rolling Stones’ Exile on Main St. such an important album in their catalog. In a wide-ranging conversation, Mike also explores his Detroit rock ’n roll roots, the great music that has come out of his adopted home of the Pacific Northwest, how two of The Romantics’ greatest hits came to be written and much more. I referred to...
Sep 12, 2021•1 hr 28 min
Send us a text This week, Miami-based recording artist, producer and visual artist Michael Lazar joins me to chat about Britney Spears’ 2007 album, Blackout. Michael talks about his experience of learning to play music using the Suzuki method, why he decided to move on from musical theatre, how he came to be a self-produced recording artist and why Blackout is one of his favorite albums. You can find the singles Michael has released from his upcoming album, 51/49, on Soundcloud: https://soundclo...
Sep 05, 2021•1 hr 30 min
Send us a text My awakening from sleepwalking through the 2010s musically continues on this episode, as singer/songwriter D.K. Lyons introduces me to The 1975’s I Like It When You Sleep, for You Are So Beautiful yet So Unaware of It. D.K. talked about his eclectic yet immersive music-listening habits, his connection to Tom Petty’s music, his love for watching and making music videos and what he loves (and doesn’t love so much) about the featured album. Got questions or comments for D.K.? Check o...
Aug 29, 2021•1 hr 13 min
Send us a text Portland-based guitarist, singer and songwriter Casey Neill (Casey Neill and The Norway Rats, The Minus 5, Big Bridges) joins the show to talk about Marianne Faithfull’s 2004 album, Before the Poison, which includes major contributions from P.J. Harvey, Nick Cave and Warren Ellis. In addition to delving into each of the albums 10 tracks, we talked Casey’s current studio work, his return to playing live music, why Before the Poison is a special album for him and why he has been doi...
Aug 22, 2021•1 hr 33 min
Send us a text Country rock and bluegrass musician Ryan Shupe introduces me to the world of progressive bluegrass by way of The Best of New Grass Revival on this episode. We discussed some of Ryan’s favorite songwriters, the influence that New Grass Revival has had on Ryan Shupe and the Rubberband and several of his favorite tracks on this 1994 greatest hits compilation. Note: On this episode, we had discussed the timing of the covers of Angel Eyes by New Grass Revival and Jeff Healy Band but we...
Aug 15, 2021•1 hr 13 min
Send us a text Songwriter/guitarist/vocalist/producer/arranger Kate Schutt nudges me out of my comfort zone for this episode of You, Me and An Album, as we discuss Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Cole Porter Song Book (1956), the first pre-1960s album featured on this podcast. We talked about Kate’s latest album (Bright Nowhere), how she absorbed Ella Fitzgerald’s music by osmosis during her childhood, Cole Porter’s unique place among songwriters and her thoughts about selected tracks from the feature...
Aug 08, 2021•1 hr 31 min
Send us a text Actor (I Know This Much Is True, Red Dead Redemption II) and Infinity Podcast co-host Scott Thomas introduces me to an album that is epic in nearly every possible way. We discussed Titus Andronicus’ second album, The Monitor, a Civil War-themed treatment of grappling with life as a young white man in an “uptight” North Jersey suburb. We talked about Scott’s current projects, the experience he had listening to The Monitor for the first time and what (nearly) each of the album’s 10 ...
Aug 01, 2021•1 hr 39 min
Send us a text I know Danielle Salinger from her writing and tweeting on mental health and as a member of the fantasy sports community, and on this episode, we all get to know her for her love of music and of Prince. Danielle chose the first double album to be covered on a You, Me and An Album episode, as we discussed Prince’s 1999. In addition to discussing all four sides of this decade-shaping album, we talked about the progression of Prince’s music throughout his career, how Danielle was intr...
Jul 25, 2021•1 hr 29 min
Send us a text Actor/writer David Greenman (Gilmore Girls, Bones, About Last Night) introduces me to the Canadian supergroup, The New Pornographers, and their second album, Electric Version. In addition to discussing this album, we talked about The New Pornographers’ upcoming tour, David’s love of 80s music and the projects he has been working on recently. Correction: I had talked about how a couple of extra beats were added during the track, From Blown Speakers. I had said they came at the begi...
Jul 18, 2021•1 hr 8 min
Send us a text Over the course of doing 30 episodes of You, Me and An Album, there have been parts of each conversation that have stuck with me long after the episode got published. There have been a few of those that I continue to think about frequently, because I have been puzzled as to why I had such a different reaction to a song than my guest did. I went back to seven of those songs and gave them several more listens, and on this episode, I talk about what changed in my impression of those ...
Jul 11, 2021•47 min
Send us a text Fantasy baseball analyst and podcaster Michael Govier comes aboard this week to share his love for Built to Spill’s 1999 album, Keep It Like a Secret. Michael and Al talked about Michael’s various podcasts, how his love for listening to and playing music has grown and waned and grown again over the years, and how he came to be a fan of this Boise-based band and this particular album. Note: Michael and Al discussed the lyrics to Broken Chairs but did not mention that they were not ...
Jul 04, 2021•1 hr 34 min
Send us a text You, Me and An Album travels across the Atlantic for this episode, and then our guest takes us to the moon! This week’s guest is Rat, the guitarist for Ned’s Atomic Dustbin and Obey Robots, and he delves into Public Service Broadcasting’s The Race for Space. In addition to discussing each track on the album, Rat explains how he became a fan of PSB, which guitarists have influenced his playing, when we can expect Ned’s Atomic Dustbin to play live shows and when we might get to hear...
Jun 27, 2021•1 hr 10 min
Send us a text Rudy Gamble, co-founder of Razzball, pays the show a visit to introduce Al to Old 97's and the world of alt-country. His selection to discuss is 1997's Too Far to Care, the Dallas quartet's third album. He and Al not only talk about the album and dig into specific tracks, but Rudy also recounts his experiences with screenwriting and songwriting and his journey from classic rock fan to devotee of all types of alternative music. Check out Razzball (and Rudy's statistical tools and h...
Jun 20, 2021•1 hr 29 min
Send us a text Actor/writer/musician/songwriter Nat Cassidy took Al somewhere on this episode that he thought he'd never go back to – the 90’s swing revival. He chose Rapid City Muscle Car by the Cherry Poppin’ Daddies (aka The Daddies), which to Al's surprise was more than just a swing album. They talked about the variety of genres represented on the album, what Nat loves about various tracks, what Nat looks for in music he listens to and the many projects he is currently working on. To learn m...
Jun 13, 2021•1 hr 20 min
Send us a text Rebecca Clay Cole (The Minders, Wild Flag) returns to You, Me and An Album, picking up where she left off...discussing Jimmy Buffett! This time, we're chatting about his 1974 album, A-1-A. In addition to breaking down the album's tracks, we talk about how the Elephant 6 collective came together, Rebecca's mom's cool musical tastes and how Jimmy Buffett helps both of us to reflect on time we've spent in Florida and the tropics. 1:06 Rebecca joins the show 1:30 How Rebecca got her s...
Jun 06, 2021•1 hr 29 min
Send us a text Nick Pollack, the founder and president of Pitcher List (https://www.pitcherlist.com/), threw me a curve on this episode, sending me into the genre of progressive metal -- a world I had barely explored. He chose The Devin Townsend Band’s Accelerated Evolution as our album to discuss. We talked about Nick’s own history as a guitarist, how one bridges the gap between progressive rock and progressive metal, Townsend’s career as a solo artist and as a member of Strapping Young Lad and...
May 30, 2021•1 hr 19 min
Send us a text JB Brubaker, lead guitarist for the Grammy-nominated metalcore group August Burns Red joins me for this episode of You, Me and An Album. He introduces me to Weezer’s 1994 debut album, aka The Blue Album. More accurately, JB introduces me to 70 percent of the album – that is, the portion of the album that didn’t get played on the radio. We discussed his musical evolution as a guitarist, which really began with listening to The Blue Album, August Burns Red’s possible return to touri...
May 23, 2021•1 hr 12 min
Send us a text Patrick Grant, creator of Tilted Axes: Music for Mobile Electric Guitars, introduces me to an album that I long avoided because I thought it might be “scary,” but his quest is to show us that it's just scary good. The album in question is Devo’s “Q. Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!”, and Patrick breaks down the album’s many innovations. We also talked about Switched On Bach, Patrick’s interactions with Devo and Robert Fripp and his project, Tilted Axes. Patrick referred to alternat...
May 16, 2021•1 hr 19 min
Send us a text On this episode, You, Me and An Album becomes You, Me and a Song. Back in late March, Rebecca Clay Cole (The Minders, Wild Flag, Telekinesis) posted a tweet in which she bemoaned that Jimmy Buffett’s The Great Filling Station Holdup didn’t hold a more beloved place in the country music canon. On this episode, Rebecca makes her case for that song’s deservingness in a longer, more detailed format. She also discusses her close connection to Neutral Milk Hotel and her time with the in...
May 09, 2021•43 min
Send us a text Football writer, radio host and podcaster Jason La Canfora has had eclectic taste in music going back to his teen years, so it’s only appropriate that he chose a band with a range of eclectic sounds to discuss on this episode of You, Me and An Album. Jason introduced me to Fishbone’s Truth and Soul, which features ska, soul, funk, metal and punk across its dozen tracks. In addition to this 1988 album, we talked about Jason’s work with CBSSports.com, the musical influences he encou...
May 02, 2021•1 hr 13 min
Send us a text Back when I was recording Episode 16 (Quasi, Field Studies) with Mariana Timony of Bandcamp Daily, I had promised that there would be a second part of our discussion forthcoming. This is that second part! Mariana and I spent nearly an hour discussing Quasi drummer/vocalist Janet Weiss’ other band (though, sadly, one she is no longer a part of), Sleater-Kinney. We each offer our rankings of the band’s studio albums and discuss some of our favorite (and least favorite) tracks from e...
Apr 25, 2021•55 min
Send us a text Actor/writer/director Eric Gilde stops by to discuss Neutral Milk Hotel’s In the Aeroplane Over the Sea, an album he had on repeat for an entire summer and one that still intrigues him nearly two decades later. We discuss Eric’s latest projects, some of his favorite underrated albums and this particular Neutral Milk Hotel album in great detail. You can find Eric on Twitter and Instagram at @ericgilde. Be sure to listen to Eric and Ellen Adair’s baseball movie podcast, Take Me In T...
Apr 18, 2021•1 hr 34 min
Send us a text This week’s guest is no stranger to me on podcasts…it’s Derek VanRiper, my co-host (along with Michael Beller) on The Athletic’s Fantasy Baseball in 15. (It’s just a small part of all the writing, podcasting and producing that DVR does at The Athletic.) DVR chose Houndmouth’s Little Neon Limelight as our album to discuss. We talked about the people and technologies that have influenced DVR’s musical tastes, his experiences with seeing Houndmouth live and our impressions of each of...
Apr 11, 2021•1 hr 17 min
Send us a text Andrew Brown pays You, Me and An Album a visit, bringing a copy of Frank Ocean’s Blonde along with him. Andrew is a business analyst for Buzzfeed and a former analyst for the Texas Rangers, and incidentally, he is also my nephew. Andrew and I chat about how he listens to music, how Blonde wound up becoming one of his favorite albums and what makes several of the album’s tracks worth listening to and digging into. You can find Andrew on social media in a couple of places: - Twitter...
Apr 04, 2021•1 hr 4 min
Send us a text This week, Mariana Timony of Bandcamp Daily introduces me to Field Studies, a 1999 album by Quasi – a band I have only discovered during the past year. We discuss how Mariana got into music journalism, her path to Quasi fandom, what makes Quasi such a special group and, of course, what makes Field Studies one of her favorite albums. You can find Mariana on Twitter here: @marianatimony. My weekly apology for mispronunciation: I did manage to pronounce former Quasi bassist Joanna Bo...
Mar 28, 2021•1 hr 13 min
