Send us a text 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. This was not a grea...
Jun 26, 2022•1 hr 1 min
Send us a text 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. YMAAA Livestream/Q&A Monday, June 20 at 2pm ET/11am PT https://youtu.be/SVv9NLptU7Q Special guests: REBECCA CLAY COLE (Pavement, W...
Jun 19, 2022•21 min
Send us a text 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 T...
Jun 12, 2022•57 min
Send us a text 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 ...
Jun 05, 2022•1 hr 8 min
Send us a text 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://th...
May 29, 2022•1 hr
Send us a text 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 o...
May 22, 2022•1 hr 7 min
Send us a text 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 channe...
May 15, 2022•1 hr 16 min
Send us a text 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 Ledb...
May 01, 2022•1 hr 1 min
Send us a text 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 @mar...
Apr 17, 2022•1 hr 6 min
Send us a text 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 discograph...
Apr 03, 2022•54 min
Send us a text 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...
Mar 20, 2022•1 hr 6 min
Send us a text 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 Kop...
Mar 13, 2022•1 hr 16 min
Send us a text 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 art...
Mar 06, 2022•1 hr 6 min
Send us a text 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 wh...
Feb 27, 2022•1 hr 26 min
Send us a text 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, ...
Feb 20, 2022•56 min
Send us a text 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...
Feb 13, 2022•1 hr 3 min
Send us a text 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...
Feb 06, 2022•1 hr 5 min
Send us a text Music writer — and author of the 33 1/3 book on Duran Duran’s Rio — Annie Zaleski joins Al for a discussion of Arcadia’s So Red the Rose . In addition to diving into the album itself, Annie makes the inevitable comparisons with Duran Duran, from which Arcadia temporarily split off, and provides insight as to how the experience of making So Red the Rose may have impacted future Duran Duran recordings. Annie also talks about how she became a music writer and a Duran Duran fan, and t...
Jan 30, 2022•1 hr 10 min
Send us a text I have had many exchanges with Jamie Campbell about music, and I have always found his observations interesting and informative, so I wanted to get him to share them on the show. He obliged for this week’s episode, in which we discussed one of his favorite albums — I Can Hear the Heart Beating as One by Yo La Tengo. In addition to discussing this album, Jamie talked about the role that radio played in shaping his musical tastes, and the formative role that ‘90s music played for hi...
Jan 23, 2022•1 hr 12 min
Send us a text Meredith Tarr of MPress Records (A&R, Label Promotions) joins Al for a discussion of Rachael Sage’s 2020 album, Character , but this episode is about a lot more than just digging into a beloved album. Meredith talks about the role she played in sequencing Character and, more generally about her professional relationship with Rachael, who is the president and founder of MPress Records. She also discusses the path that led her to the music business, as well as her journey as a m...
Jan 16, 2022•1 hr 18 min
Send us a text Fantasy sports writer and editor Nando Di Fino (currently The Athletic, previously CBS Sports, ESPN and others) joins Al for what is possibly their first-ever discussion about music, even though they’ve been friends and colleagues for more than decade. Nando chose the soundtrack from the movie, Judgment Night, as the topic for their conversation. Along the way, Nando discusses his mother’s record collection, his love of Christmas music and the extremely cool set of experiences he ...
Jan 09, 2022•1 hr 6 min
Send us a text Stand-up comedian and writer Josh Gondelman drops by to get Al caught up on Method Man and Redman’s 1999 album, Blackout!. In addition to discussing what he loves about this album, Josh talks about being a co-creator of a viral Twitter account, how his musical tastes got shaped growing up in the Boston suburbs and what he has in store for us in the coming months. You can follow Josh on both Twitter and Instagram at @joshgondelman. You should also give the defunct-but-still-hilario...
Jan 02, 2022•1 hr 16 min
Send us a text Journalist, author and musician Celeste Headlee pays You, Me and An Album a visit to introduce me to the 1988 original cast recording of The Gospel At Colonus . In addition to discussing an album that she has listened to hundreds of times over more than three decades, Celeste talks about the experience of seeing the show live as well as her career in journalism, the musical influence of her maternal grandparents and her new book, Speaking of Race: Why Everyone Needs to Talk About ...
Dec 19, 2021•58 min
Send us a text After discussing Green Day’s American Idiot on a previous episode (Ep. 48), Al became fixated on a couple of questions. Did Green Day send Jesus of Suburbia on a Hero’s Journey? And were they telling essentially the same story that Titus Andronicus told in The Monitor (Ep. 34) and that Genesis told in The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway? Here to help Al grapple with these questions is playwright/novelist/actor/musician Nat Cassidy, who makes his return after appearing on Ep. 27. Nat br...
Dec 12, 2021•1 hr 36 min
Send us a text Ever since hearing the title track of Slow Turning back around 1990, I’ve been curious about John Hiatt and his career, but never did much actual exploring. I am fortunate to have Michael Elliott, author of Have a Little Faith: The Story of John Hiatt, join me for this episode to walk me through one of Hiatt’s most important and critically-acclaimed albums, Bring the Family. Michael talks about his roughly 30 years of work in the radio industry, the process behind writing his Hiat...
Dec 05, 2021•1 hr 15 min
Send us a text You, Me and a Song makes its return to the podcast, as political scientist/teacher/contact tracing manager Mary Beth Melchior (and, yes, also my wife of 32 years) breaks down her favorite song from one of her favorite movies. We discuss "We Know the Way" from Moana, as performed by Opetaia Foa’i and Lin-Manuel Miranda. She talks about her reasons for loving this song and what she learned by digging deeper into the movie’s soundtrack. Follow Mary Beth on Twitter at @mbmelchior! Al ...
Nov 28, 2021•26 min
Send us a text Are The Monkees a real band? Does any one of their vocalists stand out above the others? These are just a couple of the questions that Joe Adragna of The Junior League and Sadabouts addresses on this episode of You, Me and An Album, which is centered on The Monkees’ 1967 album, Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd. Joe also talks about working with Jay Ferguson, Scott McCaughey and Casey Neill, why he decided to write about New York for his latest Junior League album, the M...
Nov 21, 2021•1 hr 19 min
Send us a text This week’s guest, Ray Castronovo — frontman and guitarist for Streetwise and the founder of DayQuest Records — joins me to dig into Green Day’s 2004 rock opera, American Idiot. We talk about what appeals to Ray about Green Day and this album in particular, as well as his recent return to a music career and the musical roots he developed growing up in Brooklyn. I had mentioned that I had seen an interview of Steve Vai where he talked about auditioning for Frank Zappa. I couldn’t f...
Nov 14, 2021•59 min
Send us a text Scott Pianowski of Yahoo Sports joins me on this episode to discuss the Pretenders’ 1979 debut album. In addition to breaking down this classic album in depth, Scott talks about how he got started playing fantasy sports, how he embraces variety in both sports and music and how sees the Pretenders’ musical legacy beyond their first album. Random notes: I’d commented that the band is listed as “Pretenders” on all of their albums, but on some, they are listed as “The Pretenders,” inc...
Nov 07, 2021•1 hr 19 min
Send us a text What better time than the World Series to sit down and have a chat with Steve Wynn of The Baseball Project and The Dream Syndicate? Steve chose Cosmo’s Factory as his album to discuss on this episode. In addition to breaking down the Creedence Clearwater Revival classic, he talked about wanting to be a sportswriter growing up (and how he is essentially living out that dream), his chance encounter with Astros manager Dusty Baker and what’s in store for The Baseball Project, the Dre...
Oct 29, 2021•1 hr 16 min
