You, Me and An Album

Latest Episodes:

90. Gilly Ann Hanner Discusses X, More Fun in the New World Oct 30, 2022

Show notes

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.
Al mentioned in this episode that he wrote a piece for Bandcamp Daily about No. 2 and their new album, First Love. You can read it here: https://daily.bandcamp.com/features/no-2-first-love-interview

Keep up with Gilly and her bands on Instagram!
Gilly: @gillyann
Desír: @desirmusique
No. 2: @___numberdeux___

...and also be sure to check out her website, gillyannhanner.com.

As Gilly mentions, you can buy or stream her music on Bandcamp.
Desír: https://desirmusique.bandcamp.com/
No. 2: https://no2music.bandcamp.com/album/first-love
Braille Stars: https://braillestars.bandcamp.com/album/golden-dream

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.

Support the show

89. Doug "Cosmo" Clifford Discusses Doug Sahm, Groover's Paradise Oct 16, 2022

Show notes

Send us Fan Mail

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.
Follow Doug on Facebook! https://www.facebook.com/DougCosmoClifford

Also, you can find links to stream or buy Doug's albums at https://dougcosmoclifford.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.

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

Support the show

88. Dennis Diken Discusses The Lovin' Spoonful, Daydream Oct 09, 2022

Show notes

Send us Fan Mail

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.
As Dennis mentioned, you can stream his weekly radio show. Check it out here! https://www.wfmu.org/playlists/DI

Be sure to keep up with Dennis and The Smithereens!
Twitter: @SmithereensHQ
Instagram: @the_smithereens_official

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.

Support the show

87. Kristin Hanggi Discusses India.Arie, SongVersation: Medicine Oct 02, 2022

Show notes

Send us Fan Mail

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.
Kristin talked briefly about the heroine’s journey as a conceptual framework for storytelling. If you want to hear her talk about this extensively, be sure to listen to her most recent appearance on Rob Bell’s Robcast. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-heroines-journey/id956742638?i=1000569043767

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.

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

Support the show

86. Elle Archer Discusses Liz Phair, Exile in Guyville Sep 25, 2022

Show notes

Send us Fan Mail

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

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

Support the show

85. Stephanie Phillips Discusses The Amps, Pacer Sep 18, 2022

Show notes

Send us Fan Mail

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

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.

Support the show

84. Levi Weaver Discusses David Bazan, Curse Your Branches Sep 11, 2022

Show notes

Send us Fan Mail

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.
Al mentioned a video in which Imogen Heap talks about gloves she invented that help her to perform live music. It's part of an NPR Tiny Desk Concert performance and very much worth watching. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QtklTXbKUQ
Levi is on Twitter at @ThreeTwoEephus.

Follow Levi’s great Rangers coverage on The Athletic here: https://theathletic.com/author/levi-weaver/

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
The outro is from "Apostate" by Levi Weaver.

Support the show

83. Lenny DiNardo Discusses The Lemonheads, It's a Shame About Ray Aug 28, 2022

Show notes

Send us Fan Mail

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.

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

Support the show

82. Sherry Thomas Discusses INXS, The Swing Aug 21, 2022

Show notes

Send us Fan Mail

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 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

Support the show

81. Andrew Stern Discusses Rosanne Cash, The River & The Thread Aug 14, 2022

Show notes

Send us Fan Mail

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

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