You, Me and An Album

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50. Mary Beth Melchior Discusses Opetaia Foa'i and Lin-Manuel Miranda, We Know the Way (You, Me and a Song) Nov 28, 2021

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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 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 Mary Beth joins the show

2:07 Mary Beth takes Al far out of his comfort zone for this episode

3:38 Not every song from Moana resonated with Mary Beth

4:56 Mary Beth explains why "We Know the Way" is one of her favorite songs

7:53 Mary Beth and Al learned some things about Opetaia Foa’i and Te Vaka

11:18 Mary Beth sees "We Know the Way" as a breakthrough song

15:02 Mary Beth gives Al some musical features of the song to pay attention to

19:37 Does Lin-Manuel Miranda’s presence on the track make it a better song for Mary Beth?

21:59 "We Know the Way" is a “heart song” for Mary Beth

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49. Joe Adragna Discusses The Monkees, Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd. Nov 21, 2021

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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 Monkees tribute band he plays in and what’s next for him musically.

You can keep up with Joe and his musical projects on Twitter and Instagram at @thejuniorleague (on both platforms).

You can find The Junior League discography on Bandcamp at https://thejuniorleague.bandcamp.com/.

1:06 Joe joins the show

1:18 Joe said something that reminded Al of a gift he got from his grandparents 50 years ago

4:57 Joe never planned on moving to New Orleans, but it’s become his home

6:49 Joe discusses meeting and collaborating with Jay Ferguson of Sloan

9:15 Scott McCaughey has played a key role in Joe’s career

13:28 Joe explains how he wound up writing an album full of songs about New York

17:03 Joe and Casey Neill went for a different sound on their Sadabouts EPs

19:49 Joe talks about his songwriting process

21:45 Hearing the Beatles was a formative experience for Joe

23:31 Did Joe ever not think of The Monkees as a “real band”?

26:00 Watching their show deepened Joe’s appreciation for The Monkees

30:26 Joe plays in a Monkees tribute band

31:48 Unlike Al, Joe likes the production on Pisces

36:31 Joe and Al break down Salesman’s appeal as an album opener

42:28 Joe likes the “mixed mode” of the Monkees featured on Pisces

45:28 Joe is impressed by Mike and Mickey’s vocals

49:29 The album’s sequencing and song selection makes Pisces a great album for Joe

53:20 Did the Monkees influence Todd Rundgren?

55:17 Joe and Al admire Mickey’s drumming

59:33 Pisces was one of the first recordings to feature a Moog synthesizer

1:01:47 Joe likes Daily Nightly for more than just the Moog

1:03:33 What Am I Doing Hangin’ Round is a standout track for Joe and Al

1:06:18 Social media has helped to bring Monkees fans together

1:07:36 Joe appreciates how Pisces gives each band member a spotlight

1:11:06 Cuddly Toy helped to raise Harry Nilsson’s profile

1:12:30 The Monkees did not get respect in the American Rock Mock

1:14:35 Joe has updates on The Junior League and Sadabouts

Outro music is from Hart Island by The Junior League.

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48. Ray Castronovo Discusses Green Day, American Idiot Nov 14, 2021

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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 find the video that I saw, but I did find this one where he essentially tells the same story: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xx1RguHA4XE

I did recall correctly that Rick Beato made a What Makes This Song Great video on Boulevard of Broken Dreams. It’s definitely worth 19 minutes of your time. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nSy8JbvNYCM

Follow Ray and Streetwise on Instagram at @streetwisenyc!

You can also keep up with Streetwise at their website, streetwiseny.com.

0:59 Ray joins the show

1:17 Ray talks about his decision to put his music career on hold for 30 years

6:59 Ray names the musicians who influenced Streetwise’s “music stew”

9:09 Ray talks about his connection with Warren Cuccurullo and Frank Zappa

13:02 Al’s ignorance of 2000s rock led him to overlook the impact of American Idiot

14:38 Ray explains why Green Day, and American Idiot in particular, have impressed him

17:11 Should the shorter bits on American Idiot have been expanded into longer songs?

Track-by-track breakdown

22:35 American Idiot

24:00 Jesus of Suburbia

28:07 Holiday/Boulevard of Broken Dreams

32:17 Are We the Waiting

33:43 St. Jimmy/Give Me Novacaine

37:29 She’s a Rebel/Extraordinary Girl/Letterbomb

41:49 Wake Me Up When September Ends

44:18 Homecoming

45:57 Whatsername

50:41 Ray admires how “in the pocket” Green Day is

55:48 What’s next for Streetwise?

Outro music is Live For the Moment by Streetwise.

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47. Scott Pianowski Discusses Pretenders (self-titled) Nov 07, 2021

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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,” including on Learning to Crawl — an album I actually owned.

I have few pet peeves greater than hearing someone say “Chrissie Hyndes,” so I was mortified to hear myself pronounce her name that way at 36:30.

Kudos to our dog, Branny, for providing sound effects at 41:36, when I was talking about “being floored” by Talk of the Town. That’s the sound of her trying to open the door to my podcasting room.

Scott mentioned that there is an oral history of MTV. I’m assuming that he was referring to I Want My MTV: The Uncensored Story of the Music Video Revolution. https://www.indiebound.org/book/9780452298569

Scott mentioned the Breakfast Table podcast he does with Michael Salfino. You can find episodes here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-breakfast-table-fantasy-sports-podcast/id1027990226

You can access Scott’s work — both columns and podcasts — right here: https://sports.yahoo.com/author/scott-pianowski/

Follow Scott on Twitter! @scott_pianowski

1:10 Scott joins the show

1:47 Scott enjoys covering a variety of sports

3:20 Scott’s obsession with baseball stats set the stage for playing and writing about fantasy sports

6:58 Scott absorbed a lot of musical knowledge in high school and college

11:24 The Pretenders were part of a great cohort of new bands in the late 70s

13:35 Scott sees the Pretenders’ debut as fitting in with a pattern of debut albums being a band’s best album

14:08 Scott sees Chrissie Hynde’s versatility as a key part of what makes Pretenders a great band

16:27 Scott cites some albums he also considered discussing on this episode

19:16 Scott explains why he did choose the Pretenders’ debut

23:06 Scott and Al shared the formative experience of listening to music on vinyl

24:06 Scott talks about the ‘80s movie that references the Pretenders’ debut

27:10 Pretenders or The Pretenders?

Track-by-track breakdown

27:55 Precious

33:00 The Phone Call

37:36 Up the Neck

39:23 Tattooed Love Boys

41:14 A brief discussion of Talk of the Town

44:24 The Tattooed Love Boys video and the early years of MTV

46:18 Space Invader

49:43 The Wait

52:27 Stop Your Sobbing

56:12 Kid

58:12 Private Life

1:02:05 Lovers of Today

1:04:33 Mystery Achievement

1:07:13 Scott and Al take an R.E.M. detour

1:09:19 Brass In Pocket

1:10:09 How does Scott view the rest of Pretenders’ discography?

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46. Steve Wynn Discusses Creedence Clearwater Revival, Cosmo's Factory Oct 29, 2021

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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 Dream Syndicate and his solo work.

I’d mentioned a Los Angeles Times video on the 40th anniversary of Fernando Valenzuela’s rookie season with the Dodgers, and the phenomenon of Fernandomania that accompanied it. A segment featuring Steve begins at 2:20. Here’s the link:
https://youtu.be/IdoLjJpuYns

There are lots of places where we can keep up with Steve’s many projects. He is on Twitter at @stevewynn and on Instagram at @cultartist.

As he noted on this episode, Steve maintains a Facebook page for his solo work, and there are Facebook pages for Dream Syndicate and The Baseball Project.

Finally, check out stevewynn.net for more information on all of his projects.

1:19 Steve joins the show

1:45 Al attended a Dream Syndicate concert that was an important show for the band

3:25 Fernandomania was key to Steve becoming a Dodger fan

7:07 Neither Steve nor Al is excited about the 2021 World Series

8:47 Steve had an encounter with Dusty Baker when he was with the Dodgers

10:17 The Baseball Project’s favorite teams were well represented in the MLB postseason

11:16 Steve and Al remember the first World Series they watched

12:55 Punk rock ended Steve’s aspirations of pursuing a career in sportswriting

14:41 The Baseball Project approach songwriting like sportswriting

16:53 A Baseball Project update!

17:44 Steve’s first indoor shows since the start of the COVID pandemic were in Italy

22:45 Steve provides an update on the upcoming Dream Syndicate album and tour

24:12 Cosmo’s Factory impacted Steve right when it came out

27:18 Ramble Tamble influenced Steve’s writing for The Days of Wine and Roses

29:38 Ramble Tamble may have been the first anti-Reagan song

30:16 Ramble Tamble was a pleasant surprise for Al

33:40 It’s not always easy to figure out what music influenced John Fogerty

35:48 Steve appreciates when an album opens with a long song

36:46 The covers on Cosmo's Factory helped Steve to learn about other music

39:20 Cosmo’s Factory has a lot of emotional resonance and mystery for Steve

41:38 Some of the segues feel choppy to Al

44:09 Steve found the cover to Cosmo’s Factory compelling

45:24 Steve found inspiration in CCR’s version of Heard It Through the Grapevine

48:49 Steve ponders why CCR chose to do an 11-minute version of Grapevine

53:35 Steve cites his favorite tracks on Cosmo’s Factory

58:45 CCR did not frontload Cosmo’s Factory with the hits

1:01:32 Steve and Al are stumped by the source of a percussive sound

1:05:16 Was CCR a commercial band?

1:10:04 Would it have been better if CCR hadn’t disbanded so quickly?

Outro is from Halloween by The Dream Syndicate.

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45. Stephen Deusner Discusses Drive-By Truckers, Decoration Day Oct 24, 2021

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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 on Twitter at @stephenmdeusner and on Instagram at @stephendeusner, as well as on his website, https://www.stephendeusner.com/.

2:48 Moving around a lot has informed Stephen’s understanding of how place can impact music

4:55 When Stephen reviews an album, he tries to listen to it in several different places

7:03 Stephen prefers listening to older music when not listening for work

10:32 Stephen didn’t set out to become a music journalist

13:43 Stephen has had the idea to write a book about Drive-By Truckers for a long time

17:13 Stephen and Al were both initially put off by DBT’s name

22:39 The songs from Decoration Day became familiar to both Stephen and Al very quickly

24:40 Stephen thinks the way DBT tells stories makes the songs easier to remember

27:20 Stephen recounts how Jason Isbell joined DBT

Track-by-track breakdown (clustered by songwriter)

30:48 Outfit

36:09 Decoration Day

40:49 Marry Me

45:53 Sounds Better in the Song

48:17 Loaded Gun in the Closet

52:17 When the Pin Hits the Shell

54:43 Do It Yourself

56:30 Careless

58:31 Your Daddy Hates Me

1:02:34 Heathens

1:07:08 The Deeper In

1:11:53 Heathens (again)

1:13:45 My Sweet Annette

1:17:38 Sinkhole

1:23:59 Hell No, I Ain’t Happy/(Something’s Got To) Give Pretty Soon

1:26:27 Listening to DBT gives Stephen a sense of mission

1:29:40 Stephen has already started to think about his next projects

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44. Betsy Wright Discusses Bob Dylan, Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid (soundtrack) Oct 17, 2021

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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 Ex Hex and the extra material available on the outtakes for the Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid soundtrack.

As promised, here is the link to the complete outtakes from the Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid soundtrack: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qz58FT6WsbE

You can and definitely should follow Betsy on Instagram at @betsybooots.

If you also give the @batfangs IG account a follow, you can find information on their tour dates, or you can go to the Don Giovanni Records website at https://www.dongiovannirecords.com/tour.

1:12 Betsy joins the show

1:30 Betsy sets the record straight on Bat Fangs’ upcoming album release date

2:05 The release of Queen of My World is fortuitously timed

3:08 Betsy was into folk guitar and classical piano growing up

5:45 Betsy played her first rock show with The Childballads in her early 20s

8:45 Betsy prefers teaching guitar to voice coaching

10:16 Ex Hex’s songwriting process shifted between the first and second albums

12:53 Betsy and Al talk about which Ex Hex album they like better

15:00 Al asks Betsy if there will be a third Ex Hex album

15:40 Betsy clears up an Ex Hex lyric that Al misheard

18:01 Betsy explains how Bat Fangs formed

21:29 Betsy discusses her reasons for choosing Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid for this episode

25:31 Betsy thinks the soundtrack has a magical sound

28:03 The four Billys

31:36 Betsy doesn’t recommend that we watch the movie

32:57 Betsy listens to the album for relaxation

34:55 Back to the Billys

40:41 Betsy is a big fan of Bob Dylan’s — not just this album

43:28 The instrumentals

49:29 Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door

55:21 Wagon Wheel was derived from a song on the outtakes

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43. Sweet Megg and Ricky Alexander Discuss Billie Holiday and Lester Young, A Musical Romance Oct 03, 2021

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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 favorite songs from the compilation and discussed what made Holiday and Young's music special and important.

Megg referred to a video of Billie Holiday and Lester Young performing Fine and Mellow, and you can click here to watch it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vaZiijPbnP8.

Ricky is on Instagram at @rickyajazz, and you can get more information about his music on his site, https://www.rickyalexanderjazz.com/.

Megg is on Instagram at @sweet.megg, and to watch and hear her perform, just go to her YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/c/SweetMegg.

1:39 Megg and Ricky join the show

2:09 Megg and Ricky talk about how they came to work together

3:53 Megg and Ricky explain why they picked A Musical Romance for this episode

4:49 Ricky’s love for jazz grew throughout his childhood

8:40 Megg’s father encouraged her to perform as a blues singer

12:02 Megg has become a die-hard country fan

13:18 Megg explains anti-folk to Al

15:11 Ricky and Megg explain why they chose this particular compilation (as compared to others) for the show

17:23 The recording of Fine and Mellow on the compilation was important and unique

21:25 Megg and Ricky talk about the friendship between Billie Holiday and Lester Young

23:08 Megg hears complexity in all of Billie Holiday’s performances

27:38 Ricky highlights some favorite songs and some qualities of the music that he enjoys on this compilation

34:10 Megg appreciates the interplay between Billie Holiday and the bands she played with

36:07 Megg discusses how Foolin’ Myself wound up on her and Ricky’s album

39:22 Megg cites some of her other favorite Billie Holiday songs

41:32 Ricky admires the contributions that Teddy Wilson and Buck Clayton made to the songs on the compilation

44:55 Ricky explains why vocalists started getting more attention during World War II

47:18 Emulating Billie Holiday’s timing is not easy to do

49:33 Megg recommends that new jazz listeners focus on the musicians other than the vocalist

51:55 There is no substitute for listening to live jazz

54:02 Ricky talks about how Lester Young provided the foundation for the groove we hear in music today
Outro is from Foolin' Myself by Sweet Megg and Ricky Alexander.

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42. Antony Johnston Discusses Paradise Lost, Draconian Times Sep 26, 2021

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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 Draconian Times.

Antony mentioned his heavy metal podcast, Thrash It Out. You can find the episodes here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/thrash-it-out/id1008480723

He also made reference to his own musical project, Silencaeon. Take a moment and check out his Bandcamp page! https://silencaeon.bandcamp.com/

You can find Antony on both Twitter and Instagram at @AntonyJohnston. It’s a great way to find out about Antony’s various projects, but you can also learn more from his website, antonyjohnston.com.

1:17 Antony joins the show

1:45 Antony explains what distinguishes doom metal from other metal subgenres

3:28 This is the second time Antony and Al have had a conversation about an album on a podcast

4:42 Antony talks about the projects he has been working on, including his soon-to-be-released book

9:40 Antony explains why he enjoys writing mysteries and thrillers

12:46 Antony likes how prog bands like Genesis and Marillion create a sense of drama

14:07 Hearing Black Sabbath was life-changing for Antony

16:17 A big part of Genesis’ appeal for Antony is how they tell stories in their songs

18:02 In his first exposure to Paradise Lost, Al was reminded of three other bands

20:02 Antony explains why he chose Draconian Times for this episode — and where it fits in the progression of Paradise Lost’s releases

25:32 Antony notes the influence that Draconian Times has had on other bands

26:30 Antony got to experience Draconian Times for his first listening in a unique setting

31:40 Antony explains what was novel about Paradise Lost among metal bands

Track-by-track breakdown

34:09 Enchantment

39:58 Hallowed Land

46:18 The Last Time

50:26 Forever Failure

56:19 Once Solemn

59:45 Shadowkings

1:06:18 Elusive Cure

1:12:04 Yearn for Change

1:15:32 Shades of God

1:19:05 Hands of Reason

1:21:02 I See Your Face

1:24:24 Jaded

1:29:51 Antony recommends some Paradise Lost albums to explore after this one

1:35:33 Paradise Lost has had several different drummers

Outro is from Place by Silencaeon.

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41. Jordan Stepp Discusses U2, Pop Sep 19, 2021

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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 that advice. If you haven't seen it, take five minutes and enjoy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TpvF7Qq9svk

You can (and should) follow Jordan on Twitter at @AthMusicJunkie.

Also, check out Jordan's fantastic site, Athens Music Junkie, especially if you want to know what's going on in the Athens music scene. It's at athensmusicjunkie.com.

1:26 Jordan joins the show

2:04 Jordan talks about some of the music books that were pitched to UGA Press

4:56 Jordan recounts writing about music on MySpace and for Flagpole

7:33 We pondered whether it’s best to not revisit one’s own past writing

9:51 For better and worse, U2’s albums have been marked by perfectionism

13:58 Jordan urges Al to listen to the Passengers album

16:38 Jordan talks about being introduced to U2’s music

19:41 Al views ATYCLB differently now that he’s heard Pop

22:55 Seeing U2 on the War tour made Al a fan

24:35 Al checked out on all of his favorite bands around the time that Pop was released

26:59 Jordan likes Pop as U2’s “misfit” album

28:55 U2 tends to shy away from playing tracks from Pop live