You, Me and An Album

Send us Fan Mail On this episode, drummer Arthur Thompson (Mindi Abair, The Boneshakers, Wayman Tisdale, Dave Koz, solo) introduces Al to Cameo’s 1980 album Cameosis . Arthur talks about how he first wound up hearing Cameosis and why that event played an important role in kick-starting his musical career. He also discusses the importance of listening to the various instruments in a band, and how C...

Send us Fan Mail Guitarist Barrie Cadogan (Little Barrie, Primal Scream, The The) joins Al for this episode to dig into The Jimi Hendrix Experience’s 1968 album Electric Ladyland . Barrie talks about getting introduced to the album by his father and getting much of his guitar education from listening to it (and Hendrix’s other albums). He also goes in depth in discussing some of his favorite track...

Send us Fan Mail Multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and visual artist Andrew Dost (fun., Anathallo) joins Al for this episode and introduces him to The Rentals’ 1995 debut album Return of the Rentals . Andrew explains why he chose this album and why he consistently revisits it over the years. He also talks about the uniqueness of The Rentals’ sound and how frontman Matt Sharp has made it distinctiv...

Send us Fan Mail On this episode, kindie rock superstar Laurie Berkner introduces Al to Aimee Mann’s 1995 album I’m with Stupid . Laurie talks about how she listened to this album frequently in the latter half of the ‘90s (along with Beck’s Odelay and Liz Phair’s Whitechocolatespaceegg ) and why it appealed to her so much. Laurie also discusses the ways in which I’m with Stupid has influenced her...

Send us Fan Mail On this episode, Wes Jackson—the President of BRIC Arts Media in Brooklyn—drops by to introduce Al to De La Soul’s 1993 album Buhloone Mindstate . Wes talks about his long-time De La Soul fandom, how he became acquainted with their music and how he has crossed paths with the group at various points during his professional career. He also discusses the various ways in which Buhloon...

Send us Fan Mail Nottingham-based multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter, producer, YouTuber and podcaster Laura Kidd (Penfriend, Obey Robots, She Makes War) joins Al to get him acquainted with Belly’s 1993 debut album Star . Laura talks about how she was first introduced to Star and how its uniqueness inspired her to follow her own musical path. She also revisits the time she performed Belly’s...

Send us Fan Mail Peter Holsapple (dB’s, R.E.M., Hootie and the Blowfish, Continental Drifters, The Paranoid Style) pays YMAAA a visit to introduce Al to The Flame’s 1970 self-titled album. Peter talks about discovering the band’s music as an outgrowth of his love of the Beach Boys and why the album has held up for him as a favorite for more than 50 years. He also offers another album recommendatio...

Send us Fan Mail CONTENT WARNING: There are references to suicide as they relate to the lyrics of the song “China Doll.” (Discussion begins at 28:27 and ends at 31:53.) On this episode, L.A.-based singer-songwriter Dylan Rodrigue joins Al to introduce him to the Grateful Dead’s 1974 album From the Mars Hotel . Dylan talks about why he selected this album to discuss, and why he thought it would be...

Send us Fan Mail On this episode, Al has not one or two, but three guests to introduce him to an album he has never heard before. Miki Berenyi (Lush, Piroshka), KJ “Moose” McKillop (Moose, Piroshka) and Oliver Cherer (Aircooled, Dollboy, Gilroy Mere, Australian Testing Labs Inc.) of the Miki Berenyi Trio share their thoughts and memories about The Associates’ 1982 album Sulk . Miki, Moose and Olli...

Send us Fan Mail Multi-instrumentalist Jessica Dobson—best-known as the guitarist and vocalist for Deep Sea Diver—joins Al to introduce him to Radiohead’s 2001 album Amnesiac . Jessica talks about the memorable circumstance under which she first heard Amnesiac , which tracks are her favorites and why, and how Radiohead has been an influence on her playing and songwriting. She discusses Deep Sea Di...

Send us Fan Mail On this episode, L.A.-based singer/songwriter/musician Linying gets Al acquainted with Sufjan Stevens’ 2015 album Carrie & Lowell . Linying talks about how the album has impacted her over the last 10 years and how she relates its themes of mortality and grief to her own life experiences. She also explains the ways in which both the music and lyrics of Carrie & Lowell tell...

Send us Fan Mail Mike Clark, the guitarist for the L.A.-based progressive metal band Final Gravity, joins Al on this episode to introduce him to King’s X’s 1989 album, Gretchen Goes to Nebraska . Mike talks about roles that an L.A. radio station and MTV played in getting him into King’s X, and he discusses the elements of the album’s sound that have made it one of his favorite albums. He also note...

Send us Fan Mail Sophie Payten, aka Gordi, joins Al from Melbourne, Australia to discuss the phenomenon that is Carole King’s 1971 album Tapestry. Sophie talks about how this album has been an important part of her life since childhood, and how it has influenced her songwriting. She breaks down nearly all of Tapestry 's tracks, focusing on how King's vocals, piano playing and songwriting...

Send us Fan Mail Singer-songwriter Kendall Jane Meade (Mascott, Juicy, Anders and Kendall, solo) pays YMAAA a visit to introduce Al to Joni Mitchell’s 1974 album Court and Spark . Kendall talks about her first impressions of the album and explains why its tracks still resonate with her more than 25 years after first hearing them. She and Al also discuss some of the unique features of the album, su...

Send us Fan Mail Singer, songwriter and guitarist Jess Sylvester (Marinero) joins Al and introduces him to Blonde Redhead’s 2004 album Misery Is a Butterfly . Jess talks about why he chose this album for the episode and how he was first exposed to it. Among many aspects of the album he focuses on, Jess observes how Blonde Redhead integrates their classical influences with different musical styles...

Send us Fan Mail Guitarist, improviser and research diver Henry Kaiser visits YMAAA and introduces Al to Captain Beefheart’s 1972 album The Spotlight Kid . Henry talks about his personal connections to Captain Beefheart’s backing ensemble, The Magic Band, and particularly his connection to Elliot Ingber, who passed away just days before this episode was recorded. Henry recalls how seeing a live pe...

Send us Fan Mail On nearly every previous episode of You, Me and An Album , Al has invited a guest to introduce him to one album he doesn’t know well (or at all), but this week’s guest talks about seven of his favorite albums. Mike Montgomery, who owns Candyland Recording Studio in Dayton, Kentucky, and is a member of R.Ring and Ampline, suggested 11 possible albums to discuss on this episode, but...

Send us Fan Mail On this episode, NPR music critic and correspondent Ann Powers gets Al acquainted with The Roches’ 1979 self-titled debut album. Ann explains how she got to know the album and how it became an important part of her life and the lives of her friends. She also talks about the elements that make The Roches unique, including their harmonies, clever songwriting and misfit style. Ann di...

Send us Fan Mail On this episode, guitarist/singer/songwriter/producer Dave Alvin (The Blasters, X, The Knitters, The Third Mind, solo) digs deep into the 1969 Underground Blues compilation album. He explains how he became acquainted with the album and why it was such an important part of his introduction to the folk blues tradition. Dave also dissects the work of some of the artists featured on t...

Send us Fan Mail Legendary folk singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist John McCutcheon kicks off 2025 on You, Me and An Album by introducing Al to Pete Seeger’s 1963 live album We Shall Overcome . John talks about how it was the first album he had ever bought and how it has shaped life and his work as a musician. He also discusses his personal relationship with Seeger and what made Seeger su...

Send us Fan Mail Georgia-based singer-songwriter Scott Colson—who performs under the name Slaw—visits YMAAA to discuss the 1969 album  Led Zeppelin II . Scott explains how his love of the blues led him to become a Led Zeppelin fan and why he thinks Led Zeppelin II is their best album. Scott breaks down several of his favorite tracks from the album and tells Al about a game he plays with his friend...

Send us Fan Mail Nashville-based singer-songwriter Sarah Gargano visits YMAAA to discuss Bright Eyes’ 2000 album Fevers and Mirrors . Sarah talks about the unusual reason that got her to explore Bright Eyes in her early teens and how she was first introduced to Fevers and Mirrors . She explains why this is one of her favorite albums and why she considers some of the material to be both self-indulg...

Send us Fan Mail Simon Raymonde—bassist for Cocteau Twins and head/co-founder of the Bella Union record label—joins Al to introduce him to the Patti Smith Group’s 1976 album, Radio Ethiopia . Simon talks about his initial reaction to hearing the album when he was 15 and how that differed from his impressions of Smith’s debut Horses . He also talks about why he started listening to the album again...

Send us Fan Mail Electric violinist Ginny Luke, who has played on sessions for numerous artists including Foo Fighters, Hozier, Britney Spears and Meat Loaf, drops by YMAAA to talk about her first solo album Devil at My Heels , which was released on Nov. 1. Ginny talks about her previous solo work, the process behind recording her first full-length solo album—including collaborations with guitaris...

Send us Fan Mail Louisville-based singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Jason Bemis Lawrence drops by YMAAA to talk about Radiohead’s 2000 album Kid A . Jason talks about why Kid A is one of his favorite albums and how his appreciation for Radiohead developed over time. He also discusses Radiohead’s influence on his own music and the difficulty of spending a lot of time with a particular al...