You, Me and An Album

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For this episode, author, editor and podcaster Keith Jopling talks about Björk’s 2001 album Vespertine. Keith explains why Vespertine has been one of his favorite albums since its release and why it’s been top-of-mind for him lately. He and Al discuss the themes of domestic bliss and surrender that are prevalent in the album’s lyrics. Keith explains how Vespertine was both a response to and a reaction against the changes in music listening that resulted from streaming. He also talks about his recently-published book Body of Work as well as his podcast The Art of Longevity.

Keith made a couple of references to the My9Albums website and the social media trend it has catalyzed. Al hopped on the trend and posted the nine most impactful albums in his life here: https://www.instagram.com/p/DfC1LipHBSh/. He also wrote about those choices in the You, Me and An Album newsletter here: https://youmealbum.ghost.io/hopping-on-the-my9albums-trend.

If you want to share your nine most important albums, you can start at www.my9albums.com.

You can follow Keith on Instagram at @songsommelier. You can also learn more about his work and explore The Art of Longevity podcast, playlists, articles and artwork on his website www.songsommelier.com.

Be sure to sign up for the YMAAA Newsletter at youmealbum.ghost.io. 
To keep up with You, Me and An Album, please give the show a follow on Instagram at @youmealbum.
Excerpts from episodes are now available on YouTube at @YouMeAndAnAlbum. Please consider subscribing and liking!
Al has put a pause on publishing new Bonus Tracks episodes, but you can listen to the past ones at the You, Me and An Album Patreon for $1/month. Just go to www.patreon.com/youmealbum.
1:19 Keith’s introduction
2:02 Keith explains why this interview took place at the Berklee College of Music
3:39 Keith shares why he decided to talk about Vespertine
6:03 Keith recalls why he listened to Vespertine frequently when it came out
8:52 Keith clusters the album’s tracks into three groups
13:08 Al and Keith talk about the opener “Hidden Place”
17:42 Keith explains how Björk foresaw and responded to the shift to streaming music
19:45 Björk bucked many of the emerging trends by making a cohesive album
22:50 Keith focuses on the album’s middle section
24:46 Al talks about Vespertine’s “wholesomeness”
26:58 Keith discusses the theme of surrender in Björk’s songs
30:52 Keith talks about how Björk’s subsequent albums got weirder
34:26 Al makes note of the Björk-Toumani Diabaté connection
36:30 Keith had a chance to see Björk on her Vespertine tour
38:44 Keith explains how albums survived the threats posed by streaming
49:20 Keith and Al talk about listening parties and the social aspect of album listening
51:56 Keith reveals his upcoming plans for The Art of Longevity
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This episode was originally published on the You, Me and An Album Patreon on Dec. 8, 2025.
For this episode, Lee Jennings—frontman of the Atlanta-based emo-hardcore band The Funeral Portrait—continues the My Chemical Romance discussion he began with Al on Ep 194 of You, Me and An Album. Progressing through the MCR discography, they move on from Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge to the 2006 follow-up album, The Black Parade. Lee discusses why he wanted to talk about The Black Parade, and he delves into the album’s importance to MCR and to the emo genre more generally. He also revisits his initial experiences with listening to the album and explains how it enhanced his MCR fandom.
Keep up with Lee on Instagram at @leejennings!
Also, you can learn more about The Funeral Portrait at thefuneralportrait.com and follow them in the following places…
TikTok: @tfp_devotion
Instagram and Facebook: @thefuneralportrait
Be sure to sign up for the YMAAA Newsletter at youmealbum.ghost.io. 
To keep up with You, Me and An Album, please give the show a follow on Instagram at @youmealbum.
You can listen to excerpts of YMAAA episodes on YouTube. Please consider subscribing to the YMAAA channel there at @youmeandanalbum.
0:00 Lee’s introduction
1:31 Lee explains why he wanted to come back to the show and discuss The Black Parade
6:05 Lee and Al talk about their experiences with listening to albums that followed up albums they fell in love with
8:14 Lee details how My Chemical Romance matured along with their audience
11:41 Lee thinks fans could connect more easily to the themes on The Black Parade
14:55 Lee discusses the background behind Danger Days
16:59 Lee explains why The Black Parade became a sensation
20:16 Lee doesn’t think The Black Parade would have made the same impact without Bullets and Three Cheers coming before it
22:37 Lee talks about The Black Parade’s timeless sound
28:42 Lee lauds the depth of quality songs recorded during the sessions for The Black Parade
30:00 Lee and Al have questions about the album’s sequencing
35:45 Al was surprised by a couple of things he learned in preparation for this episode
36:51 Is the fourth album “the artist’s album” (h/t Jessica Dobson)?
Outro music is from “Stay Weird” by The Funeral Portrait.
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Writer, podcaster, guitarist and voiceover artist Joey Held joins Al to introduce him to The Gaslight Anthem’s 2008 album The ’59 Sound. Joey talks about the experience that led him to become a fan of The Gaslight Album and of The ’59 Sound in particular. He explains what it is about The ’59 Sound that makes it one of his favorite albums, and he and Al explore the many musical references that are captured in the album’s lyrics and sounds. Joey also talks about his recent work, including what’s new for his band Burning Years and why he began his Sports R Dumb podcast.

You can follow Joey on Instagram at @phat_phoodies and check out his work on his websites joeyheld.com and wackytravel.com.

As Joey mentioned, there are many places where you can buy or stream Burning Years’ music. Bandcamp is one of those places, and the band has a page there: burningyearstexas.bandcamp.com.

Listen to Sports R Dumb! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sports-r-dumb/id1614525956
You can also follow the show on Instagram at @sportsrdumb.

Be sure to sign up for the YMAAA Newsletter at youmealbum.ghost.io. 
To keep up with You, Me and An Album, please give the show a follow on Instagram at @youmealbum.
Excerpts from episodes are now available on YouTube at @YouMeAndAnAlbum. Please consider subscribing and liking!
Al has put a pause on publishing new Bonus Tracks episodes, but you can listen to the past ones at the You, Me and An Album Patreon for $1/month. Just go to www.patreon.com/youmealbum.
1:17 Joey’s introduction
2:36 Joey shares why he chose The ‘59 Sound for this episode
5:06 Joey has a vivid memory of how he first got introduced to The Gaslight Anthem
7:37 Joey and Al talk about The Gaslight Anthem’s connections to Bruce Springsteen
9:39 The Gaslight Anthem evoked other artists and eras for both Joey and Al
13:49 Joey cites a couple of settings where it was especially fun to listen to The ’59 Sound
18:44 Joey speaks to the album’s flow and sequencing
22:46 Joey highlights a couple of his favorite tracks
24:55 Al and Joey react to the many musical references in the lyrics
28:32 Joey explains why he thinks The ’59 Sound is The Gaslight Anthem’s best album
33:39 Joey singles out one thing that could have been improved on The Gaslight Anthem’s albums
35:22 Joey talks about how he started the Sports R Dumb podcast
40:44 Joey updates us on his band Burning Years
44:15 Joey discusses the many places online where he’s posting

Outro music is from “Under Pressure” by Burning Years.
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Guitarist, vocalist, songwriter and film director Ben Hozie of the Brooklyn-based indie rock band Bodega visits YMAAA to talk about Milk Dick’s 2014 album It Grows on You. Ben explains how he got acquainted with Milk Dick’s music and why It Grows on You has been his musical companion for more than a decade. He discusses how the band’s theatrical and sometimes serious side co-exists with the humor and silliness inherent to their musical style and band name. Ben also breaks down several of his favorite tracks from the album. He talks about the musical influences that informed Bodega’s new album All Inside Aquarium as well as discussing his ATM: At This Moment podcast and upcoming film Jack London Calling.

To learn more about Bodega or to check out their music, please visit their website and Bandcamp page, respectively at bodega-band.com and bodegabk.bandcamp.com.
You can also follow the band on Instagram and TikTok at @bodegabk and check out their videos at @bodegaNYC on YouTube.

To hear Ben’s interview with Milk Dick’s Mike Delaney on his ATM: At This Moment podcast, go to https://podcasts.apple.com/bw/podcast/s1-ep17-mike-delaney-cry-when-yr-young/id1759971591?i=1000678578548.

For information on Ben’s latest film project, Jack London Calling, and Pretorius Pictures generally, go to https://pretoriuspictures.tumblr.com/.

Be sure to sign up for the YMAAA Newsletter at youmealbum.ghost.io. 
To keep up with You, Me and An Album, please give the show a follow on Instagram at @youmealbum.
Excerpts from episodes are now available on YouTube at @YouMeAndAnAlbum. Please consider subscribing and liking!
Al has put a pause on publishing new Bonus Tracks episodes, but you can listen to the past ones at the You, Me and An Album Patreon for $1/month. Just go to www.patreon.com/youmealbum.

1:28 Ben’s introduction
2:06 Ben explains why he chose It Grows on You for this episode
3:40 Ben and Al address the band’s name
4:43 Ben talks about first getting acquainted with Milk Dick through their live shows
5:20 Ben notes how Milk Dick combines their playful and serious sides
9:44 Ben talks about the theatrical nature of Milk Dick’s music, particularly on “Bathroom Door”
15:22 Ben provides some history on Milk Dick
18:03 Ben highlights “Grey Shapes” as one of his favorite songs on the album
19:50 Ben ponders the meaning of “My BF, Socrates”
21:34 Ben and Al talk about their reactions to “Rhythm Rock”
23:55 Is “Beach Needles (Coney)” in poor taste or ironic?
28:03 Ben reveals which track from It Grows on You is his favorite
30:40 Ben and Al discuss the brevity of the album’s songs
32:27 Ben talks about Delaney’s ability to confront his dark side
34:24 Ben addresses how It Grows on You has continued to be an important part of his life
35:37 Ben explains why he is a musical obsessive (or “cultural consumer”)
40:53 Ben shares which album he has listened to dozens of times this year
42:55 Al and Ben grapple with the definition of post-punk and how it applies to All Inside Aquarium
50:44 Ben talks about Bodega’s ‘60s and ‘90s inspirations
57:16 Ben elaborates on why All Inside Aquarium is so riffy
58:37 Ben explains why he started the ATM: At This Moment podcast
1:02:36 Ben talks about his upcoming film Jack London Calling

Outro music is from “Pick up the Check” by Bodega.
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Los Angeles-based Americana singer-songwriter Paula Fong joins Al to introduce him to Gillian Welch’s 1996 album Revival. Paula explores what made Revival instantly appealing to her, and she explains why it continues to be one of her favorite albums and an important influence on her own music. Paula also discusses her new album A Bird on the Wing and her collaboration with Nickel Creek guitarist Sean Watkins on her cover of “Turn! Turn! Turn!”.

For information on Paula’s music, upcoming live dates and more, visit her website paulafong.com. You can also follow her on Instagram and YouTube at @paulafongmusic.

Be sure to sign up for the YMAAA Newsletter at youmealbum.ghost.io. 
To keep up with You, Me and An Album, please give the show a follow on Instagram at @youmealbum.
Excerpts from episodes are now available on YouTube at @YouMeAndAnAlbum. Please consider subscribing and liking!
Al has put a pause on publishing new Bonus Tracks episodes, but you can listen to the past ones at the You, Me and An Album Patreon for $1/month. Just go to www.patreon.com/youmealbum.
1:11 Paula’s introduction
2:19 Paula recalls how she first got acquainted with Revival
4:49 Paula explains why she was drawn to the sound of Revival right away
7:40 Paula and Al talk about the authenticity of Welch’s music
9:48 Al had to warm up to the album
10:47 Paula talks about a formative experience she had with Celtic folk music
13:32 Paula and Al talk about the importance of formative experiences in shaping musical tastes
15:18 Paula talks about what she finds particularly striking about the songs on Revival
19:52 Paula and Al have very different reactions to “Paper Wings”
22:42 Paula explains what separates Revival from the rest of Welch’s discography
24:22 Paula notes how influential David Rawlings’ guitar playing has been
25:44 Paula cites the ways in which Welch and Rawlings have influenced her music
30:01 Paula and Al get more clues that they have very different tastes
31:56 Paula and Al talk about the value of repeated listening
33:14 Paula explains how she wound up collaborating with Watkins on her cover of “Turn! Turn! Turn!”
37:46 Paula goes into how her version of “Turn! Turn! Turn!” got arranged
40:30 Paula explains the story behind “What Are We Running From”
44:49 Paula talks about her upcoming live dates

Outro music is from “Up and Out” by Paula Fong.
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