You, Me and An Album

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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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For this episode, virtuoso drummer Cindy Blackman Santana chose her 2020 album Give the Drummer Some as the focus for this discussion, but she and Al branch out into a wide-ranging conversation about several of her albums. Cindy talks about why she decided to write and sing lyrics for Give the Drummer Some, and she highlights some of the album’s notable tracks. Cindy also discusses her 2010 Tony Williams tribute album Another Lifetime, her recently-released album Coherence and the upcoming self-titled release for the supergroup Power of 3 (with Orianthi and Rhonda Smith).

As Cindy mentions on the episode, she has several live dates with her band over the next few months. Here are the dates for her shows in Baltimore and New York. For more information, go to cindyblackmansantana.com.

Oct. 24-25, Keystone Corner, Baltimore, MD
Dec. 4-6, Blue Note NYC, New York, NY

For more information on Cindy’s recordings and shows, give her a follow on these platforms…
Instagram, TikTok: @cindyblackmansantana
Facebook: @cindyblackmandrummer

The Power of 3 is also on Instagram at @thepowerof3official

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.
1:24 Cindy’s introduction
2:23 Cindy explains why she wanted to talk about Give the Drummer Some
3:45 Cindy talks about the song that led to her making Give the Drummer Some with Narada Michael Walden
6:46 Cindy recalls how she took on the challenge of becoming a vocalist
9:14 Cindy discusses the songwriting process for Give the Drummer Some
15:44 Cindy highlights some of her favorite things about Give the Drummer Some
18:28 Cindy talks about the recording process for Give the Drummer Some
20:05 Cindy revisits her Tony Williams tribute album Another Lifetime
21:48 Cindy explains how her “suite” for “Coherence” came together
28:11 Cindy talks about the formation of the new supergroup The Power of 3
32:04 Cindy discusses the vinyl version of Coherence and her upcoming live dates

Outro music is from “Guitar Love” by Cindy Blackman Santana (feat. John McLaughlin and Carlos Santana).
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Jorina Stamm of the Swiss indie pop band Soft Loft joins Al for this week’s album deep dive, and she chose Phoebe Bridgers’ Lost Weekend (released on August 14) to discuss. Jorina explains why she wanted to talk about Lost Weekend and shares her early reactions to this highly-anticipated release. She also discusses how listening to Lost Weekend got her thinking more about concept albums. Jorina explains how Soft Loft unintentionally made a concept album with their recent release Throw the Dice, and she talks about the band’s upcoming tour dates and other plans.

Want to know more about Jorina and Soft Loft? You can find them in these places online…
softloftmusic.com (includes newsletter signup)
Instagram: @softloftsoftloft

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.

1:21 Jorina’s introduction
2:04 Jorina explains why she picked Lost Weekend for this episode
4:04 Jorina talks about her initial experience with listening to the album
5:35 Jorina explains how doing research enhanced her listening experience
6:54 Jorina and Al react to the album opening with “The Outside”
10:09 Jorina notes the songs that have stood out to her so far
11:51 Jorina explains what she likes about Bridgers’ songwriting
13:11 Jorina and Al talk about the speculation over how much Bridgers’ lyrics are about her personal relationships
17:30 Jorina highlights the musical aspects of the album she likes
18:47 Jorina explains why her experience with listening to Lost Weekend was not a typical one for her
21:20 Jorina and Al identify their go-to tracks for one-offs
26:49 Jorina talks about why she has recently revisited some of Bridgers’ earlier work
29:36 Jorina and Al discuss Cameron Winter’s involvement with the album
33:57 Al had a failed attempt at listening to Lost Weekend right when it came out
34:57 Jorina explains how the theme of Throw the Dice came together
41:26 Jorina talks about the reaction to “Wednesdays”
44:15 Jorina reveals Soft Loft’s upcoming plans

Outro music is from “What Are The Odds” by Soft Loft.
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Albuquerque-based Americana singer-songwriter Michael Rudd joins Al for a deep-dive analysis of Townes Van Zandt’s 1969 self-titled album. Michael explains why he admires Van Zandt’s songwriting, notes what makes this album a special one in Van Zandt’s discography and breaks down the album’s highlights. He also discusses how he became inspired to create a five-album cycle over the last few years and goes into detail on some of the tracks off his latest release, Midnight at Dawn.

You can find Michael’s music and keep up with him through the following places.
https://www.michaelrudd.com/
https://michaelrudd.bandcamp.com/
@michaelruddmusic on YouTube
@michael.rudd.music on Instagram and Facebook

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.
1:16 Michael’s introduction
2:32 Michael talks about his relatively recent introduction to Townes Van Zandt’s music
4:18 Michael explains why Townes Van Zandt is a perfect album
5:15 Michael and Al discuss the emotional nature of “Fare Thee Well, Miss Carousel”
7:08 Michael explains why Van Zandt stands out to him among other great songwriters
12:21 Michael hears something about the Southwestern landscape in Van Zandt’s voice
13:25 Al and Michael discuss the spiritual nature of the lyrics in “Just For the Sake of the Song”
19:39 Michael picks out some of the other highlights from the album
25:37 How much does Michael listen to Townes Van Zandt?
26:39 Michael thinks the self-titled album distinguishes itself in Van Zandt’s discography
27:54 Michael explains how he wound up creating a five-album cycle
34:48 Michael talks about the perils of trying to interpret lyrics
37:11 Michael cites the biggest influence that Van Zandt has had on his own work
39:16 Michael discusses the meaning of “Made It Out of Jersey”
47:50 Michael provides an update on Palace of Flames

Outro music is from “Made It Out of Jersey” by Michael Rudd.
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For his album deep dive, singer, songwriter, author and educator Wesley Stace chose Robert Wyatt’s 1974 album Rock Bottom. Wesley recounts the adolescent friendship that led to his discovery of Rock Bottom, and he explains why it has been one of his favorite albums in the ensuing decades. He delves into the non-sensical nature of Wyatt’s lyrics and why they carry deep meaning for him. Wesley also talks about his latest album One Last Heist, his recent movement towards jazzier music and his upcoming shows.

There’s a lot to keep up with when it comes to Wesley’s music and shows, and you can do so at the following places online.
wesleystace.com
Instagram and Threads: @wesleystace
Facebook: @wesley.stace.9

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.

1:02 Wesley’s introduction
2:00 Wesley recalls how he first got introduced to Robert Wyatt’s music
12:03 Wesley explains why he was drawn to Rock Bottom and how the album made him a lifelong Wyatt fan
18:05 Wesley makes a connection between Rock Bottom and the film Don’t Look Now
23:53 Wesley lauds Nick Mason’s production work and musical vision
27:00 It doesn’t take long for Rock Bottom to get non-sensical
32:14 Wesley sees the album as having broad appeal despite its bizarre quality
33:14 Wesley compares the non-sensical lyrics of Rock Bottom with those of Yes
36:23 A couple of childhood friends were instrumental to shaping Wesley’s musical explorations
39:47 Wesley sees a link between Robert Wyatt and Bob Dylan
44:37 Wesley and Al were impacted by Wyatt’s lyrics, even when they didn’t make sense
46:11 Wesley addresses why he didn’t pick a jazz album to discuss
48:51 Wesley was disappointed with one aspect of the Rock Bottom reissue
50:03 Wesley talks about the thread tying “One Last Heist” and “Hello Dead Horse”—the opening and closing tracks from One Last Heist
53:27 Wesley explains how he started making jazzier music
58:26 Wesley talks about upcoming Smithereens and Cabinet of Wonders shows

Outro music is from “Not My Speed” by Wesley Stace.
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