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181. Miki Berenyi Trio Discuss The Associates, Sulk
Send us a textOn 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 Ollie talk about the unconventional aspects of this album, its popularity in the UK and how pop music went through a “weird” phase in the early ‘80s. They also discuss their debut album as a trio, Tripla, which will be released on April 4. In particular, Miki, Moose and Ollie talk about their process for writing the songs for the album, as well as their upcoming plans.Be sure to follow Miki on Instagram (@berenyi_miki) and Bluesky (@mikiberenyi)! Also, you can get more information on the Miki Berenyi Trio and Miki’s other work (including her superb memoir Fingers Crossed) at mikistuff.com. You can also sign up for her newsletter on her website.You can keep up with Ollie’s work on his YouTube channel, https://www.youtube.com/@OliverCherer, and on his website, www.olivercherer.co.uk.As he noted on this episode, Moose is blissfully absent from all social media.Al is on Bluesky at @almelchior. This show has an account on Instagram at @youmealbum. Subscribe for free to You, Me and An Album: The Newsletter! https://youmealbum.substack.com/. You can also support the show on Buzzsprout at https://www.buzzsprout.com/1542814/episodes or at the link at the bottom of these show notes.NOTE: At 54:31, Al incorrectly referred to the Miki Berenyi Trio song “8th Deadly Sin” as “Deadly Sin No. 8.”1:56 Miki, Moose and Oliver join the show2:13 How did the three of them agree on an album to discuss?3:02 Miki talks about her early memories of Sulk4:34 Ollie discusses the weirdness of ‘80s pop music in the UK5:51 Moose explains why he chose Sulk for this episode9:20 Ollie talks about how the drums add to the album’s weirdness12:28 Moose explains why the album’s messiness doesn’t bother him15:11 Moose and Miki surmise why The Associates chose not to have vocals on the first five minutes of the album19:06 Ollie notes the oddness of the hook in “Party Fears Two”22:27 Moose talks about Billy MacKenzie’s vocal prowess24:24 Miki and Ollie discuss how experimentation was built into a lot of early post-punk music28:18 Moose, Ollie and Al talk about Sulk being an expensive album to make31:19 Moose cites his favorite tracks from the album34:28 Miki delves into her favorite track from Sulk39:22 Ollie talks about his favorite tracks from the album41:43 Sulk has more staying power for Moose than many other albums from the ‘80s44:20 Ollie explains how Sulk influenced some of his recent work46:56 Miki notes how The Associates’ confidence makes Sulk work49:37 Moose recommends a deeper exploration of The Associates’ discography52:12 Moose sees Sulk's cover art as a reflection of the album’s music53:26 Moose talks about a clever lyric from “8th Deadly Sin”56:29 Miki and Ollie explain how the trio’s songwriting process has worked1:03:50 Miki discusses the trio’s touring and songwriting plansOutro music is from “Vertigo” by the Miki Berenyi Trio.Support the show
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180. Jessica Dobson Discusses Radiohead, Amnesiac
Send us a textMulti-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 Diver’s new album, Billboard Heart, and how Radiohead helped to shape some of its sound. Jessica also breaks down one of the album’s singles, “Shovel,” and addresses whether U2 has also been an influence on the band’s sound.You can follow Jessica on Instagram at @thisisjdobson.To keep up with Deep Sea Diver, you can follow them on Bluesky at @thisisdeepseadiver or on Instagram, also at @thisisdeepseadiver. You can also visit their website, https://www.thisisdeepseadiver.com/. For information on tour dates, new music, merch and more, you can sign up for the DSD newsletter via Instagram or their website.Al is on Bluesky at @almelchior. This show has an account on Instagram at @youmealbum. Subscribe for free to You, Me and An Album: The Newsletter! https://youmealbum.substack.com/. You can also support the show on Buzzsprout at https://www.buzzsprout.com/1542814/episodes or at the link at the bottom of these show notes.1:24 Jessica joins the show1:46 Jessica explains why she opened up to letting her love of Radiohead influence the sound of Billboard Heart3:54 Jessica hears Amnesiac and Kid A as very different albums5:55 Jessica talks about the first time she listened to Amnesiac and how she first became aware of Radiohead9:43 Jessica explains why she chose to discuss Amnesiac11:36 Al and Jessica talk about some mathematical oddities in Radiohead’s music15:24 Jessica and Al note the odd ways that Radiohead creates balance in their music17:15 Jessica discusses the two sides of her songwriting—and Radiohead’s20:05 Jessica talks about her three favorite tracks from Amnesiac26:07 Jessica delves into the art of creating a big dramatic buildup28:14 Jessica cites a few songs from Billboard Heart that are Radiohead-influenced32:55 Jessica sheds light on Al’s favorite moment from Billboard Heart35:44 Jessica gives a reason for why she continues to find Radiohead an inspiration39:41 Jessica and Al talk about some Radiohead B-sides and bonus tracks44:24 Jessica likes interludes like “Hunting Bears”46:37 Jessica talks about how an object writing exercise led to her writing “Shovel”54:45 Has U2 been an influence on Deep Sea Diver?57:36 Jessica explains why a band’s fourth album is the “artist’s record”1:01:27 Jessica talks about Deep Sea Diver’s tour plansOutro music is from “Billboard Heart” by Deep Sea Diver.Support the show
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179. Linying Discusses Sufjan Stevens, Carrie & Lowell
Send us a textOn 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 a compelling story. Finally, Linying discusses the making of her new album Swim, Swim (to be released on April 4), and what she has learned from traveling between her native Singapore, Los Angeles and the island of Siargao in the Philippines. As Linying mentioned on the show, her main homes on the internet are Instagram and Substack. Be sure to follow both accounts!Instagram: @linying._Substack: https://linyingmusic.substack.com/Al is on Bluesky at @almelchior.bsky.social. This show has an account on Instagram at @youmealbum. Subscribe for free to You, Me and An Album: The Newsletter! https://youmealbum.substack.com/. You can also support the show on Buzzsprout at https://www.buzzsprout.com/1542814/episodes or at the link at the bottom of these show notes.1:29 Linying joins the show1:51 Linying hasn’t listened to many podcasts3:51 Linying is not sure whether she considers herself to be a Sufjan Stevens fan5:51 Great storytelling isn’t an essential part of music for Linying8:49 Linying talks about how Carrie & Lowell is “God music” for her11:46 Al and Linying discuss the album’s narrative arc15:49 Linying and Al talk about their own ruminations on mortality22:07 “Fourth of July” and “Blue Bucket of Gold” bring up a complicated combination of emotions27:08 Linying talks about her life circumstances around the time when Carrie & Lowell was released31:23 Not many albums resonate with Linying, but Carrie & Lowell has been a notable exception33:07 Linying talks about the track from the album that has the most tenderness35:52 Neither Linying nor Al have explored Stevens’ albums besides Illinois and Carrie & Lowell38:32 Linying talks about writing “Dial Tone” and the making of the song’s video48:32 Linying explains why she made Swim, Swim partially in Siargao56:35 Linying discusses her plans and goals beyond the release of Swim, SwimOutro music is from “Blondie” by Linying.Support the show
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178. Mike Clark Discusses King's X, Gretchen Goes to Nebraska
Send us a textMike 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 notes several bands that have been influenced by King’s X and explains why he thinks they did not get as much attention as some of the bands that they impacted. Mike also talks about Final Gravity and their latest release, Stormchaser, as well as their upcoming plans.As Mike mentioned on the episode, there is a GoFundMe page for Final Gravity’s producer and engineer Rich Mouser, who lost his home and studio in the Eaton Fire in January. Please help Rich and his family if you are able. https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-my-dad-rebuild-his-musical-legacyAlso, be sure to give Final Gravity a follow and check out their music if you haven’t already!Instagram: @final.gravityFacebook: @finalgravitythebandYouTube: @finalgravitybandBandcamp: https://finalgravity.bandcamp.com/Al is on Bluesky at @almelchior.bsky.social. This show has an account on Instagram at @youmealbum. Subscribe for free to You, Me and An Album: The Newsletter! https://youmealbum.substack.com/. You can also support the show on Buzzsprout at https://www.buzzsprout.com/1542814/episodes or at the link at the bottom of these show notes.Have a comment, question or suggestion about the show? Contact Al by clicking on the “Send us a text” link just above.1:08 Mike joins the show1:55 Mike talks about the radio and MTV shows that were instrumental to getting him into King’s X and other heavy rock bands5:23 Buying Gretchen Goes to Nebraska and seeing King’s X live cemented Mike’s fandom of the band7:04 Al and Mike both hear parallels between King’s X and 1980s Yes12:49 Hearing “Over My Head” motivated Mike to check out the whole album15:56 Mike explains why he thinks King’s X hasn’t been more popular19:34 Mike sees “Over My Head” and “Summerland” as representative of what King’s X does well22:19 Mike discusses the story behind why King’s X named the album Gretchen Goes to Nebraska23:29 Mike and Al talk about some of the lyrics that relate to religion and spirituality27:39 King’s X has two strong lead vocalists31:29 Mike cites some of his favorite tracks from the album36:18 Mike explains how King’s X influenced Pearl Jam’s “Jeremy”38:08 Gretchen was not the type of album that Al expected it to be41:01 Mike shares his thoughts on other King’s X albums42:48 This episode could have been about Transatlantic instead43:59 Mike talks about the evolution of Final Gravity47:59 Mike explains why Final Gravity decided to make the Stormchaser EP50:06 Mike tells the story behind Final Gravity’s choice to cover Rush’s “Entre Nous”53:39 Mike talks about the upcoming tour and recording plans for Final GravityOutro is from “Automatic Pilot” by Final Gravity.Support the show
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1:00:52
177. Sophie Payten (Gordi) Discusses Carole King, Tapestry
Send us a textSophie 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 helped to create a pop masterpiece. Sophie also explains why she decided to pursue both a medical career and a musical career, and how the former informed her songwriting when she was creating her new album Like Plasticine (out May 30).You can follow Sophie on Instagram at @gordimusic and stream her music on YouTube at @gordimusic_psa. Check out gordimusic.com, where you can buy Sophie’s music and Gordi merch. As Sophie mentioned on the show, this is also where you can go to sign up for her newsletter.Al is on Bluesky at @almelchior.bsky.social. This show has an account on Instagram at @youmealbum. Subscribe for free to You, Me and An Album: The Newsletter! https://youmealbum.substack.com/. You can also support the show on Buzzsprout at https://www.buzzsprout.com/1542814/episodes or at the link at the bottom of these show notes.Have a comment, question or suggestion about the show? Contact Al by clicking on the “Send us a text” link just above.1:19 Sophie joins the show2:35 Sophie talks about why she decided to pursue a career in medicine5:12 Sophie identifies the event that put her on the trajectory towards a music career8:17 Sophie explains why Tapestry has been an important album throughout her life12:00 Sophie notes what made an impression on her during latest listening of Tapestry14:19 Sophie marvels at Carole King’s powerful vocals18:00 Sophie and Al talk about how the studio musicians who played on Tapestry complemented King’s performance20:50 Sophie remembers learning to play “You’ve Got a Friend” on piano24:09 Al is more familiar with other artists’ interpretations of some of the songs from Tapestry26:11 Sophie talks about a few artists she explored after getting into Tapestry31:19 Sophie explains how King has influenced her own songwriting35:20 Sophie and Al talk about the uplifting nature of King’s melodies37:35 Sophie and Al explore “Beautiful” and “Smackwater Jack” as outliers on the album42:17 Sophie and Al discuss King’s discography aside from Tapestry46:05 Sophie talks about how the album opens and closes with its most powerful tracks50:47 Sophie and Al note the consistency of the album’s tracks52:44 Al was surprised by the outro of “So Far Away”54:54 Sophie talks about her lengthy songwriting process for “Peripheral Lover”1:01:03 Sophie recounts how her collaboration with Anaïs Mitchell on “PVC Divide” came about1:04:55 Sophie talks about her upcoming album release and touring plansOutro music is from “Broke Scene” by Gordi.Support the show
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