You, Me and An Album

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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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Los Angeles-based singer, songwriter, YouTuber, poet and satirist Bossi joins Al for a rare double album deep dive, as she talks about Bruce Springsteen’s 1980 release The River. Bossi discusses her Springsteen fandom, which dates back to her childhood, and she explains why The River has been one of her favorite albums for decades. She explores the prominent themes of The River and illustrates how many of those themes are present in her own work, particularly on her latest album Tell All the Other Girls. Bossi also talks about her Finishing School for Difficult Women video series and how it developed from its beginnings as a part of the rollout for Tell All the Other Girls.
You can explore the many facets of Bossi’s work in the following places:
www.iambossi.com
iambossi.bandcamp.com
www.houseofbossi.com
Instagram and TikTok: @iambossiofficial
Substack and YouTube: @iambossi

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 Bossi’s introduction
2:09 Bossi is a big believer in the album format
4:21 Bossi’s father was instrumental to her Springsteen fandom
6:45 Bossi explains how a Springsteen concert changed her life
11:05 Bossi talks about why “The Price You Pay” is a special song for her
16:22 “Two Hearts” is another track where Springsteen explores the theme of “keeping the spark alive”
17:43 Bossi explains how The River is a hopeful album, despite its many bleak moments
21:35 Bossi notes the parallels between the themes on The River and in her own music
25:25 Al and Bossi talk about the masculinity of Springsteen’s songs and image
31:09 Al thinks The River should be a single album
33:23 Bossi talks about an ongoing emotional connection she has with one of Springsteen’s songs
35:52 Bossi highlights some of her favorite tracks from the second half of the album
40:23 Bossi talks about the role of memory in Springsteen’s songs as well as in hers
45:53 Bossi and Al contrast the feel of the two discs of the album
48:10 Bossi and Al note the similarities in the sequencing between The River and Tell All the Other Girls
52:37 Bossi explains why she didn’t end Tell All the Other Girls with “Hold On”
55:43 Bossi admires how Springsteen sometimes sets heavy lyrics to upbeat music
58:25 Bossi explains how her Finishing School videos grew out of her process of rolling out Tell All the Other Girls
1:06:13 Bossi’s Finishing School character had its roots in some of her earlier performances
1:07:50 Bossi talks about her intent in creating the Finishing School videos and Substack
1:13:11 Bossi discusses the House of Bossi
1:16:39 Bossi explains why she chose “Bossi” as her artist name

Outro music is from “Run Baby Run” by Bossi.
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For this week’s album deep dive, Brazilian-born, Brooklyn-based musician, songwriter and video game designer Rafael Melo (who records and performs as Late Again) chose Arthur Verocai’s 1972 self-titled album. Rafael talks about how he first came across Verocai’s music and why he connected with this album instantly. He also delves into why he takes inspiration from Verocai’s music and career and how he came to collaborate with the Brazilian maestro on the song “People Pleasers.” Rafael discusses his soon-to-be-released EP I Dreamt I Was Awake (out September 4) and the upcoming debut Late Again album.

There are lots of places online where you can check out Late Again and follow Rafael…

Website: www.imlateagain.com
Bandcamp: imlateagain.bandcamp.com/
Instagram: @lateagainsta
YouTube: @reallylateagain
Spotify: Late Again
TikTok: @reallylateagain
Soundcloud: @reallylateagain

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.
1:15 Rafael’s introduction
2:56 Al explains why his reaction to the album left him feeling a little stupid
4:20 Rafael talks about how he first got exposed to Arthur Verocai
8:51 Rafael hears Verocai’s voice through his arrangements
10:41 Rafael considers why Verocai’s music wasn’t discovered by many until decades after being released
14:13 Al and Rafael note the album’s eclecticism
17:56 Discovering Verocai was part of a larger exploration of Brazilian music for Rafael
21:33 Rafael explains how his collaboration with Verocai happened
27:04 Al found a surprise in the album’s credits
29:49 Rafael and Al appreciate Verocai’s vocals
31:26 Rafael picks his favorite tracks from the album
35:42 Al and Rafael discuss how “Na Boca do Sol” was sampled by several artists
37:42 Rafael and Al sort out their mixed feelings about sampling
39:49 Rafael finds inspiration in Verocai’s story
42:41 Rafael talks about the various musical elements in I Dreamt I Was Awake
46:28 Rafael discusses some songwriting challenges he gave himself
47:55 Rafael explains why he has not released a full album yet
51:25 Rafael provides an update on the upcoming Late Again album
52:49 Rafael talks about the many facets of his professional life
55:40 Rafael discusses his upcoming tour

Outro music is from “Crazy or Stupid” by Late Again.
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This week’s guest is Portland-based singer, songwriter, author, podcaster, educator and visual artist Laura Veirs, and she chose the 2021 release Promises by Floating Points, Pharoah Sanders and the London Symphony Orchestra for her album deep dive. Laura talks about her recent explorations of EDM and how that led her to listening to Floating Points and, ultimately, to Promises. She discusses the elements of Promises that make it an enthralling listening experience for her, as well as how the album has helped to her to reconnect to her own music. That reconnection resulted in the making of Temple Songs (released Aug. 14), and Laura delves into her process of writing and recording songs for the album.

There are many ways to keep up with Laura online!
lauraveirs.com
@lauraveirs on Instagram, Facebook and X
@_lauraveirs_ on Tiktok
@RavenMarchingBandLauraVeirs on YouTube

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.
1:22 Laura’s introduction
2:38 Laura discovered Promises by way of Floating Points’ EDM work
5:06 Laura was also drawn to the album due to her interest in Pharoah Sanders
7:45 Laura talks about the relationship between Sam Shepherd and Sanders
9:32 Laura was impressed by the use of silence and human noises on Promises
14:16 Laura hears some elements of EDM in Promises
17:50 Laura revisits the moment when she decided to pick this album
19:39 Listening to the album sparked a greater interest in Floating Points and Pharoah Sanders
21:53 Promises helped Laura to reconnect with music after a period of burnout
25:00 Laura talks about how she wound up making Temple Songs
27:43 Laura focused on her performances and not on gear when making her album
32:18 Laura explains why she didn’t mix Temple Songs
36:27 Laura talks about the “No Masters” theme of Temple Songs and why she decided not to make that the name of the album
44:41 Laura discusses the upcoming reissued version of the case/lang/veirs album
47:57 Laura talks about her videos and upcoming tour dates

Outro music is from “Arc Still Bends” by Laura Veirs.
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