You, Me and An Album

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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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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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