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Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter Johanna Samuels joins Al to introduce him to Sparklehorse’s 2001 album It’s a Wonderful Life. Johanna shares the unique circumstance under which she first learned about Sparklehorse, and she explains what makes It’s a Wonderful Life a magical album for her. She and Al also explore two of the music videos that accompanied the release of the album. Johanna talks about her soon-to-be-released fourth album Sorry, Kid (out August 14 on Odd Man Out Records) and the music videos she made for the album’s singles.

#johannasamuels #sorrykid #sparklehorse #marklinkous #itsawonderfullife #albumdiscussions

There are lots of places to keep up with Johanna and hear her music…

https://www.johannasamuels.com/

https://johannasamuels.bandcamp.com/

https://johannasamuels.substack.com/

@johannasamuels on Instagram and YouTube

@johannasamuelsmusic on 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.

1:29 Johanna’s introduction

2:49 Johanna revisits the unusual circumstance that led to her discovery of It’s a Wonderful Life

6:13 Johanna made a connection between Sparklehorse and Elliott Smith

8:50 Johanna recalls the artists who were on her iPod when she first heard Sparklehorse

10:25 Johanna talks about the experience of listening to It’s a Wonderful Life in its entirety

12:55 Johanna interprets the overarching theme of It’s a Wonderful Life

16:50 Johanna and Al make note of Mark Linkous’ frequent references to animals and nature in general

19:35 Johanna and Al talk about the indirectness of Linkous’ lyrics

21:19 “Gold Day” was Johanna’s entry point into the rest of the album

22:21 Johanna digs into some specific lyrics from the album

26:25 Johanna talks about some of the collaborators who appear on It’s a Wonderful Life

28:17 Johanna has bonded with people over Sparklehorse

32:21 Johanna thinks the stranger songs on the album play an important role

37:09 Johanna and Al discuss the video for “King of Nails”

42:36 Johanna and Al discuss the video for “Little Fat Baby”

49:09 Johanna’s final thought on It’s a Wonderful Life

50:10 Johanna and Al talk about the videos she made for Sorry, Kid

55:15 Johanna talks about the history of writing and recording “White Limousine”

57:45 Johanna explains how she recruited collaborators for Sorry, Kid

1:01:19 Johanna discusses her upcoming plans

Outro music is from “Full Story” by Johanna Samuels.

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On this episode, Brooklyn-based classical guitarist and music educator Tomas Rodriguez introduces Al to Toumani Diabaté’s 1988 album Kaira. Tomas talks about discovering Kaira during a visit to a New York record store and how his eclectic musical upbringing primed him to develop a deep appreciation for this album of Malian kora music. Tomas explains why Kaira is a spiritual album and how it has helped him to stay centered during tumultuous moments. He also discusses how this album influences his own music, and in particular, his latest album Whispered Awakening.

To get Tomas’ music, schedule of live dates and more, please visit his website tomasrodriguez.com/. You can also buy or stream his music on Bandcamp at tomasrodriguez.bandcamp.com/.

You can follow Tomas on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube at @tomasrodriguezguitar.

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.

1:34 Tomas’ introduction

2:18 Tomas recalls when he was first introduced to Kaira and kora music

6:11 Tomas and Al talk about the uniqueness of the kora as an instrument

10:58 Tomas notes how the spirituality of Diabaté’s music drew him in

14:53 It took Al a while to notice the variety across the tracks of the album

17:30 Tomas explains how each track is derived from Malian standards

19:34 Tomas discusses the circularity of Diabaté’s music

22:36 Tomas and Al contrast and compare kora music with blues

24:44 Tomas makes a case for listening to tracks from Kaira as one-offs

26:56 Tomas talks about how Diabaté borrows specific lines from other genres

29:46 Tomas explains how listening to Kaira helps him with his own compositions

30:56 Tomas was influenced by a wide variety of musical genres growing up

33:16 Tomas talks about the tribute to Diabaté he recorded for his new album

40:02 Tomas revisits the lead-up to making Whispered Awakening

43:42 Tomas explains why he founded the Tomas Guitar Studio in Brooklyn and how he uses Kaira in his instruction

48:21 Tomas talks about teaching with Rick Beato’s materials

50:21 Tomas talks about his upcoming shows

Outro music is from “Mélancolie” by Tomas Rodriguez.

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Georgia-based vocalist, songwriter, graphic designer and illustrator Anne Richmond Boston (The Swimming Pool Q’s, solo) visits YMAAA to introduce Al to The Glands’ self-titled album, released in 2000. Anne talks about getting to know The Glands’ late frontman Ross Shaprio in Athens, Georgia, before learning he was in a band and then discovering The Glands’ music. She explains what she loves about the band’s self-titled album and about the band in general, discussing the contributions of Shaprio as well as other members. Anne also talks about her 2025 solo album I Should Be Happy, which was 32 years in the making.

You can check out I Should Be Happy on Bandcamp at annerichmondboston.bandcamp.com.

Learn more about Anne’s work at annerichmondboston.com.

You can also follow her on Instagram at @annerichmondboston.

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 https://www.patreon.com/youmealbum.

1:32 Anne’s introduction

2:10 Anne explains why she picked The Glands for this episode

3:29 Anne recalls how she met Ross Shapiro and got introduced to the The Glands’ music

8:38 Anne talks about Shapiro’s artwork

10:42 Anne discusses the appeal of the album’s eclecticism

14:02 Anne listens to the album in a variety of settings

14:48 Anne works at spreading the word about The Glands

16:27 Anne has a hard time picking a favorite track

18:31 Anne talks about the Athens music scene past and present

21:01 Anne gives props to the other musicians who were in The Glands

23:33 Anne hears Shapiro’s “heart and soul” in The Glands’ music

25:16 Will Anne and her band cover a Glands song?

26:39 Al talks about the full-band sound on several of the tracks on I Should Be Happy

28:50 Anne discusses the process of making I Should Be Happy and the 32-year delay in releasing it

37:43 Anne talks about putting a band together to tour the new album

Outro music is from “I Should Be Happy” by Anne Richmond Boston.

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Drummer and percussionist Bob Bert (Sonic Youth, Pussy Galore, Jon Spencer and the HITmakers, solo) visits YMAAA to introduce Al to the 1978 no wave compilation No New York. Bob talks about the music he listened to growing up in New Jersey and how he ultimately became immersed in the New York punk and no wave scenes. He details how No New York was an instrumental part of his exposure to no wave and how he eventually collaborated with some of the musicians from the scene, including Lydia Lunch. Bob also discusses his new album, Beach Bongo Bloodbath—the first solo album he has released under his own name.

As Bob mentions on this episode, he has several upcoming shows and projects. You can learn more about those and whatever else Bob has coming up on his Instagram account. You can follow him at @therealbobbert.

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 https://www.patreon.com/youmealbum.

1:13 Bob’s introduction

2:26 Bob talks about the progression of his music listening, leading up to his discovery of no wave

7:35 Bob discusses joining Sonic Youth and meeting Lydia Lunch for the first time

10:15 Bob recalls some of the shows he went to growing up in New Jersey

13:27 Bob talks about the allure of the New York punk scene

17:37 Al shares his reaction to the compilation

20:25 Bob explains why he thinks no wave was accessible for him

21:36 Bob points out how interest in no wave has far outlasted the scene itself

24:06 Bob talks about the no wave scene beyond the compilation

30:22 Bob discusses the album’s ongoing importance to him

32:34 Bob recommends a pair of no wave documentaries

34:41 Bob explains how he came to make Beach Bongo Bloodbath and why he didn’t include guitars

38:18 Bob talks about the show from his recent album release party

40:40 Bob discusses his upcoming shows and projects

Outro music is from “Foggy Notion” by Bob Bert.

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Bassist, songwriter, music producer and film dialogue editor Kira Roessler (Black Flag, dos, solo) introduces Al to Bright Eyes’ 2005 album Digital Ash in a Digital Urn. Kira talks about why this album has been one of her favorites for the last 10 years and explains why she admires Conor Oberst’s musicianship and songwriting in general. She delves into her favorite tracks on the album and explores why Oberst’s highly vulnerable performances are a central reason for why she revisits Digital Ash frequently. Kira also talks about her second and latest solo album Enigma and how her songwriting process shaped the album’s sound.

If you want to hear Kira’s album Enigma in its entirety before it gets released on July 10, register for her Bandcamp listening party, which will take place on Tuesday, July 7 at 6pm ET. You can RSVP at kiraroessler.bandcamp.com.

Follow Kira and her label Org Music on their socials!

@kira_bassplayer on Instagram

@kiraroessler on Facebook

@orgmusic on Instagram

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 https://www.patreon.com/youmealbum.

1:10 Kira’s introduction

2:13 Kira reveals how she first became aware of Bright Eyes

3:08 Kira explains why Digital Ash resonates with her

4:57 Al and Kira share their responses to Oberst’s vocal style

7:50 Oberst’s openness and vulnerability is part of the appeal for Kira

10:31 Al identifies the point where his experience with Digital Ash started to change

12:48 Kira and Al responded differently to “Hit the Switch”

16:01 Kira appreciates Conor’s songwriting and album-making craft

18:47 Coping with addiction is an important theme of Digital Ash

22:02 Kira and Al talk about the one anthemic track on Digital Ash

28:34 Al and Kira make note of the album’s loop-like nature

30:24 Kira addresses a few tracks towards the end of the album

34:27 Kira and Al talk about the Bright Eyes discography

37:32 Kira explains why she recently saw Bright Eyes perform Digital Ash and I’m Wide Awake, despite her dislike of nostalgia

39:57 Kira gives some examples of artists she can get nostalgic about

41:02 Kira talks about her cover of “Drinking and Driving”

43:17 Kira discusses the title track and album closer for Enigma

45:16 Kira explains how she created the spacious sound on Enigma

49:45 Kira talks about her recent singles and upcoming plans

Outro music is from “You Will Feel My Pain” by Kira Roessler.

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This episode was originally published on the YMAAA Patreon in October 2025.

Munich-based soul-pop artist Caro Kelley visits Bonus Tracks to talk about her 1000 Albums project, in which she listened to three albums a day for an entire year. Caro shares why she started the project, and she explains how she determines what rating to give an album. She and Al get into discussions about seven of the albums she has listened to for the project, ranging from the one-star Flood by They Might Be Giants to Frank Ocean’s Blonde, which she gave five stars.

To see Caro’s Google sheet, which lists every album she has listened to for the project and their ratings, go to: 

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1lqeY7_ihNEpU-2ngUvmpn8p7FIrIRANCNWFwurbmM8I/edit?gid=0#gid=0

You can learn more about Caro and her music at https://carokelley.com!

Also, you can follow her on the following platforms:

Instagram and TikTok: @caro_kelley

Facebook: @carokelleymusic

YouTube: @CaroKelley

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.

0:00 Re-introducing Caro

1:09 Caro explains why she decided to undertake her 1000 Albums project

2:33 Caro details the process she used to select the 1000 albums

4:53 Caro explains how she rates the records she listens to

9:04 Why Caro gave her own album five stars

10:57 Caro clarifies the familiarity data from her 1000 Albums spreadsheet

Discussion of selected albums (with Caro’s ratings):

13:16 They Might Be Giants, Flood (1 star)

17:18 The Waterboys, This Is The Sea (2 stars)

24:07 Toto, self-titled (3 stars)

26:59 Sleater-Kinney, Dig Me Out (3 stars)

33:32 The Cars, Heartbeat City (4 stars)

36:40 Steve Winwood, Arc of a Diver (4 stars)

38:32 Frank Ocean, Blonde (5 stars)

Outro music is from “Guilty Feeling” by Caro Kelley.

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Singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer Peter Case (solo, The Plimsouls, The Nerves) returns to YMAAA to introduce Al to Fred Neil’s 1968 album Sessions. (Peter was previously on Ep 114 to discuss Bob Dylan’s self-titled debut album.) Peter talks about how he became fascinated with Neil and Sessions during his early teens, and he explains why Neil’s work has not received as much acclaim and appreciation as it deserves. He also discusses how Sessions is a concept album and why it’s not necessary to know about album’s cohesive theme in order to enjoy it. Peter walks through his long history with the Santa Monica venue McCabe’s Guitar Shop and discusses his new live album, My Life to Live, which was recorded there.

As Peter mentioned, the best place to follow him is on Instagram. He’s @petercase111. You can also keep up with Peter and his music at petercase.com and petercasemusic.bandcamp.com.

Peter talked about the work of Denise Sullivan (his wife), including her book Keep on Pushing. You can find out more about her work on her website, denisesullivan.org.

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.

As Al mentioned on this episode, 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 https://www.patreon.com/youmealbum.

1:12 Peter’s introduction

2:14 Al explains why he picked Sessions from Peter’s short list

3:29 Peter provides some of the reasons for why Neil didn’t have more of a following despite his accomplishments

6:28 Peter talks about what drew him to Neil’s music during his teen years

11:44 Peter explains how Neil’s music is a synthesis of different genres

14:20 Peter talks about how the album’s emotion comes from its vibe

18:16 Peter discusses how Sessions is a concept album

24:25 Peter talks about the ways that Neil influenced Richie Havens and Bob Dylan (plus a Dave Von Ronk story)

31:22 Peter views Sessions as a late-night listen

33:57 Peter talks about Neil’s Coconut Grove period

35:12 Peter and Al appreciate the loose feel of Sessions

37:44 Peter highlights one aspect of the recording environment that gives Sessions its unique sound

40:06 Peter gave Al some new ways to listen to the album

41:10 Peter talks about Herb Metoyer and his contribution to Sessions

44:28 Peter contrasts Neil’s focus on social issues versus the relative lack thereof in current indie music

47:09 Peter gives Neil kudos for his rhythm guitar skills

48:04 Al makes a comparison between Fred Neil and Joni Mitchell (h/t Jesca Hoop)

49:53 Peter talks about his new live album and his history with McCabe’s Guitar Shop

58:39 Peter shares his upcoming tour and songwriting plans

Outro music is from “I Shook His Hand” by Peter Case.

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Grammy Award-winning producer, engineer, synthesizer programmer, studio owner, film producer and author Robert Margouleff stops by YMAAA to introduce Al to David Sanborn’s 1982 album As We Speak—an album that he produced. Robert talks about how he came to produce the saxophonist’s album and why the album had the novelty of two tracks with vocals by Michael Sembello. Robert and Al covered a wide range of topics, from how drum machines changed the nature of recorded music from the ‘80s forward to the demise of fade-outs to the drawbacks of noise-canceling headphones to the use of AI in music. Robert also discussed his recently-released memoir Shaping Sounds: Stevie Wonder, DEVO, The Synth Revolution and My Life Behind the Music, and he delved into his work with Stevie Wonder (along with his production and engineering partner Malcolm Cecil) during the early- and mid-‘70s.

Robert’s website (which links to sites where you can buy his book) and socials:

https://www.margouleff.com/

Instagram: @robertmargouleff

Facebook: @robert_margouleff

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.

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 https://www.patreon.com/youmealbum.

1:41 Robert’s introduction

3:05 Robert talks about the archive of songs that provided tracks for Stevie Wonder’s albums from Music of My Mind to Fulfillingness’ First Finale

6:08 Robert delves into his first foray into digital recording for As We Speak

8:37 Robert points out the novelty of having tracks with vocals on a David Sanborn album

10:13 Robert and Al talk about some of the unquestioned conventions of album-making

12:31 Robert makes the case against noise-canceling headphones (and for cursive handwriting)

15:28 Robert mourns the loss of rubato and “objective listening” in recorded music

19:07 Robert explains why he wanted to record As We Speak as live as possible

20:19 Robert talks about how he came to produce As We Speak

22:48 Robert recalls the recording process for the album

27:08 Robert and Al talk about Michael Sembello’s contributions to As We Speak and why the album didn’t break him out

31:31 Robert talks about the impact of cocaine and drum machines on ‘80s music (plus an aside on crating dogs)

38:13 Robert pinpoints what makes Taylor Swift’s live performances powerful

39:18 Robert explains why he does not fear the use of AI in music

46:03 Robert shares his final thoughts on As We Speak and some observations about recording drums and percussion

51:55 Al sums up his reaction to listening to As We Speak

52:41 Robert explains why Music of My Mind has a joyous, human feel

1:01:16 Al cites one part of Robert’s book that made a big impression on him

Outro music is from “Boogie On Reggae Woman” by Stevie Wonder.

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Seattle-based singer, songwriter and guitarist Robert Deeble joins Al to get him acquainted with Florist’s 2022 self-titled album. Robert talks about how he got introduced to the album and why he connected with it almost immediately. He also discusses the parallels between the album and some of his own music. Al notes some connections between Florist and Robert’s latest album The Space Between Us, and Robert talks about inspirations and meanings of two of the album’s tracks, “Forest From the Tree” and “Not on Your Team.”

As Robert mentioned, you can check out his music and learn more about his work on his website, robertdeeble.com, and on his Bandcamp page, robertdeeble.bandcamp.com. You can also follow Robert on Instagram at @rdeeble.

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.

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 https://www.patreon.com/youmealbum.

1:32 Robert’s introduction

2:16 Florist are nearly as new to Robert as they are to Al

4:59 Robert talks about some of the artists who have been influential to his music

7:07 Robert revisits his first impressions of the album

10:12 Robert shares his appreciation for music appreciators

11:51 Al found the album’s pacing and sequencing interesting

15:35 Robert talks about connections he’s discovered between his album’s and Florist’s

20:38 One similarity between Robert’s music and Florist’s was particularly notable

26:34 Robert explains what he likes about Florist’s sound and approach

29:05 Robert talks about Emily Sprague as a lyricist

31:15 Robert and Al discuss the healing quality of Florist

36:39 Robert talks about the album’s dreamlike quality

38:06 Al picks out the one track that stood out for him

40:00 Robert makes note of Sprague’s affinity for synths

43:12 Robert and Al sum up their reactions to Florist

44:15 Robert talks about the origins of his song “Forest From the Tree”

47:42 Robert reveals the conceptual layers of “Not on Your Team”

57:50 Robert talks about his upcoming plans

Outro music is from “Orphan Song” by Robert Deeble.

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Grace Bennett and Jade Alcantara of the Brooklyn-based band Sub*T introduce Al to Plumtree’s 1997 album Predicts the Future (or, as it is alternatively known, Plumtree Predicts the Future). Grace and Jade talk about why the album is an important one for both of them and the influence it has had on their own music. They also discuss favorite tracks from the album and the phenomenon that grew out of the song “Scott Pilgrim.” Grace and Jade talk about the evolution of their friendship and how that led to the formation of Sub*T, and they delve into their recently-released debut album, How My Own Voice Sounds.

Here’s where you can learn more about Sub*T…

@subtrules on Instagram and YouTube

https://www.subtrules.com/

https://subtrules.substack.com/

For information on the June 6 show at AS220 in Providence, go here: https://as220.org/calendar/guppy-subt-stupid-robots.

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.

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 https://www.patreon.com/youmealbum.

1:39 Introducing Jade and Grace

2:17 Al barely knew what Scott Pilgrim was

3:11 Al had some confusion over the album’s name

4:16 Grace explains why they chose to talk about Predicts the Future

5:17 Grace and Jade talk about their early impressions of Plumtree

9:18 Jade and Grace point out the features of the album they find so appealing

14:20 Jade shares some interesting details about Plumtree’s members

16:38 Grace, Jade and Al talk about some of their favorite tracks from the album

21:20 Jade and Grace discuss how Plumtree’s sound progressed

24:50 Jade brings up some more of her favorite tracks

26:11 Grace and Jade talk about the album’s middle section

27:56 Jade and Grace discuss the phenomenon of “Scott Pilgrim”

36:31 Grace explains the origins of the album title, How My Own Voice Sounds

39:39 Grace reveals how she came up with the title for “Imaginal Cells”

41:33 Grace and Jade discuss how they determine vocal roles on their songs

46:55 Grace and Jade talk about how they became a band

54:14 What’s next for Sub*T?

Outro music is from “Mirror Image” by Sub*T.

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