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Electric violinist Ginny Luke, who has played on sessions for numerous artists including Foo Fighters, Hozier, Britney Spears and Meat Loaf, drops by YMAAA to talk about her first solo album Devil at My Heels, which was released on Nov. 1. Ginny talks about her previous solo work, the process behind recording her first full-length solo album—including collaborations with guitarists Nili Brosh and Orianthi—and how recording her own album differed from her experiences as a session musician. She also discusses her advocacy work on behalf of victims of sexual assault in the music industry. To wind up, Ginny talks about her last-second invitation to gig with Nuno Bettencourt and recommends a favorite album of hers for us to check out.

CORRECTION: When discussing Ginny’s cover of Deep Purple’s “Burn,” Al incorrectly implied that the original was recorded by Rainbow.

Ginny mentioned the following organizations that offer assistance to victims of sexual assault and abuse and/or promote equality for women in the music industry. Please visit their websites for more information.

MusiCares: https://www.musicares.org/

Peace Over Violence: https://www.peaceoverviolence.org/

RAINN: https://rainn.org/

She Is The Music: https://sheisthemusic.org/

Be sure to keep up with Ginny on social media...

@ginnyluke on IG

@ginnylukemusic on TikTok

You can find Ginny’s music and much more on her website, ginny-luke.com.

Al is on Bluesky at @almelchior.bsky.social. This show has accounts on Instagram and Threads 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.

1:16 Ginny joins the show

1:48 Does Ginny prefer listening to albums rather than tracks or playlists?

3:33 Ginny had done solo work long before making Devil at My Heels

6:57 Ginny talks about her collaborations with Nili Brosh and Orianthi

12:20 Ginny explains how she was able to make her album both eclectic and cohesive

17:04 Ginny surprised herself by how nervous she got recording her own album

18:57 Ginny explains why she doesn’t get nervous doing sessions for other artists

21:14 Ginny discusses her advocacy work for victims of sexual assault in the music industry

25:22 Ginny talks about her gig with Nuno Bettencourt

27:06 Ginny mentions some of her recent and upcoming events

29:34 Ginny recommends an album by another artist for us to check out

Outro music is from “Devil at My Heels” by Ginny Luke.

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Louisville-based singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Jason Bemis Lawrence drops by YMAAA to talk about Radiohead’s 2000 album Kid A. Jason talks about why Kid A is one of his favorite albums and how his appreciation for Radiohead developed over time. He also discusses Radiohead’s influence on his own music and the difficulty of spending a lot of time with a particular album as one gets older. Jason also talks about the process of making his latest album, The Grand Routine, and his plans for his podcast Before the Stream.

Be sure to check out Jason’s music on Bandcamp! https://jasonbemislawrence.bandcamp.com/

You can also keep up with his Before the Stream podcast here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/before-the-stream/id1510647714

Jason is on Instagram and Facebook at @jasonbemislawrence. He also has an Instagram account for Before the Stream at @beforethestream.

Al is on Bluesky at @almelchior.bsky.social. This show has accounts on Instagram and Threads 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.

1:13 Jason joins the show

1:42 Al revisits an earlier time when he tried to get into Radiohead

3:18 It wasn’t hard for Jason to pick Kid A for this episode

5:35 Jason didn’t shy away from letting Radiohead influence the music on his latest album

9:09 Jason walks through how his Radiohead fandom developed

14:27 Jason was not thrown by the change in styles that Radiohead introduced on Kid A

19:56 What makes Kid A stand out in the Radiohead discography?

24:52 Al talks about his reaction to Kid A

27:38 Jason doesn’t find Radiohead’s music “hopeless” at all

32:58 The Radiohead-R.E.M. connection

38:34 “Optimist” is something of an outlier on Kid A

41:18 Jason highlights a couple of his favorite tracks from the album

43:35 Jason might not be as attached to Kid A if it had come out during a different part of his life

47:22 There was one particular stretch of songs that Al liked best

50:23 Jason’s final thoughts about Kid A

58:51 Jason finds it harder to dedicate himself to listening to particular albums now

1:01:15 Jason talks about the making of The Grand Routine

1:07:58 Jason discusses his Before the Stream podcast

Outro music is from “In The Quiet Golden Hour” by Jason Bemis Lawrence.

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3 Pairs of Boots vocalist Laura Arias joins this episode of YMAAA to discuss Cocteau Twins’ 1988 album Blue Bell Knoll. Laura talks about how she was introduced to Cocteau Twins during their early “goth” period and why she is particularly fond of Blue Bell Knoll. She specifies the elements of the band’s music that make it magical for her. Laura also discusses the latest 3 Pairs of Boots album, Boot Scootin’, and how she and her husband/bandmate Andrew Stern manage to blend multiple genres in their music. (Andrew was a guest on YMAAA for Ep 81, when he discussed Rosanne Cash’s album The River & The Thread.)

Al had asked Laura for any live clips of Cocteau Twins that she would recommend, and she came back with these. Enjoy!

“Blue Bell Knoll” live

https://youtu.be/m1QJjfjxnsM

Heaven or Las Vegas live:

https://youtu.be/w0yjLjm_7f8

Be sure to keep up with 3 Pairs of Boots! You can follow them at @3pairsofboots on Instagram and subscribe to them on YouTube, also at @3pairsofboots. Also, you can check out their website at 3pairsofboots.com.

Al is on Bluesky at @almelchior.bsky.social. This show has accounts on Instagram and Threads 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.

IMPORTANT NOTE: At the beginning of the episode, Al mentioned a GoFundMe page for Kira Neal (a two-time guest on YMAAA). Please donate if you are able and/or share the page with others who may be able to help Kira, who is undergoing two brain surgeries: https://www.gofundme.com/f/brain-surgery-at-39-musicians-the-waymores-need-your-help

1:48 Laura joins the show

2:43 Al talks about his reaction to Blue Bell Knoll

3:22 Laura revisits how she was introduced to Cocteau Twins

8:01 Laura talks about her reaction to the changes in Cocteau Twins’ sound

10:47 Laura discusses Elizabeth Fraser’s vocal and lyrical styles

15:39 Laura thinks Cocteau Twins will continue to have a following for years to come

19:07 Laura identifies some of things that Cocteau Twins do that create magic

22:58 Laura is impressed that Cocteau Twins could create such great music while under duress

25:09 Al and Laura ponder the meanings of the song titles

27:10 Laura notes that Cocteau Twins were unconventional from the start

28:52 Do Cocteau Twins have things in common with Van Halen?

34:18 Laura likes how the title track sets the tone

37:42 Laura experiences each song from Blue Bell Knoll as a reset

40:36 Laura and Al make note of Simon Raymonde’s bass parts

42:57 Laura break downs some of the other elements of Cocteau Twins’ sound

44:49 What can The Police teach us about Cocteau Twins’ lyrics?

47:50 Laura’s advice to people who aren’t familiar with Blue Bell Knoll

50:14 Laura talks about making four 3 Pairs of Boots album in five years

56:41 Laura addresses the way that 3 Pairs of Boots mixes genres

Outro music is from “Tempt My Fate” by 3 Pairs of Boots.

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Veteran English singer-songwriter Iain Matthews (Fairport Convention, Matthews Southern Comfort, Plainsong, solo) stopped by YMAAA during his recent U.S. East Coast tour to talk about Crowded House’s 1991 album, Woodface. Iain delves into his admiration for Neil Finn as a songwriter and performer, and breaks down several of the tracks on the album. He also discusses the album’s sequencing and why it stands out in Crowded House’s discography. Iain talks about why he decided to make his latest solo album, How Much Is Enough, and whether he is likely to make another one.

As Iain mentions on the show, you can keep up with his releases and tour dates on his website. Check it out! http://iainmatthews.nl/

Al is on Bluesky at @almelchior.bsky.social. This show has accounts on Instagram and Threads 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.

1:41 Iain joins the show

2:20 Iain explains why he was so motivated to discuss Woodface

4:22 Iain talks about why he loves Neil Finn’s songwriting

8:32 Iain picks out some of the aspects of Neil Finn’s songwriting that have improved over time

11:18 Iain’s favorite song from Woodface is constantly changing

12:52 Iain and Al discuss their reactions to “Four Seasons in One Day”

17:17 Iain and Al talk about how Woodface is sequenced and how Iain sequences his albums

21:45 Iain shares his experience of seeing Crowded House live for the first time

24:51 How much did Tim Finn influence the sound of Woodface?

29:05 Iain talks about Mitchell Froom’s contributions as a producer

32:10 Iain and Al discuss some of the songs on the latter half of the album

38:28 Iain focuses on “How Will You Go” as a standout track

40:57 Crowded House has mastered the sing-along chorus

43:05 Iain discusses a couple of Crowded House albums that came out after Woodface

45:20 Iain pinpoints when he became a true Neil Finn fan

46:37 Iain identifies the other album he repeatedly goes back to

48:58 Is Iain done with making solo albums?

54:16 Iain talks about how he approached his new album

58:35 Iain shares his tour schedule

Outro music is from “Where Is The Love” by Iain Matthews.

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Multi-instrumentalist/songwriter Joe Adragna of The Junior League makes a return visit to YMAAA to talk about Sloan’s 2001 album Pretty Together. (Joe was also the guest on Ep 49, on which he discussed The Monkees’ Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones, Ltd.) Joe explains how he first got into Sloan and why the Canadian band is one of his favorites. He also talks about Sloan’s approach to songwriting and collaboration, and he breaks down what he enjoys about several of the album’s tracks. Joe explains why he released his recent Junior League EP Nattering Nabobs and new album Our Broadcast Day separately and discusses the vibe he was aiming for in these latest recordings.

Want to listen to or buy Joe’s music? Head on over to the Junior League Bandcamp page, https://thejuniorleague.bandcamp.com/, the Kool Kat Music website, koolkatmusik.com, or any of the usual streaming places.

Also, be sure to follow Joe on social media!

Instagram and Threads: @thejuniorleague

Facebook: @thejrleague

Al is on Bluesky at @almelchior.bsky.social. This show has accounts on Instagram and Threads 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.

1:15 Joe joins the show

2:04 Joe talks about the Sloan song that was his entry point into the band's music

4:28 Joe has helped a lot of people become fans of Sloan

5:48 Joe talks about the division of songwriting among Sloan’s four members

10:53 It’s not easy to pick a favorite song or album from your favorite band

12:36 The members of Sloan will sometimes contribute to songs in unexpected ways

15:54 Joe talks about the experience of seeing Sloan live

Discussion of individual tracks:

19:24 The Other Man

24:16 I Love a Long Goodbye

25:11 Life of a Working Girl

28:42 Are You Giving Me Back My Love?

32:12 Your Dreams Have Come True

35:36 It’s In Your Eyes

36:54 If It Feels Good Do It

39:07 Who You Talkin’ To?

40:35 Joe talks about the process of writing melodic, accessible songs

48:59 “In the Movies” is an example of how Sloan successfully integrates different musical elements

54:40 Joe’s concluding thoughts about Pretty Together

56:16 Why is Joe releasing Nattering Nabobs and Our Broadcast Day separately?

58:57 Which came first: the Our Broadcast Day cover art or the title track?

1:00:45 Our Broadcast Day reminds Al of a specific year

1:03:36 Joe talks about the collaborators who worked with him on Our Broadcast Day

1:06:01 Joe mentions some upcoming live dates

Outro music is from “This Concludes Our Broadcast Day” by the Junior League.

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British pop/rock vocalist and songwriter Tasmin Archer joins Al to discuss Daniel Lanois’ 2003 album Shine. Tasmin talks about how she became a fan of Lanois’ music, and she breaks down the elements of Shine that make it one of her favorite albums, highlighting some of her favorite tracks along the way. She also revisits the making of her 1992 signature hit “Sleeping Satellite” and reveals which band indirectly influenced its sound. The conversation concludes with Tasmin talking about her upcoming album A Cauldron of Random Notes, which will be released in late 2024 or early 2025.

To keep up with news on Tasmin’s album release, sign up for her newsletter and much more, check out tasminarcher.com. You can also follow Tasmin on X at @tasminarcher and on Facebook at tasmin.archer.

Al is on Bluesky at @almelchior.bsky.social. This show has accounts on Instagram and Threads 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.

1:15 Tasmin joins the show

1:45 Tasmin talks about the Lanois track that hooked her on his music

2:52 Tasmin recalls the moment she knew “Sleeping Satellite” was going to be special

5:13 Tasmin explains how she initially got exposed to Lanois’ music

7:52 Tasmin and Al talk about how they responded to the album’s sequencing

11:55 Tasmin explains how Shine gets better with repeated listens

14:03 Tasmin talks about the timeless quality of Lanois’ music

18:58 Tasmin identifies what she likes about Lanois’ vocals

24:59 “Shine” is one of Tasmin’s favorite tracks on the album

26:54 Tasmin and Al discuss “I Love You” and “Falling at Your Feet” (with a brief Genesis detour)

31:53 Tasmin and Al talk about Lanois’ take on reggae

34:56 Tasmin shares her reaction to some of Lanois’ lyrics

38:49 Tasmin expects that Lanois will continue to make great music

41:57 Tasmin explains how Lanois may have influenced some tracks on her new album

44:17 Tasmin talks about some of the other influences on “Madame Joy”

48:41 One of Tasmin’s new songs reminds her of U2

50:36 Tasmin discusses the process of making A Cauldron of Random Notes

58:57 Tasmin explains where the title for A Cauldron of Random Notes came from

1:00:57 Tasmin talks about her initial reaction to “Sleeping Satellite” as it was being written

1:03:55 Tasmin discusses the possibility of upcoming live performances 

Outro music is from “Sleeping Satellite” by Tasmin Archer.

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For this episode, Will Rigby—drummer for the seminal indie rock band the dB’s—introduces Al to Cheri Knight’s 1998 album, The Northeast Kingdom. Will talks about his experience of playing on the album, breaks down aspects of the recording process and discusses why he loves the album and is proud to have played on it. He also talks about the 2024 reissued versions of the dB’s first two albums, Stands for Decibels and Repercussion, and the band’s upcoming tour.

Keep track of all things dB’s at https://thedbs.com/!

You can also follow the band on Instagram at @wearethedbs.

As Will mentions on the show, you can find his solo music on Bandcamp at willrigby.bandcamp.com.

Al is on Bluesky at @almelchior.bsky.social. This show has accounts on Instagram and Threads at @youmealbum. Subscribe for free to You, Me and An Album: The Newsletter! https://youmealbum.substack.com/

1:17 Will joins the show

2:36 Will talks about the trajectory of Cheri Knight’s musical career and his place in it

5:12 Will explains why he wanted to talk about The Northeast Kingdom

8:49 Will talks about the band Knight toured with

12:14 Knight’s experience with farming is a key theme of the album

15:32 Will and Al discuss one of Knight’s sequencing choices

19:48 Will talks about Steve Earle’s contributions to the album

26:16 Will and Al talk about the heavier sound of “Sweetheart”

27:14 Will delves into the guitar sounds on the album

Going into detail on specific tracks:

29:28 The Northeast Kingdom

38:12 The Hatfield Side

41:47 Dead Man’s Curve

43:19 Will thinks the band rehearsed just the right amount before recording the album

44:18 Will is also a fan of the cover art

45:47 Will talks about the reissues of the dB’s first two albums

49:33 Will discusses the upcoming dB’s tour

53:22 Will the dB’s ever record new music again?

Outro music is from “Ask for Jill” by the dB’s.

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Matt Johnson, the singer, songwriter and musician behind the post-punk band The The, visits YMAAA to talk about the first The The album in 24 years, Ensoulment. Matt talks about why he decided to write and record a The The album after spending the better part of two decades away from the project. He talks about what distinguished the process of making Ensoulment, which will be available on Sept. 6, and delves into the songwriting process for the album’s first two singles, “Cognitive Dissident” and “Linoleum Smooth to the Stockinged Foot.” Matt also talks about the album that he has probably listened to more often than any other, and what makes it a special album for him.

Looking for The The tour information? Want to sign up for their official newsletter? You can find this and much more at thethe.com

You can also keep up with The The on social media…

IG: @officialthe_the

X: @thethe

Facebook: officialthethe

Al is on Bluesky at @almelchior.bsky.social. This show has accounts on Instagram and Threads at @youmealbum. Subscribe for free to You, Me and An Album: The Newsletter! https://youmealbum.substack.com/

1:17 Matt joins the show

1:29 Matt talks about what it was like to record a The The album for the first time in more than 20 years

4:35 Matt explains why he decided to make a full album

7:22 Matt discusses how a surgery he underwent inspired one of his new songs

13:24 Matt talks about what he did to give Ensoulment a cohesive feel

17:25 The themes of Ensoulment pertain to both the timely and the timeless

21:48 Matt explains the process for writing “Cognitive Dissident”

24:42 Matt talks about the album he has probably listened to more than any other

Outro music is from “Cognitive Dissident” by The The.

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Singer-songwriter Amy Rigby (solo, The Shams, The Last Roundup) has had a longstanding admiration for the power-pop band Fountains of Wayne, and she joins Al to chat about the band’s self-titled debut album from 1996. Amy talks about how she got into Fountains of Wayne and what it is about their first album that makes it especially notable. She highlights some of her favorite songs from the album and discusses how well Chris Collingwood and Adam Schlesinger integrated humor into their songwriting. Amy also delves into the making of her new album Hang In There With Me.

If you haven’t already, be sure to check out the Diary of Amy Rigby blog and podcast!

Blog: https://amyrigby.substack.com/ 

Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/diary-of-amy-rigby/id15610945052

Amy also mentioned the Looking for the Magic podcast she did with Elizabeth Nelson. You can find that here: https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/looking-for-the-magic-elizabeth-nelson-amy-7RaT_Iy-DiS/

Amy and Al are both planning to check out the Fountains of ‘Splain podcast…if you want to join them, here it is! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fountains-of-splain/id1547151768

You can keep up with Amy on Instagram at @amymrigby.

Al is on Bluesky at @almelchior.bsky.social. This show has accounts on Instagram and Threads at @youmealbum. Subscribe for free to You, Me and An Album: The Newsletter! https://youmealbum.substack.com/

1:28 Amy joins the show

1:58 Did Amy and Fountains of Wayne run in the same circles in New York in the ‘90s?

7:16 Amy talks about the sports themes in Fountains of Wayne’s songs

9:07 Amy and Al discuss “Sick Day” and its thematic similarity to a song that Amy wrote

15:51 Amy hears “Radiation Vibe” as a great example of a “happy sad song”

17:52 Amy likes Fountains of Wayne’s selfless approach

20:54 Amy wants there to be a Fountains of Wayne documentary

22:35 Amy talks about her two podcasts and her blog

27:34 Amy explains why Fountains of Wayne was an affirming album for her

32:27 There aren’t many rock songwriters who successfully integrate humor into their songs

41:00 Amy highlights a few of her favorite songs from Fountains of Wayne

44:06 Amy thinks Fountains of Wayne set themselves apart from other ‘90s bands

47:24 Amy notes how Fountains of Wayne’s songwriting progressed after the debut album

49:58 Al explains exactly how little he knew about Fountains of Wayne

52:31 Amy talks about the process of making Hang In There With Me

1:05:11 Amy thinks good sequencing is still worth the trouble

1:07:43 Al noticed a similarity between Amy’s songs and those of a previous guest

1:09:04 Amy talks about her upcoming live dates

Outro music is from “Dylan in Dubuque” by Amy Rigby.

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CONTENT WARNING: There is discussion of suicide as it relates to the lyrics of the song “Dress Rehearsal Rag.” (Discussion begins at 46:44 and ends at 51:58.)

Sean Nelson, formerly the frontman for the Seattle-based band Harvey Danger, joins Al to talk about Leonard Cohen’s 1971 album Songs of Love and Hate. Sean talks about how he first heard the album and why he was instantly enamored of it, and why Cohen is one of his favorite vocalists. He also talks about the personal nature of the lyrics for many of the songs on the album. In addition to discussing this album, Sean and Al discuss their experiences with listening to Jennifer Warnes’ covers of Cohen’s songs.

Be sure to check out Sean’s new podcast, The Wonder of It All (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt31843073/), wherever you get your podcasts. You can keep up with Sean on Instagram at @actualseannelson.

Al is on Bluesky at @almelchior.bsky.social. This show has accounts on Instagram and Threads at @youmealbum. Subscribe for free to You, Me and An Album: The Newsletter! https://youmealbum.substack.com/

1:25 Sean joins the show

2:11 Sean explains why he wanted to discuss this particular Cohen album

5:03 Sean talks about Cohen as a seeker of truth

6:43 Sean identifies the moment when Cohen really grabbed his attention

12:52 The album made Al confront something about his musical preferences

15:25 Sean explains why he is drawn to dark albums like Songs of Love and Hate

16:53 Sean contrast’s Cohen’s approach to Trent Reznor’s

21:21Sean describes the setting in which he prefers to listen to Songs of Love and Hate

24:07 Sean and Al make note of Cohen’s dialogues with himself on the album

27:22 Sean talks about the successes Cohen had early in his music career, and how it inspired “Avalanche”

34:52 Were “Famous Blue Raincoat” and “Joan of Arc” about actual people in Cohen’s life?

39:43 Sean and Al discuss their reactions to Jennifer Warnes’ covers of Cohen’s songs

46:44 (TW) Sean delves into “Dress Rehearsal Rag”

51:58 Sean talks about his new podcast and the vinyl release of Harvey Danger’s King James Version 

Outro music is from “(This Is) The Thrilling Conversation You’ve Been Waiting For” by Harvey Danger.

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