You, Me and An Album

Al Melchior
  • 5.0 (17)
  • MUSIC COMMENTARY
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

On each episode, a guest introduces the host, Al Melchior, to an album they love but that he doesn't know.

  1. 6D AGO

    James Petralli (White Denim) Discusses Stevie Wonder, Music of My Mind

    Send us Fan Mail L.A.-based singer, songwriter, guitarist and producer James Petralli of White Denim joins Al for this episode to introduce him to Stevie Wonder’s 1972 album Music of My Mind. James talks about the album’s “value system,” and why it appealed to him so much when he first started listening to the record. He also discusses the ways in which Music of My Mind was a departure from Wonder’s previous work and how it foreshadowed his run of critically- and commercially-successful albums in the ‘70s. James talks about White Denim’s new album 13 and explains how the band’s songwriting process works. You can follow James and White Denim in all of the following places: Instagram and Facebook: @whitedenimmusic YouTube: @whitedenim https://whitedenimmusic.com/ whitedenim.substack.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. 1:20 James’ introduction 2:00 There will be a second episode where Music of My Mind will be discussed 2:44 James explains why he likes the “value system” of Music of My Mind 5:38 James and Al talk about how Music of My Mind was a pivotal album for Wonder 6:48 James recalls his initial experiences with the album 8:53 James appreciates the album’s combination of virtuosity and emotional feel 10:23 Al shares what he learned about Bernard Purdie’s involvement with the album, and why he doesn’t appear on it 12:16 James talks about some of the album’s great imperfect moments 15:59 James discusses similarities he hears with other artists’ work (and a disclaimer) 20:13 James explains why Music of My Mind is nostalgic for him 23:30 The songs on Music of My Mind were a precursor to Wonder's future hits 26:04 James recommends one of Wonder’s albums from the ‘80s 30:28 James talks about White Denim’s songwriting process Outro music is from "(God Created) Lock and Key" by White Denim. Support the show

    42 min

  2. APR 25

    Amelia Fletcher Discusses Girls at Our Best!, Pleasure

    Send us Fan Mail On this episode, singer/songwriter/guitarist/economist Amelia Fletcher (Heavenly, Swansea Sound, Catenary Wires, Talulah Gosh) introduces Al to Girls at Our Best’s 1981 album Pleasure. Amelia revisits her teenage fandom of Girls at Our Best!, and she explains why they were—and continue to be—one of her favorite bands. She also talks about how their songwriting style has influenced her approach to writing songs and how that is reflected in Heavenly’s work. Amelia discusses several of the songs on Heavenly’s new album, Highway to Heavenly, and talks about how the recent virality of their 1993 song “P.U.N.K. Girl” contributed to the band’s reuniting. Finally, Amelia explains how balancing her careers as a musician and economist can sometimes be challenging. You can keep up with Amelia, Heavenly and her Skep Wax label in the following places: Instagram @ameliafletcher56, @heavenlyindie, @skepwax Facebook @amelia.fletcher.980, @HeavenlyGroupOfficial Tiktok @heavenlyindie https://www.skepwax.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. 1:25 Amelia’s introduction 2:30 Amelia explains why she chose Pleasure for this episode 3:57 Amelia recalls how she first got into Girls at Our Best! 8:12 Amelia was not fooled by the band’s name 9:02 Amelia singles out the aspects of the band’s music that initially appealed to her 12:26 Amelia and Al share their observations about the album’s lyrics 17:26 Girls at Our Best! were influential to the sound of Heavenly 18:16 What ever happened to Girls at Our Best!? 23:00 Amelia likes other bands from the Leeds scene 25:29 Amelia and Al talk about their favorite tracks from Pleasure 30:48 Al noticed the connection between the songwriting style on Pleasure and on Highway to Heavenly 32:03 Is “Portland Town” based on Amelia’s experience? 34:20 Amelia talks about the real-life events she wrote about in “The Last Day” 38:11 The songs on Highway to Heavenly cover a wide range of moods 40:18 Amelia discusses Heavenly’s tour plans 41:30 Amelia explains why Heavenly decided to return to touring and recording 45:10 Amelia talks about her dual careers in music and economics Outro music is from “Deflicted” by Heavenly. Support the show

    55 min

  3. APR 17

    Matt Smith Discusses Songwriting in Politically Charged Times, Writing about Grief and More

    Send us Fan Mail Austin-based producer, engineer, singer-songwriter and educator Matt Smith joins Al for the second part of their conversation. (You can hear the first part, in which they discuss Robert Plant’s Mighty ReArranger, on the previous episode.) This time around, Matt talks about the features of music that he enjoys listening to, his approach as a music producer and what he aimed to achieve as a songwriter on his latest album …this is not okay… Learn more about Matt and his work at https://www.mattsmithsworld.net/. You can also get information on Matt’s studio and music school, Six String Ranch, in the following places. Website: https://6stringranch.com/ Facebook: @6stringranch YouTube: @6stringranch148 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. 1:00 Matt shares what he looks for in the music he listens to 3:44 Matt talks about his approach to producing music at his studio 9:57 Matt explains how the focus of his songwriting has changed over time 13:18 Matt talks about how his last three albums reflect his feelings about the political climate over the last decade 23:28 Matt also wrote about the loss of his parents on …this is not okay… 29:52 Matt explains why he consciously tempered the angry tone of the album 33:46 Matt talks about his various educational forums Outro music is from “Bad Man” by Matt Smith. Support the show

    40 min

  4. APR 10

    Matt Smith Discusses Robert Plant, Mighty ReArranger

    Send us Fan Mail Austin-based producer, engineer, singer-songwriter and educator Matt Smith joins Al to talk about Robert Plant’s 2005 album, Mighty ReArranger. Matt discusses why he chose this album for his short list of albums to talk about, and Al explains why he picked Mighty ReArranger from the albums on Matt’s list. Matt talks about the elements that make this album a high point in Plant’s solo discography and the role that members of Portishead played in making the album. Learn more about Matt and his work at https://www.mattsmithsworld.net/. You can also get information on Matt’s studio and music school, Six String Ranch, in the following places. Website: https://6stringranch.com/ Facebook: @6stringranch YouTube: @6stringranch148 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. 2:35 Matt’s introduction 4:09 Matt and Al talk about how they arrived at deciding to talk about Mighty ReArranger 10:26 Matt explains how Plant incorporated elements of world music into the songs on the album 14:13 Matt makes note of the parts of the album that harken back to Led Zeppelin 18:36 Matt and Al talk about the challenges Plant faced when he began his solo career 23:04 Matt has a theory about why Plant was able to reach new heights as a solo artist on Mighty ReArranger 28:34 Matt discusses how he borrows from music that he admires 33:31 Matt compares the arcs of Plant’s and Jimmy Page’s solo careers 35:02 Matt breaks down various sections of “The Enchanter” 39:31 Matt talks about “Freedom Fries” and the counting trick he learned from Trey Anastasio 42:25 Matt discusses the origins of the guitar pattern and rhythm on “Mighty ReArranger” 46:51 Matt talks about the lengths to which he geeks out on musical analysis Outro music is from “World Is a Wheel” by Matt Smith. Support the show

    52 min

  5. MAR 26

    225. Ben Vaughn Discusses Alex Chilton, Like Flies on Sherbert

    Send us Fan Mail Singer, songwriter, musician, producer, TV and film composer, radio show host and podcaster Ben Vaughn drops by to introduce Al to Alex Chilton’s 1979 debut solo album Like Flies on Sherbert. Ben talks about the negative impression he got the first time he was exposed to Chilton, when he appeared on a local 1960s television show in Philadelphia, and how he eventually became a fan, friend and collaborator of Chilton’s. He explains why he thinks Like Flies on Sherbert is Chilton’s best album, digging into several of the album’s tracks and discussing the circumstances under which the album was recorded. Ben also talks about his recently-launched podcast Straight From The Hat, as well as his upcoming album with Deer Tick. Follow Ben on Instagram! He’s at @benvaughnmusic. You can also learn more about Ben and his work on his website https://benvaughn.org/. Ben also mentioned that Straight From The Hat has a website. Check out episodes and the extra goodies that Ben talked about at straightfromthehat.com. Be sure to sign up for the YMAAA Newsletter at youmealbum.ghost.io.  The first eight episodes of Bonus Tracks—YMAAA’s subscriber-only podcast series—are now available at patreon.com/youmealbum. More monthly episodes and other good stuff are soon to come. Please consider subscribing! Your support will make it possible for Al to keep this podcast going. To keep up with You, Me and An Album, please give the show a follow on Instagram at @youmealbum. 1:48 Ben’s introduction 3:00 Ben revisits his earliest memories of Chilton 6:59 Ben shares the story of how he got introduced to Big Star 9:27 Ben explains how he first heard Like Flies on Sherbert 14:43 Ben talks about the circumstances under which Like Flies on Sherbert was made, as he learned from Chilton himself 18:09 Ben discusses the eclecticism of the album 21:06 Al talks about the album’s different versions 23:33 Al shares his reaction to the album 25:17 Ben talks about the musicians who played on Like Flies on Sherbert and the challenges they must have faced 27:48 Ben discusses the mysterious quality of the title track 30:10 Ben and Al talk about how the album feels unfinished 32:10 Ben explains why he thinks the album resonated with him 33:38 Ben talks about how he became friends with Chilton and how he and Chilton wound up working with Alan Vega 43:12 Chilton’s music used to be hard to find 49:53 Ben discusses the origins of his new podcast Straight From The Hat 57:21 Ben shares news of an upcoming release with Deer Tick Outro music is from “Magdalena ’94 (live)” by Ben Vaughn. Support the show

    1h 6m

  6. MAR 20

    224. Hannah Frances Discusses Fiona Apple, The Idler Wheel...

    Send us Fan Mail Vermont-based singer, composer, guitarist, dancer and poet Hannah Frances joins Al to introduce him to Fiona Apple’s 2012 album The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than the Driver of the Screw and Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do (aka The Idler Wheel…). Hannah talks about her earliest experiences with listening to The Idler Wheel… and why the album made such an impression on her. She and Al delve into several of the album’s tracks, and they highlight what they enjoy about Apple’s lyrics, vocal delivery and instrumentation in general. Hannah also discusses her most recent album Nested in Tangles as well as her recent and upcoming shows and projects, including her Landscapes of Song workshop. Correction: Al made an incorrect reference to Hannah's album Nested in Tangles as Nestled in Tangles. To find Hannah’s music, videos, merch and more, visit her website https://hannahfrancesmusic.com/. As mentioned on this episode, you will also be able to purchase the on-demand version of Hannah’s Landscapes of Song songwriting workshop via her website soon. You can follow Hannah on Instagram and Substack at @hannahfracesmusic. Be sure to sign up for the YMAAA Newsletter at youmealbum.ghost.io.  The first eight episodes of Bonus Tracks—YMAAA’s subscriber-only podcast series—are now available at patreon.com/youmealbum. More monthly episodes and other good stuff are soon to come. Please consider subscribing! Your support will make it possible for Al to keep this podcast going. To keep up with You, Me and An Album, please give the show a follow on Instagram at @youmealbum. 2:02 Hannah’s introduction 2:38 Does Vermont need a new state seal? 3:17 Hannah talks about how she got introduced to The Idler Wheel… 5:53 Hannah explains why she chose to discuss The Idler Wheel… 8:27 Hannah discusses the personal loss that changed her music listening 13:27 Hannah revisits one of the first times she had listened to the album 17:01 Hannah explains why she thinks Apple’s anger is part of what makes The Idler Wheel… an important album 20:33 Hannah and Al find Apple’s lyrical directness appealing 23:10 Hannah explains why she needs to hear the album in full Discussion of specific tracks: 23:59 Daredevil/Valentine 27:09 Werewolf 30:20 Periphery 31:58 Regret 34:05 Hannah contrasts Apple’s approach on The Idler Wheel… to Fetch the Bolt Cutters and Extraordinary Machine 37:06 Al and Hannah comment on the variety in the use of percussion across the tracks on The Idler Wheel… 42:07 Hannah sums up what she loves about The Idler Wheel… 42:57 Hannah talks about the sonic and lyrical landscapes of Nested in Tangles 46:08 Hannah explains how she consciously wanted to defy genre labels 51:10 Hannah talks about how Joni Mitchell is an inspiration for her 54:38 Hannah discusses how her love of progressive rock impacts her own music 56:47 Hannah shares her upcoming plans for live and recorded music 1:00:43 Hannah talks about her recent songwriting workshop Outro music is from “Falling From and Further” by Hannah Frances. Support the show

    1h 9m

  7. MAR 13

    223. Ásgeir Discusses Atoms for Peace, Amok

    Send us Fan Mail On this episode, Icelandic singer-songwriter Ásgeir introduces Al to the 2013 album Amok by the supergroup/Radiohead spinoff Atoms for Peace. Ásgeir talks about how he got acquainted with the album and why he and his bandmates had it on repeat during their 2013 tour. While Ásgeir highlights particular tracks that are his favorites, he explains how he experiences the album as a cohesive whole. Ásgeir also talks about his new album Julia, his upcoming Icelandic-language album and his tour plans. Keep up with Ásgeir on Instagram at @asgeirmusic! You can also find Ásgeir’s tour dates, music and more on his website, https://www.asgeirmusic.com/. Be sure to sign up for the YMAAA Newsletter at youmealbum.ghost.io.  The first eight episodes of Bonus Tracks—YMAAA’s subscriber-only podcast series—are now available at patreon.com/youmealbum. More monthly episodes and other good stuff are soon to come. Please consider subscribing! Your support will make it possible for Al to keep this podcast going. To keep up with You, Me and An Album, please give the show a follow on Instagram at @youmealbum. 1:25 Ásgeir’s introduction 2;01 Al knew very little about Atoms for Peace before researching the album 3:16 Ásgeir explains why he chose to discuss Amok 4:03 Ásgeir cites some other artists he considered talking about on this episode 5:21 Ásgeir explains how he discovered Amok 8:16 Ásgeir talks about how the album is both immediate and nuanced 12:04 Ásgeir and Al both experience the album as more of a “vibe” than a collection of distinctive songs 16:37 Listening to Amok helped Ásgeir to take his own music into a more electronic direction 17:46 Ásgeir and his bandmates had a special motivation for having Amok on repeat 22:05 Al and Ásgeir enjoy what the rhythm section brings to the band’s sound 24:02 Ásgeir and Al both view “Ingenue” as a highlight 26:00 Ásgeir doesn’t listen to Amok nearly as often lately 29:08 Ásgeir acknowledges the Radiohead/Atoms for Peace influence on “Sugar Clouds” 31;34 Ásgeir talks about writing all of the lyrics for the songs on Julia 32:30 Ásgeir discusses the challenges of writing songs in two languages 34:28 Does Ásgeir have any upcoming collaborations? 35:34 Ásgeir talks about the success he has had in Australia 36:46 Ásgeir discusses his upcoming tour Outro music is from “Ferris Wheel” by Ásgeir. Support the show

    43 min

  8. MAR 5

    222. Olivia Barton Discusses Mount Eerie, A Crow Looked at Me

    Send us Fan Mail On this episode, Nashville-based singer, songwriter and guitarist Olivia Barton introduces Al to Mount Eerie’s 2017 album A Crow Looked at Me. Olivia talks about why she chose this album to discuss, even though she hasn’t listened to it very often, and she explains why she considers this a life-changing album. She also highlights some of the most impactful lyrics and musical elements from the album. Olivia  discusses her latest album For Myself and For You, as well as the .m4a version of the album she released in January. Correction: Al referred to Olivia’s song “The Hardest Thing” as “The Hardest Part.” To keep up with Olivia’s tour plans and much, much more, be sure to give her a follow on Instagram at @oliviabartonhaha. She has the same handle on TikTok and YouTube. You can also find tour information and merch on Olivia’s website, https://oliviabartonhaha.com/. Also, you can explore and buy Olivia’s music on Bandcamp at https://oliviabarton.bandcamp.com/. Olivia mentioned her collaboration with Lizzie McAlpine, “Learn Something,” which is now available on Bandcamp. All proceeds go to the Immigrant Rapid Response Fund in Minnesota. Check it out here: https://lizzymcalpine.bandcamp.com/track/learn-something. Be sure to sign up for the YMAAA Newsletter at youmealbum.ghost.io.  The first eight episodes of Bonus Tracks—YMAAA’s subscriber-only podcast series—are now available at patreon.com/youmealbum. More monthly episodes and other good stuff are soon to come. Please consider subscribing! Your support will make it possible for Al to keep this podcast going. To keep up with You, Me and An Album, please give the show a follow on Instagram at @youmealbum 1:19 Olivia’s introduction 2:42 A Crow Looked at Me was an obvious choice for Olivia, even though she had listened to it only three times 5:30 Olivia recalls the part of the album that first made a big impression on her 10:22 Olivia and Al talk about some of the mundane details Phil Elverum sings about and the emotional impact they felt 14:24 Al and Olivia interpret some of the lyrics from “Emptiness Pt. 2” 17:40 Olivia explains how Elverum’s vocal style adds to the album’s emotional impact 18:50 Al and Olivia discuss Elverum’s unconventional use of noises in the recording 21:13 Olivia talks about the directness of Elverum’s lyrics 26:43 Olivia notes the album’s lack of hooks 28:16 Al and Olivia talk about the slight change in tone in the album’s last two tracks 36:51 Olivia discusses Elverum’s symbolic use of the crow 40:47 Listening to A Crow Looked at Me made Olivia think about stream counts 42:59 Olivia talks about her own emotionally difficult songs 45:27 Olivia mentions the other album she could have chosen for this episode 47:26 Olivia discusses the .m4a version of For Myself and For You 50:30 Olivia shares her upcoming tour plans Outro music is from “Kissing in Public” by Olivia Barton. Support the show

    56 min
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About

On each episode, a guest introduces the host, Al Melchior, to an album they love but that he doesn't know.

Information

  • Creator
    Al Melchior
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    230
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 You, Me and An Album
  • Show Website
    You, Me and An Album

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