178. Mike Clark Discusses King's X, Gretchen Goes to Nebraska
Send us a textMike Clark, the guitarist for the L.A.-based progressive metal band Final Gravity, joins Al on this episode to introduce him to King’s X’s 1989 album, Gretchen Goes to Nebraska. Mike talks about roles that an L.A. radio station and MTV played in getting him into King’s X, and he discusses the elements of the album’s sound that have made it one of his favorite albums. He also notes several bands that have been influenced by King’s X and explains why he thinks they did not get as much attention as some of the bands that they impacted. Mike also talks about Final Gravity and their latest release, Stormchaser, as well as their upcoming plans.As Mike mentioned on the episode, there is a GoFundMe page for Final Gravity’s producer and engineer Rich Mouser, who lost his home and studio in the Eaton Fire in January. Please help Rich and his family if you are able. https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-my-dad-rebuild-his-musical-legacyAlso, be sure to give Final Gravity a follow and check out their music if you haven’t already!Instagram: @final.gravityFacebook: @finalgravitythebandYouTube: @finalgravitybandBandcamp: https://finalgravity.bandcamp.com/Al is on Bluesky at @almelchior.bsky.social. This show has an account on Instagram 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.Have a comment, question or suggestion about the show? Contact Al by clicking on the “Send us a text” link just above.1:08 Mike joins the show1:55 Mike talks about the radio and MTV shows that were instrumental to getting him into King’s X and other heavy rock bands5:23 Buying Gretchen Goes to Nebraska and seeing King’s X live cemented Mike’s fandom of the band7:04 Al and Mike both hear parallels between King’s X and 1980s Yes12:49 Hearing “Over My Head” motivated Mike to check out the whole album15:56 Mike explains why he thinks King’s X hasn’t been more popular19:34 Mike sees “Over My Head” and “Summerland” as representative of what King’s X does well22:19 Mike discusses the story behind why King’s X named the album Gretchen Goes to Nebraska23:29 Mike and Al talk about some of the lyrics that relate to religion and spirituality27:39 King’s X has two strong lead vocalists31:29 Mike cites some of his favorite tracks from the album36:18 Mike explains how King’s X influenced Pearl Jam’s “Jeremy”38:08 Gretchen was not the type of album that Al expected it to be41:01 Mike shares his thoughts on other King’s X albums42:48 This episode could have been about Transatlantic instead43:59 Mike talks about the evolution of Final Gravity47:59 Mike explains why Final Gravity decided to make the Stormchaser EP50:06 Mike tells the story behind Final Gravity’s choice to cover Rush’s “Entre Nous”53:39 Mike talks about the upcoming tour and recording plans for Final GravityOutro is from “Automatic Pilot” by Final Gravity.Support the show
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1:00:52
177. Sophie Payten (Gordi) Discusses Carole King, Tapestry
Send us a textSophie Payten, aka Gordi, joins Al from Melbourne, Australia to discuss the phenomenon that is Carole King’s 1971 album Tapestry. Sophie talks about how this album has been an important part of her life since childhood, and how it has influenced her songwriting. She breaks down nearly all of Tapestry's tracks, focusing on how King's vocals, piano playing and songwriting helped to create a pop masterpiece. Sophie also explains why she decided to pursue both a medical career and a musical career, and how the former informed her songwriting when she was creating her new album Like Plasticine (out May 30).You can follow Sophie on Instagram at @gordimusic and stream her music on YouTube at @gordimusic_psa. Check out gordimusic.com, where you can buy Sophie’s music and Gordi merch. As Sophie mentioned on the show, this is also where you can go to sign up for her newsletter.Al is on Bluesky at @almelchior.bsky.social. This show has an account on Instagram 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.Have a comment, question or suggestion about the show? Contact Al by clicking on the “Send us a text” link just above.1:19 Sophie joins the show2:35 Sophie talks about why she decided to pursue a career in medicine5:12 Sophie identifies the event that put her on the trajectory towards a music career8:17 Sophie explains why Tapestry has been an important album throughout her life12:00 Sophie notes what made an impression on her during latest listening of Tapestry14:19 Sophie marvels at Carole King’s powerful vocals18:00 Sophie and Al talk about how the studio musicians who played on Tapestry complemented King’s performance20:50 Sophie remembers learning to play “You’ve Got a Friend” on piano24:09 Al is more familiar with other artists’ interpretations of some of the songs from Tapestry26:11 Sophie talks about a few artists she explored after getting into Tapestry31:19 Sophie explains how King has influenced her own songwriting35:20 Sophie and Al talk about the uplifting nature of King’s melodies37:35 Sophie and Al explore “Beautiful” and “Smackwater Jack” as outliers on the album42:17 Sophie and Al discuss King’s discography aside from Tapestry46:05 Sophie talks about how the album opens and closes with its most powerful tracks50:47 Sophie and Al note the consistency of the album’s tracks52:44 Al was surprised by the outro of “So Far Away”54:54 Sophie talks about her lengthy songwriting process for “Peripheral Lover”1:01:03 Sophie recounts how her collaboration with Anaïs Mitchell on “PVC Divide” came about1:04:55 Sophie talks about her upcoming album release and touring plansOutro music is from “Broke Scene” by Gordi.Support the show
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1:10:00
176. Kendall Jane Meade Discusses Joni Mitchell, Court and Spark
Send us a textSinger-songwriter Kendall Jane Meade (Mascott, Juicy, Anders and Kendall, solo) pays YMAAA a visit to introduce Al to Joni Mitchell’s 1974 album Court and Spark. Kendall talks about her first impressions of the album and explains why its tracks still resonate with her more than 25 years after first hearing them. She and Al also discuss some of the unique features of the album, such as the Cheech and Chong cameo on “Twisted” and how “Help Me” was especially sophisticated for a hit single. Kendall also talks about her new solo album Space, which is the first album she has released under her own name.You can follow Kendall on Instagram at @kendalljanemeade. You can also get Kendall’s music, tour dates and links to all things KJM on her website, https://www.kendalljanemeade.com/.Looking for merch and vinyl? You’ll find them at https://motherwest.storenvy.com/.Al is on Bluesky at @almelchior.bsky.social. This show has an account on Instagram 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.Have a comment, question or suggestion about the show? Contact Al by clicking on the “Send us a text” link just above.1:26 Kendall joins the show2:25 Kendall gets inspiration from a Joni MItchell print in her home5:05 Kendall recalls the experience of hearing Court and Spark for the first time8:14 Kendall talks about the influence singer-songwriters have had on her own songwriting11:55 Kendall pinpoints the features of Court and Spark that grabbed her attention right away14:35 Al talks about what surprised him about Court and SparkDiscussion of specific tracks19:11 Help Me21:00 Free Man in Paris24:00 Help Me (the bridge)27:36 People’s Parties29:44 The Same Situation32:07 Car on a Hill33:13 Down to You38:49 Twisted43:16 Trouble Child44:03 Raised on Robbery48:53 Kendall’s final thoughts on Court and Spark50:49 Kendall details the circumstances that led her to make Space57:27 Kendall talks about writing “How to Do Nothing”1:01:42 Kendall explains why Space is a special album for herOutro music is from “Stereo” by Kendall Jane Meade.Support the show
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1:07:11
175. Jess Sylvester Discusses Blonde Redhead, Misery Is a Butterfly
Send us a textSinger, songwriter and guitarist Jess Sylvester (Marinero) joins Al and introduces him to Blonde Redhead’s 2004 album Misery Is a Butterfly. Jess talks about why he chose this album for the episode and how he was first exposed to it. Among many aspects of the album he focuses on, Jess observes how Blonde Redhead integrates their classical influences with different musical styles and how they convey the album’s lyrical themes across its 11 tracks. Jess also talks about his brand-new Marinero album, La La La, and the process of recording it in Los Angeles.As Jess mentioned on the show, the best place to keep up with him and his work is on Instagram. He is @marin_guero.You can find Jess’ music on his Marinero Bandcamp page: https://maringuero.bandcamp.com/.Al is on Bluesky at @almelchior.bsky.social. This show has an account on Instagram 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.Have a comment, question or suggestion about the show? Contact Al by clicking on the “Send us a text” link just above.1:27 Jess joins the show1:50 Jess explains why he chose Misery Is a Butterfly—and not The Beach Boys’ Smile Sessions4:13 Al was especially happy to do a Blonde Redhead episode5:28 Jess talks about the mixtape that introduced him to Blonde Redhead7:39 Jess recalls his first impressions of Misery Is a Butterfly11:55 Jess has nostalgic feelings about the album14:41 Al had a memorable experience when listening to Misery Is a Butterfly for the first time15:46 Jess talks about Blonde Redhead’s influences17:51 Jess provides some specific examples of how Blonde Redhead integrate their different influences20:52 Jess and Al talk about the tracks that act as palate cleansers for them24:25 Al was impressed by the album’s sequencing and how its themes were developed27:33 The album takes a surprising turn with “Equus”31:10 Jess explains what makes Misery Is a Butterfly a standout in Blonde Redhead’s discography33:29 Misery Is a Butterfly launched Jess into a new level of Blonde Redhead fandom35:16 Jess observes how the album hits him now after he hadn’t listened to it much in recent years38:00 Jess talks about what he enjoys from other Blonde Redhead albums41:08 Jess picks out his favorite moment from Misery Is a Butterfly43:13 Blonde Redhead ties opposing themes together throughout the album45:51 Jess hears “Magic Mountain” as a unique song on the album47:29 Jess appreciates Simone Pace’s drumming49:53 Jess hears Misery Is a Butterfly as a reflection of Blonde Redhead being composers, not jammers52:27 Jess talks about recording his new Marinero album La La La54:50 Jess consciously pushed himself to incorporate many different styles on La La La58:43 Jess reveals his plans for the coming monthsOutro music is from “The Mystery of Miss Mari Jane” by Marinero.Support the show
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1:04:38
174. Henry Kaiser Discusses Captain Beefheart, The Spotlight Kid
Send us a textGuitarist, improviser and research diver Henry Kaiser visits YMAAA and introduces Al to Captain Beefheart’s 1972 album The Spotlight Kid. Henry talks about his personal connections to Captain Beefheart’s backing ensemble, The Magic Band, and particularly his connection to Elliot Ingber, who passed away just days before this episode was recorded. Henry recalls how seeing a live performance of one of the tracks from The Spotlight Kid led to him taking up the guitar, and how he developed as both a fan and a colleague of Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band. Henry also talks about his deployments as a research diver in Antarctica, as well as some of his recent musical projects, including his work on Two Views of Steve Lacy’s The Wire.Henry had mentioned that he found a video of the Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band performance at Tufts University that inspired him to become a guitarist. You can find it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzDaFDhkv9A. The specific moment that Henry mentioned begins at 5:19.You can find Henry’s music on his website, http://www.henrykaiserguitar.com/, as well as on the Cuneiform Records YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/@CuneiformRecords). Among many other videos, that’s where you can find Henry’s recent Elliot Ingber tribute video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WpoVA6qkEX0).Al is on Bluesky at @almelchior.bsky.social. This show has an account on Instagram 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.1:24 Henry joins the show1:45 Henry talks about the important role that Elliot Ingber played in his life8:58 Henry explains why The Spotlight Kid was not loved by The Magic Band10:49 Henry recounts the first time he met Ingber and other members of The Magic Band12:52 Henry talks about his first experience with listening to The Spotlight Kid16:15 Henry discusses his YouTube videos, including his tribute performances18:48 Henry talks about how The Spotlight Kid was a different kind of album for Captain Beefheart20:00 Henry explains why he chose The Spotlight Kid for this episode and what it’s like for him to listen to it now22:15 Al picks his favorite tracks from the album and explains what he gets out of them29:10 The Spotlight Kid gets overshadowed by several other Captain Beefheart albums29:54 Henry cites his favorite tracks from the album31:36 The Spotlight Kid had some commercial success32:41 Henry’s Captain Beefheart fandom was shaped by his inside knowledge of the band’s workings36:01 Henry identifies what makes The Spotlight Kid unique among blues rock albums38:05 Henry talks about becoming a diver and his path to becoming a scientific diver in Antarctica43:00 Henry discusses his recent Steve Lacy cover album collaboration46:33 Henry enjoys reworking some of his favorite music48:13 Henry talks about his recent projectsOutro music is from “Esteem” by Ackley-Chen-Centazzo-DeGruttola-Kaiser-Manning.Support the show
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