Only Three Lads – Classic Alternative Music Podcast

It's the most O3L time of the year...always one of our favorite episodes, it's time for the O3L Holiday Party!

Every year, we invite listeners from around the world to join us for a special taping full of fun, frivolity, games, friends, and lasting memories. And maybe...just maybe...the Christmas miracle of an Uncle Gregg rant or two. We had a room full of veteran partygoers this year - Julie from LA; Julio from Pueblo, Mexico; Kimberly from Downey, CA; Paul from Stockton, CA; and Tarah from Scottsdale, AZ. But just because you didn't attend the recording doesn't mean you're not invited to the party! Just press play to join in on the fun!

This year, we asked our guests to bring their favorite "holiday party starter" song to the shindig. Plus, we play two brand new world famous O3L games: "That's Soooo '24," in which we ruin classic alternative song titles with 2024 slang words, and "Bandagrams," where we scramble up the letters of some of our favorite bands to hi-larious effect! Who will take the crown this year?!

Plus: We talk new musical discoveries in 2024! Uncle Gregg shows off his tattoos (and gives plenty of life lessons)! Brett's got balls (and a psychedelic Santa hat)! O3L awards! Fruitcake...yay or nay? Cookies...or disappointment biscuits? Desserts with vegetables! Plus, new seasonal tunes:

• Swansea Sound - '(I Wanna Wear A) Mirrored Hat Like Slade'
• The Chesterfields - 'Last Train To Christmas'
• Glenn Erb - 'Santa's In Jail'
• Mike Browning - 'It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year'

A skibidi time is guaranteed for all! Just like we used to do in Killarney.

Happy Holidays from your friends at Only Three Lads!

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This week, we celebrate the music of one of the most important bands of the '90s and beyond, Radiohead. Since the release of their first EP Drill over 32 years ago (!!), Radiohead continued to innovate and reinvent their music, challenging themselves and their fans. From their post-grunge anthem "Creep" (1992) to Britpop-era tour de force The Bends (1995) to the ambitious masterpiece OK Computer (1997) to the millennial sounds of Kid A (2000) to latter day masterpieces like In Rainbows (2007), the Oxford, England Rock & Roll Hall of Famers have inspired two generations of forward thinking musicians. Among those musicians are our Third Lads, Heather Dickson and Patrick Ahern* from the avant-garde pop duo Slender Dan.

(*NOT "Dan," as Brett erroneously called him before the recording started.)

Slender Dan debuted its first EP on KEXP in March of 2021. Since then, the band has released a full-length album, GESTALT, as well as several EPs and singles. As longtime musicians in the Los Angeles, Boston, Seattle, and now Nashville music scenes, the members of Slender Dan have come together to create a sound that can best be described as some kind of Thom Yorke/Billie Eilish/Miike Snow/Aphex Twin lovechild.

In what could be one of the more unhinged O3L episodes, "Safe Gregg" and "7-Inch Brett" naturally chat with Heather and Patrick about the lasting influence of Radiohead, but also about two-man luges, current pop girls, Kansas, Yo Yo Ma, Napoleon Dynamite, Chumbawamba, puppies, ODing on energy drinks, Electric Company parties, and the distinct possibility that Heather MAY actually be Brett's daughter.

Plus, we also shout out a recommended podcast by friend of the show Dave Gebroe: Discograffiti. Extensive and meticulously researched deep dives into some of your favorite artists catalogues, Discograffiti is a music obsessive's dream. Check it out wherever you get podcasts!

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We're not content to just talk about great synth-pop albums of the pivotal year of 1980...we wanted to share the discussion with musicians who created one of the great synth-pop albums of 1980! The album, you ask? Party In The War Zone by L.A. band Vivabeat, and we were fortunate enough to have bassist/songwriter Mick Muhlfriedel and keyboardist/vocalist Marina Muhlfriedel joining us.

This surely must be one of the most remarkable stories we've heard of living on the precipice of the big time. They had the hooks and the looks. They were discovered by Peter Gabriel (who was inspired by the whistling hook in the band's "Man From China" to write "Games Without Frontiers) and signed to Charisma. Their song "The House Is Burning (But There's No One Home)" was prominently featured in the film Body Double, and the music video subsequently won an MTV Video Award. Their second incarnation included former Japan guitarist Rob Dean, contributing to their standing as the opening act to bands like Depeche Mode and Gary Numan. However, a series of unfortunate events and unscrupulous managers limited Vivabeat's shelf life.

Fortunately, in 2024, Rubellan Remasters (www.rubellanremasters.com) re-issued Party In The War Zone on CD for the first time, as well as the vinyl-only compilation The House Is Burning: The Best of Vivabeat 1979-86.

Mick Muhlfriedel went on to work on scores for films such as Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey, and is currently the President of the wonderful youth organization Downtown LA Soccer Club. Marina Muhlfriedel also got into the film industry, starting as a Production Assistant for Danny DeVito, eventually getting a Producer credit on movies like Throw Momma From The Train. She is a highly experienced storyteller, writer, and producer, who is currently working on her memoir.

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Friday, November 29, 2024 is Record Store Day Black Friday - a day of exclusive releases and fun for record collectors everywhere!

Join O3L's Brett Vargo for a brief bonus episode, as he helps you, the discerning classic alternative fan, to put together your shopping list. Happy hunting!

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A well-placed song in a film holds the power to shape a viewer's emotions, heighten tension, set the tone, foreshadow events, provide insight into characters, or deepen the narrative. In essence, music is the heartbeat of the cinema that can elevate a film from good to sublime.

Take it from someone who knows, like this week's Third Lad, Barry Andrews - he's had songs soundtracking pivotal moments in films such as Manhunter and Band of the Hand.

Barry Andrews began his professional music career in the punk era lending his keyboard stylings to a little band that you may have heard of, XTC, giving them one of the most defining and distinctive features of their sound for their first two albums.  After leaving XTC in 1979, he released a fine solo EP and single, formed the short lived Restaurant for Dogs, and played with Iggy Pop and Robert Fripp's League of Gentlemen before forming the band Shriekback with Gang of Four bassist Dave Allen and singer Carl Marsh in 1981.  For the better part of the last 43 years, Barry has kept Shriekback alive through various incarnations, continuing to release music that’s daring, experimental, and artful, as well as maintaining an ambitious and rewarding solo career.

Thanks to Paul Richison for the great guest suggestion and introduction.

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Artist. Poet. Friend. This week, we celebrate the music, life, and legacy of Leonard Cohen with someone who knew him well - Perla Batalla.

Grammy-nominated Singer/songwriter Perla Batalla first came to prominence as a backing singer for Leonard Cohen during his 1988 I’m Your Man tour and on the 1992 album The Future, in the process forging a deep friendship.  With Cohen’s encouragement, Perla stepped out as an artist in her own right, releasing a beautifully diverse range of magnificent albums such as Mestiza and Discoteca Batalla, performing at the world’s best venues, co-writing and appearing in two one-woman shows, honored by UN and Focus on the Masters.  But she has always kept the words and works of Leonard Cohen close to her heart.  Her latest album, A Letter to Leonard Cohen: Tribute to a Friend, is her second album of her unique interpretations of Cohen’s music, following 2005’s Bird on the Wire.  It was released the day before what would have been his 90th birthday.

Leonard Norman Cohen was born in Quebec on September 21, 1934.  Spending the latter part of the ‘50s and first half of the ‘60s as a published poet and author, he shifted his focus to songwriting.  From 1967 to 1971, he established himself as a major musical talent with the trilogy of classic albums Songs of Leonard Cohen, Songs from a Room, and Songs of Love and Hate, as well as interpretations by the likes of Judy Collins, Nina Simone, Joe Cocker, and Roberta Flack.  He would continue to record and tour sporadically throughout the ‘70s and early ‘80s to widespread acclaim and with some commercial success in Europe.  In the late ‘80s & early ‘90s, Cohen gained a new underground audience through his two synth-driven productions, I’m Your Man and The Future, prominent soundtrack placements, a beloved album of interpretations by Jennifer Warnes, Famous Blue Raincoat, and the 1991 high profile tribute album, I’m Your Fan, where a who’s who of alternative music disciples like REM, Ian McCulloch, Pixies, James, The House of Love, Robert Forster, Nick Cave, and John Cale paid their respects to the man.  The latter artist, John Cale, performed a breathtaking piano version of a song from 1984’s Various Positions called “Hallelujah,” in an arrangement that would be borrowed and transcribed to guitar by Jeff Buckley a few years later, which further elevated Leonard Cohen’s already mythical status.  After spending the latter half of the ‘90s in a monastery as an ordained Buddhist monk, Leonard Cohen returned in the twenty first century to finish what he started, adding six additional studio albums to his catalogue, including the album released weeks before his November 7, 2016 death, You Want It Darker, and the posthumous followup completed by his son Adam, 2019’s Thanks For The Dance, as well as multiple live albums, both archival and contemporary.  He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2008.

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This week, we focus on the bands who were at the precipice of becoming huge...rave reviews, prominent live gigs, radio support...yet, fame and fortune somehow eluded them. Our Third Lad is someone who knows all about this - in Alex Boucher's new memoir, Three and a Half Minutes of Fame, the seasoned writer draws from his firsthand experiences in "almost famous" indie/punk bands Three and a Half Minutes, Travis Cut, and Jaff, and boy band NV.

"Three and a Half Minutes of Fame" takes readers on a compelling journey through the tumultuous music scene of the 1990s, as experienced by protagonist Alex, who embarks on a quest for fame after signing a record deal at the tender age of 17. Over the span of seven years, Alex finds himself on the cusp of stardom multiple times, rubbing shoulders with iconic bands like The Pogues, Suede, Blur, and Mansun, as well as encountering figures such as Patti Boyd.

However, Alex's journey is far from glamorous. Along the way, he confronts neo-Nazis, navigates the gritty world of gangsta rap, accidentally smokes crack, and grapples with personal tragedies, mental health challenges, and the trauma of sexual abuse. Set against the backdrop of the 1990s—a decade marked by cultural shifts and the rise of alternative music scenes—this memoir offers an authentic glimpse into the highs and lows of pursuing fame before the era of social media.

Amidst the challenges of the COVID-19 lockdowns, Boucher took the opportunity to document his memories of the 90s music scene, resulting in a poignant memoir that sheds light on the untold stories of those who strive for fame but ultimately fall short. "Three and a Half Minutes of Fame" offers readers an intimate and revealing account of one man's journey through the trials and triumphs of the music industry, ultimately serving as a testament to resilience, creativity, and the enduring allure of chasing one's dreams.

P.S. If Uncle Gregg rants are your bag, then this one's for YOU!

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Out of all of the Third Lads that we've ever had, there is probably no one who has had a more profound impact on shaping our taste as alternative music fans and collectors than Ira Robbins. In 1974, young writer Robbins and two friends launched the fanzine Trans-Oceanic Trouser Press, later shortened to simply Trouser Press. Over the course of 10 years and nearly 100 issues, Trouser Press championed the eccentric outsiders, the punk pioneers, the new wave nerds, and the indie icons. The magazine ceased publication in 1984, but continued to publish record guides, which became the alternative music bible for Brett and Uncle Gregg. The contents of those essential books, as well as digitized copies of the magazine, have been lovingly archived at https://trouserpress.com.

Today, Trouser Press Books continues to carry out the mission that drove the fanzine 50 years ago, releasing some of the best music-centric books on the market, including the new anthology Zip It Up! The Best of Trouser Press Magazine 1974-1984.

Fittingly, this week we have an insightful, slightly nutty conversation about the eccentric geniuses of the O3L era.

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**This is an O3L "rerun" - our Halloween Special from 2022!

Happy Halloween! If you didn't get your fill of O3L this week (which strangely tastes similar to circus peanuts), here's a fun-size O3L Halloween Special. Uncle Gregg and Brett bring you their Top 5 songs to add to your spooky playlist. It's spoooook-tacular! OK, no more Halloween puns...

There are two crucial rules at this time of year:

1) Don't feed Gremlins after midnight; and

2) Don't let the Lads record at night. If you've heard past "After Dark" episodes, it probably will come as no surprise that there is content in this one that may not be appropriate for sensitive listeners.

Enter...if you dare!

Oh, and P.S. Gregg ruins EVERYTHING! Now you can add Halloween to the list.

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Jimmie Nicol was a well respected London session drummer living in relative anonymity until he got his lucky break. When Ringo Starr fell ill with tonsilitis in June 1964, The Beatles carried on with the first leg of their world tour, using Nicol as a temporary substitute. For 13 nights, Jimmie became the only person outside of John, Paul, George, and Ringo to really live as an honest-to-goodness Beatle during the height of Beatlemania - appearing in photos, at press conferences and as one of the four men standing on stage in front of thousands of screaming, adoring fans. Upon Ringo's return, Jimmie resumed his relatively quiet life...soon to retreat from the public eye altogether. What was his story? How was he chosen by The Beatles' camp? What did he do after experiencing the taste of fame? With no sightings for many years, is Jimmie Nicol even still alive??

These are the mysteries that our Third Lad, author, historian and Rock and Roll Detective Jim Berkenstadt seeks to unravel in his book The Beatle Who Vanished (https://thebeatlewhovanished.com). Jim has had a fascinating, multi-faceted career - from attorney to author to research and historical consultant for many music, film and TV projects for Apple Records and others. Jim shares stories of keeping it cool around Beatles (but not necessarily around Doors), jamming with a Beatle, and hearing Nirvana session tapes before they broke big.

And, of course, we've got our Top 5 replacement or temporary band members. Yowsah!

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Get ghoulish this last weekend of October with a six pack of new tunes!

1) Twin Ritual - 'Allie' (from the Allie LP - https://twinritual.bandcamp.com)

2) Shake Some - 'Every Little Noise' (single, Mondays Off Records - https://shakesome.bandcamp.com)

3) HotKid - 'Downtown' (from the Downtown EP, Fortune Stellar Records - https://hotkid.ca)

4) Dancer - 'You Saint' (from the Split LP, HHBTM Records - https://hhbtm.bandcamp.com)

5) Whisper Hiss - 'Movable Objects' (from the Split LP, HHBTM Records - https://hhbtm.bandcamp.com)

6) The Jack Rubies - 'Phantom' (single, Big Stir Records - https://bigstirrecords.bandcamp.com)

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Because we're readers and whatnot, this week we get literate on y'all and discuss some of our favorite rock n' roll memoirs. Our Third Lad knows a thing or two about great rock memoirs, because he just published one...singer, songwriter, guitar hero, baseball aficionado, and now author...Steve Wynn from The Dream Syndicate!

His memoir, I Wouldn't Say It If It Wasn't True, is out now from Jawbone Press, covering his earliest days as a kid in LA falling in love with music, and down the road that took him to and through the first era of The Dream Syndicate. As a companion to the book, Fire Records simultaneously released Steve's first new solo album in 14 years, Make It Right, featuring songs that were inspired by the process of writing his memoir and reflecting on his life, from his beginnings in "Santa Monica" to present days on "Roosevelt Avenue". Steve is currently touring the eastern part of the US, with west coast and European dates to follow in early 2025, promising "a night of songs and stories" that you won't want to miss. Keep up on the latest news at https://stevewynn.net.

During our conversation, we also cover:

• The Paisley Underground - the LA neo-psych scene that also spawned The Bangles, Three O'Clock, The Rain Parade, Green on Red, The Long Ryders!
• The lasting legacy of their classic 1982 debut The Days of Wine and Roses!
• What's in store for the out of print Dream Syndicate records Medicine Show (1984) and Ghost Stories (1988)?
• The 21st century return of the Dream Syndicate!
• Living with a drummer! (Don't worry, it's his wife Linda Pitmon, not Tommy Lee...)
• Little Steven's Underground Garage Cruise!
• Baseball! His supergroup The Baseball Project with Linda Pitmon, Scott McCaughey from Young Fresh Fellows / The Minus 5 and Mike Mills and Peter Buck from R.E.M. Also, who is Steve rooting for during the 2024 World Series?

You won't want to miss this...and we wouldn't say it if it wasn't true.

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Big Stir Records co-founders and Armoires' singers/songwriters Rex Broome and Christina Bulbenko are back for part two of our adventures in Octoberland! Hot on the heels of their newly released fall classic, Octoberland, we partake in a lively discussion on some of the best October releases of the O3L era. A cocaine-addled, anal-leakin', Das Scorpiones-lovin', elephant-squawkin', National Merit Scholar-winnin' time is guaranteed for all!**

**Our lawyers tell us we can't actually guarantee this. Then again, our lawyers have also informed us that they got their degrees from a Sally Struthers correspondence course.

Get the Armoires' new album Octoberland at: https://bigstirrecords.com/the-armoires

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Travel with us down the snakehole into the magical world of Octoberland. In the first part of our two part autumnal extravaganza, Rex Broome and Christina Bulbenko, co-founders of Big Stir Records and singers/songwriters in pop powerhouse The Armoires, join us to discuss their brand new fall classic Octoberland.

Octoberland is an invigorating eleven-track collection of amped-up, richly detailed pop gems, accessible but still retaining the quirky, slightly eerie mystique of their unique sonic signature. Along with Christina (vocals, keys) and Rex (vocals, guitar), The Armoires also feature the intricate instrumental interplay between Larysa Bulbenko (viola) and the empathetic rhythm section of Clifford Ulrich (bass) and renowned music journalist/power pop expert John M. Borack (drums). It's a bright, brash amalgam of expansive New Pornographers-inspired lit-rock, '90s twee pop and dream rock, the college rock heights of R.E.M. and Echo & The Bunnymen, and a bedrock of Byrds and Jefferson Airplane electric folk roots.

Along with getting deep into the many wonders of Octoberland, this very entertaining discussion covers the formation and evolution of Big Stir Records, music and animals, and so, so much more.

We absolutely mean it!

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When you hear the term "singer-songwriter", what the first thing that comes to mind? Sensitive '70s long-haired hippies strolling through Laurel Canyon with an acoustic guitar? Us too. But, amidst the explosion of alternative rock, grunge, Britpop, electronic music, and hip-hop, the '90s were a fruitful decade for the singer-songwriter. This crop of artists drew from a stylistically varied palette, but played music with passion, heart, honesty, vulnerability, and a knack for poetic storytelling.

One of the most promising singer-songwriters of the '90s was this week's Third Lad Milo Binder, the musical alter ego of Todd Lawrence. Milo Binder's self-titled debut album was released in 1991 to universal critical acclaim, featuring a respected roster of legendary musicians including Garth Hudson from The Band, Sneaky Pete from Flying Burrito Brothers, and Victoria Williams, as well as studio pros like the late David Vaught (Rosebud, Tom Waits, Roger McGuinn) and Duane Jarvis. Milo was profiled on NPR, received folk radio airplay, and shared the stage with a range of artists from the Indigo Girls to Soundgarden. Naturally, with that auspicious debut, Milo Binder went on to a long, fruitful musical career. Right?

Well, a series of life changing events caused Milo Binder to hang up the guitar and transform back into mild-mannered Todd Lawrence for the better part of 33 years (the Superman analogy isn't all that hyperbolic...you'll find out that Todd is pretty much a super hero!). Other than the occasional live appearance and 2019's wonderfully whimsical psychedelic pop fable Paisley and the Firefly written and recorded with his longtime musical partner and best friend Willie Aron, a true follow up to the Milo Binder album never materialized. Until now.

August 2024 heralded the return of Milo Binder with his (verrrrrry) long awaited second album, The Unspeakable Milo Binder, on Heyday Again (distributed by Real Gone Music). It finds our hero not only in fine form, but it's a record that equals or surpasses its predecessor.

Listen to Milo's remarkable story, plus:

• What '90s singer-songwriter was a triple crossover...but with three different albums?
• Where did Uncle Gregg bomb doing stand up?
• Who was Milo's toughest audience?
• What group of people did Cher offend? (According to our official staff fact checker, aka Brett's wife, it's NOT who we said it was.)

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This week, we head back to '82 (when we could throw a pigskin a quarter mile) with special guest Jackson Reed.

With his band Jackson Reed and the Silverbirds, the 26-year old Calgary rocker is mixing an irresistible blend of earnest '80s classic rock with modern pop smarts. Following the success of tracks like 2021's "Dangerous Lover" (featuring legendary drummer Kenny Aronoff) and 2023's "In My Head," their latest single is a cover of Prince's iconic 1982 hit "Little Red Corvette", offering up a take on the classic that's both faithful and fresh. It's garnered radio airplay coast-to-coast in both the USA and Canada.

Reed also hosts the wonderful podcast Guess That Record, where he has interviewed luminaries such as The Police's Andy Summers, Dweezil Zappa, and Billy Joel drummer Chuck Burgi. And, in tribute to Jackson's pod, we play a brand new O3L game called "Back in 82, I Could Guess That Song!"

Like good honorary Canadians, we partake in conversations about hockey, Rush, the Tragically Hip, Degrassi, Corner Gas...plus little red corvettes, Brett's drag club appearance, and Uncle Gregg's oddly specific sensual fantasies. Hey, it was Saturday night, we guess that makes it alright...

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Unwind with a new six pack of tunes on this final weekend of September. This month's theme is "September Gurls" (what, too obvious?), as we spotlight recent tracks from a few of indie music's finest female-fronted or female-prominent bands. This week, you'll hear:

1. Scary Pierre - 'Piece of Mind' (from Boys Club)
2. Lightheaded - 'Bright Happy Girls' (from Combustible Gems, Slumberland Records)
3. Shapes Like People - 'When The Radio Plays' (single, Jangleshop Records)
4. Whitney's Playland - 'Corridor of Dreams' (from the Martin Newell/Cleaners from Venus tribute Tales of a Kitchen Porter, Dandy Boy Records)
5. Cinema Lumiere - 'Wishing It Was Sunday' (from Wishing It Was Sunday, Subjangle)
6. Circe Link & Christian Nesmith - 'The Magician' (from Arcana)

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Holy O3L! No, that's not some sort of Batman-style exclamatory remark...it really is a Holy O3L. Or at least as close as we get. This week, we discuss spirituality in music, as we count down some of our favorite spiritual songs...which happens to run the gamut from Mahalia Jackson to Beastie Boys to the Grateful Dead, and many stops in between. Along the way, we talk about catfish Robert Plant, real Peter Frampton, Greeks in short shorts, F.A.'s, relationship advice, gators, and so, so much more with this week's Third Lad, Debra Cohen! This is Only Three Lads like you've never heard.

Debra Cohen began her music career as a New Wave rocker in the early '80s. Her band opened up for Joan Jett & The Blackhearts at legendary Rathskeller ("The Rat") in Boston. They had a regional radio hit with their single "Boston Nights." Debra's song "Dreamin" was discussed to be covered by INXS. Everything seemed to be going her way, until the rock n' roll temptations of drugs and alcohol nearly cost Debra her life...and it was at her darkest moment that she found God. After a stint fronting a blues band in the '90s, she left the music business behind and studied Judaism. In recent years, Debra has rebranded herself as a spiritual pop/rock singer/songwriter. You can learn more about her musical journey at https://debracohenmusic.com.

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Hey ho, let's go! This week, we're all about one of the most influential, important, and let's not forget, fun , bands of the era - Ramones. Joining us for our discussion is Dana Bonn and Carl Cafarelli from This Is Rock ‘n’ Roll Radio, airing Sunday nights from 9:00 pm - midnight ET on Syracuse’s SPARK! WSPJ 103.3 and 93.7 FM, featuring the "best three hours of radio on the whole friggin' planet".

Carl is also an incredibly gifted music scribe, writing the must-read daily music blog Boppin' (Like The Hip Folks Do) and in many fine publications. Relevant to today's topic, He has also published Gabba Gabba Hey! A Conversation with the Ramones, culled from his interviews with the band. His latest book, The Greatest Record Ever Made (Volume 1), features insightful, passionate, humorous essays on 145 of his favorite songs across all genres.

The Ramones were an American punk rock band formed in New York City in 1974. Known for helping establish the punk movement in the United States and elsewhere, the Ramones are often cited as the first true punk rock band. The Ramones ranked number 26 in Rolling Stone magazine's 2004 list of the "100 Greatest Artists of All Time and number 17 in VH1's 2012 television series 100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock. In 2002, the Ramones were ranked the second-greatest band of all time by Spin, trailing only the Beatles. On March 18, 2002, the original four members and Tommy's replacement on drums, Marky Ramone, were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in their first year of eligibility. In 2011, the group was awarded a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. (Thanks, Wikipedia.)

Stream This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio at: https://ec3.yesstreaming.net:4280/api/links/?t=web&l=ne&c=1&fbclid=IwAR2sdklgIfqVCG1_E3I-bkPwbCFqbnFPJbQ95V4bveYs1g5o4jHEQjZNVx0, or on the Radio Garden app as WESTCOTT RADIO.

Buy Carl Cafarelli's books at: Amazon.com : carl cafarelli

Boppin' (Like The Hip Folks Do): Boppin' (Like The Hip Folks Do) (carlcafarelli.blogspot.com)

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Which male singers do you feel deserve more love and respect? That, dear friends, is the question we ponder this week with someone who knows - veteran circuit singer Dave Dawson.

Dave's new book, Pop Idle: 30 Years on the Road as a Professional Singer, is an honest, humourous, insightful look at life on the bottom rung of the showbiz ladder.

Like hordes of others, best-selling author Dave Dawson has spent decades crisscrossing the UK as a solo full-time professional musician. During his 30 years on the road, he has performed thousands of shows before tens of thousands of people, yet still remains one of the army of anonymous entertainers who literally sing for their supper, as part of the Never Ending UK Tour. From pubs to clubs, dives to luxury hotels, theatres to gardens, and hen nights to care homes, there’s hardly a live environment that he hasn’t encountered, enjoyed or endured.

Along the way, he’s had brushes with fame and fandom, strippers and stalkers, crooks and colourful characters, pissed-up punters and prima donnas… and has banked a wealth of experience at the brunt of the live music circuit.

You may also know Dave Dawson as Dave Philpott, who appeared with us last season to discuss his bestselling book series of bonkers letters to pop stars with real replies - Dear Mr. Kershaw, Dear Mr. Pop Star, Grammar Free in the UK, and Dear Catherine Wheel.

Oh, and despite the tendency to poke a little fun at Hanson's ubiquitous 1997 earworm 'Mmm Bop', Taylor Hanson probably is underrated. Listen to the Tinted Windows album for proof of that! But we won't let that fact stand in the way of a bit.

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**Part 2! Hear our Top 3 Albums of 1973. More music! More fun! More infectious Lisa laughs!

We're havin' a party this week! Joining us for a lively, laugh-filled exploration of 1973 albums is the heart and soul of The BellRays, singer Lisa Kekaula and guitarist Bob Vennum, who have been gloriously blending high octane punk, powerful soul music, deep blues, gritty garage rock, and whatever else they want to throw into the stew, since 1990. This is a band that defies expectations or pre-conceived notions and transcends any one genre or scene. Their music is all about energy and feel, and that makes them authentic no matter what the style is. To quote their 2020 compilation, It’s Never To Late To Fall In Love With the Bell-Rays. For some of you, it may be this very day when you listen to this podcast. In fact, it’s actually the perfect time to fall in love with the BellRays, because they have a brand new album of blazing rock n' soul, Heavy Steady Go!, and are embarking on a tour on September 5, 2024 - playing some headlining dates on the west coast before heading out for a North American tour with Social Distortion. 

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**Part 1 of 2! The second half of our conversation comes out on September 5, 2024.**

We're havin' a party this week! Joining us for a lively, laugh-filled exploration of 1973 albums is the heart and soul of The BellRays, singer Lisa Kekaula and guitarist Bob Vennum, who have been gloriously blending high octane punk, powerful soul music, deep blues, gritty garage rock, and whatever else they want to throw into the stew, since 1990. This is a band that defies expectations or pre-conceived notions and transcends any one genre or scene. Their music is all about energy and feel, and that makes them authentic no matter what the style is. To quote their 2020 compilation, It’s Never To Late To Fall In Love With the Bell-Rays. For some of you, it may be this very day when you listen to this podcast. In fact, it’s actually the perfect time to fall in love with the BellRays, because they have a brand new album of blazing rock n' soul, Heavy Steady Go!, and are embarking on a tour on September 5, 2024 - playing some headlining dates on the west coast before heading out for a North American tour with Social Distortion. 

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Head into your long weekend with six recent tracks that we think you will L-U-V!

1. The Ekphrastics - ‘A Good Day For Sailing’ (Harriet Records)
2. Wut - ‘Mingling with the Thorns’ (HHBTM Records)
3. Eighteen Hundred and Froze To Death - ‘Old Painful’ (Resident Recordings)
4. Greaser Phase - ‘Lonely Hearts Killers’ (Shambotic)
5. Eljin Marbles - ‘Art Is Love Is God’ (Intellectual House of Pancakes)
6. Sunset Rubdown - ‘Cliche Town’ (Pronounced Kroog)

Thank you for helping us support new music! Show your love to these artists by buying physical media or merch, going to see some live shows...heck, social media follows and streams help as well!

Americans, have a great Labor Day weekend...everyone else, have a great regular weekend!

L-U-V,

Brett & Uncle Gregg

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"Top 5 Winter Songs? A winter themed episode, lads? In August?!? Good timing, doofuses!"

We hear you, imaginary (and, frankly, rather rude) podcast critic. And our retort is that our friends in the southern hemisphere are still firmly in the grips of winter. For example, our Third Lad this week, one of the greatest songwriters that Australia has ever produced (and an artist who is on the short list of Brett's musical heroes), Peter Milton Walsh from The Apartments!

PMW has led the Apartments in various incarnations since 1978, starting with the spiky indie pop of the EP 'The Return of the Hypnotist' on The Go-Betweens' Able Label. After brief stints with The Go-Betweens and Ed Kuepper's post-Saints band The Laughing Clowns, the Apartments reformed in 1984 with the classic single "All You Wanted." Their first full length, 'The Evening Visits...And Stays For Years', followed in 1985 on Rough Trade, with the 1987 single "The Shyest Time" featured on the John Hughes soundtrack for Some Kind of Wonderful. Among the Apartments' string of breathtakingly gorgeous, diverse records are 'Drift' (1993), 'A Life Full Of Farewells' (1995), 'Apart' (1997), 'No Song No Spell No Madrigal' (2015), and 'In And Out Of The Light' (2020). For the uninitiated, Welcome to Walsh World!

Peter stopped by in between sessions for a forthcoming record. Just as a small forewarning, we recorded our lists afterwards...so any juvenile, off-topic or off-colour side conversations about pillows, tank tops, getting lost in department stores, or Art Garfunkel lookalikes are no reflection on the pure class of Mr. Walsh. Hopefully, to quote the man himself, we didn't "take something good and make a mess of it".

Special thanks to Marc Shea from the great fellow Pantheon show Performance Anxiety for the introduction, and much gratitude to Peter's wife Kate for the coordination. This was an incredible thrill for us!

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If you will dare, we will dare. "Children by the millions" have been waiting for the episode where we cover the music of one of the most influential and pioneering bands of the alternative era - heck, one of the greatest rock n' roll bands ever, period - The Replacements. And what better Third Lad could we hope for this week than the man who discovered, signed, managed, and co-produced the Mats, Twin/Tone Records co-founder Peter Jesperson?!

Peter stops by to recount the early days of the Twin Cities scene and Twin/Tone; the moment Paul Westerberg handed him the Replacements' first demo; his biggest disappointments and surprises among Twin/Tone artists; the Mats' transition to a major label; getting the Replacements into the Rock Hall; an update on late era guitarist Slim Dunlap; and many more memories, as we reveal our Top 5 Replacements Songs.

Peter's essential memoir, Euphoric Recall, is out now. Euphoric Recall: A Half Century as a Music Fan, Producer, DJ, Record Executive, and Tastemaker: Jesperson, Peter, Fricke, David: 9781681342719: Amazon.com: Books

Many thanks to Josh Mills from It's Alive! Media & Management for the introduction and coordination.

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For those of us in the Northern Hempishere, we are deep into the "Dog Days of Summer." Is anyone else sick of the heat?!? Well, before the dog days are over (to quote Florence & The Machine), cool off with a six pack of new tunes from:

1. The Meringues - 'Shambles'
2. Sissyhiya - 'Kristen Stewart' (Skep Wax Records)
3. Gregorov - 'Gasterbeiter ide za Beč'
4. LMS8 - 'Love Connection' (The Beautiful Music)
5. Giant Day - 'Ignore The Flood' (The Elephant 6 Recording Company)
6. Greg Williams - 'This Life'

Enjoy your weekend! Thank you for supporting new music, including the artists on this episode!

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Our newest member of the 'Three Timer Club,' renowned music journalist / author / photographer Michael Goldberg, joins us this week to discuss some of the most iconic images of the classic alternative era. What are some of the photos, logos, and icons that come to YOUR mind?

The first-ever collection of Addicted To Noise founder and former Rolling Stone senior writer Michael Goldberg's photographs, Jukebox: Photographs 1967-2023 (Hozac Books), features an impressive array of underground figures and outcast luminaries captured in their natural habitat, most seen here for the first time anywhere. Bridging the gaps between the late ‘60s psychedelic era, primitive first-wave ‘70s punk and soul & reggae, as well as never-before seen images of country & folk iconoclasts and rule-breakers across the spectrum of all that is captivating, and even including some modern artists still making waves, Jukebox is a riveting photography collection that truly feels as good as it looks. The photos in JUKEBOX are drawn from the thousands he’s taken over the years. Included are photos of the Sex Pistols, Crime, the Ramones, the Avengers, Devo, the Nuns, the Clash, Tom Verlaine, Lou Reed, John Cale and the Dils as well as Tom Waits, Courtney Barnett and Kurt Vile, Janis Joplin, Ben Gibbard, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, Muddy Waters, Toots and the Maytals, Patti Smith, Bettye LaVette, the Who, Neil Young, Jonathan Richman, Townes Van Zandt, the Flamin’ Groovies, and many many more.

Photos from JUKEBOX will be on display from July 25 through September 22, 2024 at the Haight Street Art Center in San Francisco, where the exhibition, We Are the One: San Francisco Punk 1970s & 1980s, curated by Goldberg, will also be featured during those two months.

Oh, and bonus! We play the latest in a series of world famous O3L games, "Record Rack of the Mind."

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During Episode 223, we took an extensive look at one of the best rock documentaries in recent memory, Louder Than You Think: A Lo-Fi History of Gary Young & Pavement, with the film's director Jed I. Rosenberg and co-producer Brian Thalken. It is the inventive, hilarious, and heartbreaking tale of original Pavement drummer Gary Young: a rock n' roll wild man, consummate entertainer, and brilliant drummer who was unfortunately plagued by self-destructive tendencies. When we had the film's other co-producer, Jeffrey Clark, on this week to chat about Northern California punk, we also took the opportunity to delve further into this must-see movie and its fascinating subject.

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From the Bay Area to the Central Valley to the Redwood Forest, this punk rock was made for you and me.

Since the late '70s, Northern California has been a hotbed of punk rock activity. San Francisco sat at the epicentre of the first wave, with bands like Crime, Dead Kennedys, Avengers, Chrome, The Mutants, and The Nuns bringing the house down at the legendary Mabuhay Gardens. East Bay bands like Green Day, Operation Ivy, Rancid, and The Mr. T Experience ruled the punk revival of the late '80s and beyond. But, all over the northern part of California, great bands sprouted up in cities like Stockton, Santa Cruz, Davis, and Fulton. This week, we'll cover some of the great punk singles from the area, from familiar favorites to obscure treasures.

What better Third Lad for this assignment than Northern California alternative music legend Jeffrey Clark?!? Jeffrey got his start as the singer/songwriter in early '80s Stockton garage/psych/synth combo The Torn Boys, whose recordings were recently released by Independent Project Records as 1983. Following the demise of the band, Jeffrey departed for LA with Torn Boys bandmade Grant-Lee Phillips (later of Grant Lee Buffalo fame) and formed the moody, mystical, marvelous Shiva Burlesque, who released two LPs - their eponymous debut in 1987 and Mercury Blues in 1990. Jeffrey subsequently released two cinematic, gorgeous solo records - Sheer Golden Hooks in 1996 and If Is in 2009.

But wait, there's more: This renaissance man also founded one of the most acclaimed film festivals in North America, the Nevada City Film Festival; he revitalized the legendary Independent Project Records with label founder/Savage Republic guitarist Bruce Licher; and, he co-produced the documentary Louder Than You Think: A Lo-Fi History of Gary Young & Pavement. Oh, and did we mention that he's practically a member of the Wu-Tang Clan??

Speaking of Louder Than You Think, you may recall our recent episode where we chatted with director Jed I. Rosenberg and co-producer Brian Thalken. We made sure to chat with Jeffrey about the film as well, so stay tuned for a separate mini-episode on Thursday for more of our discussion!

Special thanks to Paul Richison for the amazing guest suggestion, and to Josh Mills from It's Alive! Media for the incredible coordination.

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Last episode, you heard the thrilling, incredible rock n' roll stories of the Hollywood Stars' Scott Phares and Jeff Jourard. This week, we conclude our epic conversation by revealing each of our Top 5 LA Albums!

The Hollywood Stars were THE "It Band" on the Sunset Strip in the early '70s. Originally concocted by legendary Hollywood impresario and cult figure Kim Fowley to be LA's answer to New York Dolls, the Stars' mix of glammed-up hard rock and pop hooks made them mainstays at clubs like the Whisky a Go Go and the Starwood. Bands like Journey, the Runaways, and Quiet Riot opened for them. Iggy Pop joined them on stage. John Lennon attended their performances. Their songs were covered by Alice Cooper ('Escape') and KISS ('King of the Night Time World'). Every major label wanted to sign them, eventually recording a debut album in 1974 for Columbia with Eagles producer Bill Szymczyk. But fate had other plans for the Hollywood Stars...a shake up at Columbia's west coast division led to the band being dropped before the album was released (and would remain that way until 2013, when Shine Like A Radio: The Great Lost 1974 Album surfaced), and the original incarnation of the band broke up. The remnants of the band would finally release an eponymous debut album for Arista in 1977, but that was effectively the end of the Hollywood Stars' story...until now.

Following the success of their archival release, the band would get back together in 2018 for live shows and new recordings, with original lead vocalist Scott Phares returning to the fold. Their brand new 2024 album, Starstruck, finds the band in fine, rockin' form.

The current version of the band also includes a veteran guitarist with more incredible rock n' roll stories to tell, Jeff Jourard. Jeff played with Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers during the recording of their first album - the motorcycle jacket you see Petty wearing on the cover was Jeff's - but his departure from the band as they left for England meant that his sole credit on the record was a "Heartfelt Thanks." After that, Jeff teamed up with Martha Davis to form the Motels, co-writing their oft-covered classic 'Total Control.'

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The Hollywood Stars were THE "It Band" on the Sunset Strip in the early '70s. Originally concocted by legendary Hollywood impresario and cult figure Kim Fowley to be LA's answer to New York Dolls, the Stars' mix of glammed-up hard rock and pop hooks made them mainstays at clubs like the Whisky a Go Go and the Starwood. Bands like Journey, the Runaways, and Quiet Riot opened for them. Iggy Pop joined them on stage. John Lennon attended their performances. Their songs were covered by Alice Cooper ('Escape') and KISS ('King of the Night Time World'). Every major label wanted to sign them, eventually recording a debut album in 1974 for Columbia with Eagles producer Bill Szymczyk. But fate had other plans for the Hollywood Stars...a shake up at Columbia's west coast division led to the band being dropped before the album was released (and would remain that way until 2013, when Shine Like A Radio: The Great Lost 1974 Album surfaced), and the original incarnation of the band broke up. The remnants of the band would finally release an eponymous debut album for Arista in 1977, but that was effectively the end of the Hollywood Stars' story...until now.

Following the success of their archival release, the band would get back together in 2018 for live shows and new recordings, with original lead vocalist Scott Phares returning to the fold. Their brand new 2024 album, Starstruck, finds the band in fine, rockin' form.

The current version of the band also includes a veteran guitarist with more incredible rock n' roll stories to tell, Jeff Jourard. Jeff played with Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers during the recording of their first album - the motorcycle jacket you see Petty wearing on the cover was Jeff's - but his departure from the band as they left for England meant that his sole credit on the record was a "Heartfelt Thanks." After that, Jeff teamed up with Martha Davis to form the Motels, co-writing their oft-covered classic 'Total Control.'

The amount of unbelievable stories was far too much for one episode, so we are treating you to a two parter that you will not want to miss! Part 1 includes the first half of our discussion, but stay tuned for next week's conclusion when we talk about our Top 5 LA Albums!

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Our 13th (unlucky for some!) installment of the Weekend Six Pack series celebrates one of the best indie labels currently going, Subjangle. Subjangle is the South African based label that boasts an impressive, consistently growing catalogue of some of the finest jangle-, indie-, psych- pop, and much more. This week, hear these six modern classics from Subjangle:

1) The Blue Herons - 'In The Skies' (from Go On)

2) Pantomime Horses - 'Lily Morita' (from Forever Polyester)

3) Kevin Robertson - 'The Guilt Trip' (from The Call of the Sea)

4) Alice Kat - 'Waves' (from Around the World & Back to You)

5) Race - 'Meddler' (from Half Men, Half Sympathy)

6) Majorette - 'Soon' (from Forever Starts Tuesday)

Find these releases and much more at https://subjangle.bandcamp.com/music.

Thanks to Subjangle founder Darrin Lee for the support and great music!

Thank YOU for supporting independent music!

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In 1979, 2 Tone Records (formed by Coventry, England art student and Specials keyboardist/songwriter Jerry Dammers) exploded into the consciousness of music lovers in Britain, the US, and beyond, as albums by the Specials, the Selecter, Madness, the Beat, and the Bodysnatchers burst onto the charts and a youth movement was born. 2 Tone was black and white: a multiracial force of British and Caribbean musicians singing about social issues, racism, class, and gender struggles. It spoke of injustices in society and fought against right-wing extremism. It was exuberant and eclectic: white youths learning to dance to the infectious rhythm of ska and reggae, crossed with punk attitude, to create an original hybrid.

This week's Third Lad, Daniel Rachel, has penned the definitive story of the label that, for a brief, bright burning moment, shaped British, American, and world culture. Too Much Too Young: The 2 Tone Records Story is out now from White Rabbit (UK) and Akashic Books (US).

Daniel Rachel is a Birmingham-born, best-selling author whose previous works include Isle of Noises: Conversations with Great British Songwriters; Walls Come Tumbling Down: The Music and Politics of Rock Against Racism, 2 Tone, and Red Wedge; Don't Look Back in Anger: The Rise and Fall of Cool Britannia; The Lost Album of the Beatles: What If the Beatles Hadn't Split Up?; One for the Road: The Life & Lyrics of Simon Fowler & Ocean Colour Scene; and Oasis: Knebworth: Two Nights That Will Live Forever. He is also co-author of Ranking Roger's autobiography, I Just Can't Stop It: My Life in the Beat. In 2021, Rachel was a guest curator of the "2 Tone Lives & Legacies" exhibition as part of Coventry Cultural City 2021, and he curated the anniversary edition of the Selecter's debut album, Too Much Pressure.

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Grab your popcorn, Milk Duds, and RC Cola (that'll be $42.75, please), and join us in the back of theatre. We promise not to put the moves on you...we're here to watch the movie. Let's take it slow and see where this goes. Oh, sorry, got lost in the moment.

This week, we discuss some of our favorite music documentaries, and celebrate one of the latest additions to the canon of great "rock docs"- Louder Than You Think: A Lo-Fi History of Gary Young & Pavement. Joining us for this discussion of Citizen Kane-esque proportions is Louder Than You Think's Director, Jed. I Rosenberg and Co-Producer Brian Thalken.

Louder Than You Think, a 2023 SXSW Audience Award winner, is an up-close cinematic walkabout through the life of Gary Young (May 3, 1953 - August 17, 2023), the original (and highly unlikely) drummer of indie rock royalty Pavement. His booze and drugs-fueled antics (on-stage handstands, gifting vegetables to fans) and haphazard production methods (accidentally helping launch the lo-fi aesthetic) were both a driving force of the band's early rise and the cause of his eventual crash landing. Leaving a wake of joy and/or destruction at every turn, Gary teeters the thin line between free-form self-expression and chaotic self-destruction. With its inventive use of marionette sequences and featuring revelatory archival footage, Louder Than You Think is equal parts hilarious, heartbreaking and human.

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The O3L Time Machine has gone berserk...it's landed all the way back in 1967! It's nice here, so we'll stay a while. The love is free, the clothes are groovy, the drugs are psychedelic (but just say no, kids), and the music is jaw-droppingly brilliant!

The reason why we've blasted right past our normal era of focus, you ask? Well, it's not every day that we get to welcome living legend, singer, songwriter, guitarist, rock n' roll surrealist - and now author - Robyn Hitchcock to O3L. That particular year is the focus of Robyn's brand new memoir, 1967: How I Got There and Why I Never Left, out now on Little Brown Books (UK) and Akashic Books (US). 1967 explores how that pivotal slice of time tastes to a bright, obsessive-compulsive boy who is shipped off to a hothouse academic boarding school as he reaches the age of 13 - just as Bob Dylan's Highway 61 Revisited starts to bite, and the Beatles' Sgt. Pepper explodes.

When he arrives in January 1966, Robyn Hitchcock is still a boy pining for the comforts of home and his family's loving au pair, Teresa. By December 1967, he's mutated into a 6'2" tall rabid Dylan fan, whose two ambitions are to get really high and fly to Nashville (spoiler alert: mission accomplished on both fronts!).

In between - as the hippie revolution blossoms in the world outside - Hitchcock adjusts to the hierarchal, homoerotic world of Winchester, threading a path through teachers with arrested development, meatheads, groovers, and a sullen old maid - a very English freak show. On the way he befriends a cadre of bat-winged teenage prodigies and meets their local guru, the young Brian Eno.

At the end of 1967, all the ingredients are in place that will make Robyn Hitchcock a songwriter for life. But then again, does 1967 really ever end?

Robyn Hitchcock is a master of the absurd, creating "pictures you can listen to" that revel in the beauty of the unexpected. His first publicly visible band, the Soft Boys (1976-81), has remained an influential art-rock touchstone for generations of musicians. With a career spanning nearly five decades, his discography consists of more than 30 albums, including Underwater Moonlight (1980). I Often Dream of Trains (1984), Fegmania! (1985), Globe Of Frogs (1988), Queen Elvis (1989), Perspex Island (1991), Ole! Tarantula (2006), The Man Upstairs (2014), Robyn Hitchcock (2017) and Shufflemania (2022), and classic songs like "I Wanna Destroy You," "My Wife and My Dead Wife," "The Man with the Lightbulb Head," "Heaven," "Balloon Man," "Madonna of the Wasps," "So You Think You're In Love," and so many more.

Special thanks to Robyn's wonderful wife Emma Swift, herself a brilliant singer/songwriter...and, it turns out, quite the IT tech; and Holly Watson from Holly Watson PR for the introduction and coordination.

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It's another introspective week spent going down memory lane, as we relive some of the best concert experiences from our respective pasts. And, believe us, that's no easy feat with quite literally thousands of concerts collectively between us. Yowsah!

Yes, you could say that our "Third Lad" this week is quite the authority on the subject, as Linda Chadwick was a Texas groupie on the hard rock and metal scenes between 1982 - 1987. Weaving together a series of often hilarious, sometimes heartbreaking, sometimes salacious, but always remarkable tales about Pantera, KISS, Dio, Deep Purple, Metallica, Motorhead, Poison, Whitesnake, Aerosmith, Guns n' Roses and more, On The Road: A Texas Groupie's Memoir blends vivid storytelling with nostalgic anecdotes. Meet passionate fans, ambitious musicians, and unforgettable groupies, all brought together by a shared love for rock 'n' roll. Experience the highs of sold-out concerts, the lows of band breakups, and the exhilaration of that first chord. As you delve deeper, discover how music was not only a form of entertainment but a way of life, a rebellion, a movement that shaped a generation. This book is more than a mere recollection-it's a tribute to a time when melodies held memories, lyrics voiced dreams, and every beat was a heartbeat of an era.

Since leaving groupie life behind, Linda Chadwick is a happy married wife of more than 30 years, with two grown children and many fur babies. This lifelong Texas girl recently relocated to Costa Rica, the beautiful home to "a lot of things that can kill you."

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Summer's here and the time is right for...well, you know...

This week, we spotlight tracks by:

1. The Vanrays - 'Survivors' (from Hey! Alright Now, Bonerattle Records)
2. L.A. Drugz - 'Outside Place' (from Outside Place, Hovercraft Records)
3. The Anti-Queens - 'Overthinking' (from Disenchanted, Stomp Records)
4. WolfWolf - 'Twenty One' (from Tolentanz, Ghost Highway / Lux Noise / Off Label Records)
5. Mad Ones - 'Drone' (from What It Takes, Fortune Stellar Records)
6. Theremin Man - 'Are You Receiving Me' (from Songs for the Future)

Thank you for helping us support new music and the new artists making it.  Music gives us all so much pleasure, and being able to sustain yourself as a musician is tougher than ever now.  Whenever you can, get out and see some live music, buy physical product and merch, and the easiest and most cost effective way you can help is by sharing the new music you hear…and sharing this episode is a good place to start! Enjoy your weekend!

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Hey, guitarists (OK...and wannabe guitarists too)! What were the records that made/make YOU want to pick a guitar and learn to play? That's the burning question this week, as we welcome Third Lad Andy Golding from C86 legends The Wolfhounds to O3L!

The Wolfhounds are an English noise pop band formed in Romford, Essex, in 1985 by Dave Callahan, Paul Clark, Andy Golding, Andy Bolton and Frank Stebbing, and originally active until 1990. The band reformed in 2005 and continues to write, record and play live, releasing new albums in 2014, 2016, and 2020. (Thanks, Wikipedia.)

Andy's current project is called Dragon Welding (hmmm...what does that mean? Listen and find out!), whose latest single is "TADT (These Are Dangerous Times)."

What the hip kids are saying about Dragon Welding:

"..a pulsating beat with all sorts of strings being strummed and plucked, in all sorts of 60's/70's school holidays tv series soundtrack kind of ways." - Whisperin' & Hollerin' - 2023

"Dragon Welding.. guitarist of Essex post-rock outliers The Wolfhounds, is a wondrous tapestry of ambient guitar instrumentals and sonic manipulations. This is music that channels the cosmic experimentations of 70s German avant-garde synth-rock with a dark Essex twist that somehow has glorious poptones. For fans of : Mouse On Mars, Plaid, Cluster." - Platekompaniet - 2023

Plus, as an added bonus, hear some of Brett's teenage recordings, including the "legendary" 1990 Empty Glass concert! What the hip kids said: "Wow, he sounds like a neanderthal toddler who just discovered music for the first time!"

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Cccan't you see? This week, we're talking about Club Jams with the fantastic Brian Moss from Vicious Pink!

Originating from a serendipitous encounter in a smoky Leeds nightclub back in 1979, Josephine Warden and Brian Moss embarked on a musical journey that would redefine the synth-pop landscape. Initially known as Vicious Pink Phenomena, they made their mark by providing distinctively off-kilter backing vocals for their friends in Soft Cell, a collaboration that unfolded organically and without rehearsal.

Transitioning to the simplified moniker Vicious Pink, the duo continued to captivate audiences with their avant-garde sound, releasing a string of singles that defied conventional expectations and climbed the UK dance charts between 1982 and 1986. Despite their modest intentions, their music proved to be both artful and provocative, leaving an enduring legacy in the annals of electronic music history.

Minimal Wave has just released a long-awaited LP showcasing previously unreleased gems from the influential UK duo, 'Unexpected'. The album offers listeners a glimpse into the duo's creative process, compiling pop experiments recorded spontaneously, some in collaboration with Soft Cell's Dave Ball.

Order Unexpected: Unexpected | Vicious Pink (bandcamp.com)

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We're going back to the days when the geeks inherited the earth...specifically, the bands that were influenced by the monumental commercial and artistic triumph that was Weezer's 1994 self titled album (or, as it's affectionately known, The Blue Album). That's the subject of the new oral history and accompanying 11-track compilation album Generation Blue, out now from Big Stir Records and Spyderpop Records. Compiled and edited by this week's Third Lad, S.W. Lauden, Generation Blue is a fascinating celebration of the '90s Hollywood scene that included bands like Ozma, Nerf Herder, Baby Lemonade, Chopper One, and more.

S.W. Lauden (aka Steve Coulter) was not only an active participant in the Geek Rock and Power Pop scenes, drumming for a series of LA bands like Ridel High, Tsar and The Brothers Steve, but is also accomplished writer. He is the editor of the essay collections Go All The Way: A Literary Appreciation of Power Pop and Forbidden Beat: Perspectives on Punk Drumming. His power pop-themed crime fiction novellas include That'll Be The Day: A Power Pop Heist and Good Girls Don't. He is also the author of the Greg Salem punk rock PI trilogy, starting with Bad Citizen Corporation. Find more of Steve’s music writing on Substack at Remember The Lightning, including his semi-annual print/ebook Guitar Pop Journals.

Generation Blue is also available as on Kindle: Generation Blue: An Oral History of The Hollywood Geek Rock Scene in the 1990s & 2000s - Kindle edition by Lauden, S.W., Koch, Karl, Fisher, Justin. Arts & Photography Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.

Plus, if you're a fan of unhinged Uncle Gregg rants (and who isn't?!?), this one's for you!

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1986 is undoubtedly one of the great years in music history, but one in which the chasm in alternative music grew. Especially for more established artists, 1986 represents the apex of the "BIG '80s" sound - glossy production, synth horns, Fairlights and DX-7s, gated snares, etc. Conversely, there was a new crop of guitar bands who eschewed these big budget sounds for concise, exuberant, noisy, scrappy pop music - brilliantly captured on NME's C86 cassette compilation.

Discussing the songs of 1986 with us (and whose presence is certainly one of our biggest thrills to date) is Miki Berenyi from Lush, Piroshka, and The Miki Berenyi Trio! During their initial run from 1987 - 1996, Lush were one of the essential British bands of the era, releasing three seminal early EPs (collected on Gala) and three crucial albums that showcase the breadth of the band's formidable talents: 1992's Spooky, 1994's Split, and 1996's Lovelife (all on 4AD). Miki's recently released memoir, Fingers Crossed: How Music Saved Me From Success, is one of the most compelling and searingly honest books we have read. Often traumatic, often hilarious, Fingers Crossed peels back the layers of the public figure you thought you knew from the British weeklies to reveal a complex and gifted storyteller.

The Miki Berenyi Trio is currently on a short tour of the US. Catch her if you can! The new track "Vertigo" is available on all streaming/digital platforms.

Plus, there's a lot of swearing in both Hungarian and English. This one is definitely NSFW, kids.

Special thanks to Paul Richison for the suggestion and introduction!

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Here in the U.S., it's Memorial Day weekend...the unofficial start to summer. So what better time to grab a six pack of fresh new indie tunes? This week, we highlight:

1. Venus Sugar High - 'The God And The Sun'
2. Jim Basnight - 'Summertime Again' (Power Popaholic Productions)
3. Steve Conte - 'Shoot Out The Stars' (Wicked Cool Records)
4. Yea-Ming & The Rumours - 'Big Blue Sea' (Dandyboy Records)
5. Ray Richardson - 'A Crack In The Sky' (Nanneroo Music)
6. Even As We Speak - 'Beauty, You Will Break Us All' (Skep Wax Records)

Have a great weekend!

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This week, we crank the wayback machine to 1972, a year filled with political turmoil, social unrest, and a whole lotta groovy, life affirming, socially conscious, groundbreaking music that cut across multiple genres and geographic boundaries. With possibly our most eclectic batch of lists yet, we cover a good cross section of what 1972 had to offer.

Joining us on this journey are guitarist/vocalist Henry Girard and drummer/vocalist Pablo Garcia from Montreal garage-pop provocateurs The Wesleys, who have just released their highly anticipated Self-Titled debut LP on Little Village Records. The debut album is a dynamic exploration that ventures into a sonic landscape that transcends conventional boundaries, blending elements of the rock, power pop, indie, and alternative genres. The Wesleys embrace their DIY ethos, channeling their creativity into music that feels authentic and natural, a reflection of their shared passion and unwavering dedication. The Wesleys craft melodic rock n' roll songs that resonate with both heart and adrenaline, and will surely appeal to fans of The Clean, The Replacements, Teenage Fanclub, Pixies, The Shins, or Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever.

Plus: Get the inside scoop on the awesome Montreal scene! Teletubbies on acid! Trouble at the border! Trudeau cuts off the band's wifi! Morgan Freeman! Hockey! Capes! Clam pizza!

The Wesleys:

Website: https://www.littlevillagerecords.com/the-wesleys

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thewesleysmtl/

Linktree: linktr.ee/thewesleys

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_wesleys

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/7dNiuSl1RTkNZgYcioK8Z5?si=PccDtLU-RTa4Y_kSIst_IQ

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Is your Tuesday grey? Does it break your heart? Give you a heart attack? Make you wanna stay in bed? We say pshaw, Robert Smith, PSHAW! He apparently doesn't know that Tuesday means brand new O3L episodes. Come to think of it, no matter what day you listen, you'll say "I'm in love." Or perhaps this our thinly veiled way of saying that, in this episode, we chat about songs with a day of the week in the title.

Our Third Lad this week is Dan Cuddy, the bassist/singer/songwriter who has been leading Hoboken, New Jersey's The Special Pillow since 1995, and was previously in the late '80s/early '90s psych-tinged indie rockers Hypnolovewheel. The Special Pillow are esteemed purveyors of a full-spectrum, string-driven sound encompassing concise ’60s-flavored pop gems, dreamy hallucinogenic reveries, and pulse-pounding propulsion redolent of your favorite antipodean indie upstarts of the ’80s. The band specializes in catchy and confounding songcraft that has earned them notable fans such as Yo La Tengo, who have covered the group’s classic "Automatic Doom"

The Special Pillow Meets the Space Monster is the latest in a series of acclaimed EPs, following in the wake of Mind Wipe (2022) and World’s Finest (2020). It is named in honor of the 1965 science-fiction potboiler, Frankenstein Meets the Space Monster, the soundtrack of that cinematic milestone being the source of the featured cover song, "That’s the Way It’s Got to Be," originally performed by Scotland’s beat titans The Poets and an underground hit for The Special Pillow in the summer of 2023.

SOCIALS:

https://www.facebook.com/TheSpecialPillow/

https://www.instagram.com/thespecialpillow/

https://thespecialpillow.bandcamp.com

Special thanks to Mike Turner from Crashing Through Publicity for the intro!

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It's a Cruel World after all. Yes, the preeminent festival for lovers of new wave, darkwave, synth-pop, goth and post-punk music (new and old) is back for a third year. Whether you're going...or just wish you were...let your friends at O3L be a part of your pre-game celebration!

We will be conspicuously absent from the fun this year. Brett's usually right there, but has something even more important to celebrate - his son's university graduation. But we won't let a little thing like that deter us from building our fantasy day at Cruel World.

This year's roster includes Duran Duran, Tones On Tail, Interpol, Blondie, Simple Minds, Soft Cell, Adam Ant, Ministry, Jesus And Mary Chain, Gary Numan, Heaven 17, The Mission, The Stranglers, General Public, The Motels, Lol Tolhurst x Budgie, and more!

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Silver Biplanes is the retro-futurist band led by a husband-and-wife duo of indie veterans - bassist/songwriter Tim Vass (formerly of early Creation Records heroes Razorcuts and '90s psych-pop combos Red Chair Fadeaway and Dandelion Wine) and singer Vanessa Vass (formerly of '90s indie poppers The Melons). Their upcoming second album, Traveling By Candlelight, will be out May 24th on Old Bad Habits/wiaiwya. As evidenced by the lead single "Radiogram," the LP is a heady mix of choruses, hooks and catchy tunes in which you’ll hear traces of psychedelia, post-punk, krautrock and more.

Tim and Vanessa stop by to chat about the new record, their careers, their music, marriage and family, colouring books, why Vanessa can't touch Tim's record collection, and, of course, the topic on hand. This week, we're heading back to 1981 to discuss our favourite 7" singles of that incredible year. This is a fun one, kids!

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You know we'd give you anything, anything...including this special episode with the one and only John Easdale from Dramarama!

The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Class of 2024 inductees were recently announced, including Mary J. Blige, Cher, Dave Matthews Band, Foreigner, Peter Frampton, Kool & The Gang, Ozzy Osbourne, and A Tribe Called Quest. Yet, year after year, so many deserving and influential artists are overlooked for this honor, which is our focus this week.

John Easdale is the singer/songwriter in the iconic Wayne, NJ band Dramarama. They found widespread acclaim with the alternative radio classic "Anything, Anything" from 1985's  Cinéma Vérité, and the succession of modern rock staples that followed - "It's Still Warm" (from Box Office Bomb, 1987), "Last Cigarette" (from Stuck in Wonderamaland, 1989), "Haven't Got A Clue" and "What Are We Going To Do?" (from Vinyl, 1991), and "Work For Food" (from Hi-Fi Sci-Fi, 1993), right up to their latest excellent album, 2020's Color TV. Join us as John recounts the early days of the band, the shock of getting played on KROQ, cover versions, playing with legends, K-Pop, and much more. Plus, we play the latest in our ongoing series of world famous O3L games, Rhymatima!

Most importantly, John is one of the kindest, humblest rock stars we've ever met...a true gentleman and a family man.

Thanks to our friend Paul Richison for yet another amazing introduction!

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Here's the thrilling conclusion of our conversation with Clive Farrington from When In Rome, where we discuss our Top 3 Dance Hits...plus, as you may have gathered from last week, a whole lot more!

In both podcasting and in life, when you need a friend, don't look to a stranger. Well, unless you've never listened to O3L before...in which case, you should totally look to a stranger. But if you wait around a while, we'll make you fall for us. We promise you we will.

This week, we cover the songs that were hits in the dance clubs and on the dance charts. One such song was "The Promise," the emotionally charged synth-pop smash by UK band When In Rome, which hit #1 on the US Hot Dance chart on June 11, 1988. Since then, it has become a beloved classic - on radio, at weddings, on movies and TV.

Serendipitous, then, that our Third Lad this week is none other than singer, songwriter and original member of When In Rome UK, Clive Farrington! Fresh off the '80s Cruise with musical partner Andrew Mann, When In Rome UK is busy working on a new album - including the new single "2 Fix Us." On top of being a great musician, Clive is a passionate and knowledgeable music fan with a flair for storytelling. You can also hear Clive Farrington Friday and Saturday nights on his villageradio.net show Weekend Dance Trance.

Special thanks to Paul Richison for the introduction!

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Record Store Day is upon us once again! On Saturday, April 20, 2024, masses of music fans will queue up early and partake in the collective cultural experience on RSD, hoping to score some of the exclusive and limited releases hitting independent record stores. It's a communal celebration of our favorite bit of retail therapy.

For fans of classic alternative music, there is a plethora of special releases coming out on Saturday. Let O3L's Brett Vargo be your guide as you prepare your own shopping list.

Plus, Brett reveals the RSD items that he thinks Uncle Gregg will put on his list that Brett would not consider, and vice versa. Also, hear "Markin' It Down," the brand new single by UK indie supergroup Swansea Sound (Hue Williams from The Pooh Sticks, previous O3L guests Amelia Fletcher and Rob Pursey from Heavenly, previous O3L guest Bob Collins from The Dentists, and Ian Button from Thrashing Doves and Death in Vegas). To mark RSD, it's a fun record store themed track. You also must see the video!

Proud members of the Pantheon Podcasts network.

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Part 1 of a two part extravaganza!

In both podcasting and in life, when you need a friend, don't look to a stranger. Well, unless you've never listened to O3L before...in which case, you should totally look to a stranger. But if you wait around a while, we'll make you fall for us. We promise you we will.

This week, we cover the songs that were hits in the dance clubs and on the dance charts. One such song was "The Promise," the emotionally charged synth-pop smash by UK band When In Rome, which hit #1 on the US Hot Dance chart on June 11, 1988. Since then, it has become a beloved classic - on radio, at weddings, on movies and TV.

Serendipitous, then, that our Third Lad this week is none other than singer, songwriter and original member of When In Rome UK, Clive Farrington! Fresh off the '80s Cruise with musical partner Andrew Mann, When In Rome UK is busy working on a new album - including the new single "2 Fix Us." On top of being a great musician, Clive is a passionate and knowledgeable music fan with a flair for storytelling. You can also hear Clive Farrington Friday and Saturday nights on his villageradio.net show Weekend Dance Trance.

Listen to our #5 & #4 picks this episode, and stay tuned next week for our Top 3.

Special thanks to Paul Richison for the introduction!

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Spring is in the air, and it feels like the perfect time to break open another Weekend Six Pack!

This week, we feature six of our favorite new songs:

1. Jetstream Pony - 'Look Alive' (from Under the Bridge 2, Skep Wax Records)
2. Lame Drivers - 'Become An Island' (from Become An Island, Jigsaw/Bleeding Gold)
3. The Armoires - 'We Absolutely Mean It' (from Octoberland, Big Stir Records)
4. Elena Rogers - 'Queen' (single)
5. The Wesleys - 'A Lot To Lose' (from The Wesleys, Little Village Records)
6. Secret Shine - 'Captivate This Broken Love' (from Under The Bridge 2, Skep Wax Records)

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Keep smilin', keep shinin', knowing you can always count on O3L for your fix of classic alternative music discussion. That is, after all, what friends are for.

When bands have one member in particular that does most of the songwriting, friends also come in handy sometimes to shoulder a little of the burden from time to time. This week, we talk about the great songs that were NOT written by the band's main songwriter.

Plus: Sniffin' glue, baseball, Uncle Gregg's busy concert calendar, K-Pop "creepy uncles", the genius of Rick Springfield, past music from Brett, future music from Gregg. and oh so much more.

Proud members of the Pantheon Podcasts family.

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When most people hear the phrase "sampling" in music, their minds usually go to one place: hip hop. Some may even still hold onto misguided preconceptions that sampling is blatant thievery perpetrated by talentless hacks who can't come up with their own original music. Well, friends, we're here to set the record straight... because we celebrate the art of sampling in all of its different forms with this week's Third Lads, forceghost (Eric Kinlaw and Marcus Barfield). From the experimental composers who borrowed bits of familiar pieces and manipulated them into something daring and new, to the hip hop trailblazers who skillfully transformed stacks of dusty records into an essential part of their street poetry, to the electronic pioneers who utilized cutting edge technology to open up unimaginable worlds, sampling has indelibly and undeniably impacted the music we love.

About forceghost:

Eric Kinlaw (Vocals/Guitar/Bass/Sound Design) and Marcus Barfield (Production/Sound Design) are forceghost, an electronic psych duo based out of Augusta, GA. Both members sport a long list of previous bands and projects, but are elated to be bringing forceghost into its fullest realization.

After their initial formation in 2019, time and circumstance have led to the reshaping of the band into its current form. forceghost is the product of impromptu jam sessions, free form experimentation, and friendship. Many years of musical evolution and collaboration between the duo have culminated into a sound both piercingly focused, and kaleidoscopic in scope and texture. Creamy guitars, soaring synths, sharp drums, and hauntingly beautiful vocals will leave the listener enveloped in a radiant afterglow.

All previous recordings have fallen by the wayside. This is the definitive starting point for forceghost. With the release of their debut EP, unknowing the known, the band hopes listeners find themselves enriched by their listening. Come apart and put yourself back together with forceghost.

SOCIALS:

https://forceghostmusic.com

https://www.facebook.com/forceghostmusic

https://www.instagram.com/forceghostmusic/

https://forceghost.bandcamp.com/album/unknowing-the-known

https://www.youtube.com/@forceghostmusic

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A brief, but extremely important, announcement. Big changes on April 1st!

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It's double trouble this week! Poof...just like a Criss Angel routine, we've magically got double the lads, double the laughs, double the fun...and double the vinyl! Yep, that's right, during this episode, we talk about double albums with our special guests Bryan Cook and Tom Cheek from Is/Ought Gap. More than just an album spread across two slabs of wax, symbolically the double album is an opportunity for artists to use the recording medium as a grand, bold artistic statement, a blank canvas for experimentation, stretching out, and crafting a long form musical narrative. When executed well, double albums can be beautiful, messy, ambitious, kaleidoscopic masterpieces.

Is/Ought Gap was formed in Athens, Georgia by Bryan Cook (Time Toy, Club Gaga, Hindu Love Gods) and Tom Cheek (Kilkenny Cats) in the early '80s while attending the University of Georgia. Athens, as you well know, was already the musical hotbed of the south, with The B-52's, R.E.M., Pylon, Oh-OK, and other legends, and while those bands certainly informed the sound of Is/Ought Gap, they were also a bit looser and noisier. Despite being live favorites and recording a never officially released album in 1984, Lucky 7, Is/Ought Gap's original run was relatively short and the band members went on to other endeavors.

It's now time to reclaim their rightful place in Athens music history with the release of the compilation album SUA, out on April 5th from HHBTM Records. SUA collects tracks from Lucky 7 along with songs that were demoed back in the day but recorded until 2014 and some vintage live tracks. The stage is set for a grand return, a celebration of sonic resurrection, as Is/Ought Gap weaves their enigmatic melodies once more into the tapestry of Athens, live and in person!

Special thanks to Mike Turner from HHBTM for orchestrating our visit!

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We pay tribute to another of the great labels of the O3L era...this time shining the spotlight on the magnificent DB Recs, the Atlanta-based label founded by Danny Beard, and run from 1978 - 1997 out of his still thriving record store Wax'n'Facts. Through Danny's ingenuity, support, and incredible ear for talent, it's safe to say that the alternative music scene in the Southeastern US would not be the same without him. DB's initial release was catalogue number DB-52, 'Rock Lobster' / '52 Girls', the first single by none other than The B-52's. From there, DB gave a voice to a wide range of artists in Atlanta, Athens, and beyond, including Pylon, Love Tractor, Oh-OK, Guadalcanal Diary, The Swimming Pool Q's, Fetchin Bones, Zeitgeist/The Reivers, The Jody Grind, The Coolies, Chris Stamey, and others.

This week, we each offer up our Top 5 DB Recs songs with special guests Current Rage - John Moore (rhythm guitar), Paul Lenz (drums), and Bryan Lilje (bass). In absentia is lead guitarist and vocalist Olivia Bewley. You may remember the remarkable story of Current Rage from Episode 140: The band formed in 1979 by professional skateboarders Chris Bewley (brother of Pylon's Randy) and John Moore. By the beginning of 1981, they were headlining shows in the southeast with their brash, energetic, catchy post-punk tunes. They released the indie EP Seven Songs in 1982, which became a highly coveted collector's item among fans of DIY indie rock. After Current Rage ceased to be, each of the members followed different paths, with Chris Bewley succumbing to a heart attack in 2018 at the age of 57.

Coinciding with the expanded 40th anniversary reissue of Seven Songs in 2022 on Propeller Sound Recordings, Current Rage is now back and experiencing a resurgence...with a twist. Chris's daughter Olivia plays lead guitar and sings in the current iteration of the band. While she never had much of a relationship with her father, through his music, his former band, and even some of his equipment, she is able to connect with Chris in powerful, unexpected ways.

During this episode, we catch up with the band and (despite not being DB Recs artists themselves) discuss the indelible impact of Danny Beard and the DB roster on them.

Deep gratitude to Current Rage's manager, Robin Hall Bewley Frankland, for organizing this return visit to O3L!

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Repost of a "classic" episode that has been missing from podcast platforms for the last year!

Challenge accepted! For our last "regular" episode of Season 3 (before our holiday party and best of 2022 shows), we discuss the artists who continue to challenge us, defy expectations, and create uncompromising art. Some of these artists have such deep catalogues that it can be daunting to take it all in, some may be too esoteric or eccentric to immediately grab you. But the 25(!) artists that we pick during this episode have one thing in common...stick with them, and their music will reward you handsomely.

In other words...you'll come around, Gregg! 

On the other hand, there are certain artists who we find immediately appealing...even if it took 40 years, like the Atlanta band Current Rage. To celebrate the 40th anniversary reissue of their 1982 mini-album Seven Songs on Propeller Sound Recordings (now generously expanded to 15 tracks) is guitarist John Moore, drummer Paul Lenz, and singer/guitarist Olivia Bewley (daughter of late Current Rage singer Chris Bewley). It's a powerful rock n' roll story about family, loss, redemption and second chances that you won't want to miss. It's the Penicillin Sound!

Get the Seven Songs reissue at: https://propellersoundrecordings.com/

About Current Rage:

Current Rage are a four-piece, post-punk, musical group that played live in the Southeastern United States during the early eighties. They were comprised of Chris Bewley, John Moore, Pat Kirkland, and Paul Lenz. In the landscape of a fertile, burgeoning Athens/Atlanta music scene Current Rage gained notoriety and a loyal following performing with such musical icons as REM, Pylon, Swimming Pool Q’s, The Fleshtones, The Bush Tetras, and The Bongos. Eventually Current Rage would headline shows on their own at such iconic venues as Athens, GA’s 40Watt Club, Atlanta’s 688 Club, Chapel Hills’s The Cat’s Cradle, Birmingham’s The Nik, and Nashville’s Frankensteins.

Current Rage released an indie label E.P. album called Seven Songs on EOD Records in late 1982. Current Rage was known for short catchy post punk tunes dripping with danceable irony as well as darkwave surf instrumentals. “Seven Songs” was produced by legendary Athens-Atlanta engineer, Bruce Baxter. Baxter had engineered the B-52’s single, “Rock Lobster”, Pylon’s debut album “Gyrate” followed by the debut albums of The Swimming Pool Q’s and Love Tractor. Current Rage’s album was the first release on Ron Bond’s EOD (Entertainment on Disc) Records. “Seven Songs” was recorded in April 1982 at Channel One studios with Bruce Baxter handling engineering and sound mixing and was released in late October. It is highly regarded by record collectors seeking out early eighties DIY releases.

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Some artists knew exactly when it was the right time to check out. Others ended their recording careers with a big question mark or ellipsis, like there was unfinished work to be done. The latter is the topic of our discussion this week: Which artists or bands do we wish had stuck around longer and released more music?

A little more than a decade ago, we probably would have included B-Movie on that list, as they were one of the major "what if?" bands of the '80s. After a run on the Dead Good and Some Bizarre labels in the early '80s that resulted in post-punk classics such as the era-defining "Nowhere Girl", "Remembrance Day" and "Marilyn Dreams", they released the fantastic synth-pop single "A Letter From Afar" (1984) and their sole full-length LP, Forever Running (1985), before calling it a day. That is, until they resumed their recording career in 2012, picking up and expanding upon their legacy with the full length albums The Age Of Illusion (2013) and Climate Of Fear (2016), as well as the EPs Distant Skies (2013), Repetition (2018), and two new tracks in 2022. It has been a most welcome return and artistic triumph for our heroes.

So then, what an incredible thrill it is for us to welcome singer, songwriter, and bassist from B-Movie, Steve Hovington, as our Third Lad this week!

Special thanks to Paul Richison for making the connection!

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It's true that we're givers here at O3L...so, to paraphrase from the gorgeous new Jack Rubies track that closes this episode, "we'll give you more." Once again, we step out of our era and treat you to a six pack of some of the finest new music to pass through O3L headquarters:

• Crumbs - 'You're Just Jealous' (Skep Wax Records)
• The Kobayashi Bookstore - 'World Gone Crazy'
• High Water Marks - 'YFF' (6612 Tapes)
• Fog Lamp - 'You Prove Yourself Wrong' (The Bucket Records)
• Hollow Horse - 'I'm Building A Scarecrow'
• The Jack Rubies - 'I'll Give You More' (Big Stir Records)

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This week, we set the way back machine for 1996…with a stop off in 1999, which is the setting for the new book by Kyle Wiltshire and Jay Watson, The Dead Rock Stars. Coincidentally, then, we welcome co-author Kyle Wiltshire as our Third Lad!

Kyle is a husband, father, and writer who has seen U2 eleven times. He tries to paint like Bob Ross and enjoys talking about the Star Wars universe on a very deep level. He loves pop culture and prides himself on being able to name the year any movie from the 1980s or '90s was released. P.S. We put him to the test with a brand new O3L game, “B-Movie…or Be Dead!”

About The Dead Rock Stars:

What if famous rock stars from the past, those who died young, in sudden and tragic ways, actually faked their deaths to become secret agents? Welcome to the world of The Dead Rock Stars, the heroes we never knew we had. 

The Dead Rock Stars is a tale about Cole Denton, a young tech genius who discovers the secret world of rock star secret agents. He is tasked with saving the world from an unknown threat—one that’s closer to home than either Elvis Presley or the team can imagine. But can they beat the clock before it strikes midnight on December 31, 1999? 

In a twisting and nostalgic story, The Dead Rock Stars is an alternate history, placed squarely in the realm of real-world events, that happened without anyone knowing. Brimming with pop culture references for music lovers of every generation, the novel’s fast and hilarious plot will keep readers guessing at every turn. 

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Finally...a podcast episode that captures all of the glitz and glamour of the City of Angels. You'll feel like you're right there on the red carpet with all of your favorite stars.

Or something like that.

OK, we all know that Los Angeles has a rich musical history, from the '60s heroes lining the Sunset Strip and packing clubs like The Whisky and The Roxy, to sensitive Laurel Canyon singer/songwriters, to the laid back California studio sounds of the mid-'70s, to the debaucherous sleaze of hair metal. But how about the classic alternative bands who kept LA on the musical map during the O3L era? That's our challenge this week.

Plus, Uncle Gregg has a chat with Brett's inner demon! A powerful anti-drug message (we think??)! Health trends! Sticking it to big corporations! Hot robots! Meowing!

Yeah, it's another late at night recording, which typically means nothing but trouble. You have been warned.

Proud members of the Pantheon Podcasts family.

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If you wake up in the morning, feeling shy and lonely, and think "gee, I gotta go to school" (or work), brighten your day with O3L.

If you don't think you can make it, don't think you can take it, and wonder what you're going to do, we're here for you.

Everybody can succeed, all you need is to believe. Be honest with yourself, forget your fears and doubts. C'mon, give us a try at Degrassi...oops, we mean, Only Three Lads!

By now, it may be abundantly obvious that we are celebrating our friends to our north, as we discuss our Top 5 Canadian Albums of the O3L era.

Joining us for the topic on hand is the synth-soaked power poppers Autogramm, whose members are from Vancouver, Seattle, and Chicago. Their recently released album Music That Humans Can Play is out now on vinyl and digital formats on Stomp Records. It's an album that draws influences from The Cars, 20/20, Devo, Cheap Trick, The Boys and others, resulting in a cohesive and blissfully cool album that will appeal to listeners from record store snobs to garage rock slobs to synth-pop heartthrobs! We had a blast speaking with Jiffy Marx (vocals, synths, guitars), The Silo (vocals, drums, synths, guitars), CC Voltage (vocals, bass, guitars) and Lars Von Seattle (guitars, vocals).

So please don't be a hoser or a broomhead - just listen, eh?

Technical note: We experienced technical difficulties with a couple of audio tracks and had to resort to a lower resolution cloud recording for some sections. You may hear some echo or inconsistent volume at times, but it shouldn't impair your enjoyment of this fun conversation!

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It's President's Day weekend here in the ol' US of A, so we invite you to come chill with us in the Presidential Suite with a six pack of new tunes!

This weekend, we highlight:

• Outer World - "The Drum, The Beat" (HHBTM Records)
• Tony Valentino from The Standells, ft. Lisle Engle & Kristen Kohary - "Hollywood Fake"
• Gentleman Jesse - "Where Time Stands Still" (Drunk Dial Records)
• Hungrytown - "Another Year" (Big Stir Records)
• Sorry Monks - "Girlfriend" (Subjangle)
• Sirius Voltage - "For Your Dreams" (Invicta Sound & Vision)

How's that for a little high octane rock n' roll to kickstart your weekend?!?

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We're running hot and cold this week, as we cover our Top 5 songs with "fire" and/or "ice" in the title or as a central theme.

Joining us all the way from Paraguay is Catherine Gairard, a diversely talented singer/harpist/composer/artist/model of Peruvian and French descent. Cath shares her unique and fascinating journey, as well as her very thoughtful and honest approach to music.

Oh yeah...and Gregg's a solid 7.

Catherine Gairard Music

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We've made it...the big O3L 200th episode extravaganza!

First off, it's the biggest reunion since Kajagoogoo - original Lad and O3L co-creator Bueno returns for this special occasion, for the first time since Season 2! We chat about the genesis of the show, divulge early contenders for our pod name, read our original treatment, share favorite moments, and catch up with the wild world of Bueno. Yeah, and some other wabbit holes like cartoon character crushes, petty thievery, and the endless wait for Cure music.

Most importantly, we play messages from the most important people to this show...the "Third Lads" of the O3L community! We are so touched by all of the wonderful and thoughtful messages from listeners, friends, musicians, past guests, and fellow podcasters. It is because of all of YOU that we have made it to this milestone!

Proud members of the Pantheon Podcasts family.

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Our scheduled guest this week called in sick at the last minute...oh no! So, instead of our planned topic, we decided to be a little opportunistic. We put together our list of songs to listen to when you're sick to lift your spirits. We've got just the cure for your ailments!**

**Please note that this statement has not been evaluated by the FDA.

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Season 5 premiere…we missed ya!

Join Gregorio Delirio & Bretto (El Rocktor) for a journey south…because this week, we’re talking about the songs of South America. New discoveries and utterly hi-larious attempts at Spanish pronunciations. THIS is real alternative, as much of it has crossed over to the English speaking world. Enjoy and learn!

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Here it is…the first six pack of 2024. You may know that our fifth season officially starts on January 23rd - that’s next Tuesday if you’re listening to this episode on the weekend of release. So, there’s no better time to hang out in the parking lot with a weekend six pack. Consider this the tailgate party!

In this six pack, you’ll hear the following recent tracks:

1. The Yellow Melodies - "Follow The Sun"
2. Holy Smokes - "Chip On My Shoulder"
3. Blank Generation - "Antihero"
4. Couchboy - "Second Chances"
5. SUPER 8 - "Keep Doing It"
6. Autogramm - "Born Losers"

Help us in supporting new music!

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Join in on more fun with our second part of our retrospective of some of our favorite games on O3L!

This week, you'll hear:

• O3L Lie Detector - with author Allison Landa (Bearded Lady)
• Only Three Lads Had a Farm - with Scottish '90s indie rocker Graham Kemp from Urusei Yatsura
• Is "C" Heavenly's Option? - with seminal Sarah Records band Heavenly
• Which Saturday Is It? - with Power Pop Hall of Famers The Flashcubes
• Name That Long Title - with radio veteran and friend of the show Lance Carmine

THIS is the kind of Family Game Night we can all agree on!

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If you've been listening to O3L for a little bit, you've probably gathered that we fancy playing games every so often. So, as we get ready for the launch of our 5th season, we thought we'd have a little fun with a multi-part retrospective of some of our favorite games.

In this episode, join in on the riotous fun with:

• "Goth or Bubblegum?" with goth/dreampop singer AMMO (aka Silent Mass)
• "Pilot or Lie-lot?" with Sarah Shay from the Pilot House podcast
• "That's Not Power Pop!" with Power Pop Hall of Famer Mimi Betinis from Pezband
• "Psych? Or Psych!" with C86/indie pop legend Robert Sekula from 14 Iced Bears

It's all fun and games...until someone gets hurt. Well, nobody gets hurt, but a few egos may be bruised.

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Season 4 finale!

The festivities in Times Square may be over, but our balls don't officially drop until we've covered our Top 5 Songs of 2023! Uhhh...you know what we mean.

Ring in the New Year with O3L and relive the best tunes from that bygone era of 2023.

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We step out of the classic alternative era and into the here and now as we recount our Top 5 Albums of 2023. And it just so happens that our guest this week is Jolie Holland, the acclaimed American singer/songwriter who released one of the best records of the year, Haunted Mountain. Actually, it's one of the TWO best records of the year named Haunted Mountain, but we'll get into that...

Join us as we hip each other to new sounds, new films and new games (who's up for a round of music baseball?), and talk gender studies, the stories behind the songs, and New Mexican cuisine.

Thanks to Maurice Bursztynski from the Love That Album pod for the introduction with Jolie!

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Brett presents The Vargo Family's 16th annual Musical Christmas Card, "La La La, It's Christmas."

From the O3L family to yours, we wish you a joyous holiday season, a very Merry Christmas, the most prosperous of new years, and an abundance of “la la las.”

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It's beginning to look a lot like the O3L Holiday Party! In what's become something of a holiday tradition, we invited listeners to join us for fun, games and frivolity. This year, we welcomed Briony from Ohio; Julie from California; Julio from Puebla, Mexico; Kimberly from California; and Paul from California. And who was the mysterious "S" that joined us but wouldn't talk?!? Was that you, Ed Sheeran?

We chat about our favorite Christmas #1s and sausage rolls, and play two brand new world famous O3L games: "Dear Blank" (inspired by our chat with the great Dave Philpott last week) and "That's Sooooooo '23!"

Plus, to get in the festive mood, we have music from one of our favorite current songwriters, London's Rich Longley. From Rich's various musical projects, we play two seasonal gems:

• Les Bicyclettes De Belsize - "Andy Partridge (from XTC)"
• Valentina Way - "A Sleigh Ride In The Sky"

The party may be over, but you can still listen in to the fun!

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The '60s were marked by dizzying revolutionary change, musical evolution, and technological innovation. It was the decade where pop music as a whole went from ephemeral entertainment to serious art. It was the catalyst for social and cultural shifts. Most of the music that we talk about on this very show, from punk rock to power pop to synth pop, has very strong roots in the music of the '60s. Yet very few '60s pioneers were able to successfully cross over into the O3L era. Many sounded hopelessly out of touch as they tried to chase the trends of the day - glossy synths, gated snares, etc. Artists who were once the harbingers of cool traded in their mop tops and Spanish boots for big hair and Member's Only jackets. Who successfully crossed over to the classic alternative era?

Joining us to discuss the topic is author Dave Philpott. For close to a decade and a half the Philpotts (Dave and his father Derek) have been getting under the skin of musical artistes. Picking up on glaring errors in their lyrics or sometimes getting completely the wrong end of the stick (perhaps to irritate things a little further) they totally misunderstand the meaning of ‘poetic license’.

Hundreds of missives have landed on the real and virtual doormats of musicians, worldwide. In return, these lyrical legends have exercised their right to reply, correcting and sometimes confirming the authors’ summation of what went wrong... or right.

In their new book Dear Catherine Wheel: Bonkers Letters to U.K. Indie Bands with Genuine Replies, letters were addressed to some of the finest indie/C86 bands, including The Soup Dragons, The Jasmine Minks, The Bevis Front, Ned's Atomic Dustbin, The June Brides, Talulah Gosh, and 80+ more.

It's a brilliant, absurd, and hilarious book that you never knew you needed! It's now available at Amazon worldwide.

The Philpotts have also authored the companion volumes Dear Mr. Kershaw, Dear Mr. Pop Star, and Grammar Free in the U.K.

A portion of all sales aid the Musicians Against Homelessness organization.

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Ah, punk rock. Some punks held onto the style and ideology for dear life (some more successfully than others). For others, punk was a springboard into exciting new territories where the possibilities were limitless. It's the latter that we cover this week - the artists who shed the ripped shirts and safety pins to creatively flourish after punk's initial rush.

Join crusty old punks Gregg Grinder and Brett Ba$t@ard for an exploration on the topic of "life after punk," as well as Blue October, Liquid Death (no, we're not sponsored by them), Playboy (no, we're not sponsored by them either), the Post Office, scambaiting, Shakira, middle aged forgetfullness, and the pinnacle of human existence.

Oi oi oi!

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This week, we celebrate the beginning of the '90s (Or was it the end of the '80s? You be the judge.) When MC Hammer, Vanilla Ice and Wilson Phillips ruled the airwaves. When Uncle Gregg found some direction and joined the Navy. When teenage Brett co-founded his first band, Empty Glass. And when our special guest, power pop legend Jamie Hoover was caught in a flurry of activity, releasing his debut solo album Coupons, Questions And Comments and prepping for The Spongetones' 1991 third full length, Oh Yeah!

Formed in 1979 and very much influenced by the British Invasion, Charlotte, North Carolina's The Spongetones carried on the musical genre through acclaimed original songwriting, jangle pop riffs, and lilting, Beatlesque vocals. In his 2007 authoritative book Shake Some Action, John M. Borack rated The Spongetones' Beat And Torn (a CD containing 1982's Beat Music LP - one of Brett's all time favorites - and 1984's Torn Apart mini-LP) at #24 of his Top 200 Power Pop Albums of all time. The band features the triple threat of talented singers and songwriters: Jamie Hoover, Pat Walters and Steve Stoeckel.

In addition to The Spongetones, Jamie has shared the stage and recorded with Don Dixon and Marti Jones, The Smithereens, Graham Parker, Hootie & The Blowfish, Bill Lloyd, Emitt Rhodes, and Ray Paul, among others. Hoover either produced or co-produced all the Spongetones' albums, and continues to produce a wide variety of other musicians, recently including '60s singer/songwriter Bob Lind ('Elusive Butterfly') and young prodigy Elena Rogers.

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We hope all of our US friends had a marvelous Thanksgiving.  We gave you the main course on Tuesday, a second helping on Thanksgiving, and now it’s time for dessert.  Why?  Because it’s Black Friday...more specifically, it’s Record Store Day Black Friday. Join O3L´s Brett Vargo as we highlight some of the releases from this special RSD that we think will appeal to classic alternative music fans.

Whether you´re lining up early, going to hit your favorite store later in the day, or chance it on the secondary market, there´s a little something for everyone to enjoy. 

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Happy Thanksgiving to those of in the US! To those other places, Happy Random Thursday.

In what has become somewhat of an O3L tradition, we're here to either help you get through Thanksgiving or ruin it...it's a fine line! After all, one of the things that this holiday is about is gorging yourself, so treat yourself to a second helping of O3L this week. (B-t-dubbs, Thanksgiving is also about other things too, as you'll learn about with some enlightening trivia questions.)

This year, we celebrate "Friendsgiving," where we cover our top five songs about friendship. Ain't that sweet?

Oh, and Brett has an adult beverage during the show. It's a Thanksgiving miracle!

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Ahhh, vinyl records. For audiophiles and other assorted music nerds (know any of them!?!), it's the passport to sonic bliss. For others, it's an archaic, delicate, noisy and inconvenient medium. Whatever side of the fence you're on, there are albums that you gotta experience on vinyl - whether it be for the sound quality, the artwork, the liner notes, the overall presentation, or maybe it's not available digitally.

Remarkably, decades after the format was declared all but dead and buried, it has experienced a huge resurgence in popularity. To commemorate the 75th anniversary of the commercial vinyl LP, In The Groove: The Vinyl Record and Turntable Revolution from Motorbooks is an authoritative and visual celebration of the history and culture of record collecting and turntables, from the first 78 to the explosive growth of vinyl in the last decade, with entertaining sidebars highlighting classic record stores, legendary labels and iconic artwork. Designed to satisfy readers from the most discerning of collectors to those new to the passion, In The Groove gathers five of the finest music scribes to contribute a chapter each. One of those writers (covering record stores) is our Third Lad this week, Gillian Gaar.

Gillian G. Gaar is a Seattle-based author. Her first book, She's A Rebel: The History of Women in Rock & Roll was published in 1992. In addition to her own books, she has appeared in various anthologies, including The Nirvana Companion, Trouble Girls: The Rolling Stone Guide to Women in Rock, Nirvana: The Complete Illustrated History, Leonard Cohen on Leonard Cohen: Interviews and Encounters, Goldmine: The Beatles Digest (volumes one and two), The Best of the Beatles Book, The Stranger Guide To Seattle, 33 1/3 Greatest Hits Vol 2, A Survey of American Culture, and various editions of The Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives, among others. She was editorial assistant for Krist Novoselic's book From Grunge To Government: Let's Fix This Broken Democracy!

She was also a project consultant/liner note writer for Nirvana's box set "With The Lights Out." She has written for numerous magazines, including Rolling Stone, Mojo, Q, Goldmine, The Seattle Times, The Stranger, Option, and No Depression, and was a senior editor at Seattle music paper The Rocket.

She has also written liner notes for collections by Laurie Anderson, Judy Collins, Heart, Pat Benatar, Paula Cole and Mat Kearney, among others.

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Here's the exciting conclusion of a two parter that's all about songs with "heart" - in the title, that is.

The heart is a nasty lookin' thing, innit? But it's a word that symbolizes so much - love, pain, devotion, longing, passion, energy, excitement, life itself. It's safe to say that it's perhaps the second most essential organ in rock n' roll (insert winky smiley face here).

We are thrilled to be joined by Andrea Lewis Jarvis, Harley Farr, and Matt Gray from The Darling Buds! The Buds formed in Newport, Wales in 1986, a band of friends who made great music and experienced amazing adventures together. The new 5-CD Cherry Red Records box set, Killing For Love: Albums, Singles, Rarities, Unreleased 1987-2017 collects the band's three albums recorded for CBS/Sony (1989's Pop Said... , 1990's Crawdaddy, 1992's Erotica), their 2017 EP Evergreen, and plenty of early singles, demos, b-sides, and rarities.

During Part 2, you'll hear our top two choices for "heart" songs, the glorious new box set, the pros and cons of the modern music business model, the obscene power of the British music media, US vs. UK crowds, the timelessness of classic alternative, and what drives the band now.

Plus, hear the 1987 Leeds demo of "Shame On You" from Killing For Love.

If you haven't listened to Part 1 yet, go back and listen!

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Part one of a two parter that's all about songs with "heart" - in the title, that is.

The heart is a nasty lookin' thing, innit? But it's a word that symbolizes so much - love, pain, devotion, longing, passion, energy, excitement, life itself. It's safe to say that it's perhaps the second most essential organ in rock n' roll (insert winky smiley face here).

We are thrilled to be joined by Andrea Lewis Jarvis, Harley Farr, and Matt Gray from The Darling Buds! The Buds formed in Newport, Wales in 1986, a band of friends who made great music and experienced amazing adventures together. The new 5-CD Cherry Red Records box set, Killing For Love: Albums, Singles, Rarities, Unreleased 1987-2017 collects the band's three albums recorded for CBS/Sony (1989's Pop Said... , 1990's Crawdaddy, 1992's Erotica), their 2017 EP Evergreen, and plenty of early singles, demos, b-sides, and rarities.

During Part 1, you'll hear our first three choices for "heart" songs, the thrill of being played on John Peel, Tom Waits in the toilet, major label pressures, a guy who we shall call "Fred", that other Erotica album, LA nights, dalliances with Debbie Harry, Kirsty MacColl, Thompson Twins, Christina Applegate, Cher, Sarah Jessica Parker, the cast of 90210, and getting stuck with Shane MacGowan's bar bills.

Plus, hear the previously unreleased demo "Why Bother Now" from Killing For Love.

Stay tuned for Part 2 next week!

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¡Hola! Somos Tío Gregg y El Rocktor. We are musical explorers. Do you want to go on a classic alternative journey with us?

You doooooooooo?!? ¡Muy bien!

This week, we are talking about songs with a destination in the title or lyrics of a song. It could be a physical destination...or it could be a state of mind. Either way, our scheduled guest couldn't make it due to illness, so you know what that means. Yep, oddball song choices, general contemptible behavior, rants, and wacky hijinks.

So get out your talking map and vámonos!

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Remember back in Episode 151 when we used a lot of four letter words? That is, song titles consisting of a single four letter word? Well, we're back to ramp up the fun...one word at a time! This week, we cover five letter words with our special guest Third Lad Mike Finoia.

Mike Finoia is a standup comedian based out of New York City. He is a writer / producer for TruTV's hilarious and wildly popular Impractical Jokers, and tours nationally in support of their theatre and arena tour. When he's not on the road, Mike can be found performing nightly at NYC's premiere comedy clubs. Mike has been featured on TruTV, Sirus XM & Comedy Central. On top of that, he also co-hosts the successful podcast Comes A Time with bassist Oteil Burbridge (Dead & Co, Allman Brothers), a fellow show on the Pantheon Podcasts network. Talk about a renaissance man!

But wait, there's more! Mike also has a new comedy special, Don't Let Me Down, which is available RIGHT NOW on 800pgm.com and will be released to YouTube on November 9th. With a penchant for finding the absurd in everyday life and a knack for weaving relatable tales with a comedic twist, Finoia takes the stage to deliver a performance that's both uproarious and thought provoking. Did we mention the phrase "renaissance man"?

We have a marvelous time chatting about comedy during the pandemic, one of the title ideas for his special, life on Impractical Jokers, following Phish, Music League, and much more. Plus, we play a rousing game of O3L Scrabble!

So, c'mon...don't let him (or us) down. Click that play button, and like, subscribe, rate and review!

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We pay tribute to two pivotal figures in alternative music, both of whom passed away this week - Tulsa power pop icon Dwight Twilley and influential indie singer/songwriter.

Our Six Pack consists of:

1. Dwight Twilley Band - 'I'm Losing You'
2. Soft Science - 'True'
3. The Journals Kept - 'Nothing In This World'
4. Jamie Hoover - 'Genghis Khan'
5. Special Friend - 'Wait Until The Flames Come Rushing In'
6. Po! - 'Fay'

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#musicpodcast #bestnewmusic #alternativemusic #classicalternative #noisepop #indiepop #indierock #powerpop #alternative

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Rock, paper, scissors. Three wishes. Life, liberty and pursuit of happiness. Moe, Larry & Curly.

We think it's safe to say that good things that come in threes...and that includes albums. But the "three album run" - where an artist/band puts together a string of three amazing records in a row - is rather elusive. This week, we attempt to uncover some of the finest three album runs of the classic alternative era.

You know what other good thing comes in threes? Lads. I mean, it is in the name of our show, after all.

We are joined by a Third Lad who knows a thing or two about putting together an impressive string of albums, because Tony Jenkins and his band The New Fools have just released their latest in a run of great records, Seashells. With Seashells, the Cambridge, England band has crafted a gem of sparkling pop songcraft, full of ebullient horns, guitar jangle and clever, topical lyrics.

Along with delving into three album runs, The New Fools and the new album, we also ruminate on tribute bands, media feuds, children's TV, hip hop, awkward urinal conversations and more. Plus, Tony ruins being the ideal husband for all of us, and we, in turn, just ruin his dinner.

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#musicpodcast #musicpodcasts #classicalternative #punkrock #newwave #indiepop #indierock #collegerock #1stwave #C86 #synthpop #powerpop #britpop

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Cool...crisp...refreshing...a little nutty. Yep, you guessed it - it's time for another Weekend Six Pack!

This week, we bring you six more of the coolest songs grabbing our attention right now. You'll hear:

1. The Jasmine Minks - 'She Knows'
2. Kurt Baker - 'She Don't Wanna Be Alone'
3. The Happy Somethings & Slovenly Boy - 'I Don't Smoke Dope'
4. Liz Borden - 'Sweet Pain'
5. Royal Ottawa - 'Three Seven Zero'
6. Goliath - 'Duck And Cover'

Enjoy your weekend!

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We fix our gaze upon another of the legendary record labels of the O3L era, Slash Records. Slash was formed in Los Angeles in 1978 by the late Bob Biggs. Over the course of its 22 year run as an active label, Slash released slew of classics by the likes of The Germs, X, Violent Femmes, Fear, The Blasters, Los Lobos, Rank and File, The Del Fuegos, The Gun Club, Dream Syndicate, Misfits, Robyn Hitchcock, Burning Spear, BoDeans, Faith No More, Failure, Green On Red, Grant Lee Buffalo, L7, The Chills, Rammstein, Soul Coughing, The Verlaines, and more. Boasting such an eclectic and iconic roster, how are we possibly going to pick our Top 5 songs from the label? We'd better call in the reinforcement!

We'll take "Great O3L Third Lads" for $1,000, Alex.

"This talented singer/songwriter just released his highly anticipated brand new album, Mug, on one of the best modern indie labels, Big Stir Records."

"Who is Dolph Chaney?"

Yes, this week's Third Lad is rockin' Chicagoland indie-pop singer/songwriter/guitarist Dolph Chaney, and you'll be seeing his "mug" all over in the near future, because his new album is pretty dang special. It's full of memorable melodies, indelible hooks, witty, intelligent lyrics, and playful production. Mug continues Dolph's evolution from '90s lo-fi troubadour to widescreen guitar pop auteur. Get it now at https://bigstirrecords.com/dolph-chaney.

We go in depth with Dolph on his wonderful new album, critical cats, recording career, songwriting process, alliance with Big Stir and producer Nick Bertling, 2016 Jeopardy! appearance, and Mug merchandising (from mugs to...thongs??).

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This week, we cover our Top 5 Long Titled Songs. How long is long, you ask? Well, we asked last week's Third Lad, Archie Moore from Velocity Girl, to tell us how long is long...to which he replied NINE words or more, and to which he is probably laughing himself into convulsions thinking about how much we struggled with the topic. So, we say #ThanksArchie.

Joining us in this very difficult task is Lance Carmine, a long time O3L listener, friend of the show, the podcast's very own Cousin Brucie/Stu Sutcliffe, radio veteran, and possessor of great musical taste and hair. We have an absolutely uproarious time chatting about alternative music, 8-tracks, the state of radio, global warming, Yuma, Eddie Vedder, Bobby McFerrin, K-Pop, and playing the latest world famous O3L game, Name That Long Title!

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Let's crack open another six pack together, shall we?

This week, we celebrate the wonderful Leeds, UK based indie label Clue Records. A couple of months ago, we had Clue's highest profile artist, David Gedge from The Wedding Present and Cinerama on the show, and that opened us up to exploring the other amazing artists who are on the label - including the six that you will hear during this very episode.

Featured Songs:

1. Treeboy & Arc - 'Behind The Curtain' (from Natural Habitat - https://treeboyandarc.bandcamp.com)
2. Team Picture - 'Baby Rattlesnakes' (from The Meance Of Mechanical Music - https://teampicture.bandcamp.com)
3. Bored At My Grandma's House - 'Showers' (from Sometimes I Forget You're Human Too - https://boredatmygrandmashouse.bandcamp.com)
4. YOWL - 'The Machine' (from Milksick - https://YOWL.bandcamp.com)
5. Van Houten - 'Moon' (from Van Houten - https://vanhoutenuk.bandcamp.com)
6. Pit Pony - 'Sinking' (from World To Me - https://pitponyband.bandcamp.com)

About Clue Records:

"Give us a Clue...

We are Clue Records, an independent record label based in Leeds. We work with artists we adore to release music you love. We also host a monthly show on Amazing Radio, showcasing the best in new music.

Clue is run by Scott Lewis + Tony Ereira with support from Steven Langton, Paul Thomas, Sadie O'Donoghue + Liv Barnes."

https://cluerecords.myshopify.com

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Yes, it's the "S-word." Shoegaze...of all the media fabricated sub-genres that we talk about on O3L, this is one of the most polarizing. The term was coined with some derision about the crop of artists that came up in the late '80s/early '90s who spent much of their stage time looking down at their effects pedals. Even many of the bands who are most closely associated with the term rebuke the label. On the other hand, the word conjures up a glorious, beloved sound that continues to resonate with musicians and fans to this day: walls of woozy, beautifully sculpted guitar noise, drowned out but ethereal vocals, dreamy, insistent beats, all bathed in swathes of reverb and echo. The Extended Play (EP) was a format that was well suited for this music, so that's our focus on this episode.

While we may associate the heyday of shoegaze with the amazing groups that burst onto the UK scene, its influence spread across the pond. Case in point is our Third Lad this week, guitarist Archie Moore, who spent the first part of the '90s simultaneously in THREE seminal Washington, D.C. area bands who took cues from fizzy UK indie - Black Tambourine, Lilys, and Velocity Girl. If that wasn't enough, Archie and his friends also co-founded one of the legendary American indie labels, Slumberland Records.

Velocity Girl was the stuff that '90s indie pop dreams are made of: Named after one of the coolest songs, fronted by the impossibly cool Sarah Shannon, recording for one of the coolest labels (Sub Pop), staples of alternative radio and MTV's 120 Minutes with hits like "My Forgotten Favorite" (also prominently featured on the Clueless soundtrack), "Crazy Town," "Sorry Again," and "I Can't Stop Smiling." We caught up with Archie the day after Velocity Girl's first gig in 21 years at the anniversary bash for legendary D.C. club The Black Cat. They also will be playing the Bowery Ballroom in New York on September 30th before returning to The Black Cat on December 1st. Catch them if you can!

Songs:

• Brett Vargo - 'Didn't Know I Needed This (Until I Needed This)'
• Velocity Girl - 'My Forgotten Favorite'
• Black Tambourine - 'Throw Aggi Off The Bridge'

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Hey hey hey! What's happening, you ask? Well, this ain't no Rerun, it's a brand new O3L!

We travel back to the heady days of 1978 as we count down our Top 5 Songs from that spectacular year.

Plus:

• A Ministry surprise (the band, that is...but for $19.95, we'll also add you to our prayer circle)
• Brett's foray into death metal
• Uncle Gregg's fantasy tattoo (and we rely on each other)
• Offensive lyrics
• A creepy breathing lesson

Oh, and we politely request that you kiss our grits. If it's not too much ask, please and thank you.

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Episode 180, with the one and only Graham Parker, was a tremendous thrill for us. We knew we wanted to maximize our time with a legend, so we recorded the episode in two parts. We reconvened two nights after recording with GP to get our Top 5 segments down. By that time, Brett was sick as a dog and Uncle Gregg was working on a vodka with a light splash of OJ. We recorded a bunch of stuff that night that didn't make the cut to the final episode, but maybe you want to hear it? Or maybe you don't...

Either way, here it is!

Warning: If you're looking for musical content, you won't find much of it during this one. You'll get a whole bunch of rants and ramblings about a variety of other things though. Don't say we didn't warn ya!

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The Rolling Stones once intoned that "it's the singer, not the song"...but this week, it's all about the song, as we celebrate the great songwriters of the O3L era. What better way to do that than with one of THE all time great songwriters, the legendary Graham Parker?!? We're still pinching ourselves.

Of course, you know his classic records with The Rumour like Howlin' Wind, Heat Treatment, and Squeezing Out Sparks, and songs like 'Silly Thing,' 'Hold Back The Night,' 'Hold Back The Night', 'Don't Ask Me Questions', 'Discovering Japan', 'Local Girls,' 'Life Gets Better,' 'Wake Up (Next To You),' and 'Get Started, Start A Fire.' But we're not here so much to look back at a remarkable past as we are to celebrate an artist who, 47 years into his recording career, is still relevant, vital and making some of his best music yet. His brilliant new album, Last Chance To Learn The Twist, was released on September 8th from our friends at Big Stir Records. The record was produced by GP & Tuck Nelson, and features his incredible backing band The Goldtops, backing singers The Lady Bugs and swinging brass from The Easy Access Orchestra. In this episode, you'll hear fascinating insights into the songwriting and recording processes for the new album, GP's songwriting inspirations, genres that don't exist, streaming, his biggest regret, and much more. And you'll be happy to know: THE GOUT IS ON ITS WAY OUT!

About Graham Parker (edited from Mark Demming's intro in the All Music Guide): Stereotyped early in his career as the quintessential angry young man, Graham Parker was one of the most celebrated singer/songwriters to emerge from England in the '70s. Drawing heavily from Van Morrison and the Rolling Stones, Parker developed a sinewy fusion of driving rock & roll and confessional folk-rock, highlighted by his indignant passion, biting sarcasm, and bristling anger. At the outset of his career, his albums crackled with energy, snide witticisms, and perceptive insights, earning him a devoted following of fans and critics, who lavished praise on his debut, 1976's Howlin' Wind, recorded with the Rumour, his backing band of pub rock all-stars. After delivering Squeezing Out Sparks in 1979, which was a smash with critics and won him a larger audience in the United States, Parker courted a crossover career with solo projects such as 1982's Another Grey Area and 1985's Steady Nerves before settling into a cult following in the late '80s and continuing to garner critical acclaim as his music mellowed but his lyrical perspective stayed sharp. At the behest of filmmaker Judd Apatow, Parker reunited with the Rumour for his movie This Is 40, which led to concert tours and a pair of albums, 2012's Three Chords Good and 2015's Mystery Glue. After the Rumour reunion ran its course, Parker formed a new band, the Goldtops, playing easygoing but committed R&B-informed rock on 2018's Cloud Symbols and 2023's Last Chance to Learn the Twist.

Technical note: We recorded this episode in two segments - we did our interview with GP first, and then reconvened a couple of nights later to record our top five lists (when Brett was sick and Uncle Gregg was at least a sheet and a half to the wind).

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We're getting quizzical this week, as we reveal the answers to a whole host of questions, including:

• What are our Top 5 Musical Questions?
• What's the latest in classic alternative music news?
• What new songs are we listening to?
• What are we drinking?
• Why are we so obsessed with robots?
• What's Uncle Gregg ranting about this week? (Seriously, we really want to know...)
• Which '80s Canadian classic does Brett react to?
• What does the fox say?
• Who did let the dogs out?
• What previous O3L "character" makes an appearance?
• Are we strong to the finich?

Well, what are ya waiting for? We don't want to keep you in suspense any longer, so just listen!

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Is there a better way to kick off your weekend than with a Six Pack? We think not!

That's right, we're hopping out of the O3L era again for another installment featuring six songs that we think YOU should hear this weekend. This week, we bring you a theme within a theme (how clever is that, eh?). Not only are all of the artists spotlighted this week on the wonderful Big Stir Records (https://bigstirrecords.com), but all of the songs have a summer theme. How appropriate!

Big Stir is a Burbank, CA based indie label specializing in melodic pop/rock, formed in 2017 by Christina Bulbenko and Rex Broome from the band The Armoires. Today, the label boasts one of the most impressive and prolific artist rosters around, from ‘60s psych rock warriors to ‘70s power pop heroes to ‘80s college rock trailblazers to the finest pop torchbearers to emerge over the past 30 years. In fact, we have had the extreme pleasure to have our show graced by several artists from the Big Stir world past and present - The Flashcubes, Arthur Alexander from Sorrows, Tony Valentino from The Standells, Jim Basnight, Kevin Robertson from The Vapour Trails…and we have yet another in an upcoming episode that we are so excited about that we can hardly contain ourselves. But there are so many great musicians on Big Stir - I wish we could name them all, but trust us on this one…their catalogue is of such consistently high quality that you can go to bigstirrecords.com, peruse their list of artists, and pick out some records that you’re certain to love. And not only that, but Rex & Christina are amazing people - warm, genuine, and working to build a community driven by a true love of the art, craft and power of pop music. Just a case in point of how cool everyone in the Big Stir family is - recently, we received a lovely email containing O3L shoutouts from a bunch of their artists, and we were absolutely touched and awestruck that these amazing artists would take time out to cut these promos for us.  From the bottom of hearts, thank you to all those involved. The support truly means the world to us.

So, please show your love and support to Big Stir and this cool six pack of artists:

• Lannie Flowers - 'Summer Blue' (from Flavor Of The Month)
• Irena Peña - 'It Must Be Summer' (single)
• Sparkle*Jets UK - 'One Summer Sunday' (from Best Of Friends)
• Dolph Chaney - 'Cool In The Sunshine' (from the upcoming LP Mug)
• Allyson Seconds - 'On A Sunny Day In Summer' (from Bag Of Kittens)
• Librarians With Hickeys - 'Last Days Of Summer' (from Handclaps & Tambourines)

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We're dancin' to the rhythm in our heart and soul, cuz it's S-A-T-U-R-D-A-Y Night on O3L! This week, we're all about the songs and albums that soundtrack our Saturday nights. And, yeah, we've got a Saturday Night Fever, and the only cure is...

More FLASHCUBES!

That's right...our Third Lads this week are bassist Gary Frenay and guitarist Paul Armstrong, one half of Power Pop Hall of Famers The Flashcubes! Gary and Paul, along with guitarist Arty Lenin and drummer Tommy Allen, burst out of Syracuse, NY in 1977. During their initial lifespan of 1977-1980, they released two singles, the classics "Christi Girl" and "Wait Til Next Week," and opened for major acts such as The Runaways, Ramones, The Jam and The Police. (In the case of the latter, here's a "true until proven otherwise" theory for you: Stewart Copeland is wearing a Flashcubes t-shirt on the cover of Regatta de Blanc.) Since the original foursome reformed in the late '90s as powerful and poppy as ever, they haven't looked back, with a string of acclaimed albums and a reputation as a world-class live act.

The Flashcubes' latest album on Big Stir Records is Pop Masters, which finds our heroes tackling a selection of 12 guitar pop classics by their contemporaries, with an impressive roster of guest stars, including Pezband's "Baby It's Cold Outside" (with past O3L guest Mimi Betinis), Shoes' "Tomorrow Night" (with another past O3L guest, Jeff Murphy), The Paley Brothers' "Come Out And Play" and more. This is a must have for any power pop connoisseur!

Plus, we unveil the latest world famous O3L game: Which Saturday Is It?, in which our discerning contestants distinguish between Saturday Night Fever quotes, Saturday Night Live lines, and lyrics from songs called "Saturday Night." It's gobs o' fun, we tell ya...gobs!

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Crack open a six pack! That is to say that we're stepping out of the O3L era once again for six more songs that you should hear this weekend.

As many listeners know, Brett's son is currently attending UC Berkeley, which means that he's been spending a lot more time up in the Bay Area...which, in turn, means that he's been paying close attention to what's become arguably the best local indie music scene in the country. So, this week, we turn our focus to bands from that area. Our Six Pack:

1) Chime School - 'Coming To Your Town' (https://chimeschool.bandcamp.com)

2) The Umbrellas - 'She Buys Herself Flowers' (https://theumbrellas.bandcamp.com)

3) The 1981 - 'Easy (It's Not)' (https://the1981band.bandcamp.com)

4) Cindy - 'The Price Is Right' (https://cindytheband.bandcamp.com)

5) The Reds, Pinks & Purples - 'Unloveable Losers' (https://theredspinksandpurples.bandcamp.com)

6) Seablite - 'Melancholy Molly' (https://seablite.bandcamp.com)

What do YOU think is the best local music scene right now? Let us know on social media or at [email protected].

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Needless to say, we have fun every week here on O3L, but this one will have ya dancing in the streets guaranteed! We just can't help ourselves when it comes to talking about music influenced by "The Sound of Young America," Motown Records...especially when Heaven must have sent us this week's guest from above. What's going on, you ask? We guess you say, what can make us feel this way? Well, by now, you've probably heard it through the grapevine that it's the marvelous Arthur Alexander!

(Oh, was that subtle enough?)

Arthur has a very powerful story of rock n' roll salvation. Growing up in communist Poland in the '60s, Arthur discovered the power of rock through records pressed on postcards and through scratchy radio signals that the government attempted to silence, deeming this new musical form of freedom as a threat to society. It was the sound that united and invigorated legions of youth, inspired kids to form bands, and, for Arthur, paved the way for a new life in America. In the mid-70s, his band The Poppees were a part of the burgeoning New York scene, playing venues like CBGB and Max's Kansas City alongside The Heartbreakers, Ramones, and Blondie, despite eschewing straight ahead punk rock for the sounds of Merseybeat. After The Poppees, Arthur formed rockin' power pop group Sorrows, fulfilling his vision of crossing ABBA with The Sex Pistols. Sorrows issued two albums for CBS, 1980's Teenage Heartbreak (the sessions from that era also captured on the Bad Times, Good Times album) and 1981's Love Too Late. The latter was so badly botched by the record label that it prompted Sorrows to reform four decades later to put things right, to record the album that it should have been all along: Love Too Late...The Real Album. Arthur has also issued two marvelous solo albums in recent years, 2018's One Bar Left, and the brand new 2023 LP Steppin' Out on Big Stir Records. https://www.bigstirrecords.com.

Signed, sealed and delivered,

Your friends at O3L

And we're stickin' to it.

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Welcome to the O3L Weekend Six Pack, where we curate six recent songs to kick off your weekend!

Your six-pack this weekend consists of:

1) The Radio Field - 'Other One' (from Don'ts and Dos, Subjangle) https://theradiofield.bandcamp.com

2) Graham Parker & The Goldtops - 'It Mattered To Me' (from Last Chance To Learn The Twist, Big Stir) https://www.bigstirrecords.com

3) The Che Men - 'Mill Hill' (The Beautiful Music) https://thebeautifulmusic.com

4) Swansea Sound - 'Twentieth Century' (from Twentieth Century, Skep Wax) https://swanseasound.bandcamp.com

5) The Lost Ships - 'Brittle Heart Foundation' (from Atoms Collide Forever, Subjangle) https://lostships.bandcamp.com

6) The New Fools - 'It's Just Not Enough' (from Seashells) https://thenewfools.bandcamp.com

Let us know what you think...should we make this a semi-regular feature? Hit us up on our social media pages or email us at [email protected].

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This week, we taste the proverbial rainbow with our Top 5 Colourful Songs...that is, songs with colours in the title. And what an incredible thrill it is to have Tracy Tracy and Paul Court from one of the greatest indie pop bands of the O3L era, The Primitives, join us!

The Primitives are an English indie pop band who formed in Coventry in 1984, disbanded in 1992, and reformed in 2009 for one of the best "second acts" in music. After a string of classic Top 10 indie singles on the band's Lazy Records imprint, they signed with RCA for three albums: Lovely (1988, which spawned the #5 hit 'Crash'), Pure (1989), and Galore (1992). Since reforming, The Primitives have released a handful of EPs and singles, including 2022's 'Don't Know Where To Start' and this year's 'I Won't Care' (both of which you'll hear on this very episode!), and two full length albums, Echoes and Rhymes (2012) and Spin-O-Rama (2014).

This one is a lot of fun, and as real as it gets - we talk about dogs, sweets, friendship, travel and...uh, Iron Maiden, as well as The Primitives' roots (both musically and hair), return and future.

Also, as a technical note: You will notice some audio imperfections in this episode. Brett was recording in Berkeley in his son's mostly empty studio apartment, with a cheap mic and very boomy room ambience. And, for some unknown reason, Tracy's local track stopped recording after about 20 minutes, so we had to grab the rest from a lower resolution combined conference audio track. It made for some very tricky editing and moments of inconsistent volume so we could capture as much of this fabulous conversation as possible.

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Oops...we did it again?

Yep, we tend to get lost in our passion sometimes, especially when we have an AMAZING Third Lad who's a subject matter expert at the topic at hand. So lace up your boots and join us in the mosh pit for an extended journey through the sounds, sights, and smells of the Southern California punk scene. With so many great songs, how do we narrow it down to five apiece?!?

While the London and New York scenes understandably take up a lot of space in the punk rock annals, SoCal also had a vital and very distinctive brand of punk - often faster, more aggressive, and more violent than their peers. While Los Angeles was the epicentre, Orange County and San Diego both notably contributed plenty of classics of the genre. One of the first wave of San Diego punk bands to make a splash was The Executives, who released an impossibly rare EP in 1980 and played with just about every legendary band both in and out of the area. Our Third Lad this week is Executives' singer Michael Jenks, who gives us a thrilling first hand account of the rise of punk in Southern California, the chaotic San Diego scene, their recordings and their reformation.

Plus: Michael and Brett share some "bro time!" Uncle Gregg whiffs with the ladies (and ruins everything)! Solid parenting advice! The downside of being a Britpop fan!

Thanks to Executives' current guitarist Jeremy Spencer, who the O3L "street team" met at a Hoodoo Gurus show in May, ultimately leading to this enriching and entertaining couple of hours!

Speaking of great SoCal punk, we have found it alive, well, and living in the Mojave Desert with Joshua Tree's Ingrates. Brett recently saw Ingrates open up for Terry Six (The Exploding Hearts) in Los Angeles, and was so impressed with their class of '77 punk energy-meets-power pop hooks that he reached out to the guys about thrusting them into the O3L Spotlight. This week, we play their latest single, the infectious "Don't Be A Stranger." You can find Ingrates music at: https://ingrates.bandcamp.com.

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It's the Summer of Love...Tractor, that is. That's because our friends in seminal Athens band Love Tractor return to O3L for an epic two parter as we discuss our Top 5 Summer Albums!

It's time for the epic conclusion, where Love Tractor guitarists Mark Cline & Mike Richmond and bassist Armistead Wellford recount more wild, hilarious tales of the Athens scene in the '80s and the making of their second album, 1983's Around The Bend. We'll also divulge our #2 & #1 Summer Albums. If you didn't get enough sex, drugs & rock n' roll (or country rock, if a certain record label had their druthers) during part 1...well, you're in luck. Party at Little Richard's house!

About Love Tractor:

It is no act of misguided hyperbole to declare the genre-bending, art rock pioneers, Love Tractor one of the most influential bands of the past 43 years. As one of the inadvertent architects of the Athens, Georgia scene and sound, Love Tractor along with Pylon, The B-52’s, and R.E.M. were essential in staking out the jangly and disco-driven rock that would have — and still has—a huge influence on subsequent generations. Of those bands, Love Tractor always stood out as the most artistically brave and willing to fail in order to succeed.

In 1983, Love Tractor released their second album, Around the Bend, which was accompanied by a popular MTV video for the song "Spin Your Partner." The album showcased the band's growth and evolution, incorporating vocals and other experimentations to enhance their sound. The record was well-received critically and commercially— topping the college charts, and solidifying Love Tractor's place in the alternative music landscape.

Around The Bend (40th Anniversary Remastered Edition) is due out September 1, 2023, on Propeller Sound Recordings.

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Surprise! We're back for a second episode this week, and it's the most uncharacteristic episode we've ever done. Don't change the dial on your podcast app...and this is not an April Fool's joke. Yes, we are covering our Top 5 Metallica Songs.

If you're wondering what's gotten into the Lads, it's because we are celebrating the official Metallica podcast, The Metallica Report, joining the Pantheon Podcasts family!

Here's the thing: If you've listened to O3L for any length of time, you probably know that Brett is about the furthest thing away from a "metal guy" as you can get. In fact, aside from a few songs from the radio and MTV, he never listened to a Metallica record before this week. But before you Metallica heads come at him with pitchforks, he has given it the ol' college try this week! And fortunately he has Uncle Gregg, who is a little more versed in the topic.

So what do you say, huh? Let's get Metal AF!

Music from today's episode can be found on our playlist "O3L - E173 - Top 5 Metallica Songs on:

Apple Music - https://music.apple.com/us/playlist/o3l-e173-top-5-metallica-songs/pl.u-RRbVNdDT1e6YDm

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5YqDInPHwEoJAMCek5EvIe?si=494cbd73f6fe4654

About The Metallica Report:

Keep up with all things Metallica by going straight to the source for your news. This weekly report is hosted by Steffan Chirazi, long-time rock scribe and editor of the band’s online mag, So What!, and Renée Richardson, a well-known Bay Area radio personality who now oversees the band’s foundation, All Within My Hands. Steffan and Renée will keep you in the loop each week with updates, features, and interviews. They’ll also get YOUR questions answered by those in the know. It’s your quick, weekly fix covering our most relevant topics of the day.

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It's the Summer of Love...Tractor, that is. That's because our friends in seminal Athens band Love Tractor return to O3L for an epic two parter as we discuss our Top 5 Summer Albums!

During this first part, guitarists Mark Cline & Mike Richmond and bassist Armistead Wellford recount some wild, hilarious tales of the Athens scene in the '80s and the making of their second album, 1983's Around The Bend. We'll also divulge our #5 through #3 Summer Albums. And, no, you didn't accidentally stumble upon the High Times podcast.

About Love Tractor:

It is no act of misguided hyperbole to declare the genre-bending, art rock pioneers, Love Tractor one of the most influential bands of the past 43 years. As one of the inadvertent architects of the Athens, Georgia scene and sound, Love Tractor along with Pylon, The B-52’s, and R.E.M. were essential in staking out the jangly and disco-driven rock that would have — and still has—a huge influence on subsequent generations. Of those bands, Love Tractor always stood out as the most artistically brave and willing to fail in order to succeed.

In 1983, Love Tractor released their second album, Around the Bend, which was accompanied by a popular MTV video for the song "Spin Your Partner." The album showcased the band's growth and evolution, incorporating vocals and other experimentations to enhance their sound. The record was well-received critically and commercially— topping the college charts, and solidifying Love Tractor's place in the alternative music landscape.

Around The Bend (40th Anniversary Remastered Edition) is due out September 1, 2023, on Propeller Sound Recordings.

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"I wanted to be with you alone/And talk about the weather." Well put, Rollie & Curt. You could even say that we're head over heels about talking about songs about talking about the weather (or something like that).

And this week's supersized episode is a whole lotta talk about the weather. It's a whole lotta sunshine. A whole lotta rainbows. A whole lotta fun. A whole lotta laughs. A whole lotta (electric) mayhem. A whole lotta Van. A whole lotta Yoko. A whole lotta Studs Turkel. And, most importantly, a whole lotta Rob.

That's because our Third Lad this week is a kindred spirit, Rob Kassees, one of the hosts of the awesome podcast 1001 Album Complaints. Each week, Rob and his friends dissect a different album from Robert Dimery's book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. They approach each record with humor and an infectious mix of respect and irreverence, share stories and facts behind its creation, and ultimately vote whether you do truly need to hear the selected album before you die. It's a great show that gets a seal of approval from us! https://linktr.ee/thechopunlimited

Also: A brand new O3L game to commemorate Rob's appearance with us, Kill or Die! Plus, new music by Sheffield shoegazers The Suncharms ('Telescope') and Power Pop Hall of Famers Flashcubes (a cover of The Motors' 'Forget About You').

The Suncharms: Music | Sunday Records (bandcamp.com)

Flashcubes: Big Stir Records - The Flashcubes

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1987: The year of the mega-album (Bad...Faith...The Joshua Tree...Appetite For Destruction...The Zit Remedy...) big, booming, glossy pop singles, hair metal, mall pop and hip-hop. But, lurking beneath that "high '80s" sheen were some of the finest alternative songs of the O3L era. That, dear listener, is where we come in.

In 1987's indie world, it didn't get much bigger than The Wedding Present, led by singer/songwriter/guitarist AND this week's Third Lad, David Gedge. The Weddoes, as they are affectionately known by fans, scored a #1 indie LP with their debut full-length, George Best, and occupied five spots (including four in the Top 10) on the legendary John Peel's year end Festive Fifty list. Over the next decade, The Wedding Present would remain a vital fixture on the scene, racking up 16 UK Top 40 hits. In 1992 alone, they tied a record set by Elvis Presley by releasing twelve Top 30 singles within a twelve-month period. Since then, the ever-prolific self-professed "workaholic" Gedge has released a consistent string of records both under The Wedding Present and Cinerama monikers, right up to the brand new Weddoes triple album 24 Songs. 24 Songs collects the twelve 7" singles (once every month) that Gedge and band released during 2022. This remarkable set is now available from Happy Happy Birthday To Me in the US and Clue Records in the UK. https://hhbtm.bandcamp.com.

Come on in to the deep end...just remember that we're never gonna give you up.

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Manchester, so much to answer for.

Join the "belligerent ghouls" of O3L as we explore some of the best albums to come out of this fine city in the north of England...Cottonopolis...Mamucian.

In this episode:

• New music from Swedish garage rockers Råttanson ('How Many Days Till Summer') and classic power pop hitmakers Tommy Tutone ('White Flag')!
• Uncle Gregg is sick, and his cocktail of DayQuil and whiskey leads to questionable advice on smoking and strip clubs.
• Brett gives you some Manchester fun facts with which to wow your friends at the next pub trivia night.
• Yoko Ono, country music, ice cream, libraries, boobies, and...
• RISSOLES!!

#musicpodcast #musicpodcasts #manchester #madchester #britpop #indiepop #newwave #punkrock #classicalternative #1stwave #baggy

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We're, like, totally back for Part II of our new wave extravaganza! But, no, we shan't gag you with a spoon.

For this epic exploration, we welcome not one, but TWO Third Lads: Peter Godwin is the acclaimed singer, songwriter and musician who first entered the public eye in 1977 with the suave art rock of Metro, formed with Duncan Browne and whose signature track “Criminal World” was later covered by none other than David Bowie. After three albums, lineup shifts, and an increasing pop sensibility, Metro called it a day and Godwin struck out solo to release new wave era dance floor fillers such as “Baby’s In The Mountains” “The Art Of Love” and the sublime classic “Images Of Heaven,” as well as writing, producing and playing for other notable musicians. Leah Lane is the insanely talented singer, songwriter and musician behind Dallas based post punk band Rosegarden Funeral Party, who have released a steady stream of hauntingly dark and beautiful music over the past 6 years . And Together, Peter and Leah make up the duo known as RE/Generation. The first fruit of their musical partnership is out now, a single featuring a cover of Bowie’s “Absolute Beginners” and the gorgeous original “Beautiful Boy,” with more on the way. 

During this segment, we'll count down from our #3 to #1 new wave albums, and delve further into Peter & Leah's music...including Leah's surprising musical obsession!

Featured music during this episode:

• RE/GENERATION: 'Beautiful Boy'
• Rosegarden Funeral Party: 'Ill And Getting Worse'

Proud members of the Pantheon Podcasts network.

#musicpodcast #musicpodcasts #newwave #punkrock #synthpop #gothrock #classicalternative #1stwave #alternativerock #modernrock #mtv

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Let the good times roll with a two part extravaganza tackling a topic near and dear to our hearts…new wave albums! Journey back to the era when video killed the radio star, and a new crop of meaningful artists influenced by the spirit and freedom of punk rock captured our imagination.

For this epic exploration, we welcome not one, but TWO Third Lads: Peter Godwin is the acclaimed singer, songwriter and musician who first entered the public eye in 1977 with the suave art rock of Metro, formed with Duncan Browne and whose signature track “Criminal World” was later covered by none other than David Bowie. After three albums, lineup shifts, and an increasing pop sensibility, Metro called it a day and Godwin struck out solo to release new wave era dance floor fillers such as “Baby’s In The Mountains” “The Art Of Love” and the sublime classic “Images Of Heaven,” as well as writing, producing and playing for other notable musicians. Leah Lane is the insanely talented singer, songwriter and musician behind Dallas based post punk band Rosegarden Funeral Party, who have released a steady stream of hauntingly dark and beautiful music over the past 6 years . And Together, Peter and Leah make up the duo known as RE/Generation. The first fruit of their musical partnership is out now, a single featuring a cover of Bowie’s “Absolute Beginners” and the gorgeous original “Beautiful Boy,” with more on the way. 

Our first part contains great insights from Peter & Leah on their process and music separately and together, as well as our #5 and #4 picks. Then, stay tuned for the conclusion next week!

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We've got you covered...nah. Duck and cover...nope. Maybe you can judge a song by its cover...forget it, that's dumb. Well, after laboriously trying to find the right "cover" pun, we'll just leave it at this: This week, we're talking about cover versions. In short, versions of songs that were originally recorded by another artist. And there were oodles and gobs of brilliant cover versions during the O3L era, including many by the wildly popular British '90s band Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine.

Hey, maybe we're better at segues than we are at puns, because our Third Lad this week is Jim Bob from Carter USM! With his musical partner Fruitbat in Carter USM, Jim racked up four Top 10 albums, 14 Top 40 singles, including a string of classics like 'Sheriff Fatman,' 'Bloodsport For All,' 'After The Watershed,' and 'The Only Living Boy In New Cross,' and headlined Glastonbury before calling it a day (for the first time) in 1997. Carter defied categorization, with an anything-goes juxtaposition of styles of punk to dance, with biting wit, keen social commentary and a knack for clever wordplay.

But Jim Bob couldn't stop there, and has become one of pop's renaissance men. Since Carter, he has written two memoirs, six novels, a stage production, and released 12 solo records, including his latest, Thanks For Reaching Out, out from Cherry Red on 30th June. The album contains 38 minutes of pop, punk rock, devastatingly moving ballads and more topical than an episode of Newsnight, with songs about Putin (‘The Day of Reckoning’), the Taliban (‘This is End Times’) and whoever ‘Billionaire in Space’ is about. It’s not all doom and gloom though (it’s mostly doom and gloom). ‘Sebastian’s Gone On A Ridelaong’ is a hilarious psychobilly romp and the pre-coronation written ‘The Prince of Wales’ is like a pub lock-in, it’s Bowie’s ‘Kooks’ for older people. During this episode, you'll also get a first listen of Jim's cover of The Psychedelic Furs' 'Pretty In Pink,' which is featured on a covers bonus disc available with the CD version of Thanks For Reaching Out.

Among the topics "covered" during this episode: Power ballads! Duck Hunt! Interior decorating! The brilliance of Mark Reynolds aka Stuff by Mark! Serial killer chic! Music video controversy! Milwaukee! Drowning bands! Stevie Wonder in a sock! Jim entering his Young Americans period! And loads of British enthusiasm!

Proudly part of the Pantheon Podcasts family.

#musicpodcast #musicpodcasts #carterusm #cartertheunstoppablesexmachine #90smusic #coversongs #coverversions #punkrock #newwave #1stwave #classicalternative #grebo #80smusic #70smusic

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Have you ever watched the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and wished "Gee, why don't they represent more of the classic alternative music artists that I love?" Better yet, have you ever wished "Gee, why isn't this show hosted by two crochety Gen-X'ers moaning about St. Valentine and impregnating cats?" You have!?!? Well, hot dog, you're in luck...because it's time to join ol' UG & Corpsey for the 2nd Annual O3L Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony!

Last year, we inducted 10 artists who were crucial in shaping the music we discuss on O3L:

• David Bowie
• Buzzcocks
• Depeche Mode
• Duran Duran
• Joy Division
• Nirvana
• Pixies
• Ramones
• The Replacements
• The Smiths

Who made it in this year? Guess you'll just have to listen. But YOU (yes, YOU!) can be a part of the voting committee. Post or message us on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter, or email us at [email protected] with your picks. We will induct the artist with the most votes as well.

In the O3L Spotlight this week, we have new Isle of Wight punk band George Street Kids, produced by Loft/Chesterfields guitarist Andy Strickland. Conveniently, their stomping debut single is also called "George St. Kids." It's out now at https://georgestreetkids.bandcamp.com.

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We're heading straight to the garage this week! Following the release of Lenny Kaye's seminal Nuggets compilation of '60s garage bands in 1972, legions of young musicians eschewed the increasingly complex, bloated , pretentious rock of the day to return to simpler, rawer, more primal sounds. These embryonic punk rock records not only inspired bands like Ramones, Blondie, The Clash and The Sex Pistols, but launched a full scale garage rock revival scene in the '80s that reverberated into the 21st century with bands like The White Stripes, The Black Keys and The Strokes.

We are honored to have one of the key architects of '60s garage/punk rock joining us as our Third Lad this week, Tony Valentino of The Standells! He was the man who wrote and played one of THE most recognizable and distinctive riffs in all of rock n' roll, "Dirty Water," as well as Standells classics such as "Sometimes Good Guys Don't Wear White," "Why Pick On Me," "Barracuda," "Riot On Sunset Strip," and "Try It."

Rock n' roll brought a young Valentino from his native Italy to the land of milk and honey (and root beer), the USA. Hear about his incredible journey that led to appearances in TV shows and movies such as The Munsters, The Bing Crosby Show, American Bandstand, Ben Casey, Get Yourself A College Girl, and Riot on Sunset Strip, a wild tour with The Rolling Stones, shady managers, Laurel Canyon dalliances with The Beach Boys and the Manson Family, and how Rick Springfield provided the inspiration behind his latest album, Dirty Water Revisited.

Dirty Water Revisited is out now on the marvelous Big Stir Records, and features ten newly recorded tracks from the guitar hero, reimagining many of the classics that made The Standells the ultimate purveyors of gritty riffs and swaggering hits in the '60s, and adds a pair of blistering originals to the mix. Far from a nostalgia trip, Dirty Water Revisited is proof positive that rock n' roll is alive and well in the hands of a true legend.

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Girl.

This simple four letter word has been the impetus behind many of the greatest songs of all time, and the O3L era was no exception. Whether it's a male sung ode to love, longing, success and frustration with the opposite sex, or a female sung declaration of solidarity and empowerment, this week we celebrate songs with the word "girl" in the title (well, most of them).

One of those wonderful songs is the 1984 Top 40 smash by Romeo Void, "A Girl In Trouble (Is A Temporary Thing)." So what an incredible thrill it is for us to welcome as our special guest...DEBORA IYALL from ROMEO VOID!

Romeo Void was formed in 1979. Drawing inspiration from the local underground music scene, the band’s founding members were San Francisco Art Institute students Debora Iyall (lead vocalist, lyricist) and Frank Zincavage (bass guitar), alongside local musicians Peter Woods (guitar) and Jay Derrah (drums). They soon added saxophonist Benjamin Bossi. According to Iyall, the name Romeo Void referred to “a lack of romance.” 

Romeo Void's first official live album, Live From Mabuhay Gardens: November 14, 1980, was recently released on special galaxy blue vinyl for Record Store Day, as well as on CD and digital, by the Liberation Hall label. Recorded at the famed San Francisco punk club by deejay Terry Hammer, the album was captured during the same period that Romeo Void was recording its critically acclaimed debut album for 415 Records, It’s a Condition. Derrah was still drumming with the band at this live show, but was replaced by John “Stench” Haines by the time the sessions for It’s a Condition were underway.

Eight of the eleven songs on Live from Mabuhay Gardens: November 14, 1980, would eventually appear on It’s a Condition. The opening track, “Guards,” would surface in 1981 as the B-side of the band’s national breakout single, “Never Say Never.” “Fine Line” is an original that has never been released in any format. The album’s closing number, “Double Shot of My Baby’s Love,” is a cover of the Swingin’ Medallions’ 1966 hit, which was the first 45 single which Iyall owned. 

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On Saturday, May 20, the classic alternative, punk, new wave, post-punk, goth, synth pop, and dark wave tribes will gather once again in Pasadena, California for the second Cruel World festival. It's an amazing lineup featuring the first Siouxsie live appearance in the US in over 15 years, Iggy Pop, Billy Idol, Love and Rockets, Echo & The Bunnymen, Adam Ant, The Human League, Gary Numan, Modern English, Gang Of Four, ABC, The Vapors, Berlin, Animotion, and a fine selection of like-minded "next generation" bands. The Lads break down the acts that they will be checking out, festival survival tips, and a heck of a lot more. Whether you are going or just wish you were, let O3L be your "pre-game show" for Cruel World!

We're shining the O3L Spotlight on The Midnight Sailors, the new project from amazingly talented singer/songwriter Rich Longley and guitarist David Osborne, who share a fondness for Al Stewart, The Lilac Time, and songs about memories, childhood and history. They’ve produced a marvelous self-titled concept album of sorts about their experiences, and along with the ornate beauty and ambitious song structures of the aforementioned influences, there are dashes of The Go-Betweens and The Clientele and probably the best banjo flourishes you’ll hear on a pop record this year. We play the gorgeous album cut, "This Time It Was Me." Check them out at themidnightsailors.bandcamp.com.

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Hey mon! (Tooka-tinka, tooka-tinka, tooka-tinka...)

Whether you're smokin' a fat doob, gargling with Wild Turkey, or sippin' a pina colada Slurpee, you won't want to miss O3L jammin' to the sound and spirit of Jamaica, reggae. Let's get together and feel alright!

Cuz here's the thing: While Brett is a reggae fan, Uncle Gregg is decidedly not. In fact, you could even say that this week caused him a little consternation. We'll give you both sides of the proverbial coin.

Oh...and, hey, long time listeners, remember those "O3L After Dark" bonus episodes where we'd save some of the more questionable/offensive content for more mature (or is it immature?) audiences? Yeah, we didn't do that this week, but consider yourself forewarned. We'd like to say it was the Wild Turkey talkin', but who are we kidding?

In the O3L Spotlight this week, we play the new single by Special Friend called "Selkie," from the forthcoming album Wait Until The Flames Come Rushing In (out June 30) on Skep Wax Records and French labels Howlin' Banana and Hidden Bay Records. Paris-based duo Special Friend are American Erica Ashleson and Frenchman Guillaume Siracusa. They have a sound that’s somehow minimal and epic. On Selkie, her insistent drums, his reverberating guitar, and the plaintive melody in their voices join forces to conjure up the spirit of a beautiful, unknowable creature... According to folk tales and mythology, a selkie is a seal who can swim ashore, shed her skin and transform herself into a beautiful human being for a while. Those folk tales also tell of man’s cruelty – of selkies whose discarded sealskins were destroyed while they were in human form, deliberately preventing them from ever reclaiming their true animal identities. "Selkie" is a song about magic and about cruelty. About celebrating and respecting the poetry of different beings, and accepting the fact that we should never try to master them.

Proud members of the Pantheon Podcasts family.

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This week, we're covering some of the finest female vocal performances and songs of the O3L era. But, as the ladies of Bananarama wisely imparted, "it ain't what you do, it's the way that you do it!"

That's why we are thrilled to "do it" with indie pop giants Heavenly as our Third Lads this week: Amelia Fletcher, Rob Pursey, Pete Momtchiloff and Cathy Rogers! Heavenly are reuniting for a pair of sold out London shows this month to celebrate their ongoing reissue campaign on Skep Wax, and they were gracious enough to hang out with us to share music, memories and laughs with us.

Heavenly was formed in Oxford, England in 1989, springing from one of the seminal UK indie bands of the '80s, Talulah Gosh. From 1990-1996, the group released four albums and a run of brilliant singles (mostly on Sarah Records), full of jangly twee pop sweetness with an occasional riot grrrl attitude. Following the untimely passing of drummer Matthew Fletcher, the surviving members regrouped as Marine Research for the terrific 1999 LP Sounds From The Gulf Stream.

In the 21st century, Amelia and Rob have been involved in various musical projects including Sportique, Tender Trap, Caternary Wires and Swansea Sound, as well as running the Skep Wax label. Amelia is also an esteemed economist who has been appointed as an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) and Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE). Pete has played in bands including Scarlet's Well (with Bid from Monochrome Set), Would-Be-Goods, and Tufthunter. Cathy has a PhD in Educational Neuroscience, and is well known as the creator, producer and host of the reality competition shows Scrapheap Challenge (UK) and Junkyard Wars (US).

Plus:

- In an exciting quiz game, find out if C really is Heavenly's option!

- Being Tik Tok famous!

- Riot grrrls and roller skates!

- Dealing with "scary" managers!

- Doing octopus impressions!

- The art of peeling root vegetables!

- Britcoms (well, and Aussie-coms)!

- Gregg gets sensitive (but only for a moment)!

- Cathy lays out some fresh rhymes!

- Aging indie band looking for teens!

- Hear the new single "Get Me" by Skep Wax artist Panic Pocket!

For more information on Heavenly and other Skep Wax artists, go to: https://skepwax.bandcamp.com.

O3L is a proud member of the Pantheon Podcasts family.

#musicpodcast #indiepop #tweepop #riotgrrrl #sarahrecords #cistheheavenlyoption #PUNKgirl #britpop #C86 #janglepop #punkrock #Krecords

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Aye, this week we have a wee blether aboot, to quote Teenage Fanclub, "songs from Northern Britain." It's a belter tae!

Our Third Lad this week is a singer/songwriter fae Aberdeen, Kevin Robertson. Since 2019, he has prolifically been releasing brilliantly constructed jangle-pop, folk-rock and psych-pop both solo and with his band The Vapour Trails. His newly released solo album, Magic Spells Abound, is a masterful modern Scottish classic that's now available on all streaming services or:

US/Canada: Magic Spells Abound | Kevin Robertson | Futureman Records (bandcamp.com)

Rest of the World: Magic Spells Abound | Kevin Robertson (bandcamp.com)

Dinnae be a dafty david...have a listen, wilnae ye?

Oh, and by the way, Gregg ruins Scotland!

Only Three Lads is a proud member of the Pantheon Podcasts family.

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It's the most wonderful time of the year...Record Store Day!

Record Store Day is on Saturday, April 22, 2023. It's a day to celebrate the cultural importance of independent record stores around the world. Since 2007, RSD has been a tradition for thousands of music nerds...err, collectors...with an ever-growing list of exclusive releases. This year is a particularly epic year, with a bevy of albums that will appeal to classic alternative music fans. With all of this stuff, how am I going to separate the proverbial wheat from the chaff, you ask? Well, good thing your friends at O3L are here!

O3L's Brett Vargo gives you a run-down of the RSD highlights. Whether you're pre-gaming for the big day, sitting in line, or looking to pick up some records after the fact, we've got a little sumthin' sumthin' for everyone, if ya know what we mean.

Happy Record Store Day!

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On April 2, 2023, the music world lost a pivotal figure in Seymour Stein. As a teenager, Stein worked for Billboard Magazine and was instrumental in the development of the standard bearer for measuring pop music success in the United States, the Billboard Hot 100 chart. In 1966, Stein co-founded Sire Records with Richard Gottherer. In the earliest days of the label, much of their focus was on bringing UK underground and progressive music to US record buyers, with distribution deals with London and ABC. Stein's most fruitful alliance was with Warner Brothers, where Sire was responsible for breaking punk, new wave, and alternative artists including Ramones, Talking Heads, The Smiths, Depeche Mode, Echo & The Bunnymen, The Replacements, The Ocean Blue, and many more to American audiences...not to mention one of the biggest pop stars to walk the earth, Madonna. We salute the spectacular Sire Records catalogue and remember Seymour Stein this week.

Our Third Lad is a self-professed rock n' roll historian and fellow Sire Records afficionado, Brian Eichenberger from the wonderful podcast Rock n Roll Bedtime Stories. Each week, Brian and his friend/co-host Murdock go deep to discuss (and set straight) the rumor, innuendo, and hidden details that surround some of your favorite bands and songs. We're big fans of the show, and think you will be too!

It's only fitting for Brian's appearance that we tell a few titillating bedtime stories during the episode: How Seymour Stein chased Dee Dee Ramone out of his bedroom! Sire passes on a legendary guitarist! The artist who pestered Seymour in the hospital! Crazy Phil Spector! Find out who Uncle Gregg nearly punched! Fake bands and unscrupulous managers! Fake TV songs! Tiffany! So tuck yourself in tight and let us aurally cuddle with you.

Only Three Lads is a proud member of the Pantheon Podcasts family.

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Ahh, the sweet sounds of jangle pop...

This week, we cover the subgenre near and dear to Brett's heart. It's also the subgenre that brings back fond memories of drinking and debauchery for Uncle Gregg (to be fair, what doesn't?). Drawing from the well of The Beatles, The Byrds, The Searchers, The Hollies, and other '60s predecessors, jangle pop continued to thrive throughout the O3L era (1974-1999) and we'll cover some well known favorites and undiscovered treasures. And, because things like Rickenbacker guitars, VOX amps, and harmony laden pop songs never go out of fashion, we spotlight some more recent jangly pop gems by:

• Jetstream Pony - "Strood McD F.C."
• Lost Ships - "Here's What You Could Have Won"
• The Photocopies - "This, That, and the Other"
• The Shop Window - "That Feeling"

The Easter Beaver and/or Passover Vampelephant wants you to listen!

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We make sure everything is in its right place this week, because we're talking about the albums with the best track sequencing. Like a great book or movie, a great record has an artistically satisfying beginning, middle and ending. 

We go waaaaaaaay back with the music of this week's Third Lad...like two, maybe three weeks? During our recent Animal Songs episode, Graham Kemp from Urusei Yatsura chose the song "Bugs" by fellow Scottish band Spare Snare. Not being previously familiar with the band, we took a crash course in Spare Snare's music, listening to and loving everything they've put out in their 30+ year career. Fast forward a few weeks, and now minted as superfans, it is our great pleasure to welcome singer/songwriter/guitarist Jan Burnett from Spare Snare! 

Spare Snare's marvelous new album, The Brutal, will be out May 12th. It is their second album (and first of all-new material) to be recorded by the legendary Steve Albini. As a special treat for O3L listeners, we've got an exclusive first listen to one of the tracks from the album called "Wifi." Listen for the answers to these hard hitting questions and more: 

- Is Jan a fan of the Dan?

- Is he really Scottish?

- What's it like to be voted the 46th best band in Scottish music history?

- What's under the kilt?

- Is Steve Albini a magic genie?  

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When it comes to Vince Clarke, we just can't get enough (was that too obvious?).  So "don't go" anywhere (how 'bout that one?)!

Born Vincent John Martin on July 3, 1960 in South Woodford, Essex, England, Vince Clarke is a classically trained musician who got the bug to make electronic music after hearing Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark in the late ‘70s, which led to the formation of a band with school chum Andy Fletcher called No Romance In China.  Shortly after, the duo added Martin Gore to the mix and called themselves Composition of Sound.  With the addition of lead vocalist Dave Gahan, Composition of Sound morphed into Depeche Mode.  Following the first Depeche Mode album Speak & Spell, Clarke teamed up with Alison Moyet for Yazoo, releasing two huge albums and a string of singles that hovered near the top of the charts. After Yaz, Clarke took up various production duties and projects, most notably The Assembly, before landing upon his most formidable partnership with Andy Bell in Erasure - an alliance that has resulted in 19 studio albums to date, including 5 that have hit #1 in the UK, and some of the most beloved singles of the past nearly 40 years.  That’s only scratching the surface, of course, but let’s just put it this way…he is an electronic music pioneer, a synth-pop legend, someone who helped to expand the definition of what a rock star looks like and sounds like. 

Because some might say that we have trouble at times sticking to the topic at hand, we also cover the newly minted adult in Uncle Gregg's house (hint: it's not him), intimacy issues, a genius (question mark?) way to save the planet, jorts, hot knees, and cuddles.  Lots o' cuddles.  And what does Hollywood legend Jamie Kennedy have to do with Vince Clarke?  We're not sure either.

One thing's for certain...we will NOT be calling ourselves Only Three Lads US!

Awww yeah!

Our O3L Spotlight Artist of the Week is UK garage rock trio The Len Price 3, whose 2007 debut album is being reissued on April 7th by Little Steven's Wicked Cool Records.  The record will be available on vinyl for the first time, and also contains four unreleased bonus tracks on CD and digital.  We are thrilled to play one of those unreleased tracks, the incendiary "Break Your Neck" on this week's episode.  

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Oh my stars!  This week, we get totally far out as we discuss some of our top songs of the era with a space theme.  It's totally out of this world.

We cover a lot of ground...or space, as the case may be, since we determined that we've traveled hundreds of thousands of miles just during the course of the episode.  Yes, that's just one of several space facts that you will learn.  Also: We celebrate 50,000 downloads and counting!  Wiggy Rockstone!  Jean Nate'! All sorts of Kellies!  Peanut butter!  Trippy kids' TV (and the resulting crushes)!  Revolutionary teenage bands!  Gramps is no longer unemployed!  AI song lyrics!  John Taylor clones!  

So hop on the O3L rocketship and let's gooooooooooo!

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#$@% yeah, it's another ^#%* episode of Only Three Lads!  And it's Uncle Gregg's $#!@-tastic birthday, and he'll ^@$& if he wants to!

This week, we use a lot of four letter words...but it's not nearly as tawdry as you think.  We're covering songs with four letters in the title.  

Plus: Uncle Gregg is unemployed!  Fee Waybill's #*@%!  Vampelephants!

Our O3L Spotlight Artist of the Week is Nottingham, England's Peter Hall.  In a modern musical landscape that uses a term like "bangers," Hall revels in melodic indie rock that reminds listeners of what true songcraft can be.  His new mini-album, About Last Night, is out now on Subjangle: https://peterhallmusic.bandcamp.com/album/about-last-night From this release, we play the stunning "For Love."

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For our landmark 150th episode, we bring you an episode that made Brett so giddy that he nearly piddled.  That's right, folks, our Third Lad this week is none other than Phil Wilson from seminal UK indie pop band The June Brides.  

During their initial run from 1983 - 1986, The June Brides released some of the most beloved singles of the era and the chart-topping album There Are Eight Million Stories... Originally under the spell of Postcard bands like Orange Juice and Josef K, the Brides' unique blend of guitar pop with viola and trumpet has in turn been wildly influential from C86 to Britpop and beyond.  High profile fans like Morrissey, Manic Street Preachers, and Belle & Sebastian's Stuart Murdoch have acknowledged The June Brides' impact.  Following the band's breakup, Phil recorded material for Creation and Caff before leaving the music business behind in the late '80s.  

In the 21st century, The June Brides have returned for live gigs and recordings.  Phil also released an acclaimed solo album for Slumberland in 2010, God Bless Jim Kennedy, as well as self releasing collections of home recordings.

Because your humble hosts of Only Three Lads are Only Two Idiots, it was a late realization that we already covered this topic in Episode 131.  Therefore, we present our first "Volume II" episode, where we take a previously covered topic and put a fresh spin on it with all new selections.  What do you think?  Should we add some more past topics back into the randomizer?

As you would expect, we explore all kinds of dangerous diversions, dark alleyways and wabbit holes - Motley Crüe, Montrose, Andy Bell's "pendulum", a missed meeting with David Byrne, Coke mix-ups.  

As Gregg would say: it's on like Donkey Kong!

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Three is a magic number, yes it is...and good thing it is, because this week we take a look at our top musical trios of the O3L era.

Appropriately enough, our Third Lads are The Monkey Power Trio (who are actually five guys, but we only got three of them...so that counts as a trio, right?!?).  The MPT have a fascinating slant, as band member Dan Richardson told us:

"We are the Monkey Power Trio, a band of dummies who pledged in our twenties to record music once a year for one day without practicing or planning ahead and then to release the 'best' of that one day as 'music.' The last guy alive, by pact, has to do a solo album, thereby completing the project and avoiding the hauntings of already departed members. We just finished our 26th year. None of us is dead yet."

We had a blast hanging out with Dan, Mark and Matt for this episode.  We missed Mike and Dave.  Dave...

Oh, and this one definitely earned its "explicit" tag.  It contains some language that will make your ears bleed and mind melt.  Hide the kiddies.  

We recorded this episode a few hours before the news broke that we sadly lost Trugoy the Dove from hip-hop trio De La Soul.  Trugoy, this one's for you.  

Finally, if you're listening to this on release day, Happy Valentine's Day from Only Three Lads.  We loves ya to pieces!

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A-HA!  We go "back to the future" to 1985 to discuss our Top 5 Songs from that incredible year.  In many ways, 1985 was the heart of the BIG 80s...big hair, big, loud day-glo imagery, big booming snare drums, big synth sounds, big hits.  On the other hand, 1985 was also a year filled with a lot of incredible indie pop, garage rock, neo-pysch and post-punk music.

One of those bands was The Dentists, a leading light of the Medway, UK scene in the mid-80s.  They debuted in 1985 with a prolific spate of releases: their first single, "Strawberries Are Growing In My Garden (And It's Wintertime)", the full-length album Some People Are On The Pitch They Think It's All Over It Is Now and a six-track EP, You And Your Bloody Oranges.  Each release masterfully blended '60s psych-pop, garage, and chiming, harmony-laden folk-rock that was mercifully out of step with the "Big 80s" sound.  Over the course of the next decade, the band would release 1990's Heads And How To Read Them, 1993's Powdered Lobster Fiasco, 1994's Behind The Door I Keep The Universe, and 1995's Deep 6 (the last two for major label Warner subsidiary EastWest), as well as more singles, EPs, and compilations.   The AllMusic Guide refers to The Dentists as "arguably the first Britpop band."

It is our great pleasure to welcome Dentists' guitarist Bob Collins and bassist Mark Matthews as our Third Lads this week.  Along with a 40 year history as friends, Mark and Bob are bandmates once again in The Treasures Of Mexico.  They offer great insights on their history, and took their homework assignment seriously, coming up with a fantastic and thoughtful list of 1985 tracks.  During the show, you will hear The Treasures Of Mexico's 2021 single "Always The Shadows" and vintage 1985 Dentists track "I Had An Excellent Dream."  

Finally...a Dentists visit to look forward to!

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Hey, all you young (and not-so-young) dudes. electric warriors, starmen, and foxes on the run!  If UK glam rock is your bag, then you'll definitely want to feel this noize and get it on with these 20th century boys.  Put on your electric boots and mohair suits because it's, it's a podcast blitz!

Translation for the squares out there: we're talking about our Top 5 UK Glam & Glitter songs this week.  While it just made a minor splash in the US underground with bands like New York Dolls. glam rock was THE sound of young Britain in the early-to-mid '70s.  A punchy mix of amped-up rock n' roll energy, anthemic pop hooks, teenage angst, and a flair for outlandish, flamboyant theatrics, glam ushered in a new era of pop stars who challenged gender stereotypes and brought a sense of fun and excitement back to a rock landscape that was beginning to take itself far too seriously.  Artists such as David Bowie, T.Rex, Slade, Sweet, and...uh...Mud became household names and fixtures on the pop charts and TV screens.

One of the bands who carried the influence of glam into the '80s was Southern California's The Joneses, led by singer/songwriter/guitarist...and Third Lad this week, Jeff Drake.  Formed in 1981, The Joneses synthesized glam, garage punk, '50s rock n' roll, Stonesy swagger, rockabilly and country & western and became one of the biggest drawing bands in the LA and Orange County areas.  Their electrifying performances earned them a rapturous following and a nod as the "Best Live Band" in a 1984 LA Weekly readers poll.  They sang about drugs, booze, sex and criminals, but also had the lifestyle to back it up - leading to Drake's battle with heroin addiction and federal imprisonment for bank robbery.  Now, JD bears all with his unflinchingly honest memoir, Guilty! My Life As A Member of The Joneses, A Heroin Addict, A Bank Robber and A Federal Inmate, out now from HoZac Books.  

Aside from the normal fun we have, this is a wild tale of rock n' roll and redemption that you do not want to miss!

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Hurrah!  It's a brand new O3L, where we discuss our Top 5 EPs & Mini-Albums with singer/songwriter Paul Handyside.  We love the EP, or Extended Play, perched somewhere in between a traditional single and a full length album.  Sometimes they compile album tracks or previous singles, and other times they are conceived as complete works designed to stand up on their own.  Either way, they're short, they're fun, and leave you wanting more.  Other than being short, sounds a lot like this podcast, eh?  ("Yes."  The correct answer is "Yes.")  Oh, and spoiler alert: We have the rare "triple crossover" in this episode.  Can you guess what it is?

So join us for a rousing chorus of "Shubby Shubby Go!", won't you?

About Paul Handyside:

Paul Handyside is a folk and roots singer/songwriter. His song writing style has been compared to artists as varied as Chris Difford, Billy Bragg, Robyn Hitchcock, Green Gartside, Elvis Costello, Jeff Buckley and Martin Carthy.

He began his musical career with eighties indie darlings Hurrah! The jangle pop band had a run of classic singles (including Paul's "The Sun Shines Here", "Hip Hip", and "Sweet Sanity") and album releases on Kitchenware and Arista Records from 1982 to 1991, and toured extensively worldwide. During the nineties he toured and recorded with friend and Kitchenware labelmate Martin Stephenson.

Handyside formed Bronze in 2001. Still embracing chiming, Rickenbacker driven pop, and increasingly alt country, they released two albums, The Statue in the Stone and A Common Prayer. His debut solo album Future's Dream, a combination of pop, country and modern day hymns was released in 2007 to great reviews. The second album Wayward Son followed in 2013 and further developed his own brand of folk-tinged americana. Tide, Timber & Grain was released in 2016 with elements of traditional British folk and sixties protest songs emerging in Handyside's now well established and diverse musical palette.

The fourth album Loveless Town was released 21st of May 2021. As is evident in the title track he songs have an even stronger resonance with country and americana, the counterpoint to which is “Hartley Pit Catastrophe”, a true story from his native North East with its English folk sensibilities. Handyside is aided and abetted by long time cohorts Dave Porthouse on double bass and melodeon and by Rob Tickell, who also produced the album, on guitar and dobro.

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It's time to kick off our 4th Golden Year in Fashion!  For our Season Premiere, the two not-so-Young Americans (uhhhhh, Dusty Satellites & Dani Turquoise) are joined by singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist/producer Julian Shah-Tayler.  If it wasn't already apparent, the focus of this week's show is one of the most pivotal and influential figures in music history, David Bowie.  We take on the nearly impossible task of choosing our Top 5 Bowie Songs, because we apparently like to torture ourselves like that.  Over the course of his 50+ year career, Bowie earned a reputation as a trailblazing artist and musical chameleon, constantly evolving, challenging and shedding personas and styles.  On release day, it is seven years since his tragic passing, but he remains a singular cultural icon whose music will live on forever.

Julian Shah-Tayler is an acclaimed UK-born, LA-based singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer who is not only a huge Bowie fan, but also the lead singer ("Electric Duke") in The Band That Fell To Earth: A David Bowie Odyssey.  He also plays keyboards in the world's foremost Depeche Mode tribute band, Strangelove: The Depeche Mode Experience, and continues to prolifically release a string of his original music under both his own name and The Singularity.  His most recent album of self-penned material, 2022's Elysium, has garnered radio support and rave reviews - including respected indie magazine The Big Takeover, who proclaimed it to be a "vivid, dynamic to reflective, and catchy record" that "takes the listener on a voyage through the building back of hope through the different moods and stages of love."  Most importantly, he is gracious, charitable, and promotes the awesome power of music to pull people together as one tribe.  All that *and* Mick Jagger-esque good looks??

Oh yeah, and as if he needed yet another feather in his cap, we gave him the coolest glam name too!

Special thanks to Paul Richison for suggesting Julian as a guest!

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As we get ready for Season 4's launch, take a journey back to some of our earliest episodes during O3L Flashback Week!  We conclude our flashback series by bringing our most popular episode yet back into circulation, the "main" episode of our three part extravaganza with Love Tractor.  Not only are Love Tractor art rock pioneers and founding members of the legendary Athens, GA alternative scene, but they also become our new BFFs.  We love Love Tractor, and we reckon you either already do or soon will!

Thanks for taking this trip down memory lane with us.  The Season 4 premiere is tomorrow, January 10th!

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As we get ready for Season 4's launch, take a journey back to some of our earliest episodes during O3L Flashback Week!  We had to do something cool for our 50th episode, and we can't think of anything cooler than having the Queen of Cool, Vanessa Briscoe Hay from Pylon, on O3L.  This highly influential band was called "the greatest arty party band" and "eons ahead of their time" by Rolling Stone, "raw, minimalist, brainy and danceable" by Pitchfork, "pioneering, good-humoured and brilliant" by Uncut, and "cool as hell" by PopMatters.  High praise indeed!  Not only is Vanessa cool, but she was also very gracious, generous with her time, has an awesome Top 5 list, and great stories to share.  

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As we get ready for Season 4's launch, take a journey back to some of our earliest episodes during O3L Flashback Week!  We head to our super special Season 2 premiere, where we welcomed one of the most recognizable and legendary voices in alternative music, SiriusXM, radio and TV personality, author, screenwriter, game show contestant (and did we mention legend?) RICHARD BLADE.  The stories are incredible - if you missed this one the first time around, you definitely want to check this out, and then our bonus episode available at: https://www.podbean.com/ew/pb-p78d4-f6b519.

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As we get ready for Season 4's launch, take a journey back to some of our earliest episodes during O3L Flashback Week!  Today, it's Season 1, Episode 37, where we had a lot of fun saluting the ladies of the classic alternative era - the trailblazers and the legends. 

Along the way, we cover Bueno's celebrity crushes, Jepheads and Blinks, and debut our hot new country jam "Gotta Truck, Gotta Dog."  Hey, it's a work in progress.

The ghost of Jim Backus commands you to listen! 

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As we get ready for Season 4's launch, take a journey back to some of our earliest episodes during O3L Flashback Week!  Today, it's Season 1, Episode 29, where

we discuss our Top 5 Various Artist Compilation Albums, and we've come up with (to quote an old K-Tel album) pure gold.  But wait...there's more!  

You get these smashes and more:

"Be Bueno" (12" Remix)

"You'll Come Around, Gregg"

"I'd Like To Punch Reel Big Fish Silly (But They Probably Had It Comin')"

Act now - supplied are limited!**

**No, they're not.  

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As we get ready for Season 4's launch, take a journey back to some of our earliest episodes during O3L Flashback Week!  Season 1, Episode 24 was originally released on July 28, 2020, and it's one of those "off the rails" episodes.  Aside from discussing some of the greatest alternative music ever created, Uncle Gregg gives us a taste of movie cheese, Brett reveals his obvious mastery of a Dutch accent, and Bueno?!?  Well, let's just say you have to hear it to believe it.  So, pour yourself a Double Palmer and stay awhile! 

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As we get ready for Season 4's launch, take a journey back to some of our earliest episodes during O3L Flashback Week! 

Today we bring you Season 1, Episode 15, originally released on May 26, 2020.  The episode contains excerpts from our interview with the very first guest on O3L - Robert Vickers from The Go-Betweens.  What an incredible thrill that was too!  Whatever we have is yours, and it's right here.

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As we get ready for Season 4's launch, take a journey back to some of our earliest episodes during O3L Flashback Week!  First up is the very beginning - Season 1, Episode 1, originally released on February 12, 2020.  Ah, the world was so innocent back then...and we were so awkward.  It's like looking back at an old yearbook.  So take this trip back down memory lane with us.  We recognize that you will be laughing at us, not with us.

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In our Season 3 finale, we spend another week outside of the normal O3L era to discuss our Top 5 Songs of 2022.  Not only that, but we have something really special for you, as our Third Lads this week are Sarah Cogan and Dylan Frankland from Toronto dream pop band Tallies.  Yes, that's right...the band behind the 2022 record Patina that Brett picked as his #1 album of the year last week.

We cover a lot of the amazing songs that this year had to offer, from deep underground tracks to the tunes that had the whole world singing along, as well as a whole bunch of other totally 2022 topics: Condiments!  Kool-Aid!  Urban Outfitters!  Gothic Horror Clowns!  Politicians (isn't that kinda the same thing as gothic horror clowns??)!  Climate change!  Swifties!  Plus, Sarah & Dylan offer insights into their new album, their writing process, and Tallies' 2022 highlights.  If you are already a Tallies fan, you'll love this episode...if you're new to Tallies, be prepared to become a fan!

Happy New Year!  We can't wait for you to see what's in store for Season 4!

About Tallies:

Tallies started in earnest when singer Sarah Cogan, guitarist Dylan Frankland, and drummer Cian O’Neill began collaborating in late 2017. A proto-version of the band began at Algonquin College, when Sarah met Dylan during a music engineering course that saw the two become lab partners. All throughout their career, they’ve dove into the bands that would influence their sound–the Sundays, the Smiths, Aztec Camera–all while adding their own signature elements; Sarah’s airy-yet-arresting vocals, Dylan’s stunning gossamer guitar work, Cian’s astronomic drumming. They got down to business rather quickly, as in 2019, their debut self-titled album was released on Hand Drawn Dracula in Canada and Kanine Records in the United States. Solidifying the band’s stature as Canada’s leading dream pop scholars, its mix of upbeat pop hooks and heady, larger-than-life production won the band critical acclaim from the indie underground to the mainstream alike. They began work straight away on a second record, which would prove to be an even more life-affirming endeavor than their debut.  With their brand new sophomore album, Patina, Toronto-based indie pop band Tallies have found a way to expertly walk that razor-thin tightrope, nodding to their favorite bands of the past while transforming their sound into something tight, bright, and undeniably fresh.

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This week, Uncle Gregg and Brett step out of the classic alternative era to discuss their Top 5 Albums of 2022.  Anything goes...and it does!

The Lads also play an informal game of "Have Yourself a Creepy Little Christmas"  (Note from Gregg: Brett doesn't even stand a chance.  Bow to your sensei!), draw the line at what does/does not qualify as a cookie, practice their Cookie Monster vocal techniques, and share what song should be added to YOUR holiday playlist this year.

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'Tis the season...for the 3rd Annual O3L Holiday Party, in which we invite members from the listener community to join us the recording of a special holiday themed episode.  Joining us this year: Paul from Stockton, CA; Tony from Mira Loma, CA; Julio from Puebla, MX (the returning game champ); Brian (Brett's brother) from Escondido, CA; Dr. Don from Overland Park, KS; Julie from Los Angeles, CA; and Kimberly from Downey, CA (and straight outta Compton).

Even if you missed the party, you're still invited to listen in on the fun!  Everyone shares their fondest holiday musical memories.  We play two exciting new O3L games.  We talk about our "revolutionary" bands, Peter Pan Records, The Chipmunks, street cred, Hungarian cursing, Dr. Don ruining Christmas, Menudo (yes, the food and the singing sensations), bin diving, and much, much more.  

Plus, hear the world premiere of Brett's brand new holiday song, "Straight Down The Chimney"!

A splendid time is guaranteed for all!

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Oi, you happy heads! Jump on the rollercoaster and head straight into the heart of love, because this week we're turning the songs of 1979 inside out!  With 1979 being arguably THE greatest year for songs within the O3L era, these are definitely the songs that changed our lives.

If our thinly disguised song references weren't enough of a giveway, it is our biggest thrill (last one, we promise) to welcome the songwriter and guitarist from one of the most beloved groups in '80s British pop, David Newton from The Mighty Lemon Drops!  We are celebrating their upcoming 5 CD box set, Inside Out: 1985-1990 on Cherry Red Records, containing their first three albums and a generous selection of singles, EP tracks, demos, radio sessions, live tracks and more.  Dave takes on a journey from his first band in 1979, the Lemon Drops' first recordings on Dan Treacy's Dreamworld label, being a part of the legendary C86 compilation, their major label days on Chrysalis Records with big budget producers, studios and tours, the final days of the band, to present day.  

Also: The ugliest band in Britain!  A throw down to Shawn Mendes fans!  KC & The Serial Killer Band!  Evan Dando!  And will Uncle Gregg ever join The Mighty Lemon Drops on tour?!?

#musicpodcast #musicpodcasts #podnation #c86 #britishpop #indiepop #indierock #guitarpop #postpunk #1979music #newwave #punkrock #1stwave #classicalternative #70smusic

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This week, O3L is comin' at you L.A.M.F.!  (Oh, that's Los Angeles Milk Family, of course...)

We're talking American punk rock in the '70s.  Our Third Lad this week is not only someone who experienced the music firsthand, but was one of the writers who championed and chronicled many of the greatest names in not only punk rock, but music in general.   Michael Goldberg joined us for Episode 114 following his riveting book on the life of Jimmy Wilsey, Wicked Game, and returns to O3L to celebrate his latest release, Addicted to Noise: The Music Writings of Michael Goldberg, out now on Backbeat Books.

Addicted To Noise collects the best interviews, profiles and essays Goldberg has written during his 40-plus years as a journalist. From combative interviews with Frank Zappa and Tom Waits to essays on how Jack Kerouac influenced Bob Dylan and the lasting importance of San Francisco’s first punk rock club, Goldberg, as novelist Dana Spiotta wrote, “shows us how consequential music can be.”

Contained within these pages: interviews with Sleater-Kinney, Sonic Youth, Patti Smith, Lou Reed, Flipper, John Fogerty, Neil Young and Rick James, and profiles of Robbie Robertson, John Lee Hooker, James Brown, the Clash, Prince, Michael Jackson, the Flamin’ Groovies, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, X, Laurie Anderson, Brian Wilson, the Ramones, George Clinton, the Sex Pistols, Richard Thomson, Gil Scott-Heron, Stevie Wonder, George Clinton, Devo, San Francisco punks Crime and more. Plus short takes on Muddy Waters, Townes Van Zandt, Captain Beefheart, Professor Longhair and others. Also 50+ full page photos of some of the artists.

As Greil Marcus writes in the Foreword, “You can feel the atmosphere: someone has walked into a room with a pencil in his hand—as the words go in perhaps the first song about a music critic, not counting Chuck Berry’s aside about the writers at the rhythm reviews—and suddenly people are relaxed. … He isn’t after your secrets. He doesn’t want to ruin your career to make his. He doesn’t care what you think you need to hide. He actually is interested in why and how you make your music and what you think of it. So people open up, very quickly, and, very quickly, as a reader, you’re not reading something you’ve read before.”

The stories originally appeared in Rolling Stone, Downbeat, Esquire, New Musical Express, California magazine, Addicted To Noise, San Francisco Chronicle, Vibe, Creem, New York Rocker, and more.

In the O3L Spotlight this week, we celebrate the return of late '80s London indie poppers The Jack Rubies!  We play their new single, "Hidey Hole," which happens to conveniently be now available at: https://thejackrubies.bandcamp.com.

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Only Three Lads is a fun, lively music commentary podcast celebrating the Golden Age of Alternative Music from 1974 - 1999.  Each week, Uncle Gregg and Brett Vargo (and, in our earlier episodes, Bueno) run down their Top 5 lists for a different episode topic, aided and abetted by a variety of "Third Lads" - musicians, writers, comedians, fellow podcasters, or the collective O3L community.  If you want to relive the best days of your life or discover music from the era that may have escaped you, and have a lot of laughs along the way, this is the show for you!

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Happy Halloween!  If you didn't get your fill of O3L this week (which strangely tastes similar to circus peanuts), here's a fun-size O3L Halloween Special.  Uncle Gregg and Brett bring you their Top 5 songs to add to your spooky playlist.  It's spoooook-tacular!  OK, no more Halloween puns...

There are two crucial rules at this time of year:

1) Don't feed Gremlins after midnight; and

2) Don't let the Lads record at night.  If you've heard past "After Dark" episodes, it probably will come as no surprise that there is content in this one that may not be appropriate for sensitive listeners.

Enter...if you dare!

Oh, and P.S. Gregg ruins EVERYTHING!  Now you can add Halloween to the list.

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"Honesty is hardly ever heard." - Billy Joel

Don't worry, we're not going all Billy Joel on you, but this week we're talking about the songs where honesty is heard loud and clear. 

True to this week's theme, we are elated to be joined by the brilliant writer Allison Landa, whose recently published memoir, Bearded Lady, is unflinchingly honest, bold, brave, vulnerable, funny-as-heck, and always engaging.  Through Allison's eyes and sharp pen, we are all encouraged to find - and embrace - what makes us weird.  Hey, we may not be Oprah and/or Michelle Obama, but this one is definitely endorsed by the O3L Book Club!  Allison is also a friend of Brett's from high school, so that makes it extra special to have her on the show (Go Titans!  Or Trojans!  Or whatever!).   

Plus, Allison and Uncle Gregg battle it out in our latest world famous game, O3L Lie Detector!  We also talk yogurt, chorizo, our ideal Lost Weekends, Danny Bonaduce, Carly Rae Jepsen, and why Gregg shouldn't always follow his "policy of truth."  Oh, and there's smut.  Lots and lots of smut.

We guarantee that this one will bring a smile to your face.  C'mon...would WE lie to you?

For more information on Allison Landa and Bearded Lady, visit: https://www.woodhallpress.com/bearded-lady

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This is PART ONE of our conversation with the great Jeff Murphy from Shoes.  Stay tuned for the second part where we get into our Top 5 lists!

Of course, we travel all over the musical and geographical map on O3L.  This week, we stop firmly in the heartland of the ol' US of A - the 12 states that the Census Bureau has declared as the midwest.  Far away from the show-biz epicenters of Los Angeles and New York, we celebrate the bands who crafted brilliant music and created their own homegrown scenes often in unlikely locations.  

Our special Third Lad for this discussion is a musician whom we've loved and admired for many years, none other than singer/songwriter/guitarist/producer Jeff Murphy from melodic pop/rock legends Shoes.  Jeff takes us through the nearly 50 year history of Shoes, from an imaginary band with a tape recorder to DIY indie pioneers to a major label, big producers and some of the first videos shown on MTV, and ultimately returning to their independent roots in the mid-80s (and never looking back!).  Along with his bassist brother John Murphy and guitarist Gary Klebe, the nucleus of this important group split the writing and singing duties on classic records such as Black Vinyl Shoes (1977), Present Tense (1979), Tongue Twister (1981), Boomerang (1982), and Silhouette (1984).  Jeff has also notably produced bands such as Material Issue and pre-Garbage band Spooner in Shoes' Short Order Recorder Studio.

This is an epic two-parter that you don't want to miss!

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This is PART TWO of our conversation with the great Jeff Murphy from Shoes, where we get into our Top 5 lists.  If you haven't already, make sure to check out the first part for much more!

Of course, we travel all over the musical and geographical map on O3L.  This week, we stop firmly in the heartland of the ol' US of A - the 12 states that the Census Bureau has declared as the midwest.  Far away from the show-biz epicenters of Los Angeles and New York, we celebrate the bands who crafted brilliant music and created their own homegrown scenes often in unlikely locations.  

Our special Third Lad for this discussion is a musician whom we've loved and admired for many years, none other than singer/songwriter/guitarist/producer Jeff Murphy from melodic pop/rock legends Shoes.  Jeff takes us through the nearly 50 year history of Shoes, from an imaginary band with a tape recorder to DIY indie pioneers to a major label, big producers and some of the first videos shown on MTV, and ultimately returning to their independent roots in the mid-80s (and never looking back!).  Along with his bassist brother John Murphy and guitarist Gary Klebe, the nucleus of this important group split the writing and singing duties on classic records such as Black Vinyl Shoes (1977), Present Tense (1979), Tongue Twister (1981), Boomerang (1982), and Silhouette (1984).  Jeff has also notably produced bands such as Material Issue and pre-Garbage band Spooner in Shoes' Short Order Recorder Studio.

This is an epic two-parter that you don't want to miss!

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Well, we've finally gone and done it!  After spending multiple episodes last season digging into Athens, GA music with some of the scene's most pivotal figures, the Randomizer has decided that it's time to dedicate an entire episode to the Classic (Alternative) City!  We discuss so many greats in this episode, from REM, The B-52's, Pylon, Love Tractor, Oh-OK, Magnapop, Kilkenny Cats, Flat Duo Jets, Bar-B-Que Killers, The Method Actors, The Glands, Matthew Sweet, Of Montreal, The Michael Guthrie Band, Neutral Milk Hotel, The Side Effects, Green Thrift Grocery and a lot more.  If you've got Georgia on your mind, then this is the episode for you.  

Oh, and did we mention Squalls?  Because our Third Lad this week is another Athens luminary, Bob Hay from Squalls.  Squalls played a unique brand of quirky pop that was equal parts Lovin' Spoonful, Grateful Dead and Talking Heads, and got many a person up on the dance floor from 1981 to 1989.  They released four recordings and were included in the essential 1986 documentary on the scene, Athens, GA: Inside/Out.  

We are celebrating the release of Live From The 40 Watt, capturing Squalls at their best with 24 tracks recorded live at the legendary 40 Watt Club by soundman Pat "The Wiz" Biddle over five nights from 1983-85.  The album is now available on CD, 2 LPs or digitally from Strolling Bones Records.  More info: https://strollingbonesrecords.com

On November 4, 2022, Propeller Sound Recordings will begin their reissue campaign of the Squalls studio catalogue, starting with a remastered and expanded full-length version of their 1984 self-titled debut EP.  More info: https://propellersoundrecordings.com

For all the latest Squalls news, visit http://squalls.band/

Special thanks to Pylon's Vanessa Briscoe Hay, Leigh Rixey from Strolling Bones Records and Angie Carlson from Propeller Publicity for their help in making this all come together!

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45 minutes!  "Concise" isn't usually the word that you'd use to describe O3L, but this week we bring you a concise episode that's almost live.  This one was recorded, edited, produced and published mere hours before release.  Anything goes...

This week, we pay tribute to Queen Elizabeth II and count down our Top 5 Royal Songs - in other words, songs containing regal titles in the titles (huh?).

Our Spotlight Artist of the Week is The Radio Field from Dusseldorf, Germany.  The Radio Field is Lars Schmidt from long-standing indie pop band Subterfuge, with a little help from his friends.  We play their brand new single "Clover," from the upcoming Simple EP on September 30th.  If you like your pop jangly, then this is for you!  

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How punk is this week's episode, you ask?

First of all, the Third Lad this week is Matt Dell.  Matt was the singer for Canadian pop/punk band I've Got Gloria, and is now a full-time, evidence-based vocal coach and music teacher with Registers Music.  Through his innovative techniques, Matt is working with singers, bands and actors to harness the power of their voices.  As his website states, "Learn to free your voice, not fear it!"  Find out more at https://registersmusic.com.

Plus, Matt gives the Lads a screamo lesson.  They talk domestic bliss, standup comedy, Celine Dion and Boy Meets World.  They get mature, crochety and compare aches and pains.  Yeah, punk rock!!

Of course, they also really *do* talk about punk rock.   

Near...far...wherever you are, rest assured O3L will go on.

#musicpodcast #musicpodcasts #podnation #punkrock #classicalternative #punk #70smusic #80smusic #90smusic #newwave #singers #vocals #vocalists #voicelessons #boymeetsworld #topanga

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Get ready for a spiffy new episode of Only Three Lads!  It's Brett's birthday, so what better way to celebrate than with one of his favourite O3L-era topics, Britpop.  In this Be Here Now-sized episode (c'mon, you Britpop kids get it!), relive the records, stories, triumphs, tragedies, superstars and should-have-beens of the biggest British musical and cultural phenomenon of the '90s. 

This week, we've got two yangs to Uncle Gregg's yin, as our Third Lad is Paul Laird, author of the new book The Birth and Impact of Britpop: Mis-Shapes, Scenesters and Insatiable Ones.  Rather than simply rehashing familiar Britpop lore, or attempting an academic, exhaustive analysis at the scene, Laird weaves a compelling, personal tale of his Britpop experience.  It's a wonderful look at Britpop from a fan's eyes, exploring not only the bands who "made it," but some of the great bands that existed under the surface.  Whether you were actually there or not, you'll feel like you were.

Buy The Birth and Impact of Britpop from Amazon, other fine booksellers, or: Pen and Sword Books: The Birth and Impact of Britpop - Hardback (pen-and-sword.co.uk)

Our O3L Spotlight Artist of the Week is The Photocopies.  The Photocopies is the brainchild of Michigan based Londoner Sean Turner, who plays unapologetically old-school indie pop in the vein of the C86 scene of the mid-80s to early-90s.  We heard the great DJ Calc play a few tracks on his recent Tuesday night radio show on WRKC, and we were suitably blown away.  The Photocopies’ previous singles and b-sides have all been marvelously compiled on Greatest Hits Volume 1 & 2 and Et Cetera: B-sides and More, or get all three albums under the title of Pop Trivia.  Track after track of guitar pop brilliance fly by, and it's highly, highly recommended stuff.  From Greatest Hits Vol. 2, we play “Anywhere Without You.”

The Photocopies: https://thephotocopies.bandcamp.com

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This week, we're all about showing the love to the '90s artists that we feel are underrated.  Well, we're all about that, and talk sports, celebrity death matches, Finnish politics and classic Dr. Seuss characters...but we're mostly about underrated artists of the '90s.

Apropos to this topic, we are very pleased to welcome author Andy Frye as our Third Lad.   Andy is a music and sports scribe who has written for notable publications such as Rolling Stone, ESPN and Forbes, and has interviewed hundreds of personalities ranging from Morrissey to Tom Brady.  Andy's latest endeavor is the novel Ninety Days in the 90s, a rock n' roll time travel adventure following Wall Street trader-turned-record store owner Darby, as she discovers Chicago's mythical Gray Line train that will allow her to return to 1996 for 90 days.  It's a music-filled nostalgia trip that asks the question: What would you do differently if you could relive the past?

Order the book at: https://90daysinthe90s.com

For more information on Andy Frye: https://andyfrye.com

This week's O3L Spotlight Artist of the Week is London's Valentina Way.  Valentina Way exist somewhere in south London between 1969 and 1971 - with their jangle-pop guitars, Beach Boy vocal harmonies, garage organ, flute and Penny Lane trumpet solos.  Musically, the band take their cue from the cover of "Sugar Sugar" by Cornershop, David Cassidy, Karen Carpenter, Micky Dolenz, Gilbert O'Sullivan, Bay City Rollers, and any garage band from the '60s who didn't quite make it.  We share the marvelously wistful track "Ben Sherman" from their debut album Imaginary Weekends.

Listen to more Valentina Way at https://soundcloud.com/valentinaway.

Follow Valentina Way on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ValentinaWay5

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Whether you spent the decade at the clubs covered in foam or not, electronic music was everywhere in the '90s.  Much like those foam parties, Uncle Gregg and Brett (aka DJ B-Var, aka Graham Cracker?!?) get wild, bubbly, frothy, and are naked from the waist down.  OK, so one of those things is not true, but we'll let you decide which one...

This week, The Orchids are back in the O3L Spotlight, and we are privileged to play the second single off of their upcoming album Dreaming Kind, called "Didn't We Love You."  Dare we say it's even better than the last one, which is saying something, because that was great as well!  The Orchids were one of the great Sarah Records bands, releasing three albums of swooning, sophisticated pop music for the label: Lyceum (1989), Unholy Soul (1991), and Striving For The Lazy Perfection (1994).  Dreaming Kind is the Glasgow band's first album since 2014, and is out on 2 September on Skep Wax Records.

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Brett and Uncle Gregg don't always agree on things, including the top albums of 1993.  But you know what they do agree on?  Gregg ruins everything!

Love,

Mr. Grumpypants

This week's O3L Spotlight artist is Scottish indie pop institution The Orchids.  The Orchids formed in Glasgow in 1985 and recorded three splendid albums for the legendary Sarah Records label from 1989-94.  Since reforming in the mid-2000s, they have released three more studio albums and a 30-year career retrospective in 2017.  They're back in 2022 with a new single, "This Boy Is A Mess," with a full length, Dreaming Kind, to follow in September on Skep Wax, a brilliant new indie label formed by fellow Sarah alum Amelia Fletcher and Rob Pursey from Heavenly. 

The Orchids: Music | The Orchids (bandcamp.com)

Skep Wax: Artists | Skep Wax (bandcamp.com) 

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Hey, hep cats!  This week, we celebrate our "homer picks" - the classic alternative era artists and bands from our respective areas who made an impact on us.  Uncle Gregg is representing "the Valley of the Sunstroke," Phoenix, AZ, while Brett is bringing eternal sunshine from the paradise of San Diego, CA.  Plus, we share the picks from some of the "Third Lads" of the O3L Community around the world.  There's no place like home!

We also host the inaugural O3L Poetry Slam, talk new music, Kardashians, moms, eating pet food, TikTok, awkward pauses, and other stuff that doesn't really have much to do with hometown heroes.  

Our O3L Spotlight Artist of the Week is the classic UK indie pop band The Chesterfields.  38 years since they formed in Yeovil, Somerset, and 28 years since their last record release, The Chesterfields are back in July 2022 with a new single “Our Songbird Has Gone”, a song that founder member Simon Barber has written about his original co-conspirator in the band Dave Goldsworthy, who was tragically killed in a hit and run accident in 2003.  A new album New Modern Homes (co-produced and mixed by John Parish, who produced The Chesterfields’ debut Kettle in 1987) will follow in September, with gigs to be announced for a short tour in October. The current line-up features Simon on bass and vocals, Rob Parry on drums, Helen Stickland on guitar and vocals, and Andy Strickland (of The Loft and The Caretaker Race) on guitar and vocals.  

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Welcome to the 1st Annual...oops, the Inaugural O3L Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony.  Tired of your favorite classic alternative musicians getting the shaft in Cleveland?  Well, we're going to show some of these artists some love (and give you something else to complain about!) as we induct our Class of 2022 into the HOF.  Who made it?  Who got snubbed this year? 

We've inducted our first 10, and we're going to ask YOU to help us add two more to our virtual shrine.  Post your picks on our social media feeds, and the most popular choices (based on posts and post reactions) will be announced next week!

Of course, before you think that we're going to be all polished and professional for our fancy awards ceremony, you know us better than that.  Just put it this way...a lot of this stuff would get cut out of the HBO telecast.  

In a new feature called O3L Spotlight, we play "I Found You" by the Cambridge, England band The New Fools, from their new album Vanille.  HOME | The New Fools

And, when you get done with this episode, why not head over and check out our friends at the Never Loved Elvis pod?  https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/never-loved-elvis/id1536083420.

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Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices