Only Three Lads - Classic Alternative Music Podcast

2025: Was it a "Golden" year for songs or did it coast on the fumes of 2024's hits? This week, Uncle Gregg and Brett dive in to discuss their top songs of the year that was. Better yet, some of YOU chimed in with your opinions as well! Settle in as we recap the year's most listened-to songs, 2025 trends, discuss the future of physical media, give our 2026 predictions, and much more! Albums of 2025 episode coming soon. Happy New Year! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Think about your favourite records. Go ahead. Chances are, one of the first things that popped into your head was the album cover. And it makes sense...who hasn’t studied an album jacket while listening to a record? Or scanned the track listing, or read the liner notes or credits? How many of you have bought an album solely based on the cover art? The artwork colors how we hear the music, and, likewise, the music informs how we interpret the artwork. Either way, when done effectively, the two are intertwined. But don’t take it from us. This week, we have one of THE greatest creative art directors in music history joining as our Third Lad. There's a near certainty that you have the iconic work of John Kosh sitting in your record collection - and it’s absolutely staggering list of credits since the late ‘60s. For starters, how about his work as with The Beatles' Apple Records, like Abbey Road, Let It Be, or John & Yoko’s Wedding Album? Or how about Who's Next? Get Your Ya-Ya’s Out? Hotel California? Out Of The Blue, featuring his familiar ELO spaceship logo? In fact, he is the only Art Director to have worked with The Beatles, The Stones, and The Who. That’s not enough for you? Among the hundreds of album covers Kosh has designed, there are also familiar sleeves for Ringo Starr, Rod Stewart, Marvin Gaye, James Taylor, Jimmy Buffet, Donovan, Aerosmith, Family, The Moody Blues, Badfinger, 10,000 Maniacs, T. Rex, and so, so many more. And, oh yeah, the four decade string of gorgeous covers he did for Linda Ronstadt, three of which have earned him Grammys. Aside from album covers, there’s artwork for singles, books, TV, film, posters, and billboards - like, for example, the simple but incredibly effective John & Yoko campaign declaring WAR IS OVER…if you want it. Listen as Kosh recounts stories from his fabled career and discusses his Top 5 Album Covers (other than his own). This is living history, kids! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

’Twas the night of the O3L Holiday Party, and all through the cabin The drinks were a-flowin, and the friends were a-blabbin’ Meanwhile, the snow piled up, it was treacherous out there, And Bob Dylan’s words rang true, you ain’t going nowhere. The turntable hummed with a familiar warm crackle, As laughter rang out with a loud joyful cackle. Mixtapes were stacked by the glow of the fire, Each one tells a story, a hope, a desire. (Oh, and incidentally, cassettes melt, so that’s a really bad idea.) From post-punk to new wave, these songs tell our truth, We argued what really defined the music of our youth. There were games full of nonsense, of trivia and cheer, “Did this actually happen?”—the answer unclear. But what clatter arose, and echoed all through the city It was flippin’ “Word Girl” by Scritti Politti, But oh how they danced, some arguably twerked Brett was seething in the corner, like a judgmental jerk And just when they thought it couldn’t get any funner, “Come on Eileen” came on, by Dexy’s Midnight Runners. We all joined in on the chorus, what a jubilant sound, That is, except Uncle Gregg, but perhaps he’ll come around. So settle in close as for the 6th year, Our holiday tradition is finally here. Tonight, we’re all snowed in at O3L cabin So let the memories start, Let the party begin! Join Uncle Gregg and Brett for a holiday party filled with laughter, (mostly) good cheer, and plenty of holiday spirit(s) - including our friends Joshua, Kimberly (who brought along Timmy the Taxi with her!), Lance, Paul, and Matt & Stefan from Paisley Underground legends The Rain Parade. We make the most of the blizzard-like conditions, making themed mixtapes, playing brand new O3L games ("That's Soooo 2025!") and Alternativity") and spinning future holiday classics by Swansea Sound ("Not My Order"), Mossy Ledge ("Christmas Lights"), Autos ("X-Mas Eve At The Metro"), and Slow Owls ("Counting Down To Christmas"). It may be freezing outside the cabin, but inside we're gettin' LIT! Happy Holidays to you and yours from O3L! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Get ready for more petty arguments, hot takes and fisticuffs*, because we're back with more cover versions that we feel are better than the originals. Annie, are we OK? You betcha! Joining us for this discussion are two members of the iconic Seattle indie pop band Tullycraft, vocalist/songwriter/bassist Sean Tollefson and guitarist Chris Munford. For more than three decades, Tullycraft has married DIY punk ethos to tender twee pop songs featuring charming boy/girl vocals and clever songwriting filled with pop culture references. Appropriately enough, one of their early songs was the brilliantly titled "Pop Songs Your New Boyfriend's Too Stupid To Know About," which not only does a great job of summing up Tullycraft's career but is also the namesake of Sean's great Friday night radio show on Seattle's SPACE 101.1 FM that he hosts with his wife. Tullycraft practically defined the twee movement in the US, inspiring legions of bands, zines, and record labels. Their debut album, 1996's Old Traditions, New Standards, was named as one of Pitchfork's 25 Best Indie Pop Albums of the '90s. And, now they're back with their 8th album, Shoot The Point on HHBTM Records, which runs the full Tullycraft spectrum - from tender, heart squishing moments to full-throttle freakouts. It's fun. It's weird. It's very Tullycraft. Special thanks to Mike Turner from HHBTM for the introduction and coordination. *No podcasters or guests were actually harmed in the making of this episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, it's all about personal growth with a side of nostalgia. We cover some of the albums that helped to shape or change our taste as music fans, consumers, and/or musicians with Derek Almstead (Of Montreal, Olivia Tremor Control, Elf Power, Marshmallow Coast, Circulatory System, Faster Circuits) and Emily Growden (Marshmallow Coast, Faster Circuits) from Elephant 6 band Giant Day. In October, the Elephant 6 Recording Company released Alarm, the second full-length album by Giant Day. Their first, 2024’s Glass Narcissus, bore a unique weight — it wasn’t just a debut album, it was the debut album by the first official Elephant 6 band in more than 15 years. With the 2023 wide-release of the documentary The Elephant 6 Recording Co. codifying the E6 “sound” for some and introducing it to others, what Giant Day conjured into being on Glass Narcissus was notably darker than the lysergic, sun-drenched pop associated with their former Athens, Georgia home.The word “former” is important to Giant Day’s origin story. In 2020, Almstead and Growden moved from Athens to rural Pennsylvania, where they became caretakers of a family farm. They converted the horse stables into a studio and continued to write and record music, but they were dislocated from their sense of the world, let alone anything resembling a “scene.” That lack of place — what Almstead and Growden refer to as the “dissonance” between the beauty of their new home and the reality of the world beyond it — crept into their songs, a desperate signal emanating from off the grid. On Alarm, that signal is stronger, more urgent. The alluring, paranoid throb underpinning their songs is keener now, more lived in, as if the veil between the fears of characters whose points of view Almstead had written from on Glass Narcissus and his own had dropped. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Record Store Day - Black Friday is Friday, November 28, 2025. In this bonus episode, join O3L's Brett Vargo as he spotlights some of the releases that will appeal to classic alternative music fans. Hit our social media and let us know what's on your want list, and what ends up in your shopping bag! Song: American Lips - "Record Store Day" (from the LP On Strike!, Ancient Fashion Records) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

**PART TWO** Life is beautiful! This week, we have the extraordinary honour to welcome the creative nucleus of Brett's favourite band of the 21st century...Murray A. Lightburn and Natalia Yanchak from Montreal's orchestral pop noir heroes The Dears! Life is beautiful! We are heading into the future from our normal O3L timeline to the year Two Thousaaaaand (more echo, please) to commemorate the albums that are unbelievably a quarter of century old this year. This includes The Dears' debut album, End Of A Hollywood Bedtime Story. Life is beautiful! We celebrate humble beginnings to a life less ordinary... from an innocent encounter to musical partnership to a love story of marriage and family. Along the way, The Dears have continued to hone their unique brand of indie rock, boast one of the most consistent catalogues of the past 25 years, play in front of 50,000 people at Glastonbury, and garner fan adoration and critical praise (well, mostly...ahem, Pitchfork). Life is beautiful! The Dears' brand new album, Life Is Beautiful! Life Is Beautiful! Life Is Beautiful! is out now on Next Door Records. Their ninth studio album finds them at the top of their game, equal parts passion and compassion, beauty and defiance, intimacy and universality. Part 1 premieres Tuesday, November 25, 2025 Part 2 premieres Thursday, November 27, 2025 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Stranger than fiction, larger than life...we are elated to welcome Split Enz singer/songwriter/pianist Tim Finn and keyboardist Eddie Rayner to O3L! This is gonna be a hard act to follow. Formed in 1972 in Auckland, New Zealand, Split Enz, known initially as Split Ends, were, and remain, utterly unique. As the first band from New Zealand to achieve major success beyond the Southern Hemisphere, they blazed a trail with a sound and style entirely their own. Evolving from folk-inspired beginnings into a fusion of art-rock, new wave, and theatrical performance, Split Enz didn’t just follow trends, they genuinely created them. While no one sounded like Split Enz at the time, countless acts have drawn inspiration from their legacy over the past five decades. To celebrate the 50th anniversary of their groundbreaking debut, Mental Notes, the first installment of a landmark archival project, ENZyclopedia Volumes One & Two, presents a comprehensive tribute to New Zealand’s most visionary and influential band. ENZyclopedia Volumes One & Two is housed in a deluxe 5-CD box set (also available as a 3-LP + Blu-Ray edition), this release has been curated in close collaboration with the band. It offers an in-depth look at their formative years, showcasing the evolution of a group whose creative spirit reshaped the boundaries of popular music from New Zealand. The CD set features remasters of their first two albums, Mental Notes (1975) and Second Thoughts (1976), a remix of Second Thoughts, a partially remixed, remastered version of the early tracks comp The Beginning of the Enz, and a disc of live tracks, rough tracks, and alternate mixes. ENZyclopedia Volumes 1 & 2 is out now on Chrysalis Records. Special thanks to Maria Malta for the introduction and coordination. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, we are heading back into the weird and wonderful world of the Elephant 6 collective - this time to talk about E6 obscurities. Yes, "obscurity" is relative. To the casual music fan, perhaps it's all obscure. We take it to mean that we don’t need another episode to extol the virtues of Neutral Milk Hotel’s In The Aeroplane, Over The Sea, Olivia Tremor Control’s Dusk At Cubist Castle, or The Apples In Stereo’s Tone Soul Evolution. Either way, we aim to uncover some of the lesser known gems in the consistently consistent E6 catalogue. Outside of the four founding members - Robert Schneider, Jeff Mangum, Will Cullen Hart, and Bill Doss - there is arguably no bigger name in the E6 universe than Elf Power and their songwriter/guitarist/vocalist Andrew Rieger. Elf Power is responsible for some of the finest psych-pop and indie rock records since 1995...but we’re actually NOT here today to celebrate the release of a new Elf Power album, but rather roughly five minutes of some of the most surprising music to come out in 2025. Leap Through Poisoned Air is a from the vaults collaboration EP between the late, great Will Cullen Hart, who we lost in 2024, and Andrew Rieger, and released on Rieger and keyboardist Laura Carter’s label Orange Twin. Thanks to Mike Turner from Crashing Through Publicity for the introduction and coordination! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sometimes too much is just enough! This week, our criteria is simple…but that doesn’t make it easy. We're looking at albums with 20 or more songs - whether they are long or concise, and regardless of how many slabs of vinyl or hunks of digital plastic are contained within. And, ultimately, it's not about quantity, it's about quality. Just because it's sprawling doesn't mean it can't be purposeful. One such album, weighing in at 27 tracks and nearly 85 minutes, is the purposeful new album Proverbs by Atlanta/Athens band The Shut-Ups. To quote the synopsis on The Shut-Ups Bandcamp page, Proverbs is a “double album full of dubious advice for a stiff-necked people.” It’s a sprawl of an album that’s rooted in power pop and new wave-influenced indie rock, but covers a dizzying range of stylistic ground, and is all tied together by sardonic songwriting and an irreverent sense of humor. Our Third Lads are the constant creative force of the Shut-Ups, songwriter/vocalist/keyboardist Don Condescending, and multi-instrumentalist Jason NeSmith…a name that we’ve brought up a bunch of times on this very podcast as he not only also plays in Pylon Reenactment Society and Casper and the Cookies, but is also the renowned mastering engineer behind so many of the sonically and musically great records and reissues by many of our past guests. Get happy with O3L! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Well, geez, you caught us feeling all nostalgic and celebratory. It's time for the landmark 300th episode of Only Three Lads! During this episode, you'll hear: Your messages! A special visit from the original Third Lad...Bueno! New music from Tony Valentino, The Goods, The Melody Chamber, and The Chelsea Curve A brand new O3L game...based off of O3L's past - "Pod Sharks" A new segment of "You Weren't Supposed to Hear THAT!" We are so grateful for and touched by the wonderful audio messages that you sent us. Thank you: The Jack Rubies Barry Andrews (Shriekback, XTC) Jesse Jackson (Set Lusting Bruce podcast) Debora Iyall (Romeo Void) Love Tractor Marina Muhlfriedel (Vivabeat, Backstage Pass) Maurice Bursztynski (Love That Album, See Hear podcasts) Tony Valentino (The Standells) Steve Barton (Translator) Dave Scheff (Translator,) Genny Schorr (Backstage Pass, author - All Roads Lead to Punk) Pylon Reenactment Society Matt Piucci (The Rain Parade) Daniel McKeown Dean Brownrout (Big Deal Records, author - No Big Deal) The Rishis Kimberly Brown (author, Timmy The Taxi) Timmy the Taxi Allison Landa (author, Bearded Lady) Slender Dan Lemoyne Alexander Allen Wagner (Kilkenny Cats, Is/Ought Gap) Mat Mills (Goodbye Wudaokou) DoubleVee Dan Voznick (aka Alec Tension - Afterimage) Julio Santos Frank Boscoe (The Ekphrastics) Jim Basnight Tears Run Rings The Melody Chamber Carl Cafarelli (DJ - This is Rock n' Roll Radio, author - several fine books!) Daniel House (Skin Yard, C/Z Records) Tony Jenkins (Kobayashi Bookstore) The Open Flames Terry Banks (Dot Dash) Lance Carmine Joshua Cole Stay tuned for the next 300! Want to access the O3L Index for a handy reference on where to find discussions about your favorite artists? Go to: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1EpesEJ-JWBTxVZ3C11J3MGZ1qcAzrDx_/view?usp=sharing Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Cowabunga, Moondoggie! Let's pack up the woody and go Huey at the beach! Whaddya say? Yeah, call it bad timing, call it wishful thinking, or call it wistful nostalgia for the bygone summer, but this week we’re having an O3L Beach Party! We’ve got all of the essentials with us, except the most crucial thing: the tunes, man! We each need to pack up some albums for the beach to play on our state-of-the-art O3L boombox. There’s a new album that definitely needs to come to this beach blanket bingo : Now, by Seattle’s Acapulco Lips on Killroom Records. It’s a euphoric mix of fuzz n’ Farfisa garage rock swagger, heady reverb-drenched psych, sinewy surf rock, and girl group charm that crackles with restless energy and reckless cool. It carries on admirably from, and improves upon (in our opinion), their self titled record from 2016. Get it on cool tangerine & lemon galaxy colored vinyl from acapulcolips.bandcamp.com or stream it - of course, if you’re one of those new fangled fancy pants - but you’ve gotta hear this record. Joining us for this rad rager is none other than the aforementioned Acapulco Lips - vocalist/bassist Maria-Elena Herrell, guitarist Christopher Garland, and drummer Jordan T Adams. You can almost feel the sand in your shorts! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You are a brave and adventurous soul... Surprise, all you groovy ghoulies and "eyeball eaters from outer space!" 'Tis the season to get spooky, so we're going "full-on witch mode" with our friends from Big Stir Records - label founders/mad scientists Rex Broome & Christina Bulbenko from The Armoires and sparkle*jets uk evil genius Michael Simmons - in a brand new Halloween Spoooooooooktacular special! We'll be chatting about some of the most chilling and thrilling songs from the O3L era. Speaking of which...those of us of, uh, let’s say, a certain "vintage" may associate Halloween with the classic 1964 Disneyland record Chilling, Thrilling Sounds of the Haunted House. This fall, Big Stir is scratching a nostalgic itch with the coolest release of the season - Chilling, Thrilling Hooks and Haunted Harmonies, an incredible double album set on eerie bright green vinyl, complete with a playable Big Stir themed board game, and artwork and horrifically humorous narration reminiscent of the Disney record. The biggest trick of all is how many treats are on it - the album contains 21 never before heard Halloween inspired tracks from the incredible Big Stir roster, including many names that have appeared on O3L as guests and/or Weekend Six Packs - Librarians with Hickeys, Splitsville, Graham Parker, The Spongetones (and Steve Stoeckel solo), The Jack Rubies, The Armoires, sparkle*jets uk, Dolph Chaney, Hungrytown, Shplang, and so many more, including - get this - brand new music from ‘60s legends The Strawberry Alarm Clock. It’s a creepily compelling, fun, and unique essential for your Halloween party that you can get from BigStirRecords.com. Songs: • Splitsville - "I Was a Teenage Frankenstein" • The Spongetones - "Spirit World" • Lady Darkevyl (with Chris Church) - "I Watch You Sleep" • The Pepper's Ghost Players - "Spread My Ashes in the Haunted Mansion" Hurry baaaaaaaack. Hurry baaaaa-aaaaaaaack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, we tip our hats to the trailblazing all (or mostly) girl bands of alternative rock. Speaking of the trailblazers, today’s ceremonial Third Lad certainly is one. As a musician and songwriter, Genny Schorr (aka Genny Body) was a member of one of the first mostly female punk bands in LA, Backstage Pass, along with past O3L guest Marina Muhlfriedel (aka Marina Del Rey), Joanna Spock Dean, and Holly Beth Vincent, later of Holly & The Italians (of “Tell That Girl To Shut Up” fame). They were critical in the launch of legendary LA punk club The Masque. They landed a track on Rhino Records’ seminal LA punk comp, Saturday Night Pogo. They played with, and their story intertwines with, a jaw-dropping list of punk, new wave, and rock heroes. After Backstage Pass, she was invited to be in the Go-Go’s. She owned the influential rock n’ roll clothing boutique Strait Jacket with Stiff Records’ impresario Jake Rivera, which launched a long career as a wardrobe designer and stylist to the stars. Many of those stylish videos, album covers, and magazine shoots you love from the ‘80s? Genny had a hand in sculpting the look. She lived with and toured with Linda Ronstadt as her personal wardrobe stylist as the singer transformed her image from new wave darling on the Get Closer tour to sophisticated starlet stepping in front of Nelson Riddle’s big band. She styled and toured with the Bangles at their peak. But ultimately, All Roads Lead to Punk - which just happens to be the title of Genny Schorr’s incredible new memoir of sex, drugs, rock n’ roll and fashion fromHoZac Books. It’s not only a fantastic page-turner, but the photos and ephemera make it an indispensable time capsule of the era. If you think the stories Genny shares on O3L are incredible...just wait til you read the book! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Well, dog our cats...it's a new episode of O3L! This week, lovin' is what EGOT, as we celebrate those artists who successfully traversed the worlds of music AND acting. And, it just so happens that our Third Lad today, Rebecca Pidgeon, has indeed enjoyed a long and fruitful career in both worlds. As an actress, she has appeared in dozens of movies and TV shows since the late ‘80s, including The Spanish Prisoner, The Winslow Boy, State and Main (all of the preceding written and directed by her husband, the legendary David Mamet), Shopgirl, Red, Allegiant, Bird Box, her daughter Clara Mamet’s Two Bit Waltz, and many more. As a musician, Rebecca began her career as the lead singer of Scottish folk/pop band Ruby Blue. After two charming albums with band - Glances Askances (1987) and Down from Above (1990), she has released a succession of 12 acclaimed solo albums like 1994’s The Raven, 1996’s The New York Girls’ Club, and 2019’s ambitiously brilliant double album Sudden Exposure to Light / Comfort, right up to her two most recent spectacular releases, 2024’s Songs of LA and 2025’s Unillusion. Special thanks to Howard Wuelfing from Howlin Wuelf Media for the introduction and coordination. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We like women. Not in a creepy way (usually)...we mean we really like music created by women. So, in our ongoing series of episodes celebrating women in alternative music, this week we are covering our top 5 women-led albums of the 1990s. Appropriately enough, our Third Lads this week are a dynamic duo who "lived through this" and are inspired by this music - Julie Exter and Andrea Tarka White from Philly-based rock band Gun-Shy Butterfly! They currently have four singles that exemplify what the band has dubbed "bubble grunge" - a combination of sugary melodies and crunchy hooks that would have been right at home on mid-90s alternative radio. We hit it off right away with Andrea & Julie...we love 'em and we know you will too! But wait...there's also discussions about: tattoos, Higglytown Heroes, Nairing...uh...various areas, Goldschlager and comics, flip-flops (yes, again), our new grunge band Grotesque Quiche, hologram Jewel, hosers, Easttown accents, Julie's music/comedy podcast Rock'n'LOL, and much more. Oh, and guess what? A brand new O3L game called "Riot Grrrl Riot" - in which our contestants (and host) receive their very own riot grrrl names. As Kim deal would say to Gregg, "ugh!" Songs: Gun-Shy Butterfly - "Dark Side" Gun-Shy Butterfly - "Manchild" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We've covered covers before, but this week we're really blowing our cover by covering covers that we feel are better than the originals. With such a controversial topic, you'd best believe that there are petty arguments, silent treatments, and fisticuffs galore as we tackle some of popular music's sacred cows. Fisticuffs, we say! (OK, well, it was more civilized than that. We're not savages!) And joining us for this discussion today? It's Splitsville, daddy-o! That's right...one score and two years after their last album, Baltimore indie rock/power pop heroes Splitsville are dressed up and ready to party with a brand new record, Mobtown, on Big Stir Records. It's a remarkable song cycle, a love letter of sorts to their hometown, that sits comfortably alongside the band's other essential releases such as 1997's Ultrasound, 1999's Repeater, 2003's Incorporated, and 2001's modern classic The Complete Pet Soul - a pop stunner that lives up to the weight of its referential title and influences. We welcome guitarist Matt Huseman, drummer Brandt Huseman (both of whom were the driving forces one of the best mid-90s power pop bands, the Greenberry Woods), bassist Paul Kryziak, and guitarist Tony Waddy. Plus, play along to the brand new O3L game "Blanktown Heroes"! Technical note: You may also notice some imperfections on Splitsville’s vocal track in places - there was an inexplicable glitch that almost sounded like when you'd hit fast forward on a CD player. That being said, we know you’ll enjoy listening to it as much as we did recording it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Who said you never get a second chance to make a first impression!?!? Well, we covered some of the best debut singles waaaay back in Episode 32...and now, five years later, we're back to revisit that topic. So take that, Head & Shoulders! Hey, speaking of second times, guess who's back as our Third Lads this week? (No fair, you cheated by looking at the episode title!) Yes, that's right, it's guitarist/vocalist/songwriter Matt Piucci and bassist/vocalist/songwriter Steven Roback from seminal LA "Paisley Underground" band The Rain Parade! The last time Matt & Steven joined us (Episode 259), they subtly hinted that there was something in the works for their underrated second full-length album, 1985's Crashing Dream. We have now been treated to a spectacular double disc deluxe reissue on Label 51 Recordings, that not only gives fans an opportunity to re-appraise this lost gem, but is chock full of demos, alternate versions and live bonus tracks that flesh out the story of this fertile chapter in the Rain Parade legacy. Prepare thyself for plenty of stories about the past, present, and future of Rain Parade, including recounting memories of their debut single, "What She's Done To Your Mind" from 1982. Hanging out with the guys is always a pleasure, but we digress. A lot. Special thanks to Josh Mills. Proud members of the Pantheon Podcasts family. #paisleyunderground #janglepop #collegerock #psychedelic #80smusic #classicalternative #musicpodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Things are gonna get LOUD! This week, we turn the amps up to 11 and put the effects pedals on stun as we celebrate Noise Rock. What exactly is "noise rock" though?? At its simplest definition, it’s rock music that emphasizes noise - distortion, feedback, dissonance, abrasion. But as a subgenre, it only takes a cursory look through internet music forums to see how easily these things can digress into petty arguments about what is or is not noise rock. Commonly perceived as precursors to noise rock would be various ‘60s psych bands like 13th Floor Elevators and the ubiquitous Velvet Underground, free jazz, and early experimental music where traditional instruments were manipulated to sound like anything but traditional instruments. In the punk era, the natural outgrowth were things like the no wave scene that was happening in New York and British bands like The Fall, Swell Maps, and This Heat. From there, throughout the ‘80s, ‘90s and beyond, the term was synonymous with bands like Sonic Youth, Big Black, Swans, the Jesus Lizard, and any number of bands in which Steve Albini had a hand in some way. Joining us to wade through the mud is a New York based band whose members had a hand in shaping our perception of noise rock. The Whimbrels have just released their self titled debut album on Dromedary Records, and it's an astounding, ambitious and riff-laden affair that has plenty of noise, but also a lot of dynamics and deceptively accessible moments. Guitarist/Vocalist/Songwriter Arad Evans was associated with Glenn Branca’s ensemble from the 1980’s until Branca’s 2018 death, as well as his band Heroes of Toolik and scores of others. Bassist/Vocalist/Songwriter Matt Hunter co-founded the great ‘90s/2000’s cult favorites New Radiant Storm King and has played with a ton of other notables such as J. Mascis, King Missile, and Silver Jews. Thanks to Howard Wuelfing from Howlin' Wuelf Media for the introduction and coordination! Proud members of the Pantheon Podcasts family. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"Here's the story of a lovely couple Who are in a cool band they call doubleVee Allan & Barb Vest went on a podcast To discuss bands that are family. Here's the story of a groovy podcast, Hosted by two guys named Uncle Gregg and Brett They were diving deep through all the records Mostly classic alternative Til the one day when the Lads met the Vests And they knew it was much more than a fad That this group must somehow form a top five list That's the way we do it on Only Three Lads Only Three Lads Only Three Lads That's the way we do it on Only Three Lads!" That’s right - the focus of this week’s episode is on bands containing siblings, married couples, cousins, etc. Coincidentally - actually, it’s totally NOT a coincidence - our Third Lads today are the Oklahoma-based married couple, Allan & Barb Vest, who make up the band doubleVee. Allan was previously primary songwriter, vocalist and multi-instrumentalist for one of the best left-of-center indie pop bands of the early 2000s, Starlight Mints, who released four albums during the first decade of the new millennium. Barb’s history notably includes writing, hosting and producing the nationally syndicated film soundtrack radio programFilmscapes, as well as editing a music webzine and performing with various bands. Together as doubleVee, Allan & Barb have crafted some astounding and wildly inventive music - the highly recommended debut concept album The Moonlit Fables of Jack the Rider in 2017, the 2019 EP, the 2022 record Treat Her Strangely (containing "Your Love Is It Real?" as heard on the hit Netflix series Wednesday), and now the newly released EP Periscope At Midnight. The music of doubleVee is a wonderful and beguiling thing - comfortingly poppy but with plenty of strange twists, turns and detours along the way. Cinematic music with a keen and often whimsical eye for storytelling, doubleVee’s songs are beautiful and orchestral, but leaves you with the unsettling feeling that something grotesque may be bubbling underneath the surface. Thanks to Howard Wuelfing for the introduction and coordination! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s Labor Day Weekend here in the U.S. and for our friends in Canada. And you know what THAT means? That’s right…mattress sales from coast to coast! Slashing prices 50%, 60%, 70%! (Plus applicable tariffs.) Well, guess what we’ve got for you instead this holiday weekend? Music is OUR mattress, and we’re here with insane deals on a six pack of the latest tunes. We won't rest easy 'til YOU rest easy! Acapulco Lips - 'Fuzzy Sunshine' (from the LP 'Now', Killroom Records) Orbis Max - 'If I Still Believe In Love At All' (single) The Planet Smashers - 'Things You Do" (from the LP 'On The Dancefloor', Stomp Records) Goodbye Wudaokou - 'I Can't Deal With September' (from the LP 'Anything Of Us', Subjangle) Sadlands - 'Twin Flame' (from the upcoming LP 'Try To Have A Little Fun', Wiretap Records) Maple Mars - 'Couldn't Have Been A Better Time' (single, Big Stir Records) Tariff free but providing as much support and comfort as the latest memory foam technology! Thanks for supporting new music, the artists creating it and labels putting it out. To keep this ecosystem going, we need to prop each other up now more than ever. By downloading this podcast, you’re helping. By following these bands on social media, you’re helping. And, perhaps needless to say, buying their records, t-shirts, or seeing them live helps most of all! Have a great weekend! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hip-hop culture was a dominant force during the '80s and '90s, and inspired language, fashion, film, and music. Yes, that includes plenty of alternative music. But that's not what we're talking about today. Instead, we explore the inverse - how influential was alternative music in the world of hip hop? While perhaps not quite as pervasive, it did exist - whether it be through the use of sampling recognizable songs, a cross-pollination of styles and artists coming together, or perhaps just an overall attitude or spirit. Our Third Lad this week, Lemoyne Alexander, is a man who has bridged both the hip-hop and alternative worlds and then some. He played in family bands throughout the ‘70s & ‘80s including the Fascination, who had some dance club hits like 1986’s “Why Are You Always Complaining?” before settling in as a hip hop producer both solo and with the production team 3 Da Hard Way, working on records by the likes of Aalyiah, DMX, DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince, and for labels like Jive and Motown. Lemoyne left the rap game to return to his earliest passions - the guitar and rock n’ roll, releasing Solitude in 2019 and Perfect World in 2023. 2024’s indie rock single “Insecurity” is an earworm that once you hear that infectious chorus, it’s going to take up residence in your head for all your days. With a new single "Claustrophobia" (which you will hear during this episode!) and LP Alone on the horizon, Lemoyne is poised to continue making his mark on alt rock. Oh, and on top of that, we've got a brand new O3L game for y'all: Off Da Chartz (aka Rap Draft), in which our contestants draft five albums that they believe will appear on Boombox's list of the Top 50 Alternative Rap Albums of all time. Plus, Uncle Gregg rants aplenty. Oh, the rants. Yo! Thanks to Laura Bissett from the MyWhy Agency for the introduction and coordination. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Anything is possible as we welcome power pop icon Chris Stamey from the dB's as our Third Lad! Our focus topic is on the producers of the O3L era - the sonic architects that carry out the visions of the artists we love and shape the sound of our favorite records. And Chris Stamey is someone who knows, as he's produced some fantastic records over the years, including albums by Pylon, Whiskeytown, Le Tigre, The Butchies, Alejandro Escovedo, and many more. Of course, that's only scratching the surface of Chris's amazing 50 year career, from releasing one of the earliest DIY indie records (Sneakers) to playing with Alex Chilton in the late '70s to being one of the creative forces in the seminal, era-defining band the dB's, to his fruitful solo career, a radio play, a songwriting memoir, and working with over 100 artists including fellow dB and recent O3L guest Peter Holsapple, Yo La Tengo, Freedy Johnston, The Golden Palominos, and more recently with The Salt Collective and Jody Stephens' Big Star Quintet. We chat with Chris about his gorgeous new album, Anything Is Possible, the influence of Brian Wilson, Alex Chilton, Tin Pan Alley, and the Lemon Twigs, the essence of being Chris Stamey, and the enduring legacy of producers like Martin Hannett, Martin Rushent, John Leckie, Scott Litt, Mitch Easter, Joe Foster, Steve Albini, Rick Rubin, Gil Norton, John Fry, Chris Thomas, and more. During this episode, you will hear: Chris Stamey - "Anything Is Possible" Chris Stamey - "Meet Me In Midtown" The Salt Collective - "Last Day We're Young" Thanks to Howard Wuelfing from Howlin' Wuelf Media for the introduction and coordination. Proud members of the Pantheon Podcasts family. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, it's just "boys talking" (or lads conversing, if you will), as we welcome the sublime singer-songwriter Will Dailey as our Third Lad. Will has spent the past two decades perfecting a style that is not beholden to any one particular genre or set of influences, incorporating rock, folk, psych, funk, blues, and melodic pop into a catalogue where the songs always speak for themselves. Over the years, he's performed extensively with Eddie Vedder, played alongside Peter Buck, opened for the Wallflowers, performed multiple times at Farm Aid, and has had many songs placed in TV shows from 90210 to CSI and movies like the animated hit Barnyard. Now, Will has released his killer seventh record, and arguably his best yet, Boys Talking. But you won't find this gem on Spotify or Apple Music...this is not an album to simply stream and forget. Savor it on vinyl, CD, cassette, or digital through https://willdailey.bandcamp.com. We ask Will about the new record, from the single "Send Some Energy" to the infectious romp should-be-smash "Alright Already." You won't hear the latter on streaming services...but you will hear it here on O3L! Of course, we also delve into our focus topic this week, our Top 5 Singer-Songwriter Albums of the '80s. While "singer-songwriter" may instantly conjure up visions of troubadours with acoustic guitars like James Taylor, Jackson Browne, or Cat Stevens, we redefine the term for the high-tech '80s. Special thanks to Karen Allison from Propeller Sound Recordings for the introduction. Proudly part of the Pantheon Podcasts family. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We are thrilled to welcome one of the seminal figures of alternative music - David J. Haskins (Bauhaus, Love & Rockets, solo). O3L's Brett Vargo chats with David J about his new poetry book, Rhapsody, Threnody & Prayer, and the accompanying album of five of the poems set to music, The Mother Tree. There are plenty of new tales to tell! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’re in a New York State of Mind. Sure, L.A. has beaches and sun, San Francisco clings onto its peace and love vibes, Chicago oozes the blues, and these make for remarkable settings for great songs, but New York…New York is something different. She’s an active participant in the music, the protagonist, the antagonist, a vessel for vibrancy, romance, drama, grit, grime, decay, revitalization, glamour, hope. The American dream. From street corner doo woo groups to Bleeker Street folkies to CBGB punks to Brooklyn indie rock hopefuls, New York has long had a story to tell through the eyes, minds, and voices of the artists who chronicle her, some of whom are intrinsically intertwined with heartbeat of the city. One of the finest ever to do it is undoubtedly the man we are fortunate enough to call our Third Lad. After coming up in the New York folk clubs of the early '70s and the punk clubs of the latter half of the decade, Willie Nile released his self titled debut album on Arista in 1980 to rave reviews, with Stereo Review naming it the album of the year right alongside The Clash’s London Calling also earning him a handpicked slot opening for The Who on their 1980 U.S. tour. After two more major label records, Willie has released a series of acclaimed indie releases, including 2006’s Streets Of New York, 2013’s American Ride, 2020’s New York At Night, and 2021’s The Day The Earth Stood Still. He’s now back with his first 15th studio album and 21st LP overall, The Great Yellow Light, a passionate, anthemic blend of thundering rockers and sensitive ballads. It’s a stellar addition to a brilliant and literate catalogue that has thrilled Willie Nile ardent fans and friends such as Bruce Springsteen, Bono, Lou Reed, Ian Hunter, Graham Parker, Lucinda Williams, and Little Steven. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pinch, punch, first of the month. White rabbit, white rabbit. Blowing cinnamon out of your front door. So superstition goes, these are all rituals that bring luck and prosperity for the month ahead. Might we suggest one more? How about starting your month off with a six pack of great new tunes from your friends at Only Three Lads? Let's kick off August with music by: The Wind-Ups - "(That's Just My) Dream Girl" (from the forthcoming LP Confection, Dandy Boy Records) The Cords - "Fabulist" (from the forthcoming LP The Cords, Skep Wax / Slumberland Records) The Flashcubes - "The Sweet Spot" (single, Big Stir Records) Robin Schell - "Simple Explanation" (from Pop Aid 3: A Pop Compilation to Benefit Those Affected by the California Wildfires, Kool Kat Musik) Beta Trip - "On My Mind" (from the forthcoming LP Superette, Having Fun Records) Fischer-Z - "Too Much" (from the forthcoming LP PUNKT!) Thank you for supporting new music! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The music business from the late '60s through the '90s was an exciting time that mirrored the music and the musicians making it. It was also a time of new and creative ideas on how to market this groundbreaking cultural phenomenon. Eccentric characters were everywhere, and often the managers, promoters, disc jockeys, and record company staff were just as big a show as the performers themselves. And nobody was bigger and better in promoting rock records than Rap. Paul "Rap" Rappaport enjoyed a storied (and very appropriate) 33 1/3 year career in rock promotion at Columbia Records, where he was instrumental in the careers of an amazing roster of legends, including Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Pink Floyd, The Rolling Stones, Elvis Costello, Billy Joel, Blue Oyster Cult, Judas Priest, Alice In Chains, and many, many more. Gliders Over Hollywood: Airships, Airplay and the Art of Rock Promotion is Rap's dynamic, entertaining memoir captures the magic of these times and the people who made it happen, revealing the never-before-heard secrets of the promotion and marketing that turned the music industry on its head. From creating the Pink Floyd airship to sword-fighting with Bruce Dickinson of Iron Maiden and receiving a guitar lesson from Keith Richards, it’s a book packed full of extraordinary adventures with some of the biggest names in rock. This week, Rap joins us as our Third Lad to recount the wild tales of his Top 5 Album Rollouts. These are stories you have to hear (or read) to believe! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

And now for something completely different...in this special episode, we pay tribute to the late, great Ozzy Osbourne and each pick five of our favorite songs from the rock legend's career. So you may ask yourself, why are we doing an Ozzy episode on our classic alternative music podcast? We certainly don't want to be "those guys" who churn out opportunistic memorial episodes - but, quite simply, Uncle Gregg suggested "hey, we should do an Ozzy tribute" and Brett said "OK, let's do it." That's the way decisions are made here at O3L Headquarters...and six hours later, the episode is out to the world. John "Ozzy" Osbourne passed away on July 22, 2025, at the age of 76, a little more than two weeks after his final performance at the Back to the Beginning farewell concert, a massive show that featured a who’s who of heavy metal musicians, culminating in a five song Ozzy solo set and a four song finale from Black Sabbath. Ozzy, of course, rose to prominence as the lead singer of Birmingham rock band Black Sabbath from the time of their formation in 1969 until his dismissal in 1979. Considered one of (if not THE) most influential bands in the evolution of heavy metal, Sabbath also consisted of guitarist Tony Iommi, bassist Geezer Butler, and drummer Bill Ward, releasing a string of classic albums like Black Sabbath (1970), Paranoid (1970), Master of Reality (1971), Vol. 4 (1972), Sabbath Bloody Sabbath (1973), Sabotage (1975), Technical Ectasy (1976), Never Say Die (1978) before Ozzy launched a fruitful solo career. Solo records include 1980’s Blizzard of Ozz, 1981’s Diary of a Madman, 1983’s Bark at the Moon, and 1991’s No More Tears, intertwined with occasional Black Sabbath reunions, most notably their 2013 album 13. Osbourne remained at the forefront of pop culture through his popular Ozzfest tours and his unlikely stint as a lovable TV Dad on the reality show The Osbournes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In music, experimentalism is more than just "that one time in college." This week, we cover the albums that dared to be different, were fearless in their pursuit of breaking new ground, and subverted traditional expectations of what music should sound like. The spirit of experimental music is alive and well on The Sound, the debut solo album by guitarist, cellist, composer producer, arranger, painter, and educator Knox Chandler. This project is a musical memoir depicting the shift in his surroundings from the urbanism of New York, London, and Berlin to the serene rural setting of the Connecticut shoreline. Through 10 diaristic and transportative soundscapes, The Sound incorporates Knox's "Soundribbon" style of meditative, powerfully cinematic guitar, accompanied by upright bass and percussion, and is paired with a book of paintings, sketches, and writings. You no doubt have heard Knox Chandler's work throughout a career that has spanned four decades, as a member of The Psychedelic Furs, Siouxsie & The Banshees, Cyndi Lauper's band, and The Golden Palominos. He's also played, composed, produced, and arranged on dozens of records including REM's Automatic For The People, Depeche Mode's Exciter, David Gahan's Paper Monsters, Paula Cole's Harbinger, and many more. Special thanks to Howard Wuelfing from Howlin' Wuelf Media for the introduction and coordination. Proud members of the Pantheon Podcasts family. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

**PART TWO** Be sure to listen to E282 if you haven't heard the first part! It's better to travel to the kaleidoscope world of 1973 when you can breakout with great Third Lads. What, too subtle for ya?!? This week, we enter the twilight world of Swing Out Sister - Corinne Drewery and Andy Connell! Along with discussing some of our favourite songs from 1973, we are are also celebrating the release of the new Cherry Red Records box set Certain Shades Of Limelight, a beautifully curated 8 CD box set covering the vibrant and soulful evolution of iconic British pop sophisticates Swing Out Sister. Spanning the years 1994 to 2004, the definitive collection captures a golden decade of musical exploration, refinement and reinvention. Included are the group's five albums released during that time period and three bonus discs packed with B-sides, 7" versions, rare mixes, instrumentals, alternate versions, soundtrack versions, and sought-after edits. During part two of our conversation with Corinne and Andy: Who was that peculiar woman digging through the dumpster? Salamanders (or "salamandas" as the case may be)! 7-inch Little Willy shame (don't worry, you're among friends)! Bonding with Bernie Taupin and Rod Temperton! Drive-in madness! ...and our top three picks for Songs of 1973. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

**PART ONE** It's better to travel to the kaleidoscope world of 1973 when you can breakout with great Third Lads. What, too subtle for ya?!? This week, we enter the twilight world of Swing Out Sister - Corinne Drewery and Andy Connell! Along with discussing some of our favourite songs from 1973, we are are also celebrating the release of the new Cherry Red Records box set Certain Shades Of Limelight, a beautifully curated 8 CD box set covering the vibrant and soulful evolution of iconic British pop sophisticates Swing Out Sister. Spanning the years 1994 to 2004, the definitive collection captures a golden decade of musical exploration, refinement and reinvention. Included are the group's five albums released during that time period and three bonus discs packed with B-sides, 7" versions, rare mixes, instrumentals, alternate versions, soundtrack versions, and sought-after edits. During part one of our conversation, Corinne and Andy give us the run down on the box set, plus... What do George Michael, Elton John, and Andy's mum have in common? Were Andy & Corinne the original Jay-Z & Beyonce? Breaking into the marching band and Chicago stepping worlds! What living soul icon did Uncle Gregg kill off? Big bands...and bigger bands! How did Corinne get her signature bob? Why Swing Out Sister's cinematic music may not be soundtracking films anytime soon. ...and our #5 & #4 picks for Songs of 1973. Don't worry, we won't make you play the waiting game too long (last Swing Out Sister pun for now, we promise)...Part 2 drops on Thursday, July 17th! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We gather here once more to celebrate some of the finest new independent music on the planet! This week, you'll hear a six pack of fresh tune from: Ryli - 'Bad July' (from Come and Get Me, Dandy Boy Records) Kevin Robertson - 'We Found The Summer' Daniella Binyamin - 'Without Breaking Apart' The Spongetones - 'Help Me Janie' (from The 40th Anniversary Concert...and Beyond ) Museums - 'In Waves' Proud members of the Pantheon Podcasts family. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Based on his experiences on both sides of the record store counter, Peter Holsapple lovingly pokes a little fun at obsessive music nerds on a track from his new solo album : "I got A Love Supreme / I got a Soft Machine / I got the Dave Clark Five / I got Slade Alive / I got a Shonen Knife / I got Repeat When Necessary, Repeat When Necessary. I'm that kind of guy!" Yep, we're those kind of guys...and fortunately Peter is too, because he is our Third Lad this week! This week's discussion revolves around our Top 5 Debut Solo Albums - in other words, the first album released by an artist apart from or after their well known group. While you'd have to go back to 1997 for Peter Holsapple's official debut solo album, he's arguably just released his best yet - The Face of 68, out now on Label 51 Recordings. It's a tight, lean, rocking affair that finds the dB's singer/songwriter's knack for melody and songcraft still incredibly sharp after roughly 50 years of making records. Along with a deep dive into The Face of 68, we also chat about his proto-punk beginnings with Little Diesel, being shown how it's done by the legendary Alex Chilton, life on the road with R.E.M. and Hootie and the Blowfish, supergroup collectives the Continental Drifters, the Salt Collective, and the Big Star Quintet, and the flurry of dB's related activity including Propeller Sound Recordings reissue campaign and 2024's reunion shows. The Face of 68: https://peter-holsapple.bandcamp.com/album/the-face-of-68 O3L Podperks: https://onlythreelads.codeadx.me Thanks to Wendy Brynford-Jones from Hello Wendy PR for the introduction and coordination! Proudly Pantheon Podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How tough was it to pick our "album bookends" this week (that is, albums that have a great first and last track)? You could say that's impossible, that's im-poss-i-ble. But, fortunately, we're everywhere that you are! We're un-alone for this discussion, because (if you couldn't have guessed) we have guitarist/singer/songwriter Steve Barton and drummer Dave Scheff from one of the best American bands of the '80s, Translator! Translator released four excellent albums for 415/Columbia: Heartbeats and Triggers (1982), No Time Like Now (1983), Translator (1985), and Evening of the Harvest (1986). At the end of their initial run, they played a final gig at the Farm in their home base of San Francisco. Captured on a cassette, nearly 40 years later, that incendiary live set is out for the first time on download, LP, or CD as Beyond Today: Live at the Farm San Francisco: 1986. from Liberation Hall. https://translatorlive.bandcamp.com As an added treat for fans, Beyond Today also contains two brand new Translator songs, "These Days to Come" and "With Your Dreams", both wonderfully mixed by Ed Stasium. Special thanks to Randy Haecker from Prime Mover Media for the introduction and coordination! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We've got a sumptuous six pack of swoonworthy new tunes to kick off your weekend! 1) Amelia & The Housewives - 'Maybe' (single, Damaged Goods) 2) Last Tourist - 'Slowly Fade' (single, 1991recordings) 3) Splitsville - 'I Hate Going to Hutzler's' (from the LP Mobtown, Big Stir Records) 4) Lammping & Bloodshot Bill - 'Never Never' (from the LP Never Never, We Are Busy Bodies) 5) Jeanines - 'What's Lost' (single, Skep Wax Records / from the LP How Long Can It Last, Slumberland Records) 6) Nah - 'Summer Follows Spring' (from the LP Koffers Collected) Also, we are pleased to present the newest O3L PodPerk - 41% off at https://cozyearth.com! Cozy Earth sells the most luxurious, comfortable sheets, bedding, loungewear, pajamas, hoodies, sweaters, robes and more. Their cool and comfy bamboo sheets are so incredible that they were honored as one of "Oprah’s Favorite Things". Use promo code O3L to start saving! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Get ready to do the "Lube the Anaconda and the Candle" (or maybe just a more sensible Twist or Watusi), as we hit the floor with songs that are about, inspired, or mention dance crazes. Joining us for all sorts of "idiot dancing" is the triumphant return of Barry Andrews to O3L! During Barry's last appearance in E246, we talked about his career spanning from the early days of Swindon's finest, XTC, to Iggy and Fripp, to Shriekback's extensive and ambitious catalogue. This time, we have more cause for celebration, as the new Shriekback album, MONUMENT, is out now, and is among his finest releases! He's not shouting at you...or is he?!? Plus, we've got a brand new O3L game for you - "Dancing with Ourselves." Do you have what it takes to go up against Barry and Uncle Gregg to name dance craze related songs? This is a fun one, kids. Now let's do all 16 dances! Proud members of the Pantheon Podcasts family. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We haven't given you a Weekend Six Pack in a while...so what better way to kick off the summer than with a fresh flight of new music? 1) Heavenly - 'Portland Town' (Skep Wax) 2) The Parachute Testers - 'Halfway to Everywhere' 3) B-Movie - 'Polar Opposites' 4) Gun-Shy Butterfly - 'Manchild' 5) Budapest - 'Me & Everything' 6) Nelson Bragg - 'Death of Caroline' (Big Stir Records) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As arguably the single most important, most influential group in pop music history, The Beatles have been honored with thousands of cover versions. This week, Uncle Gregg, Brett, and Third Lad Arthur Alexander hand pick some of the fabbest and gearest of 'em all. 101 episodes ago, power pop hero Arthur Alexander joined us to recount his fascinating life and career: growing up in Communist Poland, getting exiled to the U.S., and being a driving force in two of the NYC's seminal power pop bands - The Poppees and Sorrows - before putting out his fine solo records One Bar Left and ...steppin' out! He was one of our favorite guests yet, so we were ecstatic to have him join us for this topic that is near and dear to his heart. Big Stir Records presents Parting Is Such Sweet Sorrow, the long lost thrid album by NYC power pop legends SORROWS, recorded in 1981 during a one-night session at the peak of their energy. This final chapter in their musical legacy includes the indie hit “Out Of My Head” and ten unreleased originals, plus three covers. The band, formed from the ashes of The Poppees, had previously made waves with their debut Teenage Heartbreak and faced struggles with their ill-fated second album (Love Too Late), which nearly ended their career. Forty years later, Arthur Alexander and the band recovered the rights to the material, leading to the surprise 2021 release of Love Too Late... The Real Album. Parting Is Such Sweet Sorrow captures the band in raw form, fueled by the frustration of industry interference, delivering high-energy rock tracks like “Never Mind,” the heartfelt elegy for John Lennon “Cricket Man,” and the rockabilly scorcher “Let Me Know.” Recorded at Mediasound Studios in NYC, it’s a powerful testament to the band’s sound and vision, offering a cohesive, fiery farewell with timeless tracks that reflect both their struggle and resilience. Thanks to Rex Broome and Christina Bulbenko from Big Stir Records. You are both amazing! Proud members of the Pantheon Podcasts network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Listen to the thrilling conclusion of our epic chat with The Big Takeover magazine magnate and Springhouse drummer Jack Rabid. We cover the top 3 of our choices for the artists/bands with the best run from 1980-84, as well as more amazing "Jack"-anory stories! If you haven't already, be sure to check out Part 1 in Episode 275! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, we examine the first half of the '80s to ask the question - which artists had the best run during that span? Bringing us the funny sugar in this episode is our friend Jack (where our fellow '60s music nerds at?!?). That's right, Jack Rabid, publisher/writer for The Big Takeover magazine and drummer for '80s New York hardcore band Even Worse and dreamy '90s indie band Springhouse is our Third Lad this week. And we had such a fab time that this one is a two parter! Part two will be dropping in a few days, so stay tuned... Springhouse released two albums of sparkling, melancholy guitar pop for Caroline Records in the early '90s - 1991's Land Falls and 1993's Postcards From The Attic. They were the first major label signed, nationally touring U.S. "shoegaze" band, with the 'Layers' video getting MTV airplay, and sharing stages with the likes of House of Love, The Chills, Psychedelic Furs, Belly, and the Lemonheads. In 2008, the band returned for a melodic, orchestral-pop masterpiece on Independent Project Records, From Now To OK. Originally released on limited edition CD only, it has now been reissued as a deluxe edition on vinyl, CD, and digital, and presented in a beautiful package from IPR co-owner/master designer Bruce Licher. https://springhouse.bandcamp.com The Big Takeover is a bi-annual music magazine founded by Jack Rabid and Dave Stein in May 1980, originally as a fanzine for New York punkers The Stimulators. For over 45 years, Rabid and Big T contributors have been thrilling alternative music fans with in-depth interviews, coverage of lesser known artists, and a huge review section - including Jack's always entertaining "Top 40" section. https://www.bigtakeover.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We are saddened to learn of the passing of our friend Terry Draper from Klaatu. We remember Terry, his musical legacy, his sense of humor, and zeal for life. This is a repost of an episode from November 9, 2021. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Featuring over 30 minutes of material from our extended conversation with Terry Draper that did not appear in the main episode! We were very fortunate this week to have Third Lad Terry Draper from Klaatu join us this week. In 1976, Klaatu let their music do the talking, with a blend of whimsical psychedelia, spacy progressive rock and melodic power pop...so much so that masses of people believed that they could be The Beatles under a pseudonym! The brilliant, essential debut album 3:47 EST and single "Calling Occupants Of Interplanetary Craft" became hits on FM radio, with "Occupants" covered by none other than '70s pop icons The Carpenters. But the Terry Draper story doesn't end with the demise of Klaatu in 1982. Since returning to the record bins in 1997, he has remained incredibly prolific with new music. Following 2020's Lost comes the ambitious new album The Other Side. If you are a fan of adventurous yet always tuneful music (and we know you are), pick up his latest releases at ⁠www.terrydraper.com.⁠ Terry shares fascinating stories from his rock n' roll life, from his beginnings in the mid-60s to encounters with Mick Jagger, Ozzy and Boy George, shares his recipe for a "songwriting cake", and how he continues to make progress after over 50 years of music. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's time for another label spotlight, as we count down some of the best singles from the legendary New Zealand indie Flying Nun Records. Joining us for this discussion is a musician who, despite being on the other side of the world in Los Angeles, has felt the impact of Flying Nun very profoundly - Sharif Dumani from Exploding Flowers. Flying Nun was formed in Christchurch in 1981 by music store manager Roger Shepherd. Described by The Guardian as "one of the world's great independent labels", Flying Nun is notable for bringing global attention to the "Dunedin Sound", often characterized by jangly guitars and a lo-fi, DIY production. Pivotal bands on the Flying Nun in the '80s and '90s include The Clean, The Chills, The Bats, Tall Dwarfs, Sneaky Feelings, Straitjacket Fits, 3Ds, Look Blue Go Purple, The Verlaines, and Jean-Paul Sartre Experience. The label continues to flourish, with a crop of 21st century artists like Betchadupa, Aldous Harding, Fazerdaze, The Courtneys, and Vera Allen. Exploding Flowers are a Los Angeles quartet who have crafted their own universe of guitar-based pop, with its flourishes of piano, organ, synthesizers, vibraphone and glockenspiel on top of a foundational rhythm section. Led by Sharif Dumani, who has worked with a variety of artists from '60s underground heroes Nick Garrie and Silver Apples; punk and post-punk pioneers such as Alice Bag (The Bags), Rachel Love (Dolly Mixture), Jowe Head (Swell Maps, Television Personalities), and Nikki Sudden (Swell Maps); and artists and bands like Cody Chesnutt, Sex Stains, the Moon Upstairs, Classics Of Love, and many more. Watermelon/Peacock is Exploding Flowers' third release packed with analog production, poetic lyricism, and the same strong melodies and hooks we’ve now come to expect from a band that prioritizes its songwriting with smart left turns. Both economic and expansive, they utilize all measures to craft something both beautiful, grand, and driving. Link: https://explodingflowers.bandcamp.com/ Plus: play along with a brand new O3L game, "Who Needs Wings to Fly?!?" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Get ready for the most unintentionally sexist O3L yet! We tried very hard to steer away from the phrase "one man band" during this episode...only to pick albums almost exclusively by one man bands (except for a bonus nod to Enya). We tried. Dang you, unintentional sexism!! Anyway, the focus this week is albums where one man...er, human...mostly did it all. All the vocals. All the instruments. In many cases, all of the writing and production. The albums recorded in this fashion during the O3L era have been wildly influential for DIY musicians today, including today'sThird Lad, Minorcan's Ryan Anderson. With a career stretching back over 20 years, including three full-band records, Ryan Anderson's latest self-released Minorcan album, the appropriately titled Rock Alone, is a basement arena rock tour-de-force. Featuring eight musically rich and lyrically insightful songs from the pen of the Asheville, NC-based artist, Rock Alone will appeal to fans of roots rock, punk, and classic singer-songwriters alike. Rock Alone is now available on vinyl, CD, and digital: https://minorcan.bandcamp.com Thanks to Mike Turner from Crashing Through Publicity for the connection! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's double your O3L pleasure this week with our 4th Annual Cruel World Special! It’s that time of year again - on May 17, 2025, the masses will descend upon Brookside at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA, for the 4th installment of what has become a destination, a cultural touchstone for fans of classic alternative, new wave, punk, synth-pop, goth, and dark wave - the Cruel World festival. Goldenvoice has once again put together a fantastic lineup of legends, younger bands who are carrying the torch, and a couple of surprises thrown in. This year’s lineup includes New Order, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, The Go-Go's, Devo, OMD, Death Cult, Garbage, Madness, the first appearance of the original ‘Til Tuesday lineup in 35 years, Midge Ure, Clan of Xymox, Buzzcocks, Stereo MC’s, Blancmange, Alison Moyet, and "next generation" acts like Nation of Language and She Wants Revenge. As has become O3L tradition, we celebrate this annual event with an episode where we each pick the five acts that we are, or at least would be, most excited to see at this year’s festival. This year, we’ve got a special guest Third Lad joining us, a gentleman who can rightfully be called Gen X’s DJ - someone who grew up, like us, under the spell of this music and continues to keep it alive to not only our generation, but subsequent generations. Jake Rudh has hosted Minnesota Public Radio’s The Current for 15 years, the weekly Transmission club night in Minneapolis for nearly 25 years, he has been a resident DJ at the famous First Avenue (yes, where a lot of Purple Rain took place) for 15 years, as well as the annual ‘80s music festival '80s in the Sands in Mexico, which is hosted by Richard Blade and many of the classic MTV VJs. We also have Jake to thank for the amazing content on the Slicing Up Eyeballs Facebook page - album anniversaries, artist birthdays, tour announcements and other news. Plus, the world can partake in Transmission on Twitch, featuring 5+ hours of classic videos every week. Jake Rudh Website: https://transmission-music.com/djs/jake-rudh/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JakeRudh/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Blackpool, Lancashire lies on the Irish Sea on the northwest coast of England, situated roughly 50-some miles north of Liverpool and 50-some miles west of Manchester. This seaside destination may conjure up visions of tourists, the Promenade, Pleasure Beach, or Blackpool Tower, but this week we focus on Blackpool as a crucial stop on the musical map. Joining us for this engaging discussion is one of Blackpool's favourite musical sons, John Robb! John was outside enjoying a lovely sunny day in Manchester, and we were lucky to get nearly an hour of his time before his phone connection went kaput. John has been at the centre of Blackpool post-punk legends the Membranes from their original 1977-1990 run to their post-hiatus return since 2009. Their initial era (including their three UK Top 20 indie albums and three Top 20 indie singles) is covered on Cherry Red's comprehensive 5 CD box set, Everyone's Going Triple Bad Acid, Yeah! They added to their already impressive body of work in the 21st century with two of their finest and most ambitious albums yet: 2015's Dark Matter/Dark Energy and 2019's What Nature Gives...Nature Takes Away. But wait, there's far more to this multi-faceted artist. Aside from also leading the punk band Goldblade, Robb has also produced bands like Therapy? and Cornershop; been a TV presenter and pundit; a journalist; best-selling author (including The Art of Darkness - The History of Goth, Punk Rock: An Oral History, Stone Roses and the Resurrection of British Pop, The North Will Rise Again, and an upcoming Oasis biography); creator of the essential Louder Than War website and magazine; festival boss; green revolutionary; vegan behemoth...a true renaissance man. Thanks to Paul Richison for the suggestion and introduction! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the 2022 documentary The Elephant 6 Recording Co., they waste no time in addressing a very valid question: What exactly is Elephant 6? Is it a record label? (Yes, but not always.) Is it a collective of likeminded visionaries? (Yes.) Is the epicenter of E6 Athens, GA? Denver? Ruston, LA? (Yes. Yes. Yes.) It started with four high school friends in Ruston, Louisiana - Robert Schneider, Jeff Mangum, Will Cullen Hart, and Bill Doss - who shared a love of home recording and '60s psych pop and needed an imaginary label for their self-circulated tapes. Soon, the foursome of friends would form the three seminal bands of the collective - Schneider would relocate to Denver and put together the Apples in Stereo, with the other three heading to Athens. Hart and Doss would become the driving force behind Olivia Tremor Control and Mangum would establish his primary focus Neutral Milk Hotel. From there, it's a long and winding family tree with a lineage of interconnected bands sharing members in common and/or an aesthetic. For more than 30 years, E6 has represented a trademark of quality for lovers of intelligent, imaginative, blissful, beautifully strange pop music. According to the E6 website, there are a mere 51 bands who can lay claim to being an "official" part of the collective, and we are fortunate to have one of them joining us for this discussion of some of our favorite E6 songs. The Rishis are centered around the married duo of songwriters/vocalists Ranjan Avasthi and Sofie Lute, with keyboardist Marcel Sletten also joining us. Their transcendent self-titled second album (out now on Cloud Recordings) features the band's stunning combination of rootsy folk-pop, cosmic washes of hazy psychedelia, and the mystical power of Indian music. They bring the same energy and positivity that their music possesses to O3L. Word up! Dedicated to the memory of Bill Doss (1968-2012) and Will Cullen Hart (1971-2024). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Pearl E. Gates (aka Pearl Harbour) from Bay Area new wave faves Pearl Harbor & The Explosions gives us a glimpse of some of the artists of the era who had the biggest impact on her. Along the way, Pearl shares her fascinating story: a military brat growing up in Germany who makes her way to San Francisco with a plane ticket and $75, joins The Tubes as a backup singer and dancer, which led to joining Leila and the Snakes before spinning off to form Pearl Harbor & The Explosions. After the moderate success of their single "Drivin'" for indie label 415 Records, the band was signed to Warner Bros. Records for their self-titled debut album, released in January 1980. It's a dynamic record that mixes new wave energy with pop, R&B, rockabilly, and jazz. They shared stages with the likes of Talking Heads, The Police, The Clash, and The B-52's. Differences in opinion regarding the Explosions' musical direction led to Pearl departing for England, where she recorded her rootsy, rockin' 1980 solo album Don't Follow Me, I'm Lost Too, with a dream band including Wilko Johnson from Dr. Feelgood and members of the Blockheads and the Clash. In fact, in the '80s, Pearl was married to Clash bassist Paul Simonon. She also takes us through her rare mid-'80s album that never saw a U.S. release (Pearls Galore), her blazing '90s set Here Comes Trouble, and how her countrified return was sidelined by a lung cancer diagnosis. Now thankfully in remission, we are blessed to have this living icon of new wave history share her story. Oh, and in a head-turning twist, Uncle Gregg tackles the one question that nobody else has dared to ask! Liberation Hall has just released an expanded edition of Pearl Harbor & The Explosions on opaque sky-blue vinyl, CD and digital, containing bonus tracks and the original UK album cover design. https://pearlharbortheexplosions.bandcamp.com/album/pearl-harbor-the-explosions Special thanks to Randy Haecker from Prime Mover Media for the introduction and coordination! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 2008, they came down with a case of Party Fever!!! In 2024, they contracted Afterparty Fever!!! Now, in 2025, they have O3L Fever...and the only cure is more garage rock party records! (Well, that and an over-the-counter ointment.) Guitarist Sammy and vocalist/organist Helene 33 from "San Francisco's Last and Only Rock n' Roll Band" The Okmoniks join us for a rip-roarin', hip-shakin', foot-stompin', lip-smackin' garage rock party where we've each brought five of our favorite records. The best part is that you're all invited! Thank you to Chad Cornies from No Rules PR for the introduction to possibly the coolest couple on the planet! We are elated to be listed at #2 on Feedspot's list of the "10 Best Alternative Music Podcasts in 2025." This is our fifth year on this list, and we are very grateful! https://podcast.feedspot.com/alternative_music_podcasts/ O3L PodPerk of the Month: Save 15% off the slip-resistant cloudlike comfort of Stand Shoes. Enter promo code O3L at https://standshoes.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices