Only Three Lads - Classic Alternative Music Podcast

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 Proud members of the Pantheon Podcasts network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A brief, but extremely important, announcement. Big changes on April 1st! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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! Proud members of the Pantheon Podcasts family. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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: The Yellow Melodies - "Follow The Sun" Holy Smokes - "Chip On My Shoulder" Blank Generation - "Antihero" Couchboy - "Second Chances" SUPER 8 - "Keep Doing It" Autogramm - "Born Losers" Help us in supporting new music! Proud members of the Pantheon Podcasts family. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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

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. Proud members of the Pantheon Podcasts family. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. Proud members of the Pantheon Podcasts family. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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! Proud members of the Pantheon Podcasts family. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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

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! Proud members of the Pantheon Podcasts family. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. Proud members of the Pantheon Podcasts family. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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

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. Proud members of the Pantheon Podcasts family. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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: Dwight Twilley Band - 'I'm Losing You' Soft Science - 'True' The Journals Kept - 'Nothing In This World' Jamie Hoover - 'Genghis Khan' Special Friend - 'Wait Until The Flames Come Rushing In' Po! - 'Fay' Proud members of the Pantheon Podcasts family. #musicpodcast #bestnewmusic #alternativemusic #classicalternative #noisepop #indiepop #indierock #powerpop #alternative Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. Proud members of the Pantheon Podcasts family. #musicpodcast #musicpodcasts #classicalternative #punkrock #newwave #indiepop #indierock #collegerock #1stwave #C86 #synthpop #powerpop #britpop Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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: The Jasmine Minks - 'She Knows' Kurt Baker - 'She Don't Wanna Be Alone' The Happy Somethings & Slovenly Boy - 'I Don't Smoke Dope' Liz Borden - 'Sweet Pain' Royal Ottawa - 'Three Seven Zero' Goliath - 'Duck And Cover' Enjoy your weekend! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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??). Proud members of the Pantheon Podcasts family. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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

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: Treeboy & Arc - 'Behind The Curtain' (from Natural Habitat - https://treeboyandarc.bandcamp.com) Team Picture - 'Baby Rattlesnakes' (from The Meance Of Mechanical Music - https://teampicture.bandcamp.com) Bored At My Grandma's House - 'Showers' (from Sometimes I Forget You're Human Too - https://boredatmygrandmashouse.bandcamp.com) YOWL - 'The Machine' (from Milksick - https://YOWL.bandcamp.com) Van Houten - 'Moon' (from Van Houten - https://vanhoutenuk.bandcamp.com) 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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' Proud members of the Pantheon Podcasts family. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. Proud members of the Pantheon Podcasts family. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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

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). Proud members of the Pantheon Podcasts family. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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

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) Proud members of the Pantheon Podcasts family. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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

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

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. (Ain't Too) Proud (To Beg) members of the Pantheon Podcasts family. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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

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

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