Only Three Lads - Classic Alternative Music Podcast: Recent Episodes
O3L Media
The Rolling Stones once intoned that "it's the singer, not the song"...but this week, it's all about the song, as we celebrate the great songwriters of the O3L era. What better way to do that than with one of THE all time great songwriters, the legendary Graham Parker?!? We're still pinching ourselves.
Of course, you know his classic records with The Rumour like Howlin' Wind, Heat Treatment, and Squeezing Out Sparks, and songs like 'Silly Thing,' 'Hold Back The Night,' 'Hold Back The Night', 'Don't Ask Me Questions', 'Discovering Japan', 'Local Girls,' 'Life Gets Better,' 'Wake Up (Next To You),' and 'Get Started, Start A Fire.' But we're not here so much to look back at a remarkable past as we are to celebrate an artist who, 47 years into his recording career, is still relevant, vital and making some of his best music yet. His brilliant new album, Last Chance To Learn The Twist, was released on September 8th from our friends at Big Stir Records. The record was produced by GP & Tuck Nelson, and features his incredible backing band The Goldtops, backing singers The Lady Bugs and swinging brass from The Easy Access Orchestra. In this episode, you'll hear fascinating insights into the songwriting and recording processes for the new album, GP's songwriting inspirations, genres that don't exist, streaming, his biggest regret, and much more. And you'll be happy to know: THE GOUT IS ON ITS WAY OUT!
About Graham Parker (edited from Mark Demming's intro in the All Music Guide): Stereotyped early in his career as the quintessential angry young man, Graham Parker was one of the most celebrated singer/songwriters to emerge from England in the '70s. Drawing heavily from Van Morrison and the Rolling Stones, Parker developed a sinewy fusion of driving rock & roll and confessional folk-rock, highlighted by his indignant passion, biting sarcasm, and bristling anger. At the outset of his career, his albums crackled with energy, snide witticisms, and perceptive insights, earning him a devoted following of fans and critics, who lavished praise on his debut, 1976's Howlin' Wind, recorded with the Rumour, his backing band of pub rock all-stars. After delivering Squeezing Out Sparks in 1979, which was a smash with critics and won him a larger audience in the United States, Parker courted a crossover career with solo projects such as 1982's Another Grey Area and 1985's Steady Nerves before settling into a cult following in the late '80s and continuing to garner critical acclaim as his music mellowed but his lyrical perspective stayed sharp. At the behest of filmmaker Judd Apatow, Parker reunited with the Rumour for his movie This Is 40, which led to concert tours and a pair of albums, 2012's Three Chords Good and 2015's Mystery Glue. After the Rumour reunion ran its course, Parker formed a new band, the Goldtops, playing easygoing but committed R&B-informed rock on 2018's Cloud Symbols and 2023's Last Chance to Learn the Twist.
Technical note: We recorded this episode in two segments - we did our interview with GP first, and then reconvened a couple of nights later to record our top five lists (when Brett was sick and Uncle Gregg was at least a sheet and a half to the wind).
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We're 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 onlythreelads@gmail.com.
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Needless to say, we have fun every week here on O3L, but this one will have ya dancing in the streets guaranteed! We just can't help ourselves when it comes to talking about music influenced by "The Sound of Young America," Motown Records...especially when Heaven must have sent us this week's guest from above. What's going on, you ask? We guess you say, what can make us feel this way? Well, by now, you've probably heard it through the grapevine that it's the marvelous Arthur Alexander! (Oh, was that subtle enough?) Arthur has a very powerful story of rock n' roll salvation. Growing up in communist Poland in the '60s, Arthur discovered the power of rock through records pressed on postcards and through scratchy radio signals that the government attempted to silence, deeming this new musical form of freedom as a threat to society. It was the sound that united and invigorated legions of youth, inspired kids to form bands, and, for Arthur, paved the way for a new life in America. In the mid-70s, his band The Poppees were a part of the burgeoning New York scene, playing venues like CBGB and Max's Kansas City alongside The Heartbreakers, Ramones, and Blondie, despite eschewing straight ahead punk rock for the sounds of Merseybeat. After The Poppees, Arthur formed rockin' power pop group Sorrows, fulfilling his vision of crossing ABBA with The Sex Pistols. Sorrows issued two albums for CBS, 1980's Teenage Heartbreak (the sessions from that era also captured on the Bad Times, Good Times album) and 1981's Love Too Late. The latter was so badly botched by the record label that it prompted Sorrows to reform four decades later to put things right, to record the album that it should have been all along: Love Too Late...The Real Album. Arthur has also issued two marvelous solo albums in recent years, 2018's One Bar Left, and the brand new 2023 LP Steppin' Out on Big Stir Records. https://www.bigstirrecords.com. Signed, sealed and delivered, Your friends at O3L
And we're stickin' to it.
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Welcome to the O3L Weekend Six Pack, where we curate six recent songs to kick off your weekend! Your six-pack this weekend consists of:
1) The Radio Field - 'Other One' (from Don'ts and Dos, Subjangle) https://theradiofield.bandcamp.com 2) Graham Parker & The Goldtops - 'It Mattered To Me' (from Last Chance To Learn The Twist, Big Stir) https://www.bigstirrecords.com 3) The Che Men - 'Mill Hill' (The Beautiful Music) https://thebeautifulmusic.com 4) Swansea Sound - 'Twentieth Century' (from Twentieth Century, Skep Wax) https://swanseasound.bandcamp.com 5) The Lost Ships - 'Brittle Heart Foundation' (from Atoms Collide Forever, Subjangle) https://lostships.bandcamp.com 6) The New Fools - 'It's Just Not Enough' (from Seashells) https://thenewfools.bandcamp.com
Let us know what you think...should we make this a semi-regular feature? Hit us up on our social media pages or email us at onlythreelads@gmail.com. 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
It's the Summer of Love...Tractor, that is. That's because our friends in seminal Athens band Love Tractor return to O3L for an epic two parter as we discuss our Top 5 Summer Albums! It's time for the epic conclusion, where Love Tractor guitarists Mark Cline & Mike Richmond and bassist Armistead Wellford recount more wild, hilarious tales of the Athens scene in the '80s and the making of their second album, 1983's Around The Bend. We'll also divulge our #2 & #1 Summer Albums. If you didn't get enough sex, drugs & rock n' roll (or country rock, if a certain record label had their druthers) during part 1...well, you're in luck. Party at Little Richard's house! About Love Tractor: It is no act of misguided hyperbole to declare the genre-bending, art rock pioneers, Love Tractor one of the most influential bands of the past 43 years. As one of the inadvertent architects of the Athens, Georgia scene and sound, Love Tractor along with Pylon, The B-52’s, and R.E.M. were essential in staking out the jangly and disco-driven rock that would have — and still has—a huge influence on subsequent generations. Of those bands, Love Tractor always stood out as the most artistically brave and willing to fail in order to succeed. In 1983, Love Tractor released their second album, Around the Bend, which was accompanied by a popular MTV video for the song "Spin Your Partner." The album showcased the band's growth and evolution, incorporating vocals and other experimentations to enhance their sound. The record was well-received critically and commercially— topping the college charts, and solidifying Love Tractor's place in the alternative music landscape. Around The Bend (40th Anniversary Remastered Edition) is due out September 1, 2023, on Propeller Sound Recordings. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Surprise! We're back for a second episode this week, and it's the most uncharacteristic episode we've ever done. Don't change the dial on your podcast app...and this is not an April Fool's joke. Yes, we are covering our Top 5 Metallica Songs. If you're wondering what's gotten into the Lads, it's because we are celebrating the official Metallica podcast, The Metallica Report, joining the Pantheon Podcasts family! Here's the thing: If you've listened to O3L for any length of time, you probably know that Brett is about the furthest thing away from a "metal guy" as you can get. In fact, aside from a few songs from the radio and MTV, he never listened to a Metallica record before this week. But before you Metallica heads come at him with pitchforks, he has given it the ol' college try this week! And fortunately he has Uncle Gregg, who is a little more versed in the topic. So what do you say, huh? Let's get Metal AF!
Music from today's episode can be found on our playlist "O3L - E173 - Top 5 Metallica Songs on: Apple Music - https://music.apple.com/us/playlist/o3l-e173-top-5-metallica-songs/pl.u-RRbVNdDT1e6YDm Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5YqDInPHwEoJAMCek5EvIe?si=494cbd73f6fe4654
About The Metallica Report: Keep up with all things Metallica by going straight to the source for your news. This weekly report is hosted by Steffan Chirazi, long-time rock scribe and editor of the band’s online mag, So What!, and Renée Richardson, a well-known Bay Area radio personality who now oversees the band’s foundation, All Within My Hands. Steffan and Renée will keep you in the loop each week with updates, features, and interviews. They’ll also get YOUR questions answered by those in the know. It’s your quick, weekly fix covering our most relevant topics of the day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
It's the Summer of Love...Tractor, that is. That's because our friends in seminal Athens band Love Tractor return to O3L for an epic two parter as we discuss our Top 5 Summer Albums! During this first part, guitarists Mark Cline & Mike Richmond and bassist Armistead Wellford recount some wild, hilarious tales of the Athens scene in the '80s and the making of their second album, 1983's Around The Bend. We'll also divulge our #5 through #3 Summer Albums. And, no, you didn't accidentally stumble upon the High Times podcast. About Love Tractor: It is no act of misguided hyperbole to declare the genre-bending, art rock pioneers, Love Tractor one of the most influential bands of the past 43 years. As one of the inadvertent architects of the Athens, Georgia scene and sound, Love Tractor along with Pylon, The B-52’s, and R.E.M. were essential in staking out the jangly and disco-driven rock that would have — and still has—a huge influence on subsequent generations. Of those bands, Love Tractor always stood out as the most artistically brave and willing to fail in order to succeed. In 1983, Love Tractor released their second album, Around the Bend, which was accompanied by a popular MTV video for the song "Spin Your Partner." The album showcased the band's growth and evolution, incorporating vocals and other experimentations to enhance their sound. The record was well-received critically and commercially— topping the college charts, and solidifying Love Tractor's place in the alternative music landscape. Around The Bend (40th Anniversary Remastered Edition) is due out September 1, 2023, on Propeller Sound Recordings. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
"I wanted to be with you alone/And talk about the weather." Well put, Rollie & Curt. You could even say that we're head over heels about talking about songs about talking about the weather (or something like that).
And this week's supersized episode is a whole lotta talk about the weather. It's a whole lotta sunshine. A whole lotta rainbows. A whole lotta fun. A whole lotta laughs. A whole lotta (electric) mayhem. A whole lotta Van. A whole lotta Yoko. A whole lotta Studs Turkel. And, most importantly, a whole lotta Rob.
That's because our Third Lad this week is a kindred spirit, Rob Kassees, one of the hosts of the awesome podcast 1001 Album Complaints. Each week, Rob and his friends dissect a different album from Robert Dimery's book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. They approach each record with humor and an infectious mix of respect and irreverence, share stories and facts behind its creation, and ultimately vote whether you do truly need to hear the selected album before you die. It's a great show that gets a seal of approval from us! https://linktr.ee/thechopunlimited
Also: A brand new O3L game to commemorate Rob's appearance with us, Kill or Die! Plus, new music by Sheffield shoegazers The Suncharms ('Telescope') and Power Pop Hall of Famers Flashcubes (a cover of The Motors' 'Forget About You').
The Suncharms: Music | Sunday Records (bandcamp.com) Flashcubes: Big Stir Records - The Flashcubes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
1987: The year of the mega-album (Bad...Faith...The Joshua Tree...Appetite For Destruction...The Zit Remedy...) big, booming, glossy pop singles, hair metal, mall pop and hip-hop. But, lurking beneath that "high '80s" sheen were some of the finest alternative songs of the O3L era. That, dear listener, is where we come in. In 1987's indie world, it didn't get much bigger than The Wedding Present, led by singer/songwriter/guitarist AND this week's Third Lad, David Gedge. The Weddoes, as they are affectionately known by fans, scored a #1 indie LP with their debut full-length, George Best, and occupied five spots (including four in the Top 10) on the legendary John Peel's year end Festive Fifty list. Over the next decade, The Wedding Present would remain a vital fixture on the scene, racking up 16 UK Top 40 hits. In 1992 alone, they tied a record set by Elvis Presley by releasing twelve Top 30 singles within a twelve-month period. Since then, the ever-prolific self-professed "workaholic" Gedge has released a consistent string of records both under The Wedding Present and Cinerama monikers, right up to the brand new Weddoes triple album 24 Songs. 24 Songs collects the twelve 7" singles (once every month) that Gedge and band released during 2022. This remarkable set is now available from Happy Happy Birthday To Me in the US and Clue Records in the UK. https://hhbtm.bandcamp.com. Come on in to the deep end...just remember that we're never gonna give you up.
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Manchester, so much to answer for. Join the "belligerent ghouls" of O3L as we explore some of the best albums to come out of this fine city in the north of England...Cottonopolis...Mamucian. In this episode:
New music from Swedish garage rockers Råttanson ('How Many Days Till Summer') and classic power pop hitmakers Tommy Tutone ('White Flag')!
Uncle Gregg is sick, and his cocktail of DayQuil and whiskey leads to questionable advice on smoking and strip clubs.
Brett gives you some Manchester fun facts with which to wow your friends at the next pub trivia night.
Yoko Ono, country music, ice cream, libraries, boobies, and...
RISSOLES!!
musicpodcast #musicpodcasts #manchester #madchester #britpop #indiepop #newwave #punkrock #classicalternative #1stwave #baggy
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We're, like, totally back for Part II of our new wave extravaganza! But, no, we shan't gag you with a spoon. For this epic exploration, we welcome not one, but TWO Third Lads: Peter Godwin is the acclaimed singer, songwriter and musician who first entered the public eye in 1977 with the suave art rock of Metro, formed with Duncan Browne and whose signature track “Criminal World” was later covered by none other than David Bowie. After three albums, lineup shifts, and an increasing pop sensibility, Metro called it a day and Godwin struck out solo to release new wave era dance floor fillers such as “Baby’s In The Mountains” “The Art Of Love” and the sublime classic “Images Of Heaven,” as well as writing, producing and playing for other notable musicians. Leah Lane is the insanely talented singer, songwriter and musician behind Dallas based post punk band Rosegarden Funeral Party, who have released a steady stream of hauntingly dark and beautiful music over the past 6 years . And Together, Peter and Leah make up the duo known as RE/Generation. The first fruit of their musical partnership is out now, a single featuring a cover of Bowie’s “Absolute Beginners” and the gorgeous original “Beautiful Boy,” with more on the way. During this segment, we'll count down from our #3 to #1 new wave albums, and delve further into Peter & Leah's music...including Leah's surprising musical obsession! Featured music during this episode:
RE/GENERATION: 'Beautiful Boy'
Rosegarden Funeral Party: 'Ill And Getting Worse'
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musicpodcast #musicpodcasts #newwave #punkrock #synthpop #gothrock #classicalternative #1stwave #alternativerock #modernrock #mtv
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Let the good times roll with a two part extravaganza tackling a topic near and dear to our hearts…new wave albums! Journey back to the era when video killed the radio star, and a new crop of meaningful artists influenced by the spirit and freedom of punk rock captured our imagination.
For this epic exploration, we welcome not one, but TWO Third Lads: Peter Godwin is the acclaimed singer, songwriter and musician who first entered the public eye in 1977 with the suave art rock of Metro, formed with Duncan Browne and whose signature track “Criminal World” was later covered by none other than David Bowie. After three albums, lineup shifts, and an increasing pop sensibility, Metro called it a day and Godwin struck out solo to release new wave era dance floor fillers such as “Baby’s In The Mountains” “The Art Of Love” and the sublime classic “Images Of Heaven,” as well as writing, producing and playing for other notable musicians. Leah Lane is the insanely talented singer, songwriter and musician behind Dallas based post punk band Rosegarden Funeral Party, who have released a steady stream of hauntingly dark and beautiful music over the past 6 years . And Together, Peter and Leah make up the duo known as RE/Generation. The first fruit of their musical partnership is out now, a single featuring a cover of Bowie’s “Absolute Beginners” and the gorgeous original “Beautiful Boy,” with more on the way.
Our first part contains great insights from Peter & Leah on their process and music separately and together, as well as our #5 and #4 picks. Then, stay tuned for the conclusion next week! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
We've got you covered...nah. Duck and cover...nope. Maybe you can judge a song by its cover...forget it, that's dumb. Well, after laboriously trying to find the right "cover" pun, we'll just leave it at this: This week, we're talking about cover versions. In short, versions of songs that were originally recorded by another artist. And there were oodles and gobs of brilliant cover versions during the O3L era, including many by the wildly popular British '90s band Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine.
Hey, maybe we're better at segues than we are at puns, because our Third Lad this week is Jim Bob from Carter USM! With his musical partner Fruitbat in Carter USM, Jim racked up four Top 10 albums, 14 Top 40 singles, including a string of classics like 'Sheriff Fatman,' 'Bloodsport For All,' 'After The Watershed,' and 'The Only Living Boy In New Cross,' and headlined Glastonbury before calling it a day (for the first time) in 1997. Carter defied categorization, with an anything-goes juxtaposition of styles of punk to dance, with biting wit, keen social commentary and a knack for clever wordplay.
But Jim Bob couldn't stop there, and has become one of pop's renaissance men. Since Carter, he has written two memoirs, six novels, a stage production, and released 12 solo records, including his latest, Thanks For Reaching Out, out from Cherry Red on 30th June. The album contains 38 minutes of pop, punk rock, devastatingly moving ballads and more topical than an episode of Newsnight, with songs about Putin (‘The Day of Reckoning’), the Taliban (‘This is End Times’) and whoever ‘Billionaire in Space’ is about. It’s not all doom and gloom though (it’s mostly doom and gloom). ‘Sebastian’s Gone On A Ridelaong’ is a hilarious psychobilly romp and the pre-coronation written ‘The Prince of Wales’ is like a pub lock-in, it’s Bowie’s ‘Kooks’ for older people. During this episode, you'll also get a first listen of Jim's cover of The Psychedelic Furs' 'Pretty In Pink,' which is featured on a covers bonus disc available with the CD version of Thanks For Reaching Out.
Among the topics "covered" during this episode: Power ballads! Duck Hunt! Interior decorating! The brilliance of Mark Reynolds aka Stuff by Mark! Serial killer chic! Music video controversy! Milwaukee! Drowning bands! Stevie Wonder in a sock! Jim entering his Young Americans period! And loads of British enthusiasm!
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NEW EPISODE ALERT! Drop your list in the comments below. We make sure everything is in its right place this week, because we're talking about the albums with the best track sequencing. Like a great book or movie, a great record has an artistically satisfying beginning, middle and ending. We go waaaaaaaay back with the music of this week's Third Lad...like two, maybe three weeks? During our recent Animal Songs episode, Graham Kemp from Urusei Yatsura chose the song "Bugs" by fellow Scottish band Spare Snare. Not being previously familiar with the band, we took a crash course in Spare Snare's music, listening to and loving everything they've put out in their 30+ year career. Fast forward a few weeks, and now minted as superfans, it is our great pleasure to welcome singer/songwriter/guitarist Jan Burnett from Spare Snare! Spare Snare's marvelous new album, The Brutal, will be out May 12th. It is their second album (and first of all-new material) to be recorded by the legendary Steve Albini. As a special treat for O3L listeners, we've got an exclusive first listen to one of the tracks from the album called "Wifi." Listen for the answers to these hard hitting questions and more: - Is Jan a fan of the Dan?- Is he really Scottish?- What's it like to be voted the 46th best band in Scottish music history?- What's under the kilt?- Is Steve Albini a magic genie?
This week, we take a look back at the incredible albums of 1978. In a year when Uncle Gregg was just playing with his squeezebox and Brett was gettin' down to Sesame Street Fever, our Third Lad Jim Basnight was right in the thick of the Seattle music scene. 1978 was the year Basnight's power pop combo The Moberlys formed, straddling the line between melodic Beatlesque songcraft and tightly wound, hormonally charged garage rock. From those nascent days (which have been compiled on the recent Early Years compilation) to his latest solo album, 2019's aptly titled Not Changing, Jim Basnight has been delighting pop music fans for well over 40 years. In this insightful, fun-filled episode, we talk about early musical influences, opening for Ramones, The Police and Greg Kihn, the New York punk scene, Seattle grunge, drunken nights, hard rock, bubblegum and blues roots, and a whole lot more. Plus, we play both sides of the latest single off of Early Years, "Live In The Sun" and "Bebe I'm Gonna Leave You." It's the show that caused Jim to exclaim, "I didn't realize what kind of complete nerds you guys are!" It's just what you needed! #musicpodcast #musicpodcasts #podnation #1stwave #classicalternative #70smusic #1978music #1978albums #punkrock #newwave #powerpop #classicrock
When it comes to Vince Clarke, we just can't get enough (was that too obvious?). So "don't go" anywhere (how 'bout that one?)!
Born Vincent John Martin on July 3, 1960 in South Woodford, Essex, England, Vince Clarke is a classically trained musician who got the bug to make electronic music after hearing Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark in the late ‘70s, which led to the formation of a band with school chum Andy Fletcher called No Romance In China. Shortly after, the duo added Martin Gore to the mix and called themselves Composition of Sound. With the addition of lead vocalist Dave Gahan, Composition of Sound morphed into Depeche Mode. Following the first Depeche Mode album Speak & Spell, Clarke teamed up with Alison Moyet for Yazoo, releasing two huge albums and a string of singles that hovered near the top of the charts. After Yaz, Clarke took up various production duties and projects, most notably The Assembly, before landing upon his most formidable partnership with Andy Bell in Erasure - an alliance that has resulted in 19 studio albums to date, including 5 that have hit #1 in the UK, and some of the most beloved singles of the past nearly 40 years. That’s only scratching the surface, of course, but let’s just put it this way…he is an electronic music pioneer, a synth-pop legend, someone who helped to expand the definition of what a rock star looks like and sounds like.
Because some might say that we have trouble at times sticking to the topic at hand, we also cover the newly minted adult in Uncle Gregg's house (hint: it's not him), intimacy issues, a genius (question mark?) way to save the planet, jorts, hot knees, and cuddles. Lots o' cuddles. And what does Hollywood legend Jamie Kennedy have to do with Vince Clarke? We're not sure either.
One thing's for certain...we will NOT be calling ourselves Only Three Lads US!
Awww yeah!
Our O3L Spotlight Artist of the Week is UK garage rock trio The Len Price 3, whose 2007 debut album is being reissued on April 7th by Little Steven's Wicked Cool Records. The record will be available on vinyl for the first time, and also contains four unreleased bonus tracks on CD and digital. We are thrilled to play one of those unreleased tracks, the incendiary "Break Your Neck" on this week's episode.
This week, we unleash the beasts and spotlight songs that reference animals in the title...for example, the 1997 UK Top 40 hit "Hello Tiger" by Scottish lo-fi indie rock band band Urusei Yatsura. It's a happy coincidence, then, that our Third Lad this week is none other than singer/songwriter/guitarist GRAHAM KEMP from URUSEI YATSURA! Urusei Yatsura was formed in Glasgow 30 years ago this week, and released three full length albums from 1996 to 2000, a clutch of singles & EPs, as well as compilations of rarities, live tracks and BBC radio sessions. Taking their name from a popular Japanese anime/manga (and simply known as Yatsura in the US and Japan due to legal reasons), the noisy "geek rock" band carved out a unique place in the British musical landscape. And there's another great reason to celebrate - their 1996 debt album, We Are Urusei Yatsura, has recently been expanded to a 2 LP reissue, complete with b-sides, demos and unreleased tracks! It's out now on Rocket Girl Records at https://uruseiyatsuraband.bandcamp.com, or try https://t.co/Y3rsuSFW00 in the US. Join us as we discuss the formation of Urusei Yatsura, the Glasgow music scene, the importance of John Peel, hard-to-pronounce names, keeping a well stocked larder, Megan Thee Stallion lyrics, The Wallflowers, and much, much more. Plus, we introduce the latest (and dumbest) world famous O3L game, "Only Three Lads Had A Farm." So don't you get fresh with us...E-I-E-I-O, suckas! #musicpodcast #musicpodcasts #classicalternative #indierock #geekrock #punkrock #newwave #1stwave #britpop #grunge #indiepop
Oh my stars! This week, we get totally far out as we discuss some of our top songs of the era with a space theme. It's totally out of this world.
We cover a lot of ground...or space, as the case may be, since we determined that we've traveled hundreds of thousands of miles just during the course of the episode. Yes, that's just one of several space facts that you will learn. Also: We celebrate 50,000 downloads and counting! Wiggy Rockstone! Jean Nate'! All sorts of Kellies! Peanut butter! Trippy kids' TV (and the resulting crushes)! Revolutionary teenage bands! Gramps is no longer unemployed! AI song lyrics! John Taylor clones!
So hop on the O3L rocketship and let's gooooooooooo!
$@% yeah, it's another ^#%* episode of Only Three Lads! And it's Uncle Gregg's $#!@-tastic birthday, and he'll ^@$& if he wants to!
This week, we use a lot of four letter words...but it's not nearly as tawdry as you think. We're covering songs with four letters in the title.
Plus: Uncle Gregg is unemployed! Fee Waybill's #*@%! Vampelephants!
Our O3L Spotlight Artist of the Week is Nottingham, England's Peter Hall. In a modern musical landscape that uses a term like "bangers," Hall revels in melodic indie rock that reminds listeners of what true songcraft can be. His new mini-album, About Last Night,is out now on Subjangle: https://peterhallmusic.bandcamp.com/album/about-last-night From this release, we play the stunning "For Love."
For our landmark 150th episode, we bring you an episode that made Brett so giddy that he nearly piddled. That's right, folks, our Third Lad this week is none other than Phil Wilson from seminal UK indie pop band The June Brides.
During their initial run from 1983 - 1986, The June Brides released some of the most beloved singles of the era and the chart-topping album There Are Eight Million Stories... Originally under the spell of Postcard bands like Orange Juice and Josef K, the Brides' unique blend of guitar pop with viola and trumpet has in turn been wildly influential from C86 to Britpop and beyond. High profile fans like Morrissey, Manic Street Preachers, and Belle & Sebastian's Stuart Murdoch have acknowledged The June Brides' impact. Following the band's breakup, Phil recorded material for Creation and Caff before leaving the music business behind in the late '80s.
In the 21st century, The June Brides have returned for live gigs and recordings. Phil also released an acclaimed solo album for Slumberland in 2010, God Bless Jim Kennedy, as well as self releasing collections of home recordings.
Because your humble hosts of Only Three Lads are Only Two Idiots, it was a late realization that we already covered this topic in Episode 131. Therefore, we present our first "Volume II" episode, where we take a previously covered topic and put a fresh spin on it with all new selections. What do you think? Should we add some more past topics back into the randomizer?
As you would expect, we explore all kinds of dangerous diversions, dark alleyways and wabbit holes - Motley Crüe, Montrose, Andy Bell's "pendulum", a missed meeting with David Byrne, Coke mix-ups.
As Gregg would say: it's on like Donkey Kong!
Three is a magic number, yes it is...and good thing it is, because this week we take a look at our top musical trios of the O3L era.
Appropriately enough, our Third Lads are The Monkey Power Trio (who are actually five guys, but we only got three of them...so that counts as a trio, right?!?). The MPT have a fascinating slant, as band member Dan Richardson told us:
"We are the Monkey Power Trio, a band of dummies who pledged in our twenties to record music once a year for one day without practicing or planning ahead and then to release the 'best' of that one day as 'music.' The last guy alive, by pact, has to do a solo album, thereby completing the project and avoiding the hauntings of already departed members. We just finished our 26th year. None of us is dead yet."
We had a blast hanging out with Dan, Mark and Matt for this episode. We missed Mike and Dave. Dave...
Oh, and this one definitely earned its "explicit" tag. It contains some language that will make your ears bleed and mind melt. Hide the kiddies.
We recorded this episode a few hours before the news broke that we sadly lost Trugoy the Dove from hip-hop trio De La Soul. Trugoy, this one's for you.
Finally, if you're listening to this on release day, Happy Valentine's Day from Only Three Lads. We loves ya to pieces!
A-HA! We go "back to the future" to 1985 to discuss our Top 5 Songs from that incredible year. In many ways, 1985 was the heart of the BIG 80s...big hair, big, loud day-glo imagery, big booming snare drums, big synth sounds, big hits. On the other hand, 1985 was also a year filled with a lot of incredible indie pop, garage rock, neo-pysch and post-punk music.
One of those bands was The Dentists, a leading light of the Medway, UK scene in the mid-80s. They debuted in 1985 with a prolific spate of releases: their first single, "Strawberries Are Growing In My Garden (And It's Wintertime)", the full-length album Some People Are On The Pitch They Think It's All Over It Is Now and a six-track EP, You And Your Bloody Oranges. Each release masterfully blended '60s psych-pop, garage, and chiming, harmony-laden folk-rock that was mercifully out of step with the "Big 80s" sound. Over the course of the next decade, the band would release 1990's Heads And How To Read Them, 1993's Powdered Lobster Fiasco, 1994's Behind The Door I Keep The Universe, and 1995's Deep 6 (the last two for major label Warner subsidiary EastWest), as well as more singles, EPs, and compilations. The AllMusic Guide refers to The Dentists as "arguably the first Britpop band."
It is our great pleasure to welcome Dentists' guitarist Bob Collins and bassist Mark Matthews as our Third Lads this week. Along with a 40 year history as friends, Mark and Bob are bandmates once again in The Treasures Of Mexico. They offer great insights on their history, and took their homework assignment seriously, coming up with a fantastic and thoughtful list of 1985 tracks. During the show, you will hear The Treasures Of Mexico's 2021 single "Always The Shadows" and vintage 1985 Dentists track "I Had An Excellent Dream."
Finally...a Dentists visit to look forward to!
Hey, all you young (and not-so-young) dudes. electric warriors, starmen, and foxes on the run! If UK glam rock is your bag, then you'll definitely want to feel this noize and get it on with these 20th century boys. Put on your electric boots and mohair suits because it's, it's a podcast blitz!
Translation for the squares out there: we're talking about our Top 5 UK Glam & Glitter songs this week. While it just made a minor splash in the US underground with bands like New York Dolls. glam rock was THE sound of young Britain in the early-to-mid '70s. A punchy mix of amped-up rock n' roll energy, anthemic pop hooks, teenage angst, and a flair for outlandish, flamboyant theatrics, glam ushered in a new era of pop stars who challenged gender stereotypes and brought a sense of fun and excitement back to a rock landscape that was beginning to take itself far too seriously. Artists such as David Bowie, T.Rex, Slade, Sweet, and...uh...Mud became household names and fixtures on the pop charts and TV screens.
One of the bands who carried the influence of glam into the '80s was Southern California's The Joneses, led by singer/songwriter/guitarist...and Third Lad this week, Jeff Drake. Formed in 1981, The Joneses synthesized glam, garage punk, '50s rock n' roll, Stonesy swagger, rockabilly and country & western and became one of the biggest drawing bands in the LA and Orange County areas. Their electrifying performances earned them a rapturous following and a nod as the "Best Live Band" in a 1984 LA Weekly readers poll. They sang about drugs, booze, sex and criminals, but also had the lifestyle to back it up - leading to Drake's battle with heroin addiction and federal imprisonment for bank robbery. Now, JD bears all with his unflinchingly honest memoir, Guilty! My Life As A Member of The Joneses, A Heroin Addict, A Bank Robber and A Federal Inmate, out now from HoZac Books.
Aside from the normal fun we have, this is a wild tale of rock n' roll and redemption that you do not want to miss!
What's the first thing you think of when you hear the phrase "guitar riff"? Big, stadium filling, wall-rattling riffs like "Smoke On The Water", "Whole Lotta Love", "Iron Man" or "Brown Sugar"? Well, even if they're not as instantly recognizable as their classic rock brethren, we've got plenty of amazing displays of riffery (yeah, we realize that's not a real word, Webster's) going on in the classic alternative world too. Our Third Lad this week is not only someone who has heard a heck of a lot of loud guitar riffs in his life, but has made a career of capturing iconic moments of some of the biggest artists in the world (The Who, Led Zeppelin, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, Fleetwood Mac, Tina Turner), alternative legends (The Clash, Nirvana, REM, The Replacements, The Jam), and the lesser known heroes of the underground (Compulsive Gamblers, The Pudz, Tupelo Chain Sex). Now photographer Marty Perez has compiled some of his greatest portraits into a new compendium on Hozac Books called Kill A Punk For Rock & Roll: Photographs by Marty Perez 1976-2019. It's a veritable who's-who of rock & roll over the past 40+ years, and is an essential time capsule for any music fan. Marty was a blast, with terrific stories, insights and some unusual picks (hey, that's usually Brett's job). We turn our first O3L Spotlight of Season 4 onto a power pop/punk band out of the Isle of Wight, Reminders. A failing transatlantic relationship and a timeless riff are all it took for Reminders to produce their most authentic power pop track to date. “International Dial Tones” feels like summer, reads like infatuation, and sounds like (a Gen Z) Undertones/Ramones supergroup. They are a true punk rock power trio firing on all cylinders, straight from the garage, rough around the edges, and yet the most refined we’ve heard the band yet. The beach punk boys of 2022 enter 2023 having graduated into bonafide songsmiths, and there is no further proof necessary than “International Dial Tones.” #musicpodcast #musicpodcasts #classicalternative #punkrock #newwave #1stwave #indierock #indiepop #alternativerock #guitar #guitarriffs
Hurrah! It's a brand new O3L, where we discuss our Top 5 EPs & Mini-Albums with singer/songwriter Paul Handyside. We love the EP, or Extended Play, perched somewhere in between a traditional single and a full length album. Sometimes they compile album tracks or previous singles, and other times they are conceived as complete works designed to stand up on their own. Either way, they're short, they're fun, and leave you wanting more. Other than beings short, sounds a lot like this podcast, eh? ("Yes." The correct answer is "Yes.") Oh, and spoiler alert: We have the rare "triple crossover" in this episode. Can you guess what it is?
So join us for a rousing chorus of "Shubby Shubby Go!", won't you?
About Paul Handyside:
Paul Handyside is a folk and roots singer/songwriter. His song writing style has been compared to artists as varied as Chris Difford, Billy Bragg, Robyn Hitchcock, Green Gartside, Elvis Costello, Jeff Buckley and Martin Carthy.
He began his musical career with eighties indie darlings Hurrah! The jangle pop band had a run of classic singles (including Paul's "The Sun Shines Here", "Hip Hip", and "Sweet Sanity") and album releases on Kitchenware and Arista Records from 1982 to 1991, and toured extensively worldwide. During the nineties he toured and recorded with friend and Kitchenware labelmate Martin Stephenson.
Handyside formed Bronze in 2001. Still embracing chiming, Rickenbacker driven pop, and increasingly alt country, they released two albums, The Statue in the Stone and A Common Prayer. His debut solo album Future's Dream, a combination of pop, country and modern day hymns was released in 2007 to great reviews. The second album Wayward Son followed in 2013 and further developed his own brand of folk-tinged americana. Tide, Timber & Grain was released in 2016 with elements of traditional British folk and sixties protest songs emerging in Handyside's now well established and diverse musical palette.
The fourth album Loveless Town was released 21st of May 2021. As is evident in the title track he songs have an even stronger resonance with country and americana, the counterpoint to which is “Hartley Pit Catastrophe”, a true story from his native North East with its English folk sensibilities. Handyside is aided and abetted by long time cohorts Dave Porthouse on double bass and melodeon and by Rob Tickell, who also produced the album, on guitar and dobro.
It's time to kick off our 4th Golden Year in Fashion! For our Season Premiere, the two not-so-Young Americans (uhhhhh, Dusty Satellites & Dani Turquoise) are joined by singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist/producer Julian Shah-Tayler. If it wasn't already apparent, the focus of this week's show is one of the most pivotal and influential figures in music history, David Bowie. We take on the nearly impossible task of choosing our Top 5 Bowie Songs, because we apparently like to torture ourselves like that. Over the course of his 50+ year career, Bowie earned a reputation as a trailblazing artist and musical chameleon, constantly evolving, challenging and shedding personas and styles. On release day, it is seven years since his tragic passing, but he remains a singular cultural icon whose music will live on forever.
Julian Shah-Tayler is an acclaimed UK-born, LA-based singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer who is not only a huge Bowie fan, but also the lead singer ("Electric Duke") in The Band That Fell To Earth: A David Bowie Odyssey. He also plays keyboards in the world's foremost Depeche Mode tribute band, Strangelove: The Depeche Mode Experience, and continues to prolifically release a string of his original music under both his own name and The Singularity. His most recent album of self-penned material, 2022's Elysium, has garnered radio support and rave reviews - including respected indie magazine The Big Takeover, who proclaimed it to be a "vivid, dynamic to reflective, and catchy record" that "takes the listener on a voyage through the building back of hope through the different moods and stages of love." Most importantly, he is gracious, charitable, and promotes the awesome power of music to pull people together as one tribe. All that and Mick Jagger-esque good looks??
Oh yeah, and as if he needed yet another feather in his cap, we gave him the coolest glam name too!
Special thanks to Paul Richison for suggesting Julian as a guest!
As we get ready for Season 4's launch, take a journey back to some of our earliest episodes during O3L Flashback Week! We conclude our flashback series by bringing our most popular episode yet back into circulation, the "main" episode of our three part extravaganza with Love Tractor. Not only are Love Tractor art rock pioneers and founding members of the legendary Athens, GA alternative scene, but they also become our new BFFs. We love Love Tractor, and we reckon you either already do or soon will!
Thanks for taking this trip down memory lane with us. The Season 4 premiere is tomorrow, January 10th!
As we get ready for Season 4's launch, take a journey back to some of our earliest episodes during O3L Flashback Week! We had to do something cool for our 50th episode, and we can't think of anything cooler than having the Queen of Cool, Vanessa Briscoe Hay from Pylon, on O3L. This highly influential band was called "the greatest arty party band" and "eons ahead of their time" by Rolling Stone, "raw, minimalist, brainy and danceable" by Pitchfork, "pioneering, good-humoured and brilliant" by Uncut, and "cool as hell" by PopMatters. High praise indeed! Not only is Vanessa cool, but she was also very gracious, generous with her time, has an awesome Top 5 list, and great stories to share.
As we get ready for Season 4's launch, take a journey back to some of our earliest episodes during O3L Flashback Week! We head to our super special Season 2 premiere, where we welcomed one of the most recognizable and legendary voices in alternative music, SiriusXM, radio and TV personality, author, screenwriter, game show contestant (and did we mention legend?) RICHARD BLADE. The stories are incredible - if you missed this one the first time around, you definitely want to check this out, and then our bonus episode available at: https://www.podbean.com/ew/pb-p78d4-f6b519.
As we get ready for Season 4's launch, take a journey back to some of our earliest episodes during O3L Flashback Week! Today, it's Season 1, Episode 37, where we had a lot of fun saluting the ladies of the classic alternative era - the trailblazers and the legends.
Along the way, we cover Bueno's celebrity crushes, Jepheads and Blinks, and debut our hot new country jam "Gotta Truck, Gotta Dog." Hey, it's a work in progress.
The ghost of Jim Backus commands you to listen!
As we get ready for Season 4's launch, take a journey back to some of our earliest episodes during O3L Flashback Week! Today, it's Season 1, Episode 29, where
we discuss our Top 5 Various Artist Compilation Albums, and we've come up with (to quote an old K-Tel album) pure gold. But wait...there's more!
You get these smashes and more:
"Be Bueno" (12" Remix)
"You'll Come Around, Gregg"
"I'd Like To Punch Reel Big Fish Silly (But They Probably Had It Comin')"
Act now - supplied are limited!**
**No, they're not.
As we get ready for Season 4's launch, take a journey back to some of our earliest episodes during O3L Flashback Week! Season 1, Episode 24 was originally released on July 28, 2020, and it's one of those "off the rails" episodes. Aside from discussing some of the greatest alternative music ever created, Uncle Gregg gives us a taste of movie cheese, Brett reveals his obvious mastery of a Dutch accent, and Bueno?!? Well, let's just say you have to hear it to believe it. So, pour yourself a Double Palmer and stay awhile!
As we get ready for Season 4's launch, take a journey back to some of our earliest episodes during O3L Flashback Week!
Today we bring you Season 1, Episode 15, originally released on May 26, 2020. The episode contains excerpts from our interview with the very first guest on O3L - Robert Vickers from The Go-Betweens. What an incredible thrill that was too! Whatever we have is yours, and it's right here.
As we get ready for Season 4's launch, take a journey back to some of our earliest episodes during O3L Flashback Week! First up is the very beginning - Season 1, Episode 1, originally released on February 12, 2020. Ah, the world was so innocent back then...and we were so awkward. It's like looking back at an old yearbook. So take this trip back down memory lane with us. We recognize that you will be laughing at us, not with us.
In our Season 3 finale, we spend another week outside of the normal O3L era to discuss our Top 5 Songs of 2022. Not only that, but we have something really special for you, as our Third Lads this week are Sarah Cogan and Dylan Frankland from Toronto dream pop band Tallies. Yes, that's right...the band behind the 2022 record Patina that Brett picked as his #1 album of the year last week.
We cover a lot of the amazing songs that this year had to offer, from deep underground tracks to the tunes that had the whole world singing along, as well as a whole bunch of other totally 2022 topics: Condiments! Kool-Aid! Urban Outfitters! Gothic Horror Clowns! Politicians (isn't that kinda the same thing as gothic horror clowns??)! Climate change! Swifties! Plus, Sarah & Dylan offer insights into their new album, their writing process, and Tallies' 2022 highlights. If you are already a Tallies fan, you'll love this episode...if you're new to Tallies, be prepared to become a fan!
Happy New Year! We can't wait for you to see what's in store for Season 4!
About Tallies:
Tallies started in earnest when singer Sarah Cogan, guitarist Dylan Frankland, and drummer Cian O’Neill began collaborating in late 2017. A proto-version of the band began at Algonquin College, when Sarah met Dylan during a music engineering course that saw the two become lab partners. All throughout their career, they’ve dove into the bands that would influence their sound–the Sundays, the Smiths, Aztec Camera–all while adding their own signature elements; Sarah’s airy-yet-arresting vocals, Dylan’s stunning gossamer guitar work, Cian’s astronomic drumming. They got down to business rather quickly, as in 2019, their debut self-titled album was released on Hand Drawn Dracula in Canada and Kanine Records in the United States. Solidifying the band’s stature as Canada’s leading dream pop scholars, its mix of upbeat pop hooks and heady, larger-than-life production won the band critical acclaim from the indie underground to the mainstream alike. They began work straight away on a second record, which would prove to be an even more life-affirming endeavor than their debut. With their brand new sophomore album, Patina, Toronto-based indie pop band Tallies have found a way to expertly walk that razor-thin tightrope, nodding to their favorite bands of the past while transforming their sound into something tight, bright, and undeniably fresh.
This week, Uncle Gregg and Brett step out of the classic alternative era to discuss their Top 5 Albums of 2022. Anything goes...and it does!
The Lads also play an informal game of "Have Yourself a Creepy Little Christmas" (Note from Gregg: Brett doesn't even stand a chance. Bow to your sensei!), draw the line at what does/does not qualify as a cookie, practice their Cookie Monster vocal techniques, and share what song should be added to YOUR holiday playlist this year.
'Tis the season...for the 3rd Annual O3L Holiday Party, in which we invite members from the listener community to join us the recording of a special holiday themed episode. Joining us this year: Paul from Stockton, CA; Tony from Mira Loma, CA; Julio from Puebla, MX (the returning game champ); Brian (Brett's brother) from Escondido, CA; Dr. Don from Overland Park, KS; Julie from Los Angeles, CA; and Kimberly from Downey, CA (and straight outta Compton).
Even if you missed the party, you're still invited to listen in on the fun! Everyone shares their fondest holiday musical memories. We play two exciting new O3L games. We talk about our "revolutionary" bands, Peter Pan Records, The Chipmunks, street cred, Hungarian cursing, Dr. Don ruining Christmas, Menudo (yes, the food and the singing sensations), bin diving, and much, much more.
Plus, hear the world premiere of Brett's brand new holiday song, "Straight Down The Chimney"!
A splendid time is guaranteed for all!
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 Oliver Bewley (son 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 first formed in 1979 when skaters, Chris Bewley and John Moore, began writing songs together after school on a pair of second-hand guitars. The two first met as early teen-agers having been recruited separately by Mike Maloof, founder, and manager of Atlanta-based Progressive Skate shop. Bewley and Moore traveled the Southeast competing and marketing Maloof’s “Equalizer” skateboard decks and “Accelerator” wheels. Eventually, Moore was recruited by the Z-East team, in Jacksonville, Florida to ride professionally for their Z-Flex brand of decks and wheels. While Bewley was recruited by Sabre Skateboards out of northern Alabama to represent their laminated skate decks at competitions and demos.
In the summer of 1979 Moore entered his freshman year at Georgia Tech University and Bewley was invited by his older brother Randy to join his group Pylon as they made their way to New York for their first show opening for Gang of Four. During this trip Bewley became immersed in the New York post-punk music scene and was inspired to start a band of his own. Once back in Atlanta Bewley and Moore began writing songs and practicing. The early version of Current Rage was Bewley and Moore on guitar, Pat Kirkland on drums and Norman Hanson on lead vocals. In mid-1980 Current Rage performed their first show in Athens at the 40th Watt Club opening for The Method Actors. Next, they performed at Atlanta’s newly opened 688 Club with The Swimming Pool Q’s. Current Rage became the “go to” opening act that year at the 688 Club performing several times each month opening for numerous national and regional acts. By the beginning of 1981 Current Rage was headlining shows in both Athens and Atlanta and began venturing out to Charlotte, Nashville, Chattanooga, and Birmingham. Once the band had found their true drummer in Paul Lenz, who they enticed away from the Atlanta underground band, Vietnam, the original drummer Pat Kirkland shifted his focus to lead vocals and supplemental percussion while Hanson left to start his new band Feast of Friends.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.
The first pressing of “Seven Songs” yielded 400 copies that were sold primarily at Southeastern independent record stores. Garnering significant east-coast distribution from Important Records, the band rushed to press another 500 records within three months of the initial release. Current Rage gained significant regional buzz from college radio stations WRAS, WREK and WUOG among others across the southeast who played songs like ‘Waikiki’ and ‘Sweet Torture’. They also released several music videos that were played regularly in Athens-Atlanta area nightclubs and screened on the weekly music video show on Channel 36 WATL in the early-years of the MTV era. Anthony DeCurtis of Rolling Stone magazine wrote, “an enviable and impressive explosion of new music was emerging from the Atlanta-Athens area at this time” in his Rolling Stone magazine feature article charting the explosion of innovative bands coming out of Atlanta-Athens in 1983. He noted Current Rage as “An up-and-coming standout.”
Current Rage has shared the stage with such local legends as Pylon, REM, the Method Actors, The Roys, The Brains, The Swimming Pool Q’s, Love Tractor, Vietnam, Kilkenny Kats, and the Side Effects. By 1983, they will have also performed with Col. Bruce Hampton’s Late Bronze Age, and Tinsley Ellis’ Heartfixers, as well as Guadalcanal Diary and Jason and the Nashville Scorchers. Current Rage’s lyrics sketched out wry, lyrical observations about pop-culture fads in “Right Side of the Brain” and “Gidget goes Digital” and expressed vivid, realistic, expressions of common psychological experiences in “Sweet Torture” and “Bitte Schӧn [Beat to Shame]”. In some of their most memorable songs they championed mock-anthemic choruses that affirmed ordinary, everyday, phenomena such as living with an aging dog in “My Dog Sam” or scoring some cool shirts at thrift stores in “Bag of Shirts”.Current Rage’s distinctive sound is brash, energetic, and rhythmic, showcasing two drone-based guitarists with crunchy, first-position chords strummed beneath chiming post-punk leads on top of fast frenetic drumming. The relative scarcity of “Seven Songs” today suggests the item does not circulate on the marketplace often. The combination of a small batch release plus, eye-catching three-color cover art, and short catchy songs connects you to the ‘golden age’ of the Athens-Atlanta music scene. After Current Rage ceased performing each of the members followed different paths. Paul played drums in several successful bands, The Nightporters, Drivin-n-Cryin, and Michelle Malone’s Drag the River. In 1983 he founded a successful musical charity, Rat Aid, which raised much needed funds for targeted relief of local area members of the Atlanta music scene. Today, Paul has a successful audio visual production business in metro Atlanta. Pat had a successful modeling and acting career in Los Angeles, later moving to Phoenix. John returned to school eventually becoming a humanities professor at a college in South Carolina where he still teaches today. Chris took up a career in graphic design gaining a position with the United States Printing Office in Washington D.C., a skill he developed designing concert flyers for local bands and clubs in Atlanta and Athens. In 2018 while living in Charlotte Chris succumbed to a heart attack at the age of 57.
We hope you're still hungry for more O3L this week, because we've got a musical smorgasbord for you! In celebration of Thanksgiving, we are discussing our Top 5 classic alternative songs with a tie in to food - whether it be the song title, lyrics, theme or band name. It's a horn o' plenty...of fun!
Come have a seat at our table - the grown-ups are boring anyway. Oh, and please send our apologies to Uncle Ernie and Grandma.
Wherever you are, we want to take this opportunity to show our gratitude to all of you in the O3L Community. You have shared our passions, embraced and listened to our show, and have become dear friends, and that is a humbling and unbelievably rewarding experience.
We're taking the rest of the weekend off to spend time with family, and we hope you do the same.
musicpodcast #musicpodcasts #podcasts #podnation #classicalternative #newwave #1stwave #punkrock #indierock #indiepop #powerpop #rocknrollmcdonalds #alternativerock #raspberryswirl #dontsmoke #hoser
We've done the maths: Episode 138 is filled with a whopping (and quite coincidental) 138 minutes of "enjoyable weirdness."
Joining us to discuss the Top 5 Albums of 1989 is the singer/songwriter/guitarist from London's The Jack Rubies, Ian Wright. From 1986 to 1990, The Jack Rubies released a clutch of singles and two albums on TVT Records - 1988's comp Fascinatin' Vacation and 1990's See The Money In My Smile - balancing the band's indie pop hooks and penchant for "cowboy songs" that explored the darker side of life. They amassed a following through tours with The Triffids, They Might Be Giants and Modern English, college radio airplay and videos in rotation on MTV's 120 Minutes. In 2022, The Jack Rubies are back with their first new material in 32 years, the single "Hidey Hole." Listen wherever you stream music or at https://thejackrubies.bandcamp.com.
Plus: Uncle Gregg witnesses live executions! Brett reveals his bad boy side with record club alter egos and overdue library fines! Ian visits Weird America! Food, food and more food (including NY pizza)! Debating the merits of U2, The Boss and the latter-day Stones! Tastes great...or less filling? Mlah!
musicpodcast #musicpodcasts #classicalternative #alternativerock #punkrock #newwave #1stwave #powerpop #80smusic #indierock #indiepop
Oi, you happy heads! Jump on the rollercoaster and head straight into the heart of love, because this week we're turning the songs of 1979 inside out! With 1979 being arguably THE greatest year for songs within the O3L era, these are definitely the songs that changed our lives.
If our thinly disguised song references weren't enough of a giveway, it is our biggest thrill (last one, we promise) to welcome the songwriter and guitarist from one of the most beloved groups in '80s British pop, David Newton from The Mighty Lemon Drops! We are celebrating their upcoming 5 CD box set, Inside Out: 1985-1990 on Cherry Red Records, containing their first three albums and a generous selection of singles, EP tracks, demos, radio sessions, live tracks and more. Dave takes on a journey from his first band in 1979, the Lemon Drops' first recordings on Dan Treacy's Dreamworld label, being a part of the legendary C86 compilation, their major label days on Chrysalis Records with big budget producers, studios and tours, the final days of the band, to present day.
Also: The ugliest band in Britain! A throw down to Shawn Mendes fans! KC & The Serial Killer Band! Evan Dando! And will Uncle Gregg ever join The Mighty Lemon Drops on tour?!?
musicpodcast #musicpodcasts #podnation #c86 #britishpop #indiepop #indierock #guitarpop #postpunk #1979music #newwave #punkrock #1stwave #classicalternative #70smusic
We're not crying...YOU'RE crying! We're just cutting leeks or something.
As Sir Elton John once sang, "sad songs say so much." Gee whiz, you hit that particular nail on the head, El. This week, the Lads ruminate on some of the saddest, most somber, depressing - and yet often comforting - songs of the O3L era. These are sad songs that definitely say so much.
Joining us is one of the best songwriters of melancholic indie pop, Glenn Donaldson of The Reds, Pinks & Purples. Since the release of the first full length under the guise in 2019, Glenn has prolifically produced record after record of consistently great, jangly, doleful pop music, including this year's incredible Summer At Land's End. Complete your Reds, Pinks & Purples collection at: https://theredspinksandpurples.bandcamp.com - or ask for it at your local record shop!
Lest you think that we've gone all sullen, this is probably the most fun you'll have listening to middle aged music dudes talking about sad songs!
This episode is dedicated to the memory of Low's Mimi Parker.
musicpodcasts #musicpodcast #indiepop #janglepop #classicalternative #1stwave #newwave #indierock #grunge #synthpop #sadsongs #ripmimi
This week, O3L is comin' at you L.A.M.F.! (Oh, that's Los Angeles Milk Family, of course...)
We're talking American punk rock in the '70s. Our Third Lad this week is not only someone who experienced the music firsthand, but was one of the writers who championed and chronicled many of the greatest names in not only punk rock, but music in general. Michael Goldberg joined us for Episode 114 following his riveting book on the life of Jimmy Wilsey, Wicked Game, and returns to O3L to celebrate his latest release, Addicted to Noise: The Music Writings of Michael Goldberg, out now on Backbeat Books.
Addicted To Noise collects the best interviews, profiles and essays Goldberg has written during his 40-plus years as a journalist. From combative interviews with Frank Zappa and Tom Waits to essays on how Jack Kerouac influenced Bob Dylan and the lasting importance of San Francisco’s first punk rock club, Goldberg, as novelist Dana Spiotta wrote, “shows us how consequential music can be.”
Contained within these pages: interviews with Sleater-Kinney, Sonic Youth, Patti Smith, Lou Reed, Flipper, John Fogerty, Neil Young and Rick James, and profiles of Robbie Robertson, John Lee Hooker, James Brown, the Clash, Prince, Michael Jackson, the Flamin’ Groovies, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, X, Laurie Anderson, Brian Wilson, the Ramones, George Clinton, the Sex Pistols, Richard Thomson, Gil Scott-Heron, Stevie Wonder, George Clinton, Devo, San Francisco punks Crime and more. Plus short takes on Muddy Waters, Townes Van Zandt, Captain Beefheart, Professor Longhair and others. Also 50+ full page photos of some of the artists.
As Greil Marcus writes in the Foreword, “You can feel the atmosphere: someone has walked into a room with a pencil in his hand—as the words go in perhaps the first song about a music critic, not counting Chuck Berry’s aside about the writers at the rhythm reviews—and suddenly people are relaxed. … He isn’t after your secrets. He doesn’t want to ruin your career to make his. He doesn’t care what you think you need to hide. He actually is interested in why and how you make your music and what you think of it. So people open up, very quickly, and, very quickly, as a reader, you’re not reading something you’ve read before.”
The stories originally appeared in Rolling Stone, Downbeat, Esquire, New Musical Express, California magazine, Addicted To Noise, San Francisco Chronicle, Vibe, Creem, New York Rocker, and more.
In the O3L Spotlight this week, we celebrate the return of late '80s London indie poppers The Jack Rubies! We play their new single, "Hidey Hole," which happens to conveniently be now available at: https://thejackrubies.bandcamp.com.
Only Three Lads is a fun, lively music commentary podcast celebrating the Golden Age of Alternative Music from 1974 - 1999. Each week, Uncle Gregg and Brett Vargo (and, in our earlier episodes, Bueno) run down their Top 5 lists for a different episode topic, aided and abetted by a variety of "Third Lads" - musicians, writers, comedians, fellow podcasters, or the collective O3L community. If you want to relive the best days of your life or discover music from the era that may have escaped you, and have a lot of laughs along the way, this is the show for you!
Happy Halloween! If you didn't get your fill of O3L this week (which strangely tastes similar to circus peanuts), here's a fun-size O3L Halloween Special. Uncle Gregg and Brett bring you their Top 5 songs to add to your spooky playlist. It's spoooook-tacular! OK, no more Halloween puns...
There are two crucial rules at this time of year:
1) Don't feed Gremlins after midnight; and
2) Don't let the Lads record at night. If you've heard past "After Dark" episodes, it probably will come as no surprise that there is content in this one that may not be appropriate for sensitive listeners.
Enter...if you dare!
Oh, and P.S. Gregg ruins EVERYTHING! Now you can add Halloween to the list.
"Honesty is hardly ever heard." - Billy Joel
Don't worry, we're not going all Billy Joel on you, but this week we're talking about the songs where honesty is heard loud and clear.
True to this week's theme, we are elated to be joined by the brilliant writer Allison Landa, whose recently published memoir, Bearded Lady, is unflinchingly honest, bold, brave, vulnerable, funny-as-heck, and always engaging. Through Allison's eyes and sharp pen, we are all encouraged to find - and embrace - what makes us weird. Hey, we may not be Oprah and/or Michelle Obama, but this one is definitely endorsed by the O3L Book Club! Allison is also a friend of Brett's from high school, so that makes it extra special to have her on the show (Go Titans! Or Trojans! Or whatever!).
Plus, Allison and Uncle Gregg battle it out in our latest world famous game, O3L Lie Detector! We also talk yogurt, chorizo, our ideal Lost Weekends, Danny Bonaduce, Carly Rae Jepsen, and why Gregg shouldn't always follow his "policy of truth." Oh, and there's smut. Lots and lots of smut.
We guarantee that this one will bring a smile to your face. C'mon...would WE lie to you?
For more information on Allison Landa and Bearded Lady, visit: https://www.woodhallpress.com/bearded-lady
This is PART ONE of our conversation with the great Jeff Murphy from Shoes. Stay tuned for the second part where we get into our Top 5 lists!
Of course, we travel all over the musical and geographical map on O3L. This week, we stop firmly in the heartland of the ol' US of A - the 12 states that the Census Bureau has declared as the midwest. Far away from the show-biz epicenters of Los Angeles and New York, we celebrate the bands who crafted brilliant music and created their own homegrown scenes often in unlikely locations.
Our special Third Lad for this discussion is a musician whom we've loved and admired for many years, none other than singer/songwriter/guitarist/producer Jeff Murphy from melodic pop/rock legends Shoes. Jeff takes us through the nearly 50 year history of Shoes, from an imaginary band with a tape recorder to DIY indie pioneers to a major label, big producers and some of the first videos shown on MTV, and ultimately returning to their independent roots in the mid-80s (and never looking back!). Along with his bassist brother John Murphy and guitarist Gary Klebe, the nucleus of this important group split the writing and singing duties on classic records such as Black Vinyl Shoes (1977), Present Tense (1979), Tongue Twister (1981), Boomerang (1982), and Silhouette (1984). Jeff has also notably produced bands such as Material Issue and pre-Garbage band Spooner in Shoes' Short Order Recorder Studio.
This is an epic two-parter that you don't want to miss!
This is PART TWO of our conversation with the great Jeff Murphy from Shoes, where we get into our Top 5 lists. If you haven't already, make sure to check out the first part for much more!
Of course, we travel all over the musical and geographical map on O3L. This week, we stop firmly in the heartland of the ol' US of A - the 12 states that the Census Bureau has declared as the midwest. Far away from the show-biz epicenters of Los Angeles and New York, we celebrate the bands who crafted brilliant music and created their own homegrown scenes often in unlikely locations.
Our special Third Lad for this discussion is a musician whom we've loved and admired for many years, none other than singer/songwriter/guitarist/producer Jeff Murphy from melodic pop/rock legends Shoes. Jeff takes us through the nearly 50 year history of Shoes, from an imaginary band with a tape recorder to DIY indie pioneers to a major label, big producers and some of the first videos shown on MTV, and ultimately returning to their independent roots in the mid-80s (and never looking back!). Along with his bassist brother John Murphy and guitarist Gary Klebe, the nucleus of this important group split the writing and singing duties on classic records such as Black Vinyl Shoes (1977), Present Tense (1979), Tongue Twister (1981), Boomerang (1982), and Silhouette (1984). Jeff has also notably produced bands such as Material Issue and pre-Garbage band Spooner in Shoes' Short Order Recorder Studio.
This is an epic two-parter that you don't want to miss!
Put on your spelunking gear and go deep into some of the classic albums of the O3L era. This week, we're picking out some album tracks on well-loved records that weren't plucked as singles, played to death on the radio, or endlessly compiled.
Along the way through this classic alternative cave, Uncle Gregg stumbles down all sorts of side holes, lamenting missed opportunities and defining his ideal woman. And what shall he dress up as for Halloween? Cast your vote! Meanwhile, Brett recognizes O3L's key demographic and attempts to update the show's vernacular with some modern slang. The first person to post them all (at least 23 words/phrases are used) wins an O3L t-shirt!
Our O3L Spotlight is shining on a previous guest, our lovely new friend Helen McCookerybook. During Episode 121, Helen revealed that she had a new album coming out called Drawing On My Dreams...and now it's here! From this spare, intimate, charming record, we play "Wake Up (And Smell The Coffee)". Download or buy the CD from: https://helenmccookerybook.bandcamp.com/album/drawing-on-my-dreams.
musicpodcast #musicpodcasts #PodNation #1stwave #classicalternative #newwave #punkrock #goth #synthpop #80smusic #deepcuts #mod
Get ready for a powerful O3L...and not just because we're talking about '80s power pop. This week, we are very pleased to welcome Renee Schyjer, wife, muse and soulmate of rockin', rollin', power-poppin', wild feline frontman Freddy Moore.
Whether you know him as Freddy, his Midwest alter ego Skogie or mild-mannered offstage Rick, Frederick Moore was quite possibly the biggest rock star you've never heard of. Freddy had it at all. The looks, the charisma, the chops, the songs.
In the late '60s and early '70s, his band Skogie and the Flaming Pachucos reached local stardom and small-scale Beatle-level adulation. After moving to LA in the late '70s, they evolved into The Kats (and later The Nu-Kats). The Kats sold out every major club in Los Angeles, from Madame Wong's to the Whiskey to the Starwood to the Troubadour, headlining alongside bands like The Police, The Knack and The Motels. The Kats were offered dozens of record deals. They turned down every single one. KISS's Gene Simmons wanted to manage them. He was married at the time to a rising movie star named Demi Moore. Yes, Freddy seemingly had it all...yet rock n' roll stardom eluded him.
In 2014, Moore received the frightening diagnosis that he had developed early-onset Alzheimer's. With Renee's tireless love, help and research, Rick was able to hold onto his memories as long as he could to share them with the world.
Co-written with Shannon Guyton, the result is It's Not A Rumour, an unorthodox, hysterical story of survival, and making it big in music without ever making a dime. It's an "almost famous" chronicle woven together with lyrics, photos, and memorabilia. It's Not A Rumour is available from Amazon or other fine retailers.
In between booking Renee on the show and our release, Frederick Moore passed away on August 25, 2022. We dedicate this episode to his memory, and hope it is the celebration of life, love and music that he deserves.
Hear more of Freddy Moore's music at: http://demophonic.com/
In the O3L Spotlight this week is a Philadelphia-based band that WRKC's DJ Calc hipped us to, The Tisburys. We play "Language of Luxury" from their latest album, the gutsily titled Exile On Main Street. It's a great record touched by the influence of Springsteen, The Replacements, modern indie rock, '90s college rock and power pop. Check it out wherever you buy/stream music or at https://tisburys.bandcamp.com.
musicpodcast #musicpodcasts #PodNation #powerpop #LAmusic #newwave #punkrock #indierock #indiepop #80smusic #demimoore #itsnotarumour #alzheimersawareness
Well, we've finally gone and done it! After spending multiple episodes last season digging into Athens, GA music with some of the scene's most pivotal figures, the Randomizer has decided that it's time to dedicate an entire episode to the Classic (Alternative) City! We discuss so many greats in this episode, from REM, The B-52's, Pylon, Love Tractor, Oh-OK, Magnapop, Kilkenny Cats, Flat Duo Jets, Bar-B-Que Killers, The Method Actors, The Glands, Matthew Sweet, Of Montreal, The Michael Guthrie Band, Neutral Milk Hotel, The Side Effects, Green Thrift Grocery and a lot more. If you've got Georgia on your mind, then this is the episode for you.
Oh, and did we mention Squalls? Because our Third Lad this week is another Athens luminary, Bob Hay from Squalls. Squalls played a unique brand of quirky pop that was equal parts Lovin' Spoonful, Grateful Dead and Talking Heads, and got many a person up on the dance floor from 1981 to 1989. They released four recordings and were included in the essential 1986 documentary on the scene, Athens, GA: Inside/Out.
We are celebrating the release of Live From The 40 Watt, capturing Squalls at their best with 24 tracks recorded live at the legendary 40 Watt Club by soundman Pat "The Wiz" Biddle over five nights from 1983-85. The album is now available on CD, 2 LPs or digitally from Strolling Bones Records. More info: https://strollingbonesrecords.com
On November 4, 2022, Propeller Sound Recordings will begin their reissue campaign of the Squalls studio catalogue, starting with a remastered and expanded full-length version of their 1984 self-titled debut EP. More info: https://propellersoundrecordings.com
For all the latest Squalls news, visit http://squalls.band/
Special thanks to Pylon's Vanessa Briscoe Hay, Leigh Rixey from Strolling Bones Records and Angie Carlson from Propeller Publicity for their help in making this all come together!
45 minutes! "Concise" isn't usually the word that you'd use to describe O3L, but this week we bring you a concise episode that's almost live. This one was recorded, edited, produced and published mere hours before release. Anything goes...
This week, we pay tribute to Queen Elizabeth II and count down our Top 5 Royal Songs - in other words, songs containing regal titles in the titles (huh?).
Our Spotlight Artist of the Week is The Radio Field from Dusseldorf, Germany. The Radio Field is Lars Schmidt from long-standing indie pop band Subterfuge, with a little help from his friends. We play their brand new single "Clover," from the upcoming Simple EP on September 30th. If you like your pop jangly, then this is for you!
How punk is this week's episode, you ask?
First of all, the Third Lad this week is Matt Dell. Matt was the singer for Canadian pop/punk band I've Got Gloria, and is now a full-time, evidence-based vocal coach and music teacher with Registers Music. Through his innovative techniques, Matt is working with singers, bands and actors to harness the power of their voices. As his website states, "Learn to free your voice, not fear it!" Find out more at https://registersmusic.com.
Plus, Matt gives the Lads a screamo lesson. They talk domestic bliss, standup comedy, Celine Dion and Boy Meets World. They get mature, crochety and compare aches and pains. Yeah, punk rock!!
Of course, they also really do talk about punk rock.
Near...far...wherever you are, rest assured O3L will go on.
musicpodcast #musicpodcasts #podnation #punkrock #classicalternative #punk #70smusic #80smusic #90smusic #newwave #singers #vocals #vocalists #voicelessons #boymeetsworld #topanga
Get ready for a spiffy new episode of Only Three Lads! It's Brett's birthday, so what better way to celebrate than with one of his favourite O3L-era topics, Britpop. In this Be Here Now-sized episode (c'mon, you Britpop kids get it!), relive the records, stories, triumphs, tragedies, superstars and should-have-beens of the biggest British musical and cultural phenomenon of the '90s.
This week, we've got two yangs to Uncle Gregg's yin, as our Third Lad is Paul Laird, author of the new book The Birth and Impact of Britpop: Mis-Shapes, Scenesters and Insatiable Ones. Rather than simply rehashing familiar Britpop lore, or attempting an academic, exhaustive analysis at the scene, Laird weaves a compelling, personal tale of his Britpop experience. It's a wonderful look at Britpop from a fan's eyes, exploring not only the bands who "made it," but some of the great bands that existed under the surface. Whether you were actually there or not, you'll feel like you were.
Buy The Birth and Impact of Britpop from Amazon, other fine booksellers, or: Pen and Sword Books: The Birth and Impact of Britpop - Hardback (pen-and-sword.co.uk)
Our O3L Spotlight Artist of the Week is The Photocopies. The Photocopies is the brainchild of Michigan based Londoner Sean Turner, who plays unapologetically old-school indie pop in the vein of the C86 scene of the mid-80s to early-90s. We heard the great DJ Calc play a few tracks on his recent Tuesday night radio show on WRKC, and we were suitably blown away. The Photocopies’ previous singles and b-sides have all been marvelously compiled on Greatest Hits Volume 1 & 2 and Et Cetera: B-sides and More, or get all three albums under the title of Pop Trivia. Track after track of guitar pop brilliance fly by, and it's highly, highly recommended stuff. From Greatest Hits Vol. 2, we play “Anywhere Without You.”
The Photocopies: https://thephotocopies.bandcamp.com
This week, we're all about showing the love to the '90s artists that we feel are underrated. Well, we're all about that, and talk sports, celebrity death matches, Finnish politics and classic Dr. Seuss characters...but we're mostly about underrated artists of the '90s.
Apropos to this topic, we are very pleased to welcome author Andy Frye as our Third Lad. Andy is a music and sports scribe who has written for notable publications such as Rolling Stone, ESPN and Forbes, and has interviewed hundreds of personalities ranging from Morrissey to Tom Brady. Andy's latest endeavor is the novel Ninety Days in the 90s, a rock n' roll time travel adventure following Wall Street trader-turned-record store owner Darby, as she discovers Chicago's mythical Gray Line train that will allow her to return to 1996 for 90 days. It's a music-filled nostalgia trip that asks the question: What would you do differently if you could relive the past?
Order the book at: https://90daysinthe90s.com
For more information on Andy Frye: https://andyfrye.com
This week's O3L Spotlight Artist of the Week is London's Valentina Way. Valentina Way exist somewhere in south London between 1969 and 1971 - with their jangle-pop guitars, Beach Boy vocal harmonies, garage organ, flute and Penny Lane trumpet solos. Musically, the band take their cue from the cover of "Sugar Sugar" by Cornershop, David Cassidy, Karen Carpenter, Micky Dolenz, Gilbert O'Sullivan, Bay City Rollers, and any garage band from the '60s who didn't quite make it. We share the marvelously wistful track "Ben Sherman" from their debut album Imaginary Weekends.
Listen to more Valentina Way at https://soundcloud.com/valentinaway.
Follow Valentina Way on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ValentinaWay5
Whether you spent the decade at the clubs covered in foam or not, electronic music was everywhere in the '90s. Much like those foam parties, Uncle Gregg and Brett (aka DJ B-Var, aka Graham Cracker?!?) get wild, bubbly, frothy, and are naked from the waist down. OK, so one of those things is not true, but we'll let you decide which one...
Sup up your beer and collect your, um, elk bagels (???) and meet us down at The Eatin' Rifles, as we gab about one of the greatest artists of the O3L era, Paul Weller with the marvelous Terry Banks from Dot Dash! Terry followed The Jam's career in real time and counts them among his biggest influences. Brett is a Weller uber-fan, and Uncle Gregg is a casual fan who is diving deep into the Weller-hole.
Whether it be with The Jam, The Style Council, or his long, prolific solo career, Paul Weller is an icon who has maintained a restlessly creative and unfathomably successful career for 45 years, racking up a staggering 65 Top 40 singles in the UK, including 21 Top 10’s, and 38 Top 10 albums, including his two most recent studio albums landing at #1. His career serves almost as a microcosm of pop culture - from Class of ‘77 punk rock to being the driving figure behind the ‘79 mod revival to the evolution and sophistication of British pop in the ‘80s by incorporating elements of soul, jazz, synth pop, rap and acid house to a solo career that found him sharing the charts with the Britpop artists he influenced, eventually settling into his current role as a rock n’ roll survivor who staunchly refuses to become a legacy act.
In a recording career spanning more than 30 years, Terry Banks has played as/with St. Christopher, Tree Fort Angst, Glo-Worm, The Saturday People, Julie Ocean, and has released six albums to date with Dot Dash. We play a few cuts from Terry's past, plus a glimpse into the future, with a rough mix of a brand new track called "Space Junk, Satellites."
Dot Dash's releases can be found on previous O3L guest Wally Salem's wonderful label The Beautiful Music...and thanks to Wally for making the introduction!
musicpodcast #musicpodcasts #podnation #thejam #paulweller #weller #stylecouncil #punkrock #sophistipop #heavysoul #70smusic #80smusic #90smusic #newwave #1stwave #classicalternative
Turn off your mind, relax and float downstream...or is it tune in, turn on, drop out? Either way, pour yourself a nutmeg tea and join us as we trip out, um, we mean discuss our Top 5 Psychedelic Albums of the O3L era. It's all in the mind!
Our Third Lad this week is the "wild man of C86," singer/songwriter/guitarist Robert Sekula of the Brighton, England indie band 14 Iced Bears. Formed in Brighton in 1985, their jangly indie pop was characterized by a fuzzy protopunk-influenced guitar sound, receiving critical acclaim in Britain's music press as well as prompting disc jockey John Peel to recruit them to record a couple of BBC sessions. The group released a handful of singles, including "Come Get Me" on the influential Sarah label, and two full-length albums that found the band progressively getting more psychedelic: the eponymous 14 Iced Bears (1988), and Wonder (1991).
This week, we play Rob's brand new single, the melodic earwork "Pamela." It's a song that's been kicking around in Sekula's setlist - and mind - for years, and (true story) caused the late Alex Chilton to exclaim "You never wrote that!" Plus, Rob and Uncle Gregg square off the hottest new O3L game, Psych? or Psych!, in which our contestants compete to guess which absurd psychedelic band names are real...and which ones are fake. A splendid time is guaranteed for all!
Robert Sekula / 14 Iced Bears:
https://14icedbears.bandcamp.com
https://www.facebook.com/14icedbears
https://twitter.com/the14icedbears
musicpodcast #musicpodcasts #podnation #14icedbears #psychedelicrock #psychedelicmusic #punkrock #newwave #janglepop #indierock #indiepop #freakfolk #paisleyunderground #c86 #sarahrecords
Please note: This is Part ONE of our two part episode.
Yeah, we're brassed off this week...but in a good way, because this week we're back with a two-parter discussing our Top 5 Songs with Horns with one the loveliest guests we've ever had on, HELEN McCOOKERYBOOK!
Helen McCookerybook started playing bass in Brighton, England punk bands in the 1970s, before forming the John Peel-approved indie bands The Chefs and Helen and The Horns. Since then, Helen has embarked on a productive solo career, has taught songwriting and music production, and has published two well-respected books - The Lost Women of Rock Music: Female Musicians of the Punk Era and She's at the Controls: Sound Engineering, Production and Gender Ventriloquism in the 21st Century. The former inspired the documentary film that she co-produced with Gina Birch from The Raincoats, entitled Stories from the She-Punks. She's currently out playing gigs and has a new album on tap for October 7th, Drawing On My Dreams. Oh, and did we mention that she's a REAL LIFE PhD of Music? Sorry, Rocktor...
Helen was so magnificent that we had to make this one a two parter. In Part 1, we discuss her career and current endeavors, and in Part 2, we get down to our lists. Of course, you'll want to listen to both of them!
So tell us, who do you want to be today?!? Someone who listens to O3L, that's who.
This week's O3L Spotlight artist is MONICA QUEEN. Monica is perhaps best known as the guest vocalist on Belle and Sebastian's 1997 single "Lazy Line Painter Jane." She's back with a new single, a cover of Vic Godard's "Stop That Girl," from the upcoming album of the same name.
Monica Queen: https://twitter.com/monicaqueen4?lang=en
Helen McCookerybook: http://mccookerybook.com
musicpodcast #musicpodcasts #songswithhorns #brassmusic #classicalternative #1stwave #newwave #punkrock #indiepop #indierock #ska #skapunk #70smusic #80smusic #90smusic #helenmccookerybook #monicaqueen #O3L
NOTE: This is Part TWO of our two part episode.
Yeah, we're brassed off this week...but in a good way, because this week we're back with a two-parter discussing our Top 5 Songs with Horns with one the loveliest guests we've ever had on, HELEN McCOOKERYBOOK!
Helen McCookerybook started playing bass in Brighton, England punk bands in the 1970s, before forming the John Peel-approved indie bands The Chefs and Helen and The Horns. Since then, Helen has embarked on a productive solo career, has taught songwriting and music production, and has published two well-respected books - The Lost Women of Rock Music: Female Musicians of the Punk Era and She's at the Controls: Sound Engineering, Production and Gender Ventriloquism in the 21st Century. The former inspired the documentary film that she co-produced with Gina Birch from The Raincoats, entitled Stories from the She-Punks. She's currently out playing gigs and has a new album on tap for October 7th, Drawing On My Dreams. Oh, and did we mention that she's a REAL LIFE PhD of Music? Sorry, Rocktor...
Helen was so magnificent that we had to make this one a two parter. In Part 1, we discuss her career and current endeavors, and in Part 2, we get down to our lists. Of course, you'll want to listen to both of them!
So tell us, who do you want to be today?!? Someone who listens to O3L, that's who.
This week's O3L Spotlight artist is MONICA QUEEN. Monica is perhaps best known as the guest vocalist on Belle and Sebastian's 1997 single "Lazy Line Painter Jane." She's back with a new single, a cover of Vic Godard's "Stop That Girl," from the upcoming album of the same name.
Monica Queen: https://twitter.com/monicaqueen4?lang=en
Helen McCookerybook: http://mccookerybook.com
musicpodcast #musicpodcasts #songswithhorns #brassmusic #classicalternative #1stwave #newwave #punkrock #indiepop #indierock #ska #skapunk #70smusic #80smusic #90smusic #helenmccookerybook #monicaqueen #O3L
Who likes to rock the party, you ask? Why, that's a good question...because WE just so happen to like to rock the party!
Get ready for the wildest classic alternative rager ever, going down RIGHT NOW at Club O3L. Everyone is invited (except for YOU, Rob Reiner!). It's a DJ throwdown this week, as DJ B-Var ("Gnawing the logs of funk, baby!") squares off against DJ Greggy P ("Take a journey down the Greggy P hole"). This is one party you don't want to miss! Oh, and there may be leather and foam involved...
This week's O3L Spotlight is on Goliath, a young singer/songwriter from Glasgow who just released his lovely, poignant and vulnerable new single "Everybody Cries." It is a song, in his words "about loss, growth and acceptance." It recently attracted praise by the likes of Duglas T. Stewart from BMX Bandits and Fran Healy from Travis, and you can add O3L to the growing list of Goliath's supporters.
Buy Goliath's music at: https://goliathmusic.bandcamp.com
Follow Goliath on Twitter: https://twitter.com/enima_tek
Heck, while you're at it, follow O3L on Twitter: https://twitter.com/onlythreeladsp1
musicpodcast #musicpodcasts #partymusic #classicalternative #1stwave #newwave #punkrock #mod #britpop #synthpop #altmetal #80smusic #90smusic
Brett and Uncle Gregg don't always agree on things, including the top albums of 1993. But you know what they do agree on? Gregg ruins everything!
Love,
Mr. Grumpypants
This week's O3L Spotlight artist is Scottish indie pop institution The Orchids. The Orchids formed in Glasgow in 1985 and recorded three splendid albums for the legendary Sarah Records label from 1989-94. Since reforming in the mid-2000s, they have released three more studio albums and a 30-year career retrospective in 2017. They're back in 2022 with a new single, "This Boy Is A Mess," with a full length, Dreaming Kind, to follow in September on Skep Wax, a brilliant new indie label formed by fellow Sarah alum Amelia Fletcher and Rob Pursey from Heavenly.
The Orchids: Music | The Orchids (bandcamp.com)
Skep Wax: Artists | Skep Wax (bandcamp.com)
If YOU like piña coladas, then come with us and escape. Of course, even if you don't like piña coladas, you're still welcome, because this episode we cover our top songs from 1980. Yes, among the smooth soft rock, schmaltzy ballads and booty-bumpin' disco was some truly groundbreaking classic alternative songs.
As the Hungarians say, "dog poop on your nose!" We think.
Plus, in the O3L Spotlight this week is the new single, "Wildfire" by Manchester artist Minerva Daisy. It's an empowering, sultry and summery indie-pop track that we are confident will replicate the Top 40 success of previous single "Euphoria." "Wildfire" is available on all platforms on July 15th. For more information on Minerva Daisy, go to: https://www.minervadaisy.co.uk/
musicpodcast #1stwave #newwave #punkrock #indiepop #classicalternative #punkrock
Hey, hep cats! This week, we celebrate our "homer picks" - the classic alternative era artists and bands from our respective areas who made an impact on us. Uncle Gregg is representing "the Valley of the Sunstroke," Phoenix, AZ, while Brett is bringing eternal sunshine from the paradise of San Diego, CA. Plus, we share the picks from some of the "Third Lads" of the O3L Community around the world. There's no place like home!
We also host the inaugural O3L Poetry Slam, talk new music, Kardashians, moms, eating pet food, TikTok, awkward pauses, and other stuff that doesn't really have much to do with hometown heroes.
Our O3L Spotlight Artist of the Week is the classic UK indie pop band The Chesterfields. 38 years since they formed in Yeovil, Somerset, and 28 years since their last record release, The Chesterfields are back in July 2022 with a new single “Our Songbird Has Gone”, a song that founder member Simon Barber has written about his original co-conspirator in the band Dave Goldsworthy, who was tragically killed in a hit and run accident in 2003. A new album New Modern Homes (co-produced and mixed by John Parish, who produced The Chesterfields’ debut Kettle in 1987) will follow in September, with gigs to be announced for a short tour in October. The current line-up features Simon on bass and vocals, Rob Parry on drums, Helen Stickland on guitar and vocals, and Andy Strickland (of The Loft and The Caretaker Race) on guitar and vocals.
Flurgy flurga...after an unexpected week off due to dang COVID, O3L is back! This episode, we're hanging out at the local Hot Topic to chat about our favorite punk "bangers" of the '90s. Of course, we also talk about a myriad of other stuff - bathrooms for the rich, German lessons, groupies, Uncle Gregg in love, and Brett's shocking secret.
Our O3L spotlight for the week is The White Collars, an up-and-coming San Diego band whose new album, Vintage Collars, is out now! https://www.instagram.com/the.white.collars/
Also included are shout outs to David Bash and Stuff By Mark!
musicpodcast #musicpodcasts #punkrock #90spunk #garagerock #riotgrrrl #poppunk #mallpunk #hottopic #whitecollars
Atten-HUT! Join Laverne, Shirl, Squealy and the gang through a rip-roarin, time-travelin', pubis-hurtin' adventure back to the year 1981. It was the year of MTV...The Greatest American Hero...LASITA (c'mon, you kids know)...and a whole lotta great classic alternative music. Join us as we cover our Top 5 Albums from this pivotal year. And, yes, in case you were wondering, hi-jinks DO ensue!
So, if you are one of the literally millions of people shouting "I Want My O3L!", this one's for you. Remember, your commanding pig is instructing you to listen up.
musicpodcast #classicalternative #1stwave #newwave #mtvgeneration #punkrock #postpunk #synthpop #powerpop #indiepop #albumsof1981 #80smusic
"Reverent" isn't exactly a word that you usually associate with Only Three lads. But that's the best word to describe this week's episode, as we pay tribute to some of the dearly departed heroes of the O3L era. They may be gone...but they will never be forgotten.
We talk a lot about James Calvin Wilsey. It's a name you may not recognize, but we guarantee you've heard him play guitar. Jimmy started his professional career as the bassist in San Francisco punk legends The Avengers before joining forces in Silvertone with Chris Isaak. Yeah, that's Jimmy who wrote and played the haunting lead guitar lines in "Wicked Game."
Jimmy's life, career and tragic death are chronicled in Wicked Game: The True Story of Guitarist James Calvin Wilsey, penned by our Third Lad this week, the esteemed Michael Goldberg. Michael has been a respected and renowned music journalist since the '70s, serving as Senior Writer for Rolling Stone magazine for a decade, as well as writing for Creem, NME, Musician, and other notable music publications. In 1994, he founded the first online music magazine, Addicted to Noise, which garnered him a spot on Newsweek's 1995 list of the "50 People Who Matter Most on the Internet."
For more information on Wicked Game, visit https://hozacrecords.com. A portion of the proceeds go to Jimmy Wilsey's teenage son Waylon.
Also, on this week's O3L Spotlight, we feature music by TV Party! Buy their self titled debut album at: https://tvparty1.bandcamp.com/album/tv-party.
musicpodcast #musicpodcasts #RIP #wickedgame #punkrock #1stwave #newwave #indierock #indiepop #classicalternative #alternativerock #guitarhero
Welcome to the 1st Annual...oops, the Inaugural O3L Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. Tired of your favorite classic alternative musicians getting the shaft in Cleveland? Well, we're going to show some of these artists some love (and give you something else to complain about!) as we induct our Class of 2022 into the HOF. Who made it? Who got snubbed this year?
We've inducted our first 10, and we're going to ask YOU to help us add two more to our virtual shrine. Post your picks on our social media feeds, and the most popular choices (based on posts and post reactions) will be announced next week!
Of course, before you think that we're going to be all polished and professional for our fancy awards ceremony, you know us better than that. Just put it this way...a lot of this stuff would get cut out of the HBO telecast.
In a new feature called O3L Spotlight, we play "I Found You" by the Cambridge, England band The New Fools, from their new album Vanille. HOME | The New Fools
And, when you get done with this episode, why not head over and check out our friends at the Never Loved Elvis pod? https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/never-loved-elvis/id1536083420.
PART 1 of 2
Aye, dinnae miss this one or well gie ye a skelpit lug! OK, we won't really, but we've got a special two parter for you this week, as we discuss our favourite Scottish albums with JIM SHEPHERD from The Jasmine Minks!
Aberdeen, Scotland's Jasmine Minks were one of Creation Records' earliest signings, scoring two UK Top 30 indie singles ("What's Happening" and "Cold Heart") and sharing the stage with the likes of Jesus And Mary Chain and Primal Scream. So respected were the Minks that they were the only band that Creation boss Alan McGee took with him to his next label, Poptones.
Minks' singer/ songwriter/ guitarist Jim Shepherd is back with a brand new solo album, The Circle, now available on Spinout Nuggets. For the record, Shepherd has assembled an indie supergroup featuring Dave Morgan (The Loft, the Weather Prophets, Subway Sect) on drums and production, Frank Sweeney (The June Brides) on strings and keyboards and Arash Torabi (The June Brides, The Distractions, Beat Hotel) on bass, with guest vocals by Tommy Reid (The Jasmine Minks), Beth Arzy (The Luxembourg Signal, Jetstream Pony), Aberdeen’s Vapour Trails and Marianne Dissard. It is available from: https://spinoutnuggets.bandcamp.com/album/the-circle
On these episodes, you'll hear fantastic stories from the early days of Creation. Drugs. Half pints. Space porn. Hiking porn. All the porns, really.
It's good craic, this one.
P.S. If you like O3L, check out our friends at the Never Loved Elvis podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/never-loved-elvis/id1536083420. It's a perfect marriage of knowledge, ignorance and humour!
PART 2 of 2 Aye, dinnae miss this one or well gie ye a skelpit lug! OK, we won't really, but we've got a special two parter for you this week, as we discuss our favourite Scottish albums with JIM SHEPHERD from The Jasmine Minks!
Aberdeen, Scotland's Jasmine Minks were one of Creation Records' earliest signings, scoring two UK Top 30 indie singles ("What's Happening" and "Cold Heart") and sharing the stage with the likes of Jesus And Mary Chain and Primal Scream. So respected were the Minks that they were the only band that Creation boss Alan McGee took with him to his next label, Poptones.
Minks' singer/ songwriter/ guitarist Jim Shepherd is back with a brand new solo album, The Circle, now available on Spinout Nuggets. For the record, Shepherd has assembled an indie supergroup featuring Dave Morgan (The Loft, the Weather Prophets, Subway Sect) on drums and production, Frank Sweeney (The June Brides) on strings and keyboards and Arash Torabi (The June Brides, The Distractions, Beat Hotel) on bass, with guest vocals by Tommy Reid (The Jasmine Minks), Beth Arzy (The Luxembourg Signal, Jetstream Pony), Aberdeen’s Vapour Trails and Marianne Dissard. It is available from: https://spinoutnuggets.bandcamp.com/album/the-circle
On these episodes, you'll hear fantastic stories from the early days of Creation. Drugs. Half pints. Space porn. Hiking porn. All the porns, really.
It's good craic, this one.
P.S. If you like O3L, check out our friends at the Never Loved Elvis podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/never-loved-elvis/id1536083420. It's a perfect marriage of knowledge, ignorance and humour!
Hey, we know what you're thinking...is it next Tuesday already?!?
Nope, but we're bringing you this one early, because we're getting excited for Cruel World - a festival geared towards classic alternative music lovers like us: new wavers, goths, punks, and synth-poppers alike. It's a concert lineup that we could have only conjured up in our, um, most inappropriate dreams: Morrissey, Bauhaus, Blondie, Devo, The Psychedelic Furs, Violent Femmes, The Church, English Beat, Public Image Ltd, The Damned, Berlin, Missing Persons, and a whole slew of modern bands who share a similar musical aesthetic.
The festival takes place in Pasadena, CA on May 14th & 15th, 2022. Join Uncle Gregg & Brett as we discuss the Top 5 bands that we are looking most forward to seeing (and things like jeans and tattoos). Even if you can't go to the show, we reckon that you'll still enjoy this one...especially since we're sure you'll see it all on YouTube soon enough.
Enjoy the weekend. If you're at the show and see an O3L t-shirt, say hi!
It's an O3L party! We've got nothing better to do than listen to O3L and have a couple of brews (or ginger ales), because this week we discuss the ultimate American punk rock label, SST Records. SST was founded in 1978 by Black Flag guitarist Greg Ginn as a vehicle for his band's records, but over the years has released classic underground music by the likes of Hüsker Dü, Minutemen, Meat Puppets, Soundgarden, Sonic Youth, Dinosaur Jr., Screaming Trees, Bad Brains, Descendents and many more.
Our guest Lad this week is author and music journalist Jim Ruland, who has written the definitive chronicle of the label with his new #1 Amazon best seller Corporate Rock Sucks: The Rise & Fall of SST Records. In this insightful and exhaustive book, Ruland recounts SST's remarkable rise, dysfunctional operation, and infamous downfall. Through it all, they changed the alternative rock landscape forever.
Purchase Jim's book here:
Corporate Rock Sucks: The Rise and Fall of SST Records: Ruland, Jim: 9780306925481: Books (amazon.com)
We go all the way back to the dawn of Creation for this one...that is, Creation Records. This week, we celebrate Creation B.O. (Before Oasis) and the 69 amazing singles the classic UK indie released from their formation in 1983 through 1989.
Creation's music first and art-for-art's-sake aesthetic not only produced some absolutely wonderful records, but has served as a source of inspiration for many indie labels that followed. One such label is Canada's The Beautiful Music, founded by our special guest Lad Wally Salem in 2002. TBM boasts a tremendous catalogue of indie pop, Post Mod and Janglewave, featuring many musicians with connections to not only Creation, but other seminal labels like Sarah, Postcard, Whaam! and Tangerine. Wally is not only a lovely human being, but is extremely knowledgable with great stories and connections to the music. His vision is simple: he just wants this beautiful music to be heard.
For more information on The Beautiful Music: the Store - thebeautifulmusic.com
Oi! Get ready for the most anarchic O3L ever, as we dive into '70s punk albums this week.
Because we're so punk, you may want to send the kids away before listening to this one, because we talk about the outrageous things that we punks talk about: Mucus! The Monkees! Debby Boone's secret punk rock past! Booties! Tiger Beat! The Blue Lagoon! The Flying Nun! An anti-drug message (unless you're on a cruise, then let your freak flag fly)!
And now for a special message from the Lads...
Gregg: Hi, my name is Uncle Gregg and this is my 108th visit to Oversharers Anonymous.
Brett: Rissoles!
1979...the greatest year for alternative music ever?!? As Exhibit A, we submit to the jury the fine list of '79 albums hand selected by Uncle Gregg, Brett and the Third Lads of the O3L Community.
Appearing this week is none other than The Scurvee, a hot band guaranteed to appeal to disco freaks and Jugaloos alike!
musicpodcast #musicpodcasts #classicalternative #alternativerock #indiepop #indierock #1979albums #70smusic #1stwave #newwave #punkrock #postpunk #powerpop #londoncalling
In this week's sparkling, poptastic O3L, we tackle our Top 5 (mostly) American (mostly) Power Pop Songs of the '70s.
Our Third Lad is a true '70s Power Pop hero - singer, songwriter and guitarist from Pezband, Mimi Betinis. Pezband released three albums chock full of melodic pop and explosive rock n' roll during their original run: Pezband (1977), Laughing In The Dark (1978), and Cover To Cover (1979). In the 21st century, Mimi has continued to write and record solo material, performed with Pezband, and worked on reissues, unreleased material, and remixes. During the show, Mimi treats us to two Pezband treasures: their last ever recording, a 2016 cover of Chuck Berry's "Memphis, Tennessee," and a sneak peek into an upcoming best of project with a remix of their classic "Baby It's Cold Outside."
Pezband were inducted into the Power Pop Hall of Fame in 2018.
Yeah, there's gonna be a couple of choices that will have discerning power pop purists crying "That's NOT Power Pop!" Speaking of which, that's also the name of the game where Mimi and Uncle Gregg face off to determine what's power pop...and what's NOT.
This one is fizzy, bubbly and refreshing. So play on!
This episode is dedicated to the memory of Pezband drummer Mick Rain, who we lost to COVID on August 14, 2021. Rest In Peace and Rock On, Mick.
musicpodcast #musicpodcas ts #powerpop #1stwave #classicalternative #disco #pezband #mickrain #newwave #rickenbacker #oakpark
We had such a great time with Bill Goffrier from The Embarrassment and Big Dipper that we had to adjourn for a little while and reconvene after the sun went down. And, if you recall our first After Dark micro-episode, we tend to go off the rails when we record at night!
Hey, it's not Andrew Dice Clay, but we do talk about things that three red blooded American lads talk about. You know, like pop stars and Hilary Clinton.
You have been warned!
Part two of the three part O3L extravaganza with the marvelous Bill Goffrier from The Embarrassment and Big Dipper!
Hear nearly a half hour of our conversation with Bill that we couldn't fit into Episode 105.
Bill came up in the Wichita, KS punk rock scene of the late '70s, with The Embarrassment forging their own unique, nervy, nerdy brand of music that they dubbed "blister pop." After the seminal group disbanded in 1983, Bill headed east to Boston to pursue a painting career, before getting drawn back into the music world with Big Dipper. From 1985 - 1991, Big Dipper released three critically lauded indie albums before signing to major label Epic for what would turn out to be the fourth and final album of their initial run. More recently, both bands have reunited throughout the years and Bill has returned to Wichita to fulfill his destiny as a renowned painter.
We delve into the history of both The Embos & Big Dipper, the development of the Wichita scene, the legendary house parties, major label woes, his art career, and much more!
Stay tuned for one more episode that we've culled from our time with Bill.
- April 7, 2022: O3L After Dark, Volume 2
Hide the cats, strap yourself in and get ready for an O3L three part extravaganza!
This week, we discuss the Top 5 Albums of 1986 with Third Lad Bill Goffrier, guitarist, singer and songwriter from not just one, but two groundbreaking bands of the O3L era, The Embarrassment and Big Dipper.
Bill came up in the Wichita, KS punk rock scene of the late '70s, with The Embarrassment forging their own unique, nervy, nerdy brand of music that they dubbed "blister pop." After the seminal group disbanded in 1983, Bill headed east to Boston to pursue a painting career, before getting drawn back into the music world with Big Dipper. From 1985 - 1991, Big Dipper released three critically lauded indie albums before signing to major label Epic for what would turn out to be the fourth and final album of their initial run. More recently, both bands have reunited throughout the years and Bill has returned to Wichita to fulfill his destiny as a renowned painter.
In this double-stuffed episode, we delve into everything from the formation of the bands, the legendary house parties, major label woes, Alice Cooper, ALF, destruction, the emotional death (and unlikely wardrobe) of Uncle Gregg's father, and Brett adds another nickname to the list??
But wait, there's more...
We spent such quality time with Bill that we have enough extra content for two more shows to follow!
- April 6, 2022: In Conversation with Bill Goffrier
- April 7, 2022: O3L After Dark, Volume 2
Trust us...we know what we're doing! (We think...)
Clucking Bell...it's another O3L! This week, we're getting all amphetamined** up and discussing our favourite MOD songs of the O3L era. Whether you're a mod or rocker, mocker or moth, put on your parka, pour yourself a pimple & blotch, and join us.
We are beyond excited to welcome our Third Lad this week, none other than CHRIS POPE from The Chords UK! As one of the best and most prominent bands to rise up during the 1979 Mod Revival, Chris penned The Chords' five star classic album, 1980's So Far Away, and five UK chart hits: "Now It's Gone", "Maybe Tomorrow", "Something's Missing", "The British Way Of Life" and "In My Street". A comprehensive box set, Rechordings 1978-81, was issued in 2019.
More recently, Pope has released three albums with The Chords UK, including the brand new LP Big City Dreams. We talk about the new record and the band's upcoming tour of the US west coast.
**No amphetamines were actually involved in the making of this episode.
alternativerock #mod #modrevival79 #modsmayday #britpop #musicpodcast #musicpodcasts #2toneska #northernsoul #thechordsuk #purplehearts #thejam #weller #vespa #lambretta
Our two part retrospective covering our first 100 episodes concludes! Relive some of our favorite stories from and hi-jinks with a variety of Third Lads ranging from legendary musical heroes to authors, comedians, friends and fellow podcasters. Sometimes off-kilter, sometimes off-color, but always with a love for the O3L community and the classic alternative music we all love.
Here's to the next 100 and beyond!
Pour yourself a "stiff" drink, whether it be a Wrecking Eric, a Double Dury, or a whole cannister of instant coffee, and enjoy the "One Hundred and Tooth" episode of Only Three Lads...wherein we celebrate one of the seminal indie labels of the O3L era, STIFF RECORDS.
During Stiff's initial run between 1976-86, the London label released a slew of classics by Elvis Costello, Ian Dury, Nick Lowe, Madness, The Damned, The Pogues, Motorhead, Devo, The Go-Go's, Lene Lovich and so many more that it would make your mind melt. (Perhaps literally, so don't say we didn't warn you.) The label possessed a wicked sense of humour, as exhibited in their clever marketing and often outrageous taglines, and an inventive flair for graphic design.
One of the incredible groups on the Stiff roster was ANY TROUBLE, whom Melody Maker called "the most exciting band since The Pretenders" in 1980 and AllMusic today calls them "an underappreciated bright spot on Stiff..." For our Stiff celebration, we are very fortunate to welcome Any Trouble's singer, songwriter, and guitarist extraordinaire CLIVE GREGSON as our Third Lad. Clive recounts his memories of the label, and shares his favourite Stiff singles with us.
Need more Clive? Check out our bonus episode, featuring nearly a half hour of additional audio from our chat with Clive Gregson. You'll get more insights about Stiff Records, as well as Clive's very prolific music career beyond Any Trouble - from his acclaimed folk-rock duo Gregson & Collister right up to the staggering EIGHT albums that he released in 2020 alone!
For more information on Clive Gregson: https://clivegregson.com.
In our main episode this week, we count down our Top 5 singles on the Stiff Records label.
One of the incredible groups on the Stiff roster was ANY TROUBLE, whom Melody Maker called "the most exciting band since The Pretenders" in 1980 and AllMusic today calls them "an underappreciated bright spot on Stiff..." For our Stiff celebration, we are very fortunate to welcome Any Trouble's singer, songwriter, and guitarist extraordinaire CLIVE GREGSON as our Third Lad. In the regular episode, Clive recounts his memories of the label, and shares his favourite Stiff singles with us.
Need more Clive? Of course you do! Check out this bonus episode, featuring nearly a half hour of additional audio from our chat with Clive Gregson. You'll get more insights about Stiff Records, as well as Clive's very prolific music career beyond Any Trouble - from his acclaimed folk-rock duo Gregson & Collister right up to the staggering EIGHT albums that he released in 2020 alone!
For more information on Clive Gregson: https://clivegregson.com.
We celebrate 100 episodes by taking it to the very beginning. Whether you're a new listener or you've been with us since the first show, relive some of the finest, funniest, and creepiest moments from Episodes 1 - 50. You'll hear the stories, the characters, the accents, the wackiness, and the huge giant tentpoles that has made O3L the classic alternative music podcast.
Join us on this trip down memory lane!
It's here...the landmark 100th episode of Only Three Lads! A huge thanks to everyone in the O3L Community for sticking with us. Without you, the big 1-0-0 would mean nothing. It truly warms the cockles of our hearts (wasn't that a Jackyl song!?!).
For our centesimal show, we bow down and pay tribute to arguably the most awesome of all rock n' roll tropes - the guitar solo. Experience all the doodly-doodly-doodlies, the widdly-widdlies, the brrrrrrrrrrr-aps, the gaaaaaaasps, the doinkity-doinkity-weeeeeeeeees of the O3L era with Gramps and Clawfist. We're not worthy!
You know who is worthy? This week's Third Lad, Nick Morrison. Nick is the guitar sensei behind The Guitar Dojo – guitardojo and the Samurai Fingers - YouTube channel, and the best selling author of multiple guitar instruction books. Through his innovative techniques, Nick will help you make music fun again, whether you are new to the instrument or have been playing for years.
Coming live and direct from Calgary, we discuss the things one does with a good and proper Canadian - Sarah McLachlin, The Tragically Hip, the return of apple bongs, underage drinking with Our Lady Peace...plus, Nick and Uncle Gregg talk a lot of metal, while Brett doesn't really have a horse in that race.
This was a fun way to cap off our first hundred episodes. Here's to the next hundred!
Hop in the O3L time machine and go where no other episode has gone before! This week, we were each given the opportunity to travel back to attend five concerts - any date, any venue, any artists - during the O3L era. Oh, the places we will go!
Episode 99 is full of concert memories, tips on how to get backstage (hot tip: bring a clipboard!), mullets, imaginary hookers, and...uh...horse dung! Plus, go behind the curtain for another installment of "You Weren't Supposed to Hear THAT!"
This week's Third Lad is no stranger to great gigs. Lance Ingram is the host of the Yesterday's Concert podcast, which just began its second season. He is an avid concertgoer who has witnessed 750+ shows and counting. Part concert review, part memoir, Yesterday's Concert opens the pages of Lance's personal jam journal through engaging storytelling and a passion for the live music experience.
Special thanks goes out to the legendary Vanessa Briscoe Hay of Pylon for this topic idea. When Vanessa was on our show during Season 2, she mentioned that Elvis Costello's My Aim Is True was like comfort food, like mac & cheese, an album that she could come back to time and time again and it just feels...right.
So, in this episode, we boil the noodles, mix in the bright orange powder, add milk and butter, stir and consume our comfort albums of the O3L era. OK, that may be taking the mac & cheese analogy a touch too far.
The Lads get in touch with their feelings, and maybe get a little too comfortable sharing stories from their past. But what else would you expect from your favorite criminal mastermind duo?!?
Get comfy and snuggle up with O3L!
musicpodcast #musicpocasts #newwave #punkrock #alternativerock #1stwave #80smusic #90smusic #comfortalbums
Always coming back for more O3L? Well, you're in luck, because this week we do our very first label spotlight on San Francisco's groundbreaking new wave label 415 Records. Through a series of classic independent releases and a subsequent distribution deal through major label Columbia, the label launched such talents as Romeo Void, Translator, Red Rockers, Wire Train, Until December, SVT and others.
Our Third Lad this week is a man who knows all about our subject - Bill Kopp, author of the definitive chronicle Disturbing the Peace: 415 Records and the Rise of New Wave. Based on nearly 100 interviews with the artists, industry execs, producers, friends, rivals, onlookers, journalists and hangers-on, Disturbing the Peace also features hundreds of photos and memorabilia from the personal archives of those who were there.
Even if you go into this episode unfamiliar with 415 Records, you're going to come out a fan!
Plus, because never let it be said that we don't commit to a bit, hear Brett's new O3L kiddie punk anthem, "A Is For Anarchy." Oi oi oi!
Disturbing The Peace: http://415book.com/order.shtml
For an episode celebrating some of the best soundtrack albums of the O3L era, we're giving you a feature length episode that's at least as good as a movie about kidnapped truffle pigs! At the risk of offending all you truffle pig fans out there, we think it's probably even better.
Our "Third Lad" this week is the magnificent SARAH SHAY, musician, writer, girl-about-town and co-host of the Pilot House podcast, in which they dissect the pilot episodes of TV shows past and present. We had a marvelous time with Sarah...she knows her stuff and kept even us old curmudgeons laughing!
In addition to some fine discussion on music, TV and movies, we introduce the hottest new game show in town - "Pilot or Lie-lot," where our contestants determine what was an actual TV show...and what was a total fake!
Sarah Shay: http://sarahshay.com/
Pilot House Podcast: http://www.pilothousepodcast.com/
WARNING! This episode may not be suitable for sensitive listeners!
(While it's not exactly The Wiggles, we're actually just testing out Uncle Gregg's theory that more people will click on something when there's a warning message. Did it work!?!?)
To paraphrase The Smiths, we have just discovered that some topics are tougher than others...and this one certainly required some thought. First of all, what in the heck is R.I.Y.L.? Well, dear listener, it stands for "Recommended If You Like." The task at hand was to take a well known song or album from the O3L era, and then provide a recommendation for a lesser known song or album based on that. Sounds confusing? Then you are not alone (Editor's note: That line is intended to be sung, Michael Jackson style).
Aside from giving YOU some sound advice (sound advice, get it!?), in this salacious, titillating O3L, we cover a myriad of hard hitting topics such as motorcycle safety, prostate health, eight balls and hookers. Hmmm...maybe we really do need that warning label after all!
musicpodcasts #musicpodcast #newwave #1stwave #classicalternative #RIYL #punkrock #indiepop #indierock #triphop #shoegaze #rockenespanol #80smusic #90smusic #alternativerock #modrevival
This week, we have a little "dumb fun" and take a trip to the classic alternative monuments that we have erected in our minds. In this episode, we pick the five faces that we would put on our respective mountains. Five, you ask? Doesn't Mt. Rushmore only have four? You are correct, history buffs...but we felt like we had to one-up some rocks in South Dakota. Take that, national landmark!
If the Lads seem a little, uh, weird this week, it's because Uncle Gregg has the 'Vid. We're not sure what Brett's excuse is. The good news for all of you is that it means that we cover a whole buncha unrelated topics that we are in no way qualified to talk about: Science-y stuff! Infectious diseases! Baby animals! Beer sponsorships! Soft drinks! Climate change! Sports! An inspirational message to Generation Whatever-You're-Called!
P.S. Kevin Rowland from Dexys, Random Guy from Pentatonix, Matthew Wilder and Yoko do not make it on our lists...but we'd pay to actually see that, wouldn't you!?!?
musicpodcast #musicpodcasts #mtrushmore #classicalternativemusic #punkrock #postpunk #newwave #80smusic #90smusic #grunge #alternativerock #musiclegends #RIPRonnieSpector
Hey you! Don't listen to that, listen to THIS!
In our Season 3 premiere, we get even ruder and skankier than usual...and we totally mean that in the ska way, because we kick off the new year by counting down our Top 5 Ska Songs of the O3L era.
Our guest Lad this week is musician, author, blogger and podcaster Marc Wasserman. Wasserman's new book SKA BOOM! An American Ska & Reggae Oral History is the definitive chronicle of the history of ska and reggae in the U.S., as told through extensive interviews with some of the pivotal figures of the scene. It's an essential document for ska fans and alternative music buffs, available at https://www.diwulf.com.
Not only that, but Wasserman was an active participant in the history that he writes about, as the bassist and co-founder of the long-standing ska band Bigger Thomas and more recent projects such as Rude Boy George and Heavensbee. Marc knows his stuff, and we learned a ton from him.
So here's a message to you: Rudie can't fail...as long as he listens to O3L. SKABOOM!
Sure, there are a lot of parts of 2021 that we'd all like to make like a goldfish and forget. However, there were a lot of great songs that should be remembered and celebrated. That's exactly what we do in our Season 2 finale!
Meanwhile, Uncle Gregg makes his New Year's Resolutions...and Brett tries, but has already failed miserably. But there's one pressing question that we need to know - would you like us to assign someone to butter your muffin?!?
As we close out 2021, we thank you for making O3L a part of your year. We look forward to a great year ahead!
Merry Christmas from O3L! Thank you for all of your support this year - it means the world to us!
In this short bonus, Lad Brett shares the Vargo Family's 2021 Musical Christmas Card - a new original holiday tune called "That Holiday Feeling." The song features son Julian (18) on lead guitar and daughter Paisley (11) on trombones. May you always be blessed with "that holiday feeling!"
Hope you had a chance to listen to Episode 91, with our top 5 albums of 2021. Next up is our Top 5 Songs of 2021, before we head back into the classic alternative era for Season 3. We can’t wait to see what next year has in store!
This is part one of our Best of 2021 extravaganza, wherein we step out of the O3L era to discuss the albums that we're digging this year.
We've cooked up something very special for you this week - direct from Toronto, our special guests are the magnificent Ducks Ltd.! The duo of Tom McGreevy and Evan Lewis join us to talk about their own rising career, as well as their favourite new records.
The band has enjoyed a remarkable 2021, recently releasing their debut full length album Modern Fiction, and racking up a slew of "Best of 2021" accolades from the likes of AllMusic, Paste, Exclaim, Stereogum and more. Their smart, infectious brand of jangly guitar pop harkens back to '80s indie bands like The Go-Betweens, Felt, The Chills and The Bats, yet is no mere nostalgia exercise. This is pure pop for now people, to borrow from Nick Lowe.
Ducks Ltd.: Music | Ducks Ltd. (bandcamp.com)
Stay tuned next week for our Top 5 Songs of 2021!
'Tis the season for the 2nd Annual O3L Holiday Party! All the fun, frivolity, games and music without the nasty hangover...or the Pentatonix.
Joining us for our party this year is an international group of friends - Julio from Mexico, Rebecca from New Zealand, Julie from Southern California and Ryan from Idaho.
Since December is the month we let our freak flag fly, Brett brought his favorite holiday albums - any genre, any era - while Uncle Gregg tells us his Top 5 songs that you DON'T want to play at your Christmas party this year. Or maybe you DO want to play them if you have unwanted house guests this season. But don't worry...Uncle Gregg reveals his sensitive side too.
A jolly time is had by all. We said...Merry Christmas, sir!!
We kick off a fun filled December by counting down the EPIC songs of the O3L era (imagine some echo when you read that...it sounds much cooler that way). These are the 6+ minute long songs that riveted us, took us along on emotional journeys, and made us feel like we were dancing in bubbles. You'll just have to trust us on that last one...
In this epic episode, we cover a lot of ground - being thinkers, getting up before the cocks (those are roosters, you sicko), Charleton Heston, Rush, Bryan Adams, Saved By The Bell, and much more.
Stay tuned for the exciting shows we have in store for the remainder of Season 2, including our holiday special and best of 2021 episodes!
Haven't gotten your fill of O3L this week? Well, don't worry, because we're giving you a second helping!
With today being Thanksgiving and all, this special episode is all about gratitude. Amongst the things for which we are most grateful: the amazing O3L community, each other, and Gwyneth Paltrow-scented candles. I mean, we could never show our gratitude as much as the band Brass Against, but we're still pretty darn fortunate and thankful.
Invite your friends and family to the O3L table, and start a new Thanksgiving tradition with us. Thank you, friends...we truly wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you!
This week, we unleash our inner Durannie for an episode celebrating the Wild Boys themselves. D-Squared. Doo-ran Doo-ran. Da-Doo Ran Ran Ran Da-Doo Ran Ran. Birmingham's Finest. The Fab Five. OK, so before we run out of nicknames that the band never actually used, we're going straight down the ol' D-hole for our Top 5 Duran Duran Songs.
You could say this one is BONKERS!
You gotta have faith-uh, faith-uh, faith in O3L, because we're heading straight back to 1987 this week! So grab your crimping iron and acid washed jeans, and join us as we count down some of the finest classic alternative albums of the year.
We have two "Third Lads" this episode (which makes four total, but you know we're not good at math n' stuff) - singer Tom Cheek and drummer Allen Wagner from Athens, GA's Kilkenny Cats! In 1987, the band appeared in the definitive documentary Athens, GA - Inside/Out, in between their 1986 debut album Hands Down and 1988's Hammer EP. The band's sound was dark and brooding, yet rocking and danceable, with critics scrambling to classify their music as "moody Southern goth," "hard driving college rock," and "pop-ish hypnotic indie dance rock" with "haunting melodies and blazing guitar." In 1985, R.E.M.'s Mike Mills cited them as the number one band in Athens. 10,000 Maniacs and Pixies opened gigs for them. This was a band that could have, and should have, been as huge as their reputations.
Fortunately, their "Cat-alogue" (get it??) is back, remastered and available on streaming platforms, with vinyl and CD editions forthcoming. Plus, we preview a couple of rare Kilkenny Cats' rarities!
For more information on Kilkenny Cats: (3) Kilkenny Cats | Facebook
Calling occupants of most extraordinary songcraft...we are observing you...we are your friends. Get mellow and sensitive with O3L this week as we discuss our Top 5 Acoustic Songs.
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 a lot of fascinating stories from his rock n' roll life. Be sure to also check out our bonus episode, where we cover everything from his beginnings in the mid-60s to encounters with Mick Jagger, Ozzy and Boy George, his recipe for a "songwriting cake", and how he continues to make progress after over 50 years of music.
So take a trip to "The Other Side" with Terry & O3L. A splendid time is guaranteed for all!
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.
Release the bats! Halloween may be over, but this week O3L goes goth.
This week, we talk to the very talented goth/dreampop/shoegaze singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist AMMO about her goth/darkwave Top 5(-ish) list and her career, including the stunning new single "Rose + Crown". LA Record calls it "the kind of music that should soundtrack a sand-dune-to-shoreline movie by David Lynch."
Learn more about AMMO:
Website: www.musicbyammo.com
IG: https://www.instagram.com/miss_ammo
FB: https://www.facebook.com/musicbyAMMO
Bandcamp: https://musicbyammo.bandcamp.com
As an added bonus, AMMO and "Growl Gregg" face off in in an exciting game of GOTH OR BUBBLEGUM?!?
This week, our picks are "talkin' loud and sayin' nothing" (in a good way), as we cover some of the finest instrumental tracks of the O3L era...and beyond!
Guess who's back?!? It's Armistead Wellford and Mike Richmond from the almighty Love Tractor. Anything goes this week - not only do you get the classic alternative jams that you'd expect from O3L, there's also prog, funk, jazz fusion, soundtrack music and more.
There's also plenty to celebrate in the Love Tractor world, as their 1988 Mitch Easter-produced masterpiece Themes From Venus gets the lovingly remastered, deluxe reissue treatment, complete with previously unreleased bonus tracks and new artwork. Order yours today at https://propellersoundrecordings.com/collections/order-love-tractor-themes-from-venus. Plus, the band has been hard at work in the studio on brand new music!
It's fun to be happy, so get on the party train and join us!
Party people! Get ready for an O3L episode like you've never heard before. This week, we head into the world of rap & hip hop - and these are all albums that we think would appeal to classic alternative fans.
What a thrill it was to have hip-hop legend DC Glenn, aka DC The Brain Supreme, from TAG TEAM as our special guest this week! With his musical partner Steve Rollin, Tag Team rose to prominence in the early '90s with one of the most greatest party jams of all time, "Whoomp! There It Is". The song has been so ubiquitous and enduring over the past 28 years that Tag Team were back again in 2021 with everyone's favorite GEICO commercial, "Scoop! There It Is". Sprinkles!
DC shares some amazing stories about the song, career and some valuable and inspirational life lessons about tenacity, triumph, education and creating your own opportunities to thrive and become invaluable. There is some serious TED Talk level greatness going on here, folks. The main episode contains our abridged conversation with DC, but you don't not want to miss the entire conversation in our special bonus episode.
So, can YOU rock the party?!?
For more on DC The Brain Supreme:
https://www.tagteambackagain.com
On all social media platforms:
@dcglennatl
@tagteamwhoomp
scoopthereitis #sprinkles #tagteam #whoompthereitis
This bonus episode contains our complete conversation with DC Glenn, aka DC the Brain Supreme!
What a thrill it was to have hip-hop legend DC Glenn, aka DC the Brain Supreme, from TAG TEAM as our special guest this week! With his musical partner Steve Rollin, Tag Team rose to prominence in the early '90s with one of the most greatest party jams of all time, "Whoomp! There It Is". The song has been so ubiquitous and enduring over the past 28 years that Tag Team were back again in 2021 with everyone's favorite GEICO commercial, "Scoop! There It Is". Sprinkles!
DC shares some amazing stories about the song, his career and offers some valuable and inspirational life lessons about tenacity, triumph, education and creating your own opportunities to thrive and become invaluable. There is some serious TED Talk level greatness going on here, folks. The main episode contains our abridged conversation with DC, but you don't not want to miss the entire conversation in our special bonus episode.
So, can YOU rock the party?!?
For more on DC The Brain Supreme:
https://www.tagteambackagain.com
On all social media platforms:
@dcglennatl
@tagteamwhoomp
scoopthereitis #sprinkles #tagteam #whoompthereitis
Uncle Gregg and Brett. Laurel and Hardy. Paula Abdul and MC Skat Kat. Sometimes, beautiful art can come out of the power of collaboration. This week, the Lads tackle the best collaborations of the classic alternative era. And, as they say, it's a real whoppa!
A public apology from Brett:
"I accused Diane Warren of writing a song that she actually had no hand in composing, which led to additional less-than-kind comments about Ms. Warren. For the factual error, I am deeply, deeply apologetic. But she's still the worst."
An imaginary response from Diane Warren:
"That's OK. I'll go back to counting my millions of dollars in my mansion. Enjoy your non-monetized podcast, chump!"
Drat...You win this time, Diane Warren!
Believe us, you, uhhh, don't want to miss a thing.
NOTE: We usually record the show in the morning when we're relatively fresh. This week, we recorded late at night, and it definitely captured a different vibe. In fact, so much so that we had to cut some controversial moments from the intro of the main episode. If you can handle it, listen to the uncensored, unfiltered, unedited intro in a short bonus episode..."O3L After Dark." But don't say we didn't warn you...
Put on your smoking jacket and pour yourself a stiff drink, because this is O3L After Dark.
We recorded Episode 81 late at night (which is unusual for us...we usually do the show in the morning when we're fresh and pure), so things got a little strange and controversial early. We ended up editing it out of the main episode to keep it as family friendly as possible, but for anyone who wants to hear the show intro uncut and unhinged, we present it here for you.
For mature audiences only. Or at least as mature as anyone who listens to O3L can get.
We were dreaming when we wrote this, forgive us if it's goes astray...
This week, join The Boy With The Golden Ears and The Rocktor as we count down our top five songs from the year 1999. Yes, it was the year of Britney, Xtina, boy bands, braided chin hair and Dawson's Creek (or was that Creek's Dawson??), but there was plenty of great alternative music that year too. We mean, there had to be because the world was coming to an end, right?
We've got a great Third Lad this week too, Steven Morgan. Yeah, we know what you're thinking...did you really get THE Steven Morgan, the sperm doctor!?!? No, we think we did even better! It's Steven Morgan, the British-born comedian, actor, and musician currently coming to you live and direct from (wait for it...) The Netherlands! He's the man with the most piercing and utterly lickable blue eyes you've ever seen on an audio-only podcast! Among his other accomplishments, check out his hilarious YouTube series Real Power Talk, where Morgan's various characters put musicians in all sorts of uncomfortable situations. Brilliant!
Remember those old "Where Are They Now?" shows where they track down superstars from the past, only to find that they're now flipping burgers to support their smack habit? Yeah, we do too...but that's not what we're talking about this episode. Instead, we shine the spotlight on the artists from the O3L era who are still making vital, relevant music today.
Thus, we could think of no more appropriate Third Lad this week than Seattle-based Photographer/Author Mike Hipple. Through Mike's incredible lens, he has published two essential books - '80s Redux: Your Favorite Musicians Today (2018) and the upcoming Lived Through That: '90s Musicians Today (out 19 October), both of which beautifully capture the imagery and spirit of the musicians of the era. It is a captivating, humorous, and poignant look at the music we all love, its creators and the long and winding roads that life takes us down.
Visit www.hipphoto.com for more information on our special guest.
Here we are now...so let us entertain YOU! This week, we switch gears to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of one of the seminal albums of the '90s, Nirvana's Nevermind by counting down our top five tracks by the Seattle legends.
As is befitting in an episode about the grunge pioneers, the conversation also veers towards The Monkees, The Spice Girls, deodorant, and some very, uh, colorful analogies about cheese graters and cat udders (do cats even have udders?!?). Yep, in other words, it's an episode that smells like O3L. Oh well, whatever, never mind.
Hop on our inner tube and join us down this lazy river of podcasting!
Dust off yer ol' Best of Matthew Wilder album, because this week Uncle Gregg and Brett chew the phat (yeah, that's P-H-A-T, yo!) on some of their favorite classic alternative compilation albums. We did Various Artists compilations in a previous episode, so this one focuses on albums for one band/artist. You know, the greatest hits albums that have all the songs you love in one place...the records that served as your introduction to a band or artist you grew to love...the well curated essentials that gave the fans all of those rarities, deep cuts and b-sides. It's a lot of phun (yeah, that's P-H-U-N, yo!).
Also on the agenda:
- Uncle Gregg's new wheels!
- What new album is Brett listening to?
- What the blankety blank is Grimace (other than everyone's favorite purple blob)!?!?
- Financial advice (here's a hot tip for y'all...don't trade half a billion dollars of crypto for two pizzas)!
- Uncle Gregg and Brett's anger issues!
- An open invitation to psychoanalyze the Lads!
- ...and surprise!! You're all two degrees from the Tiffany, the Mall Queen herself!
What does any of that have to do with single artist compilation albums? We don't know either!
This week, we count down the classic alternative songs that went straight to the toppermost of the poppermost on some chart, somewhere in the world in the 1980s. Yowsah, this was a tough one...
Because we have a hard time focusing sometimes, we also discuss kids' TV, some, uh, interesting million dollar O3L tie-in product ideas, cookware, Halford's Batmobile, the return of ABBA...and, hey, what's that on page 602 of the Sears catalogue? We also pay tribute to the late, great countdown master himself, Casey Kasem, from whom you will hear some rather colorful language. Warning: This one's not for the kiddies. Zoinks, Shaggy!
Until we're #1 in the charts, we'll aim to be #1 in your hearts!
Привет, товарищи! How's that for an opening?!? No?? OK, well, we promise that you'll like our lists better, because this week we celebrate some of the best opening tracks of the O3L era. A great album has everything in the right place, and it all starts with Track 1, Side 1. These are the cuts that get us excited and make us weak in the knees.
Along the way, Brett and Uncle Gregg talk about the international appeal of O3L, ding dongs, a tribute from one legendary drummer to another, and...Poppy?!?
Swoonworthy!
The lads quantum leap back to the year of 1975 A.D. to save the world from the evil clutches of Captain & Tennille. Yep, they're just a couple of private dicks (that means detectives, by the way, kids) on a covert mission to dig up some of the best underground sounds of the day.
Who is Uncle Gunner, and what has he done with Uncle Gregg? Will love keep us together...or will it tear us apart? Find out on another exciting episode of ONLY THREE LADS.
(Brought to you by Ding Dongs, now individually wrapped in foil.)
OK, boomers! Take a seat in the back of lecture hall, because O3LU is in session. Brett takes a break from his son's college move-in to hang out with Uncle Gregg to discuss the essentials for any self-respecting college kid's dormroom. And, no, we're not talking about totally lame things like food, clothes, toiletries, and books, we mean the really important stuff...like classic alternative music. But be prepared, because this one goes off the rails to cover more things that are important to today's youth. Mumble rap. Sizzurp. Piercings. Blowing stuff up. Rude bands. Two pump chumps. Hair metal. One night stands. Tony Bennett and Glenn Campbell. A visitor's guide to Oakland. Bill Clinton. Yeah, you could say we really have our fingers on the pulse of the next generation. Listen to the #1 podcast among university students* and we'll give you a dose of education O3L style!
- This statement has not been evaluated by anyone. Just takin' a wild guess.
hhhhHHHHHHHello, hhhhhhhhHHHHHello again! Sit down, pop open a Bartles & Jaymes and spend some time with your friends at O3L. This week, Uncle Gregg and Brett discuss some of the absolutely sublime albums that came out in 1984...and it really was one of the greatest years in music history. We had a lot of great input from our third lads out there too, so there are shout outs galore in this one!
Along the way, we talk about the things you didn't know you needed from O3L. Mermaids! Scorpions (both the band AND the bug)! Supermodels! Grampa's tales of Wham! Common core education! Yep, that pretty much covers all the bases.
But whatever you do, there will be no dancing in this town, kids! (Just kiddin', you can dance if you want to.)
This one's for all of you with a fine appreciation for the bottom end...of music, you sickos! Join us for a funktastic voyage celebrating some of the best basslines of the classic alternative era.
Our special guest lad this week is Ivan "Funkboy" Bodley, bass player and music director for the stars. He has performed with 50 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees and in 12 Broadway Shows. Funkboy is Music Director for classic artists Sam Moore (Sam & Dave), Martha Reeves & the Vandellas, and The Shirelles, and has performed with a diverse range of musical legends such as Sting, Elvis Costello, Temptations, Solomon Burke, Ben E. King, Percy Sledge, Eddie Floyd, Rufus & Carla Thomas, Bo Diddley, Buster Poindexter, Uptown Horns, Paul Rodgers, Wynonna Judd, and David Foster.
Bea·tlesque | \ ˌbē-tᵊl-ˈesk \: of, relating to, or suggestive of the musical style or technique of the Beatles
O3L discussing their favorite songs inspired by the sound and spirit of the Fab Four? Yeah, yeah, yeah!
Our special guest this week is a progenitor of power pop, a fine purveyor of Beatlesque bops, RAY PAUL! Ray joins us to discuss his long and storied music career that stretches back to the days of Beatlemania, his hitmaking years on the Boston scene finding "The Charles Beat", his label Permanent Press, and crossing paths with just about anyone and everyone. As Uncle Gregg calls him, he's "the Forrest Gump of Power Pop."
Speaking of crossing paths, it seems that Brett has crossed paths with Ray in the past...listen to find out how.
It's a double helping of O3L this week. Listen to the main episode, but make sure to stick around for the amazing stories from rock n' roll's past in the bonus extended episode!
This special bonus episode features our extended conversation with RAY PAUL. You will not want to miss these amazing stories of rock n' roll's past! Our special guest this week is a progenitor of power pop, a fine purveyor of Beatlesque bops, RAY PAUL! Ray joins us to discuss his long and storied music career that stretches back to the days of Beatlemania, his hitmaking years on the Boston scene finding "The Charles Beat", his label Permanent Press, and crossing paths with just about anyone and everyone. As Uncle Gregg calls him, he's "the Forrest Gump of Power Pop."
Speaking of crossing paths, it seems that Brett has crossed paths with Ray in the past...listen to find out how.
"Vacation, had to get away." Brett and Uncle Gregg did some summer traveling this past week, but we're not going to leave you empty handed! Instead, we've cooked up a very special episode, culling some of our favorite stories and moments with our past guests. Join us on a trip down memory lane featuring hilarious, revealing clips from Linda Hopper (Magnapop/Oh-OK), Andy Strickland (The Loft/Caretaker Race), Robert Vickers (Go-Betweens), Love Tractor, Vanessa Briscoe Hay (Pylon), Hugo Burnham (Gang Of Four), Sean Dowdell (Grey Daze, Tattooed Millionaire), and Richard Blade.
See you next week for E70 - Top 5 Beatlesque Songs!
Hey bruhs, what episode is it?? That's right...69, dudes! Join us for Gregg & Brett's Excellent Adventure, as we hop in the phone booth time machine and dial up the year 1998. The year of Celine Dion, auto tune, boy bands...and a whole lotta great classic alternative music. Along the way, the Lads bring up plenty of memories of the year, as well as movies, some new music recommendations, the current state of radio, and even a history lesson. Whoaaaaaaaaaaaa.
Do you like American music? We like American music, baby!
The 4th of July may be over, but the party's not! We're comin' to your town, and we will, by all counts, help you party it down. This week, Brett and Uncle Gregg celebrate the best classic alternative bands from the USA, with a lot of great input from the "Third Lads" out there...all of you in the O3L Community!
Plus, we discuss Uncle Gregg serving the country, which patriotic song doesn't make Brett especially "proud", and pay tribute to the greatest of all American bands...The Hoff.
Sing it all together now - There ain't no doubt, I love these lads, God Bless the O3L!
1977: The Year Two Sevens Clashed. The Year Punk Broke. The Year Everyone Caught Saturday Night Fever. Whatever you call it, it was arguably the single most important and revolutionary year of the O3L era.
This week, Uncle Gregg and Brett discuss their favorite records from that pivotal year with indie legend ANDY STRICKLAND from The Loft, one of the first bands on the influential Creation Records label. We talk about the excellent new Loft 2 CD compilation, Ghost Trains & Country Lanes - Studio, Stage & Sessions: 1984-2015, being right in the thick of the UK punk scene, and the lasting influence of the music of 1977. This is a "must listen" O3L...we mean it, maaaaaan!
You do not want to miss our SPECIAL BONUS EPISODE featuring our extended conversation with Andy Strickland. This one has everything you could want in a rock & roll story, kids. The early days of Creation! A #1 hit! Radio and TV appearances! Onstage breakups! Fluffing solos! Tea with Morrissey! Making Bobby Gillespie cry! Toy boats!
This is a great one...we mean it, maaaaaaaaaaaaan!
We're not only Lads, we're also Dads...so we took the Father's Day weekend to spend with our kids, but don't worry, we're not going to leave you without a new O3L! We had such an incredible time with HUGO BURNHAM from GANG OF FOUR that there was far more than we could fit in the last episode. Other than the opening discussion on the brilliant new Go4 box set, 77-81, this is all brand new content from our chat with Hugo, and we promise is essential listening for long time Gang of Four fans, those just discovering the band, and fans of classic alternative in general. To quote the man himself: "I'm the &$#@%^* professor!"
“The change will do you good/I always knew it would." This week, Only Three Lads is a gang of four. That is, for our discussion on our Top 5 Drummers, we are joined by one of the most legendary and influential drummers of the O3L era, Hugo Burnham from GANG OF FOUR! Oh, sorry, that's M'Lord to you!
Also joining us for this episode is Brett's big brother Brian, and you will likely notice that those apples definitely grew off the same tree, so to speak.
Hugo was so gracious, kind, and hilarious, we have so much more to share with you! Stay tuned next week for our extended interview.
Hugo described O3L like this: "When I was growing up, milk bottles had the milk and at the top was the cream. And you guys are in the top of the bottle." Who are we to argue with that? We will accept any and all dairy analogies as high compliments...except that one time when someone called us cheesy.
Make sure to order Gang Of Four's stunning new box set 77-81 from store.matadorrecords.com!
Hold on, because the Lads tackle their top bands with women at the helm. Celebrating the classic, the groundbreaking, the influential, and the underappreciated.
Speaking of great female fronted bands, O3L congratulates The Go-Go's on their induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame!
Plus - Bueno dreams of Jeannie! Brett marries Wilson Phillips! Uncle Gregg's got skidmarks on his...uh, heart!
Beware the savage roar...of 1984. This week, we cover the best of this most excellent of years in the classic alternative era. And, added bonus - Bueno's back! We discuss his journey to the BIG3 basketball league tryouts, how he may (or may not) have invented MTV Unplugged, and how he helped The Go-Go's get to the Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame. Uncle Gregg is assigned his status as the 127th Beatle, and The Rocktor pays, uh, tribute to Casey Kasem and Charles Nelson Reilly.
Will you still need us, will you still feed us, on Episode 64? (Hint: The correct answer is "yes".)
What time is it? It's APT (Athens Party Time), y'all, because we're hanging out with the magnificent LINDA HOPPER from OH-OK and MAGNAPOP to discuss some of our favorite short songs of the O3L era. So grab a White Claw or some Willie Weed, sit back and enjoy the show. This is O3L At Our Best (exclamation point!).
We had such a great time with Linda that we couldn't fit everything into just one show!
Be sure to check out our bonus episode for much more of our conversation. Linda shares some amazing stories from her career from coming up in the early '80s Athens scene with Oh-OK, through to the heady '90s alt-rock with Magnapop, to present day....and the talented musicians with whom she's played and crossed paths - including Lynda Stipe, Matthew Sweet, REM, Bob Mould, Pylon, Mitch Easter, Love Tractor, Willie Nelson, Ruthie Morris and more.
That's two hours of O3L for you this week. Who do we think we are...Uriah Heep?!?
We had such a great time with Linda Hopper that we couldn't fit everything into just one show! Linda shares some amazing stories from her career from coming up in the early '80s Athens scene with Oh-OK, through to the heady '90s alt-rock with Magnapop, to present day....and the talented musicians with whom she's played and crossed paths - including Lynda Stipe, Matthew Sweet, REM, Bob Mould, Pylon, Mitch Easter, Love Tractor, Willie Nelson, Ruthie Morris and more.
That's two hours of O3L for you this week. Who do we think we are...Uriah Heep?!?
On the day of this episode's "transmission", it is 41 years to the day that we lost Ian Curtis. We celebrate the music of Joy Division this week, one of the most influential and important bands of the O3L era. Playing the role of Bueno this week, we've got the marvelous Mark Cline of Love Tractor returning to the show. Since Mark and Love Tractor toured with New Order in the mid-80s, he's a very fitting guest host, and always has great insights and stories!
Also on the docket, we play a music nerd "would you rather" game, talk classic TV, get songwriting tips from Mark, and talk about Love Tractor news. Don't miss the unknown pleasures of this episode!
Our oddest episode yet (question mark???)...you be the judge. For starters, we discuss the Oddball Albums of the classic alternative era - the eccentric, the weird, the daring left turns, the unloved, the underappreciated, the groundbreaking, the soul patches. Oh, the soul patches.
It's also odd because Bueno isn't back yet...and you know how we miss our Bueno!
How appropriate, though, that our guest Lad this week is Jason Wright, host of the oddball show podcast, President/Founder of the oddball foundation, Editor-in-Chief of oddball magazine, author, poet, and mental health advocate. We had a great time with Jason, and know you will too! Not only does he know his music, but he also shares some great insights during this Mental Health Awareness Month.
O3L tackling heavy subjects? That is odd!
P.S. Up your nose with a rubber hose!
P.P.S. Just kidding, we love you. We wish no rubber hoses up your noses.
Coming soon to a podcast near you! O3L Media presents: Cool Like O3L. The year is 1991. A grungy slacker who may or may not actually be your uncle. A troubled hoodrat from the mean streets of suburban Poway. A young medical prodigy with a taste for Toad in the Hole. Three different worlds. One united cause: to save the world from terrible music. Yo, drop the zeros and get with the heroes!
Note: Bueno is taking a brief hiatus, but Dr. Don did a great job stepping into those giant basketball playing shoes this week! The Bueno-ator says: "I'll be baaaaaack."
We've got a fever...and the only cure is more CURE!
Join us for Only Three (Imaginary) Lads this week.
In the O3L world, The Cure are as important an institution as any. During this special episode, we celebrate the music and legacy of Robert Smith and his legendary band. The gloomy. The doomy. The playfully silly. The sublime. The hauntingly gorgeous. The profound and poetic.
And because it's "Never Enough", we also talk Moby! Why Bueno doesn't have kids! Evolution! UFOs!
Sleep tight, kiddies!
In this very special crossover O3L, we discuss our Top 5 Workout Songs with the very REAL medical professional Dr. Don Sharnowski. Dr. Don is one of the leading experts in the wellness field, but he's also a dear friend of the show and a huge classic alternative music fan. Not only can nobody fill out an O3L Be Bueno shirt like Dr. Don, but he's got a reeeeally big dictionary. That's dictionary, you sickos...seriously, he offers some very eloquent and thoughtful insights into the music.
Even though we're pretty much a medical podcast now, on the other side of the Callhole...
It did not escape us that this episode is coming out on 4/20, and Bueno...uh, let's just say he played A LOT of "basketball" before the show.
Put on your sweatbands and get ready for the most unusual and outrageous O3L yet!
Like, gag us with a spoon! It was a totally gnarly topic this week. Join the Lads and their fake new wave bands, The Highscore Kids, Hooper Dream, and VHS Lazer (pew-pew-pew), as they attempt to count down their Top 5 New Wave Songs.
Featuring such hits as*:
The Highscore Kids - "Is The Girl Who Looks Like Belinda Really Going Out With Him?"
Hooper Dream - "We Got The Meat"
VHS Lazer - "Do You Really Want To Hurt Him (Sarah)?"
If you're wearing your WWBD bracelet and thinking "What Would Bueno Do?", the answer his simple: He'd listen to this episode of O3L. Sounds like good advice.
- Don't worry, this episode does not actually feature these hits, because these are neither real songs nor real bands.
Ah, 1974. Bueno was a young, wild teenager with a Greg Brady perm harboring a crush for Helen Hunt. Uncle Gregg was a wee toddler digging the Electric Company and special brownies. Baby Brett Weird was just entering the world, no doubt with a stack of obscure Mongolian records in his crib. Yup, that's how we remember 1974.
The Lads recount their favorite albums from 1974 - the wild, the weird, and the groundbreaking. It's a crazy, globetrotting musical journey.
Plus, Uncle Gregg's "baby Mama" Aunt Vicky pays O3L a special, unforgettable visit!
Here at O3L, we don’t just talk about great guitarists...we have great guitarists join us! And it doesn’t get much better than art rock pioneers and founding members of the legendary Athens, GA alternative scene (and our new BFFs), LOVE TRACTOR. For this episode, we are joined by guitarists Mark Cline & Mike Richmond and bassist Armistead Wellford as we all discuss our favorite guitarists...celebrating the doodly doodlies, the chunka chunkas, the visionaries and the influencers both in and out of the O3L era.
Love Tractor recently reissued a remixed and expanded version of their 1982 eponymous debut, an instrumental masterwork of shimmering guitar interplay that Mike Mills from REM lauds as “one of my favorite records of all time.” But wait, there's more...
We had such a great time with the guys that it ended up being our most epic show yet. Army, Mark and Mike had so many incredible and hilarious stories that we present a two part bonus feature, Fun to be Happy: O3L in Conversation with Love Tractor. Believe us, some of the best moments are on these episodes, so make sure to check those out too!
Thanks to Love Tractor for being so wonderful and generous with their time and memories, and a special thanks to Karen Allison for coordinating everything.
PART ONE:
We had such a great time with Mark, Mike and Army from Love Tractor that it ended up being our most epic show yet. They had so many incredible and hilarious stories that we present a two part bonus feature, Fun to be Happy: O3L in Conversation with Love Tractor. Believe us, do not miss these. Some of the best moments are on these episodes.
We cover everything from Love Tractor history to times with fellow Athens luminaries like The B-52’s, REM and Pylon to stories about New Order, The Bangles, Alex Chilton, Chrissie Hynde, Iggy Pop, 10,000 Maniacs, Red Hot Chili Peppers, RuPaul, Mick Ronson and so much more. And we guarantee you will never hear “Pushin’ Too Hard” the same way again!
Thanks to Love Tractor for being so wonderful and generous with their time and memories, and a special thanks to Karen Allison for coordinating everything.
PART TWO:
We had such a great time with Mark, Mike and Army from Love Tractor that it ended up being our most epic show yet. They had so many incredible and hilarious stories that we present a two part bonus feature, Fun to be Happy: O3L in Conversation with Love Tractor. Believe us, do not miss these. Some of the best moments are on these episodes.
We cover everything from Love Tractor history to times with fellow Athens luminaries like The B-52’s, REM and Pylon to stories about New Order, The Bangles, Alex Chilton, Chrissie Hynde, Iggy Pop, 10,000 Maniacs, Red Hot Chili Peppers, RuPaul, Mick Ronson and so much more. And we guarantee you will never hear “Pushin’ Too Hard” the same way again!
Thanks to Love Tractor for being so wonderful and generous with their time and memories, and a special thanks to Karen Allison for coordinating everything.
Finish this sentence: All she wants is...
Need help? The answer was a new O3L, and "she" (and the rest of you) will get exactly that! Join the Lads on a trip back to 1988 for their favorite songs of the year.
Only Three Lads: an anomaly in the podcast pool.
Oh, and by the way, if you're wondering where the Top 5 Guitar Heroes episode went...we've bumped it to next week. It's going to be worth the wait, we promise!
In the O3L world, 1976 was the calm before the storm. In the year before the punk rock explosion, there wasn't a lot of "alternative" albums, but lawdy, lawdy, lawdy...the albums covered this week were some of the seminal records of the era.
We are fortunate to be joined this week by Francois Palay (aka Jean F. Palay, aka JFP), author of the books Night Of Destruction: The Stooges And Other Stories and Too Heavy For Heaven. JFP shares some incredible stories about the final days of The Stooges, and has an awesome Top 5 list. A splendid time was had by all!
Be sure to check out Night Of Destruction at Amazon!
So, tell us what you want. What you really, really want. What's that? You say what you really, really want is a brand new nugget-coughin', apple-chewin', nut-zippin', man-crushin' episode of O3L? Well, you just happen to be in luck!
Join Stiff-Bone Spice (Bueno), Hoser Spice (Brett) and Creepy Spice (Uncle Gregg) on an insanely fun journey back to the bygone days of 1996!
How were the albums in 1983? In the immortal words of Tony the Tiger, they were GRRRRREAT!
But what's gotten into the lads during Episode 51? Was it an alien takeover? They get a little kooky on this one...don't say we didn't warn ya.
But, hey, did we mention that 1983 was an awesome year? So grab a spoonful of vegemite, sit back and enjoy O3L!
Well, it seems that we have some celebrating to do here at O3L headquarters. It's the big Episode 5-0, so we had to celebrate this milestone with something special. So how about Vanessa Briscoe Hay from the legendary post-punk band Pylon? This highly influential band was called "the greatest arty party band" and "eons ahead of their time" by Rolling Stone, "raw, minimalist, brainy and danceable" by Pitchfork, "pioneering, good-humoured and brilliant" by Uncut, and "cool as hell" by PopMatters. High praise indeed! Not only is Vanessa cool, but she was also very gracious, generous with her time, has an awesome Top 5 list, and great stories to share.
It just so happens that Vanessa has something big to celebrate too, because the fantastic new Pylon CD box set is coming out on March 26th! This 4 CD set covers the band's output from 1979-1983. The vinyl version released last year received some very impressive accolades, including a five star review in the All Music Guide and:
- NEW YORK TIMES “BEST OF 2020 BOXED SETS, REISSUES, DELUXE EDITIONS”
- ROLLING STONE MAGAZINE’S “THE BEST BOX SETS OF 2020”
- NPR MUSIC “THE BEST REISSUES & BOX SETS OF 2020”
- UNCUT MAGAZINE’S “BEST REISSUES OF 2020”
- BROOKLYN VEGAN “#1 BEST REISSUES, BOX SETS, & COMPILATIONS OF 2020”
- PASTE MAGAZINE’S “THE 10 BEST VINYL REISSUES OF 2020”
- AQUARIUM DRUNKARDS “2020 YEAR IN REVIEW”
- ALLMUSIC’S “FAVORITE ARCHIVAL RELEASES OF 2020”
- ULTIMATE CLASSIC ROCK #3 “TOP 15 ARCHIVAL ROCK RELEASES OF 2020”
- POPMATTERS “20 BEST REISSUES OF 2020”
- GARDEN & GUN MAGAZINE’S “THE BEST SOUTHERN ALBUMS OF 2020”
This was an incredible thrill for us. Make sure to check out our bonus episode featuring more of our conversation with Vanessa Briscoe Hay too!
BONUS EPISODE! Did we mention what a thrill it was to have Vanessa Briscoe Hay on O3L? She shared so many wonderful memories with us that we are bringing you additional content that was not featured in the regular show!
Well, it seems that we have some celebrating to do here at O3L headquarters. It's the big Episode 5-0, so we had to celebrate this milestone with something special. So how about Vanessa Briscoe Hay from the legendary post-punk band Pylon? This highly influential band was called "the greatest arty party band" and "eons ahead of their time" by Rolling Stone, "raw, minimalist, brainy and danceable" by Pitchfork, "pioneering, good-humoured and brilliant" by Uncut, and "cool as hell" by PopMatters. High praise indeed! Not only is Vanessa cool, but she was also very gracious, generous with her time, has an awesome Top 5 list, and great stories to share.
It just so happens that Vanessa has something big to celebrate too, because the fantastic new Pylon CD box set is coming out on March 26th! This 4 CD set covers the band's output from 1979-1983. The vinyl version released last year received some very impressive accolades, including a five star review in the All Music Guide and:
- NEW YORK TIMES “BEST OF 2020 BOXED SETS, REISSUES, DELUXE EDITIONS”
- ROLLING STONE MAGAZINE’S “THE BEST BOX SETS OF 2020”
- NPR MUSIC “THE BEST REISSUES & BOX SETS OF 2020”
- UNCUT MAGAZINE’S “BEST REISSUES OF 2020”
- BROOKLYN VEGAN “#1 BEST REISSUES, BOX SETS, & COMPILATIONS OF 2020”
- PASTE MAGAZINE’S “THE 10 BEST VINYL REISSUES OF 2020”
- AQUARIUM DRUNKARDS “2020 YEAR IN REVIEW”
- ALLMUSIC’S “FAVORITE ARCHIVAL RELEASES OF 2020”
- ULTIMATE CLASSIC ROCK #3 “TOP 15 ARCHIVAL ROCK RELEASES OF 2020”
- POPMATTERS “20 BEST REISSUES OF 2020”
- GARDEN & GUN MAGAZINE’S “THE BEST SOUTHERN ALBUMS OF 2020”
Hey baby...what are you wearing? Oooh, an old oversized Joy Division t-shirt? Ohhhhh yeeeeeah, that's soooooo HOT!
You know what else is hot? This week's O3L, where we discuss our Top 5 classic alternative love songs.
So, what are you waiting for? Snuggle up with that special someone, turn the lights down low, and get into the mood with the #1 podcast in Flanders.*
- There has been no evidence to actually suggest that this is a factual statement. There's actually been no evidence that a single person in Flanders has ever heard of us. We didn't even know where Flanders was until this episode.
Most singles only go to 7 inches...these go to 12.
In our very first Listener's Choice episode, the randomizer selected a topic suggested by Paige Rockwell, wherein we discuss our Top 5 12" singles. Thanks for the idea, Paige!
This episode is also special for another reason, as this week marks the first anniversary of O3L. We appreciate you sticking with us this year. For that, you all get disco lasers. Pew-pew-pew! This is the 12 inch remix of O3L!
For this supersized episode of Only Three Lads, we bring you our top artists from the final five year stretch of the O3L era. Uncle Gregg brought up an interesting comment about one of his picks that [insert artist name here] "owned" the late '90s. And then he said the same thing about his next artist...and the next...so who really DID own the '90s? Truth be told, it was more like a timeshare. Each of these artists owned their little piece of the time period, and it made for some diverse and amazing music.
Of course, as you've come to expect from three middle aged guys who act like junior high kids, hijinks a-plenty ensue during this episode. Bueno bowls for a baseball legend! Uncle Gregg almost gets canned! Brett blows his chance to be a celebrity impersonator! And Sarah McLachlan, dang it, she just wants you to save the animals!*
- Which, incidentally, is a good idea.
Hey hey, we’re the Grungies! Put on your flannel, broskis, and relive some of the best grunge-era albums with O3L. That’s if you can muster up the energy, ya slackers!
What made Brett fear this episode so much? Is the fact that “grunge” was a four letter word to him in the ‘90s? Is it the fact that, if he thought that “grunge” was a four letter word, his spelling might need some work? Is it the fact that, despite the fact that he is the one writing these very show notes, he is referring to himself in the third person? Fortunately, Uncle Gregg and Bueno were quite the grungies, so they save the day with their takes on some classic albums (and Bueno gets pretty, uh, creative with the topic). No matter what side of the fence you’re on, we promise you’ll enjoy this one.
Don't think that we don't realize the incredible serendipity of Episode 45 celebrating some of the best treasures found on the flip side of 45 rpm singles. Well, and the extra tracks found on CD singles, but that's not nearly as serendipitous.
By the way, "serendipity" will score you 17 points on Scrabble. You'll learn about some other big Scrabble words to use on this episode too. You're welcome.
Join us as we discuss a lot of great hidden musical gems, Danny Bonaduce, playing pranks on Chrissie Hynde, and oodles more. Oodles, we say!
Liam Gallagher had this to say about this episode: "[Unintelligble ranting...] RISSOLES!" Well, he didn't, but he might have.
This week, we bring you all the "hot topics" on O3L: apple bongs, teenage doctors, hangin' out at the mall, showering with our listeners. Cuz we're punk rock!!
Hey, while we're at the mall, can we swing by and pick up a Bueno decoder ring? We're gonna need it.
Oh yeah, and we manage to work in our Top 5 '90s Punk Albums while we're at it. Trust us, it's more fun than beating up a mall cop!
OK, we promised that Season 2 of O3L would be bigger and better...so what better way to kick it off than with a living legend? SiriusXM, radio and TV personality, author, screenwriter, game show contestant (and did we mention legend?) RICHARD BLADE is our very special guest.
For this episode, we each (including Richard) picked our Top 5 songs from Richard Blade's classic six volume "Flashback Favorites" CD series. And the stories...oh, the incredible stories. Make sure you don't miss the amazing bonus episode with our extended conversation!
You won't want to miss our extended conversation with the legendary Richard Blade! Richard was very generous with his time and shared so many amazing, revealing stories, from how he got his name to encounters with Michael Jackson, Barbara Streisand and Sean Connery.
This week, the Lads hop in the time machine and leave the O3L era behind for the distant future to discuss their top albums of 2020. For this year end spectacular (for an...um...less than spectacular year), they are joined by Sean Dowdell from Grey Daze. Grey Daze was Chester Bennington's pre-Linkin Park band, who had reunited shortly before Bennington's death. Using vintage vocals, the band retooled songs from their back catalogue for 2020's vital, emotional album Amends, which hit #1 on the rock charts in the US & UK. Sean discusses his friendship and partnership with Chester, the creative process behind the new album, and our very own Uncle Gregg's impact on the Grey Daze story and the '90s Phoenix music scene.
For more of our conversation with Sean, be sure to check out our bonus episode!
Thank you for all of your support during our first year. Happy New Year from Only Three Lads!
Now where's that time machine? We want to get back to the O3L era...stat!!
This special O3L bonus episode contains an extended conversation with Sean Dowdell of Grey Daze. Sean hangs out with the Lads to discuss his friendship and musical partnership with Chester Bennington, the creative process behind their #1 rock album Amends, our very own Uncle Gregg's impact on the Grey Daze story and more!
In this bonus episode, Lad Brett premieres his new album "The Vargo Family Christmas Album." This is a compilation of original holiday tunes that the Vargo family has recorded between 2013-2020. Includes the new song "Light Up The World" and 11 other modern classics to bring the joy of the season.
From the O3L family to yours, we wish you a joyous holiday season. Your continued support has been the bright spot of a tough year, and we are grateful that you have let us into your lives. We'll see you next week!
Oi to the world! Happy Holidays from Only Three Lads! For this very special episode, we not only cover our Top 5 Holiday Songs from the classic alternative era...but we invited the O3L Community to join us! Five oh-so-lucky listeners were able to take part in the show to share their favorite yuletide tunes, play some games, and have oodles of fun (oodles, we say...obviously!).
Thanks to our special guests - Julie, Tarah, Paige, Lane, and Ryan. We hope you had as much fun as we did! And, for those of you who missed it this year, listen in, play along and get festive!
OK, so can we just agree that 1982 was one of the greatest years ever for classic alternative music? The Lads came up with some doozies this week! Aside from discussing some of the best songs that the year had to offer, we talk video games, snorting CDs, post-apocalypse Tom Petty, and Uncle Gregg's uncanny similarities to Babe Ruth. So, pretty much everything you'd come to expect from Only Three Lads.
O3L fever...catch it!
"And it's here where our journey through time begins, to exhume that rarest of pop cadavers...the One Hit Wonder." On this episode, the lads celebrate the best of the one hit wonders of the classic alternative era - the songs that stormed the charts, only to find that their respective artists couldn't quite replicate their hit song's commercial success. Plus, Uncle Gregg likes to cuddle, Bueno gets some new pickup lines, and Brett packs wallop and joy.
Ain't no one gonna break-uh our stride!
Happy Thanksgiving from O3L! Or, if you're not listening on release day and/or not in the U.S., Happy Whatever Day It Is! Regardless, in this crazy year, we are most grateful for YOU, dear listener. This episode is filled with intrigue and mystery, folks...aside from covering some of the finest tracks that 1992 had to offer, we discuss food, Uncle Gregg's furniture destruction, and the forgotten 1992 TV show "Fish Police." (Yes, that was a thing.) Plus, we introduce a new podcast noir segment called "Here's A Story," with a suspense-filled tale sent to us by listener Lane Spencer.
So, whatever you're doing, stuffing a turkey...or just being a turkey...thank you for spending time with us!
Let's hear it for the girls! This week, the Lads salute the Ladies of the classic alternative era - the trailblazers and the legends.
Along the way, we cover Bueno's celebrity crushes, Jepheads and Blinks, and debut our hot new country jam "Gotta Truck, Gotta Dog." Hey, it's a work in progress.
The ghost of Jim Backus commands you to listen!
Ever wonder what happens behind the scenes at O3L? Oh...you haven't?!? Well, in this mini bonus episode, we open up the show vaults and give you a taste of the stuff that you were never meant to hear. As such, this one definitely earns its "Explicit" rating, folks. Hide the kiddies!
We look forward to bringing you fresh new episodes of O3L soon!
Just Can't Get Enough O3L? I Feel You, it's a Strangelove that people feel for us. People Are People, after all. If you are Somebody who hasn't listened to the Only Three Lads podcast yet, it was just A Question Of Time. So now you'll have Something To Do. Welcome aboard...Everything Counts! We don't want to start any Blasphemous Rumours, because we have a strict Policy Of Truth over here, y'know.
Oh, did we make it obvious enough that the week's episode celebrates the music of Depeche Mode?
Iiiiit's alright, cuz you're saved by O3L! Hey gang...This week, the lads travel back to the heady days of 1989 to discuss their Top 5 classic alternative songs from that year. You'd better hurry before Mr. Bueno puts us all into detention!
Incidentally, congratulations to our O3L Scavenger Hunt winner Mike Basso, who is clearly the Slater of the group. And everyone knows Slater was the coolest.
In this supersized episode of O3L, we offer our choices for the foundation of any self-respecting alternative music collection. We looked at it this way - if we were going to guide a young person to the music of the O3L era, what would we recommend as the starting point? So what could be better than getting an ACTUAL YOUNG PERSON to listen to our choices and give feedback?!? We rustled up one such young person, Brett's 17-year-old son Julian. And lettuce tell ya, he's a real chip of the ol' block! So gather the family 'round the hi-fi and dig the sounds of O3L!
Back in '82, Bueno could have thrown a basketball over them mountains...
Turn on your heartlight and relive the classic alternative albums of 1982. After this episode, you'll want to phone home...to tell your friends about O3L!
Because you always remember the first time...this week, the lads discuss their Top 5 Debut Singles from the Golden Age of Alternative.
Only Three Gramps, brought to you by [insert random geriatric product here]. It's a weal wiot, we promise you!
1976: A Roar Like You've Never Heard Before!
This week, the Lads capture the Spirit of '76 with some AMAZING songs. The highly advanced 2-year-old Brett beams his list to the future, Uncle Gregg gets a little "Brett Weird," and Bueno just wants to jump on top of you (y'know, in an "Ambassador of Love" kinda way). Dyn-o-miiiite!
This week, the lads travel back to share their Top 5 songs from the high school graduation years - 1977, 1988, and 1992.
Graduating at the top of the class at O3L High:
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Brett, "Most Likely to Earn a Fake PhD in Music Nerdery"
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Uncle Gregg, "Most Likely to Steal a Pixies Cassette"
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Bueno, "Most Likely to Date a Model from a Robert Palmer Video"
I'm glad we became friends this year. Have a rad summer. KIT. Ack!
Hey kids! O3L Records presents all of your favorite groovy hits on one long playing podcast. You get 29 Original Episodes by the 3 Original Lads!
This episode, we discuss our Top 5 Various Artist Compilation Albums, and we've come up with (to quote an old K-Tel album) pure gold. But wait...there's more!
You get these smashes and more:
"Be Bueno" (12" Remix)
"You'll Come Around, Gregg"
"I'd Like To Punch Reel Big Fish Silly (But They Probably Had It Comin')"
Act now - supplied are limited!**
**No, they're not.
Why, thank you for noticing how gritty and topical we've gotten lately. We feel it's our duty to both entertain AND educate. Therefore, we're gonna share part of the screenplay for the very first O3L After School Special:
[Son is sitting on his bed, obviously listening to Episode 28 of O3L, upset that Uncle Gregg didn't pick Gino Vanelli's "Living Inside Myself". His father comes bursting into his room, clutching a Depeche Mode single. Or maybe even Dexys Midnight Runners, because kids are rebellious, after all.]
Dad: What is this?
Son: I don't know, it's not mine.
Dad: Your mother found it in your closet.
Son: One of the guys must have left...
Dad: Tell me! Where did you get this? Who taught you how to listen to this stuff!?
Son: YOU, OK?!?! I learned it from listening to YOU!
[End scene}
So, whaddya think?
The moral of the story: Teach your children well. Oh yeah, and listen to O3L.
Do you belieeeve in life after O3L? We sure don't, because near, far, wherever you are...O3L will go on and on. In case you haven't caught on by now, this week we're taking the O3L spaceship back to 1998. And we think we've really outdone ourselves, for what it's worth!
We also announce the winner of the "Uncle Gregg Caption Contest." Dig it!
We celebrate half a year worth of episodes with our Top 5 Non-Album Singles. You know, those great standalone singles that didn't find a home on an album. They're like little gifts from the artist to the fan.
You know what else is a gift? The picture of Uncle Gregg circa 1988 on our Facebook page at facebook.com/onlythreelads. Caption the picture by Saturday, 8/15/20 - best caption will WIN an O3L T-shirt of your choice!
Don't say we never gave you nuttin. Or else O3L is gonna give you the business, see?
Happy Birthday, Bueno! Let your freak flag fly.
This episode, we celebrate the one word man known as Bueno, and our top one word bands of the O3L era. One word bands - lazy...or just plain resourceful? You make the call. Join Bueno, Brett & Uncle Gregg as the musical archaeologists make some important excavations. Wooooo-eeeee! Plus, the Lads have some sage advice for the youngins out there: Crime DOES pay, kids!*
- The producers of Only Three Lads do not actually endorse nor condone criminal activity. We just play hardened street thugs on a podcast, that's all.
You're gonna have to face it...you're addicted to O3L. And that's OK, because we're here to give you your weekly fix. Yeah, we're enablers. This episode, we hop in the Delorean and set the Flux Capacitor for 1985. Aside from discussing some of the greatest alternative music ever created, Uncle Gregg gives us a taste of movie cheese, Brett reveals his obvious mastery of a Dutch accent, and Bueno?!? Well, let's just say you have to hear it to believe it. So, pour yourself a Double Palmer and stay awhile!
THE ROBOTS ARE TAKING OVER! In this episode, the lads count down the songs of the past that sound like the future...or something like that. That's right, we're talking about our top synth pop songs of the O3L era, and it's a fun 'un!
Now, kids, generally we pride ourselves on running a family friendly show, but this is the first podcast in history to garner an 'Explicit' rating for hard hitting discussions about robot prostitutes, The Great Gazoo, and Metal Mickey (seriously, does nobody but Brett watch that masterpiece??). But don't fact check us on that, because there are some pretty freaky-deeky podcasts out there. Boogie boogie!
Ahh, parting is such sweet sorrow. (Because we're basically on the same level as Shakespeare, we can quote him.) Sometimes a band or artist's swan song is tragic. Sometimes it's a real stinker. Sometimes it's pure magic...and that's what is discussed on this episode of O3L. Bueno, Brett and Uncle Gregg count down their Top 5 Final Albums of the classic alternative era, and it's a humdinger. Will we have our second triple crossover on this show? Guess you'll have to listen to find out! Plus, Bueno shares a very special message of LOVE that you do not want to miss. Trust us.
So there was this one time when Uncle Gregg was at a pool party with The Cranberries...
Join Brett, Uncle Gregg and Bueno for a ride back to 1995, as they run through their Top 5 alternative albums from that halcyon days of yore. As Charles Nelson Reilly might have said in 1995, it's a real blank in the blankety blank!
21 Episodes. Three Jokers. Thanks for joining us on this journey!
OK, so are we going address the gorilla in the room? No, seriously, are we? In this episode, the lads count down their Top 5 Artists from those heady years of 1974-79, and Bueno pays tribute to his late friend, legendary DJ Jack Armstrong. It's a fine line between insight and insanity, as we always say over here at O3L headquarters. Actually, this is the first time we've ever said that, but we'll remember it for the next time we want to say it. Kiss my grits!
Oi! Episode 19 of Oi-3-L celebrates those subversive '80s punk records. And fair warning...we get pretty topical in this episode, giving the ol' two finger salute to a number of the things that have been bugging us. Rotary phones. Shampoo commercials. Lily Tomlin. LILY TOMLIN! Yeah, I guess you could say we're really stickin' it to the man. Cuz we're punks and all.
Hey Moondoggie, let's hop into the O3L Woody and hit the beach! Tune in your AM dial to the sweet sounds of O3L, as Dr. Brett*, Uncle Gregg, and Bueno discuss their Top 5 Summer Songs from the golden age of alternative. It's a totally tubular ride that covers all of the summer essentials - fun in the sun, classic tunes, Slurpees, and Bob Dole. Hang five (top five, that is)!
- Oh, if you're using an AM radio, you won't actually find O3L.
** Brett is not a real doctor, but plays one on O3L. Do not consult him for any actual medical advice, if you value your life.
Dear Mr. Kotter,
Please excuse Juan as he is listening to the Only Three Lads episode on the Top 5 Albums of 1980.
Signed, Epstein's Mother
Heavens to Murgatroyd! It's a new episode of O3L, even. Climb aboard the spaceship as Bueno, Brett and Uncle Gregg count down their Top 5 Album Closers - the songs that provide the perfect finish to a great record. This was a fun one, kids...and we promise that we were 100% sober during the recording of this show, hard as it may be to believe. Find out for yourself why 4 out of 5 dentists (and strippers) recommend O3L. Exit, stage right!
Ya mon! In an episode that's "Taylor Made" for Uncle Gregg, this episode is all about the bass...and terrible island accents. Join Uncle Gregg, Bueno and Brett as they get funky with their Top 5 Bassists of the golden age of alternative music. But wait, there's more! We are thrilled to introduce our first "Guest Lad" on the show, the wonderful Robert Vickers from The Go-Betweens! Robert shares his favorite and most influential bassists with us (and, for the complete interview, be sure to check out our bonus episode!).
But wait, there's more! Shocking reveals. And the return of The Wooooo Guy? This is a special one that you won't want to miss, kids.
Brett Vargo chats with one of his favorite bassists of all time, the marvelous Robert Vickers from The Go-Betweens. Here is the complete interview - Robert shares his Top 5 Bassists and those who influenced him, The Monkees, the Australian punk scene, CBGB's, his favorite basslines, life after The Go-Betweens and more. This is a special bonus episode that you will not want to miss!
Curly fries? Overrated, according to Gordon Gano of Violent Femmes. The band Japan? Underrated...although we didn't pick 'em during this episode. Come on, we wouldn't let you off that easy with a spoiler alert! Join Brett, Uncle Gregg, and Knucklehead Smith...oops, we mean Bueno...as they champion the underdogs, the '80s bands who deserve more love, the bands who should be playing arenas instead of '80s cruises (although those do sound pretty awesome).
Who's on your list? Storm our Facebook page at facebook.com/onlythreelads and let us know! If you don't, old Knucklehead Smith is gonna get really sore at ya, see?
This episode is dedicated to the memory of legendary alternative music DJ Steve West, 1951-2020.