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

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

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

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