Only Three Lads - Classic Alternative Music Podcast

Welcome to the crossroads...making a deal with the devil is optional. This week, we examine the crossroads of punk rock and the blues with returning Third Lad Johnny Iguana from The Claudettes. We explore the zone where the primitive riffs, repetition, swagger, and emotional themes of the blues intersect with punk’s volume, attitude, and lack of polish. It's a description that has - in part - been used to describe the music of Chicago band The Claudettes, who have a regard and respect for both the tradition of the blues and the DIY aesthetic of punk, but that’s also just a little tiny part of the band's appeal. Listen to their back catalogue right up to their new Pravda Records album Garage Glamour, and, yeah, you have shades of punk sass and blues grit, but also deep jazz, retro soul, cabaret noir, slinky funk, rock and pop, all tied together with the powerful vocals of the band’s new singer Rachel Williams and, as always, the impeccable songwriting and musical direction of keyboardist Johnny Iguana. Johnny’s illustrious career has included playing with legends like Junior Wells, Koko Taylor, John Primer, Johnny Winter, Mick Jagger & Keith Richards, and scores more. Oh, and speaking of scores, he’s also the co-composer of the music for the hit FX show The Bear. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

They're creepy, they're kooky, they're altogether spooky...but they ROCK! It's a MONSTER of a Halloween edition of the Only Three Lads Weekend Six Pack, featuring six frighteningly groovy new tunes guaranteed to rattle a few bones! Our very special guest is Matt Favazza from Chicago garage punk veterans THE GOLDSTARS, who joins us to talk about their first full-length album in over 20 years, The Halloween Album! It's 13 tracks (what else?) of ghoulish rock n' roll goodness, out NOW on Mordorlorff Music! This week's spine-tingling Six Pack: The Goldstars – "Monsters Go Away" (from The Halloween Album, Mordorlorff Music) The Darts – "Vampires In Love" (from Halloween Love Songs, Meow Hiss Music) Palmyra Delran & The Doppel Gang – "Spirit In My House" (single, Wicked Cool Records) The Hellflowers – "Creature" (from the forthcoming album Haunted) Guerrilla Teens – "Gravedigger" (from the EP Sympathy For The Decibel, Sonic Jett Records) Lady Darkevyl feat. Chris Church – "I Watch You Sleep" (from the compilation Chilling, Thrilling Hooks and Haunted Harmonies, Big Stir Records) TURN IT UP...IF YOU DARE! Hear The Goldstars' new album at thegoldstars.bandcamp.com. Proud members of the Pantheon Podcasts family. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Looking at critical lists of the greatest New York albums of all time, they seem heavily slanted towards the initial art punk blast of the late ‘70s (and deservedly so) with Ramones, Blondie, Television, Patti Smith, Talking Heads, etc., hip-hop in the ‘90s like Nas, Biggie, Wu-Tang, Jay-Z, or the indie rock of the 2000s with The Strokes, Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Interpol.  But the ‘80s was the decade that provided the crucial bridge to all of that, a melting pot of styles as diverse as the city itself.  From noise rock to pure pop to rap to no wave jazz, we celebrate the kaleidoscopic world of the Big Apple in the Reagan era. Joining Brett for the discussion is someone who wasn't just merely there, but was a crucial part of the New York music and art landscape in the '80s. Drummer Bob Bert spent the decade behind the kit for two legendary bands, Sonic Youth and Pussy Galore. His recently released debut solo album, Beach Bongo Bloodbath (Bar/None Records) is the record you didn't realize you needed in 2026 - 25 minutes of percussion-forward, guitar free, gloriously unhinged originals and cover versions like you've never heard them done before. Hear about Bob's adventures through the vibrant NYC art punk scene of the '70s and '80s, silkscreen printing for Andy Warhol, joining Sonic Youth and making of one of the most beloved albums of their career (Bad Moon Rising), the force of nature that is Lydia Lunch, and what makeshift percussion "instrument" Steve Albini gifted Bob to complete his drum kit with Pussy Galore. Thanks to Howard Wuelfing from Howlin' Wuelf Media for the introduction and coordination. Proudly part of the Pantheon Podcasts family. #OnlyThreeLads #O3L #BobBert #BeachBongoBloodbath #SonicYouth #PussyGalore #NYC #80sMusic #AlternativeMusic #PunkRock Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week's Third Lad Wesley Stace (aka singer-songwriter John Wesley Harding) had dinner reservations to get to, which meant that we didn't get to play this absurdly fun O3L game with him - "The Dylan Dylemma". But, hey, we're not ones to let a good game go to waste. Play along with our only contestant, Uncle Gregg, as he is challenged to guess which quote came from which famous Dylan - Nobel Prize winning, Rock n' Roll Hall Fame troubadour Bob Dylan; hard-drinking Welsh poet Dylan Thomas; or brooding Porsche owner Dylan McKay (as played by Luke Perry on the hit '90s TV show Beverly Hills 90210). How well do YOU know your Dylans!? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With over 1,500 covers of 350+ compositions by over 600 artists, Bob Dylanis is clearly one of the most frequently covered songwriters in music history. His material has been covered at some point by a wide range of rock, pop, folk, soul, blues, country, and jazz artists. For a folkie from Minnesota inspired by songs learned from Woody Guthrie to a rock legend, he has built a songbook that will surely be passed down as long as there are voices to sing and ears to listen. Appropriately enough, our Third Lad is a prolific singer / songwriter who cribbed the stage name that he’s used throughout his career from one of Dylan’s iconic records. Since the late ‘80s, British born and raised Wesley Stace and his alter ego John Wesley Harding has strung together a remarkable and varied catalogue, from early records like 1989’s Here Comes The Groom and 1991’s The Name Above The Title that grabbed the attention of alternative radio and MTV to recent critical favorites like the Americana of 2017’s Wesley Stace’s John Wesley Harding and the elegance of 2021’s Late Style. His brand new album on Pravda Records, One Last Heist, is an organic, slinky, groovy affair - one that will surely thrill long time fans of Wesley’s clever narratives and exquisite songcraft, yet doesn’t quite sound like anything he’s ever done before. As if he wasn’t already a renaissance man, he’s also penned four novels and since 2009 has curated the recurring live variety show Wesley Stace’s Cabinet of Wonders at New York’s City Winery, featuring a few dropping assortment of his creative friends from the worlds of music, literature, and comedy. Special thanks to Howard Wuelfing for his introduction and coordination. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Explore the past, present, and future as we welcome the return of one of the most pivotal figures of alternative music, Robyn Hitchcock! The past: We wax ecstatic about the best albums of 1968, the year that happens to be the launching point in Robyn's newly released second memoir, Stranded In The Future (Akashic Books). The present: Stranded In The Future is a delightfully surreal self-portrait of the artist as a young man, from teenage obsessions through to the formation of his seminal band The Soft Boys. Fans of his first volume, 1967: How I Got There and Why I Never Left, will delight in how the story continues to unfold. But Robyn has not only turned in an exquisitely crafted page-turner in 2026, he also also released an exquisitely crafted new album, The Confuser, on Tiny Ghost Records. It's a record bearing all of the trademarks of classic Hitchcock - absurdist imagery, clever lyrical turns, sparkling pop melodies, and the perfect combination of jangle and groove. The future: The lads contemplate the future of rock n' roll and the impact of artificial intelligence on art and life. We are this thing. Thanks to Holly Watson from Holly Watson PR for the coodination! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Go ahead. Laugh and point as Brett struggles through pronunciations...because this week, we're taking on the Top 5 German Albums. Diese Alben sind sehr gut! Fortunately, we are joined by the gloriously cinematic experimental duo hackedepicciotto - comprised of musical and life partners Alexander Hacke (formerly of German post-punk/industrial pioneers Einstürzende Neubauten) and multi-disciplinary artist Danielle DePicciotto. Their newly released 10th album, Lichtung (Mute Records), is a beautiful, expansive mix of electronics and organic instrumentation, with lyrics - for the first time in their discography - written entirely in German. As Alex and Danielle put it, "[Lichtung] means a clearing, a place in which you can suddenly see the light in a dark forest, a place to rest. As the world seems to be spinning ever more quickly into a place of madness, being in this quiet place helps us think about how to deal with it all.” Put on your best tablecloth dress and listen to our picks, get swept up in the love story of Alex and Danielle, take in a history lesson or two, learn what the "ZZ Top Theory" is, and much, much more. Special thanks to Howard Wuelfing from Howlin' Wuelf Media for the introduction and coordination. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's time for another in our series of label spotlights, as this week we turn our focus to Hoboken indie Bar/None Records, celebrating its 40th anniversary. Joining us is no better authority than the most omni-present figure in the label's history, Glenn Morrow! In 1986, Glenn's band Rage to Live became the first act signed to startup label Bar/None. Later that year, Glenn would become a partner with the label's founder Tom Prendergast and eventually sole proprietor - a post he held until earlier this year. Even though he stepped away from his role at the label, his third opus with his current outfit Glenn Morrow's Cry For Help, Our Final Album - Vol. 1, is out now on (what else??) Bar/None Records. The album features 11 new songs and finds the band exploring a number of styles and moods that are sure to please long-time fans as well as newcomers. During Bar/None's influential history, they have released pivotal records by They Might Be Giants, The Front Bottoms, Yo La Tengo, Freedy Johnston, Edwyn Collins, 10,000 Maniacs, Alex Chilton, The dB's, Ben Vaughn, The Feelies, of Montreal, Richard Hawley, and over 100 other arists. During this episode, we chat about our Top 5 albums from the Bar/None catalogue, catch a history lesson on the label, and get a glimpse of future releases. Thanks to Howard Wuelfing from Howlin' Wuelf Media for the introduction and coordination. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hear ye, hear ye! We hereby declare this month SKEPTEMBER at O3L! That's right, the releases of the UK fiercely independent label Skep Wax Records have been so uniformly excellent this year that we thought it was high time to dedicate an entire episode to them. Skep Wax is run by indie legends Amelia Fletcher and Rob Pursey, whose long history runs through seminal bands like Talulah Gosh, Heavenly, Marine Research, Catenary Wires, and Swansea Sound. The label carries forward the DIY spirit that drove labels like Sarah Records and K Records, with the simple premise of releasing terrific music on their own terms, driven by the belief that NOTHING beats a great pop record. During this episode, you will hear this delectable six pack of tracks: 1) Swansea Sound - "Mean To Be Mean" (from the forthcoming LP Pre-Post Truth) 2) British Birds - "Scary Movies" (from the upcoming album Oscillate, Murmurate) 3) Jetstream Pony - "Grimalkin Tom" (from the compilation Pets Sounds) 4) The Would-Be-Goods - "Witch Hazel" (from the marvelous record Tears Before Bedtime) 5) Railcard - "Flannelette" (from the brand new long player Two Steps At A Time) 6) Foglights - "A Brighter Kind of Almost" (from the debut EP Nous Deux) Bonus Track! Gay Skeleton Club - "2 Cats" (also from Pets Sounds) Thanks to Amelia, Rob, and the brilliant Skep Wax roster. Get these releases and more at https://skepwax.bandcamp.com. Have a splendid weekend! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Anyone who have ever had any sort of aspirations of making it in the music business know this well - the chances of “making it” are so slim you might as well play the Lottery with the expectation of becoming a gazillionaire or stand motionless in the same spot waiting to be hit by lightning.  All of the things they tell you to keep you motivated are important - having a dream, drive, determination, and, of course, talent…but that’s clearly not all there is to it.  There are connections and industry politics, but, more than anything, it takes a world of luck.  It’s like this constant series of sliding doors where you need to be at the right place at the right time, and any little tweaks to your timeline and decisions could be the difference maker between being a hopeful and being huge.  Today, we’re going to be talking about the bands that should have been huge - but never quite crossed over to the massive audience they deserved.  Case in point is the band Freedom Quest, who built up a solid following in San Diego and Southern California in the early ‘70s, built off of the soulful, stirring songs of Craig Ingraham.   It’s hard not to listen to this material (available on streaming services as the album Freedom Quest under Craig Ingraham’s name), and wonder how they didn’t become huge.  All of the ingredients are there - beautiful tunes, expert musicianship, messages of peace, love, and unity that perfectly capture the zeitgeist of the era.  So what happened to Freedom Quest?  Well, a lot, it turns out and you can read the slightly fictionalized version of events in Debora Masterson’s debut novel Freedom Quest: A Love Story (Atmosphere Press), which winds through nearly 60 years in the lives of main characters Michael and Grace - from young star-crossed lovers to bandmates with a world of possibilities in front of them to facing life’s unique twists and turns separately to, ultimately, finding their way back to each other.  It’s the kind of story that reminds you that fate and destiny are very real and powerful forces, and it doesn’t take you long to recognize that the love story of Michael and Grace is largely the love story of Craig and Debora.  It’s a compelling read with a real life soundtrack, as you will learn as we welcome educator, producer, musician, dancer, and now author Debora Masterson! Thanks to Philip Nakov from City PR for the introduction and coordination. Proud members of the Pantheon Podcasts family. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices