We're brat(s). And, as we do every December, the most brat thing we can do is to step out of the O3L era and count down our favorite albums of the year. 2024 has provided a treasure trove of pop culture highlights - it was a big pop girl year with a new crop of superstars. There were massive albums (in terms of sales, impact, and length) like The Tortured Poets Department, COWBOY CARTER, and Cindy Lee's Diamond Jubilee, but also records that were "short n' sweet" (literally and figuratively). There was the Kendrick v. Drake beef. Everyone had a Brat summer (well, almost everyone). And did we mention Shaboozey?!? Oh, actually, we didn't mention Shaboozey, but we wish we had...because it is kinda fun to say.It's also become O3L tradition to have someone who actually created one of the year's best albums join us for this episode, and this year is certainly no exception. This year, we welcome prolific singer/songwriter/producer Tamar Berk to join us for this discussion. Tamar has played in numerous bands in the Chicago, Portland, and San Diego scenes since the mid-90s, and in September she released her fourth solo album, Good Times for a Change. The new album is another brilliant mix of power pop hooks, '90s-leaning indie rock, and introspective songwriting. Every one of the Tamar's records has made Brett's year end Top 100 Albums list for their respective years...if that ain't a feather in your artistic cap, we don't know what is. But she's also received a rave review in Creem magazine and has made a whole lot of other year end best of lists. We guess that's cool too.Can we get a big ol' "Shaboozey" to that?!?Next week: Our Top 5 Songs of 2024! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's the most O3L time of the year...always one of our favorite episodes, it's time for the O3L Holiday Party!Every year, we invite listeners from around the world to join us for a special taping full of fun, frivolity, games, friends, and lasting memories. And maybe...just maybe...the Christmas miracle of an Uncle Gregg rant or two. We had a room full of veteran partygoers this year - Julie from LA; Julio from Pueblo, Mexico; Kimberly from Downey, CA; Paul from Stockton, CA; and Tarah from Scottsdale, AZ. But just because you didn't attend the recording doesn't mean you're not invited to the party! Just press play to join in on the fun!This year, we asked our guests to bring their favorite "holiday party starter" song to the shindig. Plus, we play two brand new world famous O3L games: "That's Soooo '24," in which we ruin classic alternative song titles with 2024 slang words, and "Bandagrams," where we scramble up the letters of some of our favorite bands to hi-larious effect! Who will take the crown this year?!Plus: We talk new musical discoveries in 2024! Uncle Gregg shows off his tattoos (and gives plenty of life lessons)! Brett's got balls (and a psychedelic Santa hat)! O3L awards! Fruitcake...yay or nay? Cookies...or disappointment biscuits? Desserts with vegetables! Plus, new seasonal tunes: Swansea Sound - '(I Wanna Wear A) Mirrored Hat Like Slade' The Chesterfields - 'Last Train To Christmas' Glenn Erb - 'Santa's In Jail' Mike Browning - 'It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year' A skibidi time is guaranteed for all! Just like we used to do in Killarney.Happy Holidays from your friends at Only Three Lads! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, we celebrate the music of one of the most important bands of the '90s and beyond, Radiohead. Since the release of their first EP Drill over 32 years ago (!!), Radiohead continued to innovate and reinvent their music, challenging themselves and their fans. From their post-grunge anthem "Creep" (1992) to Britpop-era tour de force The Bends (1995) to the ambitious masterpiece OK Computer (1997) to the millennial sounds of Kid A (2000) to latter day masterpieces like In Rainbows (2007), the Oxford, England Rock & Roll Hall of Famers have inspired two generations of forward thinking musicians. Among those musicians are our Third Lads, Heather Dickson and Patrick Ahern* from the avant-garde pop duo Slender Dan.(*NOT "Dan," as Brett erroneously called him before the recording started.)Slender Dan debuted its first EP on KEXP in March of 2021. Since then, the band has released a full-length album, GESTALT, as well as several EPs and singles. As longtime musicians in the Los Angeles, Boston, Seattle, and now Nashville music scenes, the members of Slender Dan have come together to create a sound that can best be described as some kind of Thom Yorke/Billie Eilish/Miike Snow/Aphex Twin lovechild.In what could be one of the more unhinged O3L episodes, "Safe Gregg" and "7-Inch Brett" naturally chat with Heather and Patrick about the lasting influence of Radiohead, but also about two-man luges, current pop girls, Kansas, Yo Yo Ma, Napoleon Dynamite, Chumbawamba, puppies, ODing on energy drinks, Electric Company parties, and the distinct possibility that Heather MAY actually be Brett's daughter. Plus, we also shout out a recommended podcast by friend of the show Dave Gebroe: Discograffiti. Extensive and meticulously researched deep dives into some of your favorite artists catalogues, Discograffiti is a music obsessive's dream. Check it out wherever you get podcasts!Proud members of the Pantheon Podcasts family. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We're not content to just talk about great synth-pop albums of the pivotal year of 1980...we wanted to share the discussion with musicians who created one of the great synth-pop albums of 1980! The album, you ask? Party In The War Zone by L.A. band Vivabeat, and we were fortunate enough to have bassist/songwriter Mick Muhlfriedel and keyboardist/vocalist Marina Muhlfriedel joining us.This surely must be one of the most remarkable stories we've heard of living on the precipice of the big time. They had the hooks and the looks. They were discovered by Peter Gabriel (who was inspired by the whistling hook in the band's "Man From China" to write "Games Without Frontiers) and signed to Charisma. Their song "The House Is Burning (But There's No One Home)" was prominently featured in the film Body Double, and the music video subsequently won an MTV Video Award. Their second incarnation included former Japan guitarist Rob Dean, contributing to their standing as the opening act to bands like Depeche Mode and Gary Numan. However, a series of unfortunate events and unscrupulous managers limited Vivabeat's shelf life.Fortunately, in 2024, Rubellan Remasters (www.rubellanremasters.com) re-issued Party In The War Zone on CD for the first time, as well as the vinyl-only compilation The House Is Burning: The Best of Vivabeat 1979-86. Mick Muhlfriedel went on to work on scores for films such as Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey, and is currently the President of the wonderful youth organization Downtown LA Soccer Club. Marina Muhlfriedel also got into the film industry, starting as a Production Assistant for Danny DeVito, eventually getting a Producer credit on movies like Throw Momma From The Train. She is a highly experienced storyteller, writer, and producer, who is currently working on her memoir. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Friday, November 29, 2024 is Record Store Day Black Friday - a day of exclusive releases and fun for record collectors everywhere!Join O3L's Brett Vargo for a brief bonus episode, as he helps you, the discerning classic alternative fan, to put together your shopping list. Happy hunting! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A well-placed song in a film holds the power to shape a viewer's emotions, heighten tension, set the tone, foreshadow events, provide insight into characters, or deepen the narrative. In essence, music is the heartbeat of the cinema that can elevate a film from good to sublime. Take it from someone who knows, like this week's Third Lad, Barry Andrews - he's had songs soundtracking pivotal moments in films such as Manhunter and Band of the Hand.Barry Andrews began his professional music career in the punk era lending his keyboard stylings to a little band that you may have heard of, XTC, giving them one of the most defining and distinctive features of their sound for their first two albums.  After leaving XTC in 1979, he released a fine solo EP and single, formed the short lived Restaurant for Dogs, and played with Iggy Pop and Robert Fripp's League of Gentlemen before forming the band Shriekback with Gang of Four bassist Dave Allen and singer Carl Marsh in 1981.  For the better part of the last 43 years, Barry has kept Shriekback alive through various incarnations, continuing to release music that’s daring, experimental, and artful, as well as maintaining an ambitious and rewarding solo career. Thanks to Paul Richison for the great guest suggestion and introduction.Proud members of the Pantheon Podcasts family. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Artist. Poet. Friend. This week, we celebrate the music, life, and legacy of Leonard Cohen with someone who knew him well - Perla Batalla.Grammy-nominated Singer/songwriter Perla Batalla first came to prominence as a backing singer for Leonard Cohen during his 1988 I’m Your Man tour and on the 1992 album The Future, in the process forging a deep friendship.  With Cohen’s encouragement, Perla stepped out as an artist in her own right, releasing a beautifully diverse range of magnificent albums such as Mestiza and Discoteca Batalla, performing at the world’s best venues, co-writing and appearing in two one-woman shows, honored by UN and Focus on the Masters.  But she has always kept the words and works of Leonard Cohen close to her heart.  Her latest album, A Letter to Leonard Cohen: Tribute to a Friend, is her second album of her unique interpretations of Cohen’s music, following 2005’s Bird on the Wire.  It was released the day before what would have been his 90th birthday.Leonard Norman Cohen was born in Quebec on September 21, 1934.  Spending the latter part of the ‘50s and first half of the ‘60s as a published poet and author, he shifted his focus to songwriting.  From 1967 to 1971, he established himself as a major musical talent with the trilogy of classic albums Songs of Leonard Cohen, Songs from a Room, and Songs of Love and Hate, as well as interpretations by the likes of Judy Collins, Nina Simone, Joe Cocker, and Roberta Flack.  He would continue to record and tour sporadically throughout the ‘70s and early ‘80s to widespread acclaim and with some commercial success in Europe.  In the late ‘80s & early ‘90s, Cohen gained a new underground audience through his two synth-driven productions, I’m Your Man and The Future, prominent soundtrack placements, a beloved album of interpretations by Jennifer Warnes, Famous Blue Raincoat, and the 1991 high profile tribute album, I’m Your Fan, where a who’s who of alternative music disciples like REM, Ian McCulloch, Pixies, James, The House of Love, Robert Forster, Nick Cave, and John Cale paid their respects to the man.  The latter artist, John Cale, performed a breathtaking piano version of a song from 1984’s Various Positions called “Hallelujah,” in an arrangement that would be borrowed and transcribed to guitar by Jeff Buckley a few years later, which further elevated Leonard Cohen’s already mythical status.  After spending the latter half of the ‘90s in a monastery as an ordained Buddhist monk, Leonard Cohen returned in the twenty first century to finish what he started, adding six additional studio albums to his catalogue, including the album released weeks before his November 7, 2016 death, You Want It Darker, and the posthumous followup completed by his son Adam, 2019’s Thanks For The Dance, as well as multiple live albums, both archival and contemporary.  He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2008. Proud members of the Pantheon Podcasts family. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, we focus on the bands who were at the precipice of becoming huge...rave reviews, prominent live gigs, radio support...yet, fame and fortune somehow eluded them. Our Third Lad is someone who knows all about this - in Alex Boucher's new memoir, Three and a Half Minutes of Fame, the seasoned writer draws from his firsthand experiences in "almost famous" indie/punk bands Three and a Half Minutes, Travis Cut, and Jaff, and boy band NV."Three and a Half Minutes of Fame" takes readers on a compelling journey through the tumultuous music scene of the 1990s, as experienced by protagonist Alex, who embarks on a quest for fame after signing a record deal at the tender age of 17. Over the span of seven years, Alex finds himself on the cusp of stardom multiple times, rubbing shoulders with iconic bands like The Pogues, Suede, Blur, and Mansun, as well as encountering figures such as Patti Boyd.However, Alex's journey is far from glamorous. Along the way, he confronts neo-Nazis, navigates the gritty world of gangsta rap, accidentally smokes crack, and grapples with personal tragedies, mental health challenges, and the trauma of sexual abuse. Set against the backdrop of the 1990s—a decade marked by cultural shifts and the rise of alternative music scenes—this memoir offers an authentic glimpse into the highs and lows of pursuing fame before the era of social media.Amidst the challenges of the COVID-19 lockdowns, Boucher took the opportunity to document his memories of the 90s music scene, resulting in a poignant memoir that sheds light on the untold stories of those who strive for fame but ultimately fall short. "Three and a Half Minutes of Fame" offers readers an intimate and revealing account of one man's journey through the trials and triumphs of the music industry, ultimately serving as a testament to resilience, creativity, and the enduring allure of chasing one's dreams.P.S. If Uncle Gregg rants are your bag, then this one's for YOU! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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

**This is an O3L "rerun" - our Halloween Special from 2022!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; and2) 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices