Only Three Lads - Classic Alternative Music Podcast

Yes, it's the "S-word." Shoegaze...of all the media fabricated sub-genres that we talk about on O3L, this is one of the most polarizing. The term was coined with some derision about the crop of artists that came up in the late '80s/early '90s who spent much of their stage time looking down at their effects pedals. Even many of the bands who are most closely associated with the term rebuke the label. On the other hand, the word conjures up a glorious, beloved sound that continues to resonate with musicians and fans to this day: walls of woozy, beautifully sculpted guitar noise, drowned out but ethereal vocals, dreamy, insistent beats, all bathed in swathes of reverb and echo. The Extended Play (EP) was a format that was well suited for this music, so that's our focus on this episode.While we may associate the heyday of shoegaze with the amazing groups that burst onto the UK scene, its influence spread across the pond. Case in point is our Third Lad this week, guitarist Archie Moore, who spent the first part of the '90s simultaneously in THREE seminal Washington, D.C. area bands who took cues from fizzy UK indie - Black Tambourine, Lilys, and Velocity Girl. If that wasn't enough, Archie and his friends also co-founded one of the legendary American indie labels, Slumberland Records.Velocity Girl was the stuff that '90s indie pop dreams are made of: Named after one of the coolest songs, fronted by the impossibly cool Sarah Shannon, recording for one of the coolest labels (Sub Pop), staples of alternative radio and MTV's 120 Minutes with hits like "My Forgotten Favorite" (also prominently featured on the Clueless soundtrack), "Crazy Town," "Sorry Again," and "I Can't Stop Smiling." We caught up with Archie the day after Velocity Girl's first gig in 21 years at the anniversary bash for legendary D.C. club The Black Cat. They also will be playing the Bowery Ballroom in New York on September 30th before returning to The Black Cat on December 1st. Catch them if you can!Songs: Brett Vargo - 'Didn't Know I Needed This (Until I Needed This)' Velocity Girl - 'My Forgotten Favorite' Black Tambourine - 'Throw Aggi Off The Bridge' Proud members of the Pantheon Podcasts family. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hey hey hey! What's happening, you ask? Well, this ain't no Rerun, it's a brand new O3L!We travel back to the heady days of 1978 as we count down our Top 5 Songs from that spectacular year.Plus: A Ministry surprise (the band, that is...but for $19.95, we'll also add you to our prayer circle) Brett's foray into death metal Uncle Gregg's fantasy tattoo (and we rely on each other) Offensive lyrics A creepy breathing lesson Oh, and we politely request that you kiss our grits. If it's not too much ask, please and thank you.Proud members of the Pantheon Podcasts family. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode 180, with the one and only Graham Parker, was a tremendous thrill for us. We knew we wanted to maximize our time with a legend, so we recorded the episode in two parts. We reconvened two nights after recording with GP to get our Top 5 segments down. By that time, Brett was sick as a dog and Uncle Gregg was working on a vodka with a light splash of OJ. We recorded a bunch of stuff that night that didn't make the cut to the final episode, but maybe you want to hear it? Or maybe you don't...Either way, here it is!Warning: If you're looking for musical content, you won't find much of it during this one. You'll get a whole bunch of rants and ramblings about a variety of other things though. Don't say we didn't warn ya! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Rolling Stones once intoned that "it's the singer, not the song"...but this week, it's all about the song, as we celebrate the great songwriters of the O3L era. What better way to do that than with one of THE all time great songwriters, the legendary Graham Parker?!? We're still pinching ourselves.Of course, you know his classic records with The Rumour like Howlin' Wind, Heat Treatment, and Squeezing Out Sparks, and songs like 'Silly Thing,' 'Hold Back The Night,' 'Hold Back The Night', 'Don't Ask Me Questions', 'Discovering Japan', 'Local Girls,' 'Life Gets Better,' 'Wake Up (Next To You),' and 'Get Started, Start A Fire.' But we're not here so much to look back at a remarkable past as we are to celebrate an artist who, 47 years into his recording career, is still relevant, vital and making some of his best music yet. His brilliant new album, Last Chance To Learn The Twist, was released on September 8th from our friends at Big Stir Records. The record was produced by GP & Tuck Nelson, and features his incredible backing band The Goldtops, backing singers The Lady Bugs and swinging brass from The Easy Access Orchestra. In this episode, you'll hear fascinating insights into the songwriting and recording processes for the new album, GP's songwriting inspirations, genres that don't exist, streaming, his biggest regret, and much more. And you'll be happy to know: THE GOUT IS ON ITS WAY OUT!About Graham Parker (edited from Mark Demming's intro in the All Music Guide): Stereotyped early in his career as the quintessential angry young man, Graham Parker was one of the most celebrated singer/songwriters to emerge from England in the '70s. Drawing heavily from Van Morrison and the Rolling Stones, Parker developed a sinewy fusion of driving rock & roll and confessional folk-rock, highlighted by his indignant passion, biting sarcasm, and bristling anger. At the outset of his career, his albums crackled with energy, snide witticisms, and perceptive insights, earning him a devoted following of fans and critics, who lavished praise on his debut, 1976's Howlin' Wind, recorded with the Rumour, his backing band of pub rock all-stars. After delivering Squeezing Out Sparks in 1979, which was a smash with critics and won him a larger audience in the United States, Parker courted a crossover career with solo projects such as 1982's Another Grey Area and 1985's Steady Nerves before settling into a cult following in the late '80s and continuing to garner critical acclaim as his music mellowed but his lyrical perspective stayed sharp. At the behest of filmmaker Judd Apatow, Parker reunited with the Rumour for his movie This Is 40, which led to concert tours and a pair of albums, 2012's Three Chords Good and 2015's Mystery Glue. After the Rumour reunion ran its course, Parker formed a new band, the Goldtops, playing easygoing but committed R&B-informed rock on 2018's Cloud Symbols and 2023's Last Chance to Learn the Twist.Technical note: We recorded this episode in two segments - we did our interview with GP first, and then reconvened a couple of nights later to record our top five lists (when Brett was sick and Uncle Gregg was at least a sheet and a half to the wind). Proud members of the Pantheon Podcasts family. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We're getting quizzical this week, as we reveal the answers to a whole host of questions, including: What are our Top 5 Musical Questions? What's the latest in classic alternative music news? What new songs are we listening to? What are we drinking? Why are we so obsessed with robots? What's Uncle Gregg ranting about this week? (Seriously, we really want to know...) Which '80s Canadian classic does Brett react to? What does the fox say? Who did let the dogs out? What previous O3L "character" makes an appearance? Are we strong to the finich? Well, what are ya waiting for? We don't want to keep you in suspense any longer, so just listen! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is there a better way to kick off your weekend than with a Six Pack? We think not!That's right, we're hopping out of the O3L era again for another installment featuring six songs that we think YOU should hear this weekend. This week, we bring you a theme within a theme (how clever is that, eh?). Not only are all of the artists spotlighted this week on the wonderful Big Stir Records (https://bigstirrecords.com), but all of the songs have a summer theme. How appropriate!Big Stir is a Burbank, CA based indie label specializing in melodic pop/rock, formed in 2017 by Christina Bulbenko and Rex Broome from the band The Armoires. Today, the label boasts one of the most impressive and prolific artist rosters around, from ‘60s psych rock warriors to ‘70s power pop heroes to ‘80s college rock trailblazers to the finest pop torchbearers to emerge over the past 30 years. In fact, we have had the extreme pleasure to have our show graced by several artists from the Big Stir world past and present - The Flashcubes, Arthur Alexander from Sorrows, Tony Valentino from The Standells, Jim Basnight, Kevin Robertson from The Vapour Trails…and we have yet another in an upcoming episode that we are so excited about that we can hardly contain ourselves. But there are so many great musicians on Big Stir - I wish we could name them all, but trust us on this one…their catalogue is of such consistently high quality that you can go to bigstirrecords.com, peruse their list of artists, and pick out some records that you’re certain to love. And not only that, but Rex & Christina are amazing people - warm, genuine, and working to build a community driven by a true love of the art, craft and power of pop music. Just a case in point of how cool everyone in the Big Stir family is - recently, we received a lovely email containing O3L shoutouts from a bunch of their artists, and we were absolutely touched and awestruck that these amazing artists would take time out to cut these promos for us.  From the bottom of hearts, thank you to all those involved. The support truly means the world to us.So, please show your love and support to Big Stir and this cool six pack of artists: Lannie Flowers - 'Summer Blue' (from Flavor Of The Month) Irena Peña - 'It Must Be Summer' (single) Sparkle*Jets UK - 'One Summer Sunday' (from Best Of Friends) Dolph Chaney - 'Cool In The Sunshine' (from the upcoming LP Mug) Allyson Seconds - 'On A Sunny Day In Summer' (from Bag Of Kittens) Librarians With Hickeys - 'Last Days Of Summer' (from Handclaps & Tambourines) Proud members of the Pantheon Podcasts family. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We're dancin' to the rhythm in our heart and soul, cuz it's S-A-T-U-R-D-A-Y Night on O3L! This week, we're all about the songs and albums that soundtrack our Saturday nights. And, yeah, we've got a Saturday Night Fever, and the only cure is...More FLASHCUBES!That's right...our Third Lads this week are bassist Gary Frenay and guitarist Paul Armstrong, one half of Power Pop Hall of Famers The Flashcubes! Gary and Paul, along with guitarist Arty Lenin and drummer Tommy Allen, burst out of Syracuse, NY in 1977. During their initial lifespan of 1977-1980, they released two singles, the classics "Christi Girl" and "Wait Til Next Week," and opened for major acts such as The Runaways, Ramones, The Jam and The Police. (In the case of the latter, here's a "true until proven otherwise" theory for you: Stewart Copeland is wearing a Flashcubes t-shirt on the cover of Regatta de Blanc.) Since the original foursome reformed in the late '90s as powerful and poppy as ever, they haven't looked back, with a string of acclaimed albums and a reputation as a world-class live act. The Flashcubes' latest album on Big Stir Records is Pop Masters, which finds our heroes tackling a selection of 12 guitar pop classics by their contemporaries, with an impressive roster of guest stars, including Pezband's "Baby It's Cold Outside" (with past O3L guest Mimi Betinis), Shoes' "Tomorrow Night" (with another past O3L guest, Jeff Murphy), The Paley Brothers' "Come Out And Play" and more. This is a must have for any power pop connoisseur!Plus, we unveil the latest world famous O3L game: Which Saturday Is It?, in which our discerning contestants distinguish between Saturday Night Fever quotes, Saturday Night Live lines, and lyrics from songs called "Saturday Night." It's gobs o' fun, we tell ya...gobs! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Crack open a six pack! That is to say that we're stepping out of the O3L era once again for six more songs that you should hear this weekend.As many listeners know, Brett's son is currently attending UC Berkeley, which means that he's been spending a lot more time up in the Bay Area...which, in turn, means that he's been paying close attention to what's become arguably the best local indie music scene in the country. So, this week, we turn our focus to bands from that area. Our Six Pack:1) Chime School - 'Coming To Your Town' (https://chimeschool.bandcamp.com)2) The Umbrellas - 'She Buys Herself Flowers' (https://theumbrellas.bandcamp.com)3) The 1981 - 'Easy (It's Not)' (https://the1981band.bandcamp.com)4) Cindy - 'The Price Is Right' (https://cindytheband.bandcamp.com)5) The Reds, Pinks & Purples - 'Unloveable Losers' (https://theredspinksandpurples.bandcamp.com)6) Seablite - 'Melancholy Molly' (https://seablite.bandcamp.com)What do YOU think is the best local music scene right now? Let us know on social media or at onlythreelads@gmail.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Needless to say, we have fun every week here on O3L, but this one will have ya dancing in the streets guaranteed! We just can't help ourselves when it comes to talking about music influenced by "The Sound of Young America," Motown Records...especially when Heaven must have sent us this week's guest from above. What's going on, you ask? We guess you say, what can make us feel this way? Well, by now, you've probably heard it through the grapevine that it's the marvelous Arthur Alexander!(Oh, was that subtle enough?)Arthur has a very powerful story of rock n' roll salvation. Growing up in communist Poland in the '60s, Arthur discovered the power of rock through records pressed on postcards and through scratchy radio signals that the government attempted to silence, deeming this new musical form of freedom as a threat to society. It was the sound that united and invigorated legions of youth, inspired kids to form bands, and, for Arthur, paved the way for a new life in America. In the mid-70s, his band The Poppees were a part of the burgeoning New York scene, playing venues like CBGB and Max's Kansas City alongside The Heartbreakers, Ramones, and Blondie, despite eschewing straight ahead punk rock for the sounds of Merseybeat. After The Poppees, Arthur formed rockin' power pop group Sorrows, fulfilling his vision of crossing ABBA with The Sex Pistols. Sorrows issued two albums for CBS, 1980's Teenage Heartbreak (the sessions from that era also captured on the Bad Times, Good Times album) and 1981's Love Too Late. The latter was so badly botched by the record label that it prompted Sorrows to reform four decades later to put things right, to record the album that it should have been all along: Love Too Late...The Real Album. Arthur has also issued two marvelous solo albums in recent years, 2018's One Bar Left, and the brand new 2023 LP Steppin' Out on Big Stir Records. https://www.bigstirrecords.com.Signed, sealed and delivered,Your friends at O3LAnd we're stickin' to it.(Ain't Too) Proud (To Beg) members of the Pantheon Podcasts family. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to the O3L Weekend Six Pack, where we curate six recent songs to kick off your weekend! Your six-pack this weekend consists of:1) The Radio Field - 'Other One' (from Don'ts and Dos, Subjangle) https://theradiofield.bandcamp.com2) Graham Parker & The Goldtops - 'It Mattered To Me' (from Last Chance To Learn The Twist, Big Stir) https://www.bigstirrecords.com3) The Che Men - 'Mill Hill' (The Beautiful Music) https://thebeautifulmusic.com4) Swansea Sound - 'Twentieth Century' (from Twentieth Century, Skep Wax) https://swanseasound.bandcamp.com5) The Lost Ships - 'Brittle Heart Foundation' (from Atoms Collide Forever, Subjangle) https://lostships.bandcamp.com6) The New Fools - 'It's Just Not Enough' (from Seashells) https://thenewfools.bandcamp.comLet 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