Only Three Lads - Classic Alternative Music Podcast

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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!   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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!   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices