Only Three Lads - Classic Alternative Music Podcast

Get ready for a six pack of crisp, brand new tunes! Brett Vargo catches up with bassist CC Voltage from Canadian/American synth-driven power poppers Autogramm to chat about their new single and upcoming Spanish tour, plus new music by:1) Autogramm - 'Randy' (single, Dirt Cult Records)2) Real Sickies - 'Wild Imagination' (from Under A Plastic Bag, Stomp Records)3) Rhymies - 'I Dream Watching' (from the I Dream Watching EP, Dandy Boy)4) Brian Bilston & The Caternary Wires - 'Alexa, What Is There To Know About Love?' (from Sounds Made By Humans, Skep Wax)5) Shriekback - 'Idiot Dancing' (from Monument)6) Autogramm - 'Jenny's In A Sleep World' (single B-side, Dirt Cult Records) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Yeah, we'll make the same disclaimer we made the last time we talked about shoegaze. We know the term is polarizing. We realize that it was coined by the press as a term of derision for what had previously been known as "the scene that celebrates itself." Legend has it that writer Andy Ross first used it in a Sounds review to describe how Moose singer/guitarist Russell Yates was constantly looking down at the lyrics he had taped to the floor and/or his guitar pedals. But, face it, you hear the term and you know exactly what it is...ethereal vocals, woozy melodies, ear-piercingly loud, effects-laden guitars, all awash in a psychedelic haze. Nowadays, the bands that play this kind of music wear the "shoegaze" badge with pride. But the O.G.s had to walk so you could run, kids. Hence, this week we are celebrating some of the great shoegaze albums of the 1990s. Joining us is the singer/songwriter/guitarist of '90s Vancouver cult shoegazers Movieland, Alan D. Boyd. Movieland has been honored with the first installment of an archival series from 604 Decades that takes a look back at Vancouver's rich, if unexplored arts history. This rarities and demos collection, Then & Now, proves that they should have been at the top of the marquee during their time. https://movieland1990.bandcamp.com/album/then-nowAfter Movieland disbanded in 1994, Alan moved to the UK, and has enjoyed a long career as an acclaimed composer for TV ("Day of the Triffids") and film ("Four Strings Good"), as well performing in the folk trio Little Sparta (also featuring Susie Honeyman from the Mekons). As you would expect during an episode on shoegaze, we divert our attention to Canadian pop stars, the other Movielands, and have a rare (maybe the first time?) double Triple Crossover! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Live performances often bring an energy and spontaneity that studio recordings can't fully capture. On stage, musicians interact with the audience, infusing the song with a palpable energy and improvisational flair. The live setting can also allow for reinterpretation of arrangements—extended solos, altered tempos, or unexpected twists—that make the experience feel more personal and vibrant compared to the polished, precise nature of studio versions.Just ask legendary bassist Mike Watt, who is about to embark on his 72nd tour over his 45 year career - a career that started with one of the greatest American punk bands ever, Minutemen, and countless projects including fIREHOSE, The Stooges, dos, and, currently, mssv. mssv is a post-genre supergroup consisting of watt, drummer Stephen Hodges (who played on some of Tom Waits's classic records, among others), and led by guitarist extraordinaire Mike Baggetta. Their new album, On And On is an exciting, trippy psychedelic fever dream featuring eight boundary-pushing tracks. It is out now on BIG EGO records on 12" vinyl LP, digital download, and streaming services. mssv's 52-date "haru tour 2025" starts in watt's hometown of San Pedro, CA on March 13th, and winds through the country before concluding at the Zebulon in Los Angeles on May 3rd. No matter where you are in the U.S., mssv will be close by this spring! Segment #1: The beginnings of Minutemen, playing with mssv, what is punk rock?, Walt Whitman...indie hero Segment #2: The real prac is front of a crowd, keeping an open mind, the tour van, gear Segment #3: His long running radio show/podcast the watt from pedro show, Rocky Horror Picture Show, "use a lot of manure" Segment #4: Playing with the Stooges, watt's next? Much like your favorite live recordings, this is a one-of-a-kind O3L that you won't want to miss! mssv: https://mainsteamstopvalve.com mike watt: https://mikewatt.com Special thanks to Howard Wuelfing at Howlin' Wuelf Media for the introduction and coordination.Proud members of the Pantheon Podcasts network.Be sure to take advantage of O3L Podperks, a curated selection of discounts for YOU with promo code 'O3L'. Visit http://onlythreelads.com and click on 'Promo Codes' to take advantage of these exclusive savings for O3L listeners! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We're getting all investigative this week as we address songs that cover the "5 W's" - who, why, when, where...and WUT! Yes, that's right, W-U-T. Because our Third Lad this week is the utterly delightful Tracey Vath, bassist from the Vancouver indie pop trio WUT! It is an episode full of joyous laughter, the top 10 Satanic bands, and a brand new O3L game - "Wut 'chu Talkin' About, Brett?!?" Oh, and what happened in Vegas apparently didn't stay in Vegas.Since 2018, Vancouver BC’s jangle-pop meets riot-twee trio WUT have been making a local name for themselves with their joyfully heartfelt live performances. In 2020, the trio released ‘NOW’, an energetic cassette accompanied by 10 DIY music videos. These earnest and often humorous videos reflect WUT’s playful yet sincere songwriting. Recently, WUT recorded ‘Mingling with the Thorns’, their sophomore full-length album, out now on HHBTM Records. ‘Mingling with the Thorns’ was created during two years of intermittent quarantines which caused guitarist Kaity McWhinney (Knife Pleats / Love Cuts), bassist Tracey Vath (Knife Pleats / Love Cuts), and drummer Lauren Smith (Tough Age / Jock Tears), to write songs independently, and share their ideas through countless emails, dropbox folders, and Google drives. Long periods of isolation were consumed by experimentation with different arrangements, and often an idea would be re-worked over and over (and over) again. This resulted in a collection of carefully crafted pop songs that reflect the bands mutual love for c86 jangle pop and early Flying Nun Records bands, with lyrical content drawing up themes that grapple with patriarchy and late stage capitalism; specifically the struggle to find personal autonomy within these social systems.Also, we are pleased to introduce O3L PodPerks, where you can save just for being a part of the O3L Community! Use promo code 'O3L' at checkout at these fine vendors: Stand+ Shoes: Save 15% at www.standshoes.com and experience cloudlike comfort and slip resistant technology that is perfect for those who stand: medical professionals, retail workers, kitchen workers, and those of us who like to go to a lot of concerts!! Even better, you can use your HSA/FSA funds. Old Glory: Save 15% on your favorite band and team apparel at www.oldglory.com. Savorista Coffee: Enjoy 25% off of delicious "caffeine conscious" coffee at www.savorista.com. You save, and we receive a small commission on each order that goes right back into the show. When you think about it, isn't that really a double win for you?!? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Waaaaay back in Episode 67 (Season 2), we discussed the albums from arguably THE most crucial year of the O3L era: the year two sevens clashed, 1977. It was such a fruitful, revolutionary time in music history that it's time we revisit some of the best records from '77.Our Third Lads this week are founding members Matt Piucci (guitar/vocals) and Steven Roback (bass/vocals) from one of the leading lights of the '80s Paisley Underground scene, Rain Parade. Along with guitarist David Roback (who would later form Opal and Mazzy Star), keyboardist/violinist Will Glenn and drummer Eddie Kalwa, Rain Parade's first album, 1983's Emergency Third Rail Power Trip remains one of the defining records of the Paisley Underground - an album that critic Jim DeRogatis would declare "...ranks with the best psychedelic rock efforts from any era." Shifting lineups (always anchored by Piucci and Roback) would produce the fantastic 1984 mini-LP Explosions in the Glass Palace and 1985's Crashing Dream - the latter of which has since been revealed as a souped up double LP reissue for Record Store Day on April 12, 2025! In 2012, Matt, Steven, and mid-80s guitarist John Thoman regrouped for live performances and new music. Now augmented by multi-instrumentalists Derek See and Mark Hanley, and Stephan Junca on drums, the current lineup has released 2023's full length Last Rays of a Dying Sun and the 2024 EP Last Stop on the Underground, both of which serve as vital reminders of why Rain Parade was - and is - so important and influential to legions of neo-psych, dream pop, and harmony-drenched jangle pop bands.https://rainparadelabel51.bandcamp.comThanks to Josh Mills from It's Alive Media for the introduction and coordination.Proud members of the Pantheon Podcasts network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The 1980s saw an explosion of independent record labels across the US, shaping the sound and spirit of underground music to this day. This week, Daniel House from Skin Yard and C/Z Records joins us as we dive into some of the finest labels whose DIY ethos, fearless experimentation, and raw energy broke away from the corporate music machine. One of the crucial American indie labels of the era was C/Z Records, the Seattle imprint that will forever be remembered as the second most important label in the burgeoning grunge scene. That being said, it was C/Z, not Sub Pop, who released the defining document of the new sound of the Pacific Northwest with 1986's Deep Six compilation - introducing Soundgarden, The Melvins, U-Men, Green River, Malfunkshun, and Skin Yard. Founded in 1985 by Chris Hanzek and Tina Casale, Skin Yard bassist Daniel House took over operation of C/Z in 1987, subsequently releasing music by Nirvana, Henry Rollins, Built To Spill, The Gits, Hammerbox, Presidents of the United States of America, 7 Year B---h, Coffin Break and many more.Skin Yard was a foundational band in the development of the grunge movement, not only due to the groundbreaking music they recorded between 1985 - 1991, but also the band members' other contributions to Seattle music. Aside from the aforementioned impact that House made with C/Z Records, guitarist Jack Endino would go on to produce and engineer some of the most enduring records of the era - including Nirvana's Bleach, and music by Mudhoney, Tad, Soundgarden, L7, and Screaming Trees. Lead singer Ben McMillan would form the band Gruntruck, and sadly passed away in 2008 at the age of 46. Drummer Matt Cameron is a world class musician who has been behind the kit for Soundgarden and, for the past 25 years, with Pearl Jam.Skin Yard Select is the brand new, limited collection of 14 songs loving curated by Daniel House and Jack Endino, culling tracks from their four studio albums, but also featuring enough rarities to please long-time fans. This beautiful package consists of seven individual 7" singles, each in their own sleeve and pressed on limited edition colored vinyl (or good ol' fashioned black). Get your copy now from https://skinyardselect.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We recently covered the topic of "all killer, no filler" albums, but what about the perfect single side of a record? If the physical time and space limitations of a vinyl LP or a cassette must exist, why not do something compelling? Is it all poppycock...or cockypop?!? You make the call!Our Third Lad for this exploration is frontman/saxophonist/multi-instrumentalist Dan Voznick, aka Alec Tension from underground '80s post-punk band Afterimage. Referred to in the Los Angeles Times as "LA's Joy Division" back in the day, Afterimage created a sound that was hypnotic, skittery and chilly, but is also adventurous, playful and complex. The original lineup of the band (Alec Tension, A Produce, Rich Evac and Holland DeNuzzio) only stayed together for a couple of years and released a scant discography of one single ("Strange Confession"/"The Long Walk") and an EP (Fade In), both in 1981. Those original recordings, plus a generous helping of unreleased demos and live tracks, are now available from Independent Project Records on the new retrospective compilation Faces to Hide. Out now on double LP (available in both black and opaque white), special edition CD and digital formats, Faces to Hide proves as scathing, urgent, taut, angular and gripping as Afterimage’s scarce but unforgettable output must have sounded more than forty years ago. Packaged with extensive, career-spanning liner notes by noted journalist Richie Unterberger and previously unseen band photos, Faces to Hide also features Independent Project Records’ signature hand letterpress-printed custom design for the vinyl and CD packaging.  Thanks to Josh Mills from It's Alive Media for the introduction and coordination!Proud members of the Pantheon Podcasts network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Are you ready for some football?!? Even if you're not, we've got the soundtrack for your Super Bowl weekend, with six new tracks to kick off your weekend (see what we did there??)! Sorrows - 'Out of My Head' (from Parting is Such Sweet Sorrow, Big Stir Records) Exploding Flowers - 'Crowded Streets' (from Watermelon/Peacock, Meritorio Records) Helen McCookerybook - 'Three Cheers for Toytown' (from Showtunes from the Shadows, Tiny Global Productions) Above Me - 'Grass Mouth' (from Above Me, Dandy Boy Records) Jetstream Pony - 'Bubblegum Nothingness' (from Bowerbirds and Blue Things, Spinout Nuggets/Shelflife) The False Dawns - 'The King of Bagel Mountain' (from Our Tanks, Your Lawn!, Subjangle) Forget about the Kendrick vs. Drake beef and Taylor Swift cutaways every two minutes...this is your Super Bowl entertainment!P.S. No, the guys in the episode cover image are NOT Uncle Gregg and Brett. In fact, if we knew more about football, we could tell you who they are. Coaches? Announcers? Anyway, we borrowed the picture from https://worldwideinterweb.com/the-stars-of-super-bowl-50-with-bowl-haircuts-gallery/ and thought it was funny, so credit where credit is due.P.P.S. Because we love you, we don't want you to live in pain and discomfort. Exclusively for O3L listeners, take advantage of a special offer on the cloudlike comfort of Stand Shoes. Get 15% off your order with promo code O3L at https://standshoes.com! "(Don't You) Forget About Me" be darned...because these shoes are so comfortable that you'll forget you put 'em on! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, we tackle the lofty, ambitious, sometimes bombastic topic of rock operas and concept albums.Most acknowledge that the rock opera was the outgrowth of the psychedelic era where, particularly in a post-Sgt. Pepper world, the rock n’ roll album became an artistic statement. As musicians sought to expand and alter the fabric of pop music, “rock operas” with narratives, character development, and distinct movements were being explored on records like the Pretty Things’ SF Sorrow (1968) and the Who’s Tommy (1969).All rock operas are concept albums, but not all concept albums are rock operas. The concept album is a collection of songs that are tied together to present an overarching theme, going back as far as Woody Guthrie's Dust Bowl Ballads, a 1940 collection of 78 rpm records that stayed true to the title. Joining us as our Third Lad for this discussion today is Dave Gebroe, the creator & host of the music obsessives’ podcast Discograffiti. Dave dives into amazingly deep and immaculately researched discussions on the catalogues of a wide range of artists - if not with the artist themselves, then with a jaw-dropping roster of guests. Dave is also a filmmaker, writing, producing and directing the movies The Homeboy and Zombie Honeymoon. If that weren’t enough, he’s masterminded a 2 LP tribute to-slash-reimagining of Lou Reed’s much maligned album Metal Machine Music, and I believe is working on a rock opera of his own.Oh, and you thought Gregg ruins everything? Just wait until he meets his match...Berlin! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hey baby. Yeah, you know we're chill. We can keep this whole thing casual. No strings attached.Oops...sorry, wrong post. Because we totally have strings attached this week, as Simon Chesterfield (aka Simon Barber) from UK indie pop faves The Chesterfields joins us to discuss our Top 5 Songs with Strings.The use of strings in pop music has traditionally been to contribute texture and dimension to a record. In the context of rock bands, it often symbolizes musical sophistication, grandeur, and the ambition to break outside of the standard band format.It's all very timely too, because Simon has just released his first solo album, Simon Chesterfield, in which he re-imagines six of his compositions as orchestral performances. This gorgeous album was co-produced by Ben Scott Turner, Rob Ellis (PJ Harvey) and Simon, and was orchestrated by Charles Harrison. It is now out on digital platforms and on limited edition 10-inch vinyl from Legere Recordings.Simon Barber is the co-founder, ever-present member, bassist, songwriter, and vocalist of The Chesterfields. Their jangling, exciting sound made them fixtures on the UK indie charts - with albums like their debut Kettle (1987, #5) and 1988's Crocodile Tears (#10), and singles like "Completely and Utterly" (1986, #16), "Ask Johnny Dee" (1987, #4), "Goodbye, Goodbye" (1988, #10), and "Blame" (1988, #11). Nearly two decades after lead singer Dave Goldsworthy's tragic death, Simon led a new lineup of The Chesterfields (featuring Loft guitarist and past O3L guest Andy Strickland, Helen Stickland and Rob Perry) on their first new album in 27 years, the marvelous New Modern Homes.Hey, think of us as your friends with benefits. Y'know, if those benefits are learning about cool music and stuff. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices