Based on his experiences on both sides of the record store counter, Peter Holsapple lovingly pokes a little fun at obsessive music nerds on a track from his new solo album : "I got A Love Supreme / I got a Soft Machine / I got the Dave Clark Five / I got Slade Alive / I got a Shonen Knife / I got Repeat When Necessary, Repeat When Necessary. I'm that kind of guy!" Yep, we're those kind of guys...and fortunately Peter is too, because he is our Third Lad this week! This week's discussion revolves ...
Jul 08, 2025•1 hr 51 min•Season 6Ep. 281
How tough was it to pick our "album bookends" this week (that is, albums that have a great first and last track)? You could say that's impossible, that's im-poss-i-ble. But, fortunately, we're everywhere that you are! We're un-alone for this discussion, because (if you couldn't have guessed) we have guitarist/singer/songwriter Steve Barton and drummer Dave Scheff from one of the best American bands of the '80s, Translator! Translator released four excellent albums for 415/Columbia: Heartbeats an...
Jul 01, 2025•2 hr 10 min•Season 6Ep. 280
We've got a sumptuous six pack of swoonworthy new tunes to kick off your weekend! 1) Amelia & The Housewives - 'Maybe' (single, Damaged Goods) 2) Last Tourist - 'Slowly Fade' (single, 1991recordings) 3) Splitsville - 'I Hate Going to Hutzler's' (from the LP Mobtown, Big Stir Records) 4) Lammping & Bloodshot Bill - 'Never Never' (from the LP Never Never, We Are Busy Bodies) 5) Jeanines - 'What's Lost' (single, Skep Wax Records / from the LP How Long Can It Last, Slumberland Records) 6) Na...
Jun 28, 2025•32 min
Get ready to do the "Lube the Anaconda and the Candle" (or maybe just a more sensible Twist or Watusi), as we hit the floor with songs that are about, inspired, or mention dance crazes. Joining us for all sorts of "idiot dancing" is the triumphant return of Barry Andrews to O3L! During Barry's last appearance in E246, we talked about his career spanning from the early days of Swindon's finest, XTC, to Iggy and Fripp, to Shriekback's extensive and ambitious catalogue. This time, we have more caus...
Jun 24, 2025•1 hr 27 min•Season 6Ep. 279
We haven't given you a Weekend Six Pack in a while...so what better way to kick off the summer than with a fresh flight of new music? 1) Heavenly - 'Portland Town' (Skep Wax) 2) The Parachute Testers - 'Halfway to Everywhere' 3) B-Movie - 'Polar Opposites' 4) Gun-Shy Butterfly - 'Manchild' 5) Budapest - 'Me & Everything' 6) Nelson Bragg - 'Death of Caroline' (Big Stir Records) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jun 20, 2025•33 min
As arguably the single most important, most influential group in pop music history, The Beatles have been honored with thousands of cover versions. This week, Uncle Gregg, Brett, and Third Lad Arthur Alexander hand pick some of the fabbest and gearest of 'em all. 101 episodes ago, power pop hero Arthur Alexander joined us to recount his fascinating life and career: growing up in Communist Poland, getting exiled to the U.S., and being a driving force in two of the NYC's seminal power pop bands - ...
Jun 17, 2025•1 hr 32 min•Season 6Ep. 278
We are thrilled to welcome one of the seminal figures of alternative music - David J. Haskins (Bauhaus, Love & Rockets, solo). O3L's Brett Vargo chats with David J about his new poetry book, Rhapsody, Threnody & Prayer, and the accompanying album of five of the poems set to music, The Mother Tree. There are plenty of new tales to tell! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jun 10, 2025•38 min•Season 7Ep. 277
Listen to the thrilling conclusion of our epic chat with The Big Takeover magazine magnate and Springhouse drummer Jack Rabid. We cover the top 3 of our choices for the artists/bands with the best run from 1980-84, as well as more amazing "Jack"-anory stories! If you haven't already, be sure to check out Part 1 in Episode 275! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jun 05, 2025•1 hr 19 min•Season 6Ep. 276
This week, we examine the first half of the '80s to ask the question - which artists had the best run during that span? Bringing us the funny sugar in this episode is our friend Jack (where our fellow '60s music nerds at?!?). That's right, Jack Rabid, publisher/writer for The Big Takeover magazine and drummer for '80s New York hardcore band Even Worse and dreamy '90s indie band Springhouse is our Third Lad this week. And we had such a fab time that this one is a two parter! Part two will be drop...
Jun 03, 2025•1 hr 32 min
We are saddened to learn of the passing of our friend Terry Draper from Klaatu. We remember Terry, his musical legacy, his sense of humor, and zeal for life. This is a repost of an episode from November 9, 2021. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Featuring over 30 minutes of material from our extended conversation with Terry Draper that did not appear in the main episode! We were very fortunate this week to have Third Lad Terry Draper from Klaatu jo...
May 30, 2025•57 min
It's time for another label spotlight, as we count down some of the best singles from the legendary New Zealand indie Flying Nun Records. Joining us for this discussion is a musician who, despite being on the other side of the world in Los Angeles, has felt the impact of Flying Nun very profoundly - Sharif Dumani from Exploding Flowers. Flying Nun was formed in Christchurch in 1981 by music store manager Roger Shepherd. Described by The Guardian as "one of the world's great independent labels", ...
May 27, 2025•2 hr•Season 6Ep. 274
Get ready for the most unintentionally sexist O3L yet! We tried very hard to steer away from the phrase "one man band" during this episode...only to pick albums almost exclusively by one man bands (except for a bonus nod to Enya). We tried. Dang you, unintentional sexism!! Anyway, the focus this week is albums where one man...er, human...mostly did it all. All the vocals. All the instruments. In many cases, all of the writing and production. The albums recorded in this fashion during the O3L era...
May 20, 2025•1 hr 59 min•Season 6Ep. 270
It's double your O3L pleasure this week with our 4th Annual Cruel World Special! It’s that time of year again - on May 17, 2025, the masses will descend upon Brookside at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA, for the 4th installment of what has become a destination, a cultural touchstone for fans of classic alternative, new wave, punk, synth-pop, goth, and dark wave - the Cruel World festival. Goldenvoice has once again put together a fantastic lineup of legends, younger bands who are carrying the torc...
May 15, 2025•1 hr 48 min•Season 6Ep. 272
Blackpool, Lancashire lies on the Irish Sea on the northwest coast of England, situated roughly 50-some miles north of Liverpool and 50-some miles west of Manchester. This seaside destination may conjure up visions of tourists, the Promenade, Pleasure Beach, or Blackpool Tower, but this week we focus on Blackpool as a crucial stop on the musical map. Joining us for this engaging discussion is one of Blackpool's favourite musical sons, John Robb! John was outside enjoying a lovely sunny day in Ma...
May 13, 2025•1 hr 29 min•Season 6Ep. 271
In the 2022 documentary The Elephant 6 Recording Co., they waste no time in addressing a very valid question: What exactly is Elephant 6? Is it a record label? (Yes, but not always.) Is it a collective of likeminded visionaries? (Yes.) Is the epicenter of E6 Athens, GA? Denver? Ruston, LA? (Yes. Yes. Yes.) It started with four high school friends in Ruston, Louisiana - Robert Schneider, Jeff Mangum, Will Cullen Hart, and Bill Doss - who shared a love of home recording and '60s psych pop and need...
May 06, 2025•1 hr 54 min•Season 6Ep. 270
This week, Pearl E. Gates (aka Pearl Harbour) from Bay Area new wave faves Pearl Harbor & The Explosions gives us a glimpse of some of the artists of the era who had the biggest impact on her. Along the way, Pearl shares her fascinating story: a military brat growing up in Germany who makes her way to San Francisco with a plane ticket and $75, joins The Tubes as a backup singer and dancer, which led to joining Leila and the Snakes before spinning off to form Pearl Harbor & The Explosions...
Apr 29, 2025•1 hr 7 min•Season 6Ep. 269
In 2008, they came down with a case of Party Fever!!! In 2024, they contracted Afterparty Fever!!! Now, in 2025, they have O3L Fever...and the only cure is more garage rock party records! (Well, that and an over-the-counter ointment.) Guitarist Sammy and vocalist/organist Helene 33 from "San Francisco's Last and Only Rock n' Roll Band" The Okmoniks join us for a rip-roarin', hip-shakin', foot-stompin', lip-smackin' garage rock party where we've each brought five of our favorite records. The best...
Apr 22, 2025•1 hr 50 min•Season 6Ep. 268
From Britpop to Beanie Babies, 1995 was da bomb! So much so, in fact, that we thought it would be pretty phat if we revisited the albums of the year in a Volume 2 episode. As if! This week's Third Lad, singer/songwriter/guitarist Josh Caterer had a pretty memorable 1995 as well. His Chicago pop-punk band Smoking Popes signed a major label deal with Capitol Records, who re-released their second indie album, Born To Quit. The album featured the alternative smash "Need You Around," which received r...
Apr 15, 2025•1 hr 32 min•Season 6Ep. 267
It’s not Record Store Day without a special bonus episode from your friends at Only Three Lads. OK, so it is actually still is Record Store Day regardless on Saturday, April 12th…but hopefully we can help in some way as you get ready for the big day. Join O3L's Brett Vargo on a guided journey through this year's list, spotlighting the many releases from artists that we talk about on the show. This year could be one of the best we’ve ever had. Let us know where you’ll be this Record Store Day and...
Apr 11, 2025•38 min
Dedicated in loving memory of two of the greatest drummers of the O3L era: Blondie (among many others) drummer Clem Burke, who passed away the day prior to this episode's release; and The Jam's Rick Buckler, who we lost the week we recorded it. The title says it all: This week, we celebrate albums with super awesome drumming with Third Lads Evan Sult and Dave Eastman from The Open Flames! Evan Sult is the super awesome drummer behind Harvey Danger and their '90s alt-rock classic 'Flagpole Sitta'...
Apr 08, 2025•1 hr 45 min•Season 6Ep. 266
Call it an O3L spin-off. Call it a new direction. But after 264 episodes discussing classic alternative music, we (Gregg Gunner and Brett Maverick) decided that it was finally time to devote ourselves to our true musical passion...modern bro-country. In this inaugural episode, we will cover our Top 5 Bro-Country Songs. This was a nigh-on-impossible task, as there are soooooo many great tunes in this genre. For those who may be less familiar with Bro-country, here's how the ever-reliable Wikipedi...
Apr 01, 2025•26 min
Not to toot our own horns (so to speak), it's the undisputed truth that we've had incredible guests on O3L in the past. Our growing roster of "Third Lads" has collectively touched millions of lives. But is there any single person who has changed the very fabric of the music industry as indelibly as this week's Third Lad? Because this week we chat with Nick Holmstén, the man who revolutionized the modern playlist. In that spirit, we are going to "be your algorithm" and give you a wildly eclectic ...
Apr 01, 2025•1 hr 51 min
This week, we celebrate songs from the amazing roster of female artists who were a part of the Lilith Fair touring festival during its run between the summers of 1997 and 1999. The Lilith Fair was co-founded by Canadian songstress Sarah McLachlan after experiencing woes with concert promoters booking female artists and battling general sexism in the music business. Taking its name from the Jewish biblical origin story that Lilith was Adam’s first wife who refused to bow down to his every whim, t...
Mar 25, 2025•1 hr 21 min
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...
Mar 21, 2025•31 min
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 t...
Mar 18, 2025•2 hr 2 min•Season 6Ep. 262
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 ...
Mar 11, 2025•1 hr 34 min•Season 6Ep. 261
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 meet...
Mar 04, 2025•1 hr 24 min•Season 6Ep. 260
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 w...
Feb 25, 2025•1 hr 43 min•Season 6Ep. 259
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 i...
Feb 18, 2025•1 hr 49 min•Season 6Ep. 258
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 D...
Feb 11, 2025•1 hr 54 min•Season 6Ep. 257
