Only Three Lads - Classic Alternative Music Podcast

Special thanks goes out to the legendary Vanessa Briscoe Hay of Pylon for this topic idea. When Vanessa was on our show during Season 2, she mentioned that Elvis Costello's My Aim Is True was like comfort food, like mac & cheese, an album that she could come back to time and time again and it just feels...right.   So, in this episode, we boil the noodles, mix in the bright orange powder, add milk...

Always coming back for more O3L? Well, you're in luck, because this week we do our very first label spotlight on San Francisco's groundbreaking new wave label 415 Records. Through a series of classic independent releases and a subsequent distribution deal through major label Columbia, the label launched such talents as Romeo Void, Translator, Red Rockers, Wire Train, Until December, SVT and others...

For an episode celebrating some of the best soundtrack albums of the O3L era, we're giving you a feature length episode that's *at least* as good as a movie about kidnapped truffle pigs! At the risk of offending all you truffle pig fans out there, we think it's probably even better.   Our "Third Lad" this week is the magnificent SARAH SHAY, musician, writer, girl-about-town and co-host of the Pilo...

WARNING!  This episode may not be suitable for sensitive listeners!   (While it's not exactly The Wiggles, we're actually just testing out Uncle Gregg's theory that more people will click on something when there's a warning message.  Did it work!?!?) To paraphrase The Smiths, we have just discovered that some topics are tougher than others...and this one certainly required some thought.  First of...

This week, we have a little "dumb fun" and take a trip to the classic alternative monuments that we have erected in our minds. In this episode, we pick the five faces that we would put on our respective mountains. Five, you ask? Doesn't Mt. Rushmore only have four? You are correct, history buffs...but we felt like we had to one-up some rocks in South Dakota.  Take that, national landmark!   If the...

Hey you! Don't listen to that, listen to THIS!   In our Season 3 premiere, we get even ruder and skankier than usual...and we totally mean that in the ska way, because we kick off the new year by counting down our Top 5 Ska Songs of the O3L era.   Our guest Lad this week is musician, author, blogger and podcaster Marc Wasserman. Wasserman's new book *SKA BOOM! An American Ska & Reggae Oral History...

Sure, there are a lot of parts of 2021 that we'd all like to make like a goldfish and forget. However, there were a lot of great songs that should be remembered and celebrated. That's exactly what we do in our Season 2 finale!   Meanwhile, Uncle Gregg makes his New Year's Resolutions...and Brett tries, but has already failed miserably. But there's one pressing question that we need to know - would...

Merry Christmas from O3L!  Thank you for all of your support this year - it means the world to us!  In this short bonus, Lad Brett shares the Vargo Family's 2021 Musical Christmas Card - a new original holiday tune called "That Holiday Feeling."  The song features son Julian (18) on lead guitar and daughter Paisley (11) on trombones.  May you always be blessed with "that holiday feeling!"  Hope yo...

This is part one of our Best of 2021 extravaganza, wherein we step out of the O3L era to discuss the albums that we're digging this year.  We've cooked up something very special for you this week - direct from Toronto, our special guests are the magnificent Ducks Ltd.!  The duo of Tom McGreevy and Evan Lewis join us to talk about their own rising career, as well as their favourite new records.   T...

'Tis the season for the 2nd Annual O3L Holiday Party! All the fun, frivolity, games and music without the nasty hangover...or the Pentatonix.   Joining us for our party this year is an international group of friends - Julio from Mexico, Rebecca from New Zealand, Julie from Southern California and Ryan from Idaho.   Since December is the month we let our freak flag fly, Brett brought his favorite h...

We kick off a fun filled December by counting down the EPIC songs of the O3L era (imagine some echo when you read that...it sounds much cooler that way). These are the 6+ minute long songs that riveted us, took us along on emotional journeys, and made us feel like we were dancing in bubbles. You'll just have to trust us on that last one...   In this epic episode, we cover a lot of ground - being t...

Haven't gotten your fill of O3L this week? Well, don't worry, because we're giving you a second helping!   With today being Thanksgiving and all, this special episode is all about gratitude. Amongst the things for which we are most grateful: the amazing O3L community, each other, and Gwyneth Paltrow-scented candles. I mean, we could never show our gratitude as much as the band Brass Against, but w...

This week, we unleash our inner Durannie for an episode celebrating the Wild Boys themselves.  D-Squared.  Doo-ran Doo-ran.  Da-Doo Ran Ran Ran Da-Doo Ran Ran.  Birmingham's Finest.  The Fab Five.  OK, so before we run out of nicknames that the band never actually used, we're going straight down the ol' D-hole for our Top 5 Duran Duran Songs. You could say this one is BONKERS!     Learn more about...

You gotta have faith-uh, faith-uh, faith in O3L, because we're heading straight back to 1987 this week!  So grab your crimping iron and acid washed jeans, and join us as we count down some of the finest classic alternative albums of the year. We have two "Third Lads" this episode (which makes four total, but you know we're not good at math n' stuff) - singer Tom Cheek and drummer Allen Wagner from...

Calling occupants of most extraordinary songcraft...we are observing you...we are your friends.  Get mellow and sensitive with O3L this week as we discuss our Top 5 Acoustic Songs. We were very fortunate this week to have Third Lad Terry Draper from Klaatu join us this week.  In 1976, Klaatu let their music do the talking, with a blend of whimsical psychedelia, spacy progressive rock and melodic p...

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 join us this week.  In 1976, Klaatu let their music do the talking, with a blend of whimsical psychedelia, spacy progressive rock and melodic power pop...so much so that masses of people believed...

Release the bats! Halloween may be over, but this week O3L goes goth.   This week, we talk to the very talented goth/dreampop/shoegaze singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist AMMO about her goth/darkwave Top 5(-ish) list and her career, including the stunning new single "Rose + Crown". LA Record calls it "the kind of music that should soundtrack a sand-dune-to-shoreline movie by David Lynch."...

This week, our picks are "talkin' loud and sayin' nothing" (in a good way), as we cover some of the finest instrumental tracks of the O3L era...and beyond! Guess who's back?!?  It's Armistead Wellford and Mike Richmond from the almighty Love Tractor.  Anything goes this week - not only do you get the classic alternative jams that you'd expect from O3L, there's also prog, funk, jazz fusion, soundtr...

Party people!  Get ready for an O3L episode like you've never heard before.  This week, we head into the world of rap & hip hop - and these are all albums that we think would appeal to classic alternative fans. What a thrill it was to have hip-hop legend DC Glenn, aka DC The Brain Supreme, from TAG TEAM as our special guest this week!  With his musical partner Steve Rollin, Tag Team rose to promin...

This bonus episode contains our complete conversation with DC Glenn, aka DC the Brain Supreme! What a thrill it was to have hip-hop legend DC Glenn, aka DC the Brain Supreme, from TAG TEAM as our special guest this week!  With his musical partner Steve Rollin, Tag Team rose to prominence in the early '90s with one of the most greatest party jams of all time, "Whoomp!  There It Is".  The song has b...

Uncle Gregg and Brett.  Laurel and Hardy.  Paula Abdul and MC Skat Kat.  Sometimes, beautiful art can come out of the power of collaboration.  This week, the Lads tackle the best collaborations of the classic alternative era.  And, as they say, it's a real whoppa!     A public apology from Brett: "I accused Diane Warren of writing a song that she actually had no hand in composing, which led to add...

Put on your smoking jacket and pour yourself a stiff drink, because this is O3L After Dark. We recorded Episode 81 late at night (which is unusual for us...we usually do the show in the morning when we're fresh and pure), so things got a little strange and controversial early.  We ended up editing it out of the main episode to keep it as family friendly as possible, but for anyone who wants to hea...

We were dreaming when we wrote this, forgive us if it's goes astray... This week, join The Boy With The Golden Ears and The Rocktor as we count down our top five songs from the year 1999.  Yes, it was the year of Britney, Xtina, boy bands, braided chin hair and Dawson's Creek (or was that Creek's Dawson??), but there was plenty of great alternative music that year too.  We mean, there had to be be...

Remember those old "Where Are They Now?" shows where they track down superstars from the past, only to find that they're now flipping burgers to support their smack habit?  Yeah, we do too...but that's not what we're talking about this episode.  Instead, we shine the spotlight on the artists from the O3L era who are still making vital, relevant music today. Thus, we could think of no more appropri...

Here we are now...so let us entertain YOU!  This week, we switch gears to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of one of the seminal albums of the '90s, Nirvana's Nevermind by counting down our top five tracks by the Seattle legends. As is befitting in an episode about the grunge pioneers, the conversation also veers towards The Monkees, The Spice Girls, deodorant, and some very, uh, colorful analogies...