Only Three Lads - Classic Alternative Music Podcast

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...

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...

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...

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 m...

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.  Goldenvoi...

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...

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 Mangu...

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 l...

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-stom...

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 ind...

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.  T...

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 Sul...

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 th...

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...

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 Jewis...

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' (f...

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...

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 compar...

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, an...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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 developmen...

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...