Only Three Lads - Classic Alternative Music Podcast

E75 - Top 5 Album Openers

Привет, товарищи!  How's that for an opening?!?  No??  OK, well, we promise that you'll like our lists better, because this week we celebrate some of the best opening tracks of the O3L era.  A great album has everything in the right place, and it all starts with Track 1, Side 1.  These are the cuts that get us excited and make us weak in the knees.  

Along the way, Brett and Uncle Gregg talk about the international appeal of O3L, ding dongs, a tribute from one legendary drummer to another, and...Poppy?!?

Swoonworthy!

E74 - Top 5 Albums of 1975

The lads quantum leap back to the year of 1975 A.D. to save the world from the evil clutches of Captain & Tennille.  Yep, they're just a couple of private dicks (that means detectives, by the way, kids) on a covert mission to dig up some of the best underground sounds of the day.  

Who is Uncle Gunner, and what has he done with Uncle Gregg?  Will love keep us together...or will it tear us apart?  Find out on another exciting episode of ONLY THREE LADS.

(Brought to you by Ding Dongs, now individually wrapped in foil.)

E73 - Top 5 Dormroom Essentials

OK, boomers!  Take a seat in the back of lecture hall, because O3LU is in session.  Brett takes a break from his son's college move-in to hang out with Uncle Gregg to discuss the essentials for any self-respecting college kid's dormroom.  And, no, we're not talking about totally lame things like food, clothes, toiletries, and books, we mean the really important stuff...like classic alternative music.  But be prepared, because this one goes off the rails to cover more things that are important to today's youth.  Mumble rap.  Sizzurp.  Piercings.  Blowing stuff up.  Rude bands.  Two pump chumps.  Hair metal.  One night stands.  Tony Bennett and Glenn Campbell.  A visitor's guide to Oakland.  Bill Clinton.  Yeah, you could say we really have our fingers on the pulse of the next generation.  Listen to the #1 podcast among university students* and we'll give you a dose of education O3L style!  

 

* This statement has not been evaluated by anyone.  Just takin' a wild guess.

E72 - Top 5 Albums of 1984

hhhhHHHHHHHello, hhhhhhhhHHHHHello again!  Sit down, pop open a Bartles & Jaymes and spend some time with your friends at O3L.  This week, Uncle Gregg and Brett discuss some of the absolutely sublime albums that came out in 1984...and it really was one of the greatest years in music history.  We had a lot of great input from our third lads out there too, so there are shout outs galore in this one!

Along the way, we talk about the things you didn't know you needed from O3L.  Mermaids! Scorpions (both the band AND the bug)!  Supermodels!  Grampa's tales of Wham!  Common core education!  Yep, that pretty much covers all the bases.

But whatever you do, there will be no dancing in this town, kids!  (Just kiddin', you can dance if you want to.)

E71 - Top 5 Basslines (with Funkboy)

This one's for all of you with a fine appreciation for the bottom end...of music, you sickos!  Join us for a funktastic voyage celebrating some of the best basslines of the classic alternative era.

Our special guest lad this week is Ivan "Funkboy" Bodley, bass player and music director for the stars.  He has performed with 50 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees and in 12 Broadway Shows.  Funkboy is Music Director for classic artists Sam Moore (Sam & Dave), Martha Reeves & the Vandellas, and The Shirelles, and has performed with a diverse range of musical legends such as Sting, Elvis Costello, Temptations, Solomon Burke, Ben E. King, Percy Sledge, Eddie Floyd, Rufus & Carla Thomas, Bo Diddley, Buster Poindexter, Uptown Horns, Paul Rodgers, Wynonna Judd, and David Foster.

E70 - Top 5 Beatlesque Songs (with RAY PAUL)

Bea·​tlesque | \ ˌbē-tᵊl-ˈesk \: of, relating to, or suggestive of the musical style or technique of the Beatles

 

O3L discussing their favorite songs inspired by the sound and spirit of the Fab Four? Yeah, yeah, yeah!

 

Our special guest this week is a progenitor of power pop, a fine purveyor of Beatlesque bops, RAY PAUL! Ray joins us to discuss his long and storied music career that stretches back to the days of Beatlemania, his hitmaking years on the Boston scene finding "The Charles Beat", his label Permanent Press, and crossing paths with just about anyone and everyone. As Uncle Gregg calls him, he's "the Forrest Gump of Power Pop."

 

Speaking of crossing paths, it seems that Brett has crossed paths with Ray in the past...listen to find out how.

 

It's a double helping of O3L this week. Listen to the main episode, but make sure to stick around for the amazing stories from rock n' roll's past in the bonus extended episode!

E70 - Bonus - In Conversation with RAY PAUL!

This special bonus episode features our extended conversation with RAY PAUL.  You will not want to miss these amazing stories of rock n' roll's past!

 

Our special guest this week is a progenitor of power pop, a fine purveyor of Beatlesque bops, RAY PAUL!  Ray joins us to discuss his long and storied music career that stretches back to the days of Beatlemania, his hitmaking years on the Boston scene finding "The Charles Beat", his label Permanent Press, and crossing paths with just about anyone and everyone. As Uncle Gregg calls him, he's "the Forrest Gump of Power Pop."

 

Speaking of crossing paths, it seems that Brett has crossed paths with Ray in the past...listen to find out how.

 

 

O3L Presents Best of Guests

"Vacation, had to get away."  Brett and Uncle Gregg did some summer traveling this past week, but we're not going to leave you empty handed!  Instead, we've cooked up a very special episode, culling some of our favorite stories and moments with our past guests.  Join us on a trip down memory lane featuring hilarious, revealing clips from Linda Hopper (Magnapop/Oh-OK), Andy Strickland (The Loft/Caretaker Race), Robert Vickers (Go-Betweens), Love Tractor, Vanessa Briscoe Hay (Pylon), Hugo Burnham (Gang Of Four), Sean Dowdell (Grey Daze, Tattooed Millionaire), and Richard Blade.

See you next week for E70 - Top 5 Beatlesque Songs!

E69 - Top 5 Songs of 1998

Hey bruhs, what episode is it??  That's right...69, dudes!  Join us for Gregg & Brett's Excellent Adventure, as we hop in the phone booth time machine and dial up the year 1998.  The year of Celine Dion, auto tune, boy bands...and a whole lotta great classic alternative music.  Along the way, the Lads bring up plenty of memories of the year, as well as movies, some new music recommendations, the current state of radio, and even a history lesson.  Whoaaaaaaaaaaaa.

E68 - Top 5 American Bands

Do you like American music?  We like American music, baby!

The 4th of July may be over, but the party's not!  We're comin' to your town, and we will, by all counts, help you party it down.  This week, Brett and Uncle Gregg celebrate the best classic alternative bands from the USA, with a lot of great input from the "Third Lads" out there...all of you in the O3L Community!

Plus, we discuss Uncle Gregg serving the country, which patriotic song doesn't make Brett especially "proud", and pay tribute to the greatest of all American bands...The Hoff.  

 

Sing it all together now - There ain't no doubt, I love these lads, God Bless the O3L!

E67 - Top 5 Albums of 1977 (with ANDY STRICKLAND)

1977: The Year Two Sevens Clashed. The Year Punk Broke. The Year Everyone Caught Saturday Night Fever. Whatever you call it, it was arguably the single most important and revolutionary year of the O3L era.

 

This week, Uncle Gregg and Brett discuss their favorite records from that pivotal year with indie legend ANDY STRICKLAND from The Loft, one of the first bands on the influential Creation Records label.  We talk about the excellent new Loft 2 CD compilation, Ghost Trains & Country Lanes - Studio, Stage & Sessions: 1984-2015, being right in the thick of the UK punk scene, and the lasting influence of the music of 1977.

 

This is a "must listen" O3L...we mean it, maaaaaan!

E67 Bonus - In Conversation with ANDY STRICKLAND (The Loft, Caretaker Race)

You do not want to miss our SPECIAL BONUS EPISODE featuring our extended conversation with Andy Strickland. This one has everything you could want in a rock & roll story, kids. The early days of Creation! A #1 hit! Radio and TV appearances! Onstage breakups! Fluffing solos! Tea with Morrissey! Making Bobby Gillespie cry! Toy boats!

This is a great one...we mean it, maaaaaaaaaaaaan!

E66 Bonus - In Conversation with Hugo Burnham from Gang of Four

We're not only Lads, we're also Dads...so we took the Father's Day weekend to spend with our kids, but don't worry, we're not going to leave you without a new O3L!  We had such an incredible time with HUGO BURNHAM from GANG OF FOUR that there was far more than we could fit in the last episode.  Other than the opening discussion on the brilliant new Go4 box set, 77-81, this is all brand new content from our chat with Hugo, and we promise is essential listening for long time Gang of Four fans, those just discovering the band, and fans of classic alternative in general.  To quote the man himself: "I'm the &$#@%^* professor!"

E66 - Top 5 Drummers (with HUGO BURNHAM from GANG OF FOUR!)

“The change will do you good/I always knew it would." This week, Only Three Lads is a gang of four. That is, for our discussion on our Top 5 Drummers, we are joined by one of the most legendary and influential drummers of the O3L era, Hugo Burnham from GANG OF FOUR! Oh, sorry, that's M'Lord to you!

 

Also joining us for this episode is Brett's big brother Brian, and you will likely notice that those apples definitely grew off the same tree, so to speak.

 

Hugo was so gracious, kind, and hilarious, we have so much more to share with you! Stay tuned next week for our extended interview.

 

Hugo described O3L like this: "When I was growing up, milk bottles had the milk and at the top was the cream. And you guys are in the top of the bottle." Who are we to argue with that? We will accept any and all dairy analogies as high compliments...except that one time when someone called us cheesy.

 

Make sure to order Gang Of Four's stunning new box set 77-81 from store.matadorrecords.com!

E65 - Top 5 Female Fronted Bands

Hold on, because the Lads tackle their top bands with women at the helm. Celebrating the classic, the groundbreaking, the influential, and the underappreciated.

 

Speaking of great female fronted bands, O3L congratulates The Go-Go's on their induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame!

 

Plus - Bueno dreams of Jeannie! Brett marries Wilson Phillips! Uncle Gregg's got skidmarks on his...uh, heart!

E64 - Top 5 Songs of 1984

Beware the savage roar...of 1984.  This week, we cover the best of this most excellent of years in the classic alternative era.  And, added bonus - Bueno's back!  We discuss his journey to the BIG3 basketball league tryouts, how he may (or may not) have invented MTV Unplugged, and how he helped The Go-Go's get to the Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame.  Uncle Gregg is assigned his status as the 127th Beatle, and The Rocktor pays, uh, tribute to Casey Kasem and Charles Nelson Reilly.

 

Will you still need us, will you still feed us, on Episode 64?  (Hint: The correct answer is "yes".)

E63 - Top 5 Short Songs (with Linda Hopper from Oh-OK and Magnapop!)

What time is it? It's APT (Athens Party Time), y'all, because we're hanging out with the magnificent LINDA HOPPER from OH-OK and MAGNAPOP to discuss some of our favorite short songs of the O3L era. So grab a White Claw or some Willie Weed, sit back and enjoy the show. This is O3L At Our Best (exclamation point!).

 

We had such a great time with Linda that we couldn't fit everything into just one show!

Be sure to check out our bonus episode for much more of our conversation.  Linda shares some amazing stories from her career from coming up in the early '80s Athens scene with Oh-OK, through to the heady '90s alt-rock with Magnapop, to present day....and the talented musicians with whom she's played and crossed paths - including Lynda Stipe, Matthew Sweet, REM, Bob Mould, Pylon, Mitch Easter, Love Tractor, Willie Nelson, Ruthie Morris and more. 

 

That's two hours of O3L for you this week. Who do we think we are...Uriah Heep?!?

E63 - Bonus - In Conversation With Linda Hopper from Oh-OK and Magnapop!

 

We had such a great time with Linda Hopper that we couldn't fit everything into just one show! Linda shares some amazing stories from her career from coming up in the early '80s Athens scene with Oh-OK, through to the heady '90s alt-rock with Magnapop, to present day....and the talented musicians with whom she's played and crossed paths - including Lynda Stipe, Matthew Sweet, REM, Bob Mould, Pylon, Mitch Easter, Love Tractor, Willie Nelson, Ruthie Morris and more.

 

That's two hours of O3L for you this week. Who do we think we are...Uriah Heep?!?

E62 - Top 5 Joy Division Songs (with Mark Cline of Love Tractor)

On the day of this episode's "transmission", it is 41 years to the day that we lost Ian Curtis.  We celebrate the music of Joy Division this week, one of the most influential and important bands of the O3L era.  Playing the role of Bueno this week, we've got the marvelous Mark Cline of Love Tractor returning to the show.  Since Mark and Love Tractor toured with New Order in the mid-80s, he's a very fitting guest host, and always has great insights and stories!

 

Also on the docket, we play a music nerd "would you rather" game, talk classic TV, get songwriting tips from Mark, and talk about Love Tractor news.  Don't miss the unknown pleasures of this episode!

E61 - Top 5 Oddball Albums

Our oddest episode yet (question mark???)...you be the judge.  For starters, we discuss the Oddball Albums of the classic alternative era - the eccentric, the weird, the daring left turns, the unloved, the underappreciated, the groundbreaking, the soul patches.  Oh, the soul patches. 

It's also odd because Bueno isn't back yet...and you know how we miss our Bueno!

How appropriate, though, that our guest Lad this week is Jason Wright, host of the oddball show podcast, President/Founder of the oddball foundation, Editor-in-Chief of oddball magazine, author, poet, and mental health advocate.  We had a great time with Jason, and know you will too!  Not only does he know his music, but he also shares some great insights during this Mental Health Awareness Month.  

O3L tackling heavy subjects?  That *is* odd!

P.S. Up your nose with a rubber hose!

P.P.S. Just kidding, we love you.  We wish no rubber hoses up your noses.

 

E60 - Top 5 Albums of 1991

Coming soon to a podcast near you!  O3L Media presents: Cool Like O3L.  The year is 1991. 
A grungy slacker who may or may not actually be your uncle.  A troubled hoodrat from the mean streets of suburban Poway.  A young medical prodigy with a taste for Toad in the Hole.  Three different worlds.  One united cause: to save the world from terrible music.  Yo, drop the zeros and get with the heroes!

Note: Bueno is taking a brief hiatus, but Dr. Don did a great job stepping into those giant basketball playing shoes this week!  The Bueno-ator says: "I'll be baaaaaack."

 

E59 - Top 5 Cure Songs

We've got a fever...and the only cure is more CURE!

 

Join us for Only Three (Imaginary) Lads this week.

 

In the O3L world, The Cure are as important an institution as any. During this special episode, we celebrate the music and legacy of Robert Smith and his legendary band. The gloomy. The doomy. The playfully silly. The sublime. The hauntingly gorgeous. The profound and poetic.

 

And because it's "Never Enough", we also talk Moby! Why Bueno doesn't have kids! Evolution! UFOs!

 

Sleep tight, kiddies!

E58 - Top 5 Workout Songs

In this very special crossover O3L, we discuss our Top 5 Workout Songs with the very REAL  medical professional Dr. Don Sharnowski.  Dr. Don is  one of the leading experts in the wellness field, but he's also a dear friend of the show and a huge classic alternative music fan.  Not only can nobody fill out an O3L Be Bueno shirt like Dr. Don, but he's got a reeeeally big dictionary.  That's dictionary,  you sickos...seriously, he offers some very eloquent and thoughtful insights into the music.

Even though we're pretty much a medical podcast now, on the other side of the Callhole...

It did not escape us that this episode is coming out on 4/20, and Bueno...uh, let's just say he played *A LOT* of "basketball" before the show.  

Put on your sweatbands and get ready for the most unusual and outrageous O3L yet!

 

 

E57 - Top 5 New Wave Songs

Like, gag us with a spoon! It was a totally gnarly topic this week. Join the Lads and their fake new wave bands, The Highscore Kids, Hooper Dream, and VHS Lazer (pew-pew-pew), as they attempt to count down their Top 5 New Wave Songs.

 

Featuring such hits as*:

 

The Highscore Kids - "Is The Girl Who Looks Like Belinda Really Going Out With Him?"

 

Hooper Dream - "We Got The Meat"

 

VHS Lazer - "Do You Really Want To Hurt Him (Sarah)?"

 

If you're wearing your WWBD bracelet and thinking "What Would Bueno Do?", the answer his simple: He'd listen to this episode of O3L. Sounds like good advice.

 

* Don't worry, this episode does not actually feature these hits, because these are neither real songs nor real bands.

 

 

E56 - Top 5 Albums of 1974

Ah, 1974. Bueno was a young, wild teenager with a Greg Brady perm harboring a crush for Helen Hunt. Uncle Gregg was a wee toddler digging the Electric Company and special brownies. Baby Brett Weird was just entering the world, no doubt with a stack of obscure Mongolian records in his crib. Yup, that's how we remember 1974.

 

The Lads recount their favorite albums from 1974 - the wild, the weird, and the groundbreaking. It's a crazy, globetrotting musical journey.

 

Plus, Uncle Gregg's "baby Mama" Aunt Vicky pays O3L a special, unforgettable visit!

E55 - Top 5 Guitar Heroes (with Love Tractor)

Here at O3L, we don’t just talk about great guitarists...we have great guitarists join us! And it doesn’t get much better than art rock pioneers and founding members of the legendary Athens, GA alternative scene (and our new BFFs), LOVE TRACTOR. For this episode, we are joined by guitarists Mark Cline & Mike Richmond and bassist Armistead Wellford as we all discuss our favorite guitarists...celebrating the doodly doodlies, the chunka chunkas, the visionaries and the influencers both in and out of the O3L era.

 

Love Tractor recently reissued a remixed and expanded version of their 1982 eponymous debut, an instrumental masterwork of shimmering guitar interplay that Mike Mills from REM lauds as “one of my favorite records of all time.”

 

But wait, there's more...

 

We had such a great time with the guys that it ended up being our most epic show yet. Army, Mark and Mike had so many incredible and hilarious stories that we present a two part bonus feature, Fun to be Happy: O3L in Conversation with Love Tractor. Believe us, some of the best moments are on these episodes, so make sure to check those out too!

 

Thanks to Love Tractor for being so wonderful and generous with their time and memories, and a special thanks to Karen Allison for coordinating everything.

 

Part 1 - Fun To Be Happy: O3L In Conversation With Love Tractor

PART ONE:

 

We had such a great time with Mark, Mike and Army from Love Tractor that it ended up being our most epic show yet. They had so many incredible and hilarious stories that we present a two part bonus feature, Fun to be Happy: O3L in Conversation with Love Tractor. Believe us, do not miss these. Some of the best moments are on these episodes.

 

We cover everything from Love Tractor history to times with fellow Athens luminaries like The B-52’s, REM and Pylon to stories about New Order, The Bangles, Alex Chilton, Chrissie Hynde, Iggy Pop, 10,000 Maniacs, Red Hot Chili Peppers, RuPaul, Mick Ronson and so much more. And we guarantee you will never hear “Pushin’ Too Hard” the same way again!

 

Thanks to Love Tractor for being so wonderful and generous with their time and memories, and a special thanks to Karen Allison for coordinating everything.

Part 2 - Fun To Be Happy: O3L In Conversation With Love Tractor

 

 

PART TWO:

 

We had such a great time with Mark, Mike and Army from Love Tractor that it ended up being our most epic show yet. They had so many incredible and hilarious stories that we present a two part bonus feature, Fun to be Happy: O3L in Conversation with Love Tractor. Believe us, do not miss these. Some of the best moments are on these episodes.

 

We cover everything from Love Tractor history to times with fellow Athens luminaries like The B-52’s, REM and Pylon to stories about New Order, The Bangles, Alex Chilton, Chrissie Hynde, Iggy Pop, 10,000 Maniacs, Red Hot Chili Peppers, RuPaul, Mick Ronson and so much more. And we guarantee you will never hear “Pushin’ Too Hard” the same way again!

 

Thanks to Love Tractor for being so wonderful and generous with their time and memories, and a special thanks to Karen Allison for coordinating everything.

E54 - Top 5 Songs of 1988

Finish this sentence: All she wants is...

 

Need help? The answer was a new O3L, and "she" (and the rest of you) will get exactly that! Join the Lads on a trip back to 1988 for their favorite songs of the year.

 

Only Three Lads: an anomaly in the podcast pool.

 

Oh, and by the way, if you're wondering where the Top 5 Guitar Heroes episode went...we've bumped it to next week. It's going to be worth the wait, we promise!

 

 

E53 - Top 5 Albums of 1976

In the O3L world, 1976 was the calm before the storm. In the year before the punk rock explosion, there wasn't a lot of "alternative" albums, but lawdy, lawdy, lawdy...the albums covered this week were some of the seminal records of the era.

 

We are fortunate to be joined this week by Francois Palay (aka Jean F. Palay, aka JFP), author of the books Night Of Destruction: The Stooges And Other Stories and Too Heavy For Heaven. JFP shares some incredible stories about the final days of The Stooges, and has an awesome Top 5 list. A splendid time was had by all!

 

Be sure to check out Night Of Destruction at Amazon!

E52 - Top 5 Albums of 1996

So, tell us what you want.  What you really, really want.  What's that?  You say what you really, really want is a brand new nugget-coughin', apple-chewin', nut-zippin', man-crushin' episode of O3L?  Well, you just happen to be in luck!

Join Stiff-Bone Spice (Bueno), Hoser Spice (Brett) and Creepy Spice (Uncle Gregg) on an insanely fun journey back to the bygone days of 1996!

E51 - Top 5 Albums of 1983

How were the albums in 1983?  In the immortal words of Tony the Tiger, they were GRRRRREAT!

 

But what's gotten into the lads during Episode 51?  Was it an alien takeover?  They get a little kooky on this one...don't say we didn't warn ya.  

 

But, hey, did we mention that 1983 was an awesome year?  So grab a spoonful of vegemite, sit back and enjoy O3L!

O3L - E50 - Top 5 Debut Albums (with Vanessa Briscoe Hay from Pylon!)

Well, it seems that we have some celebrating to do here at O3L headquarters.  It's the big Episode 5-0, so we had to celebrate this milestone with something special.  So how about Vanessa Briscoe Hay from the legendary post-punk band Pylon?  This highly influential band was called "the greatest arty party band" and "eons ahead of their time" by Rolling Stone, "raw, minimalist, brainy and danceable" by Pitchfork, "pioneering, good-humoured and brilliant" by Uncut, and "cool as hell" by PopMatters.  High praise indeed!  Not only is Vanessa cool, but she was also very gracious, generous with her time, has an awesome Top 5 list, and great stories to share.  

 

It just so happens that Vanessa has something big to celebrate too, because the fantastic new Pylon CD box set is coming out on March 26th!   This 4 CD set covers the band's output from 1979-1983.  The vinyl version released last year received some very impressive accolades, including a five star review in the All Music Guide and:

 

• NEW YORK TIMES “BEST OF 2020 BOXED SETS, REISSUES, DELUXE EDITIONS”
• ROLLING STONE MAGAZINE’S “THE BEST BOX SETS OF 2020”
• NPR MUSIC “THE BEST REISSUES & BOX SETS OF 2020”
• UNCUT MAGAZINE’S “BEST REISSUES OF 2020”
• BROOKLYN VEGAN “#1 BEST REISSUES, BOX SETS, & COMPILATIONS OF 2020”
• PASTE MAGAZINE’S “THE 10 BEST VINYL REISSUES OF 2020”
• AQUARIUM DRUNKARDS “2020 YEAR IN REVIEW”
• ALLMUSIC’S “FAVORITE ARCHIVAL RELEASES OF 2020”
• ULTIMATE CLASSIC ROCK #3 “TOP 15 ARCHIVAL ROCK RELEASES OF 2020”
• POPMATTERS “20 BEST REISSUES OF 2020”
• GARDEN & GUN MAGAZINE’S “THE BEST SOUTHERN ALBUMS OF 2020”

This was an incredible thrill for us.  Make sure to check out our bonus episode featuring more of our conversation with Vanessa Briscoe Hay too!  

O3L - E50 Bonus - In Conversation with Vanessa Briscoe Hay from Pylon!

BONUS EPISODE!  Did we mention what a thrill it was to have Vanessa Briscoe Hay on O3L?  She shared so many wonderful memories with us that we are bringing you additional content that was not featured in the regular show!

 

Well, it seems that we have some celebrating to do here at O3L headquarters.  It's the big Episode 5-0, so we had to celebrate this milestone with something special.  So how about Vanessa Briscoe Hay from the legendary post-punk band Pylon?  This highly influential band was called "the greatest arty party band" and "eons ahead of their time" by Rolling Stone, "raw, minimalist, brainy and danceable" by Pitchfork, "pioneering, good-humoured and brilliant" by Uncut, and "cool as hell" by PopMatters.  High praise indeed!  Not only is Vanessa cool, but she was also very gracious, generous with her time, has an awesome Top 5 list, and great stories to share.  

 

It just so happens that Vanessa has something big to celebrate too, because the fantastic new Pylon CD box set is coming out on March 26th!   This 4 CD set covers the band's output from 1979-1983.  The vinyl version released last year received some very impressive accolades, including a five star review in the All Music Guide and:

 

• NEW YORK TIMES “BEST OF 2020 BOXED SETS, REISSUES, DELUXE EDITIONS”
• ROLLING STONE MAGAZINE’S “THE BEST BOX SETS OF 2020”
• NPR MUSIC “THE BEST REISSUES & BOX SETS OF 2020”
• UNCUT MAGAZINE’S “BEST REISSUES OF 2020”
• BROOKLYN VEGAN “#1 BEST REISSUES, BOX SETS, & COMPILATIONS OF 2020”
• PASTE MAGAZINE’S “THE 10 BEST VINYL REISSUES OF 2020”
• AQUARIUM DRUNKARDS “2020 YEAR IN REVIEW”
• ALLMUSIC’S “FAVORITE ARCHIVAL RELEASES OF 2020”
• ULTIMATE CLASSIC ROCK #3 “TOP 15 ARCHIVAL ROCK RELEASES OF 2020”
• POPMATTERS “20 BEST REISSUES OF 2020”
• GARDEN & GUN MAGAZINE’S “THE BEST SOUTHERN ALBUMS OF 2020”

 

O3L - E49 - Top 5 Love Songs

Hey baby...what are you wearing?  Oooh, an old oversized Joy Division t-shirt?  Ohhhhh yeeeeeah, that's soooooo HOT!

You know what else is hot?  This week's O3L, where we discuss our Top 5 classic alternative love songs.  

So, what are you waiting for?  Snuggle up with that special someone, turn the lights down low, and get into the mood with the #1 podcast in Flanders.*

 

* There has been no evidence to actually suggest that this is a factual statement.  There's actually been no evidence that a single person in Flanders has ever heard of us.  We didn't even know where Flanders was until this episode.

O3L - E48 - Top 5 12" Singles

Most singles only go to 7 inches...these go to 12.

 

In our very first Listener's Choice episode, the randomizer selected a topic suggested by Paige Rockwell, wherein we discuss our Top 5 12" singles.  Thanks for the idea, Paige!   

 

This episode is also special for another reason, as this week marks the first anniversary of O3L.  We appreciate you sticking with us this year.  For that, you all get disco lasers.  Pew-pew-pew!  This is the 12 inch remix of O3L! 

 

 

O3L - E47 - Top 5 Artists 1995-99

For this supersized episode of Only Three Lads, we bring you our top artists from the final five year stretch of the O3L era.  Uncle Gregg brought up an interesting comment about one of his picks that [insert artist name here] "owned" the late '90s.  And then he said the same thing about his next artist...and the next...so who really DID own the '90s?  Truth be told, it was more like a timeshare.  Each of these artists owned their little piece of the time period, and it made for some diverse and amazing music.

Of course, as you've come to expect from three middle aged guys who act like junior high kids, hijinks a-plenty ensue during this episode.  Bueno bowls for a baseball legend!  Uncle Gregg almost gets canned!  Brett blows his chance to be a celebrity impersonator!  And Sarah McLachlan, dang it, she just wants you to save the animals!*

 

* Which, incidentally, is a good idea.

O3L - E46 - Top 5 Grunge/Hard Alternative Albums

Hey hey, we’re the Grungies!  Put on your flannel, broskis, and relive some of the best grunge-era albums with O3L.  That’s if you can muster up the energy, ya slackers!

 

What made Brett fear this episode so much?  Is the fact that “grunge” was a four letter word to him in the ‘90s?  Is it the fact that, if he thought that “grunge” was a four letter word, his spelling might need some work?  Is it the fact that, despite the fact that he is the one writing these very show notes, he is referring to himself in the third person?  Fortunately, Uncle Gregg and Bueno were quite the grungies, so they save the day with their takes on some classic albums (and Bueno gets pretty, uh, creative with the topic).  No matter what side of the fence you’re on, we promise you’ll enjoy this one.

O3L - E45 - Top 5 B-Sides

Don't think that we don't realize the incredible serendipity of Episode 45 celebrating some of the best treasures found on the flip side of 45 rpm singles.   Well, and the extra tracks found on CD singles, but that's not nearly as serendipitous. 

By the way, "serendipity" will score you 17 points on Scrabble.  You'll learn about some other big Scrabble words to use on this episode too.  You're welcome.  

Join us as we discuss a lot of great hidden musical gems, Danny Bonaduce, playing pranks on Chrissie Hynde, and oodles more.  Oodles, we say!  

Liam Gallagher had this to say about this episode: "[Unintelligble ranting...] RISSOLES!"  Well, he didn't, but he might have.  

 

O3L - E44 - Top 5 '90s Punk Albums

This week, we bring you all the "hot topics" on O3L: apple bongs, teenage doctors, hangin' out at the mall, showering with our listeners.  Cuz we're punk rock!!

Hey, while we're at the mall, can we swing by and pick up a Bueno decoder ring?  We're gonna need it.

Oh yeah, and we manage to work in our Top 5 '90s Punk Albums while we're at it.  Trust us, it's more fun than beating up a mall cop!

O3L - E43 - Top 5 Flashback Favorites with RICHARD BLADE!

OK, we promised that Season 2 of O3L would be bigger and better...so what better way to kick it off than with a living legend? SiriusXM, radio and TV personality, author, screenwriter, game show contestant (and did we mention legend?) RICHARD BLADE is our very special guest.

For this episode, we each (including Richard) picked our Top 5 songs from Richard Blade's classic six volume "Flashback Favorites" CD series. And the stories...oh, the incredible stories.  Make sure you don't miss the amazing bonus episode with our extended conversation!

O3L - E43 Bonus - In Conversation with Richard Blade

You won't want to miss our extended conversation with the legendary Richard Blade!  Richard was very generous with his time and shared so many amazing, revealing stories, from how he got his name to encounters with Michael Jackson, Barbara Streisand and Sean Connery.  

O3L - E42 - Top 5 Albums of 2020 with Sean Dowdell from Grey Daze

This week, the Lads hop in the time machine and leave the O3L era behind for the distant future to discuss their top albums of 2020.  For this year end spectacular (for an...um...less than spectacular year), they are joined by Sean Dowdell from Grey Daze.  Grey Daze was Chester Bennington's pre-Linkin Park band, who had reunited shortly before Bennington's death.  Using vintage vocals, the band retooled songs from their back catalogue for 2020's vital, emotional album Amends, which hit #1 on the rock charts in the US & UK.  Sean discusses his friendship and partnership with Chester, the creative process behind the new album, and our very own Uncle Gregg's impact on the Grey Daze story and the '90s Phoenix music scene.

 

For more of our conversation with Sean, be sure to check out our bonus episode!

 

Thank you for all of your support during our first year.  Happy New Year from Only Three Lads!

 

Now where's that time machine?  We want to get back to the O3L era...stat!!

 

 

O3L - E42 Bonus - In Conversation with Sean Dowdell from Grey Daze

This special O3L bonus episode contains an extended conversation with Sean Dowdell of Grey Daze.  Sean hangs out with the Lads to discuss his friendship and musical partnership with Chester Bennington, the creative process behind their #1 rock album Amends, our very own Uncle Gregg's impact on the Grey Daze story and more!

O3L Presents: The Vargo Family Christmas Album

In this bonus episode, Lad Brett premieres his new album "The Vargo Family Christmas Album."  This is a compilation of original holiday tunes that the Vargo family has recorded between 2013-2020.  Includes the new song "Light Up The World" and 11 other modern classics to bring the joy of the season.

 

From the O3L family to yours, we wish you a joyous holiday season.  Your continued support has been the bright spot of a tough year, and we are grateful that you have let us into your lives.  We'll see you next week!

O3L -E41 - Only Three Lads Holiday Special!

Oi to the world!  Happy Holidays from Only Three Lads!  For this very special episode, we not only cover our Top 5 Holiday Songs from the classic alternative era...but we invited the O3L Community to join us!  Five oh-so-lucky listeners were able to take part in the show to share their favorite yuletide tunes, play some games, and have oodles of fun (oodles, we say...obviously!).  

Thanks to our special guests - Julie, Tarah, Paige, Lane, and Ryan.  We hope you had as much fun as we did!  And, for those of you who missed it this year, listen in, play along and get festive!

 

O3L - E40 - Top 5 Songs of 1982

OK, so can we just agree that 1982 was one of the greatest years ever for classic alternative music?  The Lads came up with some doozies this week!  Aside from discussing some of the best songs that the year had to offer, we talk video games, snorting CDs, post-apocalypse Tom Petty, and Uncle Gregg's uncanny similarities to Babe Ruth.  So, pretty much everything you'd come to expect from Only Three Lads.  

 

O3L fever...catch it!

O3L - E39 - Top 5 One Hit Wonders

"And it's here where our journey through time begins, to exhume that rarest of pop cadavers...the One Hit Wonder."  On this episode, the lads celebrate the best of the one hit wonders of the classic alternative era - the songs that stormed the charts, only to find that their respective artists couldn't quite replicate their hit song's commercial success.  Plus, Uncle Gregg likes to cuddle, Bueno gets some new pickup lines, and Brett packs wallop and joy.

 

Ain't no one gonna break-uh *our* stride!

O3L - E38 - Top 5 Songs of 1992

Happy Thanksgiving from O3L!  Or, if you're not listening on release day and/or not in the U.S., Happy Whatever Day It Is!  Regardless, in this crazy year, we are most grateful for YOU, dear listener.  This episode is filled with intrigue and mystery, folks...aside from covering some of the finest tracks that 1992 had to offer, we discuss food, Uncle Gregg's furniture destruction, and the forgotten 1992 TV show "Fish Police."  (Yes, that was a thing.)  Plus, we introduce a new podcast noir segment called "Here's A Story," with a suspense-filled tale sent to us by listener Lane Spencer.

 

So, whatever you're doing, stuffing a turkey...or just being a turkey...thank you for spending time with us!  

O3L - E37 - Top 5 Female Singers

Let's hear it for the girls!  This week, the Lads salute the Ladies of the classic alternative era - the trailblazers and the legends. 

 

Along the way, we cover Bueno's celebrity crushes, Jepheads and Blinks, and debut our hot new country jam "Gotta Truck, Gotta Dog."  Hey, it's a work in progress.

 

The ghost of Jim Backus commands you to listen!