Only Three Lads - Classic Alternative Music Podcast

Only Three Lads - Classic Alternative Music Podcast

Only Three Lads is a lively podcast celebrating the Golden Age of Alternative Music from the '70s, '80s & '90s. Join Uncle Gregg, Brett Vargo, and a variety of ”Third Lads” as we share our Top Fives, stories, and news about the music we love, and have a lot of fun along the way! Whether you‘re into indie, punk, new wave, Britpop, power pop, synth pop, shoegaze, grunge...or whatever...there is going to be something for you to discover and love. Part of Pantheon Podcasts.

Episodes

October 27, 2026 • 76 mins
Looking at critical lists of the greatest New York albums of all time, they seem heavily slanted towards the initial art punk blast of the late ‘70s (and deservedly so) with Ramones, Blondie, Television, Patti Smith, Talking Heads, etc., hip-hop in the ‘90s like Nas, Biggie, Wu-Tang, Jay-Z, or the indie rock of the 2000s with The Strokes, Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Interpol.  But the ‘80s was the decade that provide...
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This week's Third Lad Wesley Stace (aka singer-songwriter John Wesley Harding) had dinner reservations to get to, which meant that we didn't get to play this absurdly fun O3L game with him - "The Dylan Dylemma". But, hey, we're not ones to let a good game go to waste. Play along with our only contestant, Uncle Gregg, as he is challenged to guess which quote came from which famous Dylan - Nobel Prize winning, Rock n' Roll Hall Fam...
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With over 1,500 covers of 350+ compositions by over 600 artists, Bob Dylanis is clearly one of the most frequently covered songwriters in music history. His material has been covered at some point by a wide range of rock, pop, folk, soul, blues, country, and jazz artists. For a folkie from Minnesota inspired by songs learned from Woody Guthrie to a rock legend, he has built a songbook that will surely be passed down as long as th...
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Explore the past, present, and future as we welcome the return of one of the most pivotal figures of alternative music, Robyn Hitchcock! The past: We wax ecstatic about the best albums of 1968, the year that happens to be the launching point in Robyn's newly released second memoir, Stranded In The Future (Akashic Books). The present: Stranded In The Future is a delightfully surreal self-portrait of the artist as a young man, fr...
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Go ahead. Laugh and point as Brett struggles through pronunciations...because this week, we're taking on the Top 5 German Albums. Diese Alben sind sehr gut! Fortunately, we are joined by the gloriously cinematic experimental duo hackedepicciotto - comprised of musical and life partners Alexander Hacke (formerly of German post-punk/industrial pioneers Einstürzende Neubauten) and multi-disciplinary artist Danielle DePicciotto. Th...
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It's time for another in our series of label spotlights, as this week we turn our focus to Hoboken indie Bar/None Records, celebrating its 40th anniversary. Joining us is no better authority than the most omni-present figure in the label's history, Glenn Morrow! In 1986, Glenn's band Rage to Live became the first act signed to startup label Bar/None. Later that year, Glenn would become a partner with the label's founder Tom Pren...
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Hear ye, hear ye! We hereby declare this month SKEPTEMBER at O3L! That's right, the releases of the UK fiercely independent label Skep Wax Records have been so uniformly excellent this year that we thought it was high time to dedicate an entire episode to them. Skep Wax is run by indie legends Amelia Fletcher and Rob Pursey, whose long history runs through seminal bands like Talulah Gosh, Heavenly, Marine Research, Catenary Wire...
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Anyone who have ever had any sort of aspirations of making it in the music business know this well - the chances of “making it” are so slim you might as well play the Lottery with the expectation of becoming a gazillionaire or stand motionless in the same spot waiting to be hit by lightning.  All of the things they tell you to keep you motivated are important - having a dream, drive, determination, and, of course, ...
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Hey you! Not so F.A.S.T.!** This week, we welcome one of the coolest people on the planet, Nicole Laurenne, to talk about one of the coolest instruments on the planet...the organ! Nicole has been working double duty this year, constantly touring and turning in amazing albums with both of her projects. All-female garage punk band The Darts released the riotously fun, fiendishly campy rock n' roll blast of Halloween Love Songs, w...
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This week, Uncle Gregg, Brett, and Third Lad Stephen Hunking (guitarist/vocalist of cult '80s/'90s band Hypnolovewheel) dig into albums that critics raved about...but the record-buying public just didn't show up for. Stephen joins the show to talk about Hypnolovewheel's history — from a hilarious and chaotically-worded "drummers wanted" flyer that started it all, to their new reissue campaign kicking off with the compilation...
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Surrender to the rhythm as we drink up the Pub Rock scene with author Mark Wilkerson! U.K. , early 1970s: In response to the glitz of glam and the pomp of prog there emerged a DIY, back to basics scene known as pub rock: no-fuss, grass roots rock’n’roll bands playing in tight, sweaty rooms to packed throngs in the Victorian pubs of north London. Pub rock was a relative flash in the pan, lasting only a handful of years,...
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During last week's episode, Jon Langford from The Mekons joined us on the heels of Horror-ble, their newly released dub reimaging on their 2025 album Horror.  While we’ve got dub on the mind, we were reminded that we have been sitting on a long lost interview with pioneering English producer, remixer, and label owner Adrian Sherwood. Throughout his career, Adrian has worked with reggae greats such as Lee "Scratch" Perry ...
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Ahoy, mateys! This week, we hoist the sails for a swashbuckling, deadline-fueled speed date with a genuine punk legend: Jon Langford of The Mekons (as well as The Three Johns, Waco Brothers, and Men of Gwent). We catch up with Jon somewhere in upstate New York next to a farm stand selling tomatoes and honey (which Jon assures us is "quite civilized"). The Mekons are going on 50 years as a band, from their chaotic early days on t...
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What's going on, you ask? Well, we can't make any promises, but we have a sneaking suspicion that we're gonna make you sweat, gonna make you groove...because this week we focus on the classic albums of 1971! Our Third Lads love the music of 1971 as much as we do, as evidenced by their sparkling jangle pop and harmony-drenched folk-rock - the Scottish father/son combo Kevin and Scott Robertson! The pair have been recording musi...
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We're back with a brand new Weekend Six Pack, bringing you six fresh tracks that have made us feel warm and fuzzy inside. This time out, Brett welcomes Swedish singer/songwriter David Myhr, formerly of the band The Merrymakers, who released two albums in the '90s including the pristine pop classic Bubblegun (which was released in the U.S. on past Third Lad Dean Brownrout's Big Deal label). David has a new album on tap for Septe...
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Whoaaaaaa, man. This might be the nutmeg tea talkin', but we're seeing double. Two episodes with twice the requisite amount of Lads. It's time for the exciting conclusion of our conversation with '60s psych-pop pioneers the Strawberry Alarm Clock. in which we discuss our Top 5 songs that best represent the psychedelic era. Bassist George Bunnell, keyboardist Mark Weitz, drummer Randy Seol, and guitarist/multi-instrumentalist/...
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Pass time with the SAC...as we welcome '60s psych-pop pioneers the Strawberry Alarm Clock to O3L for a very special two parter! During part 1, bassist George Bunnell, keyboardist Mark Weitz, drummer Randy Seol, and guitarist/multi-instrumentalist/producer Steve Bartek (also a founding member of Oingo Boingo!) join us to discuss the band's history, the creation of one of the greatest and biggest hits of the psychedelic era, "Incens...
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It's BANDAMANIA as we welcome Brazil’s sensational pop combo Banda AL9 to celebrate the release of their new album, Hey! Hey! We’re Banda AL9, on Wicked Cool Records. Known for their dazzling harmonies, retro-inspired style, and infectious melodies, Banda AL9 have quickly become one of the most exciting new acts in modern pop. This is the audio edit of our very first livestream event, where we were joined by an in...
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Some artists are forever defined by their hits — even when they don't tell the whole story. This week, we welcome returning Third Lad Jackson Reed to celebrate the bands and artists whose deepest cuts, overlooked albums, and adventurous careers are far cooler than the songs that made them famous. From one-hit wonders with hidden masterpieces to chart-toppers whose signature song barely scratches the surface, you can expect p...
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Brothers!  Sisters!  Comrades!  You say you want a revolution?  Alright, shoo-be-do-wa.  Well, you can count us out…in…cuz this week we're talking about songs of revolution! For example, how about the 1980 debut single by New Orleans band Red Rockers, “Guns of Revolution”?   And the band does indeed come out guns ablazin…it’s a sub-2 minute blast of resistance,...
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