2025: Was it a "Golden" year for songs or did it coast on the fumes of 2024's hits? This week, Uncle Gregg and Brett dive in to discuss their top songs of the year that was. Better yet, some of YOU chimed in with your opinions as well! Settle in as we recap the year's most listened-to songs, 2025 trends, discuss the future of physical media, give our 2026 predictions, and much more! Albums of 2025 episode coming soon. Happy New Year! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Think about your favourite records. Go ahead. Chances are, one of the first things that popped into your head was the album cover. And it makes sense...who hasn’t studied an album jacket while listening to a record?  Or scanned the track listing, or read the liner notes or credits?  How many of you have bought an album solely based on the cover art? The artwork colors how we hear the music, and, likewise, the music informs how we interpret the artwork.  Either way, when done effectively, the two are intertwined. But don’t take it from us.  This week, we have one of THE greatest creative art directors in music history joining as our Third Lad.  There's a near certainty that you have the iconic work of John Kosh sitting in your record collection - and it’s absolutely staggering list of credits since the late ‘60s.  For starters, how about his work as with The Beatles' Apple Records, like Abbey Road, Let It Be, or John & Yoko’s Wedding Album? Or how about Who's Next?  Get Your Ya-Ya’s Out?  Hotel California?  Out Of The Blue, featuring his familiar ELO spaceship logo?  In fact, he is the only Art Director to have worked with The Beatles, The Stones, and The Who.  That’s not enough for you?  Among the hundreds of album covers Kosh has designed, there are also familiar sleeves for Ringo Starr, Rod Stewart, Marvin Gaye, James Taylor, Jimmy Buffet, Donovan, Aerosmith, Family, The Moody Blues, Badfinger, 10,000 Maniacs, T. Rex, and so, so many more.  And, oh yeah, the four decade string of gorgeous covers he did for Linda Ronstadt, three of which have earned him Grammys. Aside from album covers, there’s artwork for singles, books, TV, film, posters, and billboards - like, for example, the simple but incredibly effective John & Yoko campaign declaring WAR IS OVER…if you want it.  Listen as Kosh recounts stories from his fabled career and discusses his Top 5 Album Covers (other than his own). This is living history, kids! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

’Twas the night of the O3L Holiday Party, and all through the cabin The drinks were a-flowin, and the friends were a-blabbin’ Meanwhile, the snow piled up, it was treacherous out there, And Bob Dylan’s words rang true, you ain’t going nowhere. The turntable hummed with a familiar warm crackle, As laughter rang out with a loud joyful cackle. Mixtapes were stacked by the glow of the fire, Each one tells a story, a hope, a desire. (Oh, and incidentally, cassettes melt, so that’s a really bad idea.) From post-punk to new wave, these songs tell our truth, We argued what really defined the music of our youth. There were games full of nonsense, of trivia and cheer, “Did this actually happen?”—the answer unclear. But what clatter arose, and echoed all through the city It was flippin’ “Word Girl” by Scritti Politti, But oh how they danced, some arguably twerked Brett was seething in the corner, like a judgmental jerk And just when they thought it couldn’t get any funner, “Come on Eileen” came on, by Dexy’s Midnight Runners. We all joined in on the chorus, what a jubilant sound, That is, except Uncle Gregg, but perhaps he’ll come around. So settle in close as for the 6th year, Our holiday tradition is finally here. Tonight, we’re all snowed in at O3L cabin So let the memories start, Let the party begin! Join Uncle Gregg and Brett for a holiday party filled with laughter, (mostly) good cheer, and plenty of holiday spirit(s) - including our friends Joshua, Kimberly (who brought along Timmy the Taxi with her!), Lance, Paul, and Matt & Stefan from Paisley Underground legends The Rain Parade. We make the most of the blizzard-like conditions, making themed mixtapes, playing brand new O3L games ("That's Soooo 2025!") and Alternativity") and spinning future holiday classics by Swansea Sound ("Not My Order"), Mossy Ledge ("Christmas Lights"), Autos ("X-Mas Eve At The Metro"), and Slow Owls ("Counting Down To Christmas"). It may be freezing outside the cabin, but inside we're gettin' LIT! Happy Holidays to you and yours from O3L! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Get ready for more petty arguments, hot takes and fisticuffs*, because we're back with more cover versions that we feel are better than the originals. Annie, are we OK? You betcha! Joining us for this discussion are two members of the iconic Seattle indie pop band Tullycraft, vocalist/songwriter/bassist Sean Tollefson and guitarist Chris Munford. For more than three decades, Tullycraft has married DIY punk ethos to tender twee pop songs featuring charming boy/girl vocals and clever songwriting filled with pop culture references. Appropriately enough, one of their early songs was the brilliantly titled "Pop Songs Your New Boyfriend's Too Stupid To Know About," which not only does a great job of summing up Tullycraft's career but is also the namesake of Sean's great Friday night radio show on Seattle's SPACE 101.1 FM that he hosts with his wife. Tullycraft practically defined the twee movement in the US, inspiring legions of bands, zines, and record labels. Their debut album, 1996's Old Traditions, New Standards, was named as one of Pitchfork's 25 Best Indie Pop Albums of the '90s. And, now they're back with their 8th album, Shoot The Point on HHBTM Records, which runs the full Tullycraft spectrum - from tender, heart squishing moments to full-throttle freakouts. It's fun. It's weird. It's very Tullycraft. Special thanks to Mike Turner from HHBTM for the introduction and coordination. *No podcasters or guests were actually harmed in the making of this episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, it's all about personal growth with a side of nostalgia. We cover some of the albums that helped to shape or change our taste as music fans, consumers, and/or musicians with Derek Almstead (Of Montreal, Olivia Tremor Control, Elf Power, Marshmallow Coast, Circulatory System, Faster Circuits) and Emily Growden (Marshmallow Coast, Faster Circuits) from Elephant 6 band Giant Day. In October, the Elephant 6 Recording Company released Alarm, the second full-length album by Giant Day. Their first, 2024’s Glass Narcissus, bore a unique weight — it wasn’t just a debut album, it was the debut album by the first official Elephant 6 band in more than 15 years. With the 2023 wide-release of the documentary The Elephant 6 Recording Co. codifying the E6 “sound” for some and introducing it to others, what Giant Day conjured into being on Glass Narcissus was notably darker than the lysergic, sun-drenched pop associated with their former Athens, Georgia home.The word “former” is important to Giant Day’s origin story. In 2020, Almstead and Growden moved from Athens to rural Pennsylvania, where they became caretakers of a family farm. They converted the horse stables into a studio and continued to write and record music, but they were dislocated from their sense of the world, let alone anything resembling a “scene.” That lack of place — what Almstead and Growden refer to as the “dissonance” between the beauty of their new home and the reality of the world beyond it — crept into their songs, a desperate signal emanating from off the grid. On Alarm, that signal is stronger, more urgent. The alluring, paranoid throb underpinning their songs is keener now, more lived in, as if the veil between the fears of characters whose points of view Almstead had written from on Glass Narcissus and his own had dropped. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Record Store Day - Black Friday is Friday, November 28, 2025. In this bonus episode, join O3L's Brett Vargo as he spotlights some of the releases that will appeal to classic alternative music fans. Hit our social media and let us know what's on your want list, and what ends up in your shopping bag! Song: American Lips - "Record Store Day" (from the LP On Strike!, Ancient Fashion Records) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

**PART TWO** Life is beautiful! This week, we have the extraordinary honour to welcome the creative nucleus of Brett's favourite band of the 21st century...Murray A. Lightburn and Natalia Yanchak from Montreal's orchestral pop noir heroes The Dears! Life is beautiful! We are heading into the future from our normal O3L timeline to the year Two Thousaaaaand (more echo, please) to commemorate the albums that are unbelievably a quarter of century old this year. This includes The Dears' debut album, End Of A Hollywood Bedtime Story. Life is beautiful! We celebrate humble beginnings to a life less ordinary... from an innocent encounter to musical partnership to a love story of marriage and family. Along the way, The Dears have continued to hone their unique brand of indie rock, boast one of the most consistent catalogues of the past 25 years, play in front of 50,000 people at Glastonbury, and garner fan adoration and critical praise (well, mostly...ahem, Pitchfork). Life is beautiful! The Dears' brand new album, Life Is Beautiful! Life Is Beautiful! Life Is Beautiful! is out now on Next Door Records. Their ninth studio album finds them at the top of their game, equal parts passion and compassion, beauty and defiance, intimacy and universality. Part 1 premieres Tuesday, November 25, 2025 Part 2 premieres Thursday, November 27, 2025 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Stranger than fiction, larger than life...we are elated to welcome Split Enz singer/songwriter/pianist Tim Finn and keyboardist Eddie Rayner to O3L! This is gonna be a hard act to follow. Formed in 1972 in Auckland, New Zealand, Split Enz, known initially as Split Ends, were, and remain, utterly unique. As the first band from New Zealand to achieve major success beyond the Southern Hemisphere, they blazed a trail with a sound and style entirely their own. Evolving from folk-inspired beginnings into a fusion of art-rock, new wave, and theatrical performance, Split Enz didn’t just follow trends, they genuinely created them. While no one sounded like Split Enz at the time, countless acts have drawn inspiration from their legacy over the past five decades. To celebrate the 50th anniversary of their groundbreaking debut, Mental Notes, the first installment of a landmark archival project, ENZyclopedia Volumes One & Two, presents a comprehensive tribute to New Zealand’s most visionary and influential band.  ENZyclopedia Volumes One & Two is housed in a deluxe 5-CD box set (also available as a 3-LP + Blu-Ray edition), this release has been curated in close collaboration with the band. It offers an in-depth look at their formative years, showcasing the evolution of a group whose creative spirit reshaped the boundaries of popular music from New Zealand. The CD set features remasters of their first two albums, Mental Notes (1975) and Second Thoughts (1976), a remix of Second Thoughts, a partially remixed, remastered version of the early tracks comp The Beginning of the Enz, and a disc of live tracks, rough tracks, and alternate mixes. ENZyclopedia Volumes 1 & 2 is out now on Chrysalis Records. Special thanks to Maria Malta for the introduction and coordination. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, we are heading back into the weird and wonderful world of the Elephant 6 collective - this time to talk about E6 obscurities. Yes, "obscurity" is relative. To the casual music fan, perhaps it's all obscure. We take it to mean that we don’t need another episode to extol the virtues of Neutral Milk Hotel’s In The Aeroplane, Over The Sea, Olivia Tremor Control’s Dusk At Cubist Castle, or The Apples In Stereo’s Tone Soul Evolution. Either way, we aim to uncover some of the lesser known gems in the consistently consistent E6 catalogue. Outside of the four founding members - Robert Schneider, Jeff Mangum, Will Cullen Hart, and Bill Doss - there is arguably no bigger name in the E6 universe than Elf Power and their songwriter/guitarist/vocalist Andrew Rieger.  Elf Power is responsible for some of the finest psych-pop and indie rock records since 1995...but we’re actually NOT here today to celebrate the release of a new Elf Power album, but rather roughly five minutes of some of the most surprising music to come out in 2025. Leap Through Poisoned Air is a from the vaults collaboration EP between the late, great Will Cullen Hart, who we lost in 2024, and Andrew Rieger, and released on Rieger and keyboardist Laura Carter’s label Orange Twin.  Thanks to Mike Turner from Crashing Through Publicity for the introduction and coordination! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sometimes too much is just enough! This week, our criteria is simple…but that doesn’t make it easy.  We're looking at albums with 20 or more songs - whether they are long or concise, and regardless of how many slabs of vinyl or hunks of digital plastic are contained within. And, ultimately, it's not about quantity, it's about quality. Just because it's sprawling doesn't mean it can't be purposeful. One such album, weighing in at 27 tracks and nearly 85 minutes, is the purposeful new album Proverbs by Atlanta/Athens band The Shut-Ups. To quote the synopsis on The Shut-Ups Bandcamp page, Proverbs is a “double album full of dubious advice for a stiff-necked people.”  It’s a sprawl of an album that’s rooted in power pop and new wave-influenced indie rock, but covers a dizzying range of stylistic ground, and is all tied together by sardonic songwriting and an irreverent sense of humor.  Our Third Lads are the constant creative force of the Shut-Ups, songwriter/vocalist/keyboardist Don Condescending, and multi-instrumentalist Jason NeSmith…a name that we’ve brought up a bunch of times on this very podcast as he not only also plays in Pylon Reenactment Society and Casper and the Cookies, but is also the renowned mastering engineer behind so many of the sonically and musically great records and reissues by many of our past guests. Get happy with O3L! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Well, geez, you caught us feeling all nostalgic and celebratory. It's time for the landmark 300th episode of Only Three Lads! During this episode, you'll hear: Your messages! A special visit from the original Third Lad...Bueno! New music from Tony Valentino, The Goods, The Melody Chamber, and The Chelsea Curve A brand new O3L game...based off of O3L's past - "Pod Sharks" A new segment of "You Weren't Supposed to Hear THAT!" We are so grateful for and touched by the wonderful audio messages that you sent us. Thank you: The Jack Rubies Barry Andrews (Shriekback, XTC) Jesse Jackson (Set Lusting Bruce podcast) Debora Iyall (Romeo Void) Love Tractor Marina Muhlfriedel (Vivabeat, Backstage Pass) Maurice Bursztynski (Love That Album, See Hear podcasts) Tony Valentino (The Standells) Steve Barton (Translator) Dave Scheff (Translator,) Genny Schorr (Backstage Pass, author - All Roads Lead to Punk) Pylon Reenactment Society Matt Piucci (The Rain Parade) Daniel McKeown Dean Brownrout (Big Deal Records, author - No Big Deal) The Rishis Kimberly Brown (author, Timmy The Taxi) Timmy the Taxi Allison Landa (author, Bearded Lady) Slender Dan Lemoyne Alexander Allen Wagner (Kilkenny Cats, Is/Ought Gap) Mat Mills (Goodbye Wudaokou) DoubleVee Dan Voznick (aka Alec Tension - Afterimage) Julio Santos Frank Boscoe (The Ekphrastics) Jim Basnight Tears Run Rings The Melody Chamber Carl Cafarelli (DJ - This is Rock n' Roll Radio, author - several fine books!) Daniel House (Skin Yard, C/Z Records) Tony Jenkins (Kobayashi Bookstore) The Open Flames Terry Banks (Dot Dash) Lance Carmine Joshua Cole Stay tuned for the next 300! Want to access the O3L Index for a handy reference on where to find discussions about your favorite artists? Go to: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1EpesEJ-JWBTxVZ3C11J3MGZ1qcAzrDx_/view?usp=sharing Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Cowabunga, Moondoggie! Let's pack up the woody and go Huey at the beach! Whaddya say? Yeah, call it bad timing, call it wishful thinking, or call it wistful nostalgia for the bygone summer, but this week we’re having an O3L Beach Party! We’ve got all of the essentials with us, except the most crucial thing: the tunes, man! We each need to pack up some albums for the beach to play on our state-of-the-art O3L boombox.  There’s a new album that definitely needs to come to this beach blanket bingo : Now, by Seattle’s Acapulco Lips on Killroom Records.  It’s a euphoric mix of fuzz n’ Farfisa garage rock swagger, heady reverb-drenched psych, sinewy surf rock, and girl group charm that crackles with restless energy and reckless cool.  It carries on admirably from, and improves upon (in our opinion), their self titled record from 2016.  Get it on cool tangerine & lemon galaxy colored vinyl from acapulcolips.bandcamp.com or stream it - of course, if you’re one of those new fangled fancy pants - but you’ve gotta hear this record.  Joining us for this rad rager is none other than the aforementioned Acapulco Lips - vocalist/bassist Maria-Elena Herrell, guitarist Christopher Garland, and drummer Jordan T Adams. You can almost feel the sand in your shorts! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You are a brave and adventurous soul... Surprise, all you groovy ghoulies and "eyeball eaters from outer space!" 'Tis the season to get spooky, so we're going "full-on witch mode" with our friends from Big Stir Records - label founders/mad scientists Rex Broome & Christina Bulbenko from The Armoires and sparkle*jets uk evil genius Michael Simmons - in a brand new Halloween Spoooooooooktacular special! We'll be chatting about some of the most chilling and thrilling songs from the O3L era. Speaking of which...those of us of, uh, let’s say, a certain "vintage" may associate Halloween with the classic 1964 Disneyland record Chilling, Thrilling Sounds of the Haunted House.  This fall, Big Stir is scratching a nostalgic itch with the coolest release of the season - Chilling, Thrilling Hooks and Haunted Harmonies, an incredible double album set on eerie bright green vinyl, complete with a playable Big Stir themed board game, and artwork and horrifically humorous narration reminiscent of the Disney record.  The biggest trick of all is how many treats are on it - the album contains 21 never before heard Halloween inspired tracks from the incredible Big Stir roster, including many names that have appeared on O3L as guests and/or Weekend Six Packs - Librarians with Hickeys, Splitsville, Graham Parker, The Spongetones (and Steve Stoeckel solo), The Jack Rubies, The Armoires, sparkle*jets uk, Dolph Chaney, Hungrytown, Shplang, and so many more, including - get this - brand new music from ‘60s legends The Strawberry Alarm Clock.  It’s a creepily compelling, fun, and unique essential for your Halloween party that you can get from BigStirRecords.com.  Songs: • Splitsville - "I Was a Teenage Frankenstein" • The Spongetones - "Spirit World" • Lady Darkevyl (with Chris Church) - "I Watch You Sleep" • The Pepper's Ghost Players - "Spread My Ashes in the Haunted Mansion" Hurry baaaaaaaack. Hurry baaaaa-aaaaaaaack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, we tip our hats to the trailblazing all (or mostly) girl bands of alternative rock. Speaking of the trailblazers, today’s ceremonial Third Lad certainly is one. As a musician and songwriter, Genny Schorr (aka Genny Body) was a member of one of the first mostly female punk bands in LA, Backstage Pass, along with past O3L guest Marina Muhlfriedel (aka Marina Del Rey), Joanna Spock Dean, and Holly Beth Vincent, later of Holly & The Italians (of “Tell That Girl To Shut Up” fame).  They were critical in the launch of legendary LA punk club The Masque.  They landed a track on Rhino Records’ seminal LA punk comp, Saturday Night Pogo.  They played with, and their story intertwines with, a jaw-dropping list of punk, new wave, and rock heroes.  After Backstage Pass, she was invited to be in the Go-Go’s.  She owned the influential rock n’ roll clothing boutique Strait Jacket with Stiff Records’ impresario Jake Rivera, which launched a long career as a wardrobe designer and stylist to the stars.  Many of those stylish videos, album covers, and magazine shoots you love from the ‘80s?  Genny had a hand in sculpting the look.  She lived with and toured with Linda Ronstadt as her personal wardrobe stylist as the singer transformed her image from new wave darling on the Get Closer tour to sophisticated starlet stepping in front of Nelson Riddle’s big band.  She styled and toured with the Bangles at their peak.  But ultimately, All Roads Lead to Punk - which just happens to be the title of Genny Schorr’s incredible new memoir of sex, drugs, rock n’ roll and fashion fromHoZac Books.  It’s not only a fantastic page-turner, but the photos and ephemera make it an indispensable time capsule of the era.  If you think the stories Genny shares on O3L are incredible...just wait til you read the book! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Well, dog our cats...it's a new episode of O3L! This week, lovin' is what EGOT, as we celebrate those artists who successfully traversed the worlds of music AND acting. And, it just so happens that our Third Lad today, Rebecca Pidgeon, has indeed enjoyed a long and fruitful career in both worlds.  As an actress, she has appeared in dozens of movies and TV shows since the late ‘80s, including The Spanish Prisoner, The Winslow Boy, State and Main (all of the preceding written and directed by her husband, the legendary David Mamet), Shopgirl, Red, Allegiant, Bird Box, her daughter Clara Mamet’s Two Bit Waltz, and many more.  As a musician, Rebecca began her career as the lead singer of Scottish folk/pop band Ruby Blue. After two charming albums with band - Glances Askances (1987) and Down from Above (1990), she has released a succession of 12 acclaimed solo albums like 1994’s The Raven, 1996’s The New York Girls’ Club, and 2019’s ambitiously brilliant double album Sudden Exposure to Light / Comfort, right up to her two most recent spectacular releases, 2024’s Songs of LA and 2025’s Unillusion.  Special thanks to Howard Wuelfing from Howlin Wuelf Media for the introduction and coordination. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We like women. Not in a creepy way (usually)...we mean we really like music created by women. So, in our ongoing series of episodes celebrating women in alternative music, this week we are covering our top 5 women-led albums of the 1990s. Appropriately enough, our Third Lads this week are a dynamic duo who "lived through this" and are inspired by this music - Julie Exter and Andrea Tarka White from Philly-based rock band Gun-Shy Butterfly! They currently have four singles that exemplify what the band has dubbed "bubble grunge" - a combination of sugary melodies and crunchy hooks that would have been right at home on mid-90s alternative radio. We hit it off right away with Andrea & Julie...we love 'em and we know you will too! But wait...there's also discussions about: tattoos, Higglytown Heroes, Nairing...uh...various areas, Goldschlager and comics, flip-flops (yes, again), our new grunge band Grotesque Quiche, hologram Jewel, hosers, Easttown accents, Julie's music/comedy podcast Rock'n'LOL, and much more. Oh, and guess what? A brand new O3L game called "Riot Grrrl Riot" - in which our contestants (and host) receive their very own riot grrrl names. As Kim deal would say to Gregg, "ugh!" Songs: Gun-Shy Butterfly - "Dark Side" Gun-Shy Butterfly - "Manchild" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We've covered covers before, but this week we're really blowing our cover by covering covers that we feel are better than the originals. With such a controversial topic, you'd best believe that there are petty arguments, silent treatments, and fisticuffs galore as we tackle some of popular music's sacred cows. Fisticuffs, we say! (OK, well, it was more civilized than that. We're not savages!) And joining us for this discussion today? It's Splitsville, daddy-o! That's right...two score and two years after their last album, Baltimore indie rock/power pop heroes Splitsville are dressed up and ready to party with a brand new record, Mobtown, on Big Stir Records. It's a remarkable song cycle, a love letter of sorts to their hometown, that sits comfortably alongside the band's other essential releases such as 1997's Ultrasound, 1999's Repeater, 2003's Incorporated, and 2001's modern classic The Complete Pet Soul - a pop stunner that lives up to the weight of its referential title and influences. We welcome guitarist Matt Huseman, drummer Brandt Huseman (both of whom were the driving forces one of the best mid-90s power pop bands, the Greenberry Woods), bassist Paul Kryziak, and guitarist Tony Waddy. Plus, play along to the brand new O3L game "Blanktown Heroes"! Technical note: You may also notice some imperfections on Splitsville’s vocal track in places - there was an inexplicable glitch that almost sounded like when you'd hit fast forward on a CD player.  That being said, we know you’ll enjoy listening to it as much as we did recording it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Who said you never get a second chance to make a first impression!?!? Well, we covered some of the best debut singles waaaay back in Episode 32...and now, five years later, we're back to revisit that topic. So take that, Head & Shoulders! Hey, speaking of second times, guess who's back as our Third Lads this week? (No fair, you cheated by looking at the episode title!) Yes, that's right, it's guitarist/vocalist/songwriter Matt Piucci and bassist/vocalist/songwriter Steven Roback from seminal LA "Paisley Underground" band The Rain Parade! The last time Matt & Steven joined us (Episode 259), they subtly hinted that there was something in the works for their underrated second full-length album, 1985's Crashing Dream. We have now been treated to a spectacular double disc deluxe reissue on Label 51 Recordings, that not only gives fans an opportunity to re-appraise this lost gem, but is chock full of demos, alternate versions and live bonus tracks that flesh out the story of this fertile chapter in the Rain Parade legacy. Prepare thyself for plenty of stories about the past, present, and future of Rain Parade, including recounting memories of their debut single, "What She's Done To Your Mind" from 1982. Hanging out with the guys is always a pleasure, but we digress. A lot. Special thanks to Josh Mills. Proud members of the Pantheon Podcasts family. #paisleyunderground #janglepop #collegerock #psychedelic #80smusic #classicalternative #musicpodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Things are gonna get LOUD! This week, we turn the amps up to 11 and put the effects pedals on stun as we celebrate Noise Rock. What exactly is "noise rock" though?? At its simplest definition, it’s rock music that emphasizes noise - distortion, feedback, dissonance, abrasion.  But as a subgenre, it only takes a cursory look through internet music forums to see how easily these things can digress into petty arguments about what is or is not noise rock.  Commonly perceived as precursors to noise rock would be various ‘60s psych bands like 13th Floor Elevators and the ubiquitous Velvet Underground, free jazz, and early experimental music where traditional instruments were manipulated to sound like anything but traditional instruments.  In the punk era, the natural outgrowth were things like the no wave scene that was happening in New York and British bands like The Fall, Swell Maps, and This Heat.  From there, throughout the ‘80s, ‘90s and beyond, the term was synonymous with bands like Sonic Youth, Big Black, Swans, the Jesus Lizard, and any number of bands in which Steve Albini had a hand in some way.  Joining us to wade through the mud is a New York based band whose members had a hand in shaping our perception of noise rock. The Whimbrels have just released their self titled debut album on Dromedary Records, and it's an astounding, ambitious and riff-laden affair that has plenty of noise, but also a lot of dynamics and deceptively accessible moments.  Guitarist/Vocalist/Songwriter Arad Evans was associated with Glenn Branca’s ensemble from the 1980’s until Branca’s 2018 death, as well as his band Heroes of Toolik and scores of others.  Bassist/Vocalist/Songwriter Matt Hunter co-founded the great ‘90s/2000’s cult favorites New Radiant Storm King and has played with a ton of other notables such as J. Mascis, King Missile, and Silver Jews.  Thanks to Howard Wuelfing from Howlin' Wuelf Media for the introduction and coordination! Proud members of the Pantheon Podcasts family. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices