E269 - Pearl E. Gates (aka Pearl Harbour) - Top 5 New Wave Artists

E269 - Pearl E. Gates (aka Pearl Harbour) - Top 5 New Wave Artists

Author: O3L Media April 29, 2025 Duration: 1:03:30
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 led to joining Leila and the Snakes before spinning off to form Pearl Harbor & The Explosions. After the moderate success of their single "Drivin'" for indie label 415 Records, the band was signed to Warner Bros. Records for their self-titled debut album, released in January 1980. It's a dynamic record that mixes new wave energy with pop, R&B, rockabilly, and jazz. They shared stages with the likes of Talking Heads, The Police, The Clash, and The B-52's. Differences in opinion regarding the Explosions' musical direction led to Pearl departing for England, where she recorded her rootsy, rockin' 1980 solo album Don't Follow Me, I'm Lost Too, with a dream band including Wilko Johnson from Dr. Feelgood and members of the Blockheads and the Clash. In fact, in the '80s, Pearl was married to Clash bassist Paul Simonon. She also takes us through her rare mid-'80s album that never saw a U.S. release (Pearls Galore), her blazing '90s set Here Comes Trouble, and how her countrified return was sidelined by a lung cancer diagnosis. Now thankfully in remission, we are blessed to have this living icon of new wave history share her story. Oh, and in a head-turning twist, Uncle Gregg tackles the one question that nobody else has dared to ask! Liberation Hall has just released an expanded edition of Pearl Harbor & The Explosions on opaque sky-blue vinyl, CD and digital, containing bonus tracks and the original UK album cover design. https://pearlharbortheexplosions.bandcamp.com/album/pearl-harbor-the-explosions Special thanks to Randy Haecker from Prime Mover Media for the introduction and coordination! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dive into the sonic landscape of the '70s, '80s, and '90s with Only Three Lads-Classic Alternative Music Podcast. Hosted by Uncle Gregg and Brett Vargo, this podcast is a weekly conversation with a rotating cast of "Third Lads" who share their deep knowledge and personal passion for the era's defining sounds. Each episode feels like hanging out with friends who can't wait to tell you about a forgotten B-side or argue the merits of a classic album. You'll hear curated Top Five lists, behind-the-scenes stories, and spirited discussions that span the entire alternative spectrum-from the raw energy of punk and the shimmering hooks of power pop to the dense atmospheres of shoegaze and the gritty rebellion of grunge. The show thrives on discovery, whether revisiting a new wave classic or unpacking a Britpop phenomenon. More than just a retrospective, this podcast captures the ongoing conversation and community around the music. It’s a space for both lifelong fans and curious newcomers to find common ground in a shared love for the artists and anthems that built a genre. Tune in for the insightful, often humorous, and always genuine chat that makes this podcast a destination for anyone who believes great music never gets old.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Only Three Lads - Classic Alternative Music Podcast
Podcast Episodes
E318 - The Silver Snails' Lucas Ward - Top 5 Elliott Smith Songs [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:45:34
This week, we celebrate the life and music of Elliott Smith, tracing his journey from noisy indie rocker to lo-fi DIY troubadour to the reluctant voice of a generation. Elliott released three records with his band Heatmi…
O3L Presents: Weekend Six Pack, Vol. 27 - Meet Banda AL9! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:48
Spice up your Valentine's Day weekend with six proverbial vials of Love Potion No. 9...it's a brand new O3L Weekend Six Pack! This "show within the show" spotlights six new songs that we think you need in your life! Bret…
E316 - Rousers' Jerid O'Connell - Top 5 '70s NYC Punk Obscurities [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:51:12
Ramones. Blondie. Television. Talking Heads. Patti Smith. New York Dolls. Everyone knows the big names that made New York City THE epicenter of American punk rock in the 1970s. But that's only a part of the story... For…
O3L Presents: Weekend Six Pack, Vol 26 - (Marc) Valentine's Day [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:52
Welcome to the first Weekend Six Pack installment of 2026 - the "show within the show" where we spotlight six new tracks that have rocked our proverbial knickers off! Valentine's Day is coming a couple weeks early this y…
E313 - The Kingbees' Jamie James - Top 5 Road Trip Albums [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:46:48
Get your motor runnin', head out on the highway. Yup, this week we're looking for adventure...and whatever comes our way...because it's an O3L Road Trip! Everyone's piling in the van and bringing five albums with them. O…
E312 - Jim Basnight - Top 5 Albums of 1990 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:01:28
Ah, 1990...the year of acid washed jeans, Beverly Hills 90210, MC Hammer, Vanilla Ice, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Oh, and lots of Bea Arthur. Of course, none of which we really talk about on this episode. Instead,…