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
E292 - The Whimbrels - Top 5 Noise Rock Albums [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:14:55
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 emphas…
E291 - doubleVee - Top 5 Family Bands [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:52:53
"Here's the story of a lovely couple Who are in a cool band they call doubleVee Allan & Barb Vest went on a podcast To discuss bands that are family. Here's the story of a groovy podcast, Hosted by two guys named Uncle G…
O3L Presents: Weekend Six Pack, Vol. 25 - Music Is Our Mattress [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:49
It’s Labor Day Weekend here in the U.S. and for our friends in Canada. And you know what THAT means? That’s right…mattress sales from coast to coast! Slashing prices 50%, 60%, 70%! (Plus applicable tariffs.) Well, guess…
E290 - Lemoyne Alexander - Top 5 Alt-Rock Inspired Hip-Hop Songs [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:36:22
Hip-hop culture was a dominant force during the '80s and '90s, and inspired language, fashion, film, and music. Yes, that includes plenty of alternative music. But that's not what we're talking about today. Instead, we e…
E289 - Chris Stamey (the dB's) - Top 5 Producers [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:53:18
Anything is possible as we welcome power pop icon Chris Stamey from the dB's as our Third Lad! Our focus topic is on the producers of the O3L era - the sonic architects that carry out the visions of the artists we love a…
E288 - Will Dailey - Top 5 Singer-Songwriter Albums of the '80s [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:00:14
This week, it's just "boys talking" (or lads conversing, if you will), as we welcome the sublime singer-songwriter Will Dailey as our Third Lad. Will has spent the past two decades perfecting a style that is not beholden…
E277 - David J (Bauhaus, Love & Rockets) - in Conversation [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:51
We are thrilled to welcome one of the seminal figures of alternative music - David J. Haskins (Bauhaus, Love & Rockets, solo). O3L's Brett Vargo chats with David J about his new poetry book, Rhapsody, Threnody & Prayer,…
E287 - Willie Nile - Top 5 Songs about New York [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:22:46
We’re in a New York State of Mind. Sure, L.A. has beaches and sun, San Francisco clings onto its peace and love vibes, Chicago oozes the blues, and these make for remarkable settings for great songs, but New York…New Yor…
O3L Presents: Weekend Six Pack, Vol. 24 - Pinch Punch! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:59
Pinch, punch, first of the month. White rabbit, white rabbit. Blowing cinnamon out of your front door. So superstition goes, these are all rituals that bring luck and prosperity for the month ahead. Might we suggest one…
E286 - Columbia Records SVP Paul Rappaport's Top 5 Album Rollouts [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:32:31
The music business from the late '60s through the '90s was an exciting time that mirrored the music and the musicians making it. It was also a time of new and creative ideas on how to market this groundbreaking cultural…