E320 - Frank Boscoe (The Ekphrastics, Vehicle Flips, Wimp Factor 14) - Top 5 "One and Done"

E320 - Frank Boscoe (The Ekphrastics, Vehicle Flips, Wimp Factor 14) - Top 5 "One and Done"

Author: O3L Media March 10, 2026 Duration: 1:33:15
This week, we’re covering bands who released one…and only one…proper album in their career.  Sometimes they say everything they need to say in one album long statement.  Sometimes, they attempt to chase the same feeling of the first album and can’t quite repeat the magic.  Sometimes they’re not given a chance.  Our Third Lad knows a little something about being in a "one and done" band.  Frank Boscoe’s great ‘90s indiepop band Wimp Factor 14 released exactly one proper album for Little Teddy Records, 1993’s Ankle Deep.  Fortunately, more music followed with his mid-to-late ‘90s band Vehicle Flips, 2000s group The Gazetteers, and this decade, The Ekphrastics.  Fortunately, The Ekphrastics were NOT "one and done," as they released their marvelous third album, All of a Sudden, Pow!, on Harriet Records in September 2025. Like the two albums that preceded it, it contains the kind of songwriting prowess that makes you marvel at how the songs can be so clever, so novel, so well researched, and yet so infectious and accessible.  For example, how about a song called “I’m Going to Read You the Riot Act” where he then ponders where the term came from, and then actually READS you the Riot Act as it was written in 1715 England?  Or how about  the wind chill factor?  Or journeyman first baseman John Jaso?. Experience short stories about aging marching bands, bee stings, COVID testing vans, money-laundering art galleries, rampageous hockey fans, who’s in the obituaries today, and unwritten pop songs.  You can get another glimpse into the mind of Mr. Boscoe in his sixth book of poetry, Tiny Delivery Robots All Over Campus.  Proud members of the Pantheon Podcasts family. 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
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…
E285 - Ozzy Osbourne Tribute [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:56
And now for something completely different...in this special episode, we pay tribute to the late, great Ozzy Osbourne and each pick five of our favorite songs from the rock legend's career. So you may ask yourself, why a…