E320 - Frank Boscoe (The Ekphrastics, Vehicle Flips, Wimp Factor 14) - Top 5 "One and Done"
Only Three Lads - Classic Alternative Music PodcastShow Notes
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
More from Only Three Lads - Classic Alternative Music Podcast
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".
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 there are voices to sing and ears to listen.
Explore the past, present, and future as we welcome the return of one of the most pivotal figures of alternative music, Robyn Hitchcock!
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!
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 Prendergast and eventually sole proprietor - a post he held until earlier this year.