Three Two Ones

Who’s answering the questions?
Jimmy Moran – Vocals, Guitar

Where is the band from?
Long Beach, CA

Who is in the band and what instrument do they play?

Jimmy Moran - Vocals and Guitar
Phil Robles – Guitar, Backing Vocals
Billy Parkinson – Drums, Backing Vocals



How did the band start?
I had a few tunes and rounded up some dudes. It’s been kind of a nightmare!

One of the interesting things about Three Two Ones is that you have two different styles blended seamlessly in the songs. At some parts it reminds me of early Psychedelic Furs and other times more power pop. Can you name some bands and LP’s or 45’s that have had an influence or impact on Three Two Ones songwriting and sound?
Ha, yeah I guess Jenny sounds kind of power poppy. We’ve heard that a few times. I hear more of a Replacements feel in that song, yeah right, I wish. The others tunes are influenced by the cool punk, psych, & melodic bands we all grew up on. I think a good recipe for a good song is catchy & melodic music with just the right amount of middle finger in the lyrics which in our case is a lot.


I find it interesting that there a lot of people that have previously played in more aggressive bands that are secret pop lovers. Jimmy, you were in Discontent years ago. Before Three Two Ones had you wanted to start a more pop influenced band?
I played in Discontent from 1998-2004. Good times with good pals! I’ve played in several other punk bands as well. Phil played in Cheap Sex and Billy was in The New Fidelity.


Do you think music can still be a vital force in such a disposable age?
Yeah, I think good music is powerful and timeless. I think it’s all been done as far as innovative rock n’ roll goes. Seems bands are picking bits and pieces from different decades and genres that they like best. Take a look at The Black Lips. They started just playing 60s lo-fi garage and have slowly evolved into a 60s/modern indie kind of thing. But, what drives me nuts are all these bands that want to sound like them and do the whole lo-fi thing. They pull it off, and are a cool band; everyone else is biting a not so good idea. Why the fuck would you want to record in low fidelity? So people can go see you live where you sound big, hopefully, and then listen to your cd, record or whatever, and then you sound like a shit demo. Silly trends in my opinion, but who the fuck am I, right? Maybe I went a bit off course on this question?


In “Jenny,” what made the band think of calling her an asshole. The reason I ask is because asshole is a word more traditionally directed toward a man. Was it simply a case of a lyrical twist? Or was it another reason?
That’s funny. Well, the person who the song is written about is not named Jenny. However, she was an asshole! Jenny sounded good for the song and I didn’t want to be direct with using her real name. Personally, I think anyone can be an asshole, men and women both alike. I wasn’t trying to be creative with it; I just really hated that bitch.


Currently, is the band a trio or four-piece?
We are a 4-piece band. We recently lost our bass player, we’re still pals though. Moises Arteaga (Discontent & The Savoys) has been filling in with us until we find someone for the long run. We used to be a 3 piece for like 7 months or so. We have had drummer issues over and over again. So we said, “Fuck it”. We had our buddy Sam Gallagher record drum tracks for us for our live set. We put triggers, effects, on the drums to make them sound like a drum machine and kept the drumming simple and not too busy. We played live to the tracks for a few months just to get out and play live. People dug it! However, it did limit us a lot! We couldn’t just go to practice and jam on new shit. All we had were those tracks to play our set. Finally we hit up Billy Parkinson to come play with us. It turned out that he really wanted to anyway. He’s great! Rock solid and just as nuts as we are! It’s rare to find a drummer who is not a prima donna or egomaniac.


Faster and Louder blog has written, “Three Two Ones are a power trio to watch! They've got a new single out that I foresee landing in the year-end top ten lists.” Vibrator Buzz wrote “for sure this two song eargasm will be featured in my year end’s best list, really it should be featured in everyone’s best list if there is any justice in this rotten piece of music business.” Does the band read any of it’s own press? Do these positive reviews give the band more confidence in what they are doing after reading such reviews for the debut single?
Yeah, for sure! Makes us want to keep moving forward. It’s great to hear that stuff!!! Dirk Le Buzz from Vibrator Buzz rules for writing such a killer review about us. He’s super into supporting bands and independent music!


50 years ago people use to buy music and get their water for free, now people pay for water and get their music for free. How do you think this affects music in any way?
Ha-ha!!! N - Audio Ammuntion

Remember when we talked to the Three Two Ones early this year and they were just planning to press their debut single "Jenny"? Well, it's out, and there's a record release celebration at Burger Records in Fullerton this weekend, with a limited amount of 7" singles to be given away.






The Long Beach natives--made up of vocalist/guitarist Jimmy Moran, bass player Steve Reynolds and guitarist Phil Robles--made the debut 7" single Jenny super limited. Only 500 copies of the single with the should-be-a-classic chorus ("Jenny you're an asshole") are available. It's and pressed on splatter colored vinyl with each sleeve individually hand-stamped and numbered by the band. On Side B is "Fake And A Fraud." And if you want to know what you're getting beforehand, take a listen here.


- OC Weekly

Long Beach power trio Three Two Ones kick off the new year with a residency at La Cave and are planning to press their debut EP, Jenny, before month's end. Signalling they're definitely a band to watch in 2012, their style sketches classic no-frills, pissed-off punk with a minimalist, psychedelic brushstroke—an interesting dichotomy with a lot of sonic possibilities. Guitarist Jimmy Moran talks about the band's aesthetic, scenester dick-measuring and sleazy bebop musicians as he gears up for the busy month ahead.
OC Weekly: You're a classic power trio. Who are your favorite power trios?

Jimmy Moran: Man, hmmm . . . there are so many. The first that comes to mind is the Jam. We grew up on a lot of cool punk stuff. Some of the greats fall in that category. It's definitely a lot easier being just three people, that's for sure.

I'm really digging the instrumental breaks from the YouTube videos. What instrumental groups are you inspired by?

Thank you. Our one video on YouTube? [Laughs] That was in July. [We're] not really inspired by instrumental groups, I guess. Some older instrumental music is cool, but nothing new—Mulatu Astatke, Triston Palma B-side instrumentals, Big Youth, dub, some old jazz, especially bebop.
Do you have any favorite bebop records?

Not really favorites, more like appreciation for certain artists and the real sleaziness of that era in jazz.

What's the songwriting dynamic like among the band?

Well, ideas and parts are brought to the table, and we keep it super-simple and effective. We have a lot of fun when we play and put shit together.

Who do you think write really "simple and effective" music?

The Ramones!

You guys are pretty well-entrenched in the Long Beach/Orange County club scene. What's great about rock clubs here, and what are some frustrations you have?
Sometimes, going out sucks. Everyone's trying to outdo one another. It's pretty funny. We go out to see bands that are inspiring, pissed and tuneful and have some good tunes. Our home base is Long Beach. Frustrations? Last call is at 1:30 a.m. Bullshit.

What's an example of bands trying to outdo one another that you've seen? Is that a good thing or a bad thing, all the outdo-ing?

Not the groups, the people. "Who is cooler?" etc. It's a dick-measuring contest out there sometimes, when people feel like they've got to prove something. Silly.

I can't find any music online aside from YouTube. Are you going to post any?
We have a two-song 45 coming out sometime after mid-January called Jenny. The songs will be free on our website, www.ThreeTwoOnes.com, on Jan.15.
What's Jenny going to sound like?
Upbeat and fun, like Blue Train. Just kidding!





- OC Weekly

From Long Beach, the Three Two Ones are a power trio to watch! They've got a new single out that I foresee landing in the year-end top ten lists of me and a few of my friends (who might have names like "Dirk" and "Greg"). No doubt, "Jenny" is the hit. It's a flat-out great power pop song with cool modernist lead guitar work and some genuine lyrical venom ("Jenny/You're an asshole!" will surely be one of 2012's most memorable lines). Simply amazing. If 20/20 had listened to more Television records, they might have made a song like this.

On the flip, "Fake And A Fraud" is another quality pop tune with a restrained tempo and lyrics that pull no punches. It's got a dark, almost paisley pop tinge to it, and the interplay between lead guitar, bass, and drums is dynamic in more ways than one. The vibe to me is a timeless strain of southern California punk/pop/new wave goodness. You hear it, and you can't decide if it would fit in better on Surf and Destroy radio or the Valley Girl soundtrack.

What a terrific teaser we have here. I want to hear what else the Three Two Ones have in store for us! In the meantime, do not be surprised to hear "Jenny" burning up the punk radio/podcast circuit over the coming weeks and months. I'm telling you, it's gonna take off! You hear it once, and you just know it's a hit! Today Long Beach, tomorrow the world!

- Faster and Louder