Sunday is Mother's Day! In honor of the holiday and in recognition of all motherhood (without which we'd be rather hard-pressed to exist), my final show of the spring semester is dedicated to all the wonderful mothers out there -- especially my own.

Astonishingly, this is also the fortieth episode of my show. It's hard to believe I've done that many already. Perfect way to close out the season.

After tonight, Lab X will be off the air for a few weeks. Watch for my triumphant return in the first week of June!

No particular theme tonight -- I'm just going to play some favorite records (mostly vinyl). In true Lab X style, many of these will be from the late seventies/early eighties post-punk and new wave genres...but I've got sixties, I've got nineties, and I've got some very new stuff. Get ready for themelessness!

For many bands, the third album is something special. They've achieved their all-important debut, and survived their sophomore follow-up (with all of the expectations invariably heaped upon it). They're a bit older and wiser, but still retain their youthful raw energy. They're more experienced, but not exactly experts. They still have plenty left to say -- not merely going through the motions, repeating patterns (as many artists tend to do later in their careers).

Exceptions abound, of course. But in many cases, a band's third record contains their very best work. In tonight's show I'll test this (altogether non-scientific) principle by playing cuts from some of my favorite bands' third albums, from the 1960s through today. Is it true? Am I right? You decide.