Episode 3: Banks, Books, Bob Dylan and Albania's Accursed Mountains

Episode 3 of On The Record once again proves that no matter how long you’ve worked in media, technology will always sense weakness.  Once operational, the episode quickly becomes a rallying cry for the quietly furious demographic known as Grumpy Older Men Who Have Had It With Banks. Michael officially embraces his new identity after discovering his bank changed everything without warning, while Brian counters with tales of frozen debit cards, vanished tellers, and the most devastating bank exit in history... From there, the conversation widens—considerably. There’s a surprisingly heartfelt discussion about the best technology of 2025, which turns out not to be AI, crypto or anything with a subscription fee, but a lightweight laptop, a digital library card, and apps that simply work. Radical. Travel takes centre stage next, with Michael recounting a punishing but transcendent hike through Albania’s Accursed Mountains, involving donkeys, snow-capped peaks, dodgy knees and a journey that somehow includes minibuses, boats and a black Mercedes. Brian counters with a pitch for Tulsa, Oklahoma—a city with no tourists, no traffic, a Bob Dylan Centre, a Woody Guthrie Centre, and an offer to pay you $10,000 to move there (family approval not guaranteed). Music eventually breaks through—this is a Rhythms podcast after all—with Christmas gift recommendations ranging from Mavis Staples and Paul Kelly to Dylan box sets, Patti Smith anniversaries, Springsteen gloom, and vinyl for hipsters aged anywhere between 30 and 60. There are also book tips, documentary detours, and a shared belief that Brad Pitt shirtless does not automatically equal a good movie. By the end, Episode 3 has covered banks, libraries, hiking, Dylan, Tulsa, laptops, Formula One, Christmas shopping and the philosophy of buying technology like a V8 Mustang—all without ever fully sticking to a plan. Which, frankly, is exactly the plan. Essential Links Brian's fave tech of 2025   Michael's fave tech of 2025 Michael's Journey through Albania's Accursed Mountains  Tulsa's Bob Dylan Center  PBS Documentary on the Tulsa Race Massacre  Live, work, and grow in Tulsa (incentive program) The Watchmen TV series that is built around the real life Tulsa massacre  Louis Theroux talks with David Byrne on Apple Podcasts  Adam Buxton talks with David Byrne on Apple Podcasts  Formula 1: Drive to Survive - Season 7 | Official Trailer | Victorian Record Stores to shop at or online for Christmas  Captain Stomp  Greville Records  Rocksteady Records  Rathdowne Records  Brian's Musical Christmas Recommendations Mavis Staples Sad And Beautiful World  Van Morrison 70  Loretta Miller Loretta  Geese Getting Killed  Recommended Box Sets Bob Dylan Through The Open Window: The Bootleg Series Vol. 18 Patti Smith 50th anniversary of Horses Rolling Stones Black and Blue Remixed Bruce Springsteen Nebraska Re-released on vinyl Chris Wilson King For A Day Recommended Books Patti Smith: Bread of Angels Cameron Crowe: Uncool Peter Wolfe: Waiting On The Moon Tom Piazza: John Prine - Living In the Present Mike Campbell: Heartbreaker