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 LinksBrian's fave tech of 2025  Michael's fave tech of 2025Michael'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 RecommendationsMavis Staples Sad And Beautiful World Van Morrison Remembering NowPaul Kelly 70 Loretta Miller Loretta Geese Getting Killed Recommended Box SetsBob Dylan Through The Open Window: The Bootleg Series Vol. 18Patti Smith 50th anniversary of HorsesRolling Stones Black and Blue RemixedBruce Springsteen NebraskaRe-released on vinylChris Wilson King For A DayRecommended BooksPatti Smith: Bread of AngelsCameron Crowe: UncoolPeter Wolfe: Waiting On The MoonTom Piazza: John Prine - Living In the PresentMike Campbell: Heartbreaker