Robyn Hitchcock sought out some old friends to record his album Olé! Tarantula, and he found the Venus 3: Peter Buck, Scott McCaughey and Bill Rieflin. By enlisting "3/4s of The Minus 5 and half of R.E.M.," Hitchcock created what he calls, "the rockingest record I've made in years." The group's second album, Goodnight Oslo, was released in February 2009. Spring 2010 saw the release of Propellor Time, largely recorded in 2006.
Guest musicians on the album include John Paul Jones, Nick Lowe, and Johnny Marr, who co-wrote Ordinary Millionaire.