Dig Me Out: 90s Rock (Dig Me Out)

The late mid-to-late 90s were overwhelming based on the number of new album releases each week. Unfortunately, that meant bands like Little John either had a breakout single and video or were quickly relegated to the cut-out bin. In the case of their 1996 album Derailer, full of pop-rock that veers between Dinosaur Jr. guitar riffs and the quirky lyrics and melodies of They Might Be Giants, the band crafted some earworms alongside some less engaging album tracks. From the opening title track to the Presidents Of The United States of America-esque "Evel Knievel," the band craft tight, fun songs that more people should know.

Songs In This Episode:

Intro - Fell From The Sun

15:24 - Shoelace

22:05 - Scared

31:40 - Evel Knievel

40:49 - Derailer

Outro - Down On Me

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With the music landscape dominated by the grunge movement coming out of Seattle, it’s little wonder that Pennsylvania’s Riverside, a band influenced by the likes of The Smiths and Echo and the Bunnymen, didn’t stand a chance. Featuring Keith Kochanowicz (vocals, guitar, organ) and his brother Glenn Kochanowicz (bass, vocals), Kenneth Jackson (guitars), and Geoff Verne (drums), the band’s debut - and ultimately lone - album for Sire Records, One, was released in 1992. While featuring a number of alt-rock-radio friendly songs (“Waterfall,” “Cinnamon Eyes,”), Riverside couldn’t catch a break and were dropped by the label despite finishing a sophomore album, Taste. More than 30 years after One’s release, the Kochanowicz brothers hooked up with the Lost in Ohio record label and a Kickstarter campaign was launched to fund the first-ever pressing of the album on vinyl. Despite never achieving massive success in the ‘90s, the campaign was fully funded within weeks of the announcement and the vinyl will be available later this summer. In this conversation, the Kochanowicz brothers discuss the formation of the band, how fellow Pennsylvania band The Ocean Blue served as mentors, the realities of having a major label record deal in the ‘90s, and what happened after Sire dropped Riverside.

Songs in this Episode:

Intro - Waterfall

7:15 - General Nature

57:00 - Waterfall

1:04:48 - Marvel (from Taste)

Outro - Cinnamon Eyes

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Were the 90s just Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and various other grunge bands and their followers? Of course not, but revisiting Morphine's 1993 album Cure For Pain makes a strong case that the true alternative of the decade never bubbled up to MTV TRL, Clear Channel playlists, or Rolling Stone covers. A horn driven, blues and jazz influenced rock band that channeled Tom Waits and The Velvet Underground was never going to sell ten million albums. But along with fellow outsiders like those in Soul Coughing, The Jon Spencer Blue Explosion, and others, there was room on college radio and 120 Minutes for more askew views of what rock and pop meant.

Songs In This Episode:

Intro - Buena

24:28 - Thursday

29:53 - A Head With Wings

32:42 - I'm Free Now

35:56 - Let's Take A Trip Together

Outro - Cure For Pain

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Rock music genres often get reduced to a "Big Four." For Grunge, it was Alice In Chains, Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and Soundgarden. For Thrash, Anthrax, Megadeth, Metallica, and Slayer made the grade. In 90s Britpop, Oasis, Blur, Pulp and Suede got the nod. But as if often the case, the bands on the cusp are often as interesting or even more-so thanks to being just outside the spotlight. In the case of Supergrass, The Beatles and The Rolling Stones creep in as influences like their Britpop contemporaries, but the energetic attitude and willingness to embrace the chaos of The Who's rhythm section and the concise songwriting perfection of The Kinks helps their second album, 1997's In It for the Money, exceed not just their debut, but most of the Britpop catalog. Looking at the charts, it's not hard to see why killer singles like "Richard III," "Cheapskate," "Sun Hits The Sky" and "Late in the Day" failed to impact American radio and pop culture consciousness. While Blur had "woo-hoos" and Third Eye Blind had "do do do's," Supergrass ditched guitar solos for theremins and vintage synthesizers, constructing layered pop gems that deserve revisiting.

Songs In This Episode

Intro - In It for the Money

27:40 - Sun Hits the Sky

31:42 - You Can See Me

35:45 - Going Out

40:08 - Tonight

Outro - Richard III

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In our latest and final "Albums of..." roundtable, we're tackling what might have been the most prolific year for releases of the entire decade. With the major labels scooping up bands to ride the alternative and grunge wave explosion into mainstream radio and on MTV, 1994 saw not only huge album releases from Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, Stone Temple Pilots, Nine Inch Nails, Alice In Chains, R.E.M. Nirvana, and more, but also the punk explosion thanks to Green Day, The Offspring, Rancid, Bad Religion, and others. This was also the year that across the pond from the US, Britpop topped the charts in the UK thanks to Blur and Oasis, while a new wave of alternative bands shot up the charts like Veruca Salt, Bush, Live, Weezer, Toadies, etc. while the indie underground produced classic records from Pavement, Guided By Voices, Low, Stereolab, Sebadoh, and Superchunk, to name a few. For a big year, we have a big group with a super-sized length. Enjoy!

Songs In This Episode:

Intro - 1994 Medley (Interstate Love Song by Stone Temple Pilots, Loser by Beck, Self Esteem by The Offspring, Buddy Holly by Weezer, I'm Broken by Pantera, March of the Pigs by Nine Inch Nails)

16:05 - Last Goodbye by Jeff Buckley

23:36 - Girls & Boys by Blur

39:10 - Everything Zen by Bush

50:25 - Very Best Years by The Grays

1:07:19 - Suffering by Satchel

1:13:30 - Bernie by Failure

1:30:40 - I Am I by Queensrÿche

1:50:51 - Feel The Pain by Dinosaur Jr.

Outro - Faster by Manic Street Preachers

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​"Point #1," Chevelle's 1999 debut album, showcases the Chicago-based Loeffler brothers' fusion of alternative metal and indie rock. Produced by Steve Albini, known for his work with Nirvana and PJ Harvey, the album delivers a raw, unrefined sound that captures the band's early energy. Coming in at the end of the decades, it's not surprising to hear similarities to bands like Tool and Helmet, particularly in tracks such as "Skeptic" and "Anticipation," which feature syncopated riffs and dynamic shifts between aggressive and mellow passages. While the album's repetitive structures and lack of big hooks pin this is a debut, , "Point #1" definitely laid the groundwork for Chevelle's evolving sound and hinted at their future success in the alternative metal scene.

Songs In This Episode

Intro - Black Earth

19:08 - Mia

29:32 - Open

37:49 - Anticipation

42:23 - Long

Outro - Peer

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The third album by that dog. album didn't happen. 1997's Retreat From The Sun was intended to be lead singer Anna Waronker's debut solo album, but after pressure from her record label, it turned into a full-band effort. The result might be the highlight of the that dog. catalog, and one of the best guitar pop albums of the decade. Three minute mid and uptempo radio-friendly tunes with enough grit and subtly layered instrumentation allow Retreat From The Sun to work on two levels - a catchy pop record for casual fans, and a headphone experience for those desiring a deeper listen. With the talented Hayden sisters on vocals and multiple instruments, the record finds the balance between crafted and fresh.

Songs In This Episode:

Intro - Retreat From The Sun

18:27 - Never Say Never

21:39 - Annie

25:05 - Gagged and Tied

Outro - Long Island

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He's an outlier, an enigma, an iconoclast, an original. We're talking about Tom Waits, whose career is more closely tied to the 70s and 80s, but who released his Grammy Award-winning album Bone Machine in 1992 just as the first wave of grunge was talking off in 90s rock. Trying to compare Waits, and this album in particular, to any of his contemporaries, is a fool's errand. Sure, there's a bit of Nick Cave here, some Mark Lanegan there, even some Morphine and Beck, but Waits is often on another planet entirely. Using a collection of non-traditional percussion instruments (some homemade) combined with buzzing guitars and ramshackle pianos, to create a junkyard orchestra. It often sounds like it's falling apart before it even starts, but Waits can bring it together with his vocals, even if they are the most divisive aspect of a Tom Waits album.

Songs In This Episode:

Intro - I Don't Wanna Grow Up

17:26 - Black Wings

24:49 - That Feel

29:54 - Whistle Down The Wind

34:26 - Goin' Out West

Outro - The Earth Died Screaming

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Shoegaze is a term tossed out whenever a band leans in on the wall-of-sound distortion and pairs it with obscured vocals and dreamy feedback. But few bands actually stuck to My Bloody Valentine's template, adding their own flavors like the 1993 debut album Against Perfection by Adorable. Here the vocals are less obscured, and even hooky at times, recalling everyone from Echo & the Bunnymen and The Smiths to The Verve and Spiritualized. But it's not just the vocals that give Adorable a unique twist, as the rhythm section, especially an occasional Pixies-like bassline, gets their times to shine as well.

Songs In This Episode:

Intro - Breathless

17:49 - Sister Chapel Ceiling

21:26 - Homeboy

28:07 - Sunshine Smile

34:45 - Still Life

Outro - A To Fade In

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The 90s featured the rise of a several varieties of electronic music into the mainstream. The electronica of Prodigy and The Chemical Brothers and the industrial of Nine Inch Nails and Stabbing Westward became household names thanks to MTV and alternative radio station playlists, but not far behind were the late night grooves of trip-hop thanks to Portishead and Massive Attack. Combining samples and live instrumentation, and taking influence from reggae, dub, soul, jazz and more, the 1998 third album Mezzanine slowly unfurls from the start with opener "Angel" and keeps the listener entranced. From there, the band carefully weaves drum, bass, synths, and a variety of other instruments with three perfectly matched guest vocalists into a constantly shifting sonic landscape.

Songs In This Episode

Intro - Teardrop (from Mezzanine)

27:20 - Angel (from Mezzanine)

32:57 - Risingson (from Mezzanine)

35:57 - Rock That Doesn't Roll / Dope Nostalgia podcast promos

52:54 - Paradise Circus (from Heligoland)

Outro - Inertia Creeps (from Mezzanine)

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Eclectic bands can be a tricky proposition. Too much genre-switching and musical diversity can strip a band of an identity, with the disparate parts not adding up too much. But done right, and finding a unified sound in the song-to-song evolution, can make for an exciting listen. Luckily, with Boston's Tribe and their 1991 album Abort, it's the latter. While chronologically they're at the start of the emerging 90s rock scene, their sound harkens back to the 80s in a variety of ways, weaving in new wave, jangle pop, and underground college rock with layered harmonies, nods to shoegaze and dream pop, while keeping the arrangements tight.

Songs In This Episode:

Intro - Joyride (I Saw The Film)

19:19 - Abort

21:03 - Here At Home

29:42 - Jackpot

32:25 - Daddy's Home

Outro - Tied

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The 1990s definitely saw its fair share of pastiche in music from The Rolling Stones raunch of The Black Crowes to the underground Los Angeles swing revival that briefly bubbled into the mainstream. Out in San Francisco, The Brian Jonestown Massacre was taking full advantage of the Haight-Ashbury vibes to experiment with sounds old and new, dabbling in shoegaze, psychedelia, jangle-pop, and more. On their sixth album, 1997's Give It Back!, the one and only with future Black Rebel Motorcycle Club founder Peter Hayes, the band puts all the elements to use on slinky bass-driven jams like "Super-Sonic" and "Whoever you Are" while also finding time to bliss out on tracks like the sitar-driven "Salaam." But it's not all good vibes, as the bands more evil half of the namesake shows up on the disturbing noise collage "Their Satanic Majesties' Second Request," and "#1 Hit Jam" is definitely not.

Songs In This Episode:

Intro - Satellite

13:53 - This Is Why You Love Me

18:55 - Whoever You Are

25:05 - Super-sonic

34:00 - Servo

Outro - Salaam

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Funk music might be most commonly associated with 1970s bands like Funkadelic, Parliament, Sly & The Family Stone, the Ohio Players, and other more, but the 1990s saw their fair share of funk enthusiasts slip into the alternative mainstream. The Red Hot Chili Peppers had become an MTV staple, Primus and Faith No More explored the outer edges, while bands like the Beastie Boys, Living Colour, Infectious Grooves and more put their own spin on the sound. In Ann Arbor, Michigan, the remnants of 80s hardcore bands the Necros, Laughing Hyenas, and others formed Big Chief, whose 1991 skewed towards the alternative metal sound. That would not be the case on their 1993 follow-up, Mack Avenue Skullgame. Dubbed an "Original Soundtrack" for a movie that does not exist, the album is a faithful throwback to the 70s blaxploitation sounds of soundtracks like Shaft, Superfly, Cleopatra Jones and others. The band lays down authentic if updated funk sounds and adds the necessary vocals of Thornetta Davis to add melodic punch. But like all soundtracks, can the concept work without the imagery to go with it?

Songs In This Episode:

Intro - My Name Is Pimp (Mack's Theme)

19:08 - One Born Every Minute (Doc's Theme)

24:18 - If I Had A Nickle For Every Dime

27:32 - No Free Love On The Street

32:55 - Cop Kisser (Mack F*cks Up The Scene At The Freezer)

Outro - Cut To The Chase

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With their tenth album, Jump Rope, just released, a fortunate stroke of serendipity landed Buffalo Tom's third album Let Me Come Over at the top of our most recent Patreon album poll. Having recorded their first two albums with J Mascis of Dinosaur Jr., the band took a different approach for their 1992 release, heading to Fort Apache Studios to work with Sean Slade and Paul Q. Kolderie. With guitars and tempos dialed down a bit, introspective lyrics and melancholy melodies become clearer in the mix, while tasteful layers of acoustic guitars, keys, and other additions help fill-out the three-piece sound.

Songs In This Episode

Intro - Staples

15:27 - Mineral

17:24 - Stymied

26:25 - Taillights Fade

29:54 - I'm Not There

Outro - Porchlight

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By 1999, fans of the alternative country rock sound had a lot to choose from. At the start of the decade, the mostly underground and regional scenes were known to college radio listeners and other non-mainstream outlets. But by 1999, major labels Geffen and Warner Brothers were putting out albums and developing artists. On Elektra, the Old 97s from Dallas, Texas released their second major label release, and fourth overall. Fight Songs found the band in transition, moving away from the harsher elements of their earlier years, cleaning up the production, and find the hooks for radio.

Songs In This Episode:

Intro - Jagged

18:36 - What We Talk About

23:48 - Busted Afternoon

29:15 - Murder (Or A Heart Attack)

39:25 - Oppenheimer

Outro - Nineteen

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While much is made of genres like punk breaking through and topping the mainstream of 90s rock, the late 80s success of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Living Colour and Faith No More just as successfully pushed underground/alternative funk metal onto MTV. In 1990, Primus unleashed their twist on the sound with the progressive rock-influenced debut Frizzle Fry. Within a few years, thanks to catchier and catchier tunes paired with creative videos, the band would graduate from Headbanger's Ball to 120 Minutes to daytime rotation, solidifying them as a definitive band of the decade. But what to make of their first studio release, which finds Les Claypool's unendingly inventive approach to bass paired with equally stellar musicians in drummer Tim "Herb" Alexander and guitarist Larry LaLonde. If progressive rock, funk metal, or Claypool's distinct vocal and melodic approach aren't to your taste, is there still something worth checking out?

Songs In This Episode:

Intro - John the Fisherman

18:18 - Too Many Puppies

28:50 - The Toys Go Winding Down

47:45: Harold of the Rocks

Outro - To Defy the Laws of Tradition

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Compilation albums have helped define a musical scene or time period for decades, and the roots of 90s alternative rock are unmistakably tied to the underground music of the 1980s. While punk exploded into the mainstream 1994 thanks to million selling albums by Green Day and The Offspring, the seeds were planted in the small scenes across the country more than a decade earlier, many of which were never documented. Luckily, those that got laid down on vinyl or tape often have unknown gems waiting to be discovered. In the case of the 1984 compilation, It Came From Slimey Valley, which documents the Oxnard, California "nardcore" scene, the hardcore sound isn't as predictable as one might expect, with bands occasionally slowing the tempo, incorporating more dynamics, or turning up the fuzz.

Songs In This Episode

Intro - Prophesy by False Confession

16:24 - Death of Two Lovers by Flower Leperds

20:08 - Violent Children by Reign of Terror

22:43 - In the Trenches by Rigor Mortis

34:37 - Old Towne Mall by The Grim

39:09 - Boy's Life by Dr. Know

Outro - There's Someone in the Cellar by Crankshaft

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By 1993, it was an alternative world, from MTV to mainstream radio. The Smashing Pumpkins, Nirvana, Counting Crows, Depeche Mode, Radiohead, Tool, and many more became household names with million selling albums while college radio and indie labels saw bands take off unexpectedly, with hits from The Breeders, The Lemonheads, Mazzy Star, Juliana Hatfield, Letters to Cleo, Ween, and many more. While pop music maintained its position with the likes of Mariah Carey, Billy Joel, and Duran Duran scoring hits, hip-hop was also ascendant with landmark albums from A Tribe Called Quest, Snoop Doggy Dogg, The Wu-Tang Clan, and more. We dive into it all, talking about records that have stood the test of time and those that haven't, albums overlooked upon their release and those best left to the dustbin of history.

Songs In This Episode:

Intro - 1993 Medley (Lemon by U2, Animal Nitrate by Suede, Fade Into You by Mazzy Star, 20th Century by Brad, Give Back The Key To My Heart by Uncle Tupelo)

Outro - I Feel You by Depeche Mode

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Few bands can really be described as influential, most either affecting the latest pose or regurgitating a nostalgic vibe. On the other hand, some bands are so ahead of the curve, it can take time for the rest of the world to catch up. That's the case with Drive Like Jehu's sophomore 1995 album Yank Crime, which in the worlds of 90s rock, sounded like a runaway train of mixed up genres - post-hardcore, math rock, emo, post-punk, and more that weren't invented yet. It's not speculation to call this record and this band influential - members of At The Drive-in, Deftones, Modest Mouse, Jimmy Eat World, and more have weighed in over the years on DLJ's unique place in 90s rock canon.

Songs in this Episode:

Intro - Here Come The Rome Plows

22:22 - Luau

32:22 - New Intro

Outro - Do You Compute

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The EP, that strange format in-between singles and albums. What makes up an EP? It can be anything - all new material, demos, live tracks, remixes, or anything else an artist (or record label) can think of. While around since 1919, the EP format never had a more successful decade on the charts than in the 1990s. "Jar of Flies" by Alice In Chains became the first artist to have an EP reach number one on the Billboard 200 chart, and that wasn't the only commercially successful EP of the era. Nine Inch Nails, Ugly Kid Joe, Radiohead, My Bloody Valentine, Nirvana, Ride, The Smashing Pumpkins, and many more released essential music on EPs.

Songs In This Episode:

Intro - EP of the 90s Medley (Wish by Nine Inch Nails, I Stay Away by Alice In Chains, Blue by The Smashing Pumpkins)

15:15 - Everything About You by Ugly Kid Joe

22:40 - Making Love by Shiner

35:23 - Come See About Me by The Afghan Whigs

42:51 - JC Auto by Sugar

53:38 - One Too Many Mornings - The Dust Brothers

1:08:54 - I Could See The Dude by Spoon

Outro - Shooting Star by Golden Smog

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Following the end of Galaxie 500, Damon Krukowski and Naomi Yang were ready to give up on music. Thanks to Mark Kramer of Shimmy Disc, who coaxed them back into the studio, the pair formed Damon and Naomi, and released their debut More Sad Hits in 1992. While continuing the dream pop/slowcore sound of Galaxie 500, the band stretch their sound in various ways, with subtle basslines playing off the vocal melodies, hits of French pop and jazz, and the varied vocal approach with each taking lead, as well as harmonizing on several tracks. Neither high or lo-fi, it's melancholy but not depressing, a fine needle to thread.

Songs In This Episode

Intro - Boston's Daily Temperature

13:25 - E.T.A.

17:28 - Information Age

24:19 - Once More

28:43 - Astrafiammante

Outro - This Changing World

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Of the all bands that scored alternative hits in the 90s rock, few managed to recapture that sales magic on ensuing albums. But that doesn't mean their follow-ups records were lesser, and in some cases they made superior albums that got overlooked by fickle record buyers. Case in point: Better Than Ezra. After having their 1993 self-released sophomore album Deluxe repackaged and reissued by Elektra in 1995, and scoring a hit single with "Good," the band quickly reconvened and recorded the follow-up Friction, Baby. What the 1996 album lacks is the killer-hook single, but what it gains is confidence. While still boasting a pair of quality radio friend tracks in "King of New Orleans" and "Desperately Wanting," the album overall has the air of a band confident and secure in the sound while still stretching. That can lead to some magic, like on the blazing "Long Lost" and somber "Speeding Up To Slow Down," but also some hubris to go too far on the bad funk of "Normal Town" and "Still Live with Cooley."

Songs In This Episode:

Intro - King of New Orleans

19:36 - Long Lost

27:33 - Scared, Are You?

31:24 - Speeding Up To Slow Down

34:31 - Normal Town

Outro - Desperately Wanting

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After their 1994 debut album not only failed to make a commercial dent for Polydor Records, but was also panned by critics and even the band themselves, Powderfinger returned to the studio with veteran Australian producer Tim Whitten (Hoodoo Gurus, The Go-Betweens, Clouds, etc.) for the sophomore album Double Allergic. The pairing paid off as the group put the studio to good use while maintaining a tight band feel that shifts between American alternative and more adventures diversions. The twin guitar work of Ian Haug and Darren Middleton carves out a wide range of sounds and textures that remain tasteful while dropping enough ear candy to make repeated listens pay off, while vocalist Bernard Fanning finds simple yet effective melodies to craft several radio-friendly tunes, all with the backing of a tight and versatile rhythm section.

Songs In This Episode:

Intro - Pick You Up

16:25 - Boing Boing

23:08 - Oipic

32:05 - Skinny Jean

40:09 - Come Away (Hidden Track)

Outro - Living Type

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Portishead may remain the most interesting enigma of the 1990s. First is Beth Gibbons, who channels Liz Fraser of the Cocteau Twins, Billie Holiday, and Jane Birkin into an unmatched vocal for the decade. Second is Geoff Barrow, creating 60s and 70s sounding spy movie and spaghetti western sound scapes via downtempo, gothic, and hip-hop samples and influences, with the tone-perfect playing of Adrian Utley on guitar. Though cast with trip-hop peers Massive Attack, DJ Shadow, and Bjork, Portishead forge an entirely unique path.

Songs In This Episode:

Intro - Sour Times

21:07 - Glory Box

31:19 - Wandering Star

36:25 - Roads

Outro - Mysterions

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Although Chris Cornell had written solo tracks for soundtracks during the Soundgarden era, it wasn't until the band had broken up that he released his proper solo debut. 1999's Euphoria Morning is both expected and unexpected, as some songs aren't far off from "Blow Up The Outside World" or "Fell on Black Days," minus the band bombast, while others showcase his phenomenal vocal talent over folk, blues, and psychedelic turns.

Songs In This Episode:

Intro - Can't Change Me

17:15 - Moonchild

21:50 - Wave Goodbye

27:13 - Preaching The End Of The World

33:38 - Disappearing One

Outro - When I'm Down

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Papa Vegas' 1999 album Hello Vertigo offers a radio friendly mix of alternative rock with polished production. It showcases the band's bi hit potential, but the songwriting occasionally feels formulaic, relying on the familiar soft/loud trope from the mid to late '90s rock scene. Tracks like "Bombshell" stand out with catchy hooks and a radio-friendly vibe, but others struggle to maintain the same level of energy or memorability. While the album has moments of creativity, such as its layered guitar work and atmospheric touches, it tends to play it safe, rarely straying from the verse/prechorus/chorus format. The album is more than competent at delivering a chorus, but the safe rhythm section and lack of dynamics give the overall record a consistency that could use a shake-up from time to time.

Songs In This Episode

Intro - Super Telepathy

17:57 - Something Wrong

20:42 - No Destination

36.37 - Mesmerized

46:38 - Bombshell

Outro - Sermon Underground

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Instead of tackling an individual label for this roundtable, we decided to invite our Patreon patrons on the show to discuss some of their favorite record labels of the 1990s. While many started out with a narrow musical focus, some developed and expanded their roster of bands, while others stay true to their original mission. We talked about the pop-punk of Berkeley, CA's Lookout Records, the New York hardcore of Revelation, the garage punk of Bellingham, WA's Estrus Records, the post-punk of Chicago's Touch and Go Records, and many more.

Songs In This Episode:

Intro - B.L.U.R.E.M.I. by Blur

6:43 - Mouth Breather by The Jesus Lizard (Touch & Go)

19:24 - The Young Influentials by Juno (Desoto)

31:31 - Graveyard Girlfriend by The Groovie Ghoulies (Lookout)

48:28 - Killing A Camera - Braid (Polyvinyl)

Outro - Mutate Me by Into Another (Revelation)

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College rock is a broad term, but one that can be applied to the post-Blake Babies band Antenna founded by John Strohm and Freda Love. On the second and final album by the band, 1993's Hideout, the influences of American indie and underground pop are infused with strands of shoegaze and dream-pop noise, with tasteful guitar effects, and unexpectedly crafty baselines and backing vocals. All of that makes it not entirely appealing to mainstream radio in 1993 looking for the next Nirvana or Pearl Jam, but ideal for the college radio crowd in search of something different.

Songs In This Episode:

Intro - Wallpaper

12:43 - Don't Be Late

21:09 - Easy Listening

31:21 - Stillife

Outro - Shine

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Count to four. Do it seventy-five times, only interrupted by blistering feedback, screaming, and manic drums. And do it in about thirty-one minutes. That is Tokyo An*l Dynamite by The Gerogerigegege. In the world of experimental and avante-garde, noise has been tackled by artists as big as Neil Young and Lou Reed. Sonic Youth made a career out of crafting feedback into a symphony of melody. But if punk is about stripping rock 'n roll down to components and putting in the hands of the most rudimentary players, Tokyo Anal Dynamite might be the most punk rock album ever made.

Songs In This Episode:

Intro - Rock 'n Roll

Outro - Atama

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On this episode, we invited Drew Zakmin of the Songs Gone Wrong podcast on to discuss his pick of the 1998 Jerry Cantrell solo debut, Boggy Depot. While his guitar prowess and backing vocals in Alice Chains were well regarded in the 1990s, it wasn't clear what a large part Cantrell played in the overall sound of the band until this album, which features plenty of riffs and melodies on part with tracks on Facelift or Dirt. The heavier and darker sounds associated with the band are significantly reduced, as Cantrell indulges his songwriter side on longer tracks like "Settling Down" and "Cold Piece," while adding horns, piano, and other non-AIC instrumentation to the mix. But producing his own record may have led to some choices that a seasoned producer might have questioned, such as the overlong run-time and (at times) oddly mixing choices that occasionally bury the guitar leads. Once you're done with this episode, make sure to head over to Songs Gone Wrong for the other half of our podcast swap to hear us discuss the 1997 single Tubthumping by Chumbawamba.

Songs In The Episode:

Intro - Cut You In

12:01 - Dickeye

17:21 - Settling Down

22:27 - Devil By His Side

26:01 - Hurt A Long Time

Outro - My Song

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Garage rock can be a catch-all term that rubs shoulders with punk, rockabilly, surf, and more. But thanks to a variety of known and lesser-known bands, there has always been a group of dedicated musicians writing and playing revved up and relatively simple rock that traces its lineage back to the primitive and raw sounds of 60s that popped up after the British Invasion with roots in American rhythm and blues. After a very underground 80s, the sound returned in fits and starts with bands like Jon Spencer Blues Explosion and later The White Stripes, The Hives, The Strokes, and plenty of other bands starting with "The." We dig into the whole sound, the local scenes that helped foster the sound over decades, and much more.

Songs In This Episode:

Intro - Fell In Love With A Girl by The White Stripes

16:20 - Paint It Black by The Avengers

21:49 - Touch Me I'm Sick by Mudhoney

31:09 - (Gotta Get Some Action) Now! by The Hellacopters

40:11 - Heaven by The Hydromatics

1:07:31 - The Reproduction of Death by The (International) Noise Conspiracy

Outro - Singin' A Song About Today by The Mooney Suzuki

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It's episode 500 of Dig Me Out! At our Patreon page, we asked our patrons to pick a record for this special occasion, but not just any record. We gave them the top ten best-selling rock albums of the 1990s, and let them choose from Alanis Morissette, Kid Rock, Santana, Hootie & The Blowfish, No Doubt, Matchbox 20, Metallica, Green Day, Creed and Nirvana. Thanks to their votes, we got the chance to revisit possibly the most iconic and legendary album of the decade - 1991's Nevermind. But we weren't alone, as we invited our patrons and past guests to join us via a group Zoom chat to dive into this record, the shifting musical landscape of the early 90s, the evolution of discovering new music over the past few decades, and much, much more during our two-hour extravaganza.

Songs In This Episode:

Intro - Smells Like Teen Spirit

Outro - Territorial Pissings

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Composed of Jean-Luc De Meyer of Front 242, Mark Heal of Cubanate, and Ged Denton of Crisis n.T.i., along with special appearances by members of Front Line Assembly and Haujobb, C-Tec is something of a 1990s industrial supergroup. What that allows is the members to experiment on their debut Darker with a broader range of sounds away from their regular bands, like including breakbeats on "Being Nothing," going 80s on "The Lost," or punishing noise on "Shift IV." Of course, there are some four-one-the-floor thumpers made for the 12" remix, like the Rammstein-esque "Foetal" and driving "Stateless." A few of the tracks take a little more time than necessary to get going, and De Meyer's vocal approach won't be for everyone, but Darker is a worthwhile album to add to your industrial collection.

Songs In This Episode:

Intro - Flowing

10:25 - Being Nothing

15:37 - Foetal

25:38 - Flowing

28:19 - Shift IV

Outro - The Lost

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After her 1996 self-released EP was picked-up and re-released by MCA, Holly McNarland set out to make her debut album Stuff. In the wake of the success of fellow Canadian singer/songwriters Alanis Morissette and Sarah McLachlan, the table was set for McNarland to make similar waves even if the alternative rock field was getting more crowded by the day. While there is no "You Oughta Know" or "Building a Mystery" on Stuff, there is McNarland's voice, which finds the balance between on edgy angst rockers one moment and soaring pop balladry the next. Backed by a solid band, including then ex-Pixies guitarist Joey Santiago in the studio, the songs are elevated beyond straightforward singer-songwriter material to deeper depths thanks to occasional cello and synths popping in and out of tracks. But while the first half is full of knock-out material, the back half left us divided on experiments with trip-hop and Seattle grunge.

Songs In This Episode

Intro - Elmo

11:27 - The Box

17:34 - Mystery Song

23:46 - Water

31:07 - Twisty Mirror

Outro - U.F.O.

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Alien Lanes by Guided By Voices, their first for Matador Records, expanded upon the lo-fi, hook-driven bursts of songs from previous release Bee Thousand. Its chaotic, collage-like structure packs 28 tracks into just over 40 minutes, thanks to the raw, four-track production gives the album an intimate, unpolished feel. Songs end abruptly, vocals are buried, guitars are out of tune, yet the melodies emerge from the fuzz with a mix of power pop charm and punk spontaneity.Widely considered one of their best works, Alien Lanes remains a cult favorite and a defining record of '90s indie rock.

Songs In This Episode

Intro - Watch Me Jumpstart

17:09 - Motor Away

20:20 - Closer You Are

30:38 - Ex-Supermodel

36:20 - Strawdogs

38:19 - My Valuable Hunting Knife

Outro - Blimps Go 90

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In 1995 PJ Harvey was relatively unknown in the US, aside from college radio and others tuned into the underground. Thanks to the breakout single "Down By The Water," for a brief moment she was in the same spotlight as Tori Amos, Bjork, Sarah McLachlan, Liz Phair, and other female artists who transcended the dominance of Seattle grunge and guitar rock. On To Bring You My Love, Harvey bounces between the minimalist blues of the title track and the krautrock drive of Working For The Man, and the blistering distortion of Meet Ze Monsta and pounding drive of Long Snake Moan. But in the age of Spotify skipping, can minimalism and restraint with bursts of nasty distortion still catch an ear?

Songs In This Episode:

Intro - Down By The Water

22:22 - C'mon Billy

26:09 - Long Snake Moan

34:10 - The Dancer

38:03 - Working For The Man

Outro - Meet Ze Monsta

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By the end of the 1990s, The Afghan Whigs were critical faves without the breakthrough single that propelled some of their contemporaries into the platinum or multi-platinum stratosphere. While 1993's Gentlemen and 1996's Black Love explored the dark, 1998's 1965 turned on the light long enough to find the party and get down to the business of feeling good, as lead singer Greg Dulli sings on the opener "Somethin' Hot." Much about the record is a change-up from previous efforts - guitars are dialed down while horns, pianos, and backing vocalists make their presence known on a record that shows off the band integrating the New Orleans vibe of their surroundings during recording. The result acts as a bridge between what the Whigs were and what Dulli and new collaborators would explore in the 2010s as The Twilight Singers.

Intro - 66

17:53 - Somethin' Hot

35:27- The Slide Song

39:29 - Omerta

45:46 - Uptown Again

Outro - John The Baptist

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The past few decades have solidified Linda Perry as a pop songwriting machine for the likes of Pink, Christina Aguilera, Gwen Stefani, and many more artists in the 2000s. But the talent was already there in 1992 when "What's Up!" struck a chord with listeners as the first track off of the one and only 4 Non Blondes album "Bigger, Better, Faster, More!" While the neo-folk of "What's Up!" slotted in nicely alongside fellow non-grunge acts like Blind Melon, Spin Doctors, Blues Traveler, Dave Matthews Band, and others, the rest of the record tackles a variety of genres, like the shuffling blues of "Pleasantly Blue" to the bass-popping funk of "Superfly" to mixed results.

Songs In This Episode:

Intro - What's Up!

17:12 - Drifting

23:56 - Old Mr. Heffer

32:15 - Calling All The People

Outro - Superfly

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Often side-project bands don't live up to the hype of the artist or band's main gig. But for Stephin Merritt, this isn't the case with several of his non-Magnetic Fields bands. With The 6ths, he's taken on the challenge of writing the songs but handing them over to guest vocalists. On the 1995 debut Wasps' Nests, that means a wide array of contributors, including Lou Barlow from Sebadoh and Dinosaur Jr., Mary Timony of Helium and Ex Hex, Dean Wareham of Galaxie 500 and Luna, Georgia Hubley of Yo La Tengo, Mac McCaughan of Superchunk, Mitch Easter of Let's Active, and more. The musical landscape shifts from song to song, one minute aping the motortik of Stereolab and next the harmony sunshine of Laurel Canyon in the 1970s. But it's all in Stephin Merritt's wheelhouse, utilizing an array of synth and keyboard sounds over minimalist rhythms that reveal layers upon repeated listens.

Songs In This Episode:

Intro - Aging Spinsters

15:56 - All Dressed Up in Dreams

20:23 - San Diego Zoo

35:02 - Here in My Heart

Outro - Falling Out of Love (With You)

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The 1991 debut album Gish by The Smashing Pumpkins marked the band's entry into the alternative rock scene with a unique mix of psychedelic rock, heavy metal, and dream pop elements. Produced by Butch Vig, who would later work with Nirvana on Nevermind, the album showcases the band's early experimentation with layered guitars, intricate rhythms, raw energy, and dense sonic textures that would become hallmarks of the Pumpkins sound. Although Gish did not initially achieve mainstream success, it garnered a strong underground following, helping to set the stage for the band's breakthrough with Siamese Dream in 1993. Celebrated for its unique blend of intensity and melody, it serves as an early glimpse into the Pumpkins' evolving musical ambitions, complete the fingerprints of Jane's Addiction, Van Halen, and Black Sabbath.

Songs In This Episode

Intro - Tristessa

16:57 - I Am One

21:57 - Rhinoceros

30:36 - Window Paine

33:46 - Siva

Outro - Bury Me

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Born in NYC but spending his formative years in Washington DC, Chad Clark’s passion for music was born when his dad dropped a pair of headphones on his son’s head and introduced him to the Beatles. In the mid-90s, Clark formed the artsy, indie rock outfit Smart Went Crazy with Abram Goodrich and Hilary Soldati, signed with Dischord Records and released an EP and two full lengths - 1995’s Now We’re Even and 1997’s Con Art. Even before Smart Went Crazy’s ending, Clark was thinking about his next project, Beauty Pill, which he started with Goodrich in 2001 and continues through this day. With members coming and going over the last 20+ years, Beauty Pill’s released two full lengths - 2004’s The Unsustainable Lifestyle and 2015’s Beauty Pill Describes Things As They Are - and a handful of EPs, most of which have been critically lauded. Earlier this year, Beauty Pill released a double album, Blue Period, consisting of their Dischord output - The Unsustainable Lifestyle and the You Are Right to Be Afraid EP - as well as previously unreleased outtakes and demos. On this episode, Beauty Pill members past (Ryan Nelson) and present (Erin Nelson), join Clark to talk about the last 25+ years of music.

Songs In This Episode:

Intro - A Good Day by Smart Went Crazy

6:39 - Goodnight For Real by Beauty Pill

Outro - Fugue State Companion by Beauty Pill

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In 1992, INXS released Welcome to Wherever You Are and instead of touring, headed back into the studio for a quick follow-up. 1993's Full Moon, Dirty Hearts was the result, a mixed bag of innovation incorporating bass grooves on tracks like "The Gift" and "Cut Your Roses Down" while still writing anthemic choruses on tracks like "Days of Rust" and "Time." In the midst of the grunge takeover of America, it's not surprising the album didn't fare well with radio or the charts. While guest vocalists Ray Charles and Chrissie Hynde of The Pretenders are welcome, their inclusion didn't push the needle. Revisiting the album, it's an interesting crossroads of what the band was and the sounds of the decade to come, with electronic elements sneaking in that wouldn't sound out of place later in the decade.

Songs In This Episode

Intro - The Gift

21:17 - Time

25:13 - Cut Your Roses Down

32:16 - Kill The Pain

41:12 - Please (You Got That...)

Outro - Days of Rust

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After the industrial noise rock of Cop Shoot Cop, lead singer/bassist Tod Ashley moved on to the eclectic sounds of Firewater, drawing on the sounds of American indie rock equally with European traditional music such as cabaret and Klezmer. With the help of future Gogol Bordello guitarist Oren Kaplan and a variety of skilled players, the band jumps from the Screaming Trees-esque alternative rock of "I Still Love You, Judas" to the Peter Gunn aping intro track "Ponzi's Theme." At their best, Firewater are a challenging and diverse listen thanks to the gravel-voice Tod A., but that's counterbalanced by some kitschy organ and piano sounds that sound more Smash Mouth than Tom Waits.

Songs In This Episode:

Intro - Green Light

10:23 - So Long, Superman

13:40 - Knock 'em Down

21:15 - Whistling In The Dark

Outro - Caroline

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The moniker "post-hardcore" was used to describe the wave of bands following the hardcore-punk sound but pushing the musical envelope. In the 80s it was Husker Du and Minute, the 90s Fugazi, Drive Like Jehu, Jawbox. None were exactly the same, each stretching and pushing the boundaries of what made up post-hardcore. New York City, home to Helmet, Quicksand, and Chavez, was fertile ground for the sound, which included Into Another. On their 1994 sophomore album, Ignaurus, the band take the edge and energy of post-hardcore, combine it with some progressive rock, and end up with a sound unlike just about anyone else was making at the time.

Songs In This Episode:

Intro - Running Into Walls

14:44 - Maritime Murder

30:24 - Anxious

45:02 - Poison Fingers

Outro - Ungodly

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Catherine Wheel's 1992 debut Ferment is a bonafide shoegaze classic, full of swirling guitars and ethereal vocals. For their 1993 follow-up Chrome, the band brought in Gil Norton, who had a resume boasting bands like the Pixies, Throwing Muses, Pale Saints, Echo & the Bunnymen, and more. With Norton on board, the band dialed down the waves of distortion and used it more sparingly, and a more crafted sound emerged. Harder guitar riffs, paired with Rob Dickinson's chameleon-like voice that could deliver throaty shouts and crooning coos, edged the band towards a more refined sound without leaving their shoegaze roots completely behind. The end result is a exceptional transitional album before the band would fully embrace a harder edge on their third album Happy Days.

Songs In This Episode

Intro - Crank

26:22 - Chrome

34:22 - Ursa Major Space Station

47:57 - Fripp

Outro - Show Me Mary

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Lead by brothers Jag (guitarist) and Chris (drummer) Tanna, I Mother Earth made layered Latin percussion, alternative rock bombast, and hints of progressive and psychedelic rock a part of the formula from the get go. But the band comes into their own on the 1996 sophomore release Scenery and Fish, opening with Afro-Cuban-influenced percussion that weaves throughout the record. Where some bands might trim out extended jams or unexpected divergences mid-song to attract a more commercial audience, the band plants the flag with full-throated bravado that no musical stone will be left unturned.

Songs In This Episode:

Intro - One More Astronaut

12:50 - Songburst And Delirium

16:22 - Raspberry

24:41 - Pisser

29:37 - Another Sunday

Outro - Hello Dave

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As we've discussed previously with episodes on Mötley Crüe and Skid Row, the 1990s were a weird evolutionary period for '80s hard rock and metal bands tagged with monikers "glam" or "hair" to describe their look even if it didn't describe their sound. So much so, there's always a caveat to their '90s releases as to whether the band tried to update their sound to fit in with the new alternative and grunge landscape, or if they kept chugging along with only minor tweaks. In the case of Boston funk-metal band Extreme, their fourth (and until 2008, final) album Waiting For The Punchline ditched the big rock production for a more immediate style that gives the rhythm section more punch but still allows virtuoso guitarist Nuno Bettencourt room to dazzle.

Songs In This Episode:

Intro - Hip Today

18:52 - Waiting For The Punchline

26:42 - There Is No God

30:30 - No Respect

Outro - Evilangelist

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Released during the decline of 80s hair metal and rise of 90s Seattle grunge and alternative, the 1992 album It's A Shame About Ray by The Lemonheads is rarely mentioned as being in the pantheon of 90s album, but maybe it should. Sporting tight and smart songwriting arrangements with track after track of catchy hooks, lead singer and guitarist Evan Dando, bassist and backup singer Juliana Hatfield, and drummer David Ryan make the most of their sub-thirty minute album, packing short songs with simple but well-thought-out changes and dynamics on par with contemporaries like Sugar, Buffalo Tom, and Dinosaur Jr.

Songs In This Episode

Intro - It's A Shame About Ray

21:39 - Hannah & Gabi

27:41 - My Drug Buddy

33:05 - Alison's Starting to Happen

40:30 - Bit Part

Outro - Confetti

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With a major label budget backing them, Doug Martsch and his rotating cast of Built To Spill members made something special with 1997's Perfect From Now On. While his previous indie releases, along with Martsch's original band Treepeople, pointed to a capable songwriter and inventive guitar player, Perfect From Now On raised the bar for nearly every guitarist who studied J Mascis' frenetic shredding, Neil Young's extended jams, or Kevin Shields layered shoegaze. Thanks to the time on their side, layers of guitar intertwine throughout, switching between clean picking and fuzzed leads, backed by an array of studio indulgences that include a cello, mellotron, organ, and more. The result is lush and dreamy without losing its bite, and a timeless record that influenced a generation of artists that none have equaled.

Songs In This Episode:

Intro - Untrustable, pt 2

19:36 - Randy Describes Eternity

22:03 - Stop The Show

29:00 - Out Of Sight

Outro - I Would Hurt A Fly

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Heavy but melodic guitar riffs, intricate beats that switch between a Pantera groove and extreme metal blast beats, and otherworldly vocals are the cornerstones of Heartwork, the fourth studio album by English band Carcass. Expanding upon their earlier grindcore approach, Heartwork is a journey that grabs you by the (shredded) throat and won't let go for nearly forty-two minutes. From the NWOBHM styled "This Mortal Coil" to the ferocious hardcore stomp of "Carnal Forge," the band never lets up. In addition to tackling this classic of the genre, we also check out the YouTube video by Steve Welch, "If Guns N' Roses 'Appetite For Destruction' was written by 12 different bands" to find out how Steve did turning G N' R songs into tracks by Oasis, W.A.S.P., Danzig and more.

Songs In This Episode:

Intro - Carnal Forge

2:22 - If Guns N' Roses 'Appetite For Destruction' was written by 12 different bands - by Steve Welch

18:55 - Buried Dreams

22:37 - This Mortal Coil

27:27 - Heartwork

35:07 - Doctrinal Expletives

Outro - Embodiment

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While their debut album tagged them as Dinosaur Jr Jr thanks to loud guitars and J. Mascis behind the board, Buffalo Tom's second album, Birdbrain, builds on the raw, guitar-driven sound of their debut but with more mature songwriting and production. Produced again by J Mascis of Dinosaur Jr. with Sean Slade, the album emphasizes emotional intensity over polish, with songs like "Birdbrain" and "Enemy" showcase the band’s knack for combining distorted guitars with introspective lyrics. Though not a commercial hit, the album helped solidify Buffalo Tom’s place in the early '90s indie rock scene and shows a significant step in the band’s evolution toward the more refined sound of their later work.

Songs In This Episode

Intro - Fortune Teller

17:23 - Birdbrain

23:07 - Crawl

26:26 - Heaven

29:40 - Skeleton Key

Outro - Guy Who Is Me

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Montreal's Doughboys, like so many bands who tipped their toes in the power-pop sound, were mostly ignored by US listeners. Unless led by a ballad like the Goo Goo Dolls or pushing a punkier sound, artists with layered harmonies and a keen sense of melodic hooks were often overlooked for pure pop. On their 1993 album Crush, the band never compromise on the guitars, combining hardrock riffs with catchy leads and an occasional ripping solo. Only when the band slows down and gets dirgy does the momentum falter on an overall underappreciated gem.

Songs In This Episode:

Intro - Tearin' Away

18:00 - Fix Me

27:03 - Everything

30:25 - Neighborhood Villain

Outro - Shine

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In a bar in Perth, Australia in the late 1980s and early 1990s, Fred Negro and his various bands tore through country-tinged punk rock soaked in beer and satire. One of these incarnations was The Brady Bunch Lawnmower Massacre, a short-lived name that produced a single, an EP, and the 1992 album Desperate Football. Like fellow garage post-punks The Scientists or The Birthday Party, on the surface the sound is big, loud and messy. But repeated listens reveal tighter than anticipated musicianship with some chorus hooks that will stay in your brain longer than expected.

Songs In This Episode

Intro - Drink Myself to Live

20:21 - Nothing on Telly

24:59 - When Jesus Goes Surfing

31:09 - Carpark

36:00 - Blood Money

Outro - I've Only Got One Dick

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Mudhoney may have written some of the most recognized pre-Nirvana breakthrough tracks associated with the Seattle sound of the 80s like "Touch Me, I'm Sick," "Suck You Dry," and "In 'n Out Of Grace," but the band has had as much in common musically with the sound of Detroit punk and garage bands like MC5, Iggy & The Stooges, The Gories, Sonic's Rendezvous Band, etc. On their second full-length album, Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge, released in 1991 just months before Nirvana's Nevermind changed the musical landscape, the band took their established template and added vintage organs, blazing harmonicas, and acoustic guitars to expand their sound. While it helps break up what can become a repetitive listen thanks to the eight-track lower-fidelity production, the band can't deliver on a killer melody or hook the way they had on their previous standout songs.

Songs In This Episode:

Intro - Let It Slide

14:05 - Generation Genocide

18:55 - Something So Clear

23:36 - Pokin' Around

28:03 - Fuzzgunn '91

Outro - Into The Drink

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In the fall of 1993, if you heard the name Meat Puppets attached to the newest single Backwater blasting from your local alternative radio station or on MTV, you would be forgiven for thinking this was a new band from Seattle riding the grunge wave. In truth, this was the band's eighth release, and they hailed from the much sunnier climate of Phoenix, Arizona. As veterans of the indie rock scene who had spent the 80s on famed SST Records, Too High To Die was their second major-label release, and the band was as much an influence on the current wave of alternative acts breaking through as a contemporary, as evidenced by Nirvana's choice to cover three of the band's songs on their MTV Unplugged performance and have the Kirkwood brothers join them onstage. With Too High To Die, the band shows off all of their skills, crafting finger-picked bluegrass tracks alongside ripping Soundgarden-esque tunes.

Songs In This Episode:

Intro - Backwater

20:27 - Shine

24:19 - Things

29:17 - Severed Goddess Hand

37:48 - Evil Love

Outro - We Don't Exist

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From up north comes The Tea Party, creating a stew of eastern scales, industrial rhythms and Zeppelin-esque dramatics. Their 1997 sophomore release Transmission is the quintessential headphones album. Though only a three piece, they pile on a wide range of non-traditional instrumentation to create a unique, swirling sound that goes big rock in the vein of The Cult or Led Zeppelin while grounding with industrial rhythms at home on a Nine Inch Nails or Stabbing Westward record. All while frontman Jeff Martin bellows and shrieks like the lost cousin of Jim Morrison and Ian Astbury. It can be exciting and overwhelming just a few bars apart - we try to figure out which way the overall experience leans. Tune in to find out.

Songs in this Episode:

Intro - Temptation

15:11 - Gyroscope

17:54 - Psychopomp

22:05 - Babylon

Outro - Alarum

The debut Save Ferris album It Means Everything is everything you know and love/hate about 90s ska-punk. The snappy snare, the upstroke guitar lines, the energetic horn stabs - all the hallmarks of the familiar 90s sound utilized by early No Doubt, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Reel Big Fish and others. Save Ferris don’t break the mold, but they do add a few extra layers, inserting a distorted guitar from time to time, as well as taking advantage of Monique Powell’s pipes to slow down the tempos into classic reggae and dub influenced grooves. Neither of us are ska punk aficionados, or really fans for that matter, but did Save Ferris win us over? Tune in to find out. 

Songs in this Episode:

Intro - Come On Eileen

18:11 - Lies

22:56 - SuperSpy

32:20 - The World Is New

Outro - Goodbye

What happens when you remove Scott Weiland from Stone Temple Pilots - you get Talk Show. Attempting to fill the hole left by Weiland’s drug problems in 1996, the DeLeo brothers and drummer Eric Kretz recruiter former Ten Inch Men frontman/guitarist Dave Coutts to take the lead on this self-titled release from 1997. The album failed commercially and band quickly dumped Coutts to welcome Weiland back into the fold. We revisit the album with fresh ears to try to figure out if Talk Show was a missed opportunity for listeners or a misfire by the band. We also delve into the career trajectory of Stone Temple Pilots to determine if Talk Show was a harbinger of things to come for the band as they chased radio friends sounds (i.e. “Down”) and relevancy in the 2000s.

Over at Patreon, we take a few minutes to discuss if any band successfully pulled off the lead singer switch, whether with an existing band (like AC/DC or Alice in Chains) or a new outfit (Audioslave).

Songs in this Episode:

Intro - Hello Hello

14:08 - Peeling An Orange

15:34 - Everybody Loves My Car

24:16 - Wash Me Down

28:28 - Ring Twice

Outro - So Long

In the 1990s the term alternative country appeared, we’re talking the bands, the sound and influences. What is alternative country an alternative to? Country? Rock? We dig into the unique aspects that separate alternative country from its more mainstream counterparts and the sounds that help create it. We talk some of the biggest influences upon 90s alternative country, including Gram Parsons, Neil Young, the punk rock from labels like SST and more. We talk about our favorite 90s alternative country albums, and which artists today are carrying the alternative country torch. To do so, we’re joined by returning roundtable guests Eric Grubbs of Dallas Observer, Jim Kopeny of Chicagoist and Jim Hanke of Vinyl Emergency.

Songs in this Episode

Intro - Are You Ready for the Country by Neil Young

16:42 - Blue by The Jayhawks

29:08 - Postcard by Uncle Tupelo

47:36 - California Stars by Billy Bragg and Wilco

1:01:32 - Dancefloors by My Morning Jacket

Outro - Hot Burrito #2 by Dinosaur Jr (Flying Burrito Brothers cover)

There is a lot to talk about when we look back on 2022. Albums new and old from 80s and 90s artists blasted from our speakers and headphones on a daily basis. As with our previous year-in-review episodes, we take a look back at our favorite new album discoveries, most brought to us by our Patreon community, as well as our most enjoyable round table experiences, and our favorite interviews conducted by Chip Midnight. Here's to season thirteen in 2023!

Songs In This Episode:

Intro - Dig Me Out by Sleater-Kinney

Outro - Dig Me Out by Sleater-Kinney

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Scotland's Gun didn't make much of a dent stateside in the 80s or 90s, slightly out of tune with what was happening in mainstream. Their third album, Swagger, is aptly named, as the band is fully in control of their 80s AOR meets 90s hard rock approach. While 1994 was ground zero for grunge and alternative on US radio and MTV, Gun injected their sound with Bon Jovi big rock, Billy Idol energy, and even some Red Hot Chili Peppers funk on the questionable cover of "Word Up" by Cameo.

Songs In This Episode:

Intro - Don't Say It's Over

13:43 - Find My Way

21:59 - Something Worthwhile

31:52 - Word Up

Outro - Vicious Heart

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So much to to talk about when we look back on 2024. Like with our previous year-in-review episodes, we look back at our favorite new album discoveries, most brought to us by our Patreon community, as well as our most enjoyable round table experiences, and our favorite 80s Metal episodes, before previewing what's in store for next year. Here's to season fifteen in 2025!

Songs In This Episode

Intro - Dig Me Out by Sleater-Kinney

5:17 - 0 for 1 by Poster Children

10:40 - Don't Go Out with Your Friends Tonite by Ho-Hum

18:07 - Love Bomb Baby by Tigertailz

Outro - Mirror Mirror by Blind Guardian

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Into Another bring the riffs, the big vocals and locked-in rhythm section on 1995′s Seemless. Even though we’re fans of New York City bands such as Quicksand and Handsome, Into Another somehow flew under our radar. However, thanks to Patreon patron Chris M. with his twelve-month anniversary pick, he enlightened us on the major label debut (and third overall) album by the band. We dug deep into the record, enough to give you some bonus content over at Patreon discussing b-sides and more.

Songs in this Episode:

Intro - Mutate Me

12:43 - Mutate Me

21:42 - For a Wounded Wren

27:20 - The Way Down

30:30 - Actual Size

Outro - T.A.I.L.

In the 1990s the term alternative country appeared, we’re talking the bands, the sound and influences. What is alternative country an alternative to? Country? Rock? We dig into the unique aspects that separate alternative country from its more mainstream counterparts and the sounds that help create it. We talk some of the biggest influences upon 90s alternative country, including Gram Parsons, Neil Young, the punk rock from labels like SST and more. We talk about our favorite 90s alternative country albums, and which artists today are carrying the alternative country torch. To do so, we’re joined by returning roundtable guests Eric Grubbs of Dallas Observer, Jim Kopeny of Chicagoist and Jim Hanke of Vinyl Emergency.

Songs in this Episode

Intro - Are You Ready for the Country by Neil Young

16:42 - Blue by The Jayhawks

29:08 - Postcard by Uncle Tupelo

47:36 - California Stars by Billy Bragg and Wilco

1:01:32 - Dancefloors by My Morning Jacket

Outro - Hot Burrito #2 by Dinosaur Jr (Flying Burrito Brothers cover)

With help from Jason Falkner of Jellyfish, Brendan Benson crafted a fine if overlong debut album in 1996′s One Mississippi. Some of us may have discovered Benson thanks to his team-up with Jack White in The Raconteurs, but he had a number of solo releases to his name by that point, and One Mississippi shows the promise of what was to come. Like so many 90s albums, the first half was satisfying while the back half became less focused and felt padded, but there is still plenty to like about this power pop debut, brought to us thanks to a twelve-month Patreon anniversary pick by past guest Keith S.

Special thanks to Sudio Sweden (Facebook/Instagram), who hooked us up with two pairs of Regent headphones to test out. We’re reporting on them all month - if you like what you hear and want to grab a pair, use the code DIGMEOUT15 for 15% off your purchase with free worldwide shipping.

Songs in this Episode:

Intro - I’m Blessed

13:31 - Emma J

18:40 - Got No Secrets

23:00 - Insects Rule

32:08 - House in Virginia

Outro - Crosseyed

We’re heading to the land of ten thousand lakes to uncover the Minneapolis St. Paul music scene of the 1990s. With names like The Replacements and Husker Du, the twin cities have been established as an 80s mecca for underground hardcore and punk rock, but the story of the city is much deeper and broader. In the 90s bands like Soul Asylum and Semisonic scored massive hits, while The Jayhawks, Low and the Dillinger Four expanded the sonic pallet. And of course, there’s Prince. To help us understand the roots of the punk and hardcore scene, we invited author/writer/KFAI DJ Cindy “Cyn” Collins, who recently released Complicated Fun: The Birth of Minneapolis Punk and Indie Rock, 1974-1984 to talk the early years and bands like The Suicide Commandos and The Suburbs. Returning is Michelle Leon, former Babes In Toyland bassist and author of I Live Inside: Memoirs of a Babe In Toyland to give us insights on the various famous (and infamous venues) and more, along with record producer, engineer, singer-songwriter and touring musician Jamie Woolford of The Stereo, Animal Chin and Let Go to share memories of various record stores, local media and other important aspects of the Minneapolis St. Paul scene.

Be sure to join us at Patreon for bonus content from this episode.

Special thanks to Sudio Sweden (Facebook/Instagram), who hooked us up with two pairs of Regent headphones to test out. We’re reporting on them all month - if you like what you hear and want to grab a pair, use the code DIGMEOUT15 for 15% off your purchase with free worldwide shipping.

Songs in this Episode:

Intro - Minneapolis by that dog.

8:54 - Attacking the Beat by The Suicide Commandos

33:28 - Dust Cake Boy by Babes in Toyland

39:03 - Walks Alone by Cows

Outro - She Would Hever by The Stereo

The second album from Hot Water Music gives us plenty to like, but much to scratch our heads at as well. Whether you call them punk, post-punk, post-hardcore or emo, HWM forge a unique path on 1997′s Forever and Counting, avoiding the rhythms and structures traditionally associated with punk rock. While we dug the diversity, the presentation left us wanting, as a dynamic-less mix and some questionable guitar and bass tones muddied the water. Give a listen and share your thoughts.

Special thanks to Sudio Sweden (Facebook/Instagram), who hooked us up with two pairs of Regent headphones to test out. We’re reporting on them all month - if you like what you hear and want to grab a pair, use the code DIGMEOUT15 for 15% off your purchase with free worldwide shipping.

Songs in this Episode:

Intro - Translocation

14:26 - Just Don’t Say You Lost It

18:36 - Manual

22:24 - Man The Change

33:45 - Three Summers Strong

Outro - Position

Cornershop’s 1995 sophomore album Woman’s Gotta Have It gives a hint of the hit they would release two years later. The album shifts between rhythm driven “Hindi Pop” and jarring, dissonant indie guitar rock. While both have their merits, the melodies flow smoother on the former leaving the latter wanting. This album may have been out of step with the UK Battle of Britpop taking place between Blur and Oasis in 1995, but we contemplate if the sounds of Woman’s Gotta Have It would influence Damon Albarn’s songwriting on future Blur releases.

Bonus audio from this episode can be found at Patreon, including a mini-review and discussion on the Foo Fighters latest album Concrete and Gold.

Special thanks to Sudio Sweden (Facebook/Instagram), who hooked us up with two pairs of Regent headphonesto test out. We’re reporting on them all month - if you like what you hear and want to grab a pair, use the code DIGMEOUT15 for 15% off your purchase with free worldwide shipping.

Songs in this Episode:

Intro - Wog

8:48 - My Dancing Days Are Gone

12:09 - 6am Jullandar Shere

22:05 - Hong Kong Book of Fung Fu

Outro - Camp Orange

It’s Halloween, a perfect time thanks a requested review to revisit the the Groovie Ghoulies 1997 album Re-Animation Festival. With a mixture of early rock ‘n roll riffs courtesy Chuck Berry and Buddy Holly, mixed with Ramones energy and Monkees goofiness, all wrapped in a Misfits-style horror punk sound, the Ghoulies give us some good creeps on All Hallows Eve. The band hit their stride keeping it simple, and our complaints are few. We also wonder if the Ghoulies were ahead of their time and missed out on an opportunity to cross platforms and launch a Doc McStuffins/Jake and the Neverland Pirates kids show.

Songs in this Episode

Intro - Graveyard Girlfriend

8:46 - Zombie Crush

12:03 - Tunnel of Love

14:30 - Graceland

15:45 - If You Need Me

18:47 - Evading The Grays

Outro - Chupacabra

On her sophomore release Firecracker, Lisa Loeb mixes pop hooks and confessional ballads with mixed results. Known for the hit “Stay” from the Reality Bites soundtrack and the 1995 album Tails, her 1997 release under her own name has some made for radio pop singles as well as more intimate material. Sometimes the sparse approach works, adding flavor to the sound, and other times the musicians backing her leave us wondering who this album is for - pop listeners? Adult contemporary stations? Coffee house singer songwriters? Our confusion left us with mixed opinions - give a listen and share your thoughts if we got it right or wrong on Firecracker.

Songs in this Episode:

Intro - I Do

11:38 - Falling In Love

16:47 - Let’s Forget About It

18:50 - Firecracker

Outro - Truthfully

On the follow-up to their teenage debut, Silverchair fattened the sound but not the sales, we try to figure out what happened. When 1995′s Frogstomp exploded, the kids from Australia were pegged as Nirvana wannabes with plenty of growing to do. The still managed to sell millions of albums and score a bunch of hit singles. The sophomore release Freakshow from 1997 actually fared better with critics, but the sales dipped considerably, both in the US and their native Australia. To help us determine if this is truly a sophomore slump, we’re joined by Jeff Takacs (Rocketfuel podcast), Joe Royland (Sit and Spin with Joe vidcast) and Steve Muczynski (Hollow Earth) to revisit the record with fresh ears.

Hear bonus content from the show over at Patreon.

Songs in this Episode:

Intro - Freak

14:31 - Slave

25:21 - Cemetery

47:56 - Roses

Outro - Abuse Me

On the follow-up to their breakthrough album, The Cardigans 1998 release Gran Turismo asks you to put on headphones and chill. Though known for their bouncy pop single Lovefool, words like moody and introspective better represent their overall sound. Taking cues from a wide range of musical styles and distilling them into a controlled and unique album that owes as much to 90s downtown electronica and trip-hop as well as metal and industrial music. Yes, we’re dead serious, there more on going here than you probably noticed at first glance, so allow us to indulge our digressions, then let us know if you agree or disagree on our take.

Songs in this Episode

Intro - Erase/Rewind

9:44 - My Favorite Game

18:22 - Paralyzed

21:27 - Do You Believe

32:43 - Your Love Alone Is Not Enough (Manic Street Preachers feat. Nina Persson)

Outro -  Explode

Rick Ruhl and Every Mother’s Nightmare are back with a new album, and he stops by to share their story. He takes his back to his formative years, his first concert (Alice Cooper!) and his earliest bands before forming EMN, who ended up signed by the legendary Clive Davis to Arista records after just thirteen gigs together. We dig into the awkward early 90s when bands with ballads and hair were lumped together regardless of their sound, and then written off collectively as grunge and alternative exploded. We discuss the Perris Records years, the various guest artists who appear on the new album, and a whole lot more.

Special thanks to Bill Chavis at HighVolMusic for helping put this together!

Songs in this Episode

Intro - Loco Crazy

1:46 - Loco Crazy

50:56 - Upper Hand

Outro - Blown Away

We’re back with another “In The 90s” episode, this time tracking the chronology of rock legends KISS through the decade. After rising to fame in the 70s, the 80s were less kind to the band, who shed the makeup, band members and eventually albums sales through a turbulent time They entered the 90s on a positive note, with 1989′s Hot In The Shade scoring a hit with the power ballad “Forever,” but faced tragedy with the death of fan favorite drummer Eric Carr. While 1992′s Revenge initially sold well, it struggled to reach Gold and hte ensuing tour sputtered as the shifting musical landscape at the beginning of the decade pointed the band in a heavier direction foretold by the Revenge single “Unholy.” The eventual result would be 1997′s Carnival of Souls, with heavy nods to Alice In Chains and Soundgarden, but by the time of release it was an afterthought thanks to the 1995 MTV Unplugged performance that reunited the original line-up and stoked a short lived KISS revival in popular culture. The end result would be the 1998 album Psycho Circus, a reunion album in name only. It was a tumultuous ten years in which KISS would recapture their past at the cost of their future.

To help us break it all down, joining our roundtable is Julian Gill, the man behind KissFAQ.com, author of a number of books on the band and host of the KissFAQ podcast, Joe Royland of Sit and Spin with Joe, and the Patreon patron who made this episode happen, Chris Martz.

Make sure to sign up at Patreon to hear bonus content from this and other episodes, as well as be eligible to win our 2017 4th Quarter Giveaway of the exclusive Newbury Comics limited edition white vinyl pressing of Sleater-Kinney’s 1997 album Dig Me Out and a copy of Tom Mullen’s new book Anthology of Emo Volume One.

Special thanks to Sudio Sweden (Facebook/Instagram), who hooked us up with two pairs of Tre earphones to test out. We’re reporting on them all month - if you like what you hear and want to grab a pair, use the code DIGMEOUT15 for 15% off your purchase.

Songs in this Episode

Intro - Psycho Circus (from Psycho Circus)

18:16 - Unholy (from Revenge)

21:37 - God Gave Rock ‘n Roll To You II (from Revenge)

27:13 - I Just Wanna (from Revenge)

51:16 - Master and Slave (from Carnival of Souls)

58:12 - Into The Void (from Psycho Circus)

1:04:10 - We Are One (from Psycho Circus)

Outro - I Walk Alone (from Carnival of Souls)

Formed after the untimely death of Stevie Ray Vaughan, Arc Angels pick-up the Texas blues-rock torch on their 1992 self-titled release. Pairing the seasoned rhythm section of drummer Chris Layton and bassist Tommy Shannon with guitarist and singers Doyle Bramhall II and Charlie Sexton, the band expands upon Vaughan’s blues template and mildly dips its toes in more pop and radio friendly territory. At times it works, but at other times it comes off sound like imitations of better known tunes. We discuss, as well as where this fit in the early 1990s landscape.

Songs in this Episode:

Intro - Living In A Dream

8:54 - Too Many Ways To Fall

17:58 - Shape I’m In

23:34 - Good Time

27:02 - Spanish Moon

Outro - The Famous Jane

In 1993 Living Colour released an album filled songs of alienation, social commentary and heavy themes that still resonate today. Stain was the first album with Doug Wimbish on bass, and the band fires on all cylinders with their unique brand of metal, sliding easily from funk to experimental to thrash and hard rock with ease. But two years later the band would take a five year break, and Stain would temporarily leave the band frozen on dark and foreboding note. Thanks to a Patreon pick, we revisit the record with fresh ears and take in all that Vernon Reid and his arsenal of guitar wizardry has to offer.

After checking out our review of Stain, visit our Patreon page to hear our quick review of Living Colour’s latest release - Shade from this past September.

Make sure to sign up at Patreon to hear bonus content from this and other episodes, as well as be eligible to win our 2017 4th Quarter Giveaway of the exclusive Newbury Comics limited edition white vinyl pressing of Sleater-Kinney’s 1997 album Dig Me Out and a copy of Tom Mullen’s new book Anthology of Emo Volume One.

Special thanks to Sudio Sweden (Facebook/Instagram), who hooked us up with two pairs of Tre earphones to test out. We’re reporting on them all month - if you like what you hear and want to grab a pair, use the code DIGMEOUT15 for 15% off your purchase.

Songs in this Episode:

Intro - Never Satisfied

11:35 - Ignorance Is Bliss

19:03 - Bi

25:50 - Go Away

32:52 - Mind Your Own Business

Outro - Leave It Alone

All the way back in season seven, we reviewed Save Ferris’s 1997 release It Means Everything, the first ska album discussed on a deep dive for the podcast. Seven years later, we catch up with Save Ferris lead singer Monique Powell who discusses how she joined the ska-punk band, the highs and lows of signing to a major label, what it was like being on the road with artists like Sugar Ray and The Offspring in the late ‘90s and the current status of the band. During the interview, we briefly discussed the legal fight Powell was engaged in with former members which led to Powell taking ownership of the group and retroactively being given co-songwriting credits for songs that appeared on It Means Everything and 1999’s Modified. To read more about the case, read the 2019 Forbes magazine feature.

Songs in this Episode:

Intro - The World Is New

30:47 - Come On Eileen

Outro - The World Is New

Support the podcast, join the DMO UNION at Patreon.

Another season is complete, so we’re looking back at our favorite album discoveries, roundtables, interviews and more from 2017. We also pick our five favorite tunes from season seven, which featured everything from the guitar power pop of Brendan Benson and pop punk of Ruth Ruth to the Indian-meets-Britpop sounds of Cornershop and alternative fuzz of Violetine. We also give a sneak peak of 2018 - discussing some of the early reviews picked by our Patreon patrons and our various roundtables.

Special thanks to Sudio Sweden (Facebook/Instagram), who hooked us up with two pairs of Tre earphones to test out. We’re reporting on them all month - if you like what you hear and want to grab a pair, use the code DIGMEOUT15 for 15% off your purchase.

Songs in this Episode:

Intro - Dig Me Out by Sleater-Kinney

7:43 - Freak by Silverchair

11:44 - All Sideways by Scarce

17:53 - I Think I’m In Love by Spiritualized

29:08 - Crosseyed by Brendan Benson

32:23 - Uptight by Ruth Ruth

37:38 - 6am Jullander Shere by Cornershop

40:53 - The Bright Light by Tanya Donelly

Outro - Temptation by The Tea Party

We haven't reviewed much (or any) European progressive gothic doom metal shoegaze trip-hop, so thanks to our latest Patreon pick, we're checking out the 1998 double-album How to Measure a Planet? by The Gathering. The question we ask is - how to measure a band that is equal parts Massive Attack, the Cocteau Twins, Pink Floyd, Radiohead, Dream Theater and Slowdive? What we do know is that in the age of overlong compact discs, a double album had better be worth it, and like most 90s double albums, the indulgence doesn't quite live up to the output. However, there is definitely something unique and interesting happening, providing us with a true album that sounds best listened to as a whole rather than searching for singles. The ambitions are grand, but surprisingly it is the restraint in both the playing and production that make HTMAP? an album that both reinterprets the past and forges a path for bands of the 2000s.

Intro - My Electricity

15:31 - Liberty Bell

26:03 - Travel

29:44 - Great Ocean Road

Outro - The Big Sleep

On their third full-length album, Adelaide, Australia's The Mark Of Cain enlisted Henry Rollins to produce their rooArt debut, 1995's Ill At Ease. The band scored a number one on the independent album chart and managed two successful Triple J singles. Recalling Rollins work with his own Rollins Band, as well as post-hardcore bands such as Helmet and Quicksand, Ill At Ease succeeds and suffers thanks to lead singer and guitarist John Scott, whose guitar riffing alternates between inspired and generic, and whose voice maintains a consistent bark. But while there are all the hallmarks pinning this band to its 1990s influences, we also discovered sounds reminiscent of the alternative metal of 2000's band like Mastodon.. Give a listen and share your thoughts on Ill At Ease.

Intro - First Time

9:52 - LMA

13:43 - The Contender

21:14 - You Let Me Down

Outro - Point Man

Despite being a three piece, the Midwestern trio Arcwelder put each instrument to optimum use on their 1993 album Pull. A big, post-hardcore sound without layer upon layer of overdubs thanks to off-kilter chord and melody choices that recall heavier 90s acts like Helmet and the next in the vein of noisier drone of Swervedriver. Arcwelder find a consistent, engaging sound that balances indie rock intensity with an accessibility that reveals itself over the course of several listens, the definition of a slow grower.

Songs In This Episode

Intro - Truth

14:04 - Lahabim

20:08 - Cranberry Sauce

23:33 - Remember to Forget

34:59 - What Did You Call It That For

Outro - It's A Wonderful Lie

Support the podcast, join the DMO UNION at Patreon.

It's time to travel back twenty years and revisit the albums of 1998. What albums were overlooked upon release that have gained critical acclaim and fans in the years since? Which albums were big releases that have stood the test of time, and which ones have failed that same test? Are there albums we bought back in 1998 and immediately regretted the purchase? And what are our favorite albums from this wildly divergent year that witnessed the rise of nü-metal bands like Korn and Limp Bizkit along with the pop of Britney Spears and the Backstreet Boys, that also featured new albums from major artists like Madonna, the Beastie Boys, Pearl Jam and The Smashing Pumpkins. To help us dig into it all, we're joined by Andy Derer of The Andy Derer Show, Chip Midnight of Kids Interview Bands and Jim Hanke of Vinyl Emergency.

Intro - 1998 Medley (Marilyn Manson, The Smashing Pumpkins, Semisonic, Beastie Boys)

15:54 - Starfighter Pilot by Snow Patrol

23:18 - Poets by The Tragically Hip

36:29 - Something' Hot by The Afghan Whigs

51:02 - At My Most Beautiful by R.E.M.

1:08:25 - California Stars by Billy Bragg and Wilco

1:12:29 - Car Radio by Spoon

Outro - Ray of Light by Madonna

There was a brief flicker of a moment at the end of the 90s, before the garage rock rival of The Strokes and White Stripes, before the post-post-punk of Interpol and Bloc Party, before Jimmy Eat World and Dashboard Confessional took emo to the mainstream, that the American underground punk of the New Bomb Turks and Rocket From The Crypt were going to have their moment. At the same time, across the pond in Scandinavia, it took the shape of The Hellacopters signing to Sub Pop and veterans Turbonegro refining their sound with the 1998 release Apocalypse Dudes. Maybe it was wishful thinking that those who previously embraced AC/DC, Motley Crue and Buckcherry would find common cause with the action rock crowd, one that favored Iggy and Stooges as much as Bob Seger and Lynyrd Skynyrd. While The Hellacopters and Gluecifer traffic'd in their own brand of riffage gymnastics, Turbonegro added an extra layer - social and political commentary via bombastic lyrics and outrageous stage presence. In retrospect, it may have all been too much, like the layer upon layer of guitar tracks that would make Billy Corgan crack a smile. It's confrontational, it's explicit (earmuffs for the kids!) and it's also a lot of fun.

Intro - Get It On

13:19 - Rock Against Ass

23:14 - Humiliation Street

27:15 - Don't Say Motherf*cker, Motherf*cker

32:42 - Zillion Dollar Sadist

Outro - Are You Ready (For Some Darkness)

Toward the middle of the 1990s, the shift away from loud grunge, post-hardcore, and punk resulted in a wide variety of more introspective sounds. Some bands were tagged with emo, some with slowcore, others with simply indie rock. From Death Cab for Cutie and John Vanderslice to Elliott Smith and Iron & Wine, the late 90s and early aughts were full bands turning down both the volume and tempo. San Diego's Pinback, comprised of veteran scene musicians Rob Crow and Armistead Burwell Smith IV, utilize a wide variety of instruments and approaches on their self-titled debut from 1999. A simple drum preset can carry an entire song, mixing a variety of analog keyboard and guitar sounds, while occasionally introducing samples, guitar-mimicking vinyl scratching, or vocal loops. It's a melancholy but charming debut that presents many interesting ideas that sometimes lack a second or third gear to make them truly inspired.

Songs in this Episode:

Intro - Hurley

17:34 - Tripoli

20:20 - Rousseau

25:33 - Crutch

Outro - Lyon

Support the podcast, join the DMO UNION at Patreon.

"We live in urban hell, we destroy rock and roll." Those were the closing sentiments of the 1991 single Motown Junk by the Manic Street Preachers, a band of Welsh nihilist iconoclasts who declared greatness from the start, aligning themselves with The Clash, Public Enemy and Guns n' Roses. Four albums and the disappearance of one member later, the band was no longer a confrontational blitzkrieg. 1998's This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours is the sound of a band collectively exhaling and confronting both the past and their heartache, while building upon the success achieved on the previous album, Everything Must Go. On TIMTTMY, the band embraces a clean pop production that would propel the single "If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next" to number one in the UK, trading in guitars for organs, electric pianos and sitars. We revisit the record recognizing now that the band would continue on the path of deconstruction with Know Your Enemy three years later and the synth heavy Lifeblood in 2004. In fact, it would take almost a decade to recapture the guitar driven bombast on 2007's Send Away The Tigers. It's a fascinating if uneven attempt to pair pathos and pop sensibility that works for some but not all.

Intro - If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next

13:38 - Ready for Drowning

17:43 - Black Dog on My Shoulder

26:45 - Tsunami

41:20 - If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next

Outro - The Everlasting

Like so many previous artists and bands referred to as "power pop," The Tories debut album Wonderful Life from 1997 came and went with little fanfare. Perhaps it was timing, as the early and mid-nineties alternative rock gold rush led to a unwieldy number of releases, most which got lost in the shuffle. Perhaps it was due to the label, which specialized in East Coast jazz and house music instead of California pop rock. Or was it the songs? No, it wasn't the songs. The Tories have the songs, as well as the melodies, the harmonies, the guitar fuzz, everything you expect when the chemistry is right, and creates a power pop album worth checking out. Along with our Patreon special guest, we try to figure out what went right and wrong with Wonderful Life.

Intro - Flying Solo

13:39 - Gladys Kravitz

23:40 - Happy

29:12 - Spaceships in the Sky

Outro - Not What it Appears

Our look back at Season Nine of the podcast really highlighted how much growth we've experienced and how much more we have ahead of us. We turned over the selection of our roundtable episodes to our Steering Committee and Board of Director level Patreon patrons, and the results did not disappoint. Our poll selected episodes were as interesting and diverse as ever, and our patrons selected reviews also provided us with a chance to revisit some familiar names (Nirvana, The Verve Pipe, etc.) as well as expand the sounds and genres to include rock en español, symphonic metal, avant-garde noise pop, and much more.

Songs In This Episode:

Intro/Outro - Dig Me Out by Sleater-Kinney

Support the podcast, join the DMO UNION at Patreon.

There are independent artists, and then there is Ani DiFranco. Forging her own path since starting Righteous Babe Records at age nineteen, busking tapes out of the back of her car in Buffalo, NY, DiFranco has remained as proficient and relevant for three decades. After a string of critically acclaimed albums and a well received live album, she released Little Plastic Castle in 1998 and was nominated for a Grammy for Rock Female Vocalist. Known for her folk rock staccato, Little Plastic Castle opens up the sound to incorporate horns, extra percussion, keyboards and more, and finds her breaking the rapid-fire delivery for songs built around mood and groove. Those alterations provide her with a large sonic pallet to play with, but come with some questionable choices, which left us split on what we liked and didn't like about the album.

Intro - Glass House

9:03 - Fuel

12:26 - Pulse

15:25 - As Is

19:44 - Independence Day

22:52 - Pixie

Outro - Little Plastic Castle

Plenty of bands messed around with a lo-fi sound in the 90s, sometimes to euphoric effects, sometimes not so much. Swell dabbles: a white noise fractured guitar lead here, a flat acoustic guitar riff there. But on Too Many Days Without Thinking, they are merely small pieces of a more layered puzzle. Had it been played on Les Paul's through big amps, the album would have sounded very familiar, so dialing back the noise and putting it to sparing use helps elevate the band above their 90s rock peers.

Songs in this Episode:

Intro - Make Mine You

14:27 - When You Come Over

19:08 - Throw the Wine

22:36 - What I Always Wanted

29:01 - (I Know) The Trip

Outro - F*ck Even Flow

Support the podcast, join the DMO UNION at Patreon.

You may know him from the "avant-punk" of 1990s Shudder To Think, but you'd probably been listening to Craig Wedren in some way in the last twenty years. From his frequent collaborations with writer/director David Wain on the various Wet Hot American Summer television seasons and movie, Role Models, Stella and Wainy Days, to his recent work on shows like Fresh Off The Boat, GLOW, Powerless, Hung and Blunt Talk, or his contributions on films such as Velvet Goldmine, School of Rock, Search Party, Wanderlust and many more, Craig has put his ear for 70s rock radio and 80s MTV to work. He stops by to talk about his latest solo release, Adult Desire from 2016, and discuss the virtual reality component that took us back to the immersion of yesteryear when audio and visual worked in thoughtful tandem. We also discuss his years spent in the Cleveland area, fronting teenage coverbands and enjoying the sounds of the Michael Stanley Band and Donnie Iris on WMMS, his apprehension writing music for 1990s based television, watching director and former Lemonheads bassist Jesse Peretz burn a suitcase on tour, and of course, KISS, plus so much more.

Intro - I Am A Wolf, You Are The Moon from Adult Desire

5:26 - Are We from Wand

12:07 - Safe Home (Live) from Adult Desire

38:52 - Main Title Song from Role Models

50:11 - Spin Doctor-ish Song from Wet Hot American Summer: Ten Years Later

51:06 - Pearl Jam and RHCP-ish song from Wet Hot American Summer: Ten Years Later

1:15:46 - Until Summer by BAby

Outr - I Am A Wolf, You Are The Moon from Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp

Going into this episode, we thought desert rock and stoner rock were the same thing. We were wrong. We thought the "desert rock sound" started with the Sabbath influence lowend fuzzed riffs of Kyuss. We were wrong on that as well. There is an important lesson here - makes sure you are open to preconceived notions being challenged because the truth maybe more interesting than the vision in your head. That wasn't only the case for us. We invited on Jason Georgiades, director of Desert Age, a film about the 80s and 90s desert rock scene, who also had to shift his thinking once he started digging into history, talking to the people, and hearing the music of the California desert around Palm Springs. You've heard of Queens of the Stone Age and Kyuss, but what about Across the River and Yawning Man? Or Unsound or Target 13? We talk the bands, the landscape, the (lack of) places to play and the illegal substances that made the desert rock scene of the truly most original in punk, alternative and hard rock. We also get a behind the scenes look at the making of a rock documentary in the twenty first century.

Use the promo code "Green Machine" to get 15% off anything in the Desert Age store.

Intro - Green Machine by Kyuss

11:05 - Monster in the Parasol from The Desert Sessions, Vol 3 & 4

24:04 - N.O. by Across The River

35:37 - She Got Me (When She Got Her Dress On) by Masters of Reality

53:33 - Rock Formations by Yawning Man

Outro - Rodney on the Roq by Target 13

Like any decade of rock music and commercial radio, the 1990s had plenty of one hit wonders, many of which we talked about in our One Hit Wonders Roundtable. Marcy Playground managed their own, with Sex and Candy in 1997 spending fifteen weeks at number on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart, and top ten on four other US charts, as well as top ten in Canada and Australia, and top thirty in the UK. In other words, it was a massive hit, so how did they follow it up? In 1999 they released Shapeshifter, the whips between more radio friendly pop, Americana-folk, Butthole Surfer weirdness and Nirvana riffage. In other words, it is all over the place. Sometimes an eclectic approach provides a interesting and diverse selection of tunes, other times it is a mess of one-off attempts and half-way-there ideas. Where does Shapeshifter fall? Tune in to find out.

Intro: It's Saturday

12:25 - America

14:09 - Love Bug

19:33 - All The Lights Went Out

24:14 - Secret Squirrel

Outro - Bye Bye

During our revisit of the one and only Talk Show album featuring the three guys not named Scott Weiland from Stone Temple Pilots during their infamous 1997 hiatus, we remarked how the music remained steady but the vocals and melodies were less interesting. Now we get to examine the other side of that temporary split with Weiland's 1998 solo debut 12 Bar Blues. Would the lack of the DeLeo brothers inventive riffing similarly hamper the lead singers creative output? The simple answer is no, thanks to Weiland's willingness to experiment, filling the record with interesting sounds and surrounding himself with accomplished musicians. It is an admirable, if occasionally messy, attempt to shatter the perceptions of what it meant to be "the lead singer of Stone Temple Pilots," but more often than not, the influences start to show. Sadly, this left us wondering if the lukewarm critical reception, albums sales and radio play pushed Weiland back into the easy embrace of Stone Temple Pilots too quickly, who churned out successive radio friendly if bland riffage that palled to their primer-era output. Weiland never pushed the envelope like he did on this record, and we try to figure out why.

Intro - Barbarella

13:20 - Mockingbird Girl

18:05 - About Nothing

29:28 - Son

Outro - Lady, Your Roof Brings Me Down

New York City has been a global epicenter for music and culture in general for decades, so it is no surprise that the the 1990s are no different. From the legendary Velvet Underground, KISS and Blondie, to indie rock progenitors Sonic Youth, Talking Heads and Television, to the punk of the New York Dolls, Ramones and The Dictators, as well as the hip-hop, disco, electronic and dance scenes, the 1990s combined it all into a stew of unique sounds interpolated by artists such as the Beastie Boys, Living Colour, White Zombie, Girls Against Boys, Helmet, Biohazard, and more. Like every scene we've dug into, finding the venues, the media, the record stores, recording studios and labels that fostered the sound for the band, New York City has its own spin. How do you get gear to shows in a city most travel by subway? How do you get your band noticed in a sea of competition? How do you not get robbed and randomly punched in the face on the street? To help us unpack it all, we're joined by Eli Janney of Girls Against Boys and The 8G Band from Late Night with Seth Meyers, Mike Lustig of Ruth Ruth, and Mike Stuto from Brownies and Beggars Banquet Records.

Intro - New York Medley (New York City by The Cult, New York State of Mind by Billy Joel, Back in the New York Groove by Ace Frehley, New York City by T. Rex)

Outro - Safe In New York City by AC/DC

Upon release in 1996, Skinny Puppy's eight album The Process divided and confused longtime fans, some accusing the band of selling out and writing rock and metal singles for a major label. While a band like Ministry was able to slip the heavier/noiser end of industrial into periphery of mainstream of MTV and commercial radio with Psalm 69, neither reached the heights of a band like Nine Inch Nails, or the legion of wannabes who followed. Thanks to our patron Josh "funkdoc" Ballard bring this record to us, we're able to not only check out a diverse and divisive album fraught with creative tension and tragedy, but also examine the shifting concept of what "commercial" and "selling out" meant in 1996 versus today. Check out Josh's article on Medium, "The Billion-Year Voyage”: Skinny Puppy’s Last Rights.

Intro - Candle

14:18 - Curcible

19:36 - Hardset Head

23:02 - Amnesia

34:31 - Jahya

Outro - Blue Serge

Our Patreon patrons often surprise us. Our poll for April of 1998 included revered and critically acclaimed albums, but instead the votes went a surprising way. Stabbing Westward's third album Darkest Days, could (and was) written off in some circles as a Nine Inch Nails wannabe. In revisiting this, and other records there were not critical darlings in the 1990s, it is easy to see why. Following up a hit single (one-hit wonder?) on their previous record, the odds were against them pulling out another, especially while wrapping it all in a sixteen track, sixty-four minute concept album, in a genre (industrial rock) as pinned to the 1990s as grunge. But a funny thing happened, while lesser bands were layering oodles of synths and metallic guitars on top of mechanical drum beats, Stabbing Westward remember to write the hooks and keep it grounded in the more rock end of industrial rock. Sure, it's loud and abrasive one minute and whisper quiet serious the next, but with production master Dave Jerden assisting behind the board, the band manages to make it all in work despite the odds.

Intro - Save Yourself

12:15 - Waking Up Beside You

23:23 - Haunting Me

27:23 - When I'm Dead

33:13 - Goodbye

Outro - You Complete Me

By 1993, James were already established with a string of successful UK singles on their four previous album. But with the release of Laid, they managed to crack wide open United States college and mainstream radio playlists with the quirky and catchy title track. However, like so many albums released in the 90s, a hit single does not always represent the sound of the band overall. While James had their fair share of uptempo tunes, including the New Order-esque Say Something from the same album, with the help of our Patreon patron Patrick (of Three Bines Hopped Spirits) who picked the album, we discovered a moodier, more melancholy sound, driven by bass and atmospheric guitars. While some of that credit is probably due to legendary musician/producer Brian Eno, the band themselves unveil a unique combination of post-punk edge, folk storytelling, Madchester bounce and Brit-pop swagger. It all makes for a listen that bares repeated listens to discover the layers, which also reveal some deficiencies that grew over time.

Intro - Laid

13:23 - Say Something

16:51 - Out To Get You

27:27 - Five-O

Outro - Sometimes

Do you remember 1995? If you do, you probably remember "In The Meantime" by Spacehog off their debut album Resident Alien. The single went to number one on the US mainstream chart, number two on the US modern rock chart, and top fifty in about every country that had a radio station. The album went Gold in the US and Platinum in Canada, and the video was in constant rotation on MTV. So what happened with their second effort, 1998's The Chinese Album? We don't know because neither the album nor any single charted in the US. So it's time for a sophomore slump revisited, and decide once and for all if we need to revisit Mungo City, or leave it a ghost town.

Intro - Mungo City

15:45 - Goodbye Violent Race

18:15 - Captain Freeman

23:07 - Beautiful Girl

Outro - One Of These Days

While we have traveled, musically speaking, to Europe and Australia quite often, Japan has been a much rarer trip, and we've never revisited an album that wasn't primarily recorded in English. Until now. Thanks to a patron selection, we're checking out the 2000 album Shōso Strip by Ringo Sheena. It's hard to nail down the sound or style of Ringo Sheena on her second album, which bounces from electronic pop to metallic distortion to cabaret swing, all backed by a talented band and produced to the nth degree, using every studio trick in the book. For a pop record, there is almost no western comparison. The better comparisons are trailblazing iconoclasts Bjork or Tori Amos, but even that fails to truly capture the twisted and wild ride that is Shōso Strip.

Intro - I Am A Liar

7:30 - Instinct

14:47 - Excuse Debussy

25:37 - Sickbed Public

32:31 - A Broken Man and Midnight

38:27 - Stoicism

Outro - Bathroom

Nada Surf scored a quirky one-hit wonder with "Popular," and as with most one-hit wonders, pressure from the record label to follow it up caused a divide. In this case, Nada Surf were dropped, record in hand, which they were able to release on their own label. While The Proximity Effect received some positive press upon release in 1998 (in the UK, 2000 in the US), it went mostly unnoticed. It wasn't until Let Go in 2002 that the band fully arrived, garnering rave reviews, following that up with Chris Walla-produced The Weight Is A Gift in 2005. Upon reflection, The Proximity Effect comes across as a transition album, with the band sound clearing, fuller and more confident, while not quite hitting the highs they would reach on their next two releases.

Special thanks to Sudio Sweden for providing our May giveaway - a pair of Regent headphones. Join us at Patreon by May 15th to be eligible to win, winner announced on episode 384. We’re following up on our previous Tre and Regent reports, if you like what you hear and want to grab a pair, use the code DIGMEOUT for 15% off your purchase.

Intro - Hyperspace

14:34 - Firecracker

21:23 - Dispossession

28:18 - Spooky

36:29 - Amateur

Outro - Robot

Through the 1980s, U2 had gone from upstart punks to political firebrands to stadium superstars, reaching the critical crossroad of either delivering what people expected and remaining creatively stagnant or reinventing their sound and risk alienation. By all accounts, 1991's Achtung Baby managed to position the band as a force at the beginning of the decade creatively, commercially and critically. That comes with its own risk, as one reinvention begets another - as the earnest and sincerity of the past is replaced with irony and spectacle. With Zooropa and the Passengers project with Brian Eno, the band continued to evolve sonically, but the U2 of The Unforgettable Fire and War was essentially retired. Depending on who you talked to, the band reached their 90s apex or nadir on 1997's Pop, forcing the band to release their greatest hits collection shortly after, and then to dial back the disconnect and on 2000's All That You Can't Leave Behind. With our guests, we dig deep into the U2 of the 90s, and try to figure out what what right, went went wrong, and where it left the band at the start of the new millenia.

Special thanks to Sudio Sweden for providing our May giveaway - a pair of Regent headphones. Join us at Patreon by May 15th to be eligible to win, winner announced on episode 384. We’re following up on our previous Tre and Regent reports, if you like what you hear and want to grab a pair, use the code DIGMEOUT for 15% off your purchase.

Intro - Discothèque from Pop 25:17 - The Fly from Achtung Baby 30:37 - Mysterious Ways from Achtung Baby 40:28 - Numb from Zooropa 43:47 - Stay (Faraway, So Close!) Outro - Staring At The Sun from Pop