Dig Me Out - The 90's Rock Podcast

The back half of the 1990s was deluged with more post-grunge bands that we can count, and cutting through the noise wasn't always easy. For bands like Black Lab, who aimed for both radio and something more interesting, that meant not reaching the chart-topping highs of bands like Our Lady Peace, Semisonic, or Live. Their 1997 debut You Body Above Me for Geffen is a prime example of making the most of the back-half album tracks, as vocalist Paul Durham takes some inventive detours with his vocals, bouncing between the emotive lead single "Wash It Away" and the more expressive attack of "All the Money in the World" or Bring It On." A cursory pass may leave the listener wondering what the fuss is about, but slap on the headphones and you'll hear some impressive choices from each instrument, playing off of and pushing each other for something more with a clear and full sound that impresses even today.   Songs In This Episode Intro - Wash It Away 18:23 - Can't Keep the Rain 23:30 - All the Money in the World 29:15

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   Support the podcast, join the DMO UNION at Patreon. Listen to the episode archive at DigMeOutPodcast.com.

Dave Smalley’s been a punk rock fixture since the early ‘80s when he fronted DYS. Stints as the lead singer in Dag Nasty and ALL followed before the touring life caused him to reconsider what it meant to be in a band. In 1991, Smalley formed Down By Law, signed with Epitaph Records, and released six full length albums before the decade was done and another four in the 2000’s with the most recent being 2021’s Lonely Town. In addition to Down By Law, Smalley currently lists Dave Smalley & The Bandoleros and Don’t Sleep on his punk rock resume, the latter of which is releasing their fourth album, See Change, on June 2.   Songs in this Episode: Intro - Promise Made by Don't Sleep 9:41 - Still Waiting by Dag Nasty Outro - Denim and Leather by Down By Law   Support the podcast, join the DMO UNION at Patreon. Listen to the episode archive at DigMeOutPodcast.com.  

Many, many years ago, we checked out the 1997 debut album Elsewhere For Eight Minutes by the Melbourne, Australian trio Something For Kate. Thanks to a Patreon patron we checked out their 1999 sophomore follow-up Beautiful Sharks to hear the evolution of the band. Whereas the debut offered some catchy alt-rock, Beautiful Sharks is a more subdued yet intricate album, putting new bassist Stephanie Ashworth on display as the guitars back-off to allow more space for lead singer/guitarist Paul Dempsey to weave intricate vocal and musical melodies. The result uniquely combines alt-rock that forgoes volume for dynamics and speed for tension.   Songs In This Episode Intro - Beautiful Sharks 10:51 - Before Butterfly's Wings 16:41 - Big Screen Television 23:55 - Electricity Outro - Easy   Support the podcast, join the DMO UNION at Patreon. Listen to the episode archive at DigMeOutPodcast.com.

We're as shocked as anyone to be talking about a Kylie Minogue album, but here we are thanks to a Patron. If you're a 90s grunge and alternative fan, chances are your exposure to Kylie is limited to her late 80s cover of "The Loco-Motion" or her earworm early 00s hit "Can't Get You Out Of My Head." But after growing tired of the musical restrictions of her pop success, Minogue explored collaborations with artists like Nick Cave and the Manic Street Preachers in the mid-90s. The end result is her 1997 album Impossible Princess, still full of dance and pop singles, but with very deliberate attempts to stretch into new sounds. Trip-hop, electronica, trance, Britpop and more are explored, making for a diverse if sometimes uneven album.   Songs In This Episode Intro - Too Far 15:09 - Dreams 21:05 - Some Kind Of Bliss 28:02 - Cowboy Style 32:37 - Drunk Outro - I Don't Need Anyone   Support the podcast, join the DMO UNION at Patreon. Listen to the episode archive at DigMeOutPodcast.com.

Following the breakup of the mid-90s alt-country band Scud Mountain Boys, lead singer/songwriter Joe Pernice teamed up with his brother to write and record the debut Pernice Brothers album,  Overcome by Happiness, for SubPop Records in 1998. While it was the only Pernice Brothers album released by the legendary Seattle label, Joe’s continued to release music under that moniker through a label, Ashmont Records, that he started with his long-time business partner, Joyce Linehan. Superfan, and New West Records Vice President of Publicity, Brady Brock is responsible for the 25th anniversary, first-time-on-vinyl, reissue of Overcome by Happiness which is available in a deluxe version that includes a comprehensive 52-page hardback book documenting the history of the band, recollections of the recording of the album, lyrics, and a track-by-track walkthrough.   Songs in this Episode: Intro - Overcome By Happiness by Pernice Brothers 11:03 - In A Ditch by the Scud Mountain Boys Outro - Bum Leg by Joe Pernice   Support

By the end of the 1990s, grunge had run its course, seeing two and three waves of followers come and go. Nu-metal was ascendant thanks to the likes of Korn, Limp Bizkit, Deftones and others ruling MTV and radio, along with post-grunge acts like Creed, Chevelle, Drowning Pool and more. For a band like Oleander, their take on Nirvana-tinged grunge meant leaning into the manic energy of Bleach as much as the sculpted songwriting of Nevermind. On their 1999 major label debut February Son, itself a recording of an earlier independent album with a few track changes, the band shoot for radio with solid targeting.   Songs In This Episode Intro - Stupid 22:13 - Never Again 31:22 - Boys Don't Cry 38:00 - I Walk Alone Outro - Why I'm Here   Support the podcast, join the DMO UNION at Patreon. Listen to the episode archive at DigMeOutPodcast.com.

Formed in 1988 and one of the earliest acts to put out music on SubPop, TAD paved the way for bands like Nirvana and Soundgarden with their heavy and sludgy guitar noise. After releasing three albums on the infamous Seattle label, TAD put out two albums on majors, 1993’s Inhaler on Giant/Warner Bros and 1995’s Infrared Riding Hood on East West/Elektra before breaking up by the end of the decade. Lead singer Tad Doyle went on to front Hog Molly and Brothers of the Sonic Cloth before going the solo route and releasing albums that sound like SciFi-Horror soundtracks under his given name, Thomas Andrew Doyle.   Songs in this Episode: Intro - Grease Box (from Inhaler) 8:04 - Clairvoyant Witness (from Aberrant) Outro - Probabilities (from Aberrant)   Support the podcast, join the DMO UNION at Patreon. Listen to the episode archive at DigMeOutPodcast.com.  

After the dissolution of Jawbreaker in 1996, lead singer and guitarist Blake Schwarzenbach spent the next year not playing music, but DJ'ing and writing video game reviews. But the itch to create came back with the help of former Texas Is The Reason drummer Chris Daly and Handsome singer Jeremy Chatelain on bass. Jets To Brazil isn't so much a reinvention as a natural evolution, leaving behind the sometimes rigid restraints of punk and hardcore, and exploring new sounds with keyboards and guitar effects.   Songs In This Episode Intro - Crown of the Valley 20:37 - Starry Configurations 24:24 - Resistance is Futile 30:15 - King Medicine 40:16 - I Typed For Miles Outro - Morning New Disease   Support the podcast, join the DMO UNION at Patreon. Listen to the episode archive at DigMeOutPodcast.com.

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   Support the podcast, join the DMO UNION at Patreon. Listen to the episode

By 1991, Moving Targets were already well established in the Boston music scene upon the release of their third full-length, Fall. Lead by Kenny Chambers on vocals and guitar, the band that started out playing Husker Du-esque hardcore evolved like their contemporaries, downshifting the tempos and finding more melody. Tracks like "Answer" and "Away From Me" were primed for college radio alongside The Replacements, Goo Goo Dolls, Dramarama, and other post-punks finding their songwriting footing. The twists and turns, like using an e-bow on a mid-album instrumental track, add a layer of creativity not many other post-hardcore bands would attempt, even if the payoff doesn't always hit.   Songs In This Episode: Intro - Taang! Intro 14:18 - Answer 22:00 - Overated 31:50 - Away From Me Outro - Travel Music   Support the podcast, join the DMO UNION at Patreon. Listen to the episode archive at DigMeOutPodcast.com.

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 Out

By 1995, the alternative music revolution was in full swing, dominated MTV and radio across the US and around the world. While some of the original trailblazers, like the Pixies and Jane's Addiction, were no more, others continued and evolved their sound. Juliana Hatfield, who started out in the mid-1980s with the Blake Babies, had already released two acclaimed alternative rock albums before unleashing 1995's Only Everything. For her third release, Hatfield cranked up the guitar distortion, using big, fuzzy tones to give tracks like "What A Life" and "Dumb Fun" more punch while exploring slower, shoegaze vibes on several back half tracks. The end result is the rare combination of catchy, smart songwriting that rocks.   Songs In This Episode: Intro - What A Life 20:53 - Hang Down From Heaven 26:59 - Fleur De Lys 34:15 - Dumb Fun 39:32 - Live On Tomorrow Outro - Universal Heart-Beat   Support the podcast, join the DMO UNION at Patreon. Listen to the episode archive at DigMeOutPodcast.com.

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   Support the podcast, join the DMO UNION at Patreon. Listen to the episode archive at DigMeOutPodcast.com.

A perfect pick for a Dig Me Out episode, Fretblanket never seemed to get the mainstream attention the way their peers did. Formed in Stourbridge, England when the members were still in high school, the band caught the attention of Polygram Records in ‘93 and signed a deal before singer/guitarist Will Copley had graduated. A year later, Junkfuel was released with the single “Twisted” gaining a modest amount of airplay on U.S. alternative and college rock stations. Guitarist Clive Powell wrote most of the guitar-rich songs which fit in alongside artists like Sugar, The Doughboys, The Wedding Present and Ride while Copley’s grungy vocals earned comparisons to Kurt Cobain. Though they were very much of the time, the biggest touring exposure they had was opening for Oingo Boingo, a sad mismatch that likely didn’t earn the band any new fans. In 1997, they released Home Truths From Abroad which leaned more into the Brit rock side of things than the grungier side and caused a minor MTV buzz with their video for “Into

Few bands have stayed artistically and commercially relevant over forty years into their career, but with the release of their new album Memento Mori in March 2023, Depeche Mode continue to defy the odds. In the 80s the band built a fanbase in Europe over their first few releases before entering the global stage with "People Are People" in 1984. By the end of the decade, they were regularly a top ten album charting band in the UK while making serious inroads in North America. They entered the 90s with an album primed by the infectious single "Personal Jesus" that would launch them into the stratosphere. With Violator and its many singles, like R.E.M. and other alternative acts, mainstream radio and MTV formerly dominated by pop and hair metal were beginning to shift direction before the dam burst in 1991. But lurking beneath the surface was inter-band tensions and various addictions that would threaten to derail the band at the height of their global success.   Songs in this Episode: Intro - Personal Jesus (f

Diamond certified records, those that have sold ten million or more albums in the United States, are a rare achievement that few bands and artists can lay claim to. But as important as it is to talk about obscure and underappreciated 90s rock albums, we thought it was time to go in the opposite direction for a new series diving into the full albums of 90s rock Diamonds. With that, we start our Diamond series with the 1995 album Tragic Kingdom by No Doubt. Was there any escaping "Don't Speak" in 1996? No, there wasn't. Every media outlet was covering the chart topping single not only for its chart performance but the drama that surrounded the band. Along with huge singles "Spiderwebs" and "Just a Girl," Tragic Kingdom was in the cultural zeitgeist for years after its release, but how many people actually listened to the whole album? We definitely didn't, and we're here to correct that oversight.   Songs In This Episode: Intro - Don't Speak 19:04 - Happy Now? 21:29 - Sunday Morning 24:14 - Tragic Kingdom 35:25

Sophomore albums can be a difficult proposition. The standard refrain is you get a lifetime to make the first one and a few months to make the follow-up. In the case of Filter, it took a little longer, four years to be exact. Title of Record came out in 1999 in a much different musical landscape than their 1995 debut Short Bus. Luckily, their hard rock sound, with a touch of industrial, fit in well with the end of the decade, and they struck literal gold with the atypical single "Take A Picture." Even with an entirely new backing band and the loss of his songwriting counterpart, Richard Patrick separated himself further from the Nine Inch Nails comparisons by embracing a big rock sound with a few interesting diversions.   Songs In This Episode: Intro - Welcome To The Fold 26:02 - The Best Things 32:24 - Cancer 37:56 - Take A Picture Outro - It's Gonna Kill Me   Support the podcast, join the DMO UNION at Patreon. Listen to the episode archive at DigMeOutPodcast.com.

Blessed with fire and passion on display through her voice and lyrics, the murder of Mia Zapata robbed the world of her potential. With The Gits, she and guitarist Joe Spleen, bass player Matt Dresdner, and drummer Steve Moriarty made grunge mixed with hardcore punk on their 1992 album Frenching The Bully. With only four years together, the debut record displays potential in the same way Bleach gives hints of what Nirvana was to become on the released but unfinished follow-up album Enter: The Conquering Chicken.   Songs In This Episode: Intro - Another Shot of Whiskey 17:18 - Spear and Magic Helmet 23:08 - It All Dies Anyway 27:39 - Insecurities Outro - Absynthe   Support the podcast, join the DMO UNION at Patreon. Listen to the episode archive at DigMeOutPodcast.com.

There was never a question that Ivy would make it, though they did so with many strokes of luck, good fortune, and heart ache along the way. With talented songwriters Andy Chase and Adam Schlesinger writing sophisticated pop songs showcasing their love of ‘80s and ‘90s UK music, the only thing missing was a voice to go with the sounds. Chase’s girlfriend at the time (now wife), Dominique Durand, had moved to New York City from Paris to study fashion. While growing up in a house full of music journalists in France, Durand enjoyed the lifestyle and the personalities but never entertained the thought of taking center stage until she was reluctantly talked into it by Chase and Schlesinger. And the industry took notice. In the bumpy times of the mid-90s where labels were signing every band with a pulse, and subsequently dropping the ones that didn’t meet sales targets, Ivy was the type of band to earn glowing reviews that didn’t always translate to units shifted. 1995’s debut Realistic was released by Seed Records