Dig Me Out: 90s & 00s Rock

Latest Episodes:

Alanis Morissette - Jagged Little Pill | 90s Album Review Jun 17, 2024

Show notes

It's hard to look back on the 1990s and remember a time when Alanis Morissette was not one of its most recognizable artists. At the start of the decade, unless you were familiar with Canadian pop music or the Nickelodeon show "You Can't Do That On Television," you'd be forgiven for not knowing her name. In 1995, that all changed. Thanks to a meeting with songwriter/producer Glen Ballard, the creatively frustrated 19-year old teen pop star was able to reinvent herself by stripping away the restraints of her previous career and starting anew. Songwriting sessions with Ballard allowed Morissette to unleash her voice, sonically and lyrically, one demo at a time into what would become one of the most successful albums in history. As impressive as the sales numbers are, unlike other massive multi-platinum world sellers, Jagged Little Pill does it without being glossy and over-produced, relying on simple drum loops, tasteful guitars, and the occasional bouncy bassline to provide the foundation for Morissette's singular voice.

Songs In This Episode

Intro - You Outta Know

29:52 - Right Through You

32:35 - Dope Nostalgia Promo

37:03 - All I Really Want

46:55 - Not The Doctor

50:56 - Mary Jane

Outro - Head Over Feet

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Nine Inch Nails - The Downward Spiral | 90s Album Review Jun 11, 2024

Show notes

Nine Inch Nails' second studio album, The Downward Spiral, is Trent Reznor's chronicle of self-destruction through themes of addiction, depression, and existential despair. Free from the interference of TVT Records, it marked a significant recording and songwriting evolution for Reznor, building upon the . While the industrial rock genre had already combined heavy guitar riffs with electronic elements, Reznor's innovative production techniques combined with his ear for melody helped launch the album and band from the underground world to dance charts, daily MTV play, and global recognition.

Songs In This Episode

Intro - Mr. Self Destruct

33:07 - Piggy

36:42 - I Do Not Want This

40:58 - The Becoming

46:02 - Heresy

58:39 - Closer To God (single)

Outro - Hurt

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Buffalo Tom - Let Me Come Over | 90s Album Review Jun 04, 2024

Show notes

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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Damon and Naomi - More Sad Hits | 90s Album Review May 28, 2024

Show notes

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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Finger Eleven - Tip | 90s Album Review May 21, 2024

Show notes

Starting as the inexplicable Rainbow Butt Monkeys in the early 90s, the band wisely changed their name after the 1995 debut release and reconfigured their sound on 1998's Tip as Finger Eleven. With the capable Arnold Lanni behind the board, the band combined contemporary elements of Our Lady Peace, Helmet, Quicksand, and more in their post-grunge approach. A pair of big, thick guitar sounds with a rock steady rhythm section give singer Scott Anderson a strong base to work with, like on the riff-heavy "Condenser" and "Glimpse." But the band has multiple gears, like the subdued "Awake and Dreaming" and Tool-lite closer, "Swallowtail." If there is anything working against the band, it's the restraint they adhere to, keeping second guitar leads to a minimum and occasionally drifting vocally into Raine Maida territory.

Songs In This Episode

Intro - Condenser

26:46 - Alone

35:33 - Quicksand

40:25 - Swallowtail

Outro - Glimpse

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Hootie & the Blowfish - Cracked Rear View | 90s Album Review May 14, 2024

Show notes

In terms of unexpected successes in the music industry, Hootie & the Blowfish might be the biggest one of all. Having spent years playing southern bars as the 80s gave way to the 90s, the band couldn't get a record deal despite success with an independent EP. The A&R rep that signed them did so because they didn't sound like what was popular, and Atlantic Records gave them a fraction of their standard advance and no money to make a video for their 1994 debut Cracked Rear View. Years of honing their chops on the SEC circuit meant the pop-rock tunes with a tinge of southern flavor were tight and catchy - the perfect antidote to the domination of minor chord and drop-tuned Seattle sound that dominated after the release of Nevermind. Naturally, as their record sales exploded, backlash wasn't far behind, which quickly made the band fodder for comedians and music journalist poison pens. So is the hate directed at four compentent musicians with a goofy band name and over twenty-million albums sold valid?

Thank you to Tara for her years of support, please check out Prism United.

Songs In This Episode

Intro - Hold My Hand

26:47 - Hannah Jane

29:35 - Drowning

48:40 - Only Wanna Be With You

52:29 - Running From An Angel

Outro - Goodbye

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Frente! - Marvin the Album | 90s Album Review May 07, 2024

Show notes

Led by vocalist Angie Hart and guitarist Simon Austin, Frente! emerged from Melbourne, Australia, with a sound that blended acoustic folk with a touch of alternative rock. On their 1992 debut Marvin the Album, Hart's angelic vocals combined with Austin's intricate guitar work create an intimate listening experience. It was completely out of step with the heavy Seattle sounds dominating radio playlists at the time, but the band made commercial inroads thanks to their non-album cover of New Order's classic synth-pop dance hit "Bizarre Love Triangle." For such a focused, stripped down record, some of the production choices left us scratching our heads, like an obnoxiously loud snare caked in heavy reverb, or a free jazz excursion completely out of step with the rest of the record.

Songs In This Episode

Intro - Accidently Kelly Street

23:17 - No Time

27:00 - Cuscatlan

32:38 - 1.9.0

35:23 - Ordinary Angels

39:58 - Most Beautiful

Outro - Labour of Love

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Superchunk - Foolish | 90s Album Review Apr 30, 2024

Show notes

The 1994 album Foolish by Superchunk might be the defining indie rock album of the 1990s. Raw musical energy paired with introspective lyrics and hooks that grab hold from the first track to the last. The band's signature blend of punk and pop shines through in every distorted chord or note that guitarist and lead singer Mac McCaughan sings or strums, creating an album that feels both urgent and timeless. Tracks like "Driveway to Driveway" and "Like a Fool" showcase the band's knack for crafting sneakily catchy melodies while maintaining the emotional depth of a record that famously followed the breakup of McCaughan and bassist Laura Balance. The end result is a vital record that defines the 1990s indie rock sound.

Songs In This Episode

Intro - Water Wings

17:23 - Driveway to Driveway

29:41 - Why Do You Have to Put a Date on Everything

35:07 - Kicked In

40:18 - Like A Fool

Outro - The First Part

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Muse - Showbiz | 90s Album Review Apr 23, 2024

Show notes

When Muse released their debut album Showbiz in 1999, the Radiohead and Jeff Buckley comparison were unavoidable. Lumped in with Coldplay, Paloalto, Ours, and other bands whose male vocalists utilized a falsetto, the band never actually quite fit in, and their trajectory in the 2000s is evidence they were thinking bigger. While so many music critics were happy to cast aspersions of Matthew Bellamy for his vocal approach, the actual music got less attention than it deserved. Only a three piece, the rhythm section of bassist Chris Wolstenholme and drummer Dominic Howard were largely overlooked, which is a shame. Plenty has been written about Bellamy's vocals, but combined with the melodic bass lines often harmonizing with the vocal, or the variety in Howard's playing, that slyly incorporates non-rock rhythms like on the tango-influenced "Uno," the band is much more adventurous than any of its contemporaries.

Songs In This Episode

Intro - Sunburn

16:11 - Muscle Museum

23:39 - Falling Down

30:20 - Uno

Outro - Sober

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INXS - Full Moon, Dirty Hearts | 90s Album Review Apr 16, 2024

Show notes

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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Listen to the episode archive at DigMeOutPodcast.com.