Dig Me Out: 90s & 00s Rock

Latest Episodes:

Wünderband by Wünderband | 90s Album Review Jan 31, 2023

Show notes

We've revisited plenty of albums released on major and independent labels from the 90s, but digging into self-released albums isn't something we've explored much - until now! Take New York City's Wünderband, who self-released their self-titled album in 1997. On the opening track, the band make their sound clear - punchy, catchy power-pop with some twists and turns. From the opening Aimee Mann call-out track "Yes Yes Hey Hey" to the Jellyfish inflected "I Don't Mind," the band sounds right at home alongside fellow 90s three-and-a-half-minute power pop magicians like Fountains of Wayne, Sloan, or The Figgs.

Songs In This Episode:

Intro - Pinup

13:18 - Yes Yes Hey Hey

21:30 - Mayqueen

25:26 - I Don't Mind

35:46 - Circle and Fall

Outro - Another Guy

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Listen to the episode archive at DigMeOutPodcast.com.

Soundgarden - Badmotorfinger | 90s Album Review Jan 24, 2023

Show notes

Badmotorfinger sits in the middle of the Soundgarden discography at an interesting crossroads. With new bass player Ben Shepherd on board, the band expanded upon their Black Sabbath meets Black Flag twist on metal with precision riffs and rhythms that integrate odd time signatures and alternate guitar tunings. While other bands were relegated to in-the-know hardcore fandom, thanks to the once-in-a-generation vocals of Chris Cornell, Soundgarden began their ascent as a commercial entity on MTV and mainstream radio.

Songs In This Episode:

Intro - Outshined

4:39 - Birth Ritual

29:01 - Jesus Christ Pose

36:05 - Somewhere

45:18 - Mind Riot

50:39 - Room A Thousand Years Wide

Outro - Rusty Cage

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Listen to the episode archive at DigMeOutPodcast.com.

Albums of 1993 | 90s Roundtable Jan 17, 2023

Show notes

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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Listen to the episode archive at DigMeOutPodcast.com.

Limblifter - Limblifter | Album Review Jan 10, 2023

Show notes

Taking time off from The Age of Electric, Ian Summers (bass) joined the Dahle Brothers (Ryan on vocals, guitars and keys, Kurt on drums and vocals) for Limblifter in 1996. Those familiar with TAOE will recognize the sharp songwriting and guitar pop sensibilities, as the band effortlessly blasts out three-minute, radio-ready tunes like "Vicious" and "Tinfoil." Their sensibilities are definitely on the pop side, but the choruses aren't necessarily syrupy blandness. If anything, the band could have turned up the melodic hooks a bit more for our tastes.

Songs In This Episode:

Intro - Vicious

1:15 - First impression of Sideways Skull by The Hold Steady

20:04 - Opiñata

27:50 - Round The "2"

35:14 - Do I Feel Involved?

Outro -Screwed It Up

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Listen to the episode archive at DigMeOutPodcast.com.

Carcass - Heartwork | Album Review Jan 03, 2023

Show notes

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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Listen to the episode archive at DigMeOutPodcast.com.

Season Twelve In Review Dec 27, 2022

Show notes

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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Listen to the episode archive at DigMeOutPodcast.com.

Love Battery - Dayglo | Album Review Dec 20, 2022

Show notes

Though Love Battery emerged from the Seattle scene with numerous connections and an ascendant Sub Pop label backing them, the band never managed to breakthrough to the mainstream like their various label mates. Their 1992 debut Dayglo may shed some light on the reasons. The guitars are loud, loud, loud, sometimes overpowering the other instruments the way James Williamson would in The Stooges, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Thanks to a group of innovative, stellar musicians, the band can fluidly move from aggressive garage rock to punk indie rock without missing a beat.

Songs In This Episode:

Intro - Out of Focus

16:59 - See Your Mind

20:57 - Foot

26:23 - Side (With You)

32:02 - Blonde

Outro - Cool School (Trane of Thought)

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Listen to the episode archive at DigMeOutPodcast.com.

Hayden - Everything I Long For | Album Review Dec 13, 2022

Show notes

Canadian singer/songwriter Paul Hayden Desser, known simply as Hayden, released his debut Everything I Long For on his own label in 1995. Shortly after, it was picked up and later re-released in 1996 on Sonic Unyon (internationally on Outpost Recordings/Geffen Records) after receiving acclaim in his home country. Channeling the likes of Leonard Cohen and Tom Waits, Hayden deep voice carves out a unique niche in 1990s folk, indie, and alternative rock. Though the album is almost always in first gear, Hayden ups the volume occasionally, matching it with a more aggressive, guttural vocal. If you enjoy confessional singer/songwriters with a penchant for deliberate slowcore, this might be an album worth checking out.

Songs In This Episode:

Intro - Bad As They Seem

14:30 - I'm To Blame

20:24 - Hardly

24:56 - Skates

Outro - In September

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Listen to the episode archive at DigMeOutPodcast.com.

Jeremy Toback of Brad | Interview Dec 09, 2022

Show notes

Dig Me Out listeners know Jeremy Toback from his time playing bass in Brad with Shawn Smith (vocals), Stone Gossard (guitars) and Regan Hagar and his appearance on that band’s first three albums: Shame (1993), Interiors (1997) and Welcome to Discovery Park (2002). During the ‘90s, he also released 2 full-lengths, Perfect Flux Thing (1997) and Another True Fiction (1999), as well as a self-titled EP (1996). After being burned out by the music industry and the major label experience, Jeremy took some time off before discovering a new outlet for his songwriting. With the help of a long-time friend, Renee Stahl, Jeremy began recording softer lullabies for young children which eventually led to peaceful reinterpretations of popular rock songs by artists ranging from the Red Hot Chili Peppers to Led Zeppelin to INXS. Renee and Jeremy’s latest single is a cover of Harry Styles’ “As It Was.” In November, Jeremy released his first new solo song in two decades, the beautifully minimalistic “Conjuring,” with an equally enthralling video.

Songs In This Episode:

Intro - Unbecome (from Perfect Flux Thing)

4:24 - Circle & Line (from Interiors by Brad)

34:26 - 20th Century (from Shame by Brad)

1:08:36 - Buttercup (from Shame by Brad)

Outro - Butterfly Elephant (from Perfect Flux Thing)

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Listen to the episode archive at DigMeOutPodcast.com.

Swervedriver - Raise | Album Review Dec 06, 2022

Show notes

The twin guitar attack by Adam Franklin and Jimmy Hartridge on Swervedriver's 1991 debut Raise is unlike anything else under the shoegaze umbrella. While 80s dream pop was a touchstone for many of their contemporaries, the band from Oxford, England took some American influences like Dinosaur Jr., The Stooges, Sonic Youth, and Hüsker Dü into consideration. Their sound is more aggressive, more visceral, and often more exciting, leaning into the guitar's ability to shift tones quickly without relying on a wall of noise and feedback.

Songs In This Episode:

Intro - Raise

12:10 - Sci-Flyer

17:29 - Son of Mustang Ford

25:15 - Feel So Real

Outro - Deep Seat

Support the podcast, join the DMO UNION at Patreon.

Listen to the episode archive at DigMeOutPodcast.com.