Dig Me Out: 90s & 00s Rock

Latest Episodes:

#416: Sunrise On The Sufferbus by Masters Of Reality Jan 01, 2019

Show notes

To understand "Desert Rock" and the Palm Desert Scene, you have too look further than Queens Of The Stone Age, as we learned on our Desert Rock episode. That's when you discover a number of bands and important figures, including Chris Goss and his band Masters Of Reality, contemporaries of Kyuss and others who helped bring the bass heavy guitar dirges of the desert to the mainstream. But there is more to it than that as we discover on 1993 album Sunrise On The Sufferbus, which explores quieter moments that left us scratching our heads at times. With the propulsive pulse of Cream drummer Ginger Baker behind the kit for this album, songs like She Got Me (When She Got Her Dress On) bounce to life, but in a grunge dominated era it's no wonder this is relegated to cult status. Is it worthy of revisiting?

Song In This Episode:

Intro - Gimme Water

12:40 - T.U.S.A.

20:18 - She Got Me (When She Got Her Dress On)

25:04 - Gimme Water

32:08 - Moon In Your Pocket

Outro - J.B. Witchdance

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#415: Season Eight In Review Dec 25, 2018

Show notes

2018 seem to fly by, and with it another slate of reviews, roundtables and interviews that we look back upon with equal parts amazement and exhaustion. Thanks to our great community of folks at Patreon, the burden of actually picking records to revisit was lifted off our shoulders this year, and we got to check out some completely new discoveries like Fini Scad, Sheena Ringo and The Gathering, while also going deep on records by The Posies, Scott Weiland and Mansun we already knew but hadn't fully connected with over the years. Of course, our roundtables continued to be a highlight, digging the scenes of New York City and Dayton, Ohio, diving into the origins of Spoon, dissecting 90s Power Pop and Desert Rock, and much more. Thanks to all who helped make 2018 a great year, see you in 2019!

Songs In This Episode:

Intro - Dig Me Out by Sleater Kinney

12:08 - I Am A Liar by Sheena Ringo

17:13 - Soaked In Cinnamon by Ultimate Fakebook

Outro - Dig Me Out by Sleater Kinney

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#414: In On The Kill Taker by Fugazi Dec 18, 2018

Show notes

Although we host a 90s-focused music podcast, if you think Fugazi is a no brainer for us, think again. While we both had passing interest and exposure, neither of us were ardent followers of punk, hardcore or post hardcore during that time, and really only came to it years later thanks to our varied appreciations for bands like Jawbox, Sonic Youth and At The Drive-in. This makes revisiting Fugazi's 1993 third album In On The Kill Taker an even more enlightening experience. The band stretches their sound, we won't call it jamming, incorporating long musical passages that teeter on the edge of ambient dissonance. With their stellar rhythm section, the guitars and vocals play off each other with increasing confidence.

Songs On This Episode:

Intro - Returning The Screw

15:18 - Facet Squared

24:43 - Great Cop

29:31 - Rend It

Outro - Smallpox Champion

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#413: Good Morning Spider by Sparklehorse Dec 11, 2018

Show notes

With his work as Sparklehorse, Mark Linkous left behind a collection of music wholly unique - masterfully combining the intimacy of his home recording setup paired with his singular lyrical approach. His songs shift from abrasive guitar driven "Pig" and "Ghost Of His Smile" to the laid back pop of "Sick Of Goodbyes" with little interruption, managing to find common ground in melody with such contemporary artists as Grandaddy, The Jayhawks and Guided By Voices.

During this episode we discussed our current partnership with Sudio. Check them out online and use the discount code "DMO" to receive 15% off your purchase. For the holiday season, each purchase includes a gift box, and shipping is free worldwide.

Songs On This Episode:

Intro - Painbirds

11:53 - Pig

14:58 - Ghost Of His Smile

22:19 - Sick Of Goodbyes

30:27 - Chaos Of The Galaxy/Happy Man

34:04 - Maria's Little Elbows

Outro - Hundreds Of Sparrows

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#412: The Lateness Of The Hour by Eric Matthews Dec 04, 2018

Show notes

While the Seattle record label Sub Pop is primarily associated with "grunge," the list of artists and catalog of releases is far more broad. Take for example Eric Matthews, whose whispered vocal and orchestral arrangements couldn't stray further from the so-called Sub Pop sound. On his sophomore solo release from 1997, The Lateness Of The Hour, Matthews expertly and often densely constructs songs that would sound at home on either an Elliott Smith album or coming out of Pet Sounds by The Beach Boys, never forgetting to layer sweet melodies on top of his sometimes classical arrangements. While the vocal approach took some getting used to, we discovered an album that reveals more musicially and emotionally upon repeated listens.

Songs In This Episode:

Intro - Ideas That Died That Day

12:02 - My Morning Parade

14:48 - Festival Fun

16:49 - Pair Of Cherry

26:07 - Everything So Real

Outro - Dopeyness

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#411: Free Mars by Lusk Nov 27, 2018

Show notes

There are not many 1990s albums that fall under the "alternative rock" banner that prominently feature harp and horns the way the lone 1997 album Free Mars by Lusk does. The fact that it does so featuring a wide cast of characters from bands such as Tool (Paul D'Amour), Failure (Greg Edwards), Guns 'n Roses (Chris Pitman) and Medicine (Brad Laner) only adds to the unique and intriguing charm of this one-and-done release.

Songs In This Episode:

Intro - Backworlds

16:15 - Savvy Kangaroos

23:02 - The Hotel Family Affair

30:31 - Free Mars

Outro - Kill The King

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#410: Owsley by Owsley Nov 20, 2018

Show notes

Power pop, as we have learned over the years, is a hard subgenre of rock 'n roll to pin down. The 1999 self-titled debut by Owsley has been referred to as power pop, with some calling it a masterpiece. It's not hard to hear why, as the album is chock full of catchy hooks, harmonies, tasteful nods to The Beatles and checks all the boxes of retro without being nostalgic. For as much as we've enjoyed debating the merits of what is and isn't power pop, we can't overlook the fact that this record didn't quite live up to the masterpiece billing, as we often struggled with slower tunes that slid into a jangle pop plod.

Songs In This Episode:

Intro - I'm Alright

14:44 - Zavelow House

17:57 - Coming Up Roses

25:26 - Oh No The Radio

Outro - Sonny Boy

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#409: Aerosmith In The 90s Nov 13, 2018

Show notes

Our "In The 90s" series exploring successful 1970s and 80s artists and bands has discovered a common theme - sometimes it was not the rise of grunge and alternative music that through a wrench into their success, sometimes overwhelming success created a watershed moment leaving the band in flux. What was Metallica to do after the Black album? And in this case for our latest episode, what was Aerosmith to do after they fully rebounded from their early 80s descent into drugs with a pair of successful albums to close out the decade (Permanent Vacation and Pump) leading into the ubiquitous 1993 chart topper Get A Grip. Becoming MTV darlings and radio mainstays pushed the band into more pop territory, culminating in the 1998 Diane Warren-penned single "I Don't Want To Miss A Thing" for the Armageddon soundtrack. We walk through the decade and wonder if the apparent wedge driven between lead singer Steven Tyler and guitarist Joe Perry started when the band reached its cultural and chart apex.

Songs In This Episode:

Aerosmith Medley - Cryin', Crazy, Amazing from Get A Grip

17:09 - Livin' On The Edge from Get A Grip

25:29 - Fever from Get A Grip

33:50 - Pink from Nine Lives

40:47 - Crash from Nine Lives

Outro - I Don't Want To Miss A Thing from the Armageddon soundtrack

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#408: Empty by God Lives Underwater Nov 06, 2018

Show notes

Many musical genres and subgenres previously found in the cultural underground bubbled to the mainstream surface in the 1990s thanks to a major label feeding frenzy and the ever expanding definition of "alternative." Like punk, ska, swing and even grunge, industrial and electronic music had their moments in various ways, and gave rise to interesting iterations that briefly snuck onto MTV and commercial radio. God Lives Underwater is one such example, who wrote traditional structures and melodies wrapped with an electronic and industrial exterior. Thanks to uber-producer Rick Rubin, their 1995 debut Empty has a unique reverb-free sound at odds with many of their peers, providing more intimacy and less expanse without sacrificing quality, even if all the songs themselves cannot match the stellar production.

Songs In This Episode:

Intro - Still

13:08 - Empty

18:00 - All Wrong

21:10 - No More Love

27:03 - We Were Wrong

Outro - Weaken

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#407: Scumdogs Of The Universe by Gwar Oct 30, 2018

Show notes

For some, metal shock rockers Gwar are more style than substance. In fact, we were in that camp, having paid little attention to the band beyond their notorious stage antics and costumes. But thanks to our second annual Halloween-themed episode, we're checking out the 1990 sophomore album Scumdogs Of The Universe. While we expected over the top lyrics with various R-rated subject matter, we did not anticipate how musically diverse the band would sound, managing to integrate New York thrash ala Anthrax along side Quiet Riot-esque glam metal riffs, and even some hardcore punk attitude. It all made for interesting sound they may have slightly overstayed its welcome by the end.

Songs In This Episode:

Intro - Sick Of You

13:44 - Vlad The Impaler

22:59 - Slaughterama

26.52 - Sick Of You

30:27 - Cool Place To Park

Outro - King Queen

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