Dig Me Out: 90s & 00s Rock

For our latest Dig Me Out '80s episode, available only to our Patreon community, we revisit the 1981 album Fair Warning by Van Halen. While tensions mounted within the Van Halen camp between Eddie, Dave, and producer Ted Templemen, the band explored dark sounds and themes, integrating dirty disco grooves, screaming slide guitar, and synthesizer mayhem that marked a turning point in the Van Halen story. Check out the first thirty-five minutes of this two-hour and fifteen-minute episode for free, join the Dig Me Out Union to access the previous dozen '80s episodes, vote in our monthly album pick polls, and more.

The success of the 1993 Screaming Trees album Sweet Oblivion and the single "Nearly Lost You" may have put Mark Lanegan on the mainstream map, but as a solo singer/songwriter, Lanegan was already successfully forging a different path with 1990's The Winding Sheet. By the time 1994's Whiskey For The Holy Ghost was released after a protracted recording period, the split between the streamlined grunge of the Trees and Lanegan's forays into folk and blues were fully on display. With only one track, the escalating "Boracho," featuring prominent electric guitar and distortion, the album finds more similarities with fellow Seattle folksters The Walkabouts (with whom Lanegan appeared as a guest) than most of his Seattle contemporaries. The result is Lanegan's voice, sought after as a collaborator for decades to come, fully out front, which serves him well while exposing some of the cracks in the instrumental performances and production. Songs In This Episode: Intro - House A Home 13:11 - The River Rise 17:47 - Boracho 31:18 - Sunrise 36:58 - Ride The Nightingale Outro - Judas Touch Support the podcast, join the DMO UNION at Patreon. Listen to the episode archive at DigMeOutPodcast.com.

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

By 1998 the grunge bubble had burst even for the second wave, as sunnier, more eclectic alternative rock fought for radio airwave space against the upstart nu-metal bands and a resurgence of manufactured pop. One of the biggest hits was thanks to the Austin, Texas trio Fastball, whose sophomore album All The Pain Money Can Buy produced the cinematic single "The Way," which along with bands like Harvey Danger, The New Radicals, Imperial Teen, and others provided a momentary bubble of pop uncertainty. Fastball wasn't exactly a one-hit-wonder, charting two additional singles in the top 20. The album oscillates between the voices and styles of Tony Scalzo and Miles Zuniga, who craft concise tunes with enough diversity to touch on 60s pop psychedelics, 70s power-pop and 80s new wave without jarring inconsistencies. Songs In This Episode: Intro - The Way 27:20 - Out Of My Head 33:38 - Sooner Or Later 48:20 - Warm Fuzzy Feeling 51:11 - Charlie, The Methadone Man Outro - Fire Escape Support the podcast, join the DMO UNION at Patreon. Listen to the episode archive at DigMeOutPodcast.com.

Noise rock is a moniker tossed around about a number of 1990s bands. Australia's Ricaine are no different, except that they are different, and their 1996 debut album Regret Is An Inevitable Consequence of Life is proof of it. While there are plenty of bursts of howling guitar feedback, grinding bass, and crushing drums, the band excels at balancing the noise with moments of tension-filled restraint, playing with the quiet/loud dynamic in a myriad of interesting ways. Did we say dynamics? This album is chock full of them, turning on a dime in ways that left us impressed, bolstered by a perfectly natural production style that compliments the sonic shifts throughout the record. Songs In This Episode: Intro - The Failed Actor 18:13 - Three From Three 22:03 - Judith's Fence 28:14 - Meek 34:40 - Contradictory Black Muzzle Outro - Even In Death Support the podcast, join the DMO UNION at Patreon. Listen to the episode archive at DigMeOutPodcast.com.

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

Something must have been in the Missouri River that helped produced so many Kansas City post-hardcore heavy-hitters. We've already talked about Shiner and Giants Chair on this podcast, and this time we're checking out the 1994 sophomore album In A Perfect World by Season To Risk, who shared members with Shiner and Molly McGuire, also of K.C. Leaning more into the more chaotic noise rock of early Soundgarden, Killdozer, or The Jesus Lizard, with a manic rhythm section, and Lemmy-meets-Buzz Osborne, the fact that this was released on a major label at the height of Seattle radio and MTV dominance is a testament to the talent of the band and the free flow of major label money in the decade. There is a radio single on the sledgehammer of an album, but any attempt to reign in the mayhem would have resulted in a watered-down and inferior release. Songs In This Episode: Intro - Jack Frost 21:25 - Nausea 26:29 - Future Tense 34:50 - Timebomb Outro - Remembered Support the podcast, join the DMO UNION at Patreon. Listen to the episode archive at DigMeOutPodcast.com.

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

The Athens, Georgia music scene might have been put on the map by R.E.M., but in truth they were one piece of a vibrant, diverse puzzle that included Pylon, The B-52s, Love Tractor, and others. A college town with nowhere to play in the late 70s and early 80s, bands and artists made their own spaces happen. Thanks to day-long drive to New York City and an influential college arts program, the sleepy Georgia town transformed in the 80s into one of the most important centers of musical, political, and social expression in the country. The 90s continued that exploratory spirit, finding a home for The Elephant 6 Collective and its respective bands, and well into the 2000s. To help us track the decades worth of stories and details, we're joined by college professor Grace Elizabeth Hale, author of "Cool Town: How Athens, Georgia, Launched Alternative Music and Changed American Culture" and guitarist Mark Cline of Love Tractor. Songs In This Episode: Intro - Athens, GA Medley (Radio Free Europe by R.E.M., Rock Lobster by The B-52s, Party Train by Love Tractor) 13:46 - Cool by Pylon 47:30 - Sarcophag by Bar-B-Q Killers 1:11:03 - Grey Hats by The Glands Outro - Jane by Elf Power Support the podcast, join the DMO UNION at Patreon. Listen to the episode archive at DigMeOutPodcast.com.

Very few bands can claim the influence and legendary status as Athens, Georgia's Neutral Milk Hotel. While the band released just a pair of records, an EP, and single in their ten years, 1998's In The Aeroplane Over The Sea has grown from critically appreciated to cult status over the past two decades. With enough distance from the release, it's easy to see why, as 2000s bands such as The Decemberists, Arcade Fire, Beruit, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, and more picked-up on the lo-fi, psychedlic sounds that countered the late 90s/early 00s mainstream push of processed and packaged third-generation grunge, comically aggressive nu-metal, and sanitized pop-punk. Maybe the mystique was assisted by the long step out of the spotlight by singer/songwriter Jeff Mangum, who has never attempted a follow-up. Did he make his magnum opus, or was there nowhere else to go? Song In This Episode: Intro - Two-Headed Boy 24:23 - King Of Carrot Flowers Pts. 2 & 3 39:03 - In The Aeroplane Over The Sea 46:22 - [Untitled] Outro - Holland, 1945 Support the podcast, join the DMO UNION at Patreon. Listen to the episode archive at DigMeOutPodcast.com.

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

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

Aimee Mann. Jackson Browne. Jon Brion. Nicky Hopkins. Benmont Tench. Steve Nieve. Jim Keltner. What do all those names have in common? They played on Murray Attaway's 1993 album In Thrall. But wait, there's more! Pat Mastelotto of King Crimson and Mr. Mister. Robbie Blunt from Robert Plant's solo band. Alex Acuña of the Weather Report. Sid Page of Dan Hicks and His Hot Licks. Steven Soles and David Mansfield from Bob Dylan's band. How did all these people end up playing on the lone solo release by the former singer/guitarist of Athen's, Georgia jangle-pop band Guadalcanal Diary? We have no idea, but it makes for an interesting listen, as Attaway's indie-pop songwriting sensibilities are filtered through a variety of talented players on both sides of the recording booth window. Did we mention there is a Lord-Alge brother involved? Songs In This Episode: Intro - Under Jets 18:58 - No Tears Tonight 22:16 - The Evensong 29:24 - Angels In The Trees 35:50 - Fall So Far 43:40 - Living In Another Time Outro - Allegory Support the podcast, join the DMO UNION at Patreon. Listen to the episode archive at DigMeOutPodcast.com.

The 1990s may have been the most bountiful of decades when it came to the concept of the B-side. Originally singles provided just one extra song on the second side of a 45 RPM single. That expanded to 12" singles for dance 1970s remixes and 1980s longer cassette singles. For music obsessives, the 90s provide the rare opportunity to hear three, four or more tracks from a band not included on an album. Non-album studio tracks were accompanied by demo, live, remix, acoustic, radio edit and more of album and non-album tracks, as well as covers, instrumental and acapella versions. Some bands, like Pearl Jam, Suede, and Oasis, even managed to score radio singles with their b-sides. We dive into the various interesting B-sides from a variety of bands and discuss some of the B-sides compilations released during the decade. Songs In This Episode: Intro - Yellow Ledbetter by Pearl Jam 13:28 - Landslide (Fleetwood Mac cover) by The Smashing Pumpkins 19:02 - Wish You Were Here (Pink Floyd cover) by Catherine Wheel 28:09 - Heroin Girl (Acoustic) by Everclear 41:08 - Maquiladora by Radiohead 50:05 - Winnebago by Foo Fighters Outro - Puppets by Hum Support the podcast, join the DMO UNION at Patreon. Listen to the episode archive at DigMeOutPodcast.com.

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

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

Thanks to our Patreon community, every so often we get to step outside the our 90s comfort zone of American, UK and Australian alternative and indie rock. Having previously gotten hip to the rock en español of Café Tacvba and the Indian/Britpop fusion of Cornershop, this time we're getting the fusion from a different starting point. On the 1997 live recording Desert Rain by Indian Ocean, the fusion starts with the North Indian style of Indian classical music known as Hindustani, and from there incorporates elements of jazz, rock and folk. Able to stand on its mightily on its own with regard to craft and technical ability, making sonic connects to artists such as Tool drummer Danny Carey and his use of the tabla or the mathematical improvisation of Steely Dan helped our understanding and deepened our appreciation for our latest discovery. Songs In This Episode: Intro - Village Damsel 20:17 - Euphoria 23:42 - From The Ruins 33:35 - Going to ITO Outro - Melancholic Ecstasy Support the podcast, join the DMO UNION at Patreon. Listen to the episode archive at DigMeOutPodcast.com.

Maybe more so than any other decade, the 90s pumped out tribute albums at a furious rate. Whether it was loving takes on beloved artists, exposing underground heroes to new audiences, or updates with kitschy and nostalgic themes, nearly every month a new tribute compilation CD was probably at your local record store. Our roundtable shares what makes a successful tribute album and what can derail an effort, whether it's simply cloning the original song, or completely ignoring it. We also investigate the phenomenon of random, lesser-known bands popping up in tracking listings alongside a group of heavy-hitters, and the one-off collaborations that showed up on occasion. Songs In This Episode: Intro - Tribute by Tenacious D 5:39 - Hard Luck Woman by Garth Brooks (Kiss My Ass - Classic Kiss Regrooved) 9:24 - Summer Of Drugs by Soul Asylum (Sweet Relief - A Benefit For Victoria Williams) 14:31 - Making Plans For Nigel by The Rembrandts - XTC: A Testimonial Dinner 21:02 - We Only Just Begun by Grant Lee Buffalo (If I Were A Carpenter) 27:02 - Clampdown by the Indigo Girls (Burning London: The Clash Tribute) 36:48 - She Don't Use Jelly by Ben Folds Five (Lounge-A-Palooza) Outro - She's Lost Control by Girls Against Boys (A Means To An End: The Music Of Joy Division) Support the podcast, join the DMO UNION at Patreon. Listen to the episode archive at DigMeOutPodcast.com.

The cross-pollination of punk and rock between the United States and Australia has been going on for decades, but one of lesser-known but most interesting (to us, at least!) is the 1980s and early 90s grunge scene, and how Australian bands like The Scientists, The Birthday Party, and Cosmic Psychos had an influence on their American Pacific Northwest counterparts. In the case of the Cosmic Psychos, it was finding commonality with bands like Mudhoney and the Melvins, and releasing their 1989 album on the then upstart Sub Pop label. In 1991 the band recorded with Butch Vig following the Nirvana's Nevermind sessions and produced Blokes You Can Trust, released on the influential Amphetamine Reptile label. For a three-piece, the sound is massive thanks to the fuzzed-out bass that will remind some of the desert and stoner rock scenes, while the old-school AC/DC riffs combined with punk and hardcore attitude of Black Flag and Motorhead lands on the spiritual kin of Seattle's grunge scene. Songs In This Episode: Intro - Dead Roo 20:16 - Back At School 29:40 - Loser 36:26 - Do It To Me Outro - Nightshift Support the podcast, join the DMO UNION at Patreon. Listen to the episode archive at DigMeOutPodcast.com.

If you remember the Smoking Popes, it's probably thanks to their Buzzbin / Clueless soundtrack single "Need You Around." Lead singer Josh Caterer got tagged as punk-rock Morrissey, and while the band continued on, many were left with the impression that the Smoking Popes were something of a novelty. As we dug into this album for the first time, the realization quickly set in that the early Morrissey comparisons were way off base, as both Caterer, along with his brothers Eli and Matt, and drummer Mike Felumlee, are significantly less punk than expected. Sure, you can hear the energetic down strums of Ramones across the record, but instead of 90s pop/punk, the band channels the likes of Wings, The Smithereens, Buddy Holly, Frank Sinatra and more in their quest to write exquisitely arranged pop-rock gems. Songs In This Episode: Intro - Need You Around 18:49 - Rubella 21:56 - Mrs. Me And You 25:46 - My Lucky Day 28:30 - Gotta Know Right Now Outro - Midnight Moon Support the podcast, join the DMO UNION at Patreon. Listen to the episode archive at DigMeOutPodcast.com.

Pollyanna's 1996 EP Junior and 1996 debut album Long Player scored them multiple hit singles in Australia and put them on the national radar, which means the sophomore follow-up Hello Halo in 1997 had expectations attached. As we discovered, the band expanded their pallet. While the record is full of radio-friendly alternative rock ("Peachy Keen" and "Brittle Then Broken)", where the group really excels is their willingness to take some detours, like on the horn-backed tracks "Pulling Teen" and "Butterman," or the Helmet-esque post-hardcore of "Tank." Thanks to the deft production of Paul McKercher (Violetine, Ratcat, Falling Joys, Spiderbait, You Am I), the diversity of approaches manages to stay consistent even if all the material isn't up to par. Songs In This Episode: Intro - Peachy Keen 12:01 - Pulling Teeth 15:20 - Butterman 20:03 - Tank 28:03 - Brittle Then Broken Outro - Effervescence Support the podcast, join the DMO UNION at Patreon. Listen to the episode archive at DigMeOutPodcast.com.

Thanks to a reliance on off-kilter retro sounds and lo-fi instrumentation, Eels were often compared to Beck (and not always favorably). On their second album, 1998's Electro-Shock Blues, they utilized one of the producers who helped Beck transition from one-hit-wonder status with Loser to the layered mastery of 1996's Odelay. But instead of matching the mayhem, singer/multi-instrumentalist Mark Oliver Everett constructs a sixteen-track somber affair with a few noisy interludes delving into personal loss at a bone-chillingly intimate level. What struck us was the deliberate shift from their debut that produced the hit single "Novocaine For The Soul," and wondering if like many, the lyrical content was too heady to digest, needing the growth and loss of maturity to fully appreciate the depths that E is willing to explore. Songs In This Episode: Intro - Last Stop: This Town 16:39 - 3 Speed 20:58 - Hospital Food 24:21 - Elizabeth On The Bathroom Floor 38:52 - Cancer For The Cure Outro - Climbing To The Moon Support the podcast, join the DMO UNION at Patreon. Listen to the episode archive at DigMeOutPodcast.com.

When they released their debut album Showbiz in the US in 1999, Muse were one of a number of bands compared to the Pablo Honey/The Bends era of Radiohead thanks to Matt Bellamy's Thom Yorke like tenor and Johnny Greenwood's guitar acrobatics. But Muse were doing it as a three-piece, and over time the band shed the unfair comparisons to forge a path that paid as much homage to the bombast of classic Queen to the aural assault of Rage Against The Machine, all the while releasing a slew of hit singles, moving from opening slots, to sheds, to arenas across the globe, and becoming one of the few bands to still carry the dying torch of rock. We revisit their debut, their early EPs, and touch on their 2000s releases to trace the origins of the band that has gained a global audience while splitting fans over their embrace of poppier and dancier material. Songs In This Episode: Muscle Museum (from Showbiz) 6:40 - Cave (from Showbiz) 17:28 - Falling Down (from Showbiz) 23:47 - Uno (from Showbiz) 42:14 - Plug In Baby (from Origin Of Symmetry) 1:02:49 - Agitated (B-Side) Outro - Sunburn (from Showbiz) Support the podcast, join the DMO UNION at Patreon. Listen to the episode archive at DigMeOutPodcast.com.

Thanks to old friend of the show Chip Midnight, when patron Dewey Cole suggested revisiting the 1993 self-titled debut album from Dig, Chip reached out to lead singer and guitarist Scott Hackwith to have him join us to revisit this record. Dewey only came to record recently, so he provides a unique perspective of discovering an album seventeen years after its release. Chip interviewed Scott when the band was just starting out, gigging around the country with frequent stops in Ohio in the early-to-mid 1990s. Scott, who started out as a guitarist in T.S.O.L., learned to be a producer on the spot making the debut album, which led him to work on records by the Ramones, Spiritualized and other, shares stories and insights on album artwork, demo'ing tracks on a four-track machine, making music videos, and working on new Dig music. Songs In This Episode: Intro - Believe 32:22 - Let Me Know 37:24 - Feet Don't Touch The Ground 1:00:33 - Conversation Outro - Unlucky Friend Support the podcast, join the DMO UNION at Patreon. Listen to the episode archive at DigMeOutPodcast.com.

If you've listened to this podcast long enough, you know that we are not always in agreement about what works and doesn't work for us on various albums. One of the earliest disagreements was back in Season One when we checked out the 1993 album Four by Seaweed. Thanks to a recent listener suggested poll on our Patreon site, we're back ten years later to check out the 1995 follow-up Spanaway, the band's only release on the Hollywood Records label. While the band faced the tired "sell-out" label for signing to a major, in reality, the band stayed close to what they did well - a bombastic combo of East Coast post-hardcore and PacWest grunge, with some extra nuance thanks to the skilled fingers of Andy Wallace behind the mixing board, as well as guest visits in the drum throne by Barrett Martin (of Screaming Trees) and Matt Cameron (of Soundgarden). The question remains - has anything changed in our diverging opinions? Songs In This Episode Intro - Start With 18:45 - Magic Mountainman 22:53 - Assistant (To The Manager) 31:59 - Free Drug Zone Outro - Last Humans Support the podcast, join the DMO UNION at Patreon. Listen to the episode archive at DigMeOutPodcast.com.

While we have chatted with many artists over the years, rarely have we been able to get the record label perspective on the various ups and downs of the 90s. For this episode, we're lucky to get singer/songwriter Michael McDermott, who has been making records for thirty years, and the A&R rep who helped kick off that career, Brian Koppelman. While Brian is better known for his screenwriting (Rounders, Ocean's 13) and showrunning (Billions), his life in the music industry dates back to high school with A&R stints at Elektra Records, Giant Records, SBK Records and EMI Records. We dig into the album Michael and Brian worked on together, 1993's Gethsemane, and the various trials and tribulations of releasing a singer/songwriter album in the heyday of Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden and Alice In Chains, the producer and songwriter relationship in the studio, why being too sympathetic to the artist can be a negative, and much much more. Songs In This Episode: Intro/1:47 - Just West Of Eden 17:03 - The Idler The Prophet And A Girl Called Rain 46:54/Outro - Need Some Surrender Support the podcast, join the DMO UNION at Patreon. Listen to the episode archive at DigMeOutPodcast.com.

While the 90s were dominated by the touring festival as opposed to the current day destination festival, the first half and second half had decidedly different approaches. Lollapalooza took a variety of artists from across genres with the intention of exposing artists across differing fanbases, whereas the Warped Tour, Ozzfest, H.O.R.D.E. Tour, and Lilith Fair each narrowed their focus. In the case of Lilith Fair, the simplistic history is that it was a female-centric folk tour, headlined by the likes of Sarah McLachlan, the Indigo Girls, Suzanne Vega, and Sheryl Crow. In reality, over the course of three years, the festival provided a much broader spectrum of female artists, including Queen Latifah, Bonnie Raitt, Letters To Cleo, Liz Phair, Dance Hall Crashers, K's Choice, Luscious Jackson, Nenah Cherry, The Pretenders, Missy Elliott, The Cardigans, Susanna Hoffs, Juliana Hatfield, and many many more. To help us revisit we invited back a pair of performers (Kay Hanley of Letters to Cleo and Jill Cuniff of Luscious Jackson) and a pair of attendees (friend of the show Matt Shiverdecker and show announcer Katie Minneci), along with special call-in guests performer Tracy Bonham and attendee John Cornish. Songs In This Episode: Intro - Angel (Live) by Sarah McLachlan with Emmylou Harris 17:20 - Naked Eye (Live) by Luscious Jackson 24:49 - Surrounded (Live) by Chantal Kreviazuk 34:05 - The One (Live) by Tracy Bonham & telephone interview 41:27 - Not An Addict (Live) by K's Choice & memories with John Cornish Outro - Here And Now (Live) by Letters To Cleo Support the podcast, join the DMO UNION at Patreon. Listen to the episode archive at DigMeOutPodcast.com.

Forging a sound out of American grunge and alternative along with British Invasion hooks and power pop melodies may seem like a recipe for disaster, but on their 1996 debut Less Is More, the Melbourne, Australian trio Even find the right balance. Channeling a Kurt Cobain cadence on one track and a John Lennon howl on another works best when the band keeps the songs short and tight, with plenty of catchy guitar riffs toss around. While we dug the high energy performances that pre-date the garage rock revival to come at the end of the decade, some of the production and rhythm choices (or lack of) left us wanting. Songs In This Episode: Intro - Karmic Flop 14:35 - End To End 19:45 - Don't Wait 26:02 - Eternal Teen 31:29 - No One Understands Me Outro - Dean Morris Support the podcast, join the DMO UNION at Patreon. Listen to the episode archive at DigMeOutPodcast.com.

Once the alternative gold rush hit for bands in the 90s, one song could make or break an album. But for every Sex And Candy, Cumbersome or Possum Kingdom, hundreds of other bands failed to make the Top 40 for a variety of reasons that have nothing to do with the quality of the music. Take Vancouver, Canada's Odds, whose third album Good Weird Feeling is a smart combination of alternative guitar rock powered by two strong singers with a knack for lyrical twists. The two obvious singles, "Eat My Brain" and "Truth Untold" never found a home on American mainstream radio, and like so many of their northern counterparts, the band remains almost entirely unknown in the lower forty-eight. Songs In This Episode: Intro - Satisfied 17:41 - Oh Sorrow Oh Shame 20:55 - Break The Bed 24:56 - Truth Untold 31:07 - I Would Be Your Man Outro - Eat My Brain Support the podcast, join the DMO UNION at Patreon. Listen to the episode archive at DigMeOutPodcast.com.

Though not as lauded as grunge, Brit-pop, the rise of pop-punk or other 90s-centric genres, electronic music evolved throughout the decade as well thanks to subtler sounds coming out of the UK. While electronica and trip-hop each had their moments in the mainstream spotlight, groups like the brother-duo Boards of Canada from Scotland slid under the radar with slightly different takes, theirs being a more chill, downtempo approach utilizing vintage synths and drum machines, tape loops and field recordings. Music Has The Right To Children, their 1998 debut after several well-regarded singles and EPs, takes full advantage of the tools, creating atmospheric soundscapes backed by drum and bass loops that lived-in rather than dialed-up, giving the record a timeless element that so many of their contemporaries failed to achieve. Songs In This Episode: Intro - Telephasic Workshop 18:06 - Roygbiv 20:48 - Turquoise Hexagon Sun 27:09 - Aquarius Outro - Open The Light Support the podcast, join the DMO UNION at Patreon. Listen to the episode archive at DigMeOutPodcast.com.

Though the mid-to-late nights are more regarded for the commercial rise of electronic music, specifically in the form of UK electronica from the Chemical Brothers, Prodigy and others, the mainstream interest in high octane beats and synth-over-guitar was nothing new. As the 80s transitioned to the 90s, bands like Depeche Mode and New Order were firmly established global phenomenons, while up-and-comers like Ministry and Nine Inch Nails were bringing industrial sounds to the mainstream on MTV. Nitzer Ebb began in 1982 and established themselves throughout the decade as an Electronic Body Music (EBM) pillar, but when 90s arrives the band pivoted to a more pop sound, and on 1991's Ebbhead, the band fully embraced pop structure and sound, crafting catchy hooks at trimmed down lengths. But that evolution, while moderately successful in getting the band on mainstream rock radio, didn't necessarily sit well with the fans who discovered the band during their EBM period. Songs In This Episode Intro - Reasons 12:52 - I Give To You 15:09 - Lakeside Drive 18:57 - Godhead 28:00 - Family Man Outro - Sugar Sweet Support the podcast, join the DMO UNION at Patreon. Listen to the episode archive at DigMeOutPodcast.com.

As we have learned in our Sophomore Slump Revisited roundtable series, there are many factors and circumstances that can sink a band's second album, especially when coming off a hit single. In the case of Dada and their 1994 release American Highway Flower, the lack of an obvious radio single to match Dizz Knee Land off their debut is a fair consideration. Rather than repeat a formula, the skilled trio of singer-guitarist Michael Gurley, singer-bassist Joie Calio and drummer Phil Leavitt pushed the band in a variety of directions while maintaining a more consistent sound than their first release. But pushing the envelope doesn't always result in a match with the cultural trends, and while the band flexes their muscle with harmonious power-pop and '60s psychedelic flourishes while unafraid to get extra noisy or delicately hushed. They may not have scored a Top 5 single or moved a million units with American Highway Flower, but that doesn't mean this sophomore release qualifies as a slump. Songs In This Episode: Intro - All I Am 13:11 - Feet To The Sun 17:22 - Feel Me Don't You 23:00 - Real Soon 30:35 - S.F. Bar '63 Outro - Pretty Girls Make Graves Support the podcast, join the DMO UNION at Patreon. Listen to the episode archive at DigMeOutPodcast.com.

Edward James "Ed" Hamell, better know as Hamell On Trial, has been writing, recording, and touring for over thirty years, bouncing from major labels to minor labels to his own, with either a studio or live album out almost every other year. While production values have shifted, the fiery anti-folk and spoken word approach has remained constant, and his 1999 album is definitely on the lower end of the recording quality spectrum. That doesn't impact the performances or songs, as Hamell On Trial makes stunning use of his Gibson acoustic guitar, plucking out staccato rhythms on one track before leading a dirty blues romp on the next. All of it adds up to a uniquely singular performance and vision, one that can definitely split opinions on what worked and didn't work. Songs In This Episode: Intro - Hamell's Ramble 17:56 - I'm Gonna Watch You Sleep 24:07 - The Lottery 28:10 - Nancy's Got a New Boyfriend 35:18 - When Bobby Comes Down 46:30 - Shout Outs Outro - Bill Hicks Support the podcast, join the DMO UNION at Patreon. Listen to the episode archive at DigMeOutPodcast.com.

Sunny Day Real Estate has famously been a band of influence but impermanence, with multiple break-ups and rumors of an unfinished album in the can for over a decade. On their second release, the 1995 self-titled or Pink Album or LP2, vocalist/guitarist/lyricist Jeremy Enigk left unfinished vocals as placeholders as the band splintered. What it creates is something unique, while words or phrases pop in occasion, the majority of the record utilizes the vocals as an instrument in a way that a band like My Bloody Valentine features vocalist Bilinda Butcher. But what makes SDRE special is the contributions from all four members - who each get their moment to shine in a way that recalls 1970s progressive rock without overly-long world-building and self-indulgence. Songs In This Episode Intro - Red Elephant 16:38 - Rodeo Jones 22:45 - 5/4 30:36 - 8 Outro - J'Nuh Support the podcast, join the DMO UNION at Patreon. Listen to the episode archive at DigMeOutPodcast.com.

So many bands got signed to major labels in the 1990s it could keep our podcast going well into the 22nd century. Rarely did artists get a second go-around as a new act, as was the case with vocalist Blake Smith and bassist Mike Willison after the breakup of their band Fig Dish. After recruiting a new guitarist and drummer, they formed Caviar and in 2000 released their self-titled debut on Island Records. While Smith's catchy melodies are still present, the band takes advantage of their second major-label chance by adding a variety of samples, including a bossa nova intro on the single "Tangerine Speedo." The band tries to walk a thin line between the quirky pop sounds of Sugar Ray, Smashmouth or Cake, the more aggressive pop-punk guitar of bands like Blink-182 or Weezer. Songs In This Episode: Intro - Tangerine Speedo 19:42 - OK Nightmare 22:09 - I Am The Monument 26:13 - Goldmine 30:39 - Looked So Hard I Nearly Wrecked My Eyes Outro - Sugarless Support the podcast, join the DMO UNION at Patreon. Listen to the episode archive at DigMeOutPodcast.com.

Lots of bands were successful in the 90s, but few reached the decade long highs and success that R.E.M. managed while constantly shifting their sound. Perhaps only U2 matched the same levels of critical acclaim and pushback, album sales and slumps, turmoil and triumph of R.E.M., conquering not only their home countries but stadiums around the globe. In our past "In The 90s" episodes, we've looked back at bands that first gained success and notoriety in the 1980s and traced their path through the alternative landscape of the 1990s, but it could be said that R.E.M. was leading the charge of the underground into the mainstream long before anyone else. As they entered the 90s, they were no longer college radio upstarts, but MTV and commercial radio regulars who would shoot through the stratosphere with "Losing My Religion" of 1991's Out Of Time. The rest of the decade would see them tackle everything from fuzzed-out 1970s glam rock to minimalist programmed beats to Beach Boys-esque harmonies. In other words, they evolved, but in doing so, did they lose the sound that made them stand out in the first place? We revisit the decade with a group of knowledgable R.E.M. fans who walk us through an often exciting and occasionally perplexing decade for the band. Songs In This Episode: Intro Medley - Losing My Religion/Everybody Hurts/What's The Frequency, Kenneth?/Bittersweet Me/Daysleeper 18:15 - Country Feedback from Out Of Time 28:45 - Drive from Automatic For The People 42:36 - Star 69 from Monster 55:02 - The Wake Up Bomb from New Adventures In Hi-Fi 1:09:53 - At My Most Beautiful Outro - Man On The Moon from Automatic For The People Support the podcast, join the DMO UNION at Patreon. Listen to the episode archive at DigMeOutPodcast.com.

Among the many signings by the legendary Sub Pop label in the 1980s and 1990s, a few bands get tagged with "the first" label. The Afghan Whigs were the first band from outside region to be signed to the label, and in the case of this week's episode, The Walkabouts were the first country (or folk, or Americana, or alt-country) band to be signed to the label. Core members vocalist Carla Torgerson and vocalist/songwriter Chris Eckman started playing together in 1984, and by the time of their sixth album Satisfied Mind released in 1993, the band had built up quite a following and list of friends in the area. Guests include Mark Lanegan of the Screaming Trees, Peter Buck of R.E.M., and Ivan Kral of the Patti Smith Band, who all manage to blend into this uniquely timeless sound channeling some expected artists (The Carter Family, Gene Clark, Charlie Rich) and some more unexpected choices (Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, John Cale, Patti Smith) that all sound seamless together. Songs In This Episode Intro - Satisfied Mind 15:09 - Free Money 20:51 - Buffalo Ballet 23:53 - Feel Like Going Home 28:44 - Dear Darling Outro - Loom Of The Land Support the podcast, join the DMO UNION at Patreon. Listen to the episode archive at DigMeOutPodcast.com.

You may ask yourself, why is a 90s-centric podcast revisiting an album from 2000? Well, we are nothing without our listeners, and if they suggest and then vote for an album that came out in 2000, but was from a band that got their start and had several releases in the 90s, who are we to argue. And it turns out revisiting Idlewild's 2000 album 100 Broken Windows gave us an excellent opportunity to look back upon the decade and see how its various sounds and genres were interpreted by younger artists. In the case of Idlewild, with veteran producers Dave Eringa and Bob Weston behind the board for the young band meant channeling the volume and chaos of their earlier releases into a weapon to be deployed skillfully, giving the band a blistering edge and allowing vocalist Roddy Woomble the opportunity to craft unique earworm melodies. It may not make the top 100 albums of the decade or the year, but there's a case to be made for 100 Broken Windows as one of the finest distillations of everything that went right musically in the 90s. Songs In This Episode Intro - Little Discourage 19:45 - Idea Track 24:26 - Roseability 29:52 - Mistake Pageant Outro - These Wooden Ideas Support the podcast, join the DMO UNION at Patreon. Listen to the episode archive at DigMeOutPodcast.com.

It took twenty-three years for Giants Chair to follow-up their 1996 sophomore album Purity And Control with the 2019 album Prefabylon, which we discussed briefly in our 2019 New Albums Roundtable. Though we've covered plenty of 90s bands reuniting a decade or two later to make new records, prior to Prefabylon Giants Chair weren't on our radar. Thanks to one of Patreon patrons we got the chance to revisit this Kansas City, Missouri band's 1995 debut. While the post-punk math-rock sounds fit nicely into our previously expressed admiration for bands such as Jawbox, Shudder To Think and Quicksand, as well as the neighboring Shiner, we didn't expect to unearth a local scene that included Season To Risk, Molly McGuire, Boys Life, and others all dishing out their own versions of angular guitars, tricky rhythms, and indie/emo vocals. Perhaps a Digging Your Scene episode is in the future, but on this one, we got to dive into this three-piece and their unique take on mid-90s post-punk. Songs In This Episode: Intro - Gunshot And The Jogger 11:55 - New Orleans 24:03 - Mother Brother Sister Lover 26:31 - Weed Roses Outro - Semi Support the podcast, join the DMO UNION at Patreon. Listen to the episode archive at DigMeOutPodcast.com.

1990 is a strange, contradictory year for music. How else do you explain alternative and underground bands like Jane's Addiction, Concrete Blonde, Faith No More and The B-52's taking up regular MTV rotation slots next to MC Hammer, Warrant, Paula Abdul and Vanilla Ice? There's a good chance you saw They Might Be Giant's "Birdhouse In Your Soul" right after Billy Idol's "Cradle of Love," or "We Die Young" by Alice Chains on the same Headbanger's Ball episode as "Unskinny Bop" by Poison. What we're saying is, there was a lot going on, and we attempt an overview of some of the most interesting overlooked, under-appreciated, and influential albums of the year. Songs In This Episode: Intro - Stop! by Jane's Addiction 10:46 - Graveyard Shift by Uncle Tupelo 24:15 - Is She Weird by Pixies 36:12 - There You Are by Goo Goo Dolls 47:41 - Candy by Iggy Pop Outro - Cliffs Of Dover by Eric Johnson Support the podcast, join the DMO UNION at Patreon. Listen to the episode archive at DigMeOutPodcast.com.

One and done bands are always an interesting listen, whether they were full-formed bands, one-off side-projects or solo albums, or something else entirely. In the case of Bandit Queen, they formed out of the ashes of Swirl, retaining three of the four members and an indie rock sound. Gone were the jammy rhythms and chorus'd guitars for a more straightforward approach, reminiscent of American female-led alternative acts like Throwing Muses and The Breeders. While the harmony vocals and honest production kept us interested throughout, a few more soaring vocal hooks would have made Hormone Hotel a can't miss record. Songs In This Episode: Intro - Back In The Belljar 14:00 - Big Sugar Emotional Thing 18:54 - Blue Black 20:57 - Scorch Outro - Give It To The Dog Support the podcast, join the DMO UNION at Patreon. Listen to the episode archive at DigMeOutPodcast.com.

There are plenty of anomalies in what did and didn't become popular in the rise of alternative music during the 1990s. Take for instance They Might Be Giants, who's breakthrough 1990 album Flood with almost thirty tracks of weird and quirky songs that combine humor and musical knowledge into a wholly unique recording. So what then to follow it up? The band decided to produce themselves, and rock out a bit more on the 1992 follow-up Apollo 18. While the experimentation with a slightly more traditional pop-rock sound on songs like The Statue Got Me High and Dig My Grave made the band a bit more palatable to our ears, the stripped-down reliance on simplistic looped drums held back what expanded in year with a full band backing them. Two notes: Tim was battling a cold, hence the nasal congestion you can clearly hear in his voice. Also, this was recorded prior to the death of Rush drummer/lyricist Neil Peart, which is why there was no mention of it when Rush was briefly brought up during the episodes. #RIPTheProfessor Songs In This Episode: Intro - I Palindrome I 11:48 - The Statue Got Me High 16:15 - My Evil Twin 24:17 - Mammals 38:47 - Spider Outro - Dig My Grave Support the podcast, join the DMO UNION at Patreon. Listen to the episode archive at DigMeOutPodcast.com.

By 1999, the musical landscape had seen the rise and fall of a variety of genres touted as the next big thing. The electronic sounds of The Chemical Brothers and The Prodigy offered varying takes on electronica, which bands would incorporate elements of over the years that followed. In the case of Skunk Anansie and their 1999 album Post Orgasmic Chill, it means adding layers to an already layered sound. Guitars are buzzsaw aggressive on one track, followed by a pop ballad approach on the next. Feedback is replaced by orchestrated strings. Booming drums by breakbeats. And making it all work is the dynamic Skin, who vocally covers all the ground with thought-provoking lyrics and near-unparalleled range. Songs In This Episode: Intro - Charlie Big Potato 17:00 - The Skank Heads 21:32 - Good Things Don't Always Come To You Outro - We Don't Need Who You Think You Are Support the podcast, join the DMO UNION at Patreon. Listen to the episode archive at DigMeOutPodcast.com.

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. Listen to the episode archive at DigMeOutPodcast.com.

For our final roundtable of 2019, we invited several of our Patreon patrons to discuss the new albums released this year from artists connected to the 1990s. Turns out, 2019 had dozens of albums that qualified, over a hundred in reality. We talked about new releases from bands like UK shoegazers Swervedriver and Ride, the long-awaited return of Tool, a stellar new release from The Sheila Divine, plus names you know like Bob Mould, Fastball, UNKLE, Beck, Sleater-Kinney, etc., as well as lesser-known releases like Giants Chair and New Rising Sons. Songs In This Episode: Intro - Saw Lighting by Beck from Hyperspace 10:07 - White Collar by Fastball from The Help Machine 18:42 - Russian Racehorse by Giants Chair from Prefabylon 31:34 - Future Love by Ride from This Is Not A Safe Place 40:25 - Age Is Just A Number by The Sheila Divine from Beginning Of The End Is Where We'll Start Again 1:06:07 - Can I Go On by Sleater-Kinney from The Center Won't Hold 1:15:07 - Miracle Pill by Goo Goo Dolls from Miracle Pill Outro - Africa by Weezer from Weezer (Teal Album) Support the podcast, join the DMO UNION at Patreon. Listen to the episode archive at DigMeOutPodcast.com.

Bands like Animal Bag were dime a dozen in the early 1990s. Getting signed, putting out a record, the musical landscape shifts, and suddenly your sound is outdated and the record label is in flux. Their 1992 self-titled debut has reverb-filled production that pins it to the start of the decade, and taking cues from fellow Californians like Faith No More, Jane's Addiction, and Red Hot Chili Peppers. But their funk and weirdness only shows up in short bursts, as this band could easily be lumped in with the jeans and t-shirt alternative metal and grunge bands like Raging Slab, Mind Funk, and label mates Mother Love Bone. Though they lack Andy Wood's penchant for an epic ballad, there is no doubt Animal Bag had their sights set on Seattle rather than the Sunset Strip. Does it all come together in a timeless way? Depends on the listener. Songs In This Episode: Intro - Another Hat 21:24 - Personal Demons 35:55 - Mirrored Shades 42:11 - Everybody Outro - Moonsong Support the podcast, join the DMO UNION at Patreon. Listen to the episode archive at DigMeOutPodcast.com.

Where is the line between rock and metal? What about stoner or desert? And what is doom besides a video game and bad movie? All questions worthy of discussion as we revisit the 1992 album Sleep's Holy Mountain by Sleep. Baked into the sound of Sleep is the ever-present influence of 70s Black Sabbath, but with an occasional pummeling dirge closer to The Melvins, while trafficking in the same sun-soaked low-end riffage of Kyuss. It's dark, heavy, psychedelic, drone-filled head-nodding rock that works best when the rhythm section gets to swing. Songs In This Episode: Intro - The Druid 17:00 - Evil Gypsy/Solomon's Theme 25:20 - Holy Mountain 30:31 - Inside The Sun Outro - Dragonaut Support the podcast, join the DMO UNION at Patreon. Listen to the episode archive at DigMeOutPodcast.com.

San Diego may be known for beaches and year-round mild weather, but the second-largest city in California is also home to a vibrant if isolated music scene dating back to the 1960s with Gary Puckett & The Union Gap and Iron Butterfly. As per our "Digging Your Scene" episodes, we're interested in sounds of the 1990s - where those bands played, bought and sold records, recorded their music, read and listened to other bands, and all the other interesting and unique elements that help define a scene. What we discovered is a deep and vast collection of guitar rock heading off in multiple directions - from punk to post-punk, hard rock to nu-metal, industrial to experimental. To help us discover it all, we're joined by members of No Knife, Jejune and aMiniature to talk bands, venues, record stores, labels and more. Songs In This Episode Intro Medley (Academy Flight Song by No Knife / Peddler's Talk by aMiniature / Hileah by JeJune 28:16 - Does Not Compute by Drive Like Jehu 53:33 - Flexiclocks by The And/Ors Outro - Deadbolt - Voodoobilly Man Support the podcast, join the DMO UNION at Patreon. Listen to the episode archive at DigMeOutPodcast.com.

Greta was and is definitely not a household name when discussions of 90s bands come up. But like so many, major labels still found them and on occasion put out stellar releases that have gone forgotten, which is sort of the entire point of this podcast. Their second and final album, 1995's This Is Greta! may not fall into the stellar and must-have category, but it's got a lot going for it. Tight alt-rock songs with tinges of Beatle and Cheap Trick pop on a few tunes, hard-driving rockers with big guitars, all backed by a solid rhythm section has more than it's share of standout performances. They keep the songs tight, but perhaps a little too reliant on the well-worn verse/chorus/verse formula, that keeps everything familiar but also stale after a listen or two. Songs In This Episode: Intro - About You 9:08 - Some People 11:35 - Charade 18:03 - Rocking Chair 23:47 - Nothing At All Outro - Stained Support the podcast, join the DMO UNION at Patreon. Listen to the episode archive at DigMeOutPodcast.com.

By 1994, shoegaze was no longer the hip, underground music scene the UK press was enamored with just a few years prior. The Britpop of Blur, Oasis, Elastica, and Pulp had taken over, My Bloody Valentine had collapsed, and blissing out on feedback and layers of guitar was no longer novel. Smartly, the singing/songwriting/guitar-slinging tandem of Miki Berenyi and Emma Anderson of Lush evolved, and on 1994's Split, the band toe the line between the underground dream pop and shoegaze sounds that got them started, while mixing in some less noisy and more melodic tunes. It sounds both remarkably stamped to 1994 in its tones and production, but with the resurgence of dream pop and shoegaze in the 2010s, that doesn't mean it out of place. Songs In This Episode: Intro - Blackout 14:19 - Hypocrite 18:31 - Never-Never 23:49 - Undertow Outro - Light From A Dead Star Support the podcast, join the DMO UNION at Patreon. Listen to the episode archive at DigMeOutPodcast.com.