Dig Me Out: 90s & 00s Rock

We're back with another listener suggestion, this week tackling the 1994 debut album  Comforter by Irish band  Compulsion . Deemed "The New Wave of New Wave" by NME back in the early 1990s, Compulsion straddles the line between the American alternative rock of Nirvana and the Pixies, and the harder-edged guitar rock of Therapy? with a unique lyrical bent. Does it all work? Tune in to find out. Son...

We've got a very special episode this week as we're joined by  Ken Stringfellow of  The Posies to talk about his new solo album,  Danzig The Moonight . In addition, we revisit the 1993 Posies album  Frosting On The Beater . Now living in Paris, Ken talks about the varied influences behind his new album, working with a variety of musicians, songwriting, gives us the real story on The Posies relatio...

Hey all, we've posted a short announcement in our feed this week that you can download or stream. Feel free to visit our new Request A Review page for all the information regarding our new process for album suggestions starting in 2013.

Another listener suggestion! This is one is a band both Tim and J are surprised they never got around to on their own. On episode #94 we're checking out the 1996 album  Mic City Sons , the last by  Heatmiser , after which co-leader  Elliott Smith went on to carve out a well-respected if too short solo career. Mic City Sons shows off a different side to Smith, as well as shines the spotlight on his...

It's another listener suggestion on episode #93, and this week we're checking out the 1997 album  Luxury Plane Crash by  Scarfo . Fronted by now half of the duo known as the  The Kills , this short-lived Jamie Hince led trio pound out some big noise and catchy melodies. Their sound is hard to pin down, combing English elements of The Jam and Buzzcocks with American indie artists like Jawbox and th...

We're back with another listener suggestion - this week we head down to Texas to check out  Tripping Daisy and their 1995 album  I Am an Elastic Firecracker . There are obvious comparisons to be made to bands like Jane's Addiction and The Flaming Lips. Tripping Daisy even managed to score their own version of an oddball hit single a la "She Don't Use Jelly" with the tune "I Got A Girl," but is the...

On episode #91 we're tackling one of the most influential albums of the 1990s -  Sunny Day Real Estate debut release from 1994,  Diary . Credited as a primary instigator of what would later be known as emo, Sunny Day Real Estate never like to stay in one moment too long; switching tempo, time signatures and volume at the drop of a hat. Somehow, the band manages to seamlessly combine elements of po...

We're back with another listener suggestion, this week tackling the 1998 release  Dope Box from  Jack Drag . Of all the albums we've reviewed so far, Dope Box might be the most diverse (or schizophrenic), bouncing from Prodigy-esque big beats on one song, to mid-tempo Velvet Crush-like power pop on the next. There's a lot to like about this album, and a lot of befuddlement as well. Which side did...

Dinosaur Jr. just released a new album, so we felt episode #89 was a perfect time to revisit the 1997 album  Hand It Over . Legendary guitarist/singer/songwriter J. Mascis once described the album as his  favorite of the major label years , so how does it stand up fifteen years later? There are plenty of curveballs on this album, with trumpets, flutes, banjo's making front and center appearances,...

Mark another one off the listener suggestion pile - this week we tackle the debut solo album by founding  Kyuss member and former  Fu Manchu drummer  Brant Bjork , the 1999 album  Jalamanta . Brant's take on "desert rock" is more stripped down with less bombast, incorporating Latin and jazz influences. It's an interesting combination, but does it work? Tune in and find out. Songs in this Episode:...

We're doing our best to keep our promise of catching up on our backlog of listener suggestions, and on episode #86 we're back with another. This week, we give a listen to  Send No Flowers from the UK, and their lone full-length release from 1996,  Juice . Like our recent review  Headswim , the gentlemen of Send No Flowers are giving us their take on early '90s American alternative rock. We both fo...

We're taking a break from our run of listener suggestions to check out one of the classic albums of the '90s alternative music - 1992's  Copper Blue by  Sugar .  Bob Mould has a  new solo album out, so we thought it would be the perfect time to revisit his short-lived run with with this post-Husker Du power trio, especially since it's recently been  re-released and remastered with bonus material t...

For episode #85, thanks to a listener suggestion we're tackling  Lucy's Fur Coat , and their 1994 album,  Jaundice . Although Jason admitted to purchasing the album years ago, he never got around to actually listening to it, so it's fresh and new for both. We've often discussed the importance of a frontman who can do more than just sing in key, that personality can elevate a mediocre band. So what...

For episode #84, we're joined by fellow podcaster Kim Ware to check out her suggestion,  Superchunk 's 1993 album  No Pocky for Kitty . Kim spent time drumming and booking shows in Wilmington, North Carolina in the 1990s, where the legendary and lesser known Chapel Hill bands regularly gigged around town. Tim and J were both more familiar with the later Superchunk releases than the early Matador y...

For episode #83 we return to our long list of listener suggestions and check out the 1994 album  Flood by  Headswim . A first blush the sound is reminiscent of Seattle's biggest and brightest - Pearl Jam, Soundgarden and Alice In Chains. But when you dig a little deeper, the band is definitely stretching out to find their own sound, only question is - does is work? Tune in to find out. Song In Thi...

On episode #82 of Dig Me Out, we've got another listener suggestion. This week we tackle one of the more prolific and perplexing bands of the last twenty years -  Therapy? No, it's not a question, the name is Therapy?, and we're checking out their 1994 album  Troublegum . The band has confounded many with their quick-witted lyrics and musical mash-up of metal, punk, rock, industrial and more. So w...

On episode #81 we're joined by mastering engineer, record label owner and  Jellyfish aficionado  Steve Turnidge to revisit the band's debut release, 1990's  Bellybutton . Steve is half of the team that put together the Jellyfish tribute album  Sensory Lullabies and brings a deep knowledge and passion for the band to this episode. Grab a drink, find a comfortable chair and sit back, because you are...

On episode #80 we're back with another listener suggestion, this week checking out the previously unfamiliar  Walt Mink and their 1992 album  Miss Happiness . Combining elements of Cheap Trick power pop and Jane's Addiction-esque guitar rock, Walt Mink can defy description at times. But is that a good thing, or is it the sound of inconsistency? Tune in to find out. Songs in this Episode: Intro - L...

For episode #79, we push Skype to the max and welcome three special guests: drummer Aaron Preston, bassist Clint McBay and guitarist Mark Metzger, all of the  Chainsaw Kittens , to revisit the 1992 album  Flipped Out in Singapore . We go deep into the history of the band, covering the arrivals, departures, working with Butch Vig and Spike Jonze, Aaron and Clint joining  For Love Not Lisa , tauntin...

On episode #78 of Dig Me Out, Jason brings a pick to the show - the 1999 album  Through the Darkness by  D Generation . Some might know lead singer  Jesse Malin from his successful solo career, but with the recently reunited D Generation getting ready to release a new album soon, it's the perfect time to tackle the third album from this New York City punk rock outfit. D Generation combine the snot...

On episode #77 we're back with  Watershed bassist/vocalist  Joe Oestreich , author of the new book " Hitless Wonder: A Life in Minor League Rock and Roll ." In part two, we revisit their 1996 album  Star Vehicle and about how touring different regions of the country impacts songwriting, their place in the history of Columbus music and the wisdom of the Karate Kid. Songs in this Episode: Intro - Sh...

On episode #76 we're joined by  Watershed bassist/vocalist  Joe Oestreich , author of the new book " Hitless Wonder: A Life in Minor League Rock and Roll ." Joe has spent almost three decades traversing the country bringing his band's version of Midwestern power-pop to the masses, and has plenty of stories to tell in part one of a two part interview, discussing songwriting, recording, balancing tw...

With the release of  Glen Hansard 's first solo record, we thought it was about time to revisit his pre-Swell Season, pre-Once band,  The Frames , and their sophomore album from 1996,  Fitzcarraldo . Many people know Hansard from the  movie (and now  Tony Award winning broadway musical ) Once and his other band  The Swell Season , but Hansard actually cut his teeth with his Dublin, Ireland outfit...

With  Guided By Voices reunited and releasing their second of three (!) albums in 2012, we decided to spend episode #74 reviewing the 1999 album  Do the Collapse . When Robert Pollard abandoned his trademark lo-fi sound to release a major label album, produced by the legendary Cars leader  Ric Ocasek , it's safe to the say the reviews were mixed. And when we say mixed, we mean numerous die-hard fa...

On episode #73 we head back down under thanks to a suggestion by our Australian friend-of-the-show, Gavin and take a listen to the 1997 album  Not Meant for This World by  Asteroid B-612 . The early punk of The Stooges and MC5 is prevalent in the sound of Asteroid B-612: raw energy, loud guitars and a big chorus. But does the band pull it off as well as the revered Hellacopters or ? Tune in to fin...