Dig Me Out: 90s & 00s Rock

We're back with another listener review, this week week exploring the quirky power-pop of  The Sugarplastic  on their sophomore 1996 release, Band The Earth Is Round. The Sugarplastic combine the twisted pop of XTC and the Pixies with clear Beatles influence, occasionally detouring into They Might Be Giants and Presidents of the United States goofy-pop territory. The album works in places, but doe...

Grab a beverage, find a comfortable seat, or hop in the car for a road trip, because this is a long one. We take in an in-depth look at the history of one our favorite bands,  The Afghan Whigs , with special guest Lee Heidel, proprietor of  SummerKiss.com , the longest running and most comprehensive Afghan Whigs, Twilight Singers, Gutter Twins and all-things Greg Dulli website on the planet. Then,...

We're back again to Australian for this week's  requested review  - the 1998 album  Play With Love by Crow . Dark and ominous, with comparison to Girls Against Boys and Nick Cave, Crow shift gears throughout the album, from an industrial grind one track to a samba swing on the next - a dangerous combination in the wrong hands. Does Crow have what it takes to pull it off? Tune in to find out. Songs...

Our run of  Requested Reviews  continues with the 1997 debut album Elsewhere for 8 Minutes by Australia's  Something for Kate . On the surface this band sounds like a slightly edgier Bush, but dig deeper (as we always do) and a more complex and interesting band appears. But what made Bush successful, besides Gavin Rossdale's beautiful hair, were the radio-friendly vocal hooks. Does SFK produce the...

This week's  Requested Review  provides us with one of heaviest and loudest bands we've ever covered,  Karp,  and their third and final album, Self Titled LP. At only eight songs and barely thirty minutes, Self Titled LP is still a challenging album to get through thanks to plenty of abrasive mid-level frequency guitar, tempos that move from Melvins-eque sludge to frenetic punk, with a screaming v...

A listener suggestion takes us into previously unexplored territory - namely the ambient trip-hop of Bowery Electric, and their 1996 album Beat. Simple is an understatement, as Bowery Electric takes minimalism to near Brian Eno levels, experimenting with two-note songs and lyric-less vocals. You might expect a hate-fest from two rock lovers, and you'd be wrong. Tune in to find out where the surpri...

This week we're tackling the one and only release by Seattle punk band  10 Minute Warning , their 1998 self-titled album. The story of 10MW is long and troubled, taking over 20 years to release their only album, but what really matters is the music. This slab o' grunge sounds more appropriate for 1988 than 1998, but thanks to the combination of musicians and producer, 10MW sounds much more like an...

A listener suggestion brings us the sixth studio album by  King's X , their 1996 release Ear Candy. Respected and admired by musicians and a legion of dedicated fans, King's X may be the quintessential overlooked and under-appreciated Dig Me Out band. Despite heavy riffs, immaculate production and layers of harmonies, Ear Candy never made an impact on commercial radio. We try to figure out why. So...

Thanks to a listener suggestion, we're finally getting a chance to revisit  Ministry , and their 1992 release Psalm 69. Much like the band, we cover a lot of ground with a lengthy discussion on this important and influential album, with special guest (and suggestor) Matthew Sleightholme joining us from the UK to tackle the sounds, politics and narcotic indulgences of Al Jourgenson and crew. Songs...

#162: 30 Something by Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine Our first  Requested Review  of the year gives us a chance to check out  Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine , and their 1991 sophomore album 30 Something. Carter USM run the proverbial gamut of music history, from orchestral waltzes to Pet Shop Boy-esque dance anthems to Ministry and Sex Pistol vitriol, but with a bevy of digital help. Does...

With a new  Cibo Matto  album out this week, it's a perfect time to revisit the oddball band from the 90s and their sophomore album Stereo Type A from 1999. Expanding their band and sound allows the band to bring in a variety of elements and genres not heard on their debut release, but does that equal too much of a good thing? Tune into find out. Songs in this Episode: Intro - Spoon6:38 - History...

Although 90s Britpop is best known for Oasis and Blur, plenty of bands skirted the edges of stardom, among those are  Ash . This week we revisit their 1998 sophomore album Nu-Clear Sounds. Dabbling equally in Britpop and American alternative, Nu-Clear Sounds bounces from delicate ballads to fuzzed-out rave-ups in an instant. Is it genius, or jarring? Tune in to find out. Songs in this Episode: Int...

It’s time to bring the rock, Grand Rock that is, in the form of Sweden’s  The Hellacopters , and their 1999 album. Borrowing equally from the Motown garage rock of the MCS, Stooges and Sonic Rendezvous Band, as well as stadium rockers like KISS and The Who, The Hellacopters combine it all into one big, bombastic record. While the stripped down garage rock of The White Stripes and Strokes would kic...

We've talked about Catherine Wheel many times throughout the years, finally we're getting around to reviewing an album - their 1995 release Happy Days. Although their sophomore album Chrome hinted at a heavier sound from the band, their earlier shoegaze influences were still evident. Not so on Happy Days, which amps up the volume and dips into the New Wave of British Heavy Metal the same way Billy...

Our second review of 2014 takes us to Knoxville, Tennessee to revisit the major label debut album Regretfully Yours by Superdrag. Released in 1996, the same year Alanis Morissette topped the charts while bands like The Verve Pipe, Dave Matthews and Rage Against the Machine followed closely behind, the retro power-pop of Superdrag seems radically out of place. Though they managed to breakthrough wi...

For our first review of Season 4, we're revisiting the 1998 sophomore album Villa Elaine by Remy Zero. Comparisons at the time to Radiohead were common, but time reveals other influences creeping in from track to track, making what some would call a diverse, other inconsistent, listen. Is it a worthy album, or does the variety sink Villa Elaine? Tune in to find out. Songs in this Episode: Intro -...

Our third season is a wrap, so it's time to recap. We've found our favorite tunes of the past season, and picked our album discovery of the year. Surprises? Maybe. Disagreement? Possible. Tune in to find out, to hear who received our Request a Review Thank You drawing, and for news about the upcoming 2014 season. Songs in this Episode - you have to listen to find out! Follow on  Twitter  /  Facebo...

Our final review of the year brings us the 1995 album Superfriends by Sweet Water. Although released right smack in the middle of the 90s, this album feels out of place thanks to big guitar riffs more reminiscent of the 1980s and a lack of anything "alternative." The single "Superstar" failed to connect with a big audience, but there is no doubting it's a damn good song. So how does the rest of th...

We haven't visited our home state of Ohio in awhile, so this week we're making a trip to Cincinnati to check out Throneberry, and their 1998 album Squinting Before the Dazzle. In the 90s they drew comparisons to fellow 'nati residents The Afghan Whigs, but time has provided more perspective on their third and final record. Are they truly a lesser imitation, or does Throneberry step out of shadow a...

Jason wanted to bring the heavy back, so he made this week's pick, the 1993 album Inhaler by Tad. One of the bands often mentioned along with Soundgarden, Alice in Chains and Pearl Jam as early members of the Seattle grunge movement, but never achieving the same level of recognition or success, Tad tread in heavier and harder sounds. Some consider this a lost classic, but do we? Tune in to find ou...

Thanks to a recent Facebook poll, this week we're tackling a 1990s benefit album, specifically the 1993 compilation Sweet Relief - A Benefit for Victoria Williams. As with any tribute record, some artists will stay true to the original version, while others will make the songs their own, which can lead to mixed results. Tune in to find out where Pearl Jam, Lou Reed, Shudder to Think and more come...

This week's Requested Review comes from a group that started as a busking Irish folk band. But Jump, Little Children, and their 1998 album Magazine, are far from their origins, combining high-energy pop rock with more introspective mid and slower tempo tunes. Songs in this Episode: Intro - Not Today1:49 - History of the Band10:13 - Violet Dreams15:42 - Cathedrals18:12 - Body PartsOutro - My Guitar...

Our latest listener request takes us back down under to revisit the 1999 album Grand Slam by Spiderbait, an odd mix of power pop, metal, trip-hop, brit pop and just about every other genre from the 90s. In fact, Grand Slam feels like a 90s mix that tries to cover a variety of sounds from the decade (minus ska and nu-metal, thankfully). It's weird, it's long, and we kinda dig it. Tune in to find ou...

Having just explored the lone album from the Holy Barbarians, we decided to investigate further the guitar/drum combo of Patrick Sugg and Scott Garrett on their 1991 self-titled album by Neverland. On the edge of 80s glam metal and 90s alternative, Neverland isn't as easy to pin down as you might think, but do they do any of it particularly well? Tune in to find out. Songs in this Episode: Intro -...

Almost 12 years to the day, Teenage Fanclub released their third, and some would say best, album Bandwagonesque. To help us dissect the album Spin choose as Album of the Year in 1991 (over titles like Nevermind, Badmotorfinger and Ten) is Andy Derer of The Andy Derer show. Power pop bands like Teenage Fanclub never reached the heights of success that grunge bands achieved, but that didn't stop a l...