Dig Me Out: 90s Rock

Dig Me Out
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  • UPDATED WEEKLY
Dig Me Out: 90s Rock Podcast

Weekly episodes digging up lost and forgotten 90s rock — in-depth album reviews, roundtable discussions, and artist interviews that reveal the unique story of the 90s.

  1. 5 DAYS AGO

    Ho Hum - Local | 90s Album Review

    Not many 90s rock bands called Arkansas home, and even fewer looked to the straightforward radio pop of 1970s and 80s as a launching point for their sound. Yet on Ho Hum's 1996 debut Local, the band from Bradley, Arkansas tuned the radio dial to sounds of Big Star, The Plimsouls, The Knack, Dramarama, and early Tom Petty, to name a few, for their catchy, unpretentious sound. Though released in the middle of alternative decade, there isn't a note of angst or grunge to be found, instead forging a sound closer to likes of Velvet Crush, Sloan, Superdrag and Matthew Sweet at their most straightforward. From uptempo gems like opener "Around the World" to the infectious "Don't Go Out with Your Friends Tonite," to soulful ballads "Disappear" and "Superhuman," both featuring horn sections, the band clearly has an ear for an earworm melody.   Songs In This Episode Intro - Around the World 21:15 - Here She Comes 24:41 - Pills and Guns 27:04 - Frozen 31:06 - Disappear 34:12 - Superhuman Outro - Don't Go Out with Your Friends Tonite   Support the podcast, join the DMO UNION at Patreon. Listen to the episode archive at DigMeOutPodcast.com.

    53 min

  2. AUG 29

    Blake Smith and Rick Ness of Fig Dish | Interview

    Emerging from the same mid-90s Chicago scene that saw bands like Veruca Salt, Loud Lucy, Menthol, Triple Fast Action, and Local H get signed to major labels, Fig Dish delivered alternative guitar rock that paid homage to the legends of Mt. Rockmore - Zander, Mascis, Mould, and Westerberg - under the Polygram Records (and subsidiaries) banner. Their discovery is the stuff of legend: the band sent demo cassettes to various major labels with a handwritten note from “Steve,” claiming to have found a band worth checking out, banking on the idea that everyone knows a Steve and the label would think it was a genuine tip. Despite their immediately catchy songs that could easily fit into any alternative rock radio playlist, the band (Blake Smith - vocals/guitar, Rick Ness - vocals/guitar, Mike Willison - bass, Andy Hamilton - drums) struggled to grasp the elusive brass ring. Their single “Seeds” was released with a video but saw limited play on MTV’s 120 Minutes. Touring across the country, they opened for acts like Juliana Hatfield, Veruca Salt, Ned’s Atomic Dustbin, Owsley, and Walt Mink. However, their 1995 album, That’s What Love Songs Often Do, produced by Lou Giordano, failed to make a significant impact. Their 1997 follow-up, When Shove Goes Back to Push, recorded under challenging circumstances, also ended up in used CD bins despite featuring some of the catchiest rock tunes of the year. In a last-ditch effort, the band filmed a video for “When Shirts Get Tight” featuring adult film stars in humorous, over-the-top scenarios. The video, too risqué for MTV, became more myth than reality. By 1998, Fig Dish’s tenure with Polygram ended unceremoniously. They recorded new songs at Andy Gerber’s Million Yen studio in Chicago, hoping for a second chance that never materialized. Smith and Willison went on to form Caviar (known for “Tangerine Speedo”), while Ness and Bill Swartz (who played drums on Shove) formed Ness. Recently, Forge Again Records from Chicago reached out to the band to release their two albums on vinyl for the first time. While the band agreed, navigating the bureaucratic red tape with record labels has been time-consuming. In the meantime, Forge Again asked if Fig Dish had any unreleased material, leading to the release of their 1998 demos as Feels Like the Very Second Time on vinyl. In this interview, Smith and Ness reveal there was no dramatic story behind the band’s breakup; the members remain friends and stay in touch. While they won’t be quitting their day jobs to relive their (less than) glory days, there’s a strong possibility that Fig Dish will release new material in the near future.   Songs In This Episode Intro - Burn Bright For Now 13:54 - Pretty Never Hurts Outro - When Shirts Get Tight   Support the podcast, join the DMO UNION at Patreon. Listen to the episode archive at DigMeOutPodcast.com.

    1h 5m

  3. AUG 27

    Nü Metal in the 90s | Roundtable

    Is Nü Metal the most divisive music subgenre of the 1990s? It sure seems to generate a lot of hate, but is also beloved by millions of fans. Eschewing the traditions of classic NWOBHM bands (guitar solos, leather, fist-pumping athems), Nü Metal rose from the same underground that embraced both hip-hop and mosh pits, with its own style (baggy pants, tracksuits, baseball caps) more reminiscent of Run D.M.C. than Judas Priest. In the same way that punk was a response to the bloated stylings of 70s corporate and progressive rock, Nü Metal stripped away the overindulgence of previous metal incarnations and focused on rhythm and catharsis. Bands like Korn, Papa Roach, and Linkin Park wrote about the dark underbelly of suburban home life, with varying musical approaches, while others like Slipknot, Mudvayne, and Static-X added a layer of theatrical presentation in their looks. We revisit not just the Nü Metal period, but also what came before it, bands like Anthrax and Public Enemy teaming up, the alternative approaches of Primus, Faith No More, and Rage Against The Machine, and explore the looks, the sounds and legacy of Nü Metal.   Songs In This Episode Intro - Blind by Korn (from Korn) 17:11 - Snap Your Fingers, Snap Your Neck by Prong (from Cleansing) 26:20 - We Care A Lot by Faith No More (from Introduce Yourself) 37:04 - Denial by Sevendust (from Home) 49:32 - Last Resort by Papa Roach (from Infest) 50:27 - Rock That Doesn't Roll / Dope Nostalgia podcast promos 58:21 - A.D.I.D.A.S. by Korn (from Life Is Peachy) 1:11:24 - 10 Seconds Down by Sugar Ray (from Lemonade and Brownies) 1:24:35 - Boom by P.O.D. (from Satellite) Outro - Rollin' (Air Raid Vehicle) by Limp Bizkit (from Chocolate Starfish And The Hot Dog Flavored Water)   Support the podcast, join the DMO UNION at Patreon. Listen to the episode archive at DigMeOutPodcast.com.

    1h 40m

  4. AUG 20

    Faithless - Sunday 8 PM | 90s Album Review

    Bands scoring a hit with a single that doesn't sound much like the rest of the album is not unusual. Blur, Sugar Ray, the Butthole Surfers, Nada Surf, and more had hits that might have confused buyers when the bought the respective albums, and the same goes for Faithless, and their 1998 album Sunday 8 PM. Thanks to the uptempo house hit "God Is A DJ," the band gained fans on both sides of the Atlantic. However, aside from one other track, the rest of the album runs at half that speed, mixing electronic downtempo and soul sampled trip-hop. It results in an uneven album that feels more like a collection of really good singles instead of a cohesive musical statement, but the highs, including a stirring vocal performance by Boy George, make the record one worth checking out.   Songs In This Episode Intro - The Garden 20:19 - Why Go? 32:02 - Hour of Need 36:01 - Rock That Doesn't Roll / Dope Nostalgia podcast promos 39:03 - Bring My Family Back 42:12 - God Is A DJ Outro - Killer's Lullaby   Support the podcast, join the DMO UNION at Patreon. Listen to the episode archive at DigMeOutPodcast.com.

    1h 6m

  5. AUG 13

    Massive Attack - Mezzanine | 90s Album Review

    The 90s featured the rise of a several varieties of electronic music into the mainstream. The electronica of Prodigy and The Chemical Brothers and the industrial of Nine Inch Nails and Stabbing Westward became household names thanks to MTV and alternative radio station playlists, but not far behind were the late night grooves of trip-hop thanks to Portishead and Massive Attack. Combining samples and live instrumentation, and taking influence from reggae, dub, soul, jazz and more, the 1998 third album Mezzanine slowly unfurls from the start with opener "Angel" and keeps the listener entranced. From there, the band carefully weaves drum, bass, synths, and a variety of other instruments with three perfectly matched guest vocalists into a constantly shifting sonic landscape.   Songs In This Episode Intro - Teardrop (from Mezzanine) 27:20 - Angel (from Mezzanine) 32:57 - Risingson (from Mezzanine) 35:57 - Rock That Doesn't Roll / Dope Nostalgia podcast promos 52:54 - Paradise Circus (from Heligoland) Outro - Inertia Creeps (from Mezzanine)   Support the podcast, join the DMO UNION at Patreon. Listen to the episode archive at DigMeOutPodcast.com.

    1h 1m

  6. AUG 6

    Poster Children - RTFM | 90s Album Review

    Though hailing from the same Champaign, Illinois scene that birthed Hum and Braid, Poster Children might have flown under your radar. Their major label years were fruitful artistically, but record sales didn't match the critical acclaim, and so the band ended their deal with 1997's RTFM. Opener "Black Dog" unleashes a thumping uppercut with massive guitars and a pummeling rhythm section, and while some of their indie-rock brethren from the time esched showy guitar licks, brothers Rick and Jim Valentin have no qualms about turning up the distortion and letting it rip, like on the frenzied "Music Of America" or dancy "21st Century." The album packs an unexpected punch, but doesn't ignore the subtle moments as well, like on the new wave-ish "Afterglow" or bass-driven "King Of The Hill."   Songs In This Episode Intro - Black Dog 18:49 - 0 for 1 22:39 - Dream Small 25:33 - King Of The Hill 30:45 - Rock That Doesn't Roll/Dope Nostalgia podcast promos 44:55 - 21st Century 48:00 - Music Of America 1:01:40 - Afterglow Outro - Happens Everyday   Support the podcast, join the DMO UNION at Patreon. Listen to the episode archive at DigMeOutPodcast.com.

    1h 21m

  7. JUL 30

    Depeche Mode - World In My Eyes Maxi-Single | 90s Album Review

    Thanks to the sales explosion of compact discs in the 1990s, the expanded playable length of time from forty-four minutes of vinyl to nearly eight minutes gave bands plenty of room to stretch and experiment not only on albums but other releases as well. Re-enter the single, once the domain of 7" vinyl and cassingles, cd singles allowed for bands to release even more material across multiple formats, occasionally helping to propel bands on multiple charts with dance remixes and such. Depeche Mode were no stranger to using singles to release non-album material, and one fine example is the 1990 World In My Eyes maxi-single released by their American label, Sire Records. Compiling the single remix of the title track along with 12" club remixes, and adding a pair of non-album tracks in multiple mixes, turns a simple single into a forty minute, seven-track mini-album, and gives us even more Depeche Mode material to talk about.   Songs In This Episode Intro - World In My Eyes 7" Version 29:13 - World In My Eyes (Oil Tank Mix) 33:25 - World In My Eyes (Mode to Joy) 38:50 - Rock That's Doesn't Roll / Dope Nostalgia podcast promos 50:02 - Happiest Girl (Jack Mix) 55:11 - Sea of Sin (Tonal Mix) Outro - Happiest Girl (The Pulsating Orbital Mix)   Support the podcast, join the DMO UNION at Patreon. Listen to the episode archive at DigMeOutPodcast.com.

    1h 13m

  8. JUL 22

    Big Hate - You're Soaking In It | 90s Album Review

    Plenty of guitar-oriented bands rose to prominence in the 1990s thanks to wave after wave of new artists from various genres. The Seattle sound, pop punk, Britpop, etc. all offered a diverse array of sounds for six-string fans. It was like the 1980s era of guitar heroes, but with an emphasis on diversity of tone and style - the melodic mayhem of J. Mascis to the angular buzzsaw of Kim Thayil to the jazzy funk of John Frusciante - all finding the balance between creative tangents and serving the songs. That brings us to Big Hate, an Atlanta via New York band that utilize a fuzz pedal to its maximum potential. From the opener "Century," that features a lazy slide adding just the right amount of dissonance, to the riffing "Writer's Block," the band takes full advantage of their twin guitar attack. But while it shines musically, the band leaves a bit to be desired vocally, from not nailing a truly hooky chorus, to often sliding into early Our Lady Peace / Raine Maida territory.   Songs In This Episode Intro - Century 15:46 - West Virginia 20:34 - Disappointed 22:45 - Writer's Block 24:41 - Rock That Doesn't Roll / Dope Nostalgia podcast promos 34:35 - Lemonade 38:13 - Sufi Outro - Beauty Mark   Support the podcast, join the DMO UNION at Patreon. Listen to the episode archive at DigMeOutPodcast.com.

    55 min
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4.4
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About

Weekly episodes digging up lost and forgotten 90s rock — in-depth album reviews, roundtable discussions, and artist interviews that reveal the unique story of the 90s.

Information

  • Channel
    Dig Me Out
  • Creator
    Dig Me Out
  • Years Active
    2011 - 2024
  • Episodes
    743
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    Copyright © 2022 Dig Me Out Podcast. All rights reserved. 348716
  • Show Website
    Dig Me Out: 90s Rock

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