Dig Me Out: 90s Rock Dig Me Out
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- Music
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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.
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Buffalo Tom - Let Me Come Over | 90s Album Review
With their tenth album, Jump Rope, just released, a fortunate stroke of serendipity landed Buffalo Tom's third album Let Me Come Over at the top of our most recent Patreon album poll. Having recorded their first two albums with J Mascis of Dinosaur Jr., the band took a different approach for their 1992 release, heading to Fort Apache Studios to work with Sean Slade and Paul Q. Kolderie. With guitars and tempos dialed down a bit, introspective lyrics and melancholy melodies become clearer in the mix, while tasteful layers of acoustic guitars, keys, and other additions help fill-out the three-piece sound.
Songs In This Episode
Intro - Staples
15:27 - Mineral
17:24 - Stymied
26:25 - Taillights Fade
29:54 - I'm Not There
Outro - Porchlight
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Listen to the episode archive at DigMeOutPodcast.com. -
Damon and Naomi - More Sad Hits | 90s Album Review
Following the end of Galaxie 500, Damon Krukowski and Naomi Yang were ready to give up on music. Thanks to Mark Kramer of Shimmy Disc, who coaxed them back into the studio, the pair formed Damon and Naomi, and released their debut More Sad Hits in 1992. While continuing the dream pop/slowcore sound of Galaxie 500, the band stretch their sound in various ways, with subtle basslines playing off the vocal melodies, hits of French pop and jazz, and the varied vocal approach with each taking lead, as well as harmonizing on several tracks. Neither high or lo-fi, it's melancholy but not depressing, a fine needle to thread.
Songs In This Episode
Intro - Boston's Daily Temperature
13:25 - E.T.A.
17:28 - Information Age
24:19 - Once More
28:43 - Astrafiammante
Outro - This Changing World
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Listen to the episode archive at DigMeOutPodcast.com. -
Finger Eleven - Tip | 90s Album Review
Starting as the inexplicable Rainbow Butt Monkeys in the early 90s, the band wisely changed their name after the 1995 debut release and reconfigured their sound on 1998's Tip as Finger Eleven. With the capable Arnold Lanni behind the board, the band combined contemporary elements of Our Lady Peace, Helmet, Quicksand, and more in their post-grunge approach. A pair of big, thick guitar sounds with a rock steady rhythm section give singer Scott Anderson a strong base to work with, like on the riff-heavy "Condenser" and "Glimpse." But the band has multiple gears, like the subdued "Awake and Dreaming" and Tool-lite closer, "Swallowtail." If there is anything working against the band, it's the restraint they adhere to, keeping second guitar leads to a minimum and occasionally drifting vocally into Raine Maida territory.
Songs In This Episode
Intro - Condenser
26:46 - Alone
35:33 - Quicksand
40:25 - Swallowtail
Outro - Glimpse
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Listen to the episode archive at DigMeOutPodcast.com. -
Hootie & the Blowfish - Cracked Rear View | 90s Album Review
In terms of unexpected successes in the music industry, Hootie & the Blowfish might be the biggest one of all. Having spent years playing southern bars as the 80s gave way to the 90s, the band couldn't get a record deal despite success with an independent EP. The A&R rep that signed them did so because they didn't sound like what was popular, and Atlantic Records gave them a fraction of their standard advance and no money to make a video for their 1994 debut Cracked Rear View. Years of honing their chops on the SEC circuit meant the pop-rock tunes with a tinge of southern flavor were tight and catchy - the perfect antidote to the domination of minor chord and drop-tuned Seattle sound that dominated after the release of Nevermind. Naturally, as their record sales exploded, backlash wasn't far behind, which quickly made the band fodder for comedians and music journalist poison pens. So is the hate directed at four compentent musicians with a goofy band name and over twenty-million albums sold valid?
Thank you to Tara for her years of support, please check out Prism United.
Songs In This Episode
Intro - Hold My Hand
26:47 - Hannah Jane
29:35 - Drowning
48:40 - Only Wanna Be With You
52:29 - Running From An Angel
Outro - Goodbye
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Listen to the episode archive at DigMeOutPodcast.com. -
Frente! - Marvin the Album | 90s Album Review
Led by vocalist Angie Hart and guitarist Simon Austin, Frente! emerged from Melbourne, Australia, with a sound that blended acoustic folk with a touch of alternative rock. On their 1992 debut Marvin the Album, Hart's angelic vocals combined with Austin's intricate guitar work create an intimate listening experience. It was completely out of step with the heavy Seattle sounds dominating radio playlists at the time, but the band made commercial inroads thanks to their non-album cover of New Order's classic synth-pop dance hit "Bizarre Love Triangle." For such a focused, stripped down record, some of the production choices left us scratching our heads, like an obnoxiously loud snare caked in heavy reverb, or a free jazz excursion completely out of step with the rest of the record.
Songs In This Episode
Intro - Accidently Kelly Street
23:17 - No Time
27:00 - Cuscatlan
32:38 - 1.9.0
35:23 - Ordinary Angels
39:58 - Most Beautiful
Outro - Labour of Love
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Listen to the episode archive at DigMeOutPodcast.com. -
Superchunk - Foolish | 90s Album Review
The 1994 album Foolish by Superchunk might be the defining indie rock album of the 1990s. Raw musical energy paired with introspective lyrics and hooks that grab hold from the first track to the last. The band's signature blend of punk and pop shines through in every distorted chord or note that guitarist and lead singer Mac McCaughan sings or strums, creating an album that feels both urgent and timeless. Tracks like "Driveway to Driveway" and "Like a Fool" showcase the band's knack for crafting sneakily catchy melodies while maintaining the emotional depth of a record that famously followed the breakup of McCaughan and bassist Laura Balance. The end result is a vital record that defines the 1990s indie rock sound.
Songs In This Episode
Intro - Water Wings
17:23 - Driveway to Driveway
29:41 - Why Do You Have to Put a Date on Everything
35:07 - Kicked In
40:18 - Like A Fool
Outro - The First Part
Support the podcast, join the DMO UNION at Patreon.
Listen to the episode archive at DigMeOutPodcast.com.
Customer Reviews
Just found this walk through my Playlists
Excellent shows, covering the music I still mainly listen to. Spent my teens and twenties getting these CD’s while in the Toledo/ Detroit area. Keep up the great music reviews!
Great!
Great podcast!
Madchester
This review of the madchester scene seems to miss the mark a bit. I know that this is a 90s rock podcast, so either these guys are unaware, uninterested, or just aren’t covering other types of music (black music in particular) . I know they brought a guest on here. Being very enthusiastic about these bands at the time these records were being released, I’d describe the madchester sound as a mix of 60s psychedelic music and contemporary black music. The Byrds, Love and Hendrix meets Chicago and Detroit House and Public Enemy/ Eric B and Rakim era hip hop. The Happy Mondays were less specific but utilized a huge early techno influence. The marriage of guitar and dance elements, sampled beats mixed with jangly guitars. Stone Roses are like a druggy, more black influenced Smiths because the songs are well crafted and pretty. As for New Order, they were pioneers of this type of dance/rock mixture. If anything, it’s closest American analog would be Grunge. It was a sound, a look, and an attitude. Not all madchester bands were from Manchester, just like all the grunge bands weren’t from Seattle. Nobody wore baggy clothes until these guys did. Even Chuck D had tight jeans on at this point.