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Episodes
J and Tim dig into the grunge, alt-rock, and indie albums that changed everything—the forgotten classics, the underappreciated masterpieces, and the legends worth hearing again. One album at a time. Let’s dig it out.
Episodes
Sep 20, 2022
Sep 20, 2022
48 min
Shoegaze is a term tossed out whenever a band leans in on the wall-of-sound distortion and pairs it with obscured vocals and dreamy feedback. But few bands actually stuck to My Bloody Valentine's template, adding their own flavors like the 1993 debut album Against Perfection by Adorable. Here the vocals are less obscured, and even hooky at times, recalling everyone from Echo & the Bunnymen and The Smiths to The Verve and Spiritualized. But it's not just the vocals that give Adorable a unique twist, as the rhythm section, especially an occasional Pixies-like bassline, gets their times to shine as well.
Songs In This Episode:
Intro - Breathless
17:49 - Sister Chapel Ceiling
21:26 - Homeboy
28:07 - Sunshine Smile
34:45 - Still Life
Outro - A To Fade In
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Sep 13, 2022
Sep 13, 2022
51 min
Chicago and the surrounding areas like Champaign-Urbana nurtured a big guitar rock sound found in the Smashing Pumpkins, Hum, Catherine, Veruca Salt, Fig Dish, and others. Originally called Mother for their debut, the band signed to a major label, changed their name to Menthol, and produced an album worthy of that group with 1995's self-titled release. But the band takes a different approach vocally, spitting big chunks of lyrics filled with a variety of references and twisted wordplay.
Songs In This Episode:
Intro - Dry Heaves (Of The Well-Adorned)
17:34 - Stress Is Best
20:35 - U.S.A. Capable
26:35 - Perfect Spirals
32:58 - Briefcase Full Of Cash
Outro - Francis Scott Key
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Sep 6, 2022
Sep 6, 2022
54 min
Bands cultivating a look to match their sound in rock and roll is nothing new, but the 90s weren't the most receptive decade to a well thought out image. The Sharp, with their black and white color scheme, upright bass, and precise take on 80s new wave with twists of rockabilly and power-pop, make a case that The White Stripes would follow at the end of the decade with their 1993 debut This Is The Sharp. Sounding blender filled with albums by The Knack, Brian Setzer, sElf, Joe Jackson, Fountains of Wayne, Jellyfish, and more, the tight, clean sounds are at odds with the distorted grunge overtaking the music world in 1993. But their charm of being totally at odds with the times means the skill and craftsmanship of the songwriting really shines, even if it dips into familiar patterns at times.
Songs In This Episode:
Intro - Scratch My Back
17:28 - Talking Sly
24:12 - Love Kiss
33:04 - Kiss Me Again
Outro - Don't Waste My Time
Support the podcast, join the DMO UNION at Patreon.
Aug 30, 2022
Aug 30, 2022
50 min
College rock is a broad term, but one that can be applied to the post-Blake Babies band Antenna founded by John Strohm and Freda Love. On the second and final album by the band, 1993's Hideout, the influences of American indie and underground pop are infused with strands of shoegaze and dream-pop noise, with tasteful guitar effects, and unexpectedly crafty baselines and backing vocals. All of that makes it not entirely appealing to mainstream radio in 1993 looking for the next Nirvana or Pearl Jam, but ideal for the college radio crowd in search of something different.
Songs In This Episode:
Intro - Wallpaper
12:43 - Don't Be Late
21:09 - Easy Listening
31:21 - Stillife
Outro - Shine
Support the podcast, join the DMO UNION at Patreon.
Aug 23, 2022
Aug 23, 2022
1 hr 17 min
The moniker "post-hardcore" was used to describe the wave of bands following the hardcore-punk sound but pushing the musical envelope. In the 80s it was Husker Du and Minute, the 90s Fugazi, Drive Like Jehu, Jawbox. None were exactly the same, each stretching and pushing the boundaries of what made up post-hardcore. New York City, home to Helmet, Quicksand, and Chavez, was fertile ground for the sound, which included Into Another. On their 1994 sophomore album, Ignaurus, the band take the edge and energy of post-hardcore, combine it with some progressive rock, and end up with a sound unlike just about anyone else was making at the time.
Songs In This Episode:
Intro - Running Into Walls
14:44 - Maritime Murder
30:24 - Anxious
45:02 - Poison Fingers
Outro - Ungodly
Support the podcast, join the DMO UNION at Patreon.
Aug 16, 2022
Aug 16, 2022
50 min
Jon Crosby, the singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist at the helm of VAST, was a well-regarded guitarist as a teen who signed a record deal with Elektra at just seventeen years old. On the debut, Crosby takes 90s industrial rock in the vein of Nine Inch Nails or Stabbing Westward and layers unexpected sounds, like Benedictine monks and Bulgarian women's choirs, to create haunting soundscapes that compliment his wide vocal range that can belt it out or croon with equal effectiveness. Visual Audio Sensory Theater is a true album, with extended intros and subtle connective tissue running throughout the record that will divide listeners today just as it did in 1998.
Songs In This Episode:
Intro - The Niles Edge
18:42 - I'm Dying
21:56 - Here
32:13 - Dirty Hole
40:24 - Touched
Outro - Pretty When You Cry
Support the podcast, join the DMO UNION at Patreon.
Aug 9, 2022
Aug 9, 2022
1 hr 20 min
Known for his talents on various stringed instruments, Ben Harper solidified his backing band as The Innocent Criminals on his fourth record, 1999's Burn To Shine. With that band arrangement, Harper delves into a variety of sounds, channeling the blues and folk that made up his early solo releases but continuing the louder sounds from his previous outing, The Will To Live. Through the twists and turns, from 70s-influenced blues rock to minor-key Zeppelin riffing, Harper and his band play with volume and dynamics throughout to create a unique sonic pallet that works until it doesn't.
Songs In This Episode:
Intro - Burn To Shine
15:53 - Steal My Kisses
27:00 - In The Lord's Arms
38:04 - Two Hands of a Prayer
56:33 - Beloved One
Outro - Forgiven
Support the podcast, join the DMO UNION at Patreon.
Aug 2, 2022
Aug 2, 2022
52 min
Though Fu Manchu often comes up when discussing the stoner rock of Sleep, Kyuss, Queens of the Stone Age, Monster Magnet, and, the Orange County band has made the prime focus skate boarding, California vibes, and science fiction, all stuffed in a smoke-filled custom 70s van. As proponents of fuzzed-out guitar riffing, tight arrangements, catchy hooks, and finding the balance between bombast and restraint, Fu Manchu marks all our boxes. The fact they do such a good job not only writing great music, but creating an entire look and feel from album artwork to merchandise helps us look into what was once an aspirational idea of the West Coast to a pair of flat-land Ohio boys.
Songs In This Episode:
Intro - No Dice
18:33 - Drive
27:15 - King of the Road
34:56 - Boogie Van
40:35 - Weird Beard
Outro - Freedom of Choice
Support the podcast, join the DMO UNION at Patreon.
Jul 26, 2022
Jul 26, 2022
43 min
Montreal's Doughboys, like so many bands who tipped their toes in the power-pop sound, were mostly ignored by US listeners. Unless led by a ballad like the Goo Goo Dolls or pushing a punkier sound, artists with layered harmonies and a keen sense of melodic hooks were often overlooked for pure pop. On their 1993 album Crush, the band never compromise on the guitars, combining hardrock riffs with catchy leads and an occasional ripping solo. Only when the band slows down and gets dirgy does the momentum falter on an overall underappreciated gem.
Songs In This Episode:
Intro - Tearin' Away
18:00 - Fix Me
27:03 - Everything
30:25 - Neighborhood Villain
Outro - Shine
Support the podcast, join the DMO UNION at Patreon.
Jul 19, 2022
Jul 19, 2022
1 hr 10 min
Bruce Kulick, a member of KISS from 1984 to 1996, and John Corabi, a member of Motley Crue from 1992 to 1997, joined forces to form Union with capable players Jamie Hunting on bass and Brent Fitz on drums. The songwriting style Corabi brought to Crue is evident from the first track "Old Man Wise," which combines classic hard rock riffs with melodies and vocals that fit well into 90s alternative and grunge, such as Alice In Chains. What helps make this something more than just another album is the small touches - the harmony vocals from all members paired with clean and unfussy production that serve the songs well.
Songs In This Episode:
Intro - Old Man Wise
13:56 - Around Again
20:20 - October Morning Wind
28:40 - Let It Flow
39:26 - Pain Behind Your Eyes
Outro - Get Off My Cloud
Support the podcast, join the DMO UNION at Patreon.