Dig Me Out: 90s Rock

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

 

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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)

 

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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

 

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311 - Grassroots | 90s Album Review

By the end of the 1990s, mixing rock and other genres was no big deal, but in the first half the first half of the decade it was still a novel idea. 311 established their unique sound by mixing elements rock, reggae, hip-hop, and funk, and on their sophomore album Grassroots, bits of 70s progressive rock and psychedelic jam bands. The innovative fusion of genres, combined with high-energy vocal and musical performances, make the album an undeniable head-bobber. On the flip-side, the band can lock into a staccato delivery across instruments, not exploring interesting counter melodies or rhythms, while certain genre touches can go overboard into straight-up imitation. Depending on your musical preferences, it can make for an exciting experience or a repetitive disappointment.

 

Songs In This Episode

Intro - Homebrew

23:54 - Lucky

28:32 - Salsa

40:40 - Rock That Doesn't Roll / Dope Nostalgia podcast promos

48:47 - Omaha Stylee

57:43 - 8:16 AM

Outro - 1, 2, 3

 

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Bruce Springsteen In The 90s | Roundtable

After achieving massive success in the 1970s and 80s, Bruce Springsteen began the 1990s with the release of two albums in 1992, "Human Touch" and "Lucky Town," which showcased a departure from his work with the E Street Band. Like with his 1987 album "Tunnel of Love," Springsteen explored more personal themes at the end of his marriage and relocation from New Jersey to Los Angeles. Despite mixed critical reception, the albums produced notable singles like "Human Touch" and "Better Days." While some wrote off Springsteen as stale and out of touch, he returned on the soundtrack to the movie Philadelphia with the haunting and sparse "Streets of Philadelphia." He followed that up in 1995 with "The Ghost of Tom Joad," a stark, acoustic folk album that harkened back to the style of "Nebraska" and focused on social and economic issues, earning him critical acclaim and a Grammy Award for the title track. This period, though less commercially dominant than the 1980s, demonstrated Springsteen's versatility and commitment to evolving as an artist, and the 1998 four-disc compilation Tracks made up of 66-outtakes from the earliest years of his career up to the 90s showcased his hidden gems and concert-only favorites, leading up to his induction into the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame in 1999.

 

Songs In This Episode:

Intro - Better Days (Lucky Town)

19:12 - Leap of Faith (Lucky Town)

34:42 - Streets of Philadelphia (Philadelphia soundtrack)

45:27 - Rock That Doesn't Roll / Dop Nostalgia podcast promos

50:20 - Youngstown (The Ghost of Tom Joad)

1:03:45 - Born In The U.S.A. (Tracks)

1:11:52 - American Skin (41 Shots) (Live)

Outro - 57 Channels (And Nothin' On) (Human Touch)

 

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The Dwarves - The Dwarves Are Young and Good Looking | 90s Album Review

The provocative album covers and lyrical content have kept the Dwarves an underground band for four decades, appreciated by punk enthusiasts and fellow musicians across musical genres. After getting dropped by Sub Pop, the band returned with The Dwarves Are Young and Good Looking in 1997. While a cursory listen pins this as classic punk rock, the band isn't afraid to push the pop end of punk thanks to doubled and harmonized vocals spitting out obviously catch choruses that only missed mainstream attention thanks to a liberal use of explicit language and themes.

 

Songs In This Episode

Intro - Crucifixion Is Now

20:43 - I Will Deny

25:54 - Rock That Doesn't Roll / Dope Nostalgia podcast promos

28:17 - Everybodies Girl

30:08 - You Gotta Burn

39:02 - Unrepentant

45:52 - Demonica

Outro - We Must Have Blood

 

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Subrosa - Never Bet The Devil Your Head | 90s Album Review

No one would have faulted the surviving members of For Squirrels for moving on from music after the horrific accident that claimed the life of their singer, bassist, and road manager. It took years for guitarist/singer Travis Tooke and drummer Jack Griego to regroup with new bassist Andy Jim Lord under the new moniker Subrosa and land a new record deal, the end result being their 1997 lone release Never Bet The Devil Your Head. While For Squirrels drew comparisons to the college rock of R.E.M., Subrosa dials up rock, dabbling in a post-hardocre riffage while Tooke switches between a lower register singing voice and a fiery growl. Passionate but uneven, the record doesn't shy away from the past for the Tooke and Griego, who channel their catharsis in equal parts volume and melancholy.

 

Songs In This Episode

Intro - Never The Best

13:42 - World's Greatest Lover

23:01 - The Life Inside Me Killed This Song

28:38 - Antigen Fiend

32:33 - Dope Nostalgia Promo

34:27 - Damn The Youth

Outro - Rollercoaster

 

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Alanis Morissette - Jagged Little Pill | 90s Album Review

It's hard to look back on the 1990s and remember a time when Alanis Morissette was not one of its most recognizable artists. At the start of the decade, unless you were familiar with Canadian pop music or the Nickelodeon show "You Can't Do That On Television," you'd be forgiven for not knowing her name. In 1995, that all changed. Thanks to a meeting with songwriter/producer Glen Ballard, the creatively frustrated 19-year old teen pop star was able to reinvent herself by stripping away the restraints of her previous career and starting anew. Songwriting sessions with Ballard allowed Morissette to unleash her voice, sonically and lyrically, one demo at a time into what would become one of the most successful albums in history. As impressive as the sales numbers are, unlike other massive multi-platinum world sellers, Jagged Little Pill does it without being glossy and over-produced, relying on simple drum loops, tasteful guitars, and the occasional bouncy bassline to provide the foundation for Morissette's singular voice.

 

Songs In This Episode

Intro - You Outta Know

29:52 - Right Through You

32:35 - Dope Nostalgia Promo

37:03 - All I Really Want

46:55 - Not The Doctor

50:56 - Mary Jane

Outro - Head Over Feet

 

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Nine Inch Nails - The Downward Spiral | 90s Album Review

Nine Inch Nails' second studio album, The Downward Spiral, is Trent Reznor's chronicle of self-destruction through themes of addiction, depression, and existential despair. Free from the interference of TVT Records, it marked a significant recording and songwriting evolution for Reznor, building upon the . While the industrial rock genre had already combined heavy guitar riffs with electronic elements, Reznor's innovative production techniques combined with his ear for melody helped launch the album and band from the underground world to dance charts, daily MTV play, and global recognition.

 

Songs In This Episode

Intro - Mr. Self Destruct

33:07 - Piggy

36:42 - I Do Not Want This

40:58 - The Becoming

46:02 - Heresy

58:39 - Closer To God (single)

Outro - Hurt

 

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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.