Dig Me Out: 90s Rock

Singles of 1995 | Roundtable

Here at Dig Me Out we spent the last ten years starting each new season by looking back at the albums from each year that stood the test of time, disappeared without a trace, and everything in between. We kicked off with a roundtable in 2015 and revisited the albums of 1995, so it made sense to start a new series of roundtables in 1995 as well. This time we're checking out the singles of each year, looking at the year-end Modern Rock/Alternative and Hot 100 charts in the US, as well as charts from Canada, the UK and Australia for comparison. Like with all roundtables, we enlisted the help of some special guests to revisit this interesting transitional year that saw the rise of the second generation of grunge bands like Bush and Silverchair, the continued success of 1994's pop-punk breakthroughs by Green Day and The Offspring, and the juggernaut that was Jagged Little Pill by Alanis Morissette. But that doesn't tell the entire tale, so former A&R executive and audio tech writer James Barber and music writer Kevin Alexander join us to talk about all the hits, the near misses, and the weirdness that was 1995.

Lastly, our third guest, S.W. Lauden aka Steve Coulter was unable to attend due to the tragic loss of his and his family's home in the Eaton, CA. fires. If you are able, please consider donating to the Go Fund Me set-up by Steve's friends.

 

Songs In This Episode

Intro - You Oughta Know by Alanis Morissette (Jagged Little Pill)

12:15 - Possum Kingdom by Toadies (Marvel's Thunderbolts 2025 trailer)

24:48 - A Girl Like You by Edwyn Collins (Empire Records soundtrack)

33:18 - Bright Yellow Gun by Throwing Muses (University)

53:24 - No More I Love You's by Annie Lennox (Medusa)

1:00:23 - Common People by Pulp  (Different Class)

Outro - Alright by Supergrass (I Should Coco)

 

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Papa Vegas - Hello Vertigo | 90s Album Review

Papa Vegas' 1999 album Hello Vertigo offers a radio friendly mix of alternative rock with polished production. It showcases the band's bi hit potential, but the songwriting occasionally feels formulaic, relying on the familiar soft/loud trope from the mid to late '90s rock scene. Tracks like "Bombshell" stand out with catchy hooks and a radio-friendly vibe, but others struggle to maintain the same level of energy or memorability. While the album has moments of creativity, such as its layered guitar work and atmospheric touches, it tends to play it safe, rarely straying from the verse/prechorus/chorus format. The album is more than competent at delivering a chorus, but the safe rhythm section and lack of dynamics give the overall record a consistency that could use a shake-up from time to time.

 

Songs In This Episode

Intro - Super Telepathy

17:57 - Something Wrong

20:42 - No Destination

36.37 - Mesmerized

46:38 - Bombshell

Outro - Sermon Underground

 

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Arcwelder - Pull | 90s Album Review

Despite being a three piece, the Midwestern trio Arcwelder put each instrument to optimum use on their 1993 album Pull. A big, post-hardcore sound without layer upon layer of overdubs thanks to off-kilter chord and melody choices that recall heavier 90s acts like Helmet and the next in the vein of noisier drone of Swervedriver. Arcwelder find a consistent, engaging sound that balances indie rock intensity with an accessibility that reveals itself over the course of several listens, the definition of a slow grower.

 

Songs In This Episode

Intro - Truth

14:04 - Lahabim

20:08 - Cranberry Sauce

23:33 - Remember to Forget

34:59 - What Did You Call It That For

Outro - It's A Wonderful Lie

 

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Season Fourteen Review

So much to to talk about when we look back on 2024. Like with our previous year-in-review episodes, we look back at our favorite new album discoveries, most brought to us by our Patreon community, as well as our most enjoyable round table experiences, and our favorite 80s Metal episodes, before previewing what's in store for next year. Here's to season fifteen in 2025!

 

Songs In This Episode

Intro - Dig Me Out by Sleater-Kinney

5:17 - 0 for 1 by Poster Children

10:40 - Don't Go Out with Your Friends Tonite by Ho-Hum

18:07 - Love Bomb Baby by Tigertailz

Outro - Mirror Mirror by Blind Guardian

 

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Listen to the episode archive at DigMeOutPodcast.com.

Styx - Surviving The 90s

We're always looking at new ways to approach the 90s, and in the past we've revisited the output from bands and artists that got that start in the 1970s and 80s, like Tom Petty, KISS, Van Halen, and others. At the suggestion of our friend and 80s Metal co-host Chip, we've revamped the format for a fresh start. We kick it off with progressive arena rock veterans Styx, and start by checking out their 70s and 80s greatest hits to re-familiarize ourselves with the songs that became staples on classic rock radio for decades - "Come Sail Away," "Renegade," "Mr. Roboto," "Lady," and many more. Then we check out their 90s releases - the 1990 album Edge of the Century, which did not feature guitarist Tommy Shaw, then guitarist for Damn Yankees, and then their 1999 reunion with Shaw, and last with lead singer/keyboardist Dennis DeYoung, Brave New World. Unlike many of their classic rock peers, Styx managed to score a hit single at the start of the decade with the ballad "Show Me The Way." From their, we catch up with the band and current status to determine if the band thrived in the 90s, merely adapted to the times, or creatively died.

 

Songs In This Episode

Intro - Show Me The Way (from Edge of the Century)

7:40 - Blue Collar Man (Long Nights) (from Pieces of Eight)

28:42 - Suite Madame Blue (from Equinox)

38:56 - Back To Chicago (from Edge of the Century)

41.57 - All In A Day's Work (from Edge of the Century)

58:57 - What Have They Done to You (from Brave New World)

Outro - Everything Is Cool (from Brave New World)

 

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Howlin Maggie - Honeysuckle Strange | 90s Album Review

From the ashes of acclaimed but underheard Royal Crescent Mob, bass player Harold "Happy" Chichester switched to guitar and lead vocal for his new band Howlin Maggie, who released their debut album Honeysuckle Strange in 1996. With an all-star cast of Columbus, Ohio players, the band produced a fierce yet catchy album for Columbia Records at the height of alternative rock, but didn't make a dent with national radio or MTV. Which is a shame, because Honeysuckle Strange is more than just your run-of-the-mill 90s alt-rock album. Carrying over from his funk rock background in RC Mob, the album never rests on simple rhythms, chord progressions, or vocal hooks, always coming up with something a bit more interesting or challenging, even if it means pushing the volume and harshness up a notch.

 

Songs In This Episode

I

Intro - Miss Universe

18:54 - Rubbing The Industry Raw

21:40 - You Are

25:57 - $3.99

31:45 - Promise To Be Happy

34:56 - I'm A Slut

40:13 - How The West Was Won

Outro - Easy To Be Stupid (Beautiful Girls soundtrack)

 

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No Knife - Hit Man Dreams | 90s Album Review

San Diego-based band No Knife released their sophomore album Hit Man Dreams in 1997 during the peak era of underground emo and post-grunge indie rock. The album marked a pivotal moment in their evolution thanks to the intricate guitar work by Mitch Wilson and Ryan Ferguson, who blend angular post-hardcore riffs with melodic indie rock sensibility. Tracks like "Your Albatross" and the title track showcase the band's knack for crafting dynamic compositions that shift seamlessly between tension and release. Producer Mark Trombino dials in their sound to perfection, highlighting the two-guitar attack and melodic vocals that define their style. While the band isn't as well know as many of their former pre-00s emo and post-hardcore contemporaries, Hit Man Dreams and the pair of album that follow suggest a serious reconsideration.

 

Songs In This Episode

I

Intro - Roped In - Lock On

13:30 - Your Albatross

21:34 - Charades

30:25 - Median

Outro - Jackboots

 

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Thankful in 2024 | Roundtable

It's our fifth year of getting the patrons together and giving thanks for the new music that gave us happiness and good vibes in 2024. There's a wide array of bands and artists, new and old, that helped make 2024 a great year for music. New albums from 1980s, 90s and 00s artists like The Cure, Pearl Jam, Judas Priest, Underworld, The Black Crowes, John Davis (Superdrag), The Sheila Divine, Jack White, Pig, the Pixies, Watershed, Sebastian Bach, Silver Sun, D-A-D, J. Mascis, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Primal Scream, The Smile, and many more all released great late career records, while newer bands like Return to Dust, Ahem, Friko, The Blackburns, Crows, and several others landed on our radar.

 

Songs In This Episode

Intro - Alone by The Cure (from Songs from a Lost World)

3:38 - Trust In Me by Silver Sun (from Mild Peril)

11:49 - (Hold On) To The Dream by Sebastian Bach (from Child Within The Man)

18:11 - Lapdog by Ahem (from Avoider)

21:34 - Fallout by Pig (from Feast of Agony EP)

31:17 - Free To Fall by John Davis (from JINX)

34:32 - Trial By Fire by Judas Priest (from Invincible Shield)

42:00 - Automaticity by J. Robbins (from Basilisk)

52:01 - Wanting and Waiting by The Black Crowes (from Happiness Bastards)

1:08:41 - The Darkness by The Sheila Divine (from I Am The Darkness. We Are The Light)

Outro - Dark Matter by Pearl Jam (from Dark Matter)

 

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Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - Let Love In | 90s Album Review

The 1994 album Let Love In by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds is a masterful exploration of beauty and brutality. Blending gothic rock with bluesy undertones, Cave delivers haunting melodies with vivid, poetic lyrics. Tracks like "Do You Love Me?" and "Red Right Hand" showcase Cave's magnetic storytelling and the band's dynamic range, taking the wildness of his previous band The Birthday Party, and the noisy experimentation of fellow Aussies The Dirty Three, and utilizes it in surprisingly restrained ways. Themes of passion, despair, and redemption weave through the music, and while a few of the louder tracks break up the flow, overall the album creates a dark, immersive experience unlike anything from the decade.

 

Songs In This Episode

Intro - Red Right Hand

15:55 - Do You Love Me?

20:02 - Ain't Gonna Rain Anymore

23:45 - Jangling Jack

27:06 - Do You Love Me? (Part 2)

30:48 - Thirsty Dog

Outro - I Let Love In

 

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Blind Guardian - Nightfall in Middle-Earth | 90s Album Review

The 1998 concept album Nightfall in Middle-Earth by Blind Guardian brings the epic scope of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Silmarillion to life through power metal. The album tells the tragic tales of elves, men, and gods embroiled in a war against the dark lord Morgoth, blending rich lyrical storytelling with complex arrangements, and finds a sweet spot between the technical skill of bands like Metallica and Helloween with the melodic bombast of Queen. Each track serves as a chapter in the larger saga, with both interludes and full songs capturing key moments via a variety of unique approaches. Mixing soaring vocals, symphonic elements, and Brian May-esque guitar riffage, the band create a sense of grandeur that mirrors the mythic subject matter.

 

Songs In This Episode

Intro - Into The Storm

14:49 - A Dark Passage

19:42 - Nightfall

24:50 - The Eldar

34:08 - Thorn

38:53 - Mirror Mirror

Outro - The Minstrel

 

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