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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
Tuesday Nov 06, 2018
Tuesday Nov 06, 2018
Many musical genres and subgenres previously found in the cultural underground bubbled to the mainstream surface in the 1990s thanks to a major label feeding frenzy and the ever expanding definition of "alternative." Like punk, ska, swing and even grunge, industrial and electronic music had their moments in various ways, and gave rise to interesting iterations that briefly snuck onto MTV and commercial radio. God Lives Underwater is one such example, who wrote traditional structures and melodies wrapped with an electronic and industrial exterior. Thanks to uber-producer Rick Rubin, their 1995 debut Empty has a unique reverb-free sound at odds with many of their peers, providing more intimacy and less expanse without sacrificing quality, even if all the songs themselves cannot match the stellar production.
Songs In This Episode:
Intro - Still
13:08 - Empty
18:00 - All Wrong
21:10 - No More Love
27:03 - We Were Wrong
Outro - Weaken
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Tuesday Oct 30, 2018
Tuesday Oct 30, 2018
For some, metal shock rockers Gwar are more style than substance. In fact, we were in that camp, having paid little attention to the band beyond their notorious stage antics and costumes. But thanks to our second annual Halloween-themed episode, we're checking out the 1990 sophomore album Scumdogs Of The Universe. While we expected over the top lyrics with various R-rated subject matter, we did not anticipate how musically diverse the band would sound, managing to integrate New York thrash ala Anthrax along side Quiet Riot-esque glam metal riffs, and even some hardcore punk attitude. It all made for interesting sound they may have slightly overstayed its welcome by the end.
Songs In This Episode:
Intro - Sick Of You
13:44 - Vlad The Impaler
22:59 - Slaughterama
26.52 - Sick Of You
30:27 - Cool Place To Park
Outro - King Queen
To support the podcast, join us at Patreon for bonus content and more.
Tuesday Oct 23, 2018
Tuesday Oct 23, 2018
Built To Spill have remained an anomaly in a number of ways throughout their career - a band steeped in classic rock conventions that seamlessly integrates 1990s indie rock guitar shredding, but does so without sacrificing vocal melodies, and doing in on major label Warner Bros. for twenty years. On 1999's Keep It Like A Secret, Doug Martsch shortened the length and kept the six plus minute long jams to a minimum, but still manages to concoct his stew of six string wizardry and even throw in a kitschy tune (You Were Right) that would have sounded at home on a Ben Folds Five album.
Songs in this Episode:
Intro - Carry The Zero
19:49 - The Plan
22:49 - Time Trap
29:55 - You Were Right
Outro - Center Of The Universe
To support the podcast, join us at Patreon for bonus content and more.
Tuesday Oct 16, 2018
Tuesday Oct 16, 2018
After the success of the Sound Of White Noise album with new lead singer John Bush, New York city thrashers Anthrax took the band in a direction that angered and alienated longtime fans. For Stomp 442 from 1995, the band relied less on the chugging thrash riffage of their past, and played with sounds that would be at home in Helmet's post hardcore and alternative metal sound, or the mainstream hard rock that Metallica had cultivated on their Black album. While tag as a "grunge" sell-out, over twenty years later we find it hard to locate an trace of Seattle sound, and find a band brimming with confidence and swagger. Perhaps they made the wrong album at the wrong time, but looking back, it's not hard to hear why so many were confused by the new direction - hopefully this time around they'll give it another spin.
Songs in this Episode:
Intro - Fueled
11:19 - Fueled
15:22 - In A Zone
23:14 - Perpetual Motion
29:21 - Nothing
33:36 - Bare
Outro - Random Acts Of Senseless Violence
To support the podcast, join us at Patreon for bonus content and more.
Tuesday Oct 09, 2018
Tuesday Oct 09, 2018
Cleveland is the home of the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame, Cincinnati is home to legendary soul label King Records and The Afghan Whigs, Akron has Devo and the The Pretenders, but if there is a 1990s alternative and indie rock epicenter of Ohio, it's Dayton, known for its Air Force Base and (alleged) alien cover-ups. The Breeders, Guided By Voices and Brainiac all call Dayton home, breaking through in their own unique ways, but Dayton's musical roots dig deep into 1980s punk and 1970s funk all the way into the 2000s. We discuss the venues, record stores, bands and more that made and make Dayton unique.
Songs in this episode:
Intro - Dayton Medley (Guided By Voices, The Amps, Brainiac)
12:56 - No Wrong Track by The Method
23:48 - God Bless America by Toxic Reasons
30:33 - Flying Pizza by Swearing At Motorists
41:40 - Listen To The Quiet by Mink
45:13 - Toilet Knife by Dirty Walk
Outro - Weapons Of Love Destruction by Shesus
To support the podcast, join us at Patreon for bonus content and more.
Tuesday Oct 02, 2018
Tuesday Oct 02, 2018
For his 1998 album Since, Richard Buckner enlisted a strong supporting cast (John McEntire of Tortoise, The Sea And Cake / Dave Schramm of Yo La Tengo, The Schramms / David Grubbs of Squirrel Bait, Gastr Del Sol, Bastro) to shape an Americana/Alt Country record that feels out of place for the time, but perfectly in sync with the Jason Isbell's and John Moreland's of today's musical landscape. It helps that Buckner's poetic approach eschews the compact disc bloat and hones a tight sixteen track / thirty seven minute album that actually left us wanting more in spaces rather than wishing for restraint and editing.
Songs in this episode:
Intro - Believer
12:04 - Raze
16:56 - Brief & Boundless
20:12 - Lucky Buzz
29:34 - Coursed
Outro - Goner w/Souvenir
To support the podcast, join us at Patreon for bonus content and more.
Tuesday Sep 25, 2018
Tuesday Sep 25, 2018
We revisit Beck's major label debut Mellow Gold, was it a warm-up for the multi-platinum Odelay, or is Loser the only worthwhile nugget?
Songs in this episode:
Intro - Loser
12:54 -Soul Suckin' Jerk
17:58 - Beercan
26:28 - Truckdrivin Neighbors Downstairs (Yellow Sweat)
Outro - Sweet Sunshine
To support the podcast, join us at Patreon for bonus content and more.
Thursday Sep 20, 2018
Thursday Sep 20, 2018
Wondering about our exclusive content over at Patreon? Here's a sample of the first five minutes of our extended twenty minute discussion on Power Pop as we chat about the 2000s.
Hear the entire bonus content, be eligible for quarterly contests, vote in our polls, and support the podcast at patreon.com/digmeout.
Tuesday Sep 18, 2018
Tuesday Sep 18, 2018
For a lot of people, the rock music subgenre known as "power pop" is one of those "you know it when you hear it" situations. However, over the years many have tried to describe and dissect what makes power pop unique from musical cousins such as pop rock or jangle pop. Like the 70s and 80s before them, 90s power pop bands put their own spin on the sound, adding a little more guitar crunch while incorporating the hallmark harmonies, British Invasion influenced melodies and arrangements, and other key elements, thanks bands like Sloan, Jellyfish, Teenage Fanclub, Superdrag, Fountains Of Wayne and The Posies, and artists like Matthew Sweet, Tommy Keene and Jason Falkner. With our panel, we dig into the sounds, the songs, the albums and the artists of 90s power pop.
Songs in this episode:
Intro - Sick Of Myself by Matthew Sweet
32:14 - Buddy Holly by Weezer
37:05 - Bottle Of Fur by Urge Overkill
46:17 - Money City Maniacs by Sloan
52:41 - What You Do To Me by Teenage Fanclub
Outro - Red Dragon Tattoo by Fountains of Wayne
To support the podcast, join us at Patreon for bonus content and more.
Tuesday Sep 11, 2018
Tuesday Sep 11, 2018
Craig Finn is best known for his distinctive vocal and lyrical style thanks to The Hold Steady in the 2000s. But while that band channeled Bruce Springsteen, The Replacements and The Band for musical inspiration, his 1990s outfit Lifter Puller took a decidedly more angular approach with nods to Television, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds and Pavement. Digging into 1997's sophomore released Half Dead and Dynamite, the drugged up and drunken stories familiar to Finn fans are there, but the band backing him presents a different sonic approach, eschewing bombast and power chords for jagged rhythms and Radioshack keyboards.
Intro - The Gin and the Sour Defeat
10:45 - Half Dead and Dynamite
17:03 - Nassau Coliseum
21:18 - I Like The Lights
29:17 - Rock for Lite Brite
Outro - The Bears