Dig Me Out: 90s & 00s Rock

#090: Dope Box by Jack Drag

We're back with another listener suggestion, this week tackling the 1998 release Dope Box from Jack Drag. Of all the albums we've reviewed so far, Dope Box might be the most diverse (or schizophrenic), bouncing from Prodigy-esque big beats on one song, to mid-tempo Velvet Crush-like power pop on the next. There's a lot to like about this album, and a lot of befuddlement as well. Which side did we come down on? Tune in and find out.

Songs in this Episode:

Intro - Kung Fu Dub

2:59 - History of the Band

12:12 - Debutante

14:25 - Tall Buildings

16:32 - Seem So Tired

19:12 - Best Friend

21:57 - Surfin' the Charles

Outro - Where We Are

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#089: Hand It Over by Dinosaur Jr.

Dinosaur Jr. just released a new album, so we felt episode #89 was a perfect time to revisit the 1997 album Hand It Over. Legendary guitarist/singer/songwriter J. Mascis once described the album as his favorite of the major label years, so how does it stand up fifteen years later? There are plenty of curveballs on this album, with trumpets, flutes, banjo's making front and center appearances, not what you'd expect from a Dinosaur Jr. album. Does it work? Tune in and find out.

Songs in this Episode:

Intro - Can't We Move This

4:06 - History of the Band

12:57 - I'm Insane

14:38 - I'm Insane

17:04 - Never Bought It

22:27 - Alone

27:40 - Nothin's Goin On

35:57 - Can't We Move This

Outro - Mick

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#088: Jalamanta by Brant Bjork

Mark another one off the listener suggestion pile - this week we tackle the debut solo album by founding Kyuss member and former Fu Manchu drummer Brant Bjork, the 1999 album Jalamanta.

Brant's take on "desert rock" is more stripped down with less bombast, incorporating Latin and jazz influences. It's an interesting combination, but does it work? Tune in and find out.

Songs in this Episode:

Intro - Too Many Chiefs... Not Enough Indians

5:17 - History of the Band 13:05 - Let's Get Chinese Eyes 14:44 - Too Many Chiefs... Not Enough Indians 19:25 - Automatic Fantastic

Outro - Defender of the Oleander Follow on Twitter / Facebook

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#087: Juice by Send No Flowers

We're doing our best to keep our promise of catching up on our backlog of listener suggestions, and on episode #86 we're back with another. This week, we give a listen to Send No Flowers from the UK, and their lone full-length release from 1996, Juice.

Like our recent review Headswim, the gentlemen of Send No Flowers are giving us their take on early '90s American alternative rock. We both found Headswim had a hard time finding their own sound, stuck repeating instead of reinventing bands like Pearl Jam and Alice In Chains. Does Send No Flowers fair any better? Tune in and find out.

Songs in this Episode:

Intro - Porcelain

6:26 - History of the Band

11:06 - Cold

14:39 - Porcelain

18:21 - Monotony

21:37 - Bitter Taste

Outro - Animal Feeder

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#086: Copper Blue by Sugar

We're taking a break from our run of listener suggestions to check out one of the classic albums of the '90s alternative music - 1992's Copper Blue by Sugar. Bob Mould has a new solo album out, so we thought it would be the perfect time to revisit his short-lived run with with this post-Husker Du power trio, especially since it's recently been re-released and remastered with bonus material thanks to Merge Records.

Joining us to talk about Copper Blue is Andy Derer from the The Andy Derer Show, who's hosted a wide array of interesting guests on his podcast that include Cris Kirkwood of the Meat Puppets, Craig Wedren of Shudder to Think and Bob Nastanovich of Pavement, just to name a few.

Be sure to check out the start of the new season of The Andy Derer Show starting on September 8th, and follow Andy on Twitter and Facebook.

Songs in this Episode:

Intro - Helpless

7:45 - History of the Band

17:49 - A Good Idea

20:23 - Changes

23:04 - If I Can't Change You Mind

27:33 - The Act We Act

37:36 - Hoover Dam

41:18 - Man On The Moon

Outro - The Slim

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#085: Jaundice by Lucy's Fur Coat

For episode #85, thanks to a listener suggestion we're tackling Lucy's Fur Coat, and their 1994 album, Jaundice. Although Jason admitted to purchasing the album years ago, he never got around to actually listening to it, so it's fresh and new for both.

We've often discussed the importance of a frontman who can do more than just sing in key, that personality can elevate a mediocre band. So what does Lucy's Fur Coat bring to the table? And what is on the Mars Rover iTunes playlist? Tune in to find out.

Songs in this Episode:

Intro - Falling Out

4:16 - History of the Band

11:17 - Easy

14:18 - Super

17:18 - Not My Fault

18:44 - Same

21:15 - Southern Cookin'

Outro - Treasure Hands

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#084: No Pocky For Kitty by Superchunk

For episode #84, we're joined by fellow podcaster Kim Ware to check out her suggestion, Superchunk's 1993 album No Pocky for Kitty. Kim spent time drumming and booking shows in Wilmington, North Carolina in the 1990s, where the legendary and lesser known Chapel Hill bands regularly gigged around town.

Tim and J were both more familiar with the later Superchunk releases than the early Matador years, so how does No Pocky For Kitty stack up? Does the energetic and sometimes frantic mix of punk, power-pop and indie rock come together? And why is Majesty Shredding so hard to pronounce after one beer? Tune in to find out.

Check out Kim's podcast - This Is The Sound

Songs In this Episode:

Intro - Punch Me Harder

11:38 - History of the Band

25:12 - Tower

34:24 - Skip Steps 1 + 3

41:46 - Sidewalk

44:40 - Punch Me Harder

Outro - Throwing Things

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#083: Flood by Headswim

For episode #83 we return to our long list of listener suggestions and check out the 1994 album Flood by Headswim. A first blush the sound is reminiscent of Seattle's biggest and brightest - Pearl Jam, Soundgarden and Alice In Chains. But when you dig a little deeper, the band is definitely stretching out to find their own sound, only question is - does is work? Tune in to find out.

Song In This Episode:

Intro - Apple of My Eye

2:42 - History of the Band

8:08 - Gone To Pot

9:45 - Soup

11:41 - Stinkhorn

15:52 - Try Disappointed

23:16 - Down

Outro - Safe Harvest

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#082: Troublegum by Therapy?

On episode #82 of Dig Me Out, we've got another listener suggestion. This week we tackle one of the more prolific and perplexing bands of the last twenty years - Therapy? No, it's not a question, the name is Therapy?, and we're checking out their 1994 album Troublegum.

The band has confounded many with their quick-witted lyrics and musical mash-up of metal, punk, rock, industrial and more. So what did we make of this equally exciting and jarring album? Tune in to find out.

Songs In This Episode:

Intro - Nowhere

3:47 - History of the Band

12:29 - Screamager

17:34 - Femtex

20:46 - Turn

22:46 - Isolation

28:04 - Hellybelly

Outro - Trigger Inside

Note: For the faint of heart, Tim apologizes for the accidental f-bomb, enthusiasm got the best of him.

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#081: Bellybutton by Jellyfish

On episode #81 we're joined by mastering engineer, record label owner and Jellyfish aficionado Steve Turnidge to revisit the band's debut release, 1990's Bellybutton. Steve is half of the team that put together the Jellyfish tribute album Sensory Lullabies and brings a deep knowledge and passion for the band to this episode. Grab a drink, find a comfortable chair and sit back, because you are about to learn everything you ever wanted to know about the most under-appreciated band of the 90s.

Other Links:

Steve's Book: Desktop Mastering: Fundamental Tools and Techniques for Mastering in the Box

Jellyfish: Live at Bogart's 1991

Relevant Previous Episodes:

#35: Phaseshifter by Redd Kross

#36: Get In Get Out by Mink

#46: Ro Sham Bo by The Grays

Songs In This Episode:

Intro - The King Is Half-Undressed

7:15 - History of the Band

30:58 - All I Want Is Everything

32:19 - All I Want Is Everything (Millicent Friendly cover)

36:27 - That Is Why

38:52 - Baby's Coming Back

49:50 - She Still Loves Him

59:15 - Bedspring Kiss

1:02:32 - Bedspring Kiss (Nigel Frayling-Kelly cover)

Outro - I Wanna Stay Home

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