Dig Me Out - The 90's rock podcast

Fini Scad only managed to release one album during their short existence, but thanks to one of our listeners we're giving it a new lease on life. 1998's Wider Screen, and their EP from two years early, got the band onto Australian radio and television, but they burned out quickly and were gone the same year the album came out. We don't know what exactly happened, but we do know they left behind an interesting album, partially thanks to the production work of John Agnello (Buffalo Tom, Dinosaur Jr.), who helps gives the guitars twin guitar attack the right amount of punch. Singer/guitarist Dave Thomas kept us guessing, as his vocals morphed from bellowing hard rock one moment to whispered and intimate the next, which worked on most if not all the album. As our listener noted, it's a shame Fini Scad never managed to follow-up Wider Screen, because what they do well could have easily been refined and expanded upon, and the few nitpicks we had could easily be rectified. Intro - Coppertone 5:45 - Sonic Boy 8:13 - Just A Show 17:12 - Wider Screen 20:27 - It's Not Real Outro - More Of The Same Facebook / Twitter / Instagram   Zazzle Merch Store   http://www.digmeoutpodcast.com

Every decade of rock music and its various sub genre offshoots has produced oft-debated lists of notable drummers, and the 1990s is no exception. From the jazz-influenced speed of The Smashing Pumpkins Jimmy Chamberlain, to the technical progressive prowess of Dream Theater's Mike Portnoy, there is drummer for every style and flavor. Rather than discuss "the best," we're talking favorites, both well known and not-so-well known. Who gave us fills we still air drum to at our desks? Who pounded rhythms that make us shake our heads in awe? Whose beats influenced the next generation of drummers? From the groove metal of Pantera's Vinnie Paul to the skittish bounce of Dismemberment Plan's Joe Easley, we're scratching the surface and a bit more to get the conversation started on drummers of the 1990s. Intro - Drum Medley (I Am One by The Smashing Pumpkins / Pacific 231 by Burning Airlines / Jesus Christ Pose by Soundgarden / The City by Dismemberment Plan) 8:04 - Rhinosaur by Soundgarden 18:34 - Would? by Alice In Chains 34:37 - Hello by Oasis 41:32 - Wiser Time by The Black Crowes 58:06 - Puppets by Hum 1:02:30 - Andalusia by Shiner 1:15:07 - Milwaukee Sky Rocket by Braid Outro - Enjoy The Silence by Failure Facebook / Twitter / Instagram   Zazzle Merch Store   http://www.digmeoutpodcast.com

By the time William and Jim Reid of the Jesus And Mary Chain put out the 1998 album Munki, the band had been through several iterations. From the noise drenched simplicity of Psychocandy to the pulsing beats of Automatic and the lazy strums of Stoned and Dethroned, the brothers had covered plenty of musical territory while still maintaining the attitude and sound unique to the band. In what would be their last release together until 2017's Damage And Joy, they manage to revisit nearly every phase of the band, and even explore some new ideas. But at seventeen songs and seventy minutes, the sheer length of the album, especially with some ill-advised forays into overlong noodling and keyboard driven tracks, left us wondering if the lack of an outside voice (i.e. a producer with a surname other than Reid) would have shaped a more concise, cohesive and ultimately satisfying listen. Intro - I Love Rock'n'Roll 11:46 - Degenerate 16:14 - Moe Tucker 20:37 - Perfume 23:03 - Commercial Outro - I Hate Rock'n'Roll Facebook / Twitter / Instagram   Zazzle Merch Store   http://www.digmeoutpodcast.com

Hailing from Canberra, Australia, the 1992 sophomore album Psychohum by the Falling Joys is what alternative or college or indie rock, however you want to classify it, looked to be heading pre-Nirvana and Pearl Jam. Eclectic and unpredictable, with guitar tones and vocals that easily slip between shoegaze, jangle pop, new wave and mainstream rock riffing, the Falling Joys sound like a band hitting their stride as songwriters and musicians. Led by vocalist/guitarist Suzie Biggie, who manages to invoke 79/80 Blondie one moment and Spooky era Lush the next, pulls off a wide array of styles with melodic cohesion. Paired with bassist and vocalist Pat Hayes on tunes like Incinerator, and Stuart Robinson's effected riffage on a song like God In A Dustbin, there is a lot to like about Psychohum. At the same time, that uninhibited approach can take a band down some lesser advised paths, with odd tangents into Chili Pepper funk and Sinatra swing. Which approach wins out? Tune in to hear our take on Psychohum. Intro - Dynamite 10:16 - Black Bandages 15:05 - Incinerator 19:50 - A Winter's Tale 22:17 - Lullaby 24:36 - Fortune Teller Outro - God In A Dustbin Facebook / Twitter / Instagram   Zazzle Merch Store   http://www.digmeoutpodcast.com

Our Patreon patron Brandon wanted to check out the 1999 (or 2000, if you bought the Sony rerelease) album This Will Be Laughing Week by Ultimate Fakebook. Through the magic of our Facebook page, we ended up connecting with lead singer and guitarist Bill McShane and drummer Eric Melin, and they ended up joining us as well. In addition, we gave away a pair of Sudio Regent headphones to one of our lucky Patreon patrons. It's a jam-packed episode! In addition to talking about the actual record, we also discuss what went on with the band signing to a major label at the end of the 1990s, touring, songwriting, band origins, vinyl reissues, Manhattan vs. Lawrence, new music and much more. Special thanks to Sudio Sweden for providing our May giveaway. On episodes 381 and 382 we followed up on our previous Tre and Regent reports, if you like what you hear and want to grab a pair, use the code DIGMEOUT for 15% off your purchase during the month of May. Intro - She Don't Even Know My Name32:58 - Soaked In Cinnamon59:46 - Real Drums1:07:27 - Little Apple GirlOutro - Tell Me What You Want Facebook / Twitter / Instagram   Zazzle Merch Store   http://www.digmeoutpodcast.com

By 1998 Tori Amos was already established an artist who balanced both commercial success and critical praise. With her fourth album, From The Choirgirl Hotel, Amos dialed down the piano and dialed up the band, exploring a fuller sound that moved between electronic(a) beats, Beatle stomps and a slew of new sounds. In surrendering her confessional piano ballad comfort zone, a broader approach does reveal some cracks that left us scratching our heads both from a songwriting and production standpoint. Gone are the unmistakable hooks of "God" or "Crucify" while the vocals, now competing with a bigger sounds from the background players, get compressed and pushed up front to a dizzying degree. It's a frustrating episode for as much as we liked about the album, we found ourselves unable to connect with the material like expected. Special thanks to Sudio Sweden for providing our May giveaway - a pair of Regent headphones. Join us at Patreon by May 15th to be eligible to win, winner announced on episode 384. We’re following up on our previous Tre and Regent reports, if you like what you hear and want to grab a pair, use the code DIGMEOUT for 15% off your purchase. Intro - Spark 10:46 - Raspberry Swirl 14:33 - Cruel 19:11 - She's Your Cocaine 27:32 - Jackie's Strength Outro - Iieee Facebook / Twitter / Instagram   Zazzle Merch Store   http://www.digmeoutpodcast.com

Through the 1980s, U2 had gone from upstart punks to political firebrands to stadium superstars, reaching the critical crossroad of either delivering what people expected and remaining creatively stagnant or reinventing their sound and risk alienation. By all accounts, 1991's Achtung Baby managed to position the band as a force at the beginning of the decade creatively, commercially and critically. That comes with its own risk, as one reinvention begets another - as the earnest and sincerity of the past is replaced with irony and spectacle. With Zooropa and the Passengers project with Brian Eno, the band continued to evolve sonically, but the U2 of The Unforgettable Fire and War was essentially retired. Depending on who you talked to, the band reached their 90s apex or nadir on 1997's Pop, forcing the band to release their greatest hits collection shortly after, and then to dial back the disconnect and on 2000's All That You Can't Leave Behind. With our guests, we dig deep into the U2 of the 90s, and try to figure out what what right, went went wrong, and where it left the band at the start of the new millenia. Special thanks to Sudio Sweden for providing our May giveaway - a pair of Regent headphones. Join us at Patreon by May 15th to be eligible to win, winner announced on episode 384. We’re following up on our previous Tre and Regent reports, if you like what you hear and want to grab a pair, use the code DIGMEOUT for 15% off your purchase. Intro - Discothèque from Pop25:17 - The Fly from Achtung Baby30:37 - Mysterious Ways from Achtung Baby40:28 - Numb from Zooropa43:47 - Stay (Faraway, So Close!)Outro - Staring At The Sun from Pop Facebook / Twitter / Instagram   Zazzle Merch Store   http://www.digmeoutpodcast.com  

Nada Surf scored a quirky one-hit wonder with "Popular," and as with most one-hit wonders, pressure from the record label to follow it up caused a divide. In this case, Nada Surf were dropped, record in hand, which they were able to release on their own label. While The Proximity Effect received some positive press upon release in 1998 (in the UK, 2000 in the US), it went mostly unnoticed. It wasn't until Let Go in 2002 that the band fully arrived, garnering rave reviews, following that up with Chris Walla-produced The Weight Is A Gift in 2005. Upon reflection, The Proximity Effect comes across as a transition album, with the band sound clearing, fuller and more confident, while not quite hitting the highs they would reach on their next two releases. Special thanks to Sudio Sweden for providing our May giveaway - a pair of Regent headphones. Join us at Patreon by May 15th to be eligible to win, winner announced on episode 384. We’re following up on our previous Tre and Regent reports, if you like what you hear and want to grab a pair, use the code DIGMEOUT for 15% off your purchase. Intro - Hyperspace 14:34 - Firecracker 21:23 - Dispossession 28:18 - Spooky 36:29 - Amateur Outro - Robot Facebook / Twitter / Instagram   Zazzle Merch Store   http://www.digmeoutpodcast.com

While we have traveled, musically speaking, to Europe and Australia quite often, Japan has been a much rarer trip, and we've never revisited an album that wasn't primarily recorded in English. Until now. Thanks to a patron selection, we're checking out the 2000 album Shōso Strip by Ringo Sheena. It's hard to nail down the sound or style of Ringo Sheena on her second album, which bounces from electronic pop to metallic distortion to cabaret swing, all backed by a talented band and produced to the nth degree, using every studio trick in the book. For a pop record, there is almost no western comparison. The better comparisons are trailblazing iconoclasts Bjork or Tori Amos, but even that fails to truly capture the twisted and wild ride that is Shōso Strip. Intro - I Am A Liar 7:30 - Instinct 14:47 - Excuse Debussy 25:37 - Sickbed Public 32:31 - A Broken Man and Midnight 38:27 - Stoicism Outro - Bathroom Facebook / Twitter / Instagram   Zazzle Merch Store   http://www.digmeoutpodcast.com

Do you remember 1995? If you do, you probably remember "In The Meantime" by Spacehog off their debut album Resident Alien. The single went to number one on the US mainstream chart, number two on the US modern rock chart, and top fifty in about every country that had a radio station. The album went Gold in the US and Platinum in Canada, and the video was in constant rotation on MTV. So what happened with their second effort, 1998's The Chinese Album? We don't know because neither the album nor any single charted in the US. So it's time for a sophomore slump revisited, and decide once and for all if we need to revisit Mungo City, or leave it a ghost town. Intro - Mungo City 15:45 - Goodbye Violent Race 18:15 - Captain Freeman 23:07 - Beautiful Girl Outro - One Of These Days Subscribe at Patreon   Facebook / Twitter / Instagram   Zazzle Merch Store   http://www.digmeoutpodcast.com

By 1993, James were already established with a string of successful UK singles on their four previous album. But with the release of Laid, they managed to crack wide open United States college and mainstream radio playlists with the quirky and catchy title track. However, like so many albums released in the 90s, a hit single does not always represent the sound of the band overall. While James had their fair share of uptempo tunes, including the New Order-esque Say Something from the same album, with the help of our Patreon patron Patrick (of Three Bines Hopped Spirits) who picked the album, we discovered a moodier, more melancholy sound, driven by bass and atmospheric guitars. While some of that credit is probably due to legendary musician/producer Brian Eno, the band themselves unveil a unique combination of post-punk edge, folk storytelling, Madchester bounce and Brit-pop swagger. It all makes for a listen that bares repeated listens to discover the layers, which also reveal some deficiencies that grew over time. Intro - Laid 13:23 - Say Something 16:51 - Out To Get You 27:27 - Five-O Outro - Sometimes Subscribe at Patreon   Facebook / Twitter / Instagram   Zazzle Merch Store   http://www.digmeoutpodcast.com

Our Patreon patrons often surprise us. Our poll for April of 1998 included revered and critically acclaimed albums, but instead the votes went a surprising way. Stabbing Westward's third album Darkest Days, could (and was) written off in some circles as a Nine Inch Nails wannabe. In revisiting this, and other records there were not critical darlings in the 1990s, it is easy to see why. Following up a hit single (one-hit wonder?) on their previous record, the odds were against them pulling out another, especially while wrapping it all in a sixteen track, sixty-four minute concept album, in a genre (industrial rock) as pinned to the 1990s as grunge. But a funny thing happened, while lesser bands were layering oodles of synths and metallic guitars on top of mechanical drum beats, Stabbing Westward remember to write the hooks and keep it grounded in the more rock end of industrial rock. Sure, it's loud and abrasive one minute and whisper quiet serious the next, but with production master Dave Jerden assisting behind the board, the band manages to make it all in work despite the odds. Intro - Save Yourself 12:15 - Waking Up Beside You 23:23 - Haunting Me 27:23 - When I'm Dead 33:13 - Goodbye Outro - You Complete Me Subscribe at Patreon   Facebook / Twitter / Instagram   Zazzle Merch Store   http://www.digmeoutpodcast.com

Upon release in 1996, Skinny Puppy's eight album The Process divided and confused longtime fans, some accusing the band of selling out and writing rock and metal singles for a major label. While a band like Ministry was able to slip the heavier/noiser end of industrial into periphery of mainstream of MTV and commercial radio with Psalm 69, neither reached the heights of a band like Nine Inch Nails, or the legion of wannabes who followed. Thanks to our patron Josh "funkdoc" Ballard bring this record to us, we're able to not only check out a diverse and divisive album fraught with creative tension and tragedy, but also examine the shifting concept of what "commercial" and "selling out" meant in 1996 versus today. Check out Josh's article on Medium, "The Billion-Year Voyage”: Skinny Puppy’s Last Rights. Intro - Candle 14:18 - Curcible 19:36 - Hardset Head 23:02 - Amnesia 34:31 - Jahya Outro - Blue Serge Subscribe at Patreon   Facebook / Twitter / Instagram   Zazzle Merch Store   http://www.digmeoutpodcast.com

New York City has been a global epicenter for music and culture in general for decades, so it is no surprise that the the 1990s are no different. From the legendary Velvet Underground, KISS and Blondie, to indie rock progenitors Sonic Youth, Talking Heads and Television, to the punk of the New York Dolls, Ramones and The Dictators, as well as the hip-hop, disco, electronic and dance scenes, the 1990s combined it all into a stew of unique sounds interpolated by artists such as the Beastie Boys, Living Colour, White Zombie, Girls Against Boys, Helmet, Biohazard, and more. Like every scene we've dug into, finding the venues, the media, the record stores, recording studios and labels that fostered the sound for the band, New York City has its own spin. How do you get gear to shows in a city most travel by subway? How do you get your band noticed in a sea of competition? How do you not get robbed and randomly punched in the face on the street? To help us unpack it all, we're joined by Eli Janney of Girls Against Boys and The 8G Band from Late Night with Seth Meyers, Mike Lustig of Ruth Ruth, and Mike Stuto from Brownies and Beggars Banquet Records. Intro - New York Medley (New York City by The Cult, New York State of Mind by Billy Joel, Back in the New York Groove by Ace Frehley, New York City by T. Rex) Outro - Safe In New York City by AC/DC Subscribe at Patreon   Facebook / Twitter / Instagram   Zazzle Merch Store   http://www.digmeoutpodcast.com

During our revisit of the one and only Talk Show album featuring the three guys not named Scott Weiland from Stone Temple Pilots during their infamous 1997 hiatus, we remarked how the music remained steady but the vocals and melodies were less interesting. Now we get to examine the other side of that temporary split with Weiland's 1998 solo debut 12 Bar Blues. Would the lack of the DeLeo brothers inventive riffing similarly hamper the lead singers creative output? The simple answer is no, thanks to Weiland's willingness to experiment, filling the record with interesting sounds and surrounding himself with accomplished musicians. It is an admirable, if occasionally messy, attempt to shatter the perceptions of what it meant to be "the lead singer of Stone Temple Pilots," but more often than not, the influences start to show. Sadly, this left us wondering if the lukewarm critical reception, albums sales and radio play pushed Weiland back into the easy embrace of Stone Temple Pilots too quickly, who churned out successive radio friendly if bland riffage that palled to their primer-era output. Weiland never pushed the envelope like he did on this record, and we try to figure out why. Intro - Barbarella 13:20 - Mockingbird Girl 18:05 - About Nothing 29:28 - Son Outro - Lady, Your Roof Brings Me Down Subscribe at Patreon   Facebook / Twitter / Instagram   Zazzle Merch Store   http://www.digmeoutpodcast.com