Dig Me Out: 90s & 00s Rock

Coming off the hit "Here and Now" from their debut Aurora Gory Alice, Letters To Cleo followed-up with the equally catchy Wholesale Meats and Fish. Lead single "Awake," with it's handclaps and catchy hook by lead singer Kay Hanley, is just one of many power-pop adjacent tunes that lean more towards the noisy side of the genre inhabited by The Posies and Matthew Sweet. But to pin down LTC would be a mistake, as the opening ripper "Demon Rock" demonstrates, or the sixties-infused "Little Rosa" demonstrate. The band packs a nice sonic punch, even when diverging from comfortable sounds for quieter moments that are hit and miss.

Songs In This Episode:

Intro - Fast Way

14:44 - Demon Rock

21:08 - Little Rosa

27:27 - Acid Jed

32:13 - I Could Sleep (The Wuss Song)

Outro - Awake

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Born in NYC but spending his formative years in Washington DC, Chad Clark’s passion for music was born when his dad dropped a pair of headphones on his son’s head and introduced him to the Beatles. In the mid-90s, Clark formed the artsy, indie rock outfit Smart Went Crazy with Abram Goodrich and Hilary Soldati, signed with Dischord Records and released an EP and two full lengths - 1995’s Now We’re Even and 1997’s Con Art. Even before Smart Went Crazy’s ending, Clark was thinking about his next project, Beauty Pill, which he started with Goodrich in 2001 and continues through this day. With members coming and going over the last 20+ years, Beauty Pill’s released two full lengths - 2004’s The Unsustainable Lifestyle and 2015’s Beauty Pill Describes Things As They Are - and a handful of EPs, most of which have been critically lauded. Earlier this year, Beauty Pill released a double album, Blue Period, consisting of their Dischord output - The Unsustainable Lifestyle and the You Are Right to Be Afraid EP - as well as previously unreleased outtakes and demos. On this episode, Beauty Pill members past (Ryan Nelson) and present (Erin Nelson), join Clark to talk about the last 25+ years of music.

Songs In This Episode:

Intro - A Good Day by Smart Went Crazy

6:39 - Goodnight For Real by Beauty Pill

Outro - Fugue State Companion by Beauty Pill

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Released in the shadow of her husband's death, Courtney Love and Hole delivered their sophomore album Live Through This in a tsunami of emotional turmoil. Propelled by three hit singles, the album would launch Love into stardom and influence a generation of visceral, outspoken musicians that took inspiration from songs about motherhood, abuse, postpartum depression, and other topics not found on Billboard 200 charting albums. In looking back almost thirty years, the layers of musicianship that might have been glossed over by the larger moment are revealed. Guitarist Eric Erlandson's shifts between vitriolic riffing and crunchy leads to subtle and understated without missing a beat. Speaking of beats, drummer Patty Schemel shines, adding controlled bombast that, paired with bassist Kristen Pfaff, gives the album a tightness without feeling stale or rote.

Songs In This Episode:

Intro - Miss World

23:54 - Violet

36:38 - Credit in the Straight World

40:00 - Rock Star

Outro - Doll Parts

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We've revisited plenty of albums released on major and independent labels from the 90s, but digging into self-released albums isn't something we've explored much - until now! Take New York City's Wünderband, who self-released their self-titled album in 1997. On the opening track, the band make their sound clear - punchy, catchy power-pop with some twists and turns. From the opening Aimee Mann call-out track "Yes Yes Hey Hey" to the Jellyfish inflected "I Don't Mind," the band sounds right at home alongside fellow 90s three-and-a-half-minute power pop magicians like Fountains of Wayne, Sloan, or The Figgs.

Songs In This Episode:

Intro - Pinup

13:18 - Yes Yes Hey Hey

21:30 - Mayqueen

25:26 - I Don't Mind

35:46 - Circle and Fall

Outro - Another Guy

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Badmotorfinger sits in the middle of the Soundgarden discography at an interesting crossroads. With new bass player Ben Shepherd on board, the band expanded upon their Black Sabbath meets Black Flag twist on metal with precision riffs and rhythms that integrate odd time signatures and alternate guitar tunings. While other bands were relegated to in-the-know hardcore fandom, thanks to the once-in-a-generation vocals of Chris Cornell, Soundgarden began their ascent as a commercial entity on MTV and mainstream radio.

Songs In This Episode:

Intro - Outshined

4:39 - Birth Ritual

29:01 - Jesus Christ Pose

36:05 - Somewhere

45:18 - Mind Riot

50:39 - Room A Thousand Years Wide

Outro - Rusty Cage

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By 1993, it was an alternative world, from MTV to mainstream radio. The Smashing Pumpkins, Nirvana, Counting Crows, Depeche Mode, Radiohead, Tool, and many more became household names with million selling albums while college radio and indie labels saw bands take off unexpectedly, with hits from The Breeders, The Lemonheads, Mazzy Star, Juliana Hatfield, Letters to Cleo, Ween, and many more. While pop music maintained its position with the likes of Mariah Carey, Billy Joel, and Duran Duran scoring hits, hip-hop was also ascendant with landmark albums from A Tribe Called Quest, Snoop Doggy Dogg, The Wu-Tang Clan, and more. We dive into it all, talking about records that have stood the test of time and those that haven't, albums overlooked upon their release and those best left to the dustbin of history.

Songs In This Episode:

Intro - 1993 Medley (Lemon by U2, Animal Nitrate by Suede, Fade Into You by Mazzy Star, 20th Century by Brad, Give Back The Key To My Heart by Uncle Tupelo)

Outro - I Feel You by Depeche Mode

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Taking time off from The Age of Electric, Ian Summers (bass) joined the Dahle Brothers (Ryan on vocals, guitars and keys, Kurt on drums and vocals) for Limblifter in 1996. Those familiar with TAOE will recognize the sharp songwriting and guitar pop sensibilities, as the band effortlessly blasts out three-minute, radio-ready tunes like "Vicious" and "Tinfoil." Their sensibilities are definitely on the pop side, but the choruses aren't necessarily syrupy blandness. If anything, the band could have turned up the melodic hooks a bit more for our tastes.

Songs In This Episode:

Intro - Vicious

1:15 - First impression of Sideways Skull by The Hold Steady

20:04 - Opiñata

27:50 - Round The "2"

35:14 - Do I Feel Involved?

Outro -Screwed It Up

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Heavy but melodic guitar riffs, intricate beats that switch between a Pantera groove and extreme metal blast beats, and otherworldly vocals are the cornerstones of Heartwork, the fourth studio album by English band Carcass. Expanding upon their earlier grindcore approach, Heartwork is a journey that grabs you by the (shredded) throat and won't let go for nearly forty-two minutes. From the NWOBHM styled "This Mortal Coil" to the ferocious hardcore stomp of "Carnal Forge," the band never lets up. In addition to tackling this classic of the genre, we also check out the YouTube video by Steve Welch, "If Guns N' Roses 'Appetite For Destruction' was written by 12 different bands" to find out how Steve did turning G N' R songs into tracks by Oasis, W.A.S.P., Danzig and more.

Songs In This Episode:

Intro - Carnal Forge

2:22 - If Guns N' Roses 'Appetite For Destruction' was written by 12 different bands - by Steve Welch

18:55 - Buried Dreams

22:37 - This Mortal Coil

27:27 - Heartwork

35:07 - Doctrinal Expletives

Outro - Embodiment

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There is a lot to talk about when we look back on 2022. Albums new and old from 80s and 90s artists blasted from our speakers and headphones on a daily basis. As with our previous year-in-review episodes, we take a 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 interviews conducted by Chip Midnight. Here's to season thirteen in 2023!

Songs In This Episode:

Intro - Dig Me Out by Sleater-Kinney

Outro - Dig Me Out by Sleater-Kinney

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Though Love Battery emerged from the Seattle scene with numerous connections and an ascendant Sub Pop label backing them, the band never managed to breakthrough to the mainstream like their various label mates. Their 1992 debut Dayglo may shed some light on the reasons. The guitars are loud, loud, loud, sometimes overpowering the other instruments the way James Williamson would in The Stooges, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Thanks to a group of innovative, stellar musicians, the band can fluidly move from aggressive garage rock to punk indie rock without missing a beat.

Songs In This Episode:

Intro - Out of Focus

16:59 - See Your Mind

20:57 - Foot

26:23 - Side (With You)

32:02 - Blonde

Outro - Cool School (Trane of Thought)

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