Dig Me Out: 90s & 00s Rock

Known for his talents on various stringed instruments, Ben Harper solidified his backing band as The Innocent Criminals on his fourth record, 1999's Burn To Shine. With that band arrangement, Harper delves into a variety of sounds, channeling the blues and folk that made up his early solo releases but continuing the louder sounds from his previous outing, The Will To Live. Through the twists and turns, from 70s-influenced blues rock to minor-key Zeppelin riffing, Harper and his band play with volume and dynamics throughout to create a unique sonic pallet that works until it doesn't.

Songs In This Episode:

Intro - Burn To Shine

15:53 - Steal My Kisses

27:00 - In The Lord's Arms

38:04 - Two Hands of a Prayer

56:33 - Beloved One

Outro - Forgiven

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Though Fu Manchu often comes up when discussing the stoner rock of Sleep, Kyuss, Queens of the Stone Age, Monster Magnet, and, the Orange County band has made the prime focus skate boarding, California vibes, and science fiction, all stuffed in a smoke-filled custom 70s van. As proponents of fuzzed-out guitar riffing, tight arrangements, catchy hooks, and finding the balance between bombast and restraint, Fu Manchu marks all our boxes. The fact they do such a good job not only writing great music, but creating an entire look and feel from album artwork to merchandise helps us look into what was once an aspirational idea of the West Coast to a pair of flat-land Ohio boys.

Songs In This Episode:

Intro - No Dice

18:33 - Drive

27:15 - King of the Road

34:56 - Boogie Van

40:35 - Weird Beard

Outro - Freedom of Choice

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Montreal's Doughboys, like so many bands who tipped their toes in the power-pop sound, were mostly ignored by US listeners. Unless led by a ballad like the Goo Goo Dolls or pushing a punkier sound, artists with layered harmonies and a keen sense of melodic hooks were often overlooked for pure pop. On their 1993 album Crush, the band never compromise on the guitars, combining hardrock riffs with catchy leads and an occasional ripping solo. Only when the band slows down and gets dirgy does the momentum falter on an overall underappreciated gem.

Songs In This Episode:

Intro - Tearin' Away

18:00 - Fix Me

27:03 - Everything

30:25 - Neighborhood Villain

Outro - Shine

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Bruce Kulick, a member of KISS from 1984 to 1996, and John Corabi, a member of Motley Crue from 1992 to 1997, joined forces to form Union with capable players Jamie Hunting on bass and Brent Fitz on drums. The songwriting style Corabi brought to Crue is evident from the first track "Old Man Wise," which combines classic hard rock riffs with melodies and vocals that fit well into 90s alternative and grunge, such as Alice In Chains. What helps make this something more than just another album is the small touches - the harmony vocals from all members paired with clean and unfussy production that serve the songs well.

Songs In This Episode:

Intro - Old Man Wise

13:56 - Around Again

20:20 - October Morning Wind

28:40 - Let It Flow

39:26 - Pain Behind Your Eyes

Outro - Get Off My Cloud

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While G. Love is currently doing the press circuit to discuss his latest album, Philadelphia Mississippi, the affable blues artist is more than happy to talk about his experiences in the ‘90s. Born in Philadelphia and raised on the finest music that city had to offer in the ‘70s and ‘80s, namely soul and blues, G. Love moved to Boston to continue his busking career with hopes of landing a record deal. As glam became grunge, and grunge became pop-punk, G. Love’s alternative hip-hop with blues-style guitar playing was a bit of an anomaly though, in retrospect, artists like Beck and Fun Lovin’ Criminals could now be considered peers. A deal with Sony imprint Okeh was solidified in ‘94 with the release of the first G. Love and the Special Sauce album and G. Love got into the write, record, tour cycle for the rest of the decade releasing three more albums before the turn of the new century. Looking at G. Love’s discography, he never slowed down though he left Okeh to release solo - and band - albums on Brushfire Records, all the while maintaining a consistent touring lifestyle. 2022’s Philadelphia Mississippi was born out of pandemic SoulBques where G and his makeshift group of musician friends would hang out, grill up some meats, and sit around playing blues music. You can catch G. Love on stage opening the Dispatch/O.A.R. tour as well as headlining some of his own dates this summer.

Songs In This Episode:

Intro - Rhyme for the Summertime

8:06 - Baby's Got Sauce

Outro - Blues Music

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In the 1990s Dinosaur Jr. was primarily the J Mascis show, with both Lou Barlow and Murph out of the band. Their 2000s reformation has resulted in a steady release of some of the band's best material, but the origins trace back to the early 80s and the high school hardcore band Deep Wound where J and Lou began. Then known only as Dinosaur, the band toned down the hardcore elements for more jangle, and with J growing into a guitar shredder somewhere between Sonic Youth and Neil Young. On each of their three releases, the band grows as songwriters and players, and production considerably improves as the studios and budgets slowly increase. We dive into the early years to hear the earliest inklings of what the band would later become on albums like Green Mind and Without A Sound.

Songs In This Episode:

Intro - The Leper from Dinosaur

17:49 - Repulsion from Dinosaur

28:21 - In a Jar from You're Living All Over Me

34:03 - The Lung from You're Living All Over Me

41:06 - No Bones from Bug

Outro - Freak Scene from Bug

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Though known for a variety of harder post-hardcore bands like Helmet, Quicksand, Biohazard, and many more in the early 90s, the New York City indie music also include a number of outliers who had their major label moments. Like Soul Coughing or Firewater, Skeleton Key sought to do something slightly different. Sure, there are guitar-driven alternative rock tunes like "Wide Open" or "The Worlds Most Famous Undertaker," but the majority of the album isn't so straightforward. With a "junk" percussionist, there is a pallet of sounds not regularly heard on most alternative rock records of the decade.

Songs In This Episode:

Intro - Watch The Fat Man Swing

23:05 - Wide Open

28:22 - All The Things I've Lost

35:24 - Vomit Ascot

Outro - The Worlds Most Famous Undertaker

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One-hit wonders are not unique to the 1990s, and revisiting sophomore albums is always a hit-or-miss experience. Double down on what made the band or artist successful, evolve the sound into something unexpected, or somewhere in between? After scoring a hit with "Counting Blue Cars" on their 1995 debut Pet Your Friends, Dishwalla returned in 1998 with And You Think You Know What Life's About. From the opening track, the band play with sounds and melodies that stretch from the industrial rock of Stabbing Westward to the big choruses of Oasis to the experimental quirk of Radiohead. The album is unafraid to go BIG, with soaring guitar lines and vocals, but does it add it up more than just a collection of disparate influences?

Songs In This Episode:

Intro - Healing Star

11:56 - Stay Awake

18:03 - Until I Wake Up

23:06 - Pop Guru

Outro - Bottom Of The Floor

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The late mid-to-late 90s were overwhelming based on the number of new album releases each week. Unfortunately, that meant bands like Little John either had a breakout single and video or were quickly relegated to the cut-out bin. In the case of their 1996 album Derailer, full of pop-rock that veers between Dinosaur Jr. guitar riffs and the quirky lyrics and melodies of They Might Be Giants, the band crafted some earworms alongside some less engaging album tracks. From the opening title track to the Presidents Of The United States of America-esque "Evel Knievel," the band craft tight, fun songs that more people should know.

Songs In This Episode:

Intro - Fell From The Sun

15:24 - Shoelace

22:05 - Scared

31:40 - Evel Knievel

40:49 - Derailer

Outro - Down On Me

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There isn’t a Dig Me Out listener who isn’t familiar with Everclear, a staple of ‘90s alternative rock radio and MTV. With a string of hits like “Santa Monica,” “I Will Buy You a New Life,” and “Father of Mine,” Everclear spent the better part of the decade relentlessly touring, playing to sold-out crowds around the globe. But, had it not been for the relative success of the band’s 1993 debut, World of Noise, Everclear might have been just another footnote in a long line of forgotten bands. Singer Art Alexakis had tried his luck in San Francisco with the band Colorfinger in the late ‘80s/early ‘90s but after that band’s demise, moved with his pregnant girlfriend to Portland, Oregon where he decided to give the music thing one last try. Though World of Noise was cheap to make, the songs that Alexakis recorded with bassist Craig Montoya and drummer Scott Cuthbert - rough and raw as they were - caught the ears of major label A&R reps looking for the “next Nirvana.” After an initial release on indie label Tim/Kerr Records, Capitol Records picked up the band and reissued the debut, and set Alexakis on the way to a career that has lasted 30+ years. For the first time ever, World of Noise is now available on all major streaming services, and a vinyl reissue is planned for later 2022. While Montoya and Scott Cuthbert (and Cuthbert’s replacement, Greg Eklund) are long gone, Alexakis continues to make a living by releasing new Everclear music and touring. While the venues may be smaller, the passion is still there and Everclear will be celebrating World of Noise, and the rest of its catalog, on a summer tour with openers Fastball and The Nixons.

Songs In This Episode:

Intro - Fire Maple Song

4:38 - Nervous and Weird

Outro - Sick and Tired

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