It's 1993 and the creeping bass riff of Tool's "Sober" starts to play on MTV when my eyes witness this unsettling claymation music video that features zero footage of the band... and I loved every second of it. The lyrics were intelligent and thought-provoking, and this dark, heavy sound with complex time signatures and haunting vocals sounded so different from everything else at the time. Join me this week as we explore the Undertow of Tool.

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The opening bass line from "Cannonball" is an instant time warp back to 1993. I remember watching MTV and seeing Kim Deal from the Pixies on my screen and realizing she had a twin sister in this band I had never heard of called The Breeders. Decades later and Last Splash holds up as one of the standout albums of the 90s, with its unique tempo shifts, care free aesthetic and of course the sound of the harmonizing Deal sisters.

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I would be a few years late to hearing 1993's Slip by Quicksand for the first time, but once "Head To Wall" landed on a gifted mixtape in the mid 90s, I was ready for more! That signature raspy voice belting out the gut-punching chorus was none other than Walter Schreifels, the legendary musician from New York Hardcore bands like Gorilla Biscuits and Youth of Today, who would go on several amazing bands like Quicksand, Rival Schools, and a multitude of other side projects. I was thrilled to invite Walter onto Waterproof Records to talk about coming up in the 80s hardcore scene, what inspired him to write music, and we ended up getting a little philosophical too!

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From the moment the album kicks off with "Holy Wars... The Punishment Due," I was hooked. The speed, the fury, the thrash-- everything about Megadeth was turning my love of metal up to eleven.  Let's go back to 1990 when one of the best possible line-ups of this band dropped a metal masterpiece, securing it as one of my all-time favorites of the genre. 

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Upbeat piano chords, distorted bass guitar and well-crafted harmonies was exactly what I needed when I stumbled upon the trio known as Ben Folds Five in 1995. The 90s music scene was always reminding us to expect the unexpected, and by the time this band hit their sophomore release titled 'Whatever and Ever Amen,' they delivered the perfect blend of humor and heart that created a timeless classic.

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It was around 1998 when I first saw Dave Holmes on my television for MTV's 'Wanna Be a VJ,' competition, and I could instantly see that his love of music ran as deep as mine. Fast forward 25 years later where Dave Holmes is an accomplished writer, actor, tv host, podcaster, and Editor-at-large for Esquire. Recently I connected with Dave, so I invited him on the podcast to talk about where his love of music first began, stories from his career at MTV, and why he chose Tommy Keene's 'Songs From The Film' as his Waterproof Record.

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During one of my most challenging adolescent years, Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness arrived at the right time for me to get lost in this monumental behemoth of a double album. Already my favorite band in the world, The Smashing Pumpkins presented what would be held up as one of the most incredible accomplishments by any band in the 1990s. This week we crack open the sprawling 28-track masterpiece, but these songs do stir up some teenage angst, so bear with me as despite all my rage.... well you know the rest!

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An unforgettable cover with a New York City slacker cool, Sonic Youth's sixth studio album 'Goo' arrived just in time to make things noisy in 1990. A band defined by alternate tunings and experimental art rock, Sonic Youth had been releasing albums for nearly a decade before Goo hit. On this week's Waterproof Records we discuss the tale behind the iconic cover art, and how a Spin interview inspired a hit song.

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I discovered the music from a Chicago indie band called Into It. Over It. a few years ago, and shortly after I found myself adding multiple favorite songs to playlists. Soon after I would be fortunate enough to connect with Evan Thomas Weiss, the man responsible for this band, and get the chance to not only befriend him, but to invite him on my show to talk about our favorite music! Join me this week on Waterproof Records as we discuss Evan's fascinating journey as an independent musician and the trials and tribulations of DIY music.

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Cue the opening guitar of Enter Sandman and let's headbang our way back to 1991 and talk about Metallica's self-titled fifth album, which would forever be referred to as 'the black album.' Now most die-hard Metallica fans will tell you, you're supposed to go back a decade before to the heavy underground thrash days of Kill Em All-- BUT, there was something so significant about how this more accessible album took the world by storm, ended up dropping 5 incredible music videos in constant rotation on MTV, and introduced small town kids like me to a collection of metal albums that would influence my music tastes for decades to come. 

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