x

75% of people globally want unbiased news (Pew Research) but are concerned they're not getting that.

Get balanced coverage with Symby. See how stories are covered across diverse outlets and spot when one side covers a story the other skips.

PODCAST

Dig Me Out: 90s Rock

Step back in time to the heart of the 1990s, the last great decade of rock music. We’re your weekly time machine to the era of grunge, alternative, indie rock, emo, Brit-pop, shoegaze, power pop, and post-punk. Our journey includes in-depth album reviews, insider interviews with key figures, and comprehensive cultural discussions. ’Dig Me Out: 90s Rock’ offers a deep dive into the music that defined a generation, providing a diverse range of sounds and stories that continue to influence artists

music music commentary

All Episodes

01:27:36

Billy Squier - Surviving The 90s

Dig Me Out: 90s Rock ·

2025/03/11

In our second installment of Surviving the 90s, we're revisiting one of the hitmakers from the first half of the 80s - Billy Squier. Responsible for such hits as The Stroke, Lonely Is The Night, Everybody Wants You, My Kinda Lover, and Rock Me Tonite, to name a few, Squier was all over radio and early MTV. Albums like Don't Say No, Emotions in Motion, and Signs of Life each went Platinum, and while musical trends changed, Squier still managed radio airplay into the early 90s. But by 1998, he was

en-us

47:40

Idlewild - Hope Is Important | 90s Album Review

Dig Me Out: 90s Rock ·

2025/03/04

Previously we revisited Idlewild's 2000 breakthrough sophomore album 100 Broken Windows, but for this episode we're going backward to their 1998 debut. The punkier, more aggressive Hope Is Important leans into noisy, almost unpolished intensity, while moments of introspection hint at the more refined songwriting the band would develop on following albums. Frenetic guitars and urgent vocals create a chaotic yet compelling sound, with tracks like "When I Argue I See Shapes" showcase their knack for

en-us

58:03

Guided By Voices - Alien Lanes | 90s Album Review

Dig Me Out: 90s Rock ·

2025/02/25

Alien Lanes by Guided By Voices, their first for Matador Records, expanded upon the lo-fi, hook-driven bursts of songs from previous release Bee Thousand. Its chaotic, collage-like structure packs 28 tracks into just over 40 minutes, thanks to the raw, four-track production gives the album an intimate, unpolished feel. Songs end abruptly, vocals are buried, guitars are out of tune, yet the melodies emerge from the fuzz with a mix of power pop charm and punk spontaneity.Widely considered one of their

en-us

51:19

Cock Sparrer - Two Monkeys | 90s Album Review

Dig Me Out: 90s Rock ·

2025/02/18

Two Monkeys, the 1997 album by veteran punk band Cock Sparrer, blends old school British pub rock and Oi! with surprising melodic elements. Despite being released twenty-five years into their career, the album retains the raw energy of their early work, featuring socially conscious lyrics while tackling themes like working-class struggles and personal resilience. The production is cleaner than their classic albums, but it still maintains a gritty, pub-rock feel, though a few of the faster tracks

en-us

58:27

Los Lobos - The Neighborhood | 90s Album Review

Dig Me Out: 90s Rock ·

2025/02/11

Los Lobos' 1990 album The Neighborhood showcases their signature blend of rock, blues, and Latin influences through the lense and ears of East Los Angeles. While it didn’t achieve the commercial success of La Bamba, the album captures Los Lobos’ musical versatility and deep-rooted cultural influences. The band shifts from Texas blues and roots rock to old school rock 'n roll and acoustic balladry with the ease of seasoned players, with lead singer/guitarist David Hidalgo guiding the band all the

en-us

01:10:56

Fiona Apple - Tidal | 90s Album Review

Dig Me Out: 90s Rock ·

2025/02/04

Fiona Apple's 1996 debut album Tidal remains a landmark in alternative music, blending jazz-infused piano melodies with deeply introspective lyrics. The album's breakout single, "Criminal," propelled Apple into the mainstream, earning her a Grammy and solidifying her as a unique voice in the industry. With raw emotion and poetic lyricism, songs like "Shadowboxer" and "Sleep to Dream" showcased her maturity beyond her years. Tidal was both critically acclaimed and commercially successful, influencing

en-us

49:33

...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead - Source...

Dig Me Out: 90s Rock ·

2025/01/21

Back in the day (i.e. the 90s), the idea of an indie band jumping to a major label was usually followed by the words "sell out." But without the restrictions of a smaller budget and less time, many artists put their increased resources to good use. Source Tags and Codes, released in 2002 by ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead, might be one of the first landmark albums in the post-hardcore world of the 2000s. The album blends intense, chaotic energy with lush, orchestral arrangements,

en-us

55:37

Howlin Maggie - Honeysuckle Strange | 90s Album Review

Dig Me Out: 90s Rock ·

2024/12/10

From the ashes of acclaimed but underheard Royal Crescent Mob, bass player Harold "Happy" Chichester switched to guitar and lead vocal for his new band Howlin Maggie, who released their debut album Honeysuckle Strange in 1996. With an all-star cast of Columbus, Ohio players, the band produced a fierce yet catchy album for Columbia Records at the height of alternative rock, but didn't make a dent with national radio or MTV. Which is a shame, because Honeysuckle Strange is more than just your

en-us

50:01

No Knife - Hit Man Dreams | 90s Album Review

Dig Me Out: 90s Rock ·

2024/12/03

San Diego-based band No Knife released their sophomore album Hit Man Dreams in 1997 during the peak era of underground emo and post-grunge indie rock. The album marked a pivotal moment in their evolution thanks to the intricate guitar work by Mitch Wilson and Ryan Ferguson, who blend angular post-hardcore riffs with melodic indie rock sensibility. Tracks like "Your Albatross" and the title track showcase the band's knack for crafting dynamic compositions that shift seamlessly between tension and

en-us

55:43

Blind Guardian - Nightfall in Middle-Earth | 90s...

Dig Me Out: 90s Rock ·

2024/11/12

The 1998 concept album Nightfall in Middle-Earth by Blind Guardian brings the epic scope of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Silmarillion to life through power metal. The album tells the tragic tales of elves, men, and gods embroiled in a war against the dark lord Morgoth, blending rich lyrical storytelling with complex arrangements, and finds a sweet spot between the technical skill of bands like Metallica and Helloween with the melodic bombast of Queen. Each track serves as a chapter in the larger saga, with

en-us

45:54

Unbelievable Truth - Almost Here | 90s Album Review

Dig Me Out: 90s Rock ·

2024/11/05

Almost Here is the 1998 debut album by the Unbelievable Truth, fronted by Andy Yorke, who you may have just discovered (like us) is the younger brother of Radiohead’s Thom Yorke. Infused with haunting melodies and introspective lyrics that lean on melancholy, emotional conflict, and introspection, the album showcases Yorke's evocative vocals and a minimalist approach Throughout the album, songs like "Settle Down" and "Stone" highlights the band’s thoughtful arrangements and subdued sound, tasteful

en-us

46:04

Smashing Pumpkins - Gish | 90s Album Review

Dig Me Out: 90s Rock ·

2024/10/29

The 1991 debut album Gish by The Smashing Pumpkins marked the band's entry into the alternative rock scene with a unique mix of psychedelic rock, heavy metal, and dream pop elements. Produced by Butch Vig, who would later work with Nirvana on Nevermind, the album showcases the band's early experimentation with layered guitars, intricate rhythms, raw energy, and dense sonic textures that would become hallmarks of the Pumpkins sound. Although Gish did not initially achieve mainstream success, it

en-us

50:53

Jesus Jones - Perverse | 90s Album Review

Dig Me Out: 90s Rock ·

2024/10/22

Most people know Jesus Jones from their big hit in 1991, "Right Here Right Now." Thanks to the explosion of grunge and alternative rock that was already bubbling up from the underground to the mainstream, the techno-rock of Jesus Jones took a back seat and relegated them to one-hit wonder status. But instead of changing their sound to blend in with the loud guitars from Seattle, the band and primary songwriter/singer Mike Edwards went in the opposite direction and leaned into their electronic

en-us

54:43

Pig - Sinsation | 90s Album Review

Dig Me Out: 90s Rock ·

2024/10/15

An original member of KMFDM, producer, musician and singer Raymond Watts has been ensconced in the electronic and industrial music scenes for going on five decades. His own project PIG started out far more raw and aggressive, but over time Watts evolved the sound and eventually found a home on Trent Reznor's NOTHING label for the 1996 release of Sinsation (released the previous year in Japan only). With nods to Reznor's Nine Inch Nails and fellow industrial metal act Ministry, among others,

en-us

01:17:01

Soul Asylum In The 80s | Roundtable

Dig Me Out: 90s Rock ·

2024/10/08

Although they've released over a dozen albums covering four decades, odds are if you ask someone on the street to name a song by Soul Asylum, it's going to be the mega-hit "Runaway Train" off their 1992 album Grave Dancers Union. There were other singles, "Black Gold" and "Somebody To Shove" off Grave Dancers Union, "Misery" and "Just Like Anyone" off the follow-up Let Your Dim Light Shine, but those albums and songs represented a band that had worked and toured and recorded since the early 1980s,

en-us

52:43

Ho Hum - Local | 90s Album Review

Dig Me Out: 90s Rock ·

2024/09/03

Not many 90s rock bands called Arkansas home, and even fewer looked to the straightforward radio pop of 1970s and 80s as a launching point for their sound. Yet on Ho Hum's 1996 debut Local, the band from Bradley, Arkansas tuned the radio dial to sounds of Big Star, The Plimsouls, The Knack, Dramarama, and early Tom Petty, to name a few, for their catchy, unpretentious sound. Though released in the middle of alternative decade, there isn't a note of angst or grunge to be found, instead forging a

en-us

01:05:22

Blake Smith and Rick Ness of Fig Dish | Interview

Dig Me Out: 90s Rock ·

2024/08/29

Emerging from the same mid-90s Chicago scene that saw bands like Veruca Salt, Loud Lucy, Menthol, Triple Fast Action, and Local H get signed to major labels, Fig Dish delivered alternative guitar rock that paid homage to the legends of Mt. Rockmore - Zander, Mascis, Mould, and Westerberg - under the Polygram Records (and subsidiaries) banner. Their discovery is the stuff of legend: the band sent demo cassettes to various major labels with a handwritten note from “Steve,” claiming to have found a

en-us

01:40:29

Nü Metal in the 90s | Roundtable

Dig Me Out: 90s Rock ·

2024/08/27

Is Nü Metal the most divisive music subgenre of the 1990s? It sure seems to generate a lot of hate, but is also beloved by millions of fans. Eschewing the traditions of classic NWOBHM bands (guitar solos, leather, fist-pumping athems), Nü Metal rose from the same underground that embraced both hip-hop and mosh pits, with its own style (baggy pants, tracksuits, baseball caps) more reminiscent of Run D.M.C. than Judas Priest. In the same way that punk was a response to the bloated stylings of 70s

en-us

01:06:18

Faithless - Sunday 8 PM | 90s Album Review

Dig Me Out: 90s Rock ·

2024/08/20

Bands scoring a hit with a single that doesn't sound much like the rest of the album is not unusual. Blur, Sugar Ray, the Butthole Surfers, Nada Surf, and more had hits that might have confused buyers when the bought the respective albums, and the same goes for Faithless, and their 1998 album Sunday 8 PM. Thanks to the uptempo house hit "God Is A DJ," the band gained fans on both sides of the Atlantic. However, aside from one other track, the rest of the album runs at half that speed, mixing

en-us

01:00:53

Massive Attack - Mezzanine | 90s Album Review

Dig Me Out: 90s Rock ·

2024/08/13

The 90s featured the rise of a several varieties of electronic music into the mainstream. The electronica of Prodigy and The Chemical Brothers and the industrial of Nine Inch Nails and Stabbing Westward became household names thanks to MTV and alternative radio station playlists, but not far behind were the late night grooves of trip-hop thanks to Portishead and Massive Attack. Combining samples and live instrumentation, and taking influence from reggae, dub, soul, jazz and more, the 1998 third

en-us

772 results

Similar Podcasts

Pasquale Maassen Soundcloud

Pasquale Maassen

Marian Klose

Marian Klose

sevenism

sevenism

Dean Delray"s LET THERE BE TALK

Cactus Radio Network

Word In Your Ear

Mark Ellen, David Hepworth and Alex Gold