Dig Me Out: 90s & 00s Rock

Released during the protracted second Iraq war, Josh Ritter's fourth album The Animal Years layers a singer/songwriter album with somber lyrical depth softened by effective melodies and thoughtful instrumentation.   Songs In This Episode Intro - Wolves 17:04 - Girl In The War 18:58 - Monster Ballads 25:29 - Thin Blue Flame 32:36 - Good Man Outro - Here at the Right Time   Support the podcast, join the DMO UNION at Patreon. Listen to the episode archive at DigMeOutPodcast.com.

Earnest without sliding into overwrought emo, Silkworm struck a balance between raw and refined on their fourth album, 1996's Firewater. Like most of their releases, the band turned to Steve Albini to engineer, capturing the live sound of the band crisp and clearly across the nearly hour running time. The band rarely overindulge, leaving those spare moments to the guitarist Andy Cohen, who channels the overdriven chaos of J. Mascis and Neil Young on tracks like "Wet Firecracker" and "Drag the River." The rhythm section, though never flashy, are tight and locked-in, with the bass taking melodic turns to support the sing-speak vocals that waver between understated and explosive. Though the band called Seattle home for the early part of the 1990s, the band eschews any grunge influence for post-punk and indie rock influences that helped separate the band from their homebase peers.   Songs In This Episode Intro - Nerves 19:28 - Quicksand 21:28 - Drag the River 29:06 - Cannibal Cannibal 31:07 - The Lure of Beauty Outro - Don't Make Plans This Friday   Support the podcast, join the DMO UNION at Patreon. Listen to the episode archive at DigMeOutPodcast.com.

Self-produced after parting ways with their major label, 12 Rods released the genre-bending Lost Time in 2002, combining elements of power pop, indie rock, 70s art rock and more. Eclectic songwriting, dynamic shifts, and a mixture of organic and treated sounds balance an album full of catchy hooks with inventive and occasionally straight-up weird choices, like the loungy-groove of "Fake Magic 8-Ball," falling somewhere between Eels and Ben Folds Five, or the relentlessly melodic "Twenty Four Hours Ago." The lack of cohesion is offset by the versatility of the material, never overstaying its welcome, and quality of the songwriting that welcomes repeated listens.   Songs In This Episode Intro - Terrible Hands 17:12 - Fake Magic 8-Ball 21:19 - Summertime Vertigo 26:05 - Boy in the Woods 30:16 - Twenty Four Hours Ago 41:31 - The Time Is Right (To Be Wrong) Outro - Accidents Waiting to Happen   Support the podcast, join the DMO UNION at Patreon. Listen to the episode archive at DigMeOutPodcast.com.

Is an industrial song ever really done? KMFDM’s 1993 release Naïve/Hell to Go asks that question, revisiting tracks from their 1990 release Naïve and offering new remixes and modified versions. Leaning heavily on sequenced aggression - pounding drum machines, serrated metal guitar loops, and chant-ready slogans that feel engineered as much for the dance floor as the mosh pit. Tracks like “Go to Hell” and “A Drug Against War” distill the band’s confrontational ethos into blunt, almost cartoonishly militant hooks that nonetheless hit with real force.   Songs In This Episode Intro - Welcome/Naïve 19:10 - Got To Hell (Fuck MTV Mix) 24:57 - Godlike (Doglike Mix) 27:47 - Die Now Live Later (Born Again Mix) Outro - Disgust (Live in Seattle)   Support the podcast, join the DMO UNION at Patreon. Listen to the episode archive at DigMeOutPodcast.com.

You Forgot It in People captures Broken Social Scene at their most expansive, an indie rock communal experience balancing meticulous arrangements and unhinged joyfulness. Layers of guitars, synths, horns, and rotating vocalists creates a warm chaos that rewards repeated listens, as new details constantly surface. Songs like “Anthems for a Seventeen Year-Old Girl” and “Cause = Time” balance intimacy and grandeur, pairing fragile emotion with sweeping crescendos. Two decades on, it still sounds like the 2000s blueprint for how indie rock bands like Arcade Fire, Godspeed, You Black Emperor, and many more could be messy, emotional, and deeply human without losing their ambition.   Songs In This Episode Intro - Stars and Sons 12:15 - KC Accidental 20:29 - Cause = Time 26:03 - Anthems For A Seventeen Year-Old Girl Outro - Pacific Theme   Support the podcast, join the DMO UNION at Patreon. Listen to the episode archive at DigMeOutPodcast.com.

Naomi Carmack of the Dope Nostalgia podcast joins us to revisit the six times platinum debut album Sixteen Stone by Bush. Released in May of 1995, the album spawned five inescapable singles and videos released in 1995 and 1996, propelling the band into the bright media spotlight. While the band had their share of fans, they also had detractors labeling the band as radio made grunge-lite thanks to frontman Gavin Rossdale appealing to more than just a young, male audience. In revisiting the record, we take time to appreciate the guitar work of Nigel Pulsford, who riffs and slides with taste and noise throughout the well crafted record despite some lackluster album tracks.   Songs In This Episode Intro - Machinehead 24:13 - Testosterone 28:37 - Monkey 41:09 - Comedown Outro - Little Things   Support the podcast, join the DMO UNION at Patreon. Listen to the episode archive at DigMeOutPodcast.com.

Our fifteenth season is in the books. Check out our picks for most surprising discoveries, the top review albums, and more from 2025. Stay tuned as towards the end we cover some changes to the DMO schedule and more choices for album picking patrons starting in 2026.   Songs In This Episode Intro - Dig Me Out by Sleater-Kinney Outro - Dig Me Out by Sleater-Kinney   Support the podcast, join the DMO UNION at Patreon. Listen to the episode archive at DigMeOutPodcast.com.

In our fourth installment of Surviving the 90s, we’re revisiting Heart - the band that not only churned out hits across multiple decades, but played a key role in the burgeoning Seattle music scene of the 80s and 90s. Known for a string of massive hits like "Barracuda," "Crazy On You," "Magic Man,"  and more in the 70s, the chart-topping band suffered a downturn in the early 80s only to return with two successful albums, 1985's self-titled record and the 1987 follow-up Bad Animals, both of which achieved multi-Platinum status. But as the musical landscape shifted in the 90s, the band released their 1990 album Brigade to a shifting musical landscape, and doubled-down with the out-of-step Desire Walks In in 1993. Though new hits failed to materialize, they continued to remain relevant thanks to their strong ties to the Seattle scene and the undeniable talent of Ann and Nancy Wilson. We revisit their biggest hits, their activity in the 90s, and try to determine: did Heart thrive, adapt, or fade during the decade?   Songs In This Episode Intro - Barracuda 21:49 - Heartless 41:31 - Wild Child 51:16 - Will You Be There (In The Morning) Outro - Magic Man   Support the podcast, join the DMO UNION at Patreon. Listen to the episode archive at DigMeOutPodcast.com.

Fantômas’ self-titled 1999 debut establishes the concept from note one: an exercise in extreme, avant-garde expression, and as a listener it’s easy to understand what the band is attempting. The barrage of short, fragmented pieces and sudden stylistic shifts signal a deliberate rejection of traditional song structure. Mike Patton’s vocalizations function more as sound effects than performances, reinforcing the record’s abstract intent. While the musicianship, particularly Dave Lombardo’s precision drumming and the band’s tight execution, is impossible to deny, the experience can feel more clinical than engaging. The experimental nature creates distance, making it difficult to emotionally connect despite appreciating the idea behind it. In the end, Fantômas succeeds intellectually, but the album’s confrontational approach may leave some listeners admiring the concept more than the music itself.   Songs In This Episode Intro - Book 1: Page 1 12:12 - Book 1: Page 4 16:42 - Book 1: Page 17 21:12 - Book 1: Page 7 Outro - Book 1: Page 30   Support the podcast, join the DMO UNION at Patreon. Listen to the episode archive at DigMeOutPodcast.com.

Star, the 1993 debut album by Belly, blends dreamy alt-rock textures with Tanya Donnelly’s airy, emotionally charged vocals and songwriting. Shimmering guitars and off-kilter hooks give the album a distinctive, almost fairy-tale quality that set it apart from its grunge-era peers, drawing as much from UK dream and jangle pop as American alternative. Singles like “Feed the Tree” and “Gepetto” highlight Donnelly’s knack for bright melodies wrapped around enigmatic lyrics. Throughout the album, the band balances buoyant energy with darker undercurrents, creating a sound that feels both inviting and haunting, though it does a bit long at fifteen tracks and over fifty minutes.   Songs In This Episode Intro - Feed The Tree 15:36 - White Belly 20:06 - Gepetto 21:58 - Angel Outro - Dusted   Support the podcast, join the DMO UNION at Patreon. Listen to the episode archive at DigMeOutPodcast.com.