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

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Eve 6’s 1998 self-titled debut delivered a punchy slice of late-’90s alternative rock loaded with catchy hooks and teenage urgency. The band utilizes pop-punk energy without the whine, creating a sound that’s both radio-friendly and tightly performed, showcasing their knack for clever, rapid-fire lyrics and instantly memorable choruses. The album balances angst and humor, giving it a charm that sets it apart from many of its era peers, and more twists and turns than one might expected based on the lead single "Inside Out."

Songs In This Episode

Intro - Inside Out

19:51 - Jesus Nitelite

23:44 - Leech

39:26 - Showerhead

Outro - Small Town Trap

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Another Thanksgiving is upon us, and our yearly post-Covid tradition continues as we gather patrons together and give thanks for the new music that gave us happiness and good vibes in 2025. There's a wide array of bands and artists, new and old, that helped make 2025 another great year for music!

Songs In This Episode

Intro - Critical Thinking by Manic Street Preachers

Outro - Disintegrate by Suede

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Human Clay by Creed is a polished, radio-ready slab of late-’90s hard rock that helped define (fairly or unfairly) the aesthetic now cheekily labeled “butt rock.” The album leans heavily on soaring, overly-earnest choruses and Mark Tremonti’s muscular guitar work, which give tracks like “Higher” and “With Arms Wide Open” a memorable arena-rock punch. Scott Stapp’s vocals, full of dramatic baritone gravitas, remain divisive but central to the band’s signature sound. The record can feel repetitive in its reliance on inspirational platitudes, its glossy production, and melodic hooks without much depth. Ultimately, Human Clay stands as both a commercial triumph and a touchstone for the era’s post-grunge mainstream, embracing the very qualities that later sparked the backlash “butt rock” label.

Songs In This Episode

Intro - Higher

28:42 - Beautiful

33:40 - Are You Ready

37:57 - Never Die

53:57 - What If

Outro - With Arms Wide Open

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In 2002 Speedstar released their debut, Bruises You Can Touch, and unless you were in Australia, you probably never heard it. The Australian band's first album is a quietly affecting collection of melancholic indie pop that trades in mood and atmosphere over flash. Restrained production gives the band’s delicate melodies and wistful vocals room to breathe, creating an intimate and emotionally resonant experience. The album blends acoustic warmth and subtle distorted textures that recalls early Coldplay, Keane, Starsailor, and other 2000s post-Britpop bands, and stands as an overlooked gem of early-2000s indie.

Songs In This Episode

Intro - Song For You

9:24 - Crazy Happy

16:39 - This Everyday Life (Into Your Arms)

22:59 - Piano Song (Sometimes)

26:09 - Wishing Your Life Away

29:12 - It's Ok To Be Sad When It Rains

Outro - Revolution

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Virtuoso guitarist Nuno Bettencourt of Extreme stepped out on his own for the 1997 solo debut Schizophonic to explore a more diverse sonic landscape. Blending alt-rock, power pop, and electronic influences, the album showcases Bettencourt’s strong sense of melody and knack for songwriting. Tracks like “Gravity” and “Swollen Princess” highlight his ability to fuse inventive guitar riffs with catchy hooks, with production that leans toward the dense, experimental textures of late-’90s rock. Having flown under the radar, Schizophonic stands as an underrated and inventive record that captures an artist unafraid to reinvent himself, a fascinating glimpse of what happens when a guitar hero eschews showmanship for songwriting.

Songs In This Episode

Intro - Gravity

14:23 - What You Want

19:28 - Karmalaa

25:43 - Swollen Princess

36:31 - Fine By Me

47:28 - Fallen Angels

Outro - Severed

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Appalachian folk, Gothic country, and fire-and-brimstone intensity are not sounds you heard often on alternative albums in the 1990s. Sixteen Horsepower, led by David Eugene Edwards’ trembling voice and Old Testament fervor, sings like a sermon delivered from the traveling pulpit of redemption and ruin on their 1996 debut Sackcloth 'N Ashes. Songs churn with banjo, accordion, and tremolo guitar, evoking both frontier hardship and Calvinistic spiritual warfare. The production is stark yet cinematic, allowing every haunted whisper and stomped rhythm to resonate. While fans of Nick Cave, The Handsome Family, The Gun Club, etc. will find commonality, those unfamiliar may take a bit to warm up.

Songs In This Episode

Intro - Black Soul Choir

21:14 - Prison Shoe Romp

23:37 - Horse Head

34:09 - Red Neck Reel

Outro - Strong Man

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Pervert by Charm Farm swaggered into the mid-’90s with industrial-tinged alternative rock that fused sleazy hooks with gritty guitar licks. Mechanical grooves create a sound that feels both nightclub-ready and deeply personal. Tracks like “Superstar” and “Sick” capture the era’s obsession with fame and self-destruction while wrapped in infectious, neon-lit melodies. Completely overlooked upon release, Pervert offers sleek and subversive rock at a time the mainstream sought a more radio friendly (i.e. marketable) sound.

Songs In This Episode

Intro - I'm A Man

13:52 - Sick

18:44 - Superstar

26:07 - Pain

31:14 - Pervert

Outro - Desire

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Author Serena Fragassi joins us to discuss her new book, "Pearl Jam Live! 35 Years Of Legendary Music And Revolutionary Shows." Filled with band history, archival photography, interviews, and more, the book covers Pearl Jam's evolution, influence, fan culture and community, behind-the-scenes stories, and much, much more. 

Songs In This Episode

Intro - State of Love and Trust*

31:49 - Evenflow*

Outro - Black*

(*Live from the Dissident singles)

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Eve’s Plum captured the multi-genre energy of the early 90s on their 1993 debut Envy. Fronted by Colleen Fitzpatrick (later known as pop star Vitamin C) the band blended fuzzed-out guitars and hook-heavy melodies that sat comfortably between the noisy shoegaze of Swervedriver and the sweet hooks of Letters to Cleo. Tracks like “Blue” and “I Want It All” showcase their sharp, dynamic songwriting wrapped in punchy production. While Envy didn’t break through commercially, it hinted at the band’s knack for balancing angst and charm, that maybe a little editing could have improved.

Songs In This Episode

Intro - Once Twice

20:02 - I Want It All

23:47 - Blue

37:21 - Die Like Someone

Outro - Lovely You

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Twenty years since their debut, Maxïmo Park’s A Certain Trigger announces itself with angular guitars, driving rhythms, and Paul Smith’s earnest, impassioned vocals that give the songs both urgency and heart. Tracks like “Apply Some Pressure” and “Graffiti” capture the restless energy of youth, the album skillfully marries wiry indie-rock grit with pop immediacy. The band carved out their own voice amid a crowded scene that included the likes of The Futureheads, Bloc Party, The Kaiser Chiefs, and more post-Britpop bands with tight arrangements and inspired studio choices with a variety of keyboard sounds.

Songs In This Episode

Intro - Apply Some Pressure

14:03 - Signal And Sign

28:46 - I Want You To Stay

35:45 - Postcard of a Painting

Outro - Graffiti

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