The 1994 album Foolish by Superchunk might be the defining indie rock album of the 1990s. Raw musical energy paired with introspective lyrics and hooks that grab hold from the first track to the last. The band's signature blend of punk and pop shines through in every distorted chord or note that guitarist and lead singer Mac McCaughan sings or strums, creating an album that feels both urgent and timeless. Tracks like "Driveway to Driveway" and "Like a Fool" showcase the band's knack for crafting sneakily catchy melodies while maintaining the emotional depth of a record that famously followed the breakup of McCaughan and bassist Laura Balance. The end result is a vital record that defines the 1990s indie rock sound.

Songs In This Episode

Intro - Water Wings

17:23 - Driveway to Driveway

29:41 - Why Do You Have to Put a Date on Everything

35:07 - Kicked In

40:18 - Like A Fool

Outro - The First Part

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When Muse released their debut album Showbiz in 1999, the Radiohead and Jeff Buckley comparison were unavoidable. Lumped in with Coldplay, Paloalto, Ours, and other bands whose male vocalists utilized a falsetto, the band never actually quite fit in, and their trajectory in the 2000s is evidence they were thinking bigger. While so many music critics were happy to cast aspersions of Matthew Bellamy for his vocal approach, the actual music got less attention than it deserved. Only a three piece, the rhythm section of bassist Chris Wolstenholme and drummer Dominic Howard were largely overlooked, which is a shame. Plenty has been written about Bellamy's vocals, but combined with the melodic bass lines often harmonizing with the vocal, or the variety in Howard's playing, that slyly incorporates non-rock rhythms like on the tango-influenced "Uno," the band is much more adventurous than any of its contemporaries.

Songs In This Episode

Intro - Sunburn

16:11 - Muscle Museum

23:39 - Falling Down

30:20 - Uno

Outro - Sober

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In 1992, INXS released Welcome to Wherever You Are and instead of touring, headed back into the studio for a quick follow-up. 1993's Full Moon, Dirty Hearts was the result, a mixed bag of innovation incorporating bass grooves on tracks like "The Gift" and "Cut Your Roses Down" while still writing anthemic choruses on tracks like "Days of Rust" and "Time." In the midst of the grunge takeover of America, it's not surprising the album didn't fare well with radio or the charts. While guest vocalists Ray Charles and Chrissie Hynde of The Pretenders are welcome, their inclusion didn't push the needle. Revisiting the album, it's an interesting crossroads of what the band was and the sounds of the decade to come, with electronic elements sneaking in that wouldn't sound out of place later in the decade.

Songs In This Episode

Intro - The Gift

21:17 - Time

25:13 - Cut Your Roses Down

32:16 - Kill The Pain

41:12 - Please (You Got That...)

Outro - Days of Rust

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