Step into 1995—a time when five-disc CD changers ruled the bedroom, cassette Walkmans were essential for the commute, and a record player still held a place of honor in the living room. Not a single MP3 in sight. This was also the golden age of mixtapes, crafted with care and burned onto CDs, blending the past and future of rock into something unmistakably 1995.

This episode of The New Dad Rock explores the birth of an alternative nation, when rock’s underground darlings started gaining mainstream traction, and genre lines blurred in ways that would shape music for decades to come. Steve and Keith take you through the landmark releases that defined this pivotal year, including:

🔥 Pavement – Wowee Zowee (Lo-fi weirdness at its best)
🔥 Morphine – Yes (Jazz-infused, sax-laden grit)
🔥 PJ Harvey – Down By the Water (Haunting, bluesy, and powerful)
🔥 Primus – Tales From the Punchbowl (Les Claypool’s bass wizardry in full force)
🔥 Bjork – Post (Eclectic, Icelandic and electronic)
🔥 Sonic Youth – Washing Machine (Experimental alt-rock, pushing boundaries)
🔥 Smashing Pumpkins – Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness (Epic, overstuffed, and unforgettable)
🔥 Red Hot Chili Peppers – One Hot Minute (Dave Navarro steps in, things get weird)
🔥 Blind Melon – Soup (A deep-cut masterpiece, tragically overlooked)
🔥 Everclear – Santa Monica (Power-pop angst distilled into one perfect track)
🔥 Thurston Moore – Psychic Hearts (Sonic Youth’s frontman goes solo)

And as the alt-rock establishment took shape, 1995 also marked the birth of some future legends, including Wilco, Cat Power, Sparklehorse, and Rammstein—all of whom would go on to define their own corners of New Dad Rock.

What albums still hold up? What sounds haven’t aged well? And what exactly was in that five-disc changer back then? Tune in as Steve & Keith revisit the birth of an alternative nation—when mixtapes ruled, rock evolved and Gen X finally had their own classic rock.

Let us know what’s up.

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Tune in as The New Dad Rock breaks it all down—one track at a time.

1994 was a year of seismic shifts—both in music and in pop culture. Nirvana’s Unplugged set the tone for the band's tragic final chapter, while Woodstock ‘94 marked the peak (and beginning of the end) of the alternative rock explosion. Meanwhile, the slow-speed chase of O.J. Simpson had the world glued to their TVs, raising the question: What were you listening to that summer?

Steve and Keith dive deep into the unforgettable music of 1994, revisiting the albums, artists, and soundtracks that shaped their listening habits. Was this truly the greatest year in music? Or is that just what a really good YouTube playlist told us? Either way, they explore the grunge, hip-hop, indie, and genre-bending albums that still hold up today.

10 Albums We Talk About in This Episode:

1. Nirvana – MTV Unplugged in New York
2. Weezer – Blue Album
3. Nine Inch Nails – The Downward Spiral
4. Portishead – Dummy
5. Pavement – Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain
6. Beastie Boys – Ill Communication
7. Soundgarden – Superunknown
8. Built to Spill – There’s Nothing Wrong with Love
9. Nas – Illmatic
10. The Offspring – Smash

Expect deep cuts, hot takes, and wild tangents as Steve and Keith debate whether 1994 was really the greatest year in music history? Or is that just nostalgia talking like when CDs came in longboxes and Pulp Fiction was on repeat.

Tune in as The New Dad Rock breaks it all down—one track at a time.

Let us know what’s up.

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Did you know that The New Dad Rock has swag? Coffee mugs, pillow and t-shirts in a multitude of colors and arm lengths.

Oh, the nerve of the season, the audacious charade,
Of this barber shop simulation where reality’s frayed!
I plopped in a chair, unassuming and tame,
In this den of shears and holiday fame.
With old barbers tending, and old carols a-playing,
The sort of tunes that leave your spirit decaying.
Oh, the pomp and the fuss, the ho-ho-humbug so trite,
In a soundtrack that’s anything but merry or bright.
But then came the moment—oh, you wouldn't believe!
A riff so electric, it made me perceive
A fracture! A tear! In the fabric of fate—
It was Halford’s Donner & Blitzen! My confusion was great.
The barbers snipped on, not a soul banged a head,
As the anthem of metal filled me with dread.
Was I the only one who could hear the intrusion?
Was this a glitch in our grand illusion?
And when the song ended, back to yule-tide’s bore,
The hoary old jingles returned once more.
Oh, simulation, you sly, cunning beast,
To slip Rob Halford into this stuffy feast.
So I ask you now, was it code or was it cheer?
Did the matrix hiccup or was my mind unclear?
Either way, dear reader, I’ll cherish this glitch,
For even a Grinch loves a good metal switch. 🎄🤘

Let us know what’s up.

Support the show

Did you know that The New Dad Rock has swag? Coffee mugs, pillow and t-shirts in a multitude of colors and arm lengths.