Dexter and the Moonrocks are one of 2026’s biggest breakout rock acts, but they seem remarkably unfazed. “It’s a Lot” is the name of the lead single for their new album, Friends That I Don’t Like, and if you asked frontman James Tuffs how he’s adjusting to the newfound attention, that’s probably the response he’d give verbatim. As their viral single “Freakin’ Out” suggests, Dexter and the Moonrocks have won over thousands with an unapologetic authenticity about being stuck in the bullshit, battling depression and bad relationships, and trying to be better tomorrow.
Helping these melancholic meditations are arrangements that live in a very specific corner of late ’90s rock, grunge and post-grunge, alt-country, and pop-punk. They describe their style as “Western Space Grunge,” and whatever sound that conjures in your mind is pretty close to Dexter and the Moonrocks’ wheelhouse. It’s refreshing to hear a band like theirs resist the urge to sanitize, overproduce, or scale up for the sake of mass appeal; no, in Dexterland, it simply is what it is, and their slacker rock attitude makes them poised to connect to a new generation’s disaffected spirit.
Introduction to Crate Digging
Dexter and the Moonrocks are bringing that ’90s swagger back in a way that few new bands have managed. So, it’s fitting that Tuffs is happy to recommend 10 albums from the 1990s that made an impact on him and his musical journey. When we chat over Zoom, Tuffs is homesick in LA, wishing the album would be out so he can return to Texas and play a show there. Throughout the ensuing conversation, Tuffs also returned to the influence of his father’s music taste — from burned Blink-182 CDs to hearing Death Cab for Cutie and Radiohead in a beat-up Nissan Sentra.
Nirvana — Nevermind
Nirvana’s Nevermind is an album that Tuffs holds in high regard. He states, “You know, it’s literally front to back, unbelievable. You could hear the heroin, you know what I mean? You could hear it. But just the melodies and the hooks that Kurt was able to come up with is unbelievable. I think he’s one of the best songwriters of all time. Not even lyrically, but just the melodies and — so guitar driven, but the structure of the songs are kind of poppy. And I think that influenced a lot of bands that came later.” Tuffs also mentions that his favorite Nirvana song is actually from In Utero — “All Apologies.”
Essential Track: “Lithium”
Weezer — The Blue Album
Weezer’s The Blue Album is another album that Tuffs admires. He comments, “Another front-to-back unbelievable album. It’s just the most Weezer that Weezer ever was, from the opening song to the closing song. I think the first track is ‘My Name Is Jonas.’ Off the bat, like, whoa, this shit’s cool. This shit is Weezer. You can tell they’re wearing sweaters and shit, you know what I mean? But in a cool way.”
Essential Track: “Undone – The Sweater Song”
Smashing Pumpkins — Siamese Dream
Smashing Pumpkins’ Siamese Dream is an album that Tuffs loves. He says, “I really do think, out of all the grunge bands… not the most popular, but in terms of my taste in music, it’s probably the best Smashing Pumpkins. Just something about his voice, his songwriting, the guitar… it’s so perfect. The fuzz, it’s awesome.”
Essential Track: “Mayonnaise”
Pinback — Pinback
Pinback’s self-titled album is a favorite of Tuffs. He remarks, “My favorite band of all time. I always say they have all the best aspects from all the great ’90s bands, kind of thrown into one. And that’s Pinback. So fucking sick. It’s their debut album, and their sound is so unique.”
Essential Track: “Crutch”
Blink-182 — Enema of the State
Blink-182’s Enema of the State is an album that Tuffs grew up with. He recalls, “That has to be in there. That was my first favorite band ever. My dad had burned CDs, and one of them said Blink-182 on it, and I would just, every day — it was like a minute-and-a-half ride to school — so I would just listen to the first half of ‘What’s My Age Again?’ and then get dropped off.”
Essential Track: “What’s My Age Again?”
Nirvana — In Utero
Nirvana’s In Utero is another album that Tuffs admires. He comments, “I mean, fuck, they only had two albums in the ’90s. It’s not like you have any of their other albums in the ’90s to choose from, so might as well throw it in. I think it’s just more raw. The record sounded cheaper to make in a good way.”
Essential Track: “All Apologies”
Rage Against the Machine — Rage Against the Machine
Rage Against the Machine’s self-titled album is an album that Tuffs loves. He says, “I have to imagine there wasn’t much that sounded like that beforehand. And there hasn’t really been much afterwards either. I mean, Tom Morello with an angry dude (Zack de la Rocha) just screaming at you is so fucking cool.”
Essential Track: “Killing in the Name”
Smashing Pumpkins — Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness
Smashing Pumpkins’ Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness is an album that Tuffs admires. He remarks, “Love that band so much, had to put them in here again. I think it was a little different from Siamese Dream. I feel like they just had a little more mature sound.”
Essential Track: “Tonight, Tonight”
Death Cab for Cutie — We Have the Facts and We’re Voting Yes
Death Cab for Cutie’s We Have the Facts and We’re Voting Yes is an album that Tuffs grew up with. He recalls, “It was actually released in the year 2000, but fuck it. It’s way different from all these other bands, but it’s my second favorite band of all time. Death Cab for Cutie, We Have the Facts and We’re Voting Yes. If I wanna be sad as shit, I’ll just sulk in that — I’ll throw on that album.”
Essential Track: “Scientist Studies”
Radiohead — OK Computer
Radiohead’s OK Computer is an album that Tuffs holds in high regard. He states, “One of the best albums of all time. I mean, Thom Yorke is fucking so awesome, and that’s when he kind of became the weird, scary Thom Yorke. He’s like, ‘Oh, something’s going on with that dude.’ And then Kid A happened, and I’m genuinely scared of that dude.”
Essential Track: “Karma Police”
In conclusion, Dexter and the Moonrocks are a band that is deeply rooted in the music of the 1990s. James Tuffs has provided a list of 10 albums from the 1990s that have had a significant impact on him and his musical journey. These albums showcase a range of genres and styles, from grunge to pop-punk, and demonstrate Tuffs’ eclectic taste in music. With their debut album Friends That I Don’t Like set to release on October 2nd, Dexter and the Moonrocks are sure to make waves in the music scene. Be sure to check out their tour dates and get tickets to see them live.
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