If you’re a long-time reader of Houston Calling, you’ll know I have a fascination with some of the mid-90s bands from Chicago. One of which is Fig Dish (which beget Ness and Caviar, which beget The Prairie Cartel). The foursome broke up after 1997’s When Shove Goes Back To Push, but not before recording an album that never made it past the band’s friends and family.

For years, the band has toyed with the idea of releasing the album — a great time would have been the band’s 2006 reunion show (which I wrote about here and another guy wrote about here). Despite the begging, it never happened.

But at this year’s South By Southwest, former Fig Dish members Blake Smith and Mike Willison (now two members of The Prairie Cartel) apparently gave Atomic Ned‘s Chip Midnight the go-ahead to release the album online — for free. I would strongly suggest a donation to the band for their music, but that’s between you and your guilty conscience.

Visit AtomicNed.com to find out more information on the “new” Fig Dish album, Onanism, and download it for yourself. Then, come back and let me know what you think of it.

View the video for Fig Dish’s 1995 single “Seeds” here. View (or download) the Ness electronic press kit video and the video for “Where The People Kick It”. View Caviar’s video for “Lioness” and a promo video for “Tangerine Speedo”. Visit www.nessmusic.com to download a special Fig Dish video for “When Shirts Get Tight.”

Buy used Fig Dish CDs on the cheap here.