Bitch Magnet, "Navajo Ace"
I wanted them to keep going with that stuttering thing they had in the first thirty seconds, but the rest of the song is plenty fun as well.
They Might Be Giants, "You Probably Get That A Lot"
I think I've made this point before, but that was probably a long time ago. There's a lot of Five Songs, and nobody is really paying much attention to it. That includes the staff of Five Songs. Anyway, just think of it like how when you know a friend long enough, you're going to hear the same stories a lot and even start to take comfort in them.
Anyway, the point! The critical appraisal of TMBG is still anchored around Flood, and I suspect that most people would rate it as their favorite. Some of that is that the later discography probably hasn't been engaged with enough by folks. But I'd argue that among their earlier albums, Lincoln can match the high points and John Henry is more consistent, and I'd take both albums ahead of Flood. But! That's not the point I'm going to make. No, I'm going to argue that Join Us, their 2011 release, is not just the equal of their earlier catalog, but also joins the "better than Flood" list. If you haven't listened to any of their stuff after the Elektra years, this is the one to go with.
They Might Be Giants, "Feast of Lights"
Don't get pushy, TMBG.
Nicole Willis & the Soul Investigators, "Light Years Ahead"
This is the second album Nicole Willis made with the Soul Investigators, after a gap of eight years. When an albums starts off this taut, though, you know you're in for a good time. And, indeed, this is righteous stuff, a chip off the Curtis Mayfield block. Which makes sense, as Willis has worked with Mayfield. Get it!
The Skunks, "Didn't Know"
See, when I poke fun at smirky stuff in the third wave, this is exactly the sort of thing I talk about. Come on, guys.