Screeching Weasel, "My Brain Hurts"
I poke fun at Screeching Weasel pretty often when they come up here, mostly because their formula most didn't change over the course of a zillion albums. But their early albums are still a lot of fun - just cheerful, energetic punk. There's nothing at all wrong with this formula when it's hitting.
Mission of Burma, "That's When I Reach For My Revolver"
This song is one of the pillars of post-punk, a template for so many following bands. That's the reason this still sounds fresh more than 40 years later, because it was groundbreaking at the time, and bands still try and sound like this.
The Thrills, "'Til The Tide Creeps In / Plans"
The Thrills are a throwback to American pop music of the 60s and 70s, taking it as far as recording this on the beach in San Diego. It's a perfectly pleasant place to throw things back to, and they execute it well. Thanks to the bozo practice of hidden tracks from this time period, you get to hear two doses of it today.
Gorilla Biscuits, "Sitting Around at Home"
The thing about hardcore is that it certainly could be about things, but it absolutely didn't have to be. It could just be about the most anodyne of things, and it could still work just fine.
Fabolous & Jadakiss, "Theme Music"
Hmm, I might have to go change my music in Music League.