Clem Snide, "Donna"
Long time reader/listeners (both of you!) know that I'm a huge Uncle Tupelo stan, but my favorite alt-country album isn't one of theirs. It's probably Your Favorite Music, Clem Snide's second album. Thanks to their willingness to stretch out and leave space for Eef Barzelay's intimate delivery and elliptical lyrics, the entire album manages to create a mood of melancholy without really giving you a specific reason for it. It's a little disorienting that way, but then you get to the end, and you want to give it another spin.
This is actually the closer to the album, and it's a cover of the Ritchie Valens song, which makes it a bit of an oddity compared to the rest of the record, but still a gorgeous cover.
The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, "Orange"
At his peak, Jon Spencer was absolutely incredible. The personification of brash, this entire album captured the sound of three musicians absolutely locked in. From Russell Simins providing an unbreakable platform on the drums to Judah Bauer and Spencer's furious garage rock riffs, there's something primal about the whole endeavor. And that's without getting into Spencer's rockabilly-on-acid vocals. This album is one of my favorites from anybody.
Richie Hawtin, "Question (003)-B2"
Well, if he can't be bothered to give this a proper title, I can't be bothered to give it a proper writeup.
(NB: my collection has this credited to Hawtin, but it appears to be from a comp he curated? Maybe? Anyway, this is also not exactly the same as the version I listened to, differing in that my track was about half as long.)
Einstürzende Neubauten, "Headcleaner"
This is actually the first half of "Headcleaner", with the track itself being in three parts: "Zentrifuge/Stabs/Rotlichtachse/Propaganda/Aufmarsch", "Einhorn", and "Marschlied". No, I don't really know what all that means. Anyway, 1993's Tabula Rasa represents a transitional album for Neubauten, with later albums being more textural and electronic rather than the confrontational noise of previous albums. Tabula Rasa though, obviously, wasn't totally transitioned away from the abrasive stuff, as you can tell. It is, as with all Neubauten albums, a thoughtful and interesting work.
Floor, "Ready?"
Ah yes, two minutes of guitar feedback with no payoff. THAT'S MY JAM.