Jay Farrar, "Different Eyes"
If you're wondering what the difference is between a Son Volt record and a Jay Farrar record, the answer is "not much". This album (Sebastopol) was recorded after the very good Wide Swing Tremelo, and honestly, you could scramble up the track listings between the two and not really think anything was off. That makes this album also very good, just so I'm clear.
Deerhoof, "Son of Sorn"
You can see where Deerhoof earns the name "noise pop" on a song like this. It's about a third aimless noise, a third pounding rhythm, and a third sweet but fractured pop song. They don't always explore all three of those in the same song, but this is a compact little package of what Deerhoof is about.
Public Enemy, "Bedlam 13:13"
From the flawed Muse Sick-N-Hour Mess Age, this song shows that they could still pull up the energy of the previous records. The throbbing, menacing bass line, the shouting, the samples, and Chuck's paranoid stentorian bark give this song the feeling of something that could have been on Apocalypse '91. Alas, the entire album isn't like this, but there are definitely strong moments.
Can, "Ibis"
The closer of the wildly uneven Unlimited Edition, this is kind of emblematic of the album as a whole: unfocused and wandering, headed nowhere in particular. Really only recommended for serious Can fans.
The Wedding Present, "Santa Monica"
And the closer of another album, this time Going, Going.... The difference is that this album was actually written as an album, and isn't just a grab bag of stuff. The album as a whole is excellent, which is awfully impressive, coming as it does almost thirty years after George Best. And, sure, it's not Seamonsters, but honestly, what is?