The Grifters, "Spaced Out"
By the time the Grifters arrived at this record, album number five, they were recording for a mid-major (Sub Pop), in a real studio, and they were sounding like a real full-on band instead of the ramshackle act they used to sound like. There are some bands that get exposed as boring when you shine them up, but happily the Grifters are not one of them. This is their slickest album by a lot, but their country/blues/rock songs sound great, and it's a shame that their ride ended here.
Flop, "I Told A Lie"
I've said it before, but I'm saying it again: Flop should have been huge. This is how Flop's first album opens up, and it's a great lead-in to an amazing power pop album. Seattle in the early 90s was way more than just screaming and pounding!
The Dillinger Escape Plan, "Limerent Death"
Speaking of screaming and pounding!
Sammy Ward, "Bread Winner"
Oh, hell yeah. We're in 1964 with Motown here, with Sammy Ward turning in a fiery blues track. Both Motown and Stax would put out the occasional blues song or album, and they're a delight.
Xenia Rubinos, "Cherry Tree"
There was a chain of recommendations that landed me on Xenia Rubinos, and I picked up Magic Trix. I ended up really liking it, there's a sort of art-rock meets jazz vibe here that I enjoy. There are aspects of this that really remind me of the best parts of Dirty Projectors.