Godflesh, "Pure"
Godflesh were pioneers in heavy music, bringing together the guitars of extreme metal with the rhythms of industrial, inspiring bands on both sides of the fence. Streetcleaner is considered a classic, and after an interim EP, they returned with Pure, after some changes in personnel. The drum machine and sampling was even more forward than in the previous album, and the results aren't really as strong. It's something of a transitional record, where you can see the seams between the industrial and metal, rather than merging together as a whole.
The Gotobeds, "Calquer the Hound"
The opening track of their excellent 2019 album, Debt Begins at 20, one of my favorite rock albums from that year. There aren't gimmicks, it's just a straighforward, excellent post-punk album full of good songs.
Sicko, "Bad Year"
Sicko released a compilation record last year, which was a real treat for me. There's no new material on it, but there are tunes drawn from releases I've never been able to track down, so there's some new-to-me songs, which is a delight. This is one of my favorite songs by one of my favorite bands, so please enjoy. And if you're new to this band, In The Alternate Timeline is a fun cross-section of their career and not a bad place to start.
The Magnetic Fields, "I Don't Want To Get Over You"
I wonder how many blogs have ranked all the songs on 69 Love Songs. Seems like such an obvious gimmick.
The Isley Brothers, "The Highways of My Life"
In 1973, the Isley Brothers moved to a new label and introduced a new lineup (featuring more Isleys). Ernie Isley on guitar in particular really opened things up for the band, introducing a lot more rock influence on the album. Of course, there was still plenty of beautiful R&B on hand.