Girl Talk, "Ffun Haave To"
Before he became the best mashup artist around with Night Ripper, Greg Gillis was much more into noise. Yeah, you still have bits and pieces of recognizable songs floating in and out, but this stuff has much more in common with experimental artists like Negativland than it does with the kaleidoscope of party music that he would later create. In other words, don't go back further than Night Ripper and expect to find more stuff like that.
Hurl, "This Numbness"
Pittsburgh rock band Hurl shared members with various other contemporary bands, such as Thee Speaking Canaries and Don Caballero, and it kind of shows. To the extent that there was a Pittsburgh sound in the mid-90s, it would sound basically like this: lots of dynamics, kinda distant vocals, active drums. This EP, We Are Quiet In This Room, is very good.
Cursive, "Everending"
Tim Kasher got Cursive back together last year, putting out Vitriola, the first new Cursive album in six years. As always, it's an emotional record, because I don't think Kasher is capable of writing any songs that aren't emotional. But, good news: they have a cellist again! Always good to hear a cellist on a rock record.
New York Ska-Jazz Ensemble, "Freedom Jazz Dance Hall"
This is Eddie Harris's "Freedom Jazz Dance". But, you know, a ska-ish version with a kinda pun-ish name. 'Cause ska.
They Might Be Giants, "Whole Lot Of Glean"
Part of the Dial-A-Song from the year they put out Glean, and, uh, what's the musical equivalent of cinéma vérité?