Think Tree, "Everything Is Equal"
This is extremely college radio circa 1991. If you wanted to know what that sounded like. (Nobody should.)
Portishead, "The Rip"
Portishead put out an absolute stone-cold classic in Dummy and a fine follow-up, Portishead, before disappearing. Nobody really sounded like them then, despite plenty of people trying. But, surprisingly, they weren't actually done. 11 years after their second, they put out Third, and there's still nobody sounding like them. The album isn't really the same cinematic trip-hop that they used to make, instead blazing their way into a brand new direction. I'm not even really sure how to describe it, honestly. I guess it's just experimental rock? For a band that was always an outlier, Third is the outlier-iest.
Whores., "Ghost Trash"
OK, this I can describe. This is pure NYC noise rock, even if it comes out of Atlanta. Like a vintage Unsane record.
Heart Attack Man, "Fake Blood"
The title track of their 2019 album, this sort of big, hooky rock is comfort food. Not a lot of calories, but it goes down pretty easy.
Why am I describing this as food? It's called "Fake Blood"!
Swans, "Just a Little Boy (For Chester Burnett)"
By the time the Swans reached their 2010s form, they were almost more of an ensemble than a rock band. It's all very carefully composed and orchestrated, and there's not really much attempt at conventional rock song structure. It's hypnotic and dynamic, and nothing else is really like it. I guess I said that twice here today, but I'll stand by it: both bands are true originals. Unlike Portishead, nobody even really tries to sound like the Swans. Some of the more ambitious post-rock bands are probably closest, I suppose, like Godpeed You! Black Emperor.