Van Halen, "Jump"
Geez, I can remember being really intimidated by Van Halen back when this album came out. In my defense, I was 8 when this record released. But it's pretty funny to listen to this today and think about that initial reaction. Of course, even back then, this wasn't the most intimidating song from them.
Grotus, "Good Evening"
Experimental goofballs out of San Francisco, Grotus (sorry, not doing all the rock dots!) featured a lineup with two bassists, two drummers, and a guy on samples. The lyrics were a goof, the songs were out there, and the band just kind of projected this kind of ridiculous aura. In a lot of ways, they were kind of Cop Shoot Cop's evil twin. Wait, other way around. They were the good twin.
The Birthday Party, "Cry"
The Birthday Party laid down the template for so much of what would become noise rock that I think you could make the argument that they birthed the genre. They weren't the first to use noise, of course, and there were lots of bands in the No Wave scene that could make a similar argument. But the way they wrote their songs and the types of noises they employed directly influenced the bands that would make up the noise rock scene. And, incidentally, this stuff absolutely still rips.
Bergraven, "Av saknad släcker jag ljuset"
On an album where every other song is at least six minutes long, this is just a little atmospheric kind of throwaway. Not a whole lot to be said about this.
Porridge Radio, "Give/Take"
It might seem like we're immune to the pleasures of just a straight up rock song around here. It's all noise rock this, and first-wave ska that, and blackened polka the other. But I swear, I listen to plenty of just regular ol' rock. Like this! 2020's Every Bad is a charmer, you should listen to it! Like me, the Regular Rock Listener.