The Coup, "Get Up"
The Coup got together with one of their peers on this one, Dead Prez, combining two of the most political acts in hip hop at the time for one great track. I don't know what else there is to say, they're both bringing their A-game. Also, I love it when rappers imitate sirens, always a good move.
The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, "Where'd You Go?"
This is the first Bosstones song I ever heard, when I saw it on 120 Mintes back in probably summer of 1992. I really enjoyed it as a total change of pace from what I was listening to at the time, but didn't go back and visit the band under later, after I'd found the Specials, and started teaching myself about ska. It's still a charming little tune, it's hard to resist the big horns.
Sebadoh, "Total Peace"
A classic Lou Barlow ballad here, with the slowly ramping urgency of the strumming lending a weight to the song that eventually pays off, complete with denouement. If you don't like this song, stay away from Sebadoh.
Turkey Mallet, "Braang"
Hee hee, Turkey Mallet. One of the forgotten bands from Immune Records, who are notable mostly for early Buck-o-Nine and Unsteady's very good first record (which, uh, isn't super notable). But Turkey Mallet were actually pretty interesting, and probably deserve a closer listen if you like the third wave and missed them. Of course, actually listening to them is basically impossible, so, you know: come on over!
Black Happy, "Chicken in a Biscuit"
Obscure bands with horns today! Black Happy were from Northern Idaho and originally started off as kind of a joke band, trying to answer what would happen if some metal guys started playing with a horn section. But as they went along, they ended up going in more of a Fishbone kind of direction, and put out several fun records in the early to mid-90s. They were never more than a regional band, but their live show ripped, and I remember them fondly.