Joe Lally, "Reason to Believe"
Joe Lally was, of course, bassist for the incomparable Fugazi, and one of the biggest reasons why the bass is one of the instruments I choose to butcher. All of the members of Fugazi have pursued various projects in the wake of Fugazi's break (I choose to pretend that it's just a really long pause), with one of the first being Lally making a solo record, There to Here. This is how that album opens, and it sets the tone for what you might hear. It's fairly experimental in feel, with a lot of differences between songs, and a musical approach that varies from sparse to lush. While there are other post-Fugazi projects I like more (the Evens, the Messthetics), this is still an interesting album.
Soul Children, "The Sweeter He Is (Part 1)"
We need more "part X" descriptors in our songs. The implication that a song is just the tip of the iceberg is tantalizing.
(NB: this is parts 1 and 2. I KNOW. I'M SORRY.)
Pavement, "Half a Canyon"
Wowee Zowee is such a mess. There are so many genuinely likeable moments on the album, and they're cheek by jowl with grating nonsense. As a result, I don't listen to it nearly as often as the other albums. I'd love a director's cut of the album. Of course, they made an expanded edition, which is not, uh, what I was looking for.
Paula Greer, "I Did"
Here's Motown really breaking out of their typical comfort zone with this smoky jazz tune. This comes from 1963, still fairly early in the label's run, and certainly isn't what most people think of when they think of the label.
The Supremes, "There's No Stopping Us Now"
Yeah! That's what people think of!