Mono Men, "Don't Know Yet"
Garage rock revivalists Mono Men, from Bellingham, WA, were dedicated to the proposition that back-to-basics rock was all anybody really needed. They were sufficiently dedicated to the idea that not only did they put out a ton of albums on their own, but they formed Estrus Records to put out records by like-minded bands (like The Mortals). In one of the bummers of indie rock, the building where they kept the masters for all of the Estrus records releases burned down, although I suppose that matters less in the digital age than it might have in previous eras.
This comes from Wrecker, which was gathered onto the compilation Back To Mono! as well.
The Emotions, "You Make Me Want To Love You"
Been a bit since we've had a Stax song, hasn't it? No, I'm not going to check.
Yes, there's an index, why do you ask? And previouslys, yes, those too.
Helmet, "Speechless"
We've talked about various Amphetamine Reptile bands around here, but this is the first time that the biggest AmRep band of all. Helmet's debut record, Strap It On, exploded out of the underground thanks to a blizzard of good press and the strong timing of when it hit. During the grunge major label feeding frenzy, Helmet found themselves picked up and presented as the new face of metal. Hype aside, Helmet's precision and aggression were a comparative breath of fresh air compared to a lot of underground rock, and they were a worthy standard bearer for the noise rock scene. I don't think they ever topped that first record, but the following two albums (Meantime and this one, Betty) are very good as well. I'd stop there, though.
Rapeman, "Just Got Paid"
No, not a cover of the Johnny Kemp song. The ZZ Top song, come on!
Rockabye Baby, "No Woman No Cry"
I'm gonna cry.