Uncle Tupelo, "Looking For A Way Out (Demo)"
This comes from the deluxe reissue of Uncle Tupelo's second album, Still Feel Gone. And, you know what? I'm just going to get sentimental here. I really miss Uncle Tupelo! I know that we ended up with plenty of great music from Tweedy and Farrar, so it's not some tragedy or anything. And maybe their partnership breaking down is one of the things that unleashed their creativity, sure, sure. But, their alchemy was special, and Uncle Tupelo was brilliant and still touches me. I miss 'em.
The Mekons, "Trouble Down South"
Wow, going full alt-country here! Fear and Whiskey is widely credited with kicking off the category of alt-country, a category which Uncle Tupelo seized and became the standard bearers for. I could do with an all alt-country special.
Gang of Four, "Natural's Not In It"
Dang, we're just going with the influential shit today, I guess. Well, Entertainment is not just one of the foundational records of post-punk, but it's also more or less the ur-text of the jittery dance punk bands that would be all the rage at various points, especially the early 2000s. As a result of all that later stuff, this 1979 album still sounds pretty modern.
Jawbreaker, "Boxcar"
As per usual, even if a band is great, live albums are pretty unnecessary. So it is with Jawbreaker's live album, although I gotta say, this is a killer lineup today so far.
Steel Pole Bath Tub, "Park Night"
OK, maybe not the same historical reputation as the other four, but still pretty darn good. Nice job out there today! (slaps Plex on the butt)