Elvis Costello, "Turpentine"
I have largely ignored Costello's work past his salad days. Imperial Bedroom is more or less the last of his records I regularly listen to. No real reason for it, honestly, I just kind of feel like I have enough Costello. I broke that rule of thumb with Momofuku, his 2008 release, after I heard it was banged out in a matter of a few weeks. I thought the urgency might be fun to listen to. And, it's fine? It's a Costello record, there's nothing wrong with it. But I still just go back to his earlier records.
Gilla Band, "Going Norway"
Note that this album was recorded when they still called themselves Girl Band, but they have changed the name. Anyway, this is experimental noise rock out of Ireland, and fuck yeah I like it. If you're a longtime reader of Five Songs (and, as always, I'm sorry), you know that anything credibly describable as noise rock is pretty much always going to be our jam. And so it is here.
Laika, "Coming Down Glass"
Given that this was released in 1995 and had a strong groove, it's kind of an upset that nobody ever really described this as trip-hop. Spiritually, I suppose it's not too far. Like if you used Meat Beat Manifesto as your base for trip-hop inspiration.
The Avalanches, "Since I Left You"
Is it possible to announce yourself with authority this smoothly? This is the title track and opener from the first Avalanches LP, and it sets the tone beautifully for the proceedings. There's something nostalgic about it, without actually making it clear what old world it's evoking. But the plunderphonic approach feels so familiar, it just kind of scratches your brain in a very specific way to make you think you've heard this before. A truly great record.
Dog Faced Hermans, "The Hook and the Wire"
In the past, we've strongly endorsed the Dog Faced Hermans as one of the 90s forgotten weird bands, but it truly does bear repeating: this shit rules. Pretty good lineup today!