Judy and the Loadies, "I'm Not Drunk"
I am, Judy and the Loadies!
Lambchop, "Steve McQueen"
I've poked fun at some artists for cloying strings, but somehow Lambchop's syrupy approach to same never bothers me. I suppose the reliably languid pace of things probably makes it feel better, but I think they're just good at making them seem organic to the song and not just bolted on.
The Meters, "Stormy"
The Meters taking it slow on their first album, albeit without any strings involved. As always, the Meters rule, you should listen to them.
Modest Mouse, "Teeth Like God's Shoeshine"
Goddamn, that's a way to open an album. Lonesome Crowded West is kind of the turning point for Modest Mouse. They tamed enough of their noisy, chaotic tendencies to produce a more accessible record, but it still sounded different enough to stand out. It's an album that fans of their earlier material and their later seem to agree on. As someone who likes their later tunefulness but also is a big fan of noise, I think this is their peak.
Conlon Nancarrow, "Study for Player Piano No. 3a"
This is about as tuneful as Nancarrow's player piano work gets. It's a tease, there are coherent bits and pieces that drift in and out, giving your brain an anchor before snatching it away. It's continually drifting just out of sight, tempting you around another corner, a musical will-o'-the-wisp.