Swans, "Half Life"
It's stuff like this, from the early Swans career, that really drives home how appropriate the "no wave" label was for this. It just oozes nihilism.
Mos Def, "Mr. Nigga"
From Mos Def's great first solo record, part of one of rap's highest peaks, albeit a short one. This track is bolstered by Q-Tip appearing on it, driving home the song as a spiritual successor to A Tribe Called Quest's "Sucka Nigga".
Night Birds, "Born to Die in Suburbia"
I'm such a sucker for this kind of garage punk, all sawing riffs, aggresive energy, and squalling guitar solos. It's an evergreen formula, and I hope bands never stop kicking out these particular jams. This is from 2013, but it could have been from just about any year from about 1980 on. I think that's nice.
Run the Jewels, "Legend Has It"
Run The Jewels 3 is not their strongest record, and yet it's still absolutely crushing. Their established level is so far up that even one of their lesser records would be the best thing by most acts.
Skinny Puppy, "Killing Game"
What is that, a fuckin' piano? What the hell is this, a Skinny Puppy ballad? Indeed, that's exactly what it is, done in the inimitable SP style. I'd rate it as reasonably successful, especially as it goes more and more off the rails in the last third, including that industrial outro.