This one is self-explanatory: Just a selection of great tracks that clock under a minute and thirty seconds. Suggestions welcomed.

“18,000 Lira” is, for me, Art Brut boiled down to its essence: Eddie Argos shredding his lungs on the chorus, rollicking drums, and unforgiving speed guitars. The guitars here are able to work in a rather catchy hook while Argos rambles about head colds and scooters or something. Art Brut writes devastatingly beautiful love songs, but when they get punk-y and sloppy like this, they’re best digested in under a minute and a half.

“The Clap” finds The Unicorns at their most linear and intense. Besides a synth whirl buried deep, deep in the mix, this is just a straight-ahead attack of My First Power Chords and a relentless bass drum. The lyrics are nonsensical of course, but the pay-off comes at the raucous solo during the last thirty seconds.

I didn’t really start to froth over Man Man’s “Young Einstein on the Beach” until I saw them play it live; with Honus Honus and drummer Pow Pow simultaneously leaping out of their seats and the rest of the band engaging in break-neck head banging. So I don’t know if this is going to click for you as an mp3, but there is something really cathartic about seeing people yelling “GOTTA GET HIM GET HIM GOT HIM GOTTA GET HIM GET HIM GOT HIM!”

I’m kind of cheating here—this one is by my count 1:33—and I like The Streets just okay, but “Sharp Darts” off of Original Pirate Material, rides the fetus of a Madlib beat—just heavy, heavy bass and a little drum loop—but gets accented by what sounds like a sample of a zipper getting pulled at hyperspeed. This doesn’t really rank high on the list of jaw-dropping Mike Skinner stories, but the rub here is in the hook where Skinner works up a melody that’s the equivalent of a Grime-lullaby. I think.

Honorable Mention
The Hives- Abra Cadabra
The Pipettes- I Love You
The Boy Least Likely To- Warm Panda Cola

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