Maybe it’s because I’ve been listening to that old Spacemen 3 live album so much recently, but I’ve been really into fuzz. Especially the fuzz caused by crappy recordings, whether intentional or not. There’s something almost tactile about these three tracks, and in the case of the last one I’ve got an MP3 that I can actually guarantee you’ve never heard (unless you know some of my friends from high school).

David Byrne– Once In A Lifetime, [Unreleased]

I can’t remember where I got this from (although I’ve checked and it wasn’t the styPod), but it’s awesome. I guess Byrne was playing live somewhere and started into the classic Talking Heads tune and the crowd went nuts. Luckily, someone was there to record it on their cell phone or something. The screams when the crowd recognize the tune are pretty awesome, but also watch for the bit at about 3:50 where the entire crowd shouts out “My God! What have I done!” A great song, of course, but there’s something giddy about the way everyone in the crowd is so palpably into it.

[visit David Byrne’s website here, buy David Byrne stuff here]

Kompressor– You Will Call Me Kompressor, [Unreleased]

Internet comedy legend (take that as you will) Kompressor has made an entire career out of performing both the songs of others and his own compositions done in the style of “Nag Nag Nag.” So I love him, of course. This is a very short version of Paul Simon’s old chestnut “You Can Call Me Al” that’s swathed in enough vocal distortion that even if it didn’t end with Kompressor screaming “Kompressor crush Paul Simon!” I’d still love it. His take on Beck’s “Debra” (entitled “Kompressor Want To Get With You”) is pretty awesome too, although I have yet to experience his version of “A Salty Salute.”

[visit Kompressor’s website here, buy Kompressor here]

Knights Of Jazz– Peter Gunn, [Unreleased]

One of my friends in high school (Gord Bird, who you can hear the music teacher referring to at the end of the MP3) not only played baritone sax in our school’s jazz band but at one particularly raucous assembly put a small portable tape recorder on the floor in the middle of the band and recorded the show that way. I’ve only ever heard “Peter Gunn” from that tape (for all I remember it might have been all they played), but it’s easily my favorite version of the classic song. Most of my friends didn’t like the level of distortion (especially when the bass guitar first kicks in and a bunch of girls scream) still listen to this regularly. The band is pretty good, given that they’re high school student, but what really makes this is the atrocious sound quality. Plus, of course, I can assure you that no-one else has this MP3. Fool your friends by cutting off the end and pretend that it’s some weird avant-garde thing!