“Wax Simulacra” by The Mars Volta
From the 2008 album The Bedlam in Goliath

The sound here is disappointingly bad, but this is nonetheless a rare treat: these days you just don’t see this kind of unkempt mayhem on a network talk show, even Letterman. The band’s blustery intensity and dazzling skill shine through despite the fact that the cymbals drown out just about everything else in the mix. And Cedric’s white microphone is one of the weirdest things I’ve seen in a while — but the way he waves that white cord around looks pretty cool.

If you’d like to hear a better version of the song, the music video is also available on YouTube. (Embedding disabled by request.)