Q:

self contained mp3 application

What is the best way to install an mp3 application (vlc, exaile, amarok, mpg123, etc..) with no external plugin dependencies.  My use case is this, I am running in a live environment (Ubuntu 12.04) and want to be able to play mp3 files on the machine.  The mp3 files may be on a possibly damaged harddrive or on another mounted device.  I have a set of backup/recovery programs and scripts on a usbstick and would like to supplement it with an mp3 application as well.
I don't mind compiling an application but i'd rather have a binary and not a .deb file. Command line is ok but I'd prefer GUI.
So with these requirements what are my options?

A:

Well, no matter what system you're on, you'll need some audio driver, but as long as you're on a linux system, you can use aplay or mpg123:
See this post on AskUbuntu.

