A Baker's Dozen : Volume 11

Another set that should have been posted a couple of weeks ago. Enjoy.

01. The Cribs - "Don't You Want To Be Relevant?" (buy). Seriously, this is what their B-sides sound like?!?!? It's amazing. I love the way this one kicks right in and even though I don't quite get these lyrics, I do love the "your onstage antics out in Leeds were tailor-made to suit men's needs". Three albums deep and they still have it. That's rare.

02. Joe Lean And The Jing Jang Jong - "Sleazy Hughes" (buy). New British press darlings here and fortunately they have the tunes to back it up. Check out new single "Lonely Buoy", last single "Lurio Starts Fires", and the Smiths-esque "I Ain't Sure". Band name of the year as well. Fortunately, they are coming through SXSW.

03. Elle S'appelle - "Little Flame" (buy). Quirky and catchy. A nice Moshi Moshi addition here.

04. The Duke Spirit - "Lassoo" (buy). "I talk to no one, oh you're invisible...". Dirty rock'n'roll at its finest. The Duke Spirit is back with their grimy souls in tow. Again, SXSW on deck!

05. Brazos - "Mary Jo" (buy). A local Austin outfit here named for a river in Texas. "Mary Jo" has been swimming through my head for months. Reminds me of classic moments from the likes of Beat Radio. Just a plain good song.

06. Plans and Apologies - "Meetoo" (buy). I don't know where I picked this one up, but it's a great slick indiepop melody that I'm always a sucker for. Well written.

07. Let's Wrestle - "I Won't Lie To You" (buy). These guys have PAVEMENT written all over them. The kind of kids that sport bedheads without the product. It just sounds so amateur and yet brilliantly catchy. "No matter how many records I buy, I can't fill this void, and no matter how I try and calm down, I can't help but feel annoyed".

08. Slow Club - "Me And You" (buy). Remember The Research from a couple years back? Same vibe here and I love it. A good melody will always have a room in my house.

09. The Wombats - "School Uniform" (buy). So, the "official" debut album is finally out and although it doesn't have a ton of new tunes, it's still brilliant. I'll even go as far as to say that these guys trump The Cribs for me, and that's a high honor. It's Glasvegas and The Wombats for me. "I remember short skirts, long hair, my hormones flying everywhere...".

10. Hatcham Social - "Til The Dawn" (buy). Listen to that voice at the start. I haven't heard that falsetto since the first Smiths album. And the rest of this sounds like it was recorded around 1985 as well, delving into the darker side of the "Young Sound of Scotland" with the likes of Josef K and The Fire Engines. I'm excited to see where things lead this lot.

11. The Moldy Peaches - "Anyone Else Isn't You" (buy). Like most, I had no clue about this song until I saw the hilarious movie "Juno" (if you haven't seen it, pack up your things and go right now). Another perfect example of two chords and a great melody getting the job done.

12. Tegan And Sara - "Soil, Soil" (buy). I took my niece to see Tegan & Sara play Stubbs here in Austin a couple of months ago and it was an amazing show. I love their tunes and harmonies. Charming performers as well.

13. The Real Tuesday Weld - "It's A Wonderful Li(f)e" (buy). "And all we ever need to do is to see the world the way dreamers do, and I'd say 'Never say die' and you'd say 'It's a wonderful life', but you know that's a wonderful lie". Optimism, faith, hope, disappointment, etc. It's all a big swirl sometimes, but I'll take my place in the "Wonderful Life" line. Cause it is.