This week's Top 10

Man, it's hot here all of a sudden. 30 degrees in winter time. We're not in Kansas anymore, Isaac. Not many female artists this week. Odd.

1. Buzzcocks - Paradise (from A Different Kind Of Tension)
At the time, I had no idea they matched punk with alienated love lyrics with Krautrock with proto-grunge with LSD. I just thought they were about the best damn chart band I'd ever heard. Just re-purchased this album with enough bonus tracks to satisfy even me. Momentarily.

2. Darren Hayman & The Secondary Modern - Pram Town (from Pram Town)
As I wrote for The Guardian several months back, this album made me more nostalgic for the bastardised surroundings of my youth than anything since Eddie Campbell's early Alec comic strips – driving home this morning through The Gap's verdant splendour after dropping off my son Isaac, I had to pull over as tears started prickling at my eyelids.

3. Irmin Schmidt - Flavia Theme (Variationen Über Ein Thema Von J.S. Bach) (from Filmmusik Anthology Vol. 4 & 5)
The keyboard-player dude from Can creates beautifully relaxing film music.

4. Komar & Melamid and Dave Soldier - The Most Unwanted Song
"...like Rednex or Jive Bunny using opera singers to cover “The Stars And Stripes” at a racetrack meeting, mixed in with “Mull Of Kintyre” over and over." Surprisingly listenable, but that's probably more a reflection of my tastes...

5. Kids Love Lies - Count In The Head
Annoyingly infectious - but that's how I love my indiepop occasionally.

6. Mariachi El Bronx - Despretador (from Mariachi El Bronx)
It's The Bronz! Doing mariachi! What else do you need to know?

7. The Pastels/Tenniscoats - About You (from Two Sunsets)
Gorgeous.

8. The Go-Betweens - Karen (from 78 'til 79 The Lost Album)
Bumped into Robert Forster in Cole's supermarket last week. He complimented my French friend on the colour of his T-shirt.

9. Little Joy - Unattainable (from Little Joy)
Pop music, as ephemeral as you could wish.

10. The Jam - Hey Mister (from Extras: A Collection of Rarities)
Weller, sounding strangely vulnerable and young.