Weekly Playlist #10: Mean Creek, Left Hand Does, RM Hendrix, Cat Sounds

It’s good to be home for the holidays — just ask MEAN CREEK, who after several weeks of crossing the country with Counting Crows are crashing Allston this Saturday with a homecoming gig at Great Scott, and “Young & Wild,” the first single off October’s Youth Companion record, is the perfect soundtrack to kick off the holidaze season.

We’re continuing the up-beat vibe with quartet LEFT HAND DOES, who channel a death match between INXS and Talking Heads on new single “I Don’t Know If I’m Driving,” off their upcoming Encounter Safety album which gets the release party treatment December 6 at O'Brien's Pub in Allston on a stellar wintry-mix bill with Total Pros, Baby Made Rebel and Slowdim.

From there we round out the mix with the latest from Cambridge noise-maven RM HENDRIX, and the debut noir-pop plate from CAT SOUNDS, who meow into the Plough & Stars on an Indie Rock Ranger-presented gig December 12. Yes, this is the band that's responsible for all the #meows on WFNX lately. Our campaign to have the quartet re-name their project into an actual meow has given the duo paws. We at least think Mary Flatley is on board. We'll see.

:: Grab the entire mix vis Soundcloud ::

> Mean Creek “Young & Wild” [12.01 @ Great Scott]

> Left Hand Does “I Don’t Know If I’m Driving” [12.06 @ O’Brien’s]

> RM Hendrix “Last Week’s Hopes are Playing Through the Wall”

> Cat Sounds “I Love You” [12.12 @ Plough & Stars]