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The vague but defiant proclamations in Smith Westerns' "All Die Young" exude charming naivete.

As the man behind Withered Hand, Dan Willson makes the sort of observations that used to stop Bible study classes in their tracks. "Religious Songs" is the ruler across the knuckles that inevitably followed.

Started in 2009, Night Markets use rented box trucks to create a cluster of outlandish art installations and performance venues that last just 24 hours. With attractions ranging from smash trucks to singalongs, they bring a feast of the unlikely and unseen to even the wildest of imaginations.

The Kansas City pianist's big band eventually became the Count Basie Orchestra, and his ensemble's style came to represent his hometown's sound. The blogger and the Boss Lady have a listen to his 1932 classic.

The Dwight Twilley Band scored its biggest hit, "I'm on Fire," in 1975, and then struggled for years to achieve stardom that never arrived. Now the band's lead singer, Twilley, is back. Rock critic Ken Tucker reviews his new album Green Blimp, which also features vocals by Susan Cowsill.

"Told You Once" is the kind of smart, idiosyncratic guitar-pop The Apples in Stereo's members have been making for 15 years now -- it's a paisley-colored romp about wanting to steal someone's girlfriend, with singer Robert Schneider mustering as much animosity as possible. Which is to say, none at all.

Port O'Brien writes indie-folk songs that are both haunting and laden with pop hooks — songs that make you sad even as you sing along with their catchy choruses. Here, the band plays songs from its latest album, 2009's Threadbare.

Title Tracks is led by John Davis, a Washington, D.C., singer-songwriter known for his contributions to Georgie James and Q and Not U. Davis' music is awash in bouncy hooks and sing-along refrains, but a close listen to "Black Bubblegum" reveals sharp pain and an obsession with conflicted relationships.

Andrew VanWyngarden and Ben Goldwasser have dubbed Congratulations a "no singles" album. The duo's sophomore release is adventurous and bold, featuring nine psychedelic, space-inspired tracks. Hear the album in its entirety until its official release April 13.

As 2009 winds down and the year-end best-of lists come flooding in, a lot of the same bands pop up again and again. In the spirit of looking out for the underdogs (small-town bands, basement-based indie labels, self-released self-starters), here are 12 albums worth checking out from artists you might not have heard.