One of the most recent bands to sign to Merge Records is London, England’s Let’s Wrestle.  While not very many of Merge’s acts come from across the big pond (The Clientele being one of the few exceptions) Let’s Wrestle’s sound fits perfectly into the well curated catalog that Mac and Laura have scouted, and given the tools needed to grow.

Let’s Wrestle have been around since 2005, and released In the Court of Wrestling Let’s on Stolen Recordings last year.  This was the bands first full length recording, and it will be reissued on Merge Records in the US this month.  I’ve kind of been slow to catch on to Let’s Wrestle, because in the end it is no secret that they have been playing in New York what seems like all the time over the past two years, but when the single from this first full length “We Are the Men You’ll Grow To Love Soon” popped up on a recent mix I made it got suck in my head, and has stayed there for quite some time.

Even though “We Are the Men You’ll Grow To Love Soon” starts with a bunch nonsensical “ba ba baaaass,” something when used in excess I typically hate…for some reason it just works for this song.  The lyrics are fun, the music is catchy, and in the end Let’s Wrestle just seem to come across as good dudes.  I imagine if they have even a little bit of charisma they will be able to work a crowd, and even those who are unfamiliar with their songs you will be singing along in no time.  “We Are the Men You’ll Grow To Love Soon” is a super catchy first single, pop in a sense at least for me screams MERGE, and I think it might be able to bring a smile to your face…for me the line about “we’ve got enough money to by some G&Ts for the girls” pretty much does it.  I hope the whole album is as good as this:

[mp3] Let’s Wrestle- “We Are the Men You’ll Grow To Love Soon”

• out on Merge Records on 3/23/2010
  • buy it here.

A note on the name…friends have said they love it, and others have said they hate it…give a listen and decide for yourself.  I hope they hit NYC on the way back from SXSW…I would really like to see them.

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• This is part of my Speed Dating series.  You can read more about singles I have featured in this series here.
• more on Merge Records here.