The Houston Press Music Awards showcase is coming up Sunday, which makes it a great time to see what's been cooking in H-POP's musical pot for the last six months. The epic news is it's been a banner year for releases and we're still only halfway through the year, with releases still to come by the Mathletes, the TonTons, and Matt Mayo just to name a few.

What you see below is not a comprehensive sampling of the year to date in H-POP. Consider just the great cassette releases you won't find here (Muhammad Ali, Hearts of Animals, and the Wiggins, to name a few), but my tape player was given the Office Space printer treatment after it attempted to eat my Wols cassette, making tapes unplayable at the moment. Even excluding the "dead media" releases, culling through the year was no easy feat.

So consider this a rough sampling of 11 tracks that show some of the best of what this city has released in a mere six months. If it doesn't get you to appreciate what Houston and its surrounding locales have to offer then you are a soulless toad worthy only of braying to the commands of your corporate masters selling you the next "big thing" at the nearest amphitheatre, $8 light beer, and a $20 service charge. Just sayin'.

Wild Moccasins -- Fruit Tea from Microscopic Metronomes
The distinctive, charging drums of Andrew Ortiz against Andrew Lee's sustained power chord kick off a song that is as close to a master blueprint for H-POP as you could draw up - upbeat, fun, a barrage of hooky melodies and counter-melodies, and a bright joyous spirit devoid of cynicism and pretense. Led by Zahira Gutierrez and Cody Swann's endearing vocal interplay, it's a five-minute house party.

Something Fierce -- Aliens from There Are No Answers
If there was a punk-pop dojo in Houston, Something Fierce would lead training in the 36th chamber. That's the highest form of punk-pop kung-fu you'll ever see. This little ditty from the band's long awaited second album was a blast when it first came out with its hummable melody and a get off your ass drive, but then the bastards had to make a video with a singing pig that makes out with Niki Sevven on the beach and sure enough Something Fierce became the new big fetish band for Furries everywhere.

Young Mammals -- Confetti from Carrots
Probably the grand-daddies of H-POP, Young Mammals had some serious sophomore expectations to overcome. Instead of delivering a retread of its brilliant EP, the band showed it is more than a one trick pony. This song is simply gorgeous. Carlos Sanchez's vocals smile at you, inviting you to join the band on some undisclosed adventure, while Cley Miller's guitar - one of the most distinctive in Houston pop - leaps effortlessly from hook to hook. The driving drums and bass bring the whole thing home as only this band can.

The McKenzies -- This Lonely Heart from The McKenzies
The McKenzies are another band whose affinity for upbeat songs get the crowd dancing at any venue, but the band always hits the brakes and captures everyone's hearts with this simple acoustic number. Jodie McKenzies' pining vocals over an acoustic guitar are enough to make Roy Orbison's ghost come back to Texas and cry in his beer.

Roky Moon and Bolt -- Hot Summer Night from Summer Exposure
Chuck Berry fucked Marc Bolan and gave birth to Roky Moon. Want proof? Check out the band's two songs on this ArtStorm comp. Unlike many glam bands, Roky (Mike Hardin) puts aside the makeup and the camp and instead channels the best of David Bowie and Marc Bolan's music in an object lesson of no-excuses motherfucking rock 'n' roll.

The Brood -- Oh David from Summer Exposure
If you need proof that not all H-POP need be upbeat to get your attention consider the Brood's David - a song that grabs your heart with understatement, a gorgeous melody, and a lonesome melancholy. Play this on a cool summer night with the moon overhead and a sweet breeze and the song will sing you to sleep like the best bittersweet lullaby.

News on the March -- Moving Pictures from Summer Exposure
OK, just allow me one more from the ArtStorm comp. This was the song that got me hooked on this band and it was nice to see Artstorm give it a proper release after it didn't make the cut for NOTM's 2008 EP. I love the Brian Wilson meets Yo La Tengo vibe of the song and the band's three-part harmonies are the gold standard for Houston bands. Throw in the a touch of Gillian Williams' cello and you have a song that's requisite for any summer road trip.

Giant Princess -- Adventure from Giant Princess
Giant Princess also had some gems in the ArtStorm comp but if you grabbed the band's CD-R at any recent show you probably had this, its signature song, playing in your car on endless repeat. Sure, it's lo-fi and all, but the band is probably the biggest DIY fly by the seat of your pants H-POP-ers out there. With Collin Hendrick's patented howl, Jaime Nava's pounding batterie, and Diego Arcienega hypnotic Fun Machine, this song captures everything that is fun and thrilling about its live shows.

Elaine Greer -- Under The Radar from Making Plans and Going Places
I can easily name a dozen albums from the '70s where string arrangements seemed forced onto the music -- taking a perfectly good song and ruining it -- but I love the strings on Greer's Under The Radar. Greer and Harrison Speck (from Austin's One Hundred Flowers/The Unbearables) wrote a lovely string arrangement that complements and adds color yet knows not to get in the way of the song.

Paris Falls -- Good Morning from Volume III
Paris Falls has a knack for writing one knock-out-stop you dead in your tracks song per album and Good Morning is that killer app from its newest. The signature Hammond sound, Raymond Brown's Paul McCartney howl, and Jen Brown's hooky guitar work are at their best here. It's a big warm hug of a song with one of the smartest vocal melodies of the year; just check out how it effortlessly swings up to the falsetto and down again for a brilliant resolution.

Buxton -- Feathers from the band's recent 7"
Buxton closed this half of the year and captured all the youthful, upbeat spirit of the H-POP scene with this little song. Sergio Trevino's distinctive vocals, Jason Willis' enviable guitar work, Chris Wise's rock-solid bass, and Justin Terrell's locomotive like drums are on full display here and a perfect example why every accolade thrown their way has been richly deserved.

Listen to a stream of these songs plus a few more from the same albums on Radio 29-95: 5 p.m. Friday, 2 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. Sunday, and 1 p.m. Monday.