It's summertime here in Houston, which always reminds me of one thing: I hate summertime here in Houston. Always have. Miserably hot and humid as the inside of a dog’s mouth, thick with mosquitoes and insane energy bills (if I could put an air conditioner in my socks I would). Thank goodness for a band like The Wild Moccasins, a band that even in the coldest months can’t help but make me think of the way summer was supposed to be: chasing an ice cream truck, jumping in a creek, grilling hot dogs on a stick at a campfire, playing baseball in the park. I did those things when I was little, but listening to the Moccasins makes it feel like that’s all life was (forget the large swaths of time spent parked in front of Nintendo because my shoes would melt if I stepped onto the pavement) and that’s all life will ever be.

The band’s been around about a year and a half, playing tons of infectiously giddy shows around town and quickly rising to the forefront of the local indie scene. Though they’ve accumulated dumptruckloads of buzz during their relatively short time together, the band remains very down to earth. Every time I’ve spoken to singer/guitarist and principle songwriter Cody Swann about the band, he’s quick to downplay their success and to offer praise and admiration for the Houston scene (he also swears that’s his real last name, but I’m skeptical).

You can check the Wild Moccasins out Friday May 29 at the Contemporary Art Museum as part of the Steel Lounge Underground series, or at Mango’s on June 11 to kick off their first nationwide tour. You can also check them out in this here video clip, playing the song “Cakes” in my living room and generally making me really really happy:

The Wild Moccasins’ new EP “Microscopic Metronomes” is available in most local record stores now. Read more about and become a fan of the band on 29-95.com at http://www.29-95.com/music/bands-and-artists/wild-moccasins.