The Jakes‘ 2008 EP Shake My Hand is the musical equivalent of a fake ID - it’s so self-assured and well-assembled that you expect the California sextet to be a bit older. In fact, The Jakes are fresh out of high school and have poured their youthful moxie into an EP of eclectic and highly accessible indie pop-rock. Propelled by the talents of lead-singer Sameer Gadhia, the seven song collection is a stylistic shake-up that ranges from soaring rock to gentler acoustic balladry. The pumping drums and swooning guitars of mega-hooky “Cough Syrup” deliver a buzz like swilling a bottle of Robitussin.

MP3:
The Jakes - “Cough Syrup”

I spent the morning listening to Everything All At Once, the soon-to-be released sophomore album from Canadian group The Rest. “Walk on Water (Auspicious Beginnings)” was enough of a reason to instantly search for a possible nearby tour date. The track is built on a driving quasi-military beat and a less produced U2 guitar sound, then iced with ace vocals and strings. Regarding the sixth track, “Apples & Allergies,” our friends over atConsequence of Sound summed it up nicely:

By far, ["Apples & Allergies"] is my favorite with a classic rock opening complete with abstract lyrics that make you sit back and wander aimlessly inside your head.

MP3s:
The Rest - “Walk on Water (Auspicious Beginnings)”
The Rest - “Apples and Allergies”

Right behind oil and natural gas, music is one of Oklahoma’s greatest natural resources. Seriously, there are so many great bands in the Sooner State right now, it’s easy to feel kind of like a musical Daniel Plainview. Need proof? I proudly submit for your listening enjoyment Oklahoma City’s very-own The Ugly Suit - a bright and sunny sextet that falls nicely somewhere in space between The Flaming Lips and The Shins.

The band’s upcoming self-titled debut (Aug. 19th) is epic, spacey, and gorgeous. The first single, “Chicago,” seems like an appropriate share today (particularly if you were lucky enough to have spent the weekend at Lollapalooza). Everyone from Ryan Adams to Sufjan Stevens has penned odes to Chicago, but The Ugly Suit’s “Chicago” is so sunny and sweet it easily earns a spot on the list of great Second City tracks and makes this OKC band one to watch.

MP3:
The Ugly Suit - “Chicago”

Hypeful is long overdue for a Band To Watch feature and the summer heat probably has you thirsty for some up-beat, put-the-windows-down songs. Allow me to introduce you to Belaire! Familiar faces to the Austin music scene for the past couple of years, the quartet is made-up of twin sisters Cari and Christa Palazzolo and Voxtrot bandmembers Jason Chronis and Matt Simon.

After releasing their oh-so-catchy debut LP, Exploding, Impacting, last summer, there was some concern about the group’s future due to every bandmember having numerous irons in the fire. (Again, ever heard of a l’il band called Voxtrot?) The good news is that Belaire have recently reformed to get their musical project moving full-time, including focusing on the recording of a new album. In the meantime, last year’s Exploding, Impacting is a perfect summer pop album worth revisiting. It’s bursting with buoyant and colorful twee-electro-pop melodies that will put a smile on your face while outdoor temperatures escalate.

MP3s:
Belaire - “You Really Got Me Goin’”
Belaire - “Step Step Step”
Belaire - “Haunted Castle”
Belaire - “RIP”

The great Johnny Cash once said, “When I think about country music, I think about America.” It’s hard to disagree with the Man in Black, but Hypeful is rethinking his words after listening to Friends of the Stars‘ new album Lighting and Electrical. Sure the band has some folk-leanings, but they also nail a genuine country sound so well that Hypeful was incredulous that the alt-country/folk trio actually hails from Birmingham, England. Perhaps their American country counterparts should take notice - FOTS’s new album features alternating female and male vocals. “Old Souls” and “Dragonfly” are two clear standout tracks, although their new disc is packed with the kind of authentically sad, lovely, and whiskey-drenched tunes that are tragically absent from the modern country FM dial.

MP3s:
Friends of the Stars - “Old Souls”
Friends of the Stars - “Dragonfly”