Music festival season is upon us and Houston finally has a first-rate event to call our own. Granted, Free Press Summer Fest doesn't measure up to the grand scale of Austin City Limits or Bonnaroo, but its affordability, accessibility, and focus on out-of-the mainstream regional acts along with a few indie stalwarts makes it a notable addition to the growing summer festival circuit.

It's also a winner in terms of the diversity of performers, with artists representing everything from thrash metal (Cro-Mags) and hip-hop (Slim Thug) to indie pop (Stars) and worldbeat (D.R.U.M.).

Sure, it'll be hotter than Hades this weekend at Eleanor Tinsley Park (especially with up to 30,000 people there last year), but for any discerning music fan it's a no-brainer. Here are five acts worth braving the heat and crowds to catch:

Listen Listen

Adobe Flash Required for flash player."Safe Home, Safe in Port"

Proudly flying the freak-folk flag, this ragtag bunch from Houston play an assortment of instruments, ranging from piano to banjo and everything in between. With a spirit that conjures images of deep, dark woods from a bygone era, Listen Listen’s sound is communal, often featuring a chorus of chanting voices bolstered by gently plucked guitars, swelling horns, and swirling strings.

The band’s debut full-length album, Hymns From Rhodesia, bristles with a tasty combination of Neutral Milk Hotel’s Balkan bent and Incredible String Band’s Renaissance ramblings. It’s an adventurous set that reveals added surprises with each listen.

Detroit Cobras

Adobe Flash Required for flash player."Hey Sailor"

One of the earliest of the Detroit garage revival bands that sprung up like weeds in late '90s, the Cobras have been churning out consistently thrilling batches of updated vintage R&B and primitive rock & roll sides for the better part of the last decade. With impeccable taste and a sexy swagger, the Detroit Cobras attack the golden nuggets of yesteryear with wild abandon.

The tagline emblazoned on their first record reads, "NOW for the uninhibited broad-minded swinging set!!" Indeed, this band will have the throngs in Eleanor Tinsley Park swinging to their crackling new versions of old soul classics.

Stars

Adobe Flash Required for flash player."The Night Starts Here"

Boasting members of the indie-supergroup Broken Social Scene, Stars specialize in lushly orchestrated pop music with thoughtful lyrics that will appeal to fans of Belle & Sebastian and Sufjan Stevens. With giant hooks and sunny melodies, I can envision a day when Stars is a household name featured on a slew of TV and movie soundtracks.

It'll be interesting to hear the sugary songs while surrounded by hoards of Slim Thug fans arriving early to get a prime spot for the local hip-hop legend who is slated follows the Stars' set. I guess that's what makes an event like Summer Fest so unpredictable and intriguing.

Medeski, Martin & Wood

Adobe Flash Required for flash player."Rolling Son"

Don't let their "jam band" pedigree turn you off as the trio is comprised of stellar downtown NYC jazz experimentalists who defy easy categorization. MM&W's music is a joyful mashup of dense electronic funk, avant-garde freakouts, soul grooves and straight ahead jazz trio explorations.

As good as they are on record, the band really shines on stage so make sure you grab a prime spot for MM&W's mid-afternoon set on Saturday.

The Flaming Lips

Adobe Flash Required for flash player."Money"

There are few bands as entertaining as the Flaming Lips. Part carnival, part circus, and part fiesta, the Lips' show is a vibrant display of whimsy, showmanship and playful psychedelia.

Don't be surprised if you witness dancers clad in full animal costumes, confetti cannons, or frontman Wayne Coyne crowd-surfing in a giant plastic ball. At a Lips show, anything's possible. This weekend the band will be performing their own twisted take on the legendary Pink Floyd classic "Dark Side of the Moon," a happening that alone is worth the price of a two-day ticket.