Clockwork Angels

In the '80s, Brubeck began composing sacred music following his conversion to Catholicism, the subject of his final album, 2010's Sacred Choral Works. He was given a Kennedy Center award in 2009.

Brubeck, who was 85 at the time, performed at Houston's Temple Beth Yeshurun with the Houston Chamber Choir in December 2006.
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Katie Rentfro

Mason Lankford (second from left) says he will one day leave Houston behind.

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When Publicists Attack!

FLACK JACKET
Some of 2012's funniest (and strangest) PR e-mail subject lines. By Craig Hlavaty

Rocks Off gets at least 6,000 e-mails a week.

Aight, it's more like 30 a day, I guess, more if it's SXSW season or the holidays, or if my co-workers get into a rousing conversation about chicks in one of our nightlife slideshows.

Out of all those e-mails, we may gleefully respond to a dozen, and delete most after just reading the header. The ones we respond to are mostly about new albums, toys, interview opportunities or advance screenings.

And yes, a lot of PR folks send us invitations to shows thousands of miles away , or write us and breathlessly tell us about "national tours" with only seven dates — Chicago, NYC, Los Angeles, Seattle, San Francisco, Duluth and Denver — that we should really write about. It's cool, we get that the PR world is hella crazy.

But some of the subject headings we get stop us in our tracks, and we have to forward them to our fellow journalist friends out of sheer hilarity. Sometimes we end up sending each other the same ones.

I got a MONO tattoo in college, and now I'm working their tour

Yeah, well, I got a Rolling Stones tattoo in college and that won't get me free tickets to any of their shows in 2013, now will it?

Article: Young Pop Star Gives Advice

"Blog: Perturbed Rock Writer Bounces Rent Check."

Your Karaoke Houston Digest

I ain't gonna hate on you Friday- and Saturday-night superstars. Do your thing, guys.

Death Metal & a porn star

Sold and sold and sold forever.

The Ultimate Doo-Wop Show Comes to Stafford Centre

You should see me. I just disappeared like Wile E. Coyote in those old cartoons and I am lying down typing this in a tent in front of the Stafford Centre.

NIDINGR: Greatest Of Deceivers Details Revealed

If you look at this sentence really quick...never mind.

Moscow's "Michael Buble" heads to the Big Apple to launch CD — announces upcoming concert with Jennifer Lopez

At least Canada and the United States don't need to suffer alone, and you would think there would be a Russian Jennifer Lopez by now.

Cheaper does not exist anywhere

What an existential brain teaser. Does not exist anywhere. Does not exist, anywhere. Cheaper does not exist, nor is it anywhere.

ONE DIRECTION "LIVE WHILE WE'RE YOUNG" PREMIERES TODAY -- UNAUTHORIZED LEAK OF MUSIC VIDEO BRINGS FORWARD PREMIERE OF BRAND NEW SINGLE "LIVE WHILE WE'RE YOUNG"

ALL CAPS WITHOUT SPACES.

CASSEROLES are back

I can't remember if this e-mail was about a band named Casseroles or from a restaurant that was bringing back casseroles.

Signs That I'm Trying To Break Up With You, In Order Of Increasing Intensity

How did this e-mail get in here? I thought I told her never to e-mail me at my work address.
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The Rocks Off 100

NEXT OF KIN
Folk Family Revival leader Mason Lankford joins the Rocks Off 100.

By Jef With One F

Who: Mason Lankford is the young songwriter behind many of the tunes performed and recorded by the Folk Family Revival. The band's debut, Unfolding, was an amazing collection of spiritual and moving Americana tracks that was easily one of the best albums of 2011. Since then, he and his band of brothers (plus Caleb Pace) have kept on a regular schedule of concerts, including one alongside Willie Nelson at a 5,000-strong show.

Next year the Revival will be branching out into other states, like Arizona and California, as well as returning home for another outing with Willie. The big news is that the group has begun recording another album. Considering how unbelievable Unfolding was, especially with songs like "Fallin" and "Chasing a Rabbit," it'll be a tough act to follow.

Home Base: Folk Family Revival was one of the many bands to take advantage of the space available at the Magnolia Red record-label offices, but with producer Jeffery Armstreet now working out of Red Tree Studio and Katie Renfro managing the band from her Montrose home, the Revival is back in a shed they call "The Space Station."

Lankford declines to name a specific venue he favors in Houston, noting only that any day he wears a yellow shirt onstage is a good day. A good deal of the time, you can find the Revival alongside Magnolia Red labelmate Shellee Coley at Dosey Doe in The Woodlands.

Why Do You Stay in Houston? "I love Houston, but I don't plan on staying here," says Lankford. "I think Earth is a pretty big place and I wanna see it all. I wanna live everywhere and travel everywhere else. Houston is where I grew up and started my career, but as soon as I get the chance to move anywhere else, I'm gonna take it."