Email Author Bob Ruggiero

2005 Stories by Bob Ruggiero

• Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey, with Drop Trio

  published December 1, 2005

  Perhaps more than any other genre of music, jazz is celebrated for -- and shackled by -- its past. When your titans of yesteryear include... More >>

• Paul McCartney

  published November 17, 2005

  Sometimes even royalty needs a kick in the ass. That's what Sir Paul McCartney got for himself by pegging Beck/Radiohead producer Nigel Godrich to... More >>

• Fear Factory

  published November 17, 2005

  One of metal's most versatile acts, Fear Factory maintains its die-hard cult base by throwing in a little something for fans of all the music's... More >>

• True Blue Confessions

  published November 17, 2005

  "Leave a confession," Madonna purrs. "And remember, by leaving your confession, you're agreeing to allow your message to be released in any form,... More >>

• Various Artists

  published October 27, 2005

  While the White Stripes, the Black Keys and the Hives have made some damn fine modern "garage rock," nothing beats the sounds from the genre's... More >>

• C.J. Chenier and the Red Hot Louisiana Band

  published October 13, 2005

  As Hank Williams Jr., Lisa Marie Presley, Jakob Dylan and Julian Lennon can attest, choosing the same career path as your musically famous father... More >>

• Oh, the Horror!

  published October 6, 2005

  If your twisted little heart beats for the horror/slasher aisle at Blockbuster, this is your week, as the hellish and horrific will be celebrated... More >>

• W.C. Clark

  published September 22, 2005

  A mainstay of the Austin blues scene since the mid-'50s, W.C. Clark was hounded by a young Stevie Ray Vaughan to join his fledgling group (the... More >>

• Allman Brothers Band

  published September 22, 2005

  Contemporaries Lynyrd Skynyrd have gotten much more attention lately, but their rote replays of redneck rock come off like a tribute band's set... More >>

• Ozzfest

  published August 25, 2005

  Ozzy Osbourne may be a doddering old relic and his wife (and festival coordinator) a shrill, overexposed harpy, but Osbourne's namesake festival... More >>

• Rock Floozies Write

  published August 25, 2005

  Rock-related books encompass a lot of categories: autobiography, biography, critical analysis and rush-job-done-mostly-with-magazine-clippings... More >>

• Thor, with Hognose

  published August 18, 2005

  While often dismissed as a novelty act, burly Jon-Mikl Thor's melding of glitter rock and metal has garnered him a devout fan base that counts... More >>

• Moggs

  published August 18, 2005

  Forget the Power Trio. That band formation is now passé. Today, the still more minimalist Garage Duo (the White Stripes, the Black Keys,... More >>

• Hit Maker

  published August 18, 2005

  F. Scott Fitzgerald once observed that "there are no second acts in American lives." A more contemporary social observer with a mohawk and gold... More >>

• Scenes from a Picnic

  published July 21, 2005

  Close to 20,000 sweat-drenched fans happily descended upon Fort Worth recently for the 32nd Willie Nelson Fourth of July Picnic. Held in the Fort... More >>

• Mr. Saturday Night

  published June 23, 2005

  With all due respect to the late Phil Hartman, Darrell Hammond is probably Saturday Night Live's most brilliant impressionist ever.... More >>

• Various Artists

  published June 16, 2005

  While Lollapalooza, Ozzfest and the Vans Warped Tour sometimes struggle to make their festivals work, Bonnaroo is a stone-cold success story.... More >>

• Sparkling Waters

  published May 26, 2005

  If Shakespeare had lived in Houston during the summer, he would have surely written, "Get thee to some agua, pronto!" And with such proximity to... More >>

• Fever Pitch

  published May 19, 2005

  More >>

• Orange Is In, with Arthur Yoria and Pale

  published May 5, 2005

  While they may not technically count as a local supergroup, Orange Is In is a super new group playing fine original melodic pop with adult... More >>

• We Want the Funk

  published May 5, 2005

  -- Bob Ruggiero More >>

• The Mighty Orq CD release Party

  published April 28, 2005

  Houston's most prominent blues-rock power trio -- now consisting of singer-guitarist Orq, bassist Jessica Will and new drummer Matt Johnson --... More >>

• Matt Bianco Featuring Basia

  published April 28, 2005

  As with Pink Floyd, don't ask which member of this smooth/Latin jazz combo is Mr. Bianco, for the man doesn't exist. The moniker refers to an... More >>

• Tim Lyddon

  published April 28, 2005

  Recently relocated to Houston from his former New York stomping grounds, this jazz pianist is wasting little time establishing himself in his new... More >>

• Rust Belt Blues

  published April 28, 2005

  The adjectives "scuzzy," "primordial," "gutterlike" and "primitive" might not be considered complimentary when applied to, say, the new Rob Thomas... More >>