Email Author Craig Hlavaty

Awards

• 2012 - Best of the West/First Amendment Funding, Inc., published February 10, 2011

  "Getting Past the Bouncer"

• 2009 - Lone Star Awards

  "Metallica at Toyota"

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2011 Stories by Craig Hlavaty

• Locally Speaking

  published December 8, 2011

  The spoils of the Houston music scene in 2011 were bountiful. There was Robert Ellis's big national debut in Photographs, which garnered... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  Still Thirsty And Still Miserable: Black Flag's Damaged Turns 30 Years Old

  published Dec 06, 2011

  Every modern punker has a story relating to Black Flag's Damaged, which turns 30 years old today. Some hate it, some love it, some blame it for the everything good or bad that happened in their lives ... More >>

• Distant Early Warning: Red Hot Chili Peppers, Steve Aoki, Mountain Goats, Heartless Bastards, Voodoo Glow Skulls

  published Dec 06, 2011

  Red Hot Chili Peppers, Janelle Monae: Thu., March 8. Toyota Center, 1510 Polk, Houston. Agent Orange: Tue., Feb. 21. Warehouse Live, 813 St. Emanuel, Houston. "Burned Out" With Chase Hamblin, The L... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  From Hayes Carll To Cults: Rocks Off's Top 50 Albums Of The Year

  published Dec 01, 2011

  It's that time of year again when we add our two cents to the cyber-orgy that are year-end best-of lists. Music blog Paste and British mag Q threw down with their top 50 earlier this week, so why not ... More >>

• RIP Ken Russell: The Best WTF Moments In Tommy

  published Dec 01, 2011

  This week the film and music world lost Ken Russell, the director of the film adaptation of The Who's Tommy, Altered States, Women In Love, and The Music Lovers. He also did some weird, soft-core stuf... More >>

• A Single Plum, Floating in Perfume, Served in a Men's Hat: Fake Yoko Ono Tweets

  published Nov 30, 2011

  We've razzed Yoko Ono on Rocks Off a bit this past year. This week we poked fun at her Facebook presence, and we even did an analysis of how some feel she continues to matter in the art and pop worlds... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  Need A Band Namer Let A Random Gawker Headline Help You!

  published Nov 29, 2011

  Gawker is one of the most fun and informative sites on the innerwebs. Where else can you hear about the awful and sexy things that humans do to each otherr Each day brings a new bounty of curiousness,... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  Natalie Wood Pictures 30 Years After Her Tragic Death: 10 Plus 1

  published Nov 29, 2011

  It was 30 years ago today that Natalie Wood's corpse was found floating off the coast of Southern California's Catalina Island. The 43-year old star of films such as West Side Story, Rebel Without a C... More >>

• Dir En Grey

  published December 1, 2011

  This Japanese metal quintet has existed on the fringes of the mainstream heavy stuff here in the States, playing to a devoted crew of fans on this... More >>

• Big Sean

  published December 1, 2011

  Big Sean's naughty summer single "Dance (A$$)" could be heard in clubs and bars across the country, crossing all scene and racial boundaries,... More >>

• Distant Early Warning: Alabama Shakes, Flogging Molly, Josefus, Slim Thug, Cave

  published Nov 29, 2011

  "3rd Annual Feed Houston Concert" With Slim Thug,: Fri., Dec. 16, 8 p.m. Warehouse Live, 813 St. Emanuel, Houston. Awolnation: Tue., Jan. 24. Warehouse Live, 813 St. Emanuel, Houston. Band Of Heat... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  2011 Rewind: Concert Tickets From An Alternate Universe

  published Nov 28, 2011

  This originally ran on June 8, but seeing that the year is coming to an end, we are looking back at some of our favorite blogs we gave to you these past 12 months. One of the best dreams we ever had... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  Miley Cyrus Smokes Weed! Pot Party in the USA!

  published Nov 28, 2011

  OMG y'all, Miley Cyrus smokes weed, according to this video from the multimillionaire pop and TV star's 19th birthday party last Wednesday. Okay, she's not really a music star, but that whole Hannah... More >>

• Old Man: A Happy Birthday Randy Newman Playlist

  published Nov 28, 2011

  Mr. Randy Newman, who turns 68 years old today, turned in one of the best and our most most favorite sets of this year's Austin City Limits Music Festival. In a festival littered with Kanye West, Cold... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  Roadtrippin': The Eight Track Museum In Dallas

  published Nov 28, 2011

  Last week while this member Rocks Off was in Dallas for the 48th anniversary of the Kennedy assassination and our annual trek to Dealey Plaza, we stopped in to the Eight Track Museum in the Deep Ellum... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  Modern Holiday Classics Veer Off from Feelgood and into Cynicism

  published Nov 28, 2011

  This week, as Christmas movies began their assault on cable and network television, it occurred to us that in the past decade or so, holiday film tastes have begun to veer from lighthearted feelgood a... More >>

• Rocks Off's Annual Descent Into Sunny 99.1's Christmas Music K-Hole

  published Nov 25, 2011

  Since 2008, I have spent an hour listening to Sunny 99.1 FM's Christmas music for the Rocks Off blog. Right after Thanksgiving, it's the first thing on my checklist, right next to finding new, weird h... More >>

• Your 2011 Punk, Metal, And Indie Rock Christmas Music Playlist

  published Nov 25, 2011

  Might as well get this one out of the way right after Thanksgiving. Each year we compile new, old, and classic punk, heavy metal, and indie Christmas songs for you to soundtrack your holiday season. W... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  French Onion Soup & Deathbugs: Our Nine Musical Turkeys Of 2011

  published Nov 24, 2011

  Danzig Shame on us for thinking that a Danzig show would go off without a hitch, and infinite shame on Glenn Danzig for the debacle that was his "appearance" at Fun Fun Fun Fest in Austin. We will ne... More >>

• Happy Biebermas: 2011's Bumper Crop Of Holiday Albums

  published Nov 23, 2011

  The Christmas season started back in the late summer for Rocks Off when we began getting PR e-mails about so and so's new Christmas album, and then in October they started showing up in our stacks of ... More >>

• Nickelback Fights Back With Funny Or Die Clip

  published Nov 23, 2011

  Check out yesterday's superb Nickelblock blog.... Call me a contrarian asshole, but I like Nickelback for what they are, not for who they aren't. The blunt-force studio magick of their riffs, the sto... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  Like fer Sure: When the Movies Go to the Mall

  published Nov 23, 2011

  This week malls, department stores, and discount stores will be inundated with customers busting down the hatches to get at Black Friday sales, risking life and limb for cheap plasma television sets, ... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  Moustair: Fun Internet Meme Or Nightmare Machiner

  published Nov 23, 2011

  Growing up I read a lot of books about physical oddities and medical mysteries. World's tallest man, the world's shortest couple, bearded ladies, that sort of thing. One of the books I had featured an... More >>

• White Ghost Shivers

  published November 24, 2011

  If you were a fan of the Squirrel Nut Zippers in the '90s, have a severe addiction to HBO's Boardwalk Empire or just prefer the Roaring... More >>

• Fallcore XI

  published November 24, 2011

  Houston hardcore and metal institution Fallcore returns to Fitzgerald's for its eleventh bruising all-nighter. Anyone who grew up punk in Houston... More >>