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"

More

2012 Stories by Craig Hlavaty

• 

  FEATURED STORY

  Houston Artist Natalie Irish Appears on Conan, Paints a Coco Portrait (W/VIDEO)

  published Dec 20, 2012

  Social media was all a-buzzin' last night as Houston lip print artist Natalie Irish appeared as a special guest on Conan, painting a portrait of a virile, masculine Conan O'Brien cradling a guitar, na... More >>

• 

  FEATURED STORY

  The Rocks Off 100: The Vocal Force That Is Kam Franklin

  published Dec 20, 2012

  Welcome to the Rocks Off 100, our portrait gallery of the most compelling profiles and personalities in the far-flung Houston music community -- a lot more than just musicians, but of course they're i... More >>

• 

  FEATURED STORY

  Last Night: The Sword at Fitzgerald's

  published Dec 19, 2012

  The Sword, American Sharks, Gypsyhawk Fitzgerald's December 18, 2012 I'm glad that bands like The Sword still exist to lead impressionable metal kids down endless paths of boogie and stoner-rock. Sin... More >>

• 

  FEATURED STORY

  Tips for Giving Great Holiday Gift Cards

  published Dec 19, 2012

  As the holiday vise tightens and our gift-giving options close in, many of us of will be turning to gift certificates in place of actual, wrapped presents for friends and family. Great in a pinch if... More >>

• 

  FEATURED STORY

  Brace Yourselves, the End of the World Parties Are Coming

  published Dec 19, 2012

  Here in Houston, we shouldn't need an excuse to throw great parties, but I suppose the so-called Mayan Apocalypse is a pretty good reason to get shit-housed and listen to local bands. This Friday al... More >>

• Radioactive Duo

  published December 20, 2012

  WE WANT THE AIRWAVES! As of Friday, December 7, longtime Houston morning radio duo Walton and Johnson were no longer airing on... More >>

• Trans-Siberian Orchestra

  published December 20, 2012

  You know, it's not really the holidays in Houston until the Trans-Siberian Orchestra comes around to play some bombastic, prog-rocking Christmas... More >>

• "Why Am I Getting Amber Alerts on My Cellphoner" Asks Social Media

  published Dec 18, 2012

  If you have Verizon Wireless cellphone service in the Houston area, today you have no doubt gotten about three AMBER alerts texts to your phone, about an hour apart from one another, alerting you to ... More >>

• Pallbearer

  published December 20, 2012

  If this week is really our last gasp before the Apocalypse (dumb Mayans), then you can at least bid adieu to normalcy with a giant metal show... More >>

• Better Than Ezra

  published December 20, 2012

  New Orleans trio Better Than Ezra is one of the few '90s alt-rock bands to have stuck around through music-industry ups and downs, coming out the... More >>

• Deftones Hitting Bayou Music Center March 30

  published Dec 18, 2012

  Uber-popular long-running rock act the Deftones are coming back to Houston after a two-year layoff from the Bayou City. They will be playing the Bayou Music Center on March 30, where they will be clos... More >>

• 

  FEATURED STORY

  WOW: "Please Help Us Petition the White House to Begin Building a Death Star"

  published Dec 18, 2012

  Since everyone it seems discovered a few months ago that you can petition the White House to do stupid things, nearly every week there has been a new oddball petition on the WH Web site. Today comes... More >>

• Upcoming: Loretta Lynn, Cradle of Filth, Eli Young Band, Matt Costa, Andre Williams, Etc.

  published Dec 18, 2012

  Adolescents: With Youth Brigade, The American Heist., Sun., Dec. 30, 8 p.m., $15/$17. Fitzgerald's, 2706 White Oak, Houston. Aly & Fila: With DJ Shogun., Mon., Dec. 31, 9 p.m., $20/$30. Stereo Live, ... More >>

• Old News: Paul McCartney Could Have Been In Them Crooked Vultures

  published Dec 17, 2012

  If you have seen and heard Paul McCartney's collaboration with the surviving members of Nirvana this past week, then you no doubt have entertained the thought of a tour or at least an album by the sup... More >>

• 

  FEATURED STORY

  Could You Get All of Your Christmas Shopping Done at Buc-ee'sr Probably

  published Dec 17, 2012

  If you travel anywhere in Texas, you have no doubt been to a Buc-ee's super gas station, home of clean restrooms, cheap gas, crack-like Beaver Nuggets, cutesy Texas trinkets, hunting gear and, at peak... More >>

• 

  FEATURED STORY

  The Best-Selling Albums On Our Top 30 Texas Albums List

  published Dec 17, 2012

  One thing you will notice about our Texas 30 list is that not everything that made the cut was a best-seller, though the albums have been heavily influential and may be in everyone's private collectio... More >>

• 

  FEATURED STORY

  Let's Break Down 2012's "Most Googled Women in the World List"

  published Dec 14, 2012

  First off, the most confusing thing about this "Most Googled Women in the World" list for 2012 is that Kate Upton, Christina Hendricks and Kat Dennings are nowhere to be found. I thought they were r... More >>

• Oh! And a Second, Better Man of Steel Trailerr Yes, Please

  published Dec 13, 2012

  Look, I was probably never not going to see Man of Steel next summer. I even sorta-kinda liked 2006's Superman Returns, which seemed like a necessary evil. Hey man, Brandon Routh was almost too frat-h... More >>

• 

  FEATURED STORY

  Craig Hlavaty's 10 Best Houston Albums of 2012

  published Dec 13, 2012

  It's that time of year -- or at least it has been since, like, November -- for rock writers to show everyone else how cool they think they are with their year-end best-of lists. How obscure can you ge... More >>

• 

  FEATURED STORY

  The Biggest Surprises From the Texas 30 Ballots

  published Dec 13, 2012

  Perusing the final ballots for the Texas 30 with a few highlighters this past week was a blessed odyssey into the past three decades of all things Texas music. For as many no-brainers as there were, t... More >>

• 

  FEATURED STORY

  Blech the Halls: The Best/Worst Christmas Movies That We Can't Stop Watching

  published Dec 13, 2012

  Cable channels have been playing Christmas movies since the night after Halloween, and they won't stop until New Year's Day. Yes, I love Scrooged, Christmas Vacation and Bad Santa with all of my candy... More >>

• FEATURED STORY

  The Name Of That Paul McCartney/Nirvana Song Is "Cut Me Some Slack"

  published Dec 13, 2012

  If you were watching the long, long, long Hurricane Sandy benefit on Wednesday night with The Who, Chris Martin, Kanye West, Billy Joel, the Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen, and Alicia Keys, then yo... More >>

• Listen To Our Texas 30 Picks On Rdio and Spotify Right Now

  published Dec 12, 2012

  Today we reveal the top 30 Texas albums released over the past 30 years. It was rough work, but we did it. Rewind: The Texas 30: The Third Runners-Up, Albums 60-51 The Texas 30: The Second Runners-... More >>

• 

  FEATURED STORY

  Will The Lone Ranger Be the Alejandro Jodorowsky Summer Movie We Didn't Know We Wanted But We Dor

  published Dec 12, 2012

  This week a second trailer for the Johnny Depp and Armie Hammer-starring big-screen The Lone Ranger vehicle was released. A much better trailer than the last one, which reminded me of Will Smith's awf... More >>

• 

  FEATURED STORY

  The Texas 30: Willie Nelson's Best Albums of the Past 30 Years

  published Dec 12, 2012

  Willie Nelson's Across the Borderline is one of the albums that made it onto our Texas 30 list of the best 30 Texas albums of the past 30 years, which runs later today. We promise that you will dig ... More >>