Email Author Timothy J. O'Brien

2003 Stories by Timothy J. O'Brien

• Rocket Redux

  published December 11, 2003

  These days it's not uncommon for a musical artist's career to last not much longer than it takes to nuke a burrito. In this climate of millisecond... More >>

• The Kants

  published December 4, 2003

  Even if you find indie rock boring and annoying, the genre is more than palatable in the hands of locals the Kants. These rock philosophers play a... More >>

• The Mavericks

  published December 4, 2003

  It's been five years since a new Mavericks disc graced the bins. The Miami band never broke up -- instead they took a working sabbatical. Vocalist... More >>

• Greg Ashley

  published November 20, 2003

  League City native Greg Ashley is similar to one of those American jazz or blues musicians who had to leave the country to attain proper... More >>

• Georgia Firecrackers

  published November 20, 2003

  The last time Georgia garage rockers the Woggles played Houston, they hit a high-water mark. Literally. Their show in June 2001 occurred during... More >>

• The Mirrors

  published November 20, 2003

  After exploding out of League City with their astonishing debut a couple of years ago, this overlooked band releases their second CD posthumously.... More >>

• Singapore Sling

  published November 6, 2003

  Icelandic rock bands for $100, please, Alex. And the answer is: The newest Reykjavík band that's set to blow up. If you answered Sigur... More >>

• Destroy All Monsters of Rock!

  published October 16, 2003

  Although it has been a while since Shonen Knife was the rage, the band has certainly never been without style. The Japanese all-girl trio first... More >>

• Twinemen

  published October 9, 2003

  After Morphine singer-bassist Mark Sandman's untimely fatal heart attack in 1999, the remaining members -- saxophonist Dana Colley and drummer... More >>

• Denali, with Rainer Maria and Chris McFarland

  published September 25, 2003

  At a glance there are plenty of reasons to dismiss this show. First, there's that band name. How pretentious can you get, using the Alaskan Native... More >>

• Peter Case

  published September 25, 2003

  Peter Case Most Miami Vice-rerun retro junkies recall Peter Case as the slightly... More >>

• Neo Nuthin'

  published August 28, 2003

  You'd expect that phrases like "washed up" and "over the hill" would apply to every band that's been at it for 16 albums and more than 25 years.... More >>

• Raking In the Chips

  published August 21, 2003

  The Riverboat Gamblers bring to life the old saw that boring towns inspire great rock and roll. Physically the Gamblers may exist in Denton, a... More >>

• Lutefisk Sushi

  published July 24, 2003

  The Japanese have been turning out blistering punk bands as regularly as they once churned out Godzilla flicks. But for every relatively well... More >>

• Super Mario Brother

  published June 26, 2003

  For the Dragons' Mario Escovedo, choosing a vocation as a musician is something akin to being a priest and having Jesus Christ and the 12... More >>

• Keep Your Eye on the Sparrow

  published May 22, 2003

  Buzz. Some bands have it, most bands don't. There are bands that have played Houston for a decade or more and still cross our minds only as mere... More >>

• Bring Back the Funk

  published May 1, 2003

  Lee Fields is so funky you have to take out mold insurance before you can get near him. Long well known to the likes of hardcore funk aficionados... More >>

• Ka-Nives, with All-Night Movers and Washington

  published April 24, 2003

  Slithering out from underneath the bottom of a garbage can come the Ka-Nives, a trio of local rejects with rap sheets that include concurrent or... More >>

• Ted Roddy and the King Conjure Orchestra

  published April 3, 2003

  Just when you thought there couldn't be another twist on Elvis, Ted Roddy's fertile mind comes up with a new one: Channelin' E, a whole CD... More >>

• Ramsay Midwood

  published March 13, 2003

  Ramsay Midwood's masterful wordsmithing and sparse production values carry the 11 songs on this striking debut. Midwood, a Virginia native... More >>

• The Boob Scotch Tour

  published March 6, 2003

  Bob Log III is a one-man wrecking crew who specializes in raucous Delta blues on slide guitar played through cheesy pawnshop amps. He filters this... More >>

• Cindy Scott

  published March 6, 2003

  Conventional wisdom has it that you position one of your strongest songs as the first track of a disc. The same theory applies to baseball: The... More >>

• The Bellrays, with the Lazy Cowgirls and Magnetic IV

  published March 6, 2003

  Weld Tina Turner's pipes to the raw power of the MC5 and you get the Bellrays. Singer Lisa Kekaula's aggressive style is a force not to be trifled... More >>

• The Briefs and Fabulous Disaster, with the Kimonos

  published February 27, 2003

  No one could ever accuse Seattle punks the Briefs of being too subtle. The cover of their debut long-player, Hit After Hit, shows band... More >>

• Stewed, Screwed and Tattooed

  published February 13, 2003

  Although the Down and Dirties didn't intend to live up to their moniker off-stage, it's certainly turned out that way. "The band is more like a... More >>