Andrew Karnavas

Should Cell Phones and Cameras Be Banned at Concerts?

This past weekend a staffer at NPR music blog All Things Considered went to see M. Ward and Sonic Youth's Lee Ranaldo at the 9:30 Club in Washington, D.C. Upon entering the legendary venue, writer Bob Boilen spied a sign on the door with the message "Tonight, no photography or videos. Including cell ... More >>

6 Cool & Cheap Summer Fest Alternatives: Accordion Kings & Queens, Etc.

Believe it or not -- although you'd have a hard time convincing anyone in this office of that right now -- for the next two days Houstonians will go right on eating, drinking, sleeping, driving, praying, shopping, working out, raising their children, or whatever else it is they do in this city on a ... More >>

Forget Kraftwerk, 5 Acts We'd Like To See In Houston Museums

Next week, German electronic-music pioneers Kraftwerk will perform eight of their albums in their entirety, from 1974's Autobahn through 2003's Tour de France, at New York City's Museum of Modern Art. The album that spawned the closest thing duo had to a "pop hit," the title track of 1977's Trans-Eu ... More >>

Your Houston City Limits Music Preview For 2012

For the past few weeks I have been asking local acts to tell us about their 2012 plans, be it touring, recording, breaking up, or just gigging around town. You would have thought more rappers would have chimed in sense they are veritable promotion machines, but I didn't get much back. OK, Twenty Ele ... More >>

Another Perspective

My top ten local albums of 2011.

This Weekend's Via Colori Bands Include Sideshow Tramps, Roky Moon, Ben Wesley And Many More

The Literary Greats​This Saturday and Sunday at Sam Houston Park Downtown, the Via Colori Street Painting Festival once again marries professional and beginner sidewalk chalk artists with some of the best bands that Houston has to offer sound-tracking the event. For two days, the concrete in t ... More >>

Grammy Nomination Fantasies

​Once again all the Grammy nomination razzamatazz has fired up, with local label ZenHill Records of course leading the charge with its recent press release, "ZenHill Artists on the Long List for a Grammy." One of our editors took a couple of incoming email shots from a so-called "reporte ... More >>

Upcoming: Bun B, Chris Brown, Lucinda Williams, Maze, Saxon, Etc.

​"9th Annual Ziegenbock Music Festival" With Eli Young Band, Dierks Bentley, Roger Creager, Bob Schneider, Robert Ellis, Folk Family Revival: Sat., Oct. 29, 11 a.m. The Showgrounds @ Sam Houston Race Park. Austra, Cloud Nothings: Sat., Nov. 5. Fitzgerald's. Andrew Karnavas & Runaway Sun: Wed ... More >>

Twin Four-Year-Olds Discuss Music, Existentialism

​Two furious, monstrously wonderful boys, whom we occasionally consider punching, live in our home. They have been there for four years now, and have spent a majority of their days doing and saying ridiculous things. One time, one of them pulled a poop out of the toilet. One time, one of the ... More >>

Upcoming: CSS, Dark Dark Dark, The Judds, Etc.

​Against All Will: Fri., Aug. 12. Warehouse Live. Andrew Karnavas, Clory Martin: Sat., July 23. Khon's. CSS: Sat., Oct. 29. House of Blues. Dark Dark Dark: Mon., Oct. 10. Warehouse Live. Devildriver, Skeletonwitch: Sat., Sept. 3. Scout Bar Clear Lake. DJ Sasha Grey: Fri., July 29. Stereo ... More >>

Masters of Cyberspace

The Press hands out its first Houston Web Awards.

Andrew Karnavas' Andyroo To Tour Libraries, Kids' Museums

​Andrew Karnavas is a busy man. But unlike the bands recently signed to outfits like New West and ZenHill, Karnavas is pushing ahead in DIY mode. "Yeah, I'm still just doing everything myself, it's just what makes the most sense," says the busy rocker who is currently involved with three band ... More >>

More Local Music News Than Final Four Traffic Snarls

Buxton mixing their new album in L.A.​The Final Four descends upon Houston this weekend. Oh, if there were only four feeds we had to follow to bring all this lovely Houston music news to everyone. Instead, MCM crawls through more feeds than there are colleges in the NCAA, gathering up every bi ... More >>

More Local Music News Than Open Drummer Jobs

Magnolia City Mixtape might have taken the week off in order to cover SXSW last week, but Houston's music scene kept right on rolling. That means that we've got not one, but two full weeks of news wrapped up in this installment. ​For our soundtrack this week, we've a brand-new album from Buxt ... More >>

MCM: More Local Music News Than Parties In Cairo

Todd Spoth​Welcome back to yet another installment of our semi-famous Magnolia City Mixtape. Rocks Off works hard to scrape every barnacle of local music news from our ship that sails the high seas of the Internet - or something like that. Slim Thug welcomed everyone back to Texas for the Sup ... More >>

MCM: More Local Music News Than Ice On The Roads

Rocks Off readers, if the cold weather has bogged down your day, we've got just the trick - a slew of local music news hot off the presses. Our soundtrack this week is the folky Sarah Neidermeyer and the Devil, the new album from Horse. It's available now, so give it a listen and maybe even put it ... More >>

Things You Should Know Before You Start A Band

​A few weeks back we asked our round table what advice they would give other bands in town. Their answers ranged from solidly DIY nuggets from April Brem Patrick to smart business ethos from Andrew Karnavas. Now Rocks Off even feels like we could be in a band. Our powerviolence/noise project ... More >>

Buxton, Wild Moccasins Join New West Records

Here at Rocks Off, we try our best to cover all the local music news, both large and small. Where else are you going to read that you can play Slim Thug on Words With Friends? It is reasons such as these that we trudge the war zones of RSS feeds, seeking out crucial tidbits of information. Buxton o ... More >>

Houston Musicians Don't Take The Holidays Off

​Unsure how to keep up with all that local music news during the holidays? Fear not, Rocks Off makes it a point to mine those Internets each week, bringing the finest recap of Houston's musical cyber-territories. It's full of win, as they say, and our holiday gift to everyone out there. For o ... More >>

Alabama's Yelawolf Charms Houston At In-Store Mixer

Photos courtesy of SF2​Yelawolf, Alabama's most mystifying rapper, stopped by Sunday night for a show at the House of Blues as part of the prep for his forthcoming Trunk Muzik: 0 to 60. While Rocks Off was not allowed to attend the show - our wife has this crazy notion in her head that a fath ... More >>

BANGBANGBOOM: Houston's Brand-New Swingin' All-Star Band

John Powers​Late Monday morning, Rocks Off got a press release announcing BANGBANGBOOM, the new jazz and swing covers project of local luminaries Andrew Karnavas and Nick Gaitan. Seeing as how Karnavas' Runaway Sun and, well, everything Gaitan's ever done comprise some of our favorite sounds i ... More >>

The Houston Sound Maps Our "No Zoning" Music Scene

Katya Horner/Downtown DistrictThe John Evans Band in Market Square Park​What is the Houston Sound? Until recently, it was a trick question. Although Houston has produced too many distinguished artists to name across a wide variety of genres from blues, country and jazz to psychedelic rock, noi ... More >>

Like A Movie, HPMA Showcase Afternoon Over Far Too Quickly

Jim BrickerHell City Kings: Not afraid to get salty.​This was the first year and no doubt the first of many for the Houston Press Music Awards Showcase to converge on Washington Avenue like a sweet-sounding pestilence made up of drums, mikes, a few steel guitars and a tanker truck full of musi ... More >>

Furor To Frenzy: HPMAers Plump, Two Star, Tramps, Runaway Sun

[When last we left Nick Hall, he was dodging "mandannas" after some surprise Louvin Brothers from Robert Ellis and friends.] Photos by GroovehouseSticky and tight: Plump.​Stepping out into the heat just long enough to see that Runaway Sun hasn't started up at the main stage, Aftermath dashes ... More >>

Guess Who's Skipping Houston This Time?

Attention local musicians, music bloggers and music organizations: have something that should be included in Magnolia City Mixtape? Leave a comment below or email brittanie.shey (at) houstonpress (dot) com. • The Caprolites soothe our summer boredom with their new video for "I Need A lot," abov ... More >>

Friday Night: Andrew Karnavas At McGonigel's Mucky Duck

Photos by Trish Badger​Andrew Karnavas McGonigel's Mucky Duck July 16, 2010 We did not plan on writing a review of Friday night's Andrew Karnavas show at the Mucky Duck, but after sitting in on near two hours of super-solid folksy Americana (and some blues, too) it seemed like it had to be do ... More >>

Summerfest Volunteers Now Full, Afterparties Finalized

Jermaine Rogers​ • Summerfest approacheth. We can almost taste it. Or maybe that's just the Brooklyn Zoos at Boondocks, which will be hosting the official unofficial afterparty, featuring Roky Moon & BOLT and a super-secret special guest. • Dean's Downtown is also hosting an afterparty wit ... More >>

Steel Lounge Underground

Mix music with art, add alcohol, stir, shake and serve

Upcoming: Babyface, Disturbed, Loverboy, Nile OK Go, Pentagram, Etc.

​Andrew Karnavas: Fri., July 16. McGonigel's Mucky Duck. Babyface: Fri., Aug. 13. Arena Theatre. Bob Log III: Sun., July 11. Rudyard's. Cornbreadd, Fat Tony, B L A C K I E: Fri., May 28. Dean's Credit Clothing. Disturbed, Avenged Sevenfold, Stone Sour, HaleStorm, Hellyeah: Sun., Sept. 12. Cynthia ... More >>

Houston Leading "Ford Fiesta Movement" Bonnaroo Contest

myspace.com/blackqueenspeaksBlack Queen Speaks​ For what seems like months now, Rocks Off has been seeing emails and posts about Team Houston, Ford Fiesta, Backseat Jukeboxes, and the battle of the bands this Saturday at Warehouse Live. To clear up any confusion, Rocks Off recently asked local pho ... More >>

It's Five O'clock Somewhere

We scout out happy hour in Houston.

Rocks Off Sets You Straight On Musical Happy Hours

​On newsstands now - or soon, depending on where in the metro area you live - you will find the Houston Press' new cover story, "It's Five O'Clock Somewhere" - a guide to Jimmy Buffett's discography our city's varied, vibrant happy-hour scene, in which Rocks Off had some input. Naturally, we cover ... More >>

Andrew Karnavas

Drink With Mike Stinson, Help Terrible Eagle, Learn How Weed Won The West, Buy Summerfest Tix At Urban Outfitters

MCM's boss came across the above video of Mike Stinson's "I've Got No One to Drink With Anymore," from the local honky-tonk transplant's brand-new (and excellent) album The Jukebox In Your Heart, while he was waiting for her to turn in this article. As a staunch proponent of Coors Light, he strongl ... More >>

Andrew Karnavas & Nick Gaitan

Everybody Knows This Is Nashville: Runaway Sun Checks In From The Road

Photos by Andrew KarnavasASCAP's Music Row headquarters​ Rocks Off mentioned in Tuesday's installment of Magnolia City Mixtape that Runaway Sun lead singer Andrew Karnavas and Monica Danna, the band's publicist, are keeping track of their travels on Twitter as they make their way from New York Cit ... More >>

Devin The Dude Vs. Texas Board Of Education; Summerfest Prices Go Up Tonight; Rare Lightnin' Hopkins Portraits For Sale; ZZ Top To Play Chile Benefit

The Awl writes about Devin the Dude, making fun of the dumbifying of Texas' public-school curriculum. Today is your last chance to get Summerfest passes for the low, low price of $22.50. They go up at midnight. Prince Paul, who only produced De La Soul's 3 Feet High and Rising, has signed on to DJ ... More >>

No Turkeys Allowed

Our annual holiday shopping guide to recent local releases

Runaway Sun

Listology: Runaway Sun Choose Their Favorite Album Covers

www.myspace.com/runawaysunmusic​ On today's Listology hot seat are up-and-coming local blues-rockers Runaway Sun, whose CD release party for debut full-length The Bridge is Saturday night at the Continental Club with Clory Martin. Perhaps wisely, the quartet chose to list their favorite album cove ... More >>

HPMA Aftermath: Heptic Skeptic, Runaway Sun, the McKenzies, B L A C K I E, the Tontons and Spain Colored Orange

Photos by Shea Serrano​ 5:08 p.m.: About two weeks ago, vocalist Kammera Franklin broke her ankle. It has not stopped her hustle. Sunday, she sang for Heptic Skeptic, Umbrella Man and every single other band on the HPMA schedule. 5:27 p.m.: The Skeptics, who have always been a little more soulful ... More >>

52 Pick-Up

Your guide to the 2009 Houston Press Music Awards showcase

Rocks Off Goes Live from Sugar Hill Tonight

Andrew Karnavas Rocks Off will be the special guest "audience of one" on tonight's Live from Sugar Hill, the monthly hour-long live-music Webcast broadcast from the historic Southeast Houston studios. Tonight's musical guests are bluesy singer-songwriter Andrew Karnavas and veteran Tex-Mex power-pop ... More >>

Artist of the Week: Andrew Karnavas

Boheme Cafe and Wine Bar Has an Open-Mike Night That Doesn't Suck?