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The Worst Things at Coachella This Year, Weekend Two

Ed. Note: Brought to you by our tired, dusty and very tolerant friends at LA Weekly and OC Weekly. Here's everything that bothered us about Coachella's second weekend. Hey, at least there was no dust storm! Native American Headdresses These have still not gone away. In fact, one particularly irrit ... More >>

Apple "Spaceship" Campus Over Budget: Here Are Five Things We'd Cut

Apple has proposed a massive doughnut-shaped campus for their new world headquarters. Nicknamed the "spaceship," this monument to computing (and crazy) was slated to cost about $3 billion initially, but apparently the budget has ballooned to $5 billion. With cost overruns over $2 billion, Apple has ... More >>

Moving Sidewalks Dust Off Their '60s Brooms In NYC

This weekend the Moving Sidewalks, best known as the band Billy Gibbons was in before ZZ Top formed, were once again a living, breathing, kaleidoscoping musical being. Gibbons and the other Sidewalks - Tom Moore (organ), Dan Mitchell (drums) and Don Summers (bass), all of whom still live in Texas - ... More >>

What Would 90210's The Peach Pit Be Like If It Were Open Today?

Last week, as I sat in my candle-lit bubble bath sipping champagne, I got to thinking about the Beverly Hills, 90210. And then, the gang's hangout -- The Peach Pit. Why, what do you do on a Sunday morning? Anyway, the champs got me thinking; What would The Peach Pit be like if it were open today? ... More >>

Films of 2012: The Ultimate Review

Quentin Tarantino emerges from a chaotic couple of years with his most ambitious film to date, Django Unchained. Will the academy really, really like it?

A Very Pawny Christmas: What Pawn Shops Buy and Sell Around the Holidays

So you've got a million Christmas gifts to buy for family, friends, acquaintances, acquaintances' cousins, the mailman, Roger Clemens (we're not the only ones to send the Rocket a gift each year, are we?) and various and sundry pets. You have a limited budget and a limited amount of time. It's best ... More >>

Sketches of AT&T Robbery Suspects -- Including One Who Is "Big Boned" -- Released by Police

Houston police released sketches of three suspects allegedly involved in robberies of AT&T employees in the Acres Homes area. According to a press release, the three men approach AT&T workers, threaten them with guns and steal their belongings, including phones and iPads issued by AT&T. In addition ... More >>

Projection: Social Media Wins Big in 2012

Thanks a lot Christians, for not showing up.You disgust me.— Victoria Jackson (@vicjackshow) November 7, 2012 Amidst the pundits and the graphics and the touch screen monitors and the iPads strapped to the arms of The Daily Show's John Oliver, probably the most watched network on election ni ... More >>

Upcoming Events: Punch Parties and Greek Eats

Can you believe it's been nearly 50 years since the first Greek Festival in Houston? Here we are on the 46th anniversary of the beloved festival, and it's bigger and better this year than ever -- but it's still only $5 at the gate, with kids getting in for free. The festival actually started yester ... More >>

What Was That Dish on That Show I Saw? There's an App for That

You're in Las Vegas, and it's dinner time. Sure, there are hundreds of hotel restaurants you could try -- some of them even worth it -- but you are remembering a restaurant you saw on the Food Network. It was on The Best Thing I Ever Ate, and it was about a Chinese place with a very spicy dish that ... More >>

Texans-Saints: 4 Winners, 4 Losers (The Trindon Holliday Conundrum Edition)

If you are a sports couch potato (and if you are reading this, chances are that is the case), Saturday night was one of those nights that we probably take for granted all of the technological advances that allow us to consume all of the fare on the sports buffet simultaneously. Picture if you will, ... More >>

Improve the Olympics: Combine Sports. Weightlifitng/Trampoline, Anyone?

Olympic Fever!! Possibly uncaught, still. It's only every four years when the powers that be foist these odd events on us, but somehow that doesn't seem long enough. Things used to be different when it was relatively rare to see sports on TV, but now that we're awash in it the allure of Victorian c ... More >>

The Creepy and Bizarre World of Kidz Bop Videos

It's hard to talk about Kidz Bop. Sure, it's easy to make fun of the series of albums' watered-down version of modern pop, but it also feels like going after low-hanging fruit. That doesn't mean that the music isn't awful, because it is, but one could argue Kidz Bop provides a necessary service. Mu ... More >>

Alternatives to Five of the Pricier Software Titles

The Business Software Alliance announced last week that it had come to an agreement with local business Affordable Power, LP, to settle legal claims that the company pirated software titles. According to the release: As part of the settlement, Affordable Power agreed to pay $150,000 to settle legal ... More >>

App of the Week: Google Chrome Finally Available for iPhone

App: Google Chrome Platform: iPhone, iPad Website: App Store Cost: Free With all the upgrades to iOS over the years, one thing that has lagged has been browser technology. The built in Safari app for iPhone is fine, but has a number of limitations that make it a less than desirable option for peopl ... More >>

Last Night: Screwed Up Click at Warehouse Live

Lil' Keke, E.S.G., Big Pokey Warehouse Live June 27, 2012 June 27 isn't an official holiday in Houston -- yet. But the date remains the preferred occasion for formally celebrating the life, career and influence of Robert Davis, our beloved DJ Screw. On Wednesday, the remnants of the Screwed Up Clic ... More >>

I Need More Spotify! App to Offer Streaming Radio Service

We've already talked about how Houston absolutely loves One Direction, Carly Rae Jepsen and Gotye, that somewhat fun, catchy pop music that the regular radio stations play ad nauseum according to Spotify. Now the service is adding one more feature to it's already growing stature -- and it might kick ... More >>

RIP Ray Bradbury: 5 Musicians Who Love the Sci-Fi Author

Sci-fi fans across the world were saddened when prolific author Ray Bradbury died Tuesday, Wired magazine reported. The typewriter-loving Bradbury was 91 and lived in Los Angeles. Bradbury was best known for writing that set the standard for post-WWII science fiction such as Fahrenheit 451, The Mar ... More >>

Seven Sins: A True-Crime E-Book From Village Voice Media

Every week writers for Houston Press and our parent company, Village Voice Media, produce elegant magazine-style feature writing--a gritty portion of which comes in the form of true-crime stories. Now VVM has collected some of its best recent true-crime yarns into an ebook: Seven Sins: A True Crime ... More >>

Shot In The Dark: Put Down Your Phones And Watch The Show

Take a picture, they say. It'll last longer. But fans weren't always able to do that. Only in the last five years or so, with the rise of digital cameras and smartphones, has photography even been an option. Even now, some artists insist on no photography at their shows, and a few venues still ask ... More >>

Skits: This Week In Music-Biz WTFery -- Katy Perry, B.o.B., Etc.

The music business fuckery continues. A game so destructive it only benefits the top dogs (and even so, temporarily), while the actual players continue to eat sand out of peanuts. Who's winning? Who's losing? Dig in for this week's music-bidness shenanigans.

Sharif John Reid Loved His iPods & iPhones: Used ID Fraud To Buy $200,000 Of Them

When you love Apple, you just plain love Apple. And Sharif John Reid is definitely an Apple-loving guy. Prosecutors say he used dozens of fake credit cards, all with the same name, to purchase iPods, iPhones and other Apple products in Louisiana and Texas. The Memorial City Apple store proved to b ... More >>

Top 5 Old Musicians Actually Using Twitter

Like youth itself, Twitter is wasted on the young. But not everyone over 35 has completely tuned it out -- after a recent upgrade to a smartphone, even I'm using it now after years of Twitterphobia. (Hit me up at @ThePhantomTX.) Since I've been on, I've learned that most musicians have handed off t ... More >>

Siniad Gonzalez: Your Glamour-Shot Mug of the Day Belongs To Getaway Driver

Not all mugshots are Nick Nolte disasters or Trinity, Texas entertainment. Some women go for the glamor look. Like Siniad Vanessa Gonzalez, charged with being the getaway driver for a home invasion. The three men involved in the caper are on the run, but the victim gave police a description of the ... More >>

App of the Week: SugarSync and DropBox, Two Great iCloud Alternatives

App: Dropbox Platform: Most smart phones Website: Dropbox.com Cost: Free (includes 2GB storage) App: SugarSync Platform: Most smart phones Website: SugarSync.com Cost: Free (includes 5GB storage) There has been an awful lot of talk about cloud computing over the last couple years, particularly sin ... More >>

Playing The Over/Under Game On Twitter: 8 Bets To Consider

I don't really do any gambling. It's not really because I don't enjoy the thrill of a good game of chance. It's more because I like the little money I earn to not be flushed down the toilet. If I did gamble, I'd have to take a class on sports betting because I still don't fully understand the whole ... More >>

Who Is Paul McCartney?!: Rocks Off Tells You

So, it's the day after the Grammys, and you may still be wondering who that "hella old" man with the droopy eyes playing the weird left-handed bass was on the telecast last night. You know, the guy next to the guy from Foo Fighters and that one other ancient-looking man in the tight jeans who looks ... More >>

App of the Week: WeatherBug Elite

​App: App Shopper Platforms: iPhone, iPad, Android, Blackberry, Windows, Palm Web site: WeatherBug Website Cost: $0.99 People who know me know I'm a weather nerd. I love reading about it and talking about high pressure areas, cold fronts, hurricanes and the like. The doppler radar plays a pro ... More >>

Rap Round Table: What Do You Want For Christmas, Rapper?

Some rappers happen to be thoughtful, intelligent people. Each week Rocks Off will have some of them here discussing issues relevant to their culture. Photo illustration by John Seaborn Gray​This Week's Panel: Z-Ro, C-Stone, Kyle Hubbard, D-Risha, Mr. Wired Up (Oh Boy), A.D.D., Marcus Manchil ... More >>

Thanks, Houston

What we appreciate most this year.

What We Are Thankful For This Year

Like most years, 2011 has been...complicated. We've heard some great music, seen some killer shows and lost some amazing people. We also nearly lost one of our own. That's how it goes in this world and it's why the things we are thankful for take on added meaning as the year begins to wind down. Th ... More >>

Football! This Weekend's Best Bets

When Steve Jobs passed away yesterday, I was in Target. I learned of his death on my iPhone while standing in the technology section behind the iPad showcase and in front of a rack of DVD's that included several Pixar features. It's about as poignant a moment as you can have learning about the dea ... More >>

Three Ways Steve Jobs Made Technology Cool, Stylish and Accessible

This morning I was scheduled for a conference call with one of my clients and I knew I was running a few minutes late. My laptop was not with me and I didn't know the client's email address by heart. Fortunately, I had my iPhone. I opened it up, found a recent e-mail exchange between myself and my c ... More >>

Steve Jobs RIP: Apple Founder Succumbs To Cancer At 56 #SteveJobs

Apple has passed along the sad news that it's founder, Steve Jobs, has died this evening at the age of 56. News of his death is now sweeping the web and social media is afire. The tech mogul and pioneer in personal computing had been battling pancreatic cancer for a few years now. He stepped down ju ... More >>

Marfreless and Mike Riccetti Make Entertaining Easy

​Yes, you read that right: Marfreless, the legendary sign-less make-out bar in River Oaks, is partly behind a book from two Houston locals on how to make your next party the talk of the town. Or at least the subdivision. Mike Riccetti, a longtime Houston food fixture who writes for the Examin ... More >>

Friday Night: Rick Springfield & Spin Doctors At Arena Theatre

Photos by Bob Ruggiero​Rick Springfield, Spin Doctors Arena Theatre May 27, 2011 Looking around at the Arena Theatre audience Friday - heavily populated by forty- and fiftysomething women on a little Girls Night Out - it would be easy to dismiss them as estrogen bombs just waiting to detonat ... More >>

Out Today: Paul Simon Resurgent, Foos Get Loud, Isbell Kills

​It's New Release Tuesday, and this week's is one of the biggest days of the year, with new discs by the Foo Fighters, a reinvigorated Paul Simon and TV On The Radio leading the pack, plus a few other artists returning to the scene after a few years away from the limelight. Next week (April ... More >>

App of the Week: Alfred

A quick search using Alfred yielded really helpful results.​App: Alfred Platforms: Mac OSX Web site: Alfredapp.com Cost: Free (Power Pack add-on for about $20) Normally, this space is reserved for apps for the phone and the occasional Web site. This week, we're going to talk directly to M ... More >>

Russell Simmons' Debit Cards: Capitalism Or Exploitation?

​Do you know what the last great consumer market is? It isn't iPad users. It's the opposite of your first instinct, people with disposable income. The last great consumer market, ladies and gentlemen, is the poor. And hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons knows this. He's launching a new pre-paid de ... More >>

Puke-Tastic "Animal Abuse" Flick to Be Shown Outside Schools, Malls

A scene from Farm to Fridge​It's probably safe to say that this film won't garner a G rating. Mercy for Animals (MFA), an animal-rights organization that has exposed some of the behind-the-scenes goings-on in factory farms, has recently released the film Farm to Fridge - The Truth Behind Meat ... More >>

Death Penalty: Your Newest App

Yeah, there's an app for that​Have your Angry Birds gone postal? You might need the newest app, from the Death Penalty Information Center. Today's on-the-go death-penalty activist is now only a touch away from "our Fact Sheet on the Death Penalty, our Execution Database, and the most recent d ... More >>

Zodiac Change Day: Do Not Despair, Aquarius -- You're Not a Capricorn, No Matter What They Say

This is NOT the dawning of the age of Capricorn, dammit​Today is the first big change under the new astrology rules, or whatever they are that's riling up zodiac types. January 20 is now the beginning of Capricorn, whereas it used to be the home of Aquarius. We're sure we're messing up the t ... More >>

NFL Playoff Best Bets (and a Tiger Woods Wagering Lesson)

Angry Birds: As good a playoff-picking method as any​Every Friday (Thursday some weeks) when I go to fish the lines for that weekend's football games off the Internet, I go to the same site. (Point of non-disclosure: I will not reveal the name of the site which I use to wager go to. Easily t ... More >>

The Week In TV: Enjoy Hulu While It Lasts

The good stuff won't be free for much longer.​My backyard flooded, I went half-blind on fireworks, and I am exponentially losing my agility. This was the week in TV Land: • As if to taunt my very desires, Hulu announced last week that it's launching Hulu Plus, a paid version of the site th ... More >>

Texas Textbooks Ignore Hip-Hop, Thomas Jefferson

"...But history is written by those who have hanged heroes" - Braveheart ​What do you need to know about history? They are the stories that made up America. They are the stories that America made up. That's actually not ours. If you've seen Assume The Position on HBO, you know it's a comedic but a ... More >>

Buzzfest Brings The Noise, And The Pain

Photos by Marc BrubakerBreak Stuff: The Bizkit is back!​ For many, many more shots of Sunday's bands, see our slideshow here. For the really fun stuff - crowd shots! - see our slideshow here. Sunday, Aftermath spent ten hours wading in Buzzfest XXIV's radio-rock and classic nu-metal at the Cynthia ... More >>

Capsule Art Reviews: "2010 School of Art Annual Student Exhibition", "Francesca Fuchs", "McKay Otto", "Ron Hoover — A Retrospective: 1972-2006"

Mayor Parker On Twitter, Facebook And Those Nasty People Who Leave Comments On Blogs

Intrepid blogger Mike McGuff  has an interview up with mayor Annise Parker on her -- and the city's -- use of social media in the past and the future."She reveals the steps her campaign took to effectively utilize social media and the blogosphere to win the votes," McGuff tells Hair Balls.No ... More >>