Apple iPod

Christmas Past: 15 Odd Christmas Gift Ideas for Musicians

While we celebrate the holidays, Rocks Off is resurrecting a few of our best Christmas-themed blogs from the past few years. (Wait... resurrecting is Easter. Never mind.) This blog originally appeared November 21, 2011. As the timeless tale of the Little Drummer Boy reminds us, there is no greater ... More >>

5 New Rules For Your Party Playlist

The keg is on ice, and the snacks are in the party bowls slowly going stale. The streamers are hung and the party hats are sitting on the kitchen table, perhaps ironically, perhaps not. The neighbors have been bribed with invitations or money, and the local police are on full alert. The drug dealers ... More >>

For Even "Failed" Musicians: Influence Is Success

Welcome to Ask a Failed Musician, in which I will help struggling musicians make sense of their careers and even offer some advice. Whether or not it will work, who knows? It obviously didn't work for me. But then again, I was on Kimmel once, so there's that.BY DANIEL HOPKINS A musician responded t ... More >>

Insane Clown Posse Incites Spiritual Debate, Asks "Where's God?"

Here's a Video of the Entire Geto Boys Show From Saturday's Juggalo Gathering We've all asked the question, believers or non-believers alike: "Where's God?" In times of personal trial, family strife, financial disaster, or just sailing the choppy seas of relationships, when we need some sort of sup ... More >>

HPMA Showcase: DJ Afterparty at Jet Lounge

HPMA Showcase: The 12 Best Artists of 2012 HPMA Showcase: Rocks Off's Top 7 Discoveries HPMA Showcase: Sunday's 11 Best Random Moments SLIDESHOW: HPMA Showcase -- The Bands SLIDESHOW: HPMA Showcase -- The Crowds "After the show it's the afterparty..." -- Jay-Z Another year, another successful ... More >>

8 Musical Activities That Should Be Olympic Sports

After years of preparation, unprecedented security, and a Mitt Romney gaffe or two, the opening ceremonies of the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London get underway about 3 p.m. Houston time. At the same time, multitudes will gather in nearby Hyde Park for a free concert with Duran Duran, Snow Patrol, ... More >>

Bartender Chat: Emily Hynds of Double Trouble

Double Trouble Caffeine and Cocktails 3622 Main 713-874-0096 With leather and bamboo patio seating behind imposing yet beckoning rebar gates, Double Trouble is one of the newest residents of the so-called "Main Street Island." Residing one block south of the HCC/Ensemble light rail stop on Main and ... More >>

Gothic Council Sings Your Kids to Sleep

We hate you, Peter Murphy. Well, OK. Not really. Murphy is a good guy who is a joy to interview and who still puts out amazing music. That being said, we are getting thoroughly sick of his trademark voice. Our two-year-old daughter requests his song "The Line Between the Devil's Teeth (And That Wh ... More >>

15 Odd Christmas Gift Ideas for Musicians

​As the timeless tale of the Little Drummer Boy reminds us, there is no greater gift than the gift of music. But what about those on your Christmas list who already have plenty of music in their lives? Buying gifts for musicians is no easy task -- most of them already own the entire Rush disco ... More >>

Kirko Bangz Poised To Blow Up Big With "Drank In My Cup"

​How good was Kirko Bangz' hit "What Yo' Name Iz"? So good that it eventually a) earned him a deal with Warner Bros; b) secured him a DJ Drama hosted mixtape; and c) earned him an untold number of female fans, despite the fact that, in it, he talks to them in a less than respectful manner. W ... More >>

Groovy, Man: The Main Street Art Happening, Circa 1973

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Hot Stuff: Will The Texas Heat Melt Your Vinyl LPs?

Note: All temperatures in the following article are given in degrees Fahrenheit. Here is a helpful Celsius conversion calculator. ​You might not have noticed it lately, but outdoors, rays of this thing called "sunshine" are hitting the Earth like the planet didn't bring the Sun a sandwich wh ... More >>

Lonesome Onry And Mean Plays "Spin The iPod" (Almost)

​Facebook, that great time-waster, is always a source of mindless brain candy. Just a few moments ago, Lonesome, Onry and Mean was tagged in a note titled "15 Random iPod Songs." The rules were fairly straightforward: Put your unit on "random" and list the first 15 songs that play. This sound ... More >>

iPod: Happy Anniversary, You Little Devil

Can somebody please tell us what the hell Firewire is? Nine years ago today - November 10, 2001 - Apple unveiled a new kind of MP3 player known as an iPod. About the size of a deck of cards, the device contained five gigabytes of memory, enough for about 1,000 songs, and cost $400. Four. Hundred. ... More >>

Top 5 Songs On Jacob Black Of Twilight's iPod

​Well, today is the day Twilight: Eclipse is released, and a million voices are screaming, "Honey, do we hafta?" Since Gothtopia already runs a column on vampires - and may we add that Bill Compton would put some serious maim in Edward Cullen's sparkle motion? - today we're gonna talk about w ... More >>

Skate & Rock No. 3

A Weird Pop Heaven Via Bay City's "Happy Radio"

​Along Rocks Off's various Texas travels, we almost never listen to an iPod or compact discs anymore. Anything we could pop in wouldn't match the rhythm of the road; the Stooges or Metallica don't really jive with Highways 59, 71 or 77. In today's world of satellite radios, streaming tunes on your ... More >>

Godsmacked: 27 Years Of Mouthwash Buzz And Birthday Shame

​This coming Monday, Craig's Hlist enters his 27th year of decadence and shame. One year closer to 30, with no signs of getting wiser or smarter. This year we have no clue as to what to do or where to go, other than see live music and drink too much. But that's a typical weekend anyway and will mo ... More >>

Uprising

2009 wasn't a great year for albums, but songs were a different story.

The Music of True Blood, Episode 1.6: Cobra Verde Helps Sookie "Play With Fire"

Alan Ball was known for his masterful use of music in Six Feet Under. He's lost none of his touch when it comes to his current HBO series, True Blood - which happens to be set in the Louisiana swamps, not terribly far from Houston. With Season 2 just completed, Rocks Off is now working our way backw ... More >>

A Third Ward Pawnshop iPod and the Mysterious Fate of Previous Owner "Scooby"

Whoever he is (was?), Scooby's iPod wasn't short on R. Kelly.​So a couple of weeks ago, after three or four years of increasingly faltering service, Rocks Off's 30 GB iPod finally died. Completely. Out of sheer broke-assedness, we had held on to it for longer than most. By the end, its quirks and ... More >>

Artist of the Week: BetterLuck

Each Wednesday, Rocks Off arbitrarily appoints one lucky local performer or group "Artist of the Week," bestowing upon them all the fame and grandeur such a lofty title implies. Know a band or artist that isn't awful? Email their particulars to introducingliston@gmail.com.For some reason, back in 20 ... More >>

TPWD Says "Great Outdoors Day" Is Coming: How To Celebrate It With Your Teen-Ager

Photo by marxchivistYou knew this, of course, but June 13 is National "Get Outdoors" Day. We knew this because the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department just sent out the news."As a part of the second annual GO Day, more than two dozen Texas state parks are joining federal agencies, nonprofit organi ... More >>

Going Viral

The infestation of classic-rock threatens the cultural legacy of an entire generation and must be stopped.

Playing Favorites

Chairlift

The Airborne Toxic Event

Airborne Toxic Event

Pioneers of Hip-Hop Tour

New North Heights Hipster Hang: Big Star Bar

Bad Motor Scooter

Warlocks: Heavy Deavy Skull Lover

Racket vs Racket Jr

J.D. Herman's Matagorda Island Discs

“Design Life Now: National Design Triennial”

A Smithsonian exhibit makes a stop at the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston

Vintage Radio Roadshow

Get your old-timey radio checked out and (most importantly) price

2007 Music Year in Review

Anders Parker

For What It's Worth

Anniversaries

The Return of Magic iPod

Explain Your Most Played

Houston Radio Still Sucks

David Sadof shares his dream station with Racket

Absinthe Brasserie's

Absinthe

Magic iPod

In with the New

Despite doom-and-gloom predictions, 2006 wasn't at all bad

Loony Zunes

Universal Music helps Microsoft set a crappy precedent

Not That We Don't Love the Classics...

Blowing Smokey

Inexperienced actors can't carry the Great Caruso's latest show

Comeback Clips

A music-video renaissance is afoot -- but it's strictly on the download

Jet

Sunday, September 25, at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, 2005 Lake Robbins Drive, The Woodlands, 281-363-3300.