Aretha Franklin

Friday Night: Train at Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion

Train Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion September 14, 2012 Train's music isn't going to win an award for composition anytime soon; it's far too generic for that. But the San Francisco band has found a number of other ways to be creative and prove their worth to even someone like me, who doesn't drive ... More >>

RIP Joe South: "Games People Play" Singer Passes Away at 70

Joe South, the singer whose gospel-lite anthem "Games People Play" reached No. 12 in 1969 and won a Grammy for Song of the Year, passed away Wednesday after being in "failing health," the country-music Web site musicrow.com reported. He was 70. For a brief time, the Atlanta native (born Joseph Sou ... More >>

Ooh La La, Grace Potter

Country's biggest summer tour an alt-pop blond bombshell.

Capsule Stage Reviews: Beehive, Black Coffee, Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, The Lion King, Tamarie Cooper's DOOMSDAY REVUE (the greatest musical ever), Travelsty

Capsule Stage Reviews: Beehive, Large Animal Games, Alice in Wonderland: the Musical Queen, Black Coffee

A Soulful Christmas In July

I didn't think I would succumb to sharing with the world how freaking hot I think it is because every time I see one of you complaining about it on Facebook, I envision your head between a Foreman grill. That might be pregnancy hormones speaking, but seriously; it's July, we're in Houston, it's ou ... More >>

A Slew Of New Houston Rap MP3s That Don't Suck

Here's a story. Back in late April, early May I had to fight through the most unwanted thing to anyone who owns a Macbook: A hard-drive fail. I'm sure we can curse Steve Jobs, Siri and the rest for making those short-ass chargers, but there's more headache than need be with a hard drive fail. So I ... More >>

Rest Of The Best: Houston's Top 8 Jukeboxes

Along with pickled pig's feet and a steady supply of Slim Jims, a good jukebox is a prime element for any great bar. But, like dinosaurs, jukeboxes are a vanishing breed. Unlike digital jukes, iPods or DJs, jukeboxes require love, care and maintenance, as well as -- among the truly great ones -- som ... More >>

Natalie Cole

Top 10 Carole King Songs Written for Other Artists

Carole King is a woman who has played a major part in creating numerous classic hit songs. She has helped to shape popular music since she and then-husband Gerry Goffin (they divorced in 1968) wrote "Will You Love Me Tomorrow" in 1961. Her songs have been covered by such diverse artists as Smokey Ro ... More >>

Last Night: Aretha Franklin at Arena Theater

Aretha Franklin Arena Theater November 17th, 2011 Photos by Marc Brubaker​A grown and sexy crowd filled the room at the Arena Theater last night to welcome the undisputed Queen of Soul to Houston, the lovely Miss Aretha Franklin. Her majesty was escorted down the aisle by her team, not so muc ... More >>

Aretha Franklin

Pop Rocks: A (Not Really) Canonical List Of Wardrobe Malfunctions (NSFW)

Bad idea.​The "wardrobe malfunction" is a phenomenon I confess I wasn't really aware of until Super Bowl XXXVIII. Half of us at the party were watching the actual Janet Jackson/Justin Timberlake halftime show, the other half were watching the South Park (or was it Family Guy?) episode running ... More >>

Pop Rocks: What's Your [Wardrobe] Malfunction? (NSFW)

Bad idea.​The "wardrobe malfunction" is a phenomenon I confess I wasn't really aware of until Super Bowl XXXVIII. Half of us at the party were watching the actual Janet Jackson/Justin Timberlake halftime show, the other half were watching the South Park (or was it Family Guy?) episode running ... More >>

Detroit Leanin': Who Is The Best Motor City Artist Ever?

detroitrockcity.altervista.org​Some places breed music. Due to sheer size, any big city will produce its fair share of talented musicians, and some - Memphis, New Orleans, Chicago - seem to have music in the water supply. But none, arguably, more than Detroit: John Lee Hooker, the Motown dias ... More >>

The United States Of Women In Music

​Rocks Off is no He-Man Woman Hater's Club. We like women quite a bit, actually, especially those women brave enough to wade through the rivers of bullshit in the male-dominated music business. If you'll page back a few weeks, you'll remember the discussion of our favorite female artists from ... More >>

Last Night: Grace Potter & The Nocturnals At House Of Blues

Photos by Groovehouse​Grace Potter & the Nocturnals, Jonathan Tyler & the Northern Lights House of Blues February 17, 2011 For more totally tasteful pictures from Thursday, see our slideshow here. Ooh la la. Aftermath is going to be real up front here. We did not know a whole lot about Grac ... More >>

"Auld Lang Syne," In All Its Many Colors

​Harry: What does this song mean? My whole life, I don't know what this song means. "Should old acquaintance be forgot" - does that mean we should forget old acquaintances, or if we happen to forget them, that we should remember them, which is not possible because we've already forgotten them? ... More >>

A Fistful of Soul

One righteous vintage vinyl party.

The Marvelous Wonderettes

Open Up And Say Ahhh: An Oral Surgery Playlist

​If you're reading this around the time it's published, Rocks Off will once again be in the dentist's chair. This has been something of a recurring theme for us this summer, as we have been trying to reverse years of neglecting our poor gums by undergoing several surgical procedures that do no ... More >>

Idol Beat: Hold On, I'm Coming (That's What She Said)

"Look at your man. Now look at me. Now look at American Idol."​This is the 12th week of the season of American Idol. We're down to the top 10 contestants. We're more than halfway home. In other words, this is when I'm ready for it to be over. This week's mentor and guest star is Usher, who's ... More >>

American Idol: Hold On, I'm Coming (That's What She Said)

"Look at your man. Now look at me. Now look at American Idol."​This is the 12th week of the season of American Idol. We're down to the top 10 contestants. We're more than halfway home. In other words, this is when I'm ready for it to be over. This week's mentor and guest star is Usher, who's ... More >>

Soul Night 2

Get your fill of Marvin Gaye and Tina Turner at the Aurora Picture Show's funky flashback

Rocks Off Exclusive: Things Beyonce Will Be Doing on Her Break from Music

​ On top of everything else this week, sadly the news has come out that our beloved Beyonce is taking a break from music. Just when we need her the most, right? We miss B and Ms. Fierce already, and we're already speculating what she might get up to while taking her sabbatical away from the public ... More >>

Houston Leads The Nation In Young-Teen Moms: A Good Thing?

​People are up in arms (Are people ever "down on arms"?) about a new report that shows Houston leads the nation in teen births, at least among women aged 15 or less.Abstinence-only ain't working, we need more abstinence-only, yadda yadda yadda.Sure, having a baby when you're 15 isn't the best choi ... More >>

Girl Star, Grown Up

Still proud of her family band, Susan Cowsill does her own thing now.

Soul Nite

From Motown to the Orange Show, that’s quite a trip

Down Payment Blues: Musicians With Tax Trouble

Finished that tax return yet? Not to worry: you've still got a few hours until midnight, and the post offices are open late. Over the years, these musicians have gotten in hot water with their countries' internal-revenue collectors as well... Bono Forever a proponent of all things charitable, ... More >>

For April 15: Five Movies About Taxes

April 15 each year brings with it the journalistic challenge of covering yet another "last-rush filers" story, or some clever way to say that it's the deadline for getting your return in. (We still wonder if anyone's ever been prosecuted because their return had an April 16 postmark.)The subject of ... More >>

Classic Rock Corner: Blues/Soul/R&B In Memoriam 2008

Ah, that nasty Grim Reaper took a lot of great musicians this year, and his scythe cut a wide swath across all genres, including many heavyweights in the blues and R&B world. The greatest loss comes in the form of someone who was a man, a song, and a beat all in one... Bo Diddley, singer-songw ... More >>

Billy D. Washington

Local comedic force once served on the police force

Tonight: Michael Hardie and Milton Hopkins at Red Cat Jazz Cafe

Patti LaBelle

The woman with a once-in-a-generation voice bares her soul to Houston

“Mustang Sally”: White People’s Mating Call

Bettye LaVette, The Scene of the Crime

www.bettyelavette.com

For What It's Worth

Anniversaries

“Perspectives 157: Xaviera Simmons”

The CAMH gets funky

HouStoned Rocks Mixtape

Capsule Reviews

A picture of our opinions on local exhibits

Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings

Saturday, September 10, at the Continental Club, 3700 Main, 713-529-9899.

Joss Stone

Sunday, April 25

Joss Stone

The Soul Sessions (S-Curve)

Aretha Franklin

Sunday and Monday, October 27 and October 28

Best Jukebox

Warren's Inn

Perseverin' Papas

Rotation

Sound Check

The Name Game

When Austin's Little Sister found she had too many siblings, she became Sister 7

Surprised, but Cool