Ben Folds

Five Punk Goes... Songs That Don't Suck

Last time in our "things that don't suck" series, we looked at some educational songs ( ) that our children could learn from without being bored to death. This week, we're looking at the Punk Goes... series, and some of the worthwhile tracks to grab from the series. Punk Goes... has long been the ... More >>

Bon Iver, Hipster Doofus

Last Night: Ben Folds Five at Bayou Music Center

Ben Folds Five Bayou Music Center September 25, 2012 In the recent rash of rock reunions this past year, it was perhaps the reuniting of Ben Folds, Robert Sledge and Darren Jessee that was the most warranted and most fully realized. After years as a solo act, piano man Folds and his Chapel Hill, ... More >>

Shatner’s World: We Just Live in It

Greg Laswell Needs a Landline

Rising singer-songwriter not as dark, but still wounded on new album.

Shot In The Dark: Angels & A-Holes

When you're in the photo pit taking pictures for a publication such as Rocks Off, you can become the unwanted center of attention from both the audience and especially the artists. Most of the time you are only a few feet away from the performer, and often in their direct line of sight. They can and ... More >>

Ben Folds Five Returns: An Essential Playlist

Photo By GroovehouseBen Folds solo in 2010 at the House Of Blues​The eight-year run of '90s indie act the Ben Folds Five was fruitful in many ways. We got the most catchy song about a Christmas abortion ever in 1997's "Brick", three excellent studio albums full of snarky, romantically-challeng ... More >>

Bloodsport and Oxtopus on Last Night's Top Chef: Texas

I am proud to report that the above photo is now the one of the first search results for "Asian Leghorn."​...aaaaaand we're back! Last week, I drank heavily and recapped the first episode of Top Chef: Texas. Check that recap to familiarize yourself with the dumb names I've made up for nearly e ... More >>

Top 20 Throwback TV Theme Songs Part 2

Only a big dummy wouldn't have this show on the list.​Yesterday, we hit you up with the best ten TV theme songs that didn't quite make the top of our list. We heard a few quibbles from fellow television aficionados, but their cries of frustration were muffled by the sounds of "The LOOOVVE BOA ... More >>

Pop Rocks: Bill Shatner And Liz Taylor -- The Throwdown

Two classic thespians at the top of their game.​This week saw two milestones in the entertainment world. The first was the 80th birthday, on Tuesday, of Captain Kirk himself, William Shatner. The second was the unsurprising yet still depressing death yesterday of one of Hollywood's last true ... More >>

William Shatner's Greatest Hits: The Man Transformed

​Rocks Off would like to wish a very happy 80th birthday to the one and only Mr. William Shatner. He may not be the best actor out there, or the best singer, but he is without a doubt the best William Shatner there ever was or ever will be. The way he has totally erased the line between sincer ... More >>

Capital Steps

Dispatches from ACL 2010

Live From The Austin City Limits Festival, Day 3

Marco TorresTrombone Shorty​Craig Hlavaty: News coming out of the media tent: Don Henley of the Eagles had a stent put in his heart this past week. He will be singing and possibly playing guitar, but not exerting himself on drums. This could very well be the last Eagles show for a while - if e ... More >>

Top 10 Rap Covers By Non-Rap Artists

​Artists have many ways of expressing admiration for their peers. Name-dropping those who inspire them in liner notes and offering them groupies on the tour bus are just a couple of ways of showing respect. Covering one of their popular songs? Now that's the ultimate tip of the hat. That's an ... More >>

FAIL: Nashville Weather, Liam Gallagher, Meat Loaf, Warrant's Jani Lane

If you're reading this, you're either on the Internet, or else you've mastered multi-dimensional thought-projection processes that would make Michio Kaku cry like a little girl. We'll assume the former, and just in case you don't already know, the Internet has decided that the word "failure" is too ... More >>

Ben Folds, Still Fighting His "Piano Man" Side

Photos by Groovehouse​ For more pictures from Ben and Kate, see our slideshow here. It's been awhile since Aftermath came out of a show so ambivalent, so very "eh" that we almost feel bad about even attempting to review it. It didn't offend us in any way, nor did it blow any wind up our ripped jor ... More >>

Ben Folds

SXSW Aftermath: Black Joe Lewis, Raphael Saadiq and Smokey Robinson

Photos by Katharine ShilcuttBlack Joe Lewis and the Honeybears​Joe Lewis alternated between sweating profusely into his harmonica and howling into the microphone, doubled over on the stage with the pain and joy of their fourth show of SXSW, as the white-shirted Honeybears -- minus keyboardist ... More >>

Matt the Electrician

Distant Early Warning: Ben Folds, Caribou, Lupe Fiasco, Randy Travis, Steve Martin, Etc.

​Authority Zero, Voodoo Glow Skulls: Fri., April 9. Wired Live. "Aqua Teen Hunger Force Live": Fri., April 16. House of Blues. "Bamboozle Road Show" With Hanson, Good Charlotte, Forever The Sickest Kids, Cartel, Boys Like Girls, All Time Low: Fri., May 28. Verizon Wireless Theater. Ben Folds: Sat ... More >>

This Week In TV: Joss Whedon Is A Free Man

It's been nice knowing you, Dollhouse. Now how about that Serenity sequel, Whedon?​It's way too cold outside, I can't believe I'm back at work, and I've already braved one after-Christmas sale. This was the week in TV Land: • I watched the finale of The Sing-Off. That's how little there was ... More >>

Stuck In a Moment You (Still) Can't Get Out Of: Remembering 9/11 In Music

Just as none of us will ever forget where we were the morning of September 11, 2001, Rocks Off will never forget what he was listening to most of the day of the terrorist attacks. Sadly, he admits it was System of A Down's Toxicity, which had come out just the week before. For us the album conveyed ... More >>

He Said She Said: Breakup Songs to Help You Bawl

We've all been there, in the throes of a breakup so bad you fear you'll end up dying alone or in jail: Crying so hard your eyes are chapped and red, throat sore and aching from sobbing, hair matted from days without a shower and nails chewed to the quick. Your friends are tired of hearing you rehas ... More >>

He Said She Said: Breakup Songs to Help You Bawl, Part 2

Ever since men and women set eyes upon each other at the beginning of time, there have been break-ups, and painful dissolutions of romantic escapades have made the best art in the world. Hell, somewhere in the world there is a probably a cave painting of a pretty young Neanderthal girl with devil h ... More >>

Ben Folds

Popular '90s man is back...with a keytar.

Artist of the Week: Liz Dannemiller

Highly Anticipated Albums of 2008

Been a Long Time

But the Houston Symphony Wants to "Rock and Roll"

A Guide to Being Cool

Stuff you need to know this week to avoid musical ostracism

Bet You Didn't Even Realize He Was Gone

Ben Folds

Ben Folds performs Wednesday, November 1, at Jones Hall, 615 Louisiana. Call 713-224-7575 for more info.

Shell Game

Over the Hedge wants you to feel bad about what it's selling, which is everything

Bunnyface Killahs

A veteran Liverpudlian rock band and a kung-fu-obsessed Staten Island MC have more in common than you think

Jada Rocks

Mrs. Fresh Prince brings her "spiritual hardcore" to the Scout Bar. Deal with that.

Ben Folds and His Band

Friday, November 18, at Numbers, 300 Westheimer, 713-526-6551.

Rockin' Renewal

The imminent launch of new venue Warehouse Live makes it official: Downtown is now Houston's live music hot spot

Downtown H-town Throwdown

Tearing it up at the Music Awards Showcase

Music Awards Survey

A rundown of every act on this year's bill

Take This Love and Shove It

The best X-rated breakup songs

MOFRO

Slaid Cleaves

Saturday, March 27

Xmas Marks the Spot

A guide to new holiday discs, from surprise presents to Tannen-bombs

November Pain

Call 'em Guns N' Poseurs if you like, but Axl Rose can still incite riots with the best of them

The Vines

Saturday, July 27

The b-sides

Thursday, March 14

Rotation

New Releases Reviewed

Into the Folds

Rotation

Rotation