Benjamin Wesley

The Best Concerts In Houston This Weekend: Travis Tritt, Adam Bricks, John Digweed, etc.

Good Job Underground Fitzgerald's, April 13 Spring's Good Job Underground has been one of the most underrated rock duos of the past few years around these parts. If you have an El Ten Eleven itch that needs scratching, or miss prime Helmet, here's your band. Straight-ahead, low-fat metal riffs with ... More >>

Houston Bands Prepare to Invade SXSW

Starting this coming weekend, a slew (yes, a slew) of Houston bands will be invading Austin to take part in SXSW's official and unofficial revelry. Grandfather Child, Electric Attitude, Something Fierce, Bagheera and many others will be playing free day parties, showcases and pop-up festivals. Rec ... More >>

The Rest of the Best: Houston's Top 5 Restaurant Playlists

The only times I notice the music in a restaurant is when it's really bad (Christmas music playing year round at Sichuan Cuisine), really out of place (Nine Inch Nails blaring out of the speakers at now-closed Tony Vallone joint Ciao Bello or Cannibal Corpse washing over the line of patrons at Amy's ... More >>

When Car Commercials And Rock And Roll Collide

This weekend is the big Houston Art Car Parade, where children and adults of all ages can gander at their fellow Houstonians' labors of car love. Each car is a marvel to the ingenuity and the insanity of this race known as the modern Texan. The Art Car festivities have cars on our brains. Rock a ... More >>

30 Seconds with Benjamin Wesley

Benjamin Wesley is one of Houston's greatest talents, and his new album Think/Thoughts completely redefined what I thought musicians were capable of in the realm of songwriting. I fired off an e-mail to my new audio-crush to see what I could learn and discern about his bearded majesty in 30 seconds. ... More >>

7 Cool & Cheap Weekenders: Tails & Tunes, Los Skarnales, Etc.

Mango's gets a jump on Cinco de Mayo with its "Cuatro de Mayo" party presented by Rockin' Steady. Cover is only $2, or free with a Social Distortion ticket stub. This could be fun: This month across the street, Numbers is letting one lucky winner create his or her own 15-minute Classic Numbers DJ ... More >>

7 Cool & Cheap Things To Do This Weekend: Neuwave!, Iguanas, Jack Saunders, Etc.

One final reminder that Belgian electronic body music groundbreakers Front 242's show originally scheduled for tonight at Numbers has been cancelled (for some time, it looks like), but we're guessing Classic Numbers might toss in "Headhunter" or "Never Stop" anyway. If not, you'll hear EBM and every ... More >>

Last Night: Jandek At Big Star Bar

Jandek Big Star Bar April 1, 2012 The first time I saw Jandek live, I learned to leave whatever I had been expecting in another room. That was Rudyard's in April 2009, and I had been expecting (correctly or not) some kind of solo Bill Callahan-like avant-folk implosion, and got a trio playing a sol ... More >>

6 Cool & Cheap Things To Do This Weekend

The "Reggae Riddim Revival" rides into Last Concert Cafe Friday with D.R.U.M., Bigga Staar, Zin and DJ Meshak, plus live painting and dancers. Before 9:30 p.m., cover is only $5 if you bring a hand drum. In case you were wondering, there will be a drum circle. In one of the oddest bookings we've s ... More >>

Deep Thoughts

Benjamin Wesley follows a gig with the renowned Jandek with his own CD release.

Upcoming: Chickenfoot, Knife Party, Marilyn Manson, The Skatalites, Titus Andronicus

The 71s, Eyes Burn Electric, The Great Coats: Sat., March 3. Continental Club, 3700 Main, Houston. Acid Mothers Temple: Thu., May 10. Fitzgerald's, 2706 White Oak, Houston. Southeast Engine, Ancient Cat Society: Tue., March 13. Leon's Lounge Beach Boys: Fri., June 8. Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavili ... More >>

Chris Gray Day Finalized Schedule

The lineup is finally set for this Saturday's concert benefitting Houston Press music editor Chris Gray and it's a doozy. Tomorrow, we'll give you a rundown of all the silent auction items and you'll be even more impressed. For now, let's focus on the bands. The bonanza of bands gets started at 10 ... More >>

Chris Gray Day Tentative Schedule Released

​Chris Gray Day will be held in Houston, Texas on Saturday, January 14, 2012 at The Continental Club complex, at 3701 Main, affectionately known to locals that live near and haunt the grounds as "The Island". Today Rocks Off gets to announce the first round of bands playing that day's festivit ... More >>

Merry Christmas From The Houston Music Scene: Free Music Downloads (UPDATED)

Welp, it's been a year to say the least. There has been so much great music, amazing shows, new discoveries, many sad and happy milestones, and Rocks Off tried to cover all of it these past 12 months. Next year will be even more awesome, for so many reasons, which we will get into the next two wee ... More >>

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 >>

A Houston Press Benefit for Chris Gray

Photo by Ramon MedinaChris Gray, on the right, with musician Benjamin Wesley.​In order to help with his hospital bills, the Houston Press will be hosting a benefit for Music Editor Chris Gray, who suffered an apparent heart attack last Friday. As of today, things were looking up for Chris. He ... More >>

Houston Press to Host Benefit in Support of Music Editor Chris Gray

Photo by Ramon MedinaChris Gray, on the right, with musician Benjamin Wesley.​In order to help with his hospital bills, the Houston Press will be hosting a benefit for Music Editor Chris Gray, who suffered an apparent heart attack last Friday. As of today, things were looking up for Chris. He ... More >>

Upcoming Events: Support Local, Eat Bacon

Coming up next weekend: Gird your pork-loving loins.​At Georgia's Farm to Market, SLGT doesn't just mean "Support Local, Grow Together." It also means "Saturday Local Get Together," when the market hosts its weekly Local Life Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. This Saturday, chow down on Georgi ... More >>

More Local Music News Than Tickets Sold to the Astros Home Opener...a LOT More

​In the land of MCM, it's always Friday and there's always a treasure trove of local music news. That's because we happen to structure it as such, but make no mistake, we've got a full truckload for everyone this week. However, in what might be a MCM first, we don't have an actual mixtape fro ... More >>

Canned Acoustica

The Mink Celebrates Five-Year Anniversary With Young Girls

​Goodness, it's been a while since our last MCM update, but we're back. Rocks Off is scouring the Internet for every tidbit of Houston music news we can find, and reporting it all back every Friday. If you'd like to facilitate our hunt, feel free to drop a line to marc [dot] brubaker [at] gmai ... More >>

Hot Saturday Night

Roky Moon & BOLT release debut LP.

Benefits, Outdoor Shows Fill Up Fall Concert Season Quick

​"Winter changed into spring, spring changed into summer, summer changed back into winter, and winter gave spring and summer a miss and went straight on into autumn" - Monty Python and the Holy Grail That's what it's starting to feel like at Rocks Off HQ, especially on the local front. The su ... More >>

A Few Possible Cures For Rocks Off's Acute "Can't Stay Home" Syndrome

Lev Kuperman/ myspace.com/viaaudio​ Monday night, an obviously delirious Rocks Off found ourselves upstairs at the Mink's Backroom instead of where we should have been, home in bed asleep. We enjoyed high-energy/lo-fi trio Vivian Girls, but at this point we are starting to realize we may have a pr ... More >>

Artopia

Magnolia City Mixtape: New Videos, 7-Inches, Poster Shows, National Blogpress... Enough to Make You Think We've Got an Actual Scene Around Here

Well, the Justice Department has approved the Live Nation/Ticketmaster monopoly merger. What does this mean for you, the average concertgoer? Well, even more inflation on the already-ridiculous $6 Lone Stars at House of Blues. Free Press Houston had a well-written cover story last spring about the ... More >>

Benjamin Wesley's Animation Comes to Life In "Crazy" New Video

Mark C. Austin​ Late last night we got our first peek at a new clip from local singer-songwriter Benjamin Wesley for his single "People Will Never Stop Being Crazy." The video comes almost a year after his Geschichte release, and is in fact the first music video he has made to promote the EP. Last ... More >>

2009 Concert Rewind: The 2009 Houston Press Music Awards Showcase and Ceremony

Showcase Sunday, Part 1 Shea SerranoRunaway Sun​ Dominique: "We guess critics would call her style 'neo-soul,' but it didn't seem very 'neo' to me, more like 'jazzy soul.' She fronted a piano-led trio with two backing vocalists and from the first sultry Fender Rhodes groove to the final explosive ... More >>

Aftermath: Basses Loaded's Second Last Show Ever at Mango's

Photos by Craig Hlavaty​ There are lots of awesome things about the beginning of the holiday season. Reconnecting with far-flung relatives, old friends coming home to visit their parents and intermittingly sneaking off with you to run up a bar tab in between family excursions, and ungodly amounts ... More >>

Rocks Off's YouTube Video Explosion 2009: U2, Steve Earle, 10th Grade Cutie and Everything In Between

This year Rocks Off added a few Flip cameras to our devastatingly amazing blogatory weapons. We have been taking as many live videos at shows as we possibly can, and what better way to show our thanks to the Flip this Thanksgiving weekend than by showcasing its powers? From Ghostland Observatory, s ... More >>

Aftermath: Conspiracies, Prog-Metal, Gypsy-Folk, Hardcore and Remembering a Fallen Friend Sunday at Westheimer Block Party

Craig HlavatyRoom 101​ Day 2 of the Westheimer Block Party started with slightly cooler temperatures and an hour-long caffeine-fueled session speaking with the 9/11 conspiracy booth in the parking lot at Numbers. Did you know that there were three shooters at Columbine, and bombs planted inside th ... More >>

Google's New Music-Search Engine Will Be the Death of Us All

​ This past week, Internet search-engine giant Google introduced a new music-search tool that immediately opens a pop-up window for people searching for a song, where either the entire song or a snippet will play for them. It's still in the beginning stages, so not all songs are available. We star ... More >>

Free Press Houston Announces Westheimer Block Party Lineup

​Our friends and neighbors at Free Press Houston just posted the lineup for the next Westheimer Block Party, November 14 and 15 on lower Westheimer. Rumors it's soon to become the Washington Avenue Block Party in an attempt to coax some of those sweet, sweet yuppie ad dollars out of the Social, Pe ... More >>

Aftermath: Local Music Takes Center Stage at The Festival at the Mink

Photos by Marc BrubakerElectric Attitude​Here at Aftermath, we're aware that some people don't always appreciate a good festival, especially when in terms of the logistics: attendance requires you to stay in relatively one place for an extended period of time and share the same small set of bathro ... More >>

The Festival at the Mink

Bayou Beat: Method Man on His Pellet-Gun Aim, The Debut of HUSH, Local Bands Vying for ACL Spot, Thee Armada MySpace Finalist, etc.

Above, Method Man talks about his pellet-gun accuracy, which was a little off the night he allegedly shot Houstonian Mary Anderson, who is now suing him on several counts including assault. Besides playing House of Blues Friday with Redman and Ghostface, looks like Meth will spend some time in Hous ... More >>

Five Hour Energy

The 2009 Houston Press Music Awards Showcase in 300 minutes or less.

HPMA Aftermath: Ozeal & the Eulypians, Nosaprise, Benjamin Wesley, Tha Fucking Transmissions, Kristine Mills, Peekaboo Theory, Versecity and Spain Colored Orange

Chris Gray​Five hours is not a long time. It is if you're driving from Houston to Texarkana or Uvalde, maybe. But when hopscotching all over downtown trying to take in as much of the Houston Press Music Awards showcase as you can until your feet and your ears cry uncle, those 300 minutes go by in ... More >>

From the Front: Photos from Chris Gray

Chris Gray dropped up some photos from earlier in the day.​Kickin' it with Born Liars.​Fun with Benjamin Wesley.​Did you miss the Fucking Transmissions Unplugged?

MP3 of the Day: Benjamin Wesley

Craig HlavatyWe always loved Tha Fucking Transmissions, especially seeing them upstairs at Boondocks, or pumping "Die Mother-Fucka Die" in the car on the way to or from work (depending on the day of the week). When the band's multi-instrumentalist Benjamin Wesley announced he was working on a solo p ... More >>

Running the Numbers

The 2009 Houston Press Music Award Nominees

Here they are, folks. You nominated 'em, we mulled 'em over and sorted out the stuffers, and now the 2009 Houston Press Music Awards ballot is set. Normally Rocks Off would say something cute like read 'em and weep, but since we've been listening to almost nothing but '80s hard rock and new bands th ... More >>

Houston Press Music Awards: And The Nominees Are...

Here they are, folks. You nominated 'em, we mulled 'em over and sorted out the stuffers, and now the 2009 Houston Press Music Awards ballot is set. Normally Rocks Off would say something cute like read 'em and weep, but since we've been listening to almost nothing but '80s hard rock and new bands t ... More >>

Aftermath: One Wild Weekend

Craig Hlavaty The Imani School Student Jazz Ensemble Craig Hlavaty Erykah BaduRocks Off is still in the very early recovery stages from this weekend, which was one of the most satisfying musical whirlwinds he's been sucked into in quite some time. He started off Friday evening at  ... More >>

Tonight: Benjamin Wesley CD Release at Walter's on Washington

Benjamin Wesley Geschichte EP www.myspace.com/benjaminwesleywinder3 The driving force behind disbanded, fuzzed-out four-string symphony Basses Loaded and low-end minder for rap-rock rude boys Tha Fucking Transmissions, Benjamin Wesley is one of the most gifted, eclectically-minded musical ca ... More >>

Spring Cleaning

What Makes Cornbreadd Run

How the Houston rapper turned a near miss on MTV into a victory for himself — and his city

SugarHill Goes Live on the Web

Benjamin Wesley at SugarHill Studios Houston's own legendary SugarHill Recording Studios is making the leap into the world of live Internet broadcasting 7 p.m. tonight at http://www.ecslive.com. The first musical gues is Benjamin Wesley of Tha Fucking Transmissions, Robert Ellis, Grandfather ... More >>

Tonight: James Jackson Toth and The Dutchess and the Duke at the Mink