Billy Gibbons

The Best Concerts In Houston This Weekend: Bill Carter, Chase Hamblin, Deftones, etc.

Bill Carter McGonigel's Mucky Duck, March 29 With wife/writing partner Ruth Ellsworth, Bill Carter co-wrote 1989's "Crossfire," one of Stevie Ray Vaughan's last big hits. That song went on to earn music publisher BMI's "Million Airs" award for more than 2 million radio spins; musically speaking, it ... More >>

Lightnin' Hopkins Finally Wins a Grammy

It took the Texas Historical Society long enough to appropriately recognize Houston bluesman Lightnin' Hopkins, but not as long as the Grammys. As part of the run-up to Sunday night's 55th annual Grammy Awards, its governing body the Recording Academy announced that Hopkins, who died in 1982, will ... More >>

The Rest of the Best

Houston's top 10 pizzas.

Robert Plant: Former Honeydrippers Front Man, Current Texan Is 64 Today

Today is Robert Plant's 64th birthday, and hopefully the adopted Texan -- he lives near Austin with maybe-sorta-"wife" Patty Griffin -- is spending it the way a good Texan should, covered in barbecue sauce, listening to Lightnin' Hopkins on his turntable and wearing nothing but a pair of cowboy boot ... More >>

Nickelback

Rocky Hill: Ballad of a Lone Star Legend

The late Rocky Hill was a handful. Even his widow, Joy, told the small but attentive Saturday-afternoon crowd celebrating the (very) belated release of Hill's album Lone Star Legend at Cactus Music's Record Ranch that being his bride was "like being married to a tornado." Hill was a man of tremendo ... More >>

ZZ Top & Their Gang Of Outlaws Hit The Woodlands June 23

ZZ Top is returning to the Houston stage June 23 at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, for their "Gang Of Outlaws" tour, along with openers 3 Doors Down and Gretchen Wilson. Before you complain, Rocks Off would like to kindly remind that ZZ Top is the greatest group to come from Texas and the Ho ... More >>

Who Should Induct Axl Rose And Guns N' Roses Into The Rock Hall?

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony is coming up quick on April 14, and the presenters for the event have been announced, except for one artist. Just who will speak about and induct Guns N' Roses? Who is even qualified? Rapper Chuck D will induct the Beastie Boys, while funnyman Ch ... More >>

Father Figures: 100 Famous Musicians' Paternal Professions

If you're a Texan of a certain age, this week you've probably spent some time mourning the death of Jerry Haynes, the children's TV host better known as Mr. Peppermint. Haynes' show on WFAA-TV in Dallas, Peppermint Place, ran from the '60s to the '90s and was widely syndicated across the state, incl ... More >>

Five '60s Soul Stars Jay-Z & Kanye West Should Hit Next

thelocal478.comWelcome back to Billboard, Otis.​Say what you will about Watch the Throne - and people, including several members of Team Rocks Off, have said a lot - but it's all anyone in music seems to be talking about these days. Which makes sense; it's not every day that two megastars (the ... More >>

ZZ Top Debuts New Song... In Space

​The first bit of music from ZZ Top's long-awaited, long-delayed, semi-mythical forthcoming album has leaked... but not anywhere on Earth. Astronaut and friend of ZZ Michael Fossum, currently headed to the International Space Station on a Russian spacecraft, is carrying a copy of "Flyin' High ... More >>

Tequila Talk with Stewart Skloss of Pura Vida Tequila - Part I

Founder Stewart Skloss with a bottle of the Pura Vida Anejo​I didn't expect to actually meet with Stewart Skloss when I contacted the offices of Pura Vida Tequila. I especially did not expect to meet with him the week of Cinco de Mayo and the launch of their radio station, the first ever "fu ... More >>

SXSW: The 10 Best Of The Fest This Year

Photos by Craig Hlavaty​

Billy Gibbons And Tequila A Winning Combination

ZZ Top's recording date with Rick Rubin inching closer, he says... Photos by Marc Brubaker​Thursday afternoon, Rocks Off got an invite to a launch party for a new tequila on the scene, Pura Vida Tequila. Where else would this party be at but at the newest tequila joint on Washington Avenue, T ... More >>

Five More Heavy Metal Christmas Carols

​Last year's unholy Christmas metal list was so popular, we decided to reach back into our quasi-Santanic bag and find five more songs for you to blare while trimming the tree and wrapping presents. We made our list too late to catch Rob Halford's Christmas album, Winter Songs. Otherwise it ... More >>

ZZ Top Takes Manhattan, Loudly And "Perfectly"

Mark C. AustinZZ Top at the Woodlands, July 2009​Rocks Off has had next Friday, when ZZ Top and Tom Petty play The Woodlands, circled in red on our Rhino Records wall calendar for months. God, is that next Friday already? We added a few more red rings this morning after we read The New York Ti ... More >>

The Expat

Steve Steele finds a harder-edged sound on his debut album.

Dr. Dog, Deer Tick

iFest Aftermath: After The Rain, A Downpour Of Gulf Coast Soul

Photos by Eggs/ breakfastontour.comThe Hustlers Brass Band was popular with our writers and photographers.​ As Sunday morning came down in sheets of rain and the crackle of thunder, prospects looked cloudy for Day 2 of the Houston International Festival. Intrepid music fans who dragged out of bed ... More >>

The Rev. Billy Gibbons Scats About Old Buff Stadium And The Astros... We Think

Kevin Scanlon​It's a gray day in Houston today (no pun intended), and just this past weekend, only a promotional hoodie a friend fortuitously found at our Village Voice Media party - we have no idea who or what a "Mojofilter" is; we're just glad they didn't make keychains this year - kept us from ... More >>

"Buddha Bubba": Billy Gibbons and Bill Narum's Fellow Artists Comment on the ZZ Top Graphic Designer's Passing

​When Rocks Off learned that Texas countercultural icon and longtime ZZ Top graphic designer Bill Narum passed away Wednesday night, one of the first things we did was reach out to the ZZ camp for a statement. The Lil' Ol' Band from Tejas' publicist just got back to us with a message from the ... More >>

Aftermath: U2 at Reliant Stadium - One Love, We Get to Share It

Photos by Groovehouse/ Click here for a slideshow​A day or two before U2 (and love) came to town, a friend emailed us a joke. At least we think it's a joke. It really doesn't have anything to do with U2, except that it has everything to do with U2. "I was so depressed last night thinking about the ... More >>

Seeking The Possibly Inaudible: Is There a Houston Accent?

The rain in Spain falls mainly on South Main.....​The question of whether there exists a definable, distinct Houston accent has come up in the blogosphere, inspired from beyond the grave by Marvin Zindler. Sixty-year-old tapes of the white-suited wonder's radio broadcasts, posted on J.R. Gonzales' ... More >>

Adios Bookstop and "Poll" Dancing

The Alabama Bookstop Remembered By 14-year Employee John Cramer

Photo by Jim Parsons​With the exception of legendary one-eyed bookseller Jim Brown, nobody knows the soon-to-shutter Alabama Bookstop better than John Cramer. The curmudgeonly guitarist in local psych-rock bands the Mike Gunn and Project Grimm worked there - mostly as the receiving manager - ... More >>

Les Paul Is Shredding Axes With Jesus and GG Allin Now (Wait, That Can't Be Right...)

Thanks to Mr. Jesse Dayton for showing us this clip Les Paul, the musician who literally created the definitive sound of rock 'n roll with his slew of equipment inventions, has passed away at the rockin' age of 94. Seriously if you make it that far after spending your life in smoky halls and reco ... More >>

Aquarium Drunkard (Snarkily) Remembers the Fabulous Satellite Lounge

Deron NeblettThe Hollisters at the Fabulous Satellite Lounge, circa 2000For a solid decade, Washington Avenue's Fabulous Satellite Lounge was Houston's go-to spot for roots-rock, alt-country and pretty much anything else that might get covered in the late, recently resurrected online No Depression m ... More >>

An Open Letter to Eric Clapton, Steve Winwood, Jenny Lewis and the Heartless Bastards

Poster by Uncle CharlieDear Eric, Steve, Jenny and Heartless Bastards (and all your band members), First of all, Rocks Off would like to welcome you back to Houston. We'd apologize about the heat, but hey, it's Texas in June. Just be glad you weren't routed through here six or eight weeks from now. ... More >>

I Walked With a Zombie: A Roky Erickson Primer

Chris GrayOkkervil River's Will Sheff (left) and Roky Erickson at the 2008 Austin Music AwardsRocks Off is starting to get really excited about Roky Erickson's show at the Continental Club Wednesday night. As of around noon Tuesday, about 50 tickets were left, available at Sig's Lagoon. Sig's owner ... More >>

Houston-Born TV-Theme Composer W.G. "Snuffy" Walden Enjoys His Wonder Years

Up to Snuff

The Stars of HISD

"Prominent" takes on new meaning

Slip Inside This House: MP3s from the Moving Sidewalks, the Proper Circle and Those Boys

Bill Bentley Goes Online with Sonic Boomers

Native Houstonian creates Web site for boomer music fans

Classic Rock Corner: Mudcrutch, Golliwogs, Mynah Birds, Moving Sidewalks and More

Houston's Ten Worst Songs

…and we're still not as bad as Dallas

Mail Call

Talking Radio

I am a Pedestrian Report: Bellaire

New Strings

Moral Minority gets a fresh start

A Blighted Slough of Smells, Steel and Chemicals

Touring bands sound off on Houston

Unholy Getdown

Stevie Wonder, Prince and Martin Sexton combine in the Mighty Orq's tasty blues-rock stew

What a Champ

Invasion of the Giant Cheeseburgers

A Washington Avenue mainstay (and Billy Gibbons) migrate into Midtown

Turkeys of the Year

The worst flock-ups of 2003, starting with Big Tom himself

They Want You to Want Them

Shine up your old brown shoes, put on a brand-new shirt, Cheap Trick's in town

Playbill

John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers

The Chips Are Down

Unable to secure a new location, Leo's Mexican Restaurant says adios -- for now

Local Rotation

Harlem Slim: Delta Thug

Spanish Rocks

Static

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