Blake Shelton

Five Waylon Jennings Albums You Should Own

"Ladies love outlaws," Waylon Jennings once sang, and well knew. Yes they do, and so do plenty of fellers, who may love the late Littlefield-born musician -- who was a losing coin flip away from being on Buddy Holly's doomed plane in February 1959 -- even more. Jennings would have been 76 this past ... More >>

Now Blake Shelton Doesn't Like the Chronicle Too

Country star and no fan of Rocks Off Blake Shelton has now made it two for two in voicing his displeasure with members of the Houston music media. Late Tuesday night the "Honeybee" singer went after Chronicle critic Joey Guerra on Twitter, reacting in a most unsportsmanlike manner to Guerra's effect ... More >>

Red, White, and Rehab: Country Music's 10 Douchiest Moments

It might be hard to believe, but the same musicians responsible for singing lyrics about big green tractors and diggin' up bones are also responsible for a lot of my Internet entertainment. You see, when famous people do douchey things, it makes me giggle. When those acts are committed by people t ... More >>

Friday Night: Blake Shelton at Reliant Stadium

Blake Shelton Reliant Stadium March 15, 2013 I want to like Blake Shelton. I really do. But damned if he doesn't make it nearly impossible. Shelton might make a decent country singer if he didn't look so pleased with himself, and if his music pushed the needle on the give-a-damn ometer even into t ... More >>

Saturday Night: Luke Bryan at Reliant Stadium

Luke Bryan Reliant Stadium March 16, 2013 Sorry, Kenny Chesney, but we're through. I've found myself another cowboy, and this one's a little dirtier and a little more ass-shaky. In other words, he's a man after my own heart. Luke Bryan closed out the rodeo portion of RodeoHouston Saturday night, r ... More >>

The Best Concerts In Houston This Weekend: Blake Shelton, Tegan & Sara, etc.

Blake Shelton Reliant Stadium, March 15 After more than a decade of climbing country music's ranks to become one of its most successful and charismatic male vocalists, Blake Shelton found himself taking a little heat not long ago when comments he made about certain "old farts" clinging to country's ... More >>

Rocks Off's Rodeo Concert Guide: Blake Shelton

The Rocks Off Rodeo Concert Guide is our annual helpful(?) primer for those of you unsure about your HLSR music choices for the big event at Reliant Stadium.Date: March 15 Name: Blake Shelton AKA: "Mr. Miranda Lambert"

Blake Shelton Has Helped Country's "Old Farts" More Than They Seem to Know

"Can't they just shut up?" That's the question many country music fans proffer when musicians publicly express opinions that dare venture outside of benign Q&A quicksand and into the murky waters of relevant social issues. Country consumers from both sides of the political aisle can get riled up i ... More >>

Rodeo Houston Fun

Go Texan with this guide.

13 Houston Chefs Who Have Celebrity Doppelgangers

Check out which local chef sure looks a lot like a Spice Girl, who might be hosting a game show in his spare time, and who we think is a long-lost triplet: See also: - 12 Celebrity Chefs Who Have Cartoon Doppelgangers - 13 Celebrity Chef Doppelgangers 13. Kaz Edwards vs. Joshua Jackson We could s ... More >>

Fair Play

The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo wii do whatever it takes to keep its revolving stage from going dark.

Match the Anticipated Crowds For Selected RodeoHouston Concerts

This week's RodeoHouston lineup announcement officially kicked off 2013 for Houston's party people and rodeo fans. The lineup is dependable as always, with your standard country acts, classic-rockers, kiddie-pop acts, R&B, and norteño offerings making up the month of music. Sadly, once again this ... More >>

Rodeo Touches Every Corner of Pop Universe, Almost Misses Texas

I live too far away from the coasts to care about Coachella all that much, and have done far too much time in both the ACL and SXSW trenches to get too excited about anything that happens in far west Houston anymore. So instead, I have started looking forward to the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo's ... More >>

Rockin' the Rodeo: Pitbull, Bruno Mars, The Band Perry, Mary J. Blige Lead 2013 Names

Pop stars of both the R&B and Latin persuasions, Bruno Mars and Pitbull, join new country favorites Brantley Gilbert, The Band Perry and the Zac Brown Band in the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo's 2013 entertainer lineup, the rodeo announced this morning. Rodeo veterans Alan Jackson, Tim McGraw, Dier ... More >>

Staind's Aaron Lewis on Country Music: "It's Where I Am, Creatively"

"Years ago, if you had told me I was going to record a country record, I would have laughed at you," says vocalist Aaron Lewis. But record a country album, he did. And it's been a hit so far. Though he may be a relatively new face to country, Lewis has plenty of experience in the music industry as ... More >>

Bon Iver, Hipster Doofus

Turning 10, American Idol Struggles to Make New Stars -- But Mostly Misses

It's hard to imagine it now, just a shade less than a decade later, but at one time American Idol was able to crank out star after star in a succession of seasons. Most people couldn't name at least one of the last five winners of Fox's cash-cow pop show, even as ratings have remained healthy (if no ... More >>

The Cowboy Prepares to Ride Away: George Strait Announces His Touring Retirement

Today country legend George Strait -- King George around these parts -- announced during a live YouTube broadcast from Nashville's Country Music Hall of Fame that he is hanging up his touring boots and saddle after decades on the road. Strait is still slated to close out RodeoHouston's 2013 seaso ... More >>

Eric Church: Meet the New Boss

Country's reigning bad boy is now a star thanks to "Springsteen."

CMA Nominations Don't Forget Texans Miranda Lambert, Eli Young Band

Nothing says country music like Times Square. Or is that the other way around? Regardless, the 2012 nominees for the Country Music Association were announced by stars (and nominees) Luke Bryan and Jason Aldean earlier this morning. It helps that Times Square is the home of Good Morning America's st ... More >>

"Pontoon": Most Insidious Song of the Summer, or the Best

I had a bit of medical trouble late last year, so I spent the entire first six or seven months of 2012 immersed in '80s alternative rock. I suppose it was a sort of cocoon of some kind. I was in a rotten mood most of the time, so anything by the Cure, Echo & the Bunnymen or the Smiths was perfect. M ... More >>

13 Celebrity Chef Doppelgangers

I didn't know Rocco DiSpirito was a Jonas Brother! And was that really Gordon Ramsay starring opposite Will Ferrell in Step Brothers? Who knew! Check out these and more Celebrity Chef Doppelgangers: 13. Rocco DiSpirito vs. Nick Jonas Renowned chef, cookbook author and the fifth Jonas Brother.

Lionel Richie Vs. Chuck Norris: Who Would Win?

So far the musical comeback of the year has been Lionel Richie, hands down. Last week the Alabama-born crooner's new album in three years, Tuskegee, debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 with sales of almost 200,000 copies. According to The Hollywood Reporter, if about 185,000 copies of Madonna's MD ... More >>

Bonna-What?: How 7 U.S. Music Festivals Got Their Names

This whole week, the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival, featuring the Black Keys, Radiohead, Dr. Dre & Snoop Dogg, Pulp, At the Drive-In, the Shins, AVICII, David Guetta and maybe one or two others, will be all anyone who follows music these days will be talking about. Then early next week, it' ... More >>

15 Things Rocks Off Learned Watching The ACM Awards

Sunday nights, I usually like to watch The Amazing Race after 60 Minutes. I don't usually watch much reality television at all, but something about the combination of total incompetence, vicious backstabbing and exotic locales as several, two-person teams race around the globe is completely intoxica ... More >>

Last Night: Alan Jackson At Reliant Stadium

Alan Jackson RodeoHouston, Reliant Stadium March 18, 2012 Be sure to check out our slideshow of Alan Jackson and the final day of RodeoHouston. By the time Alan Jackson's 2012 RodeoHouston season-closing show was over, his missing moustache already had its own Twitter account. No, it was not I who ... More >>

RodeoHouston Wants To Send You To Vegas

The Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo is well on its way to drawing a couple of million more (mostly) country-music fans to Reliant Stadium again this year. Now the rodeo and Reliant Energy want to send one lucky fan to the Academy of County Music Awards in Vegas April 1. No foolin'. All the couple hu ... More >>

Last Night: Miranda Lambert At Reliant Stadium

Miranda Lambert RodeoHouston, Reliant Stadium March 13, 2012 Miranda Lambert has been "doing this music thing for 10 years now," and her mantra is simple: She's all about girl power and being a sassy southern belle. A Texas-born blonde with attitude up to her ears, she doesn't apologize for being c ... More >>

Last Night: Blake Shelton At Reliant Stadium

Blake Shelton RodeoHouston, Reliant Stadium March 7, 2012 See more pictures from Wednesday's rodeo in our . Blake Shelton could very well be the Vince Vaughn of modern country music. Or is that Brad Paisley? No, I think Brad Paisley is the Paul Rudd and that would make someone like Jason Aldean th ... More >>

Rocks Off's Ultra-Hip Rodeo Concert Guide: Blake Shelton

Date: March 7 Name: Blake Shelton AKA: "Mr. Miranda Lambert" Genre: Cheatin' country

Blake Shelton

Rounding It Up

The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo brings a stellar 2012 lineup.

One More Hour To Vote In First Rodeo Rockstar Contest

It does not seem possible that the rodeo is almost here, but Rocks Off saw a trail ride on the news this morning, so it must be true. If we were a TV instead of newspaper reporter, we would definitely lobby for the trail-ride assignment. But besides trail rides, cookoffs, mutton-busting, the parade ... More >>

The Beats Go On As Grammys Take Care Of Their Own

Hands up, everyone who is surprised.​The Grammy Awards on CBS Sunday night could have easily turned into a wake - or worse, a funeral. After Whitney Houston's death Saturday, the mood was appropriately somber until a dance party broke out, or perhaps a coming-out party for dance music. Foreve ... More >>

We Tell You Who Will Win Grammys So You Don't Have To Watch Them

SPOILER ALERT​The best thing about the annual Grammy nominations and awards shows is the clamor of anger that rises up when the mere mention of the event even comes up. Immediately people begin calling it a travesty, trotting out all the people who have been snubbed -- Jethro Tull beats Metall ... More >>

Super Bowl XLVI: M.I.A.'s Bird Is The Word

On its best day, you can say the musical portion of the Super Bowl ranks somewhere below the fifth time you see the latest Go Daddy commercial and somewhere above that pre-game segment featuring an offensive lineman and his mother. I mean, who really looks forward to a halftime show, post Nipplegate ... More >>

The Hair Balls Super Bowl Live Blog: Remember To Piss

In some alternate universe, the streets of Houston are currently bathed in Miller Lite, Reliant Stadium and every bar in town is a watch party, with even the homeless folks are wearing soiled Texans jerseys. But alas, our Houston Texans only made it into the second round of the playoffs, and here we ... More >>

Nine Covers of "Heartbreak Hotel" on Its 58th Birthday

Exactly 58 years ago, Elvis Presley released Heartbreak Hotel on RCA Records, which had just bought his contract from Sun Records for a measly $35,000. Heartbreak sold 300,000 copies in its first week and would eventually become the King's first certified gold record. Also, it's worth noting that, ... More >>

2012 RodeoHouston Lineup Features ZZ Top, Train, Kid Rock, John Legend, Enrique Iglesias

The Houston Livestock And Rodeo continues it's march it's non-country waters with today's musical announcement, with Houston's own ZZ Top (March 8), Train (March 16), Kid Rock (February 29), John Legend (March 2), and Enrique Iglesias (March 6) topping the pop and rock segment of this year's bill. ... More >>

Footloose 2011

There Will Always Be a Time to Dance

2 Become 1: Musical Match-Ups We'd Like To See

​Kanye "Hitler" West and Jay-Z released their (overused music writer word alert) epic Watch the Throne album this week, to mostly great reviews. This fall the first fruits from the recently announced Lou Reed/Metallica collaboration should be on the store shelves, which still sorta weirds us o ... More >>

Out Today: Other Things Besides Born This Way... Seriously

​This past weekend was magical, what with Rocks Off finally getting to see Foo Fighters play songs from Wasting Light and all. You may remember that we have been wanking over Light since it came out in April, but it's really good. Best rock album of the year? Maybe, unless Jack White or Josh H ... More >>

Aftermath: Blake Shelton - Could It Be? Country? - At RodeoHouston

Photos courtesy of Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo™​It's possible that Blake Shelton, aside from Alan Jackson and Brooks & Dunn, is the most traditional country act RodeoHouston will have this year. That's either a step in the right direction or a happy accident on the part of the organizer ... More >>

Rocks Off's Rodeo Concert Guide: Some Guy Named Blake Shelton

Date: March 13 Name: Blake Shelton AKA: "Drake...Smeldon" Genre: Generi-country Best Known Song(s): "Austin," "Some Beach," "Swervin' in My Lane" Key Demographic: Domestic car aficionados, fellow self-loathing Oklahomans Previous HLSR Appearances: none

RodeoHouston 2010 Entertainer Lineup Includes Mary J. Blige, Black Eyed Peas, Justin Bieber and Some Country Folks You Can Probably Guess

​Monday morning, the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo announced the remainder of its Reliant Stadium entertainment calendar for this year's rodeo, which begins March 2. Debuting on Reliant's revolving stage this year are Jason Aldean (March 6) and Texans the Eli Young Band (March 19). Returning fr ... More >>

Distant Early Warning: Asher Roth, Dax Riggs, Franz Ferdinand, Peter Frampton and More

Ace Enders, Person L, The Gay Blades, The Dangerous Summer: Wed., July 15. The Java Jazz. Asher Roth, Kid Cudi: Fri., July 31. House of Blues. "The Battle Of Sam: Battle Of The Bands": Sat., June 6. The Showgrounds @ Sam Houston Race Park. Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson, John Mellencamp: Sun., Aug. 2. Cy ... More >>

Before We Go: Odds and Ends on Mechanical Boy, Katy Perry, George Strait, Future Blondes and More

"SWING LOW AND CARRY ME HOME" By Mechanical Boy from Michael Fodera on Vimeo. It's about time for Rocks Off to head off to the bunkhouse for some much-needed R&R, but first here's a few final tidbits that have recently come to our attention. Mechanical Boy just released its first video, "Swing L ... More >>

Chart Check

Mercy Eventually

More than 20 years down the road, Mary Gauthier is finally an emerging artist

Racket

Houston's Toe Jam watches quietly as its 15 minutes tick by