Blitzen Trapper

The 5 Most Important Years In Goth Music: 2002

Over the course of the week Rocks Off will be looking at the biggest years for goth music and exactly what they meant for the genre. Arguably the last big goth album by a new band to make a crossover splash was Evanescence's Fallen, released in early 2003. That one band led millions of mall-goths i ... More >>

Fuccing the Devil With Against Me!'s Andrew Seward

If there is something that is sadly lacking in the world, it's musicians directing music videos. Some do it, of course, like Blitzen Trapper's Brian Adrian Koch or Taylor Momsen who does her own storyboards. For better or for worse, though, most bands turn their product over to a professional direct ... More >>

The Last VJ's Guide to Making a Good Music Video

It appears -- and every record label, manager, and publicist that I ask agrees -- that I am petty much the only mainstream journalist who dedicates himself to covering music videos as a regular, in-depth beat. I try to focus on at least one a week, though it obviously depends on what kind of product ... More >>

Blitzen Trapper Takes It a Bit Too Easy in New Video

​We have high video expectations from Blitzen Trapper, seeing as the music video for "Black River Killer" is probably one of the most brilliant works of the last decade. So hesitation abounded when we got a note about their latest one, "Taking it Easy Too Long" from their recent album American ... More >>

Give It Away: Music We're Gifting to Friends for Christmas

​We're a generous bunch at Rocks Off. We just give and give and give until it hurts, and then we give some more. That's just how we roll. And when we give, well, it may seem obvious, but we tend to give the gift of music. Our friends and family are appreciative, though we do think grandma is j ... More >>

Nothing Is Wrong

With fans Jackson Browne and Robbie Robertson on board, Dawes settles in for the long haul.

Subterranean Radio Brings Houston Music to Chicagoland

​It started like most things do, when your humble narrator was obsessively Googling himself to see who on the Internet might be talking about us. That's when we came across Subterranean Radio, hosted every Thursday from 10 p.m.-1 a.m. on WRLR 98.3 FM in Round Lake Heights, Ill. Turns out they' ... More >>

To See You Happy: Experimental Christianity Leaves Us Hanging

It's a well-known fact that most band names are essentially gobbledygook, but here at Rocks Off we're trying to find meaning in the oddest monikers. ​It started out so well. We found To See You Happy through the Super Happy Fun Land calendar, and in addition to having a name that made us what ... More >>

Literary Greats Cool Houston Down With Black Blizzard

The Literary Greats on Facebook​We're not going to sit here and try to define the Literary Greats. Instead, we'll tell you why we just had to have their new album Black Blizzard. For three years now your humble narrator has been tracking the music that features on HBO's True Blood. Each episod ... More >>

Devil Killing Moth: Butterflies With An Attitude

It's a well-known fact that most band names are essentially gobbledygook, but here at Rocks Off we're trying hard to find meaning in the oddest monikers. ​It has been a sad bastard and kill 'em all kind of week on Rocks Off's iPod. A little Blitzen Trapper's "Black River Killer" here. Some Ni ... More >>

Music's Five Most Notorious Killers, Besides The Band

​On St. Patrick's Day 1985, serial killer Richard Ramirez (right) murdered two women in Los Angeles, beginning a killing spree that would eventually tally over 14 people and leave him with the nickname "The Night Stalker." From a young age, Ramirez was fascinated and inspired by the occult and ... More >>

Last Night: Blitzen Trapper At House Of Blues

Photos by Jason Wolter​Blitzen Trapper House of Blues October 12, 2010 Because Aftermath only found out former KLOL morning DJ Mark Stevens had died a few hours before Blitzen Trapper went onstage at House of Blues Tuesday night, we couldn't help thinking about that while the Portland six-pie ... More >>

Blitzen Trapper

Upcoming: D.R.I., Neon Indian, LCD Soundsystem, Texas Tornados, Etc.

​The American Heist, Hell City Kings, Blackmarket Syndicate, All At Sea: Sat., Sept. 4. Walter's on Washington. Atlanta Rhythm Section: Sun., Nov. 14. Dosey Doe Coffee Company. Best Coast: Sat., Nov. 6. Fitzgerald's. Blitzen Trapper: Tue., Oct. 12. House of Blues. Bring Me The Horizon, Au ... More >>

Into the Jungle

The Jungle Rockers are wound too tight for Vietnam...what about Texas?

Million-Dollar Mud

The 2009 Austin City Limits Music Festival became a quagmire everywhere but onstage.

ACL Aftermath, Part 2: Now That That "Dillo Dirt" Unpleasantness Is Out of the Way, How About Some Music?

Mark C. AustinSeems like we recognize this guy from somewhere...​ More and more, Aftermath uses ACL more than SXSW to see which recent buzz bands are worth their salt, and of course to check on how some old favorites are doing. This year, tops on our new-to-us list were Blitzen Trapper, who manage ... More >>

ACL 2009 Day One: Video Killed the Radio Star

Although audio-visual equipment isn't technically allowed inside the festival, that doesn't prevent kids armed with iPhones and Flip cams from capturing their favorite shows from the crowd. Below are some of our favorite crowd-captured videos from ACL so far. The Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Live from ACL: Blitzen Trapper, Hopelessly (and Happily) Stuck In the '70s

Photo by Mark C. Austin​ACL was barely three hours old, and we already have a winner in the "New(ish) Band That Totally Sounds Like 1972" contest. It's our new Portland friends Blitzen Trapper, whose heavy folk-rock harmonies, atmospheric Led Zep slow blues (we half expected John Paul Jones to joi ... More >>

ACL 2009 Day One: Aftermath

Photo by Mark C. AustinSchool of Seven Bells​Before we start discussing the great music we heard yesterday, we would like to take time to thank the Gods Of Rock for blessing Day One of the Austin City Limits Festival (ACL) 2009 with an amazing afternoon and evening of weather. Anyone who has ... More >>

Ghosts of Washington Avenue

Noise goes whistling through the scenester artery's music venue graveyard.

Blitzen Trapper: Furr

2008 in Texas Albums and Local EPs

Top Ten Indie Rock Albums of 2008

In 2008, independent rock returned to the underground, where it belongs. Given the grand catastrophe that is today's record industry, most major-label executives don't have the time or energy to convince music fans they might like something a little out of the ordinary. They're too busy recycling ... More >>

Top Ten Americana Albums of 2008

Picking the best folk and Americana records of the year isn't nearly as hard as discarding those great records that just didn't feel right stuck in the category. Releases by Calexico and DeVotchKa felt far too worldly to pigeonhole as folk or country, for instance, while Blitzen Trapper's fantastic ... More >>

Blitzen Trapper

Blitzen Trapper

Quartet delivers classic Southern rock