Bob Dylan

Who Should the New American Idol Judges Be?

This past week, when American Idol concluded its twelfth season by crowning Candice Glover (who edged out Woodville's Kree Harrison), it was also announced that the show's latest lineup of judges is kaput. Randy Jackson went first, followed by Nicki Minaj. We're guessing that leaves Keith Urban and ... More >>

Seven Recent Albums By '60s Artists That Don't Suck

Age gets us all eventually. I'm only in my early twenties and already I'm having to do stupid things like eating healthier, quitting the smokes, and watching my blood pressure. So it really shouldn't come as any surprise that musicians start to slow down in their old age, especially if they've been ... More >>

Artists Who Need Their Own Sirius/XM Channel Already

I've had satellite radio in my life since Christmas. Nothing is better than falling asleep on the couch on a Saturday afternoon after a big fat lunch with Willie's Roadhouse playing; waking up every few hours to piss during a Ray Price cut and then falling back to sleep. What I love the most, besi ... More >>

Bruce Kessler's Incredible Houston Concert Photo Archive

Bettye Lavette

When the Voice Goes: 5 Rock Singers Who Have Lost It Live

Last week, this video of Guns n' Roses playing at the Bridge School Benefit in California surfaced on YouTube, raising a lot of eyebrows among music fans. It was an acoustic performance of "Welcome to the Jungle" which might sound like a confusing prospect in and of itself, but what has everyone tal ... More >>

Second Lovers, The Wheel Workers

Rest Of The Best: Houston's Top 8 Jukeboxes

Along with pickled pig's feet and a steady supply of Slim Jims, a good jukebox is a prime element for any great bar. But, like dinosaurs, jukeboxes are a vanishing breed. Unlike digital jukes, iPods or DJs, jukeboxes require love, care and maintenance, as well as -- among the truly great ones -- som ... More >>

Readers Poll: Who Is the Most Overrated Artist in Rock History?

The concept of "overrated" and "underrated" has always confused me. There are groups that are critically lauded, yet got little commercial love, like The Band. And then there are groups that were almost universally reviled by critics, like Journey, who consistently managed to sell out shows, sell mi ... More >>

The Storyteller

Woody Guthrie, Bob Dylan, Townes Van Zandt...Ramblin' Jack Elliott has an anecdote for everyone.

Houston Responds to Space Shuttle Shun.

Happy Hour Scene: Boondocks

Boondocks, pictured more crowded than during happy hour​ The Place: Boondocks 1417 Westheimer 713-522-8500 The Hours: 5 to 8 p.m. daily The Deals: $1 wells and $2.50 for any draft The Scene: Boondocks has earned a dirty reputation, thanks in part to a long stretch of routine closing time fi ... More >>

The Grand Theatre

Old '97s snap back with new album.

Inside "American Pie," Pop Music's Longest Allegory

​Rocks Off has always been a fan of symbolism, hidden meanings and puzzles in general, so besides Raymond Chandler, Stephen King and Larry McMurtry, our favorite form of "lit-rah-chah" is allegorical stuff like George Orwell's Animal Farm, William Golding's Lord of the Flies and Edgar Allan Po ... More >>

Top 5 Daniel Lanois Productions

​This past Saturday in Los Angeles, legendary producer Daniel Lanois, known for his trademark echo-heavy sound and work with the likes of U2 and Bob Dylan, was involved in a near-fatal motorcycle accident. Lanois was slated to soon begin work on Brandon Flowers of the Killers' solo debut and the u ... More >>

"We're Ashamed The President Is From Texas" And Other Acts Of Career Suicide

Seven years ago this week, the Dixie Chicks had the No. 1 country single in the U.S. with Bruce Robison's lump-raising "Travelin' Soldier." Meanwhile, in Washington, D.C., the Bush Administration was putting the finishing touches on its Iraqi invasion strategy, which prompted Chicks lead singer Nat ... More >>

Four Ways to Let the Internet Fuel Your Long-Distance Love

​Your fantastic plastic Christmas tree has been lovingly packed away and stored in its original cardboard box from 1972. The holiday cheer has turned into New Year's rue in the face of long lines to exchange that UFC: Best of UFC 2009 DVD and re-gift a copy of Julie & Julia to your mother. C ... More >>

Uprising

2009 wasn't a great year for albums, but songs were a different story.

Lonesome Onry and Mean: The Sickest, Most Twisted Musical Genre Isn't Gangsta Rap - It's Bluegrass

Not really sure whether it's our alcohol mixture, some pharmacological imbalance our sex life or just male menopausal phenomena, but lately Lonesome, Onry and Mean has been on an evil bluegrass jag. Nothing like playing our Stanley Brothers 45-rpm of "If I Lose" - "If I lose, let me lose/ I don't c ... More >>

Million-Dollar Mud

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

The Year in Albums

Music to Shuffle Off This Mortal Coil

Jimmy LaFave

Musical Weather Update: Bob Dylan

Charlie Sexton

Mavis Staples

The Solid Blues show is solid gold

Alice Cooper

Get Lit: Making Records: The Scenes Behind the Music, by Phil Ramone

Drenched In Blog: Trailer Leaked for the New Dylan Biopic

Lost Albums

CDs that deserve another listen

Your Guide to Being Cool

Stuff you need to know this week to avoid musical ostracism

Double Vision

Jess and Lisa Origliasso give teen pop a harmonic jolt as the Veronicas

The Kids Are All Right

Classic rock lives on in the hands of youngsters the Redwalls

Various Artists

Bonnaroo 2004

Robyn Hitchcock

Spooked

Hold Me Closer, Tony Danza

Here are a bunch of hilarious misheard lyrics. Now send us more.

Let the Picture Paint Itself

The Houston Kid hits his stride a quarter-century into his recording career

War on War Songs

Iraq and roll don't go together well when rockers protest

The Naked Truth

Lucinda lays bare her Essence

The Rock of Aged

Former Band drummer Levon Helm lends his experience to the youthful Barn Burners

The Yenta

The nice Jewish boy of my mom's dreams-for a hundred bucks?

Rotation

New Releases Reviewed

Average John

Reason to Roam

At 67, Ramblin' Jack Elliott reclaims -- temporarily -- the urge to wander

Hip to Be Square

Quality, not fashion, drives the legacy of Simon and Garfunkel

Sound Check

Sound Check

Rotation

Press Picks

Press Picks