Bobby "Blue" Bland

The Best Concerts In Houston This Weekend: Josh Turner, K-Rino, Romeo Santos, etc.

Josh Turner Nutty Jerry's (Winnie), April 5 It's hard to keep up with every new country crooner that comes over the pop-twang airwaves, but thankfully Josh Turner's deeper-than-the-holler voice manages to stand out from the Keith Urban clones, sounding way more trad-country than those other guys at ... More >>

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 >>

Rick Lee & The Night Owls

Showcase Showdown

Fifty bands, 11 stages and three music writers talking HPMA highlights.

HPMA Preview: Nobody Leaves Without Singing The Blues Edition

Photo by Brittanie SheyLittle Joe Washington​In the movie Adventures in Babysitting, Houston native bluesman Albert Collins inadvertently assists the getaway of young Elizabeth Shue (meow) and her charges from a gang of thugs, but only after she sings. Collins blocks the attackers with the sam ... More >>

Josefus, Houston's First Metal Band, Reuniting Saturday

Photos courtesy of jam280.comJosefus live at U of H, March 1970​When Lonesome, Onry and Mean moved to the Bayou City in 1968, it wasn't long before we stumbled upon what would become our favorite local band of that period: Josefus. They were known for playing free shows that would last a coupl ... More >>

Old School

Musicians in their 70s and 80s are keeping Houston's traditional blues scene real.

The Best Albums Of 2011 (So Far)

​The year isn't quite half over, but as of today, "summer" is officially here - even if the calendar needs a few weeks to catch up - and by the time summer is over, so will 2011. Or close enough. So Rocks Off asked our staff to give us their favorite two albums of the year so far, plus one out ... More >>

Last Night: Fitz & The Tantrums At House Of Blues

Photos by Jason Wolter​Fitz & the Tantrums House of Blues Bronze Peacock Room April 18, 2011 Soul music is about power, yoking that gospel id to the pursuit of more worldly affairs, but it's also about subtlety. Grunt all you want, but smooth and steady wins the race (and wins over the ladies ... More >>

Silk Degrees of Separation

Boz Scaggs turns to jazz, knows his Lightnin' Hopkins.

Boz Scaggs: Your Mom Loved Him... And Still Does

​These days, it's good to be the Wizard of Boz. In recent times, Boz Scaggs has been recording and touring as he pleases, including a highly successful road jaunt with Donald Fagen of Steely Dan and ex-Doobie Brother Michael McDonald as "The Dukes of September." Outside of music, he's got a Sa ... More >>

Top 10 Honorary Texas Musicians

West Vita​Right here, right now, and in print all damn week, you can read the Houston Press' interview with perhaps the hottest new band on the South 40, San Antonio's Hacienda (above). Whether or not they go on to become a South Texas Kings of Leon - Hacienda is also three brothers and a cous ... More >>

Upcoming: Bobby "Blue" Bland, Die Antwoord, Justin Townes Earle, Etc.

​Apocalyptica: Wed., Dec. 15. House of Blues. Betty Wright, Bobby "Blue" Bland: CHANGED Fri., Oct. 15. Arena Theatre. Die Antwoord: Mon., Nov. 1. Stereo Live. "Girls Gone Wild" With Dev Electric, Chrome 44: Sat., Dec. 11. Scout Bar Clear Lake. In This Moment, Taking Dawn, One Eyed Doll: W ... More >>

Last Night: Cyndi Lauper At House Of Blues

Photos by Marc Brubaker​Cyndi Lauper House of Blues August 12, 2010 See a slideshow of Cyndi Lauper's performance at the House of Blues last night. Hoping Cyndi Lauper might tackle Lightnin' Hopkins Thursday night proved a little much, but lady can sing the blues. Perhaps sensing that her fa ... More >>

Freddy Fender And Huey Meaux Reel Off A String Of SugarHill Hits In The '70s

Ed Note: All this week, to celebrate the release of Dr. Roger Wood and Andy Bradley's new book House of Hits: The Story of Houston's Gold Star/SugarHill Recording Studios and preview this weekend's related festivities at Sig's Lagoon and the Continental Club, Rocks Off and Lonesome Onry and Mean are ... More >>

Roy Head, Sir Douglas Quintet Help SugarHill Swing Into The Psychedelic '60s

Ed Note: All this week, to celebrate the release of Dr. Roger Wood and Andy Bradley's new book House of Hits: The Story of Houston's Gold Star/SugarHill Recording Studios and preview this weekend's related festivities at Sig's Lagoon and the Continental Club, Rocks Off and Lonesome Onry and Mean are ... More >>

Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears

SXSW Aftermath: How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Get In The Groove

South by Scorsese: The festival in a single 6th St. tracking shot. Video by Craig Hlavaty It didn't take long for Aftermath to remember you don't have to look very hard at all for music at SXSW; in fact, we were barely even awake when it happened. After arriving in Austin late, late Thursday night, ... More >>

Delbert McClinton

Lonesome Onry and Mean: The Rockabilly Country Soul of Big Al Downing

Maybe the most successful African-American country artist of the post-Charley Pride period was Big Al Downing. Talk about a guy who could blur the line between country and soul. An affable Oklahoman, Downing had a huge baritone voice that could melt hearts. Downing's career began in rockabilly. Aft ... More >>

A Musical Guide to Post-Secession Texas: Houston and "Brazoria"

The final installment of our Five States of Texas project brings it all back home, to the new state of Brazoria, encompassing all of Southeast Texas from the Brazos Valley to Sabine Pass. ​Patron Saint: Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown. A master of rock and roll, country, Cajun/Creole, blues and jazz, n ... More >>

Happy April Fool's Day: Fools in Popular Music

Photo illustration by John Seaborn Gray In the Tarot, "The Fool is the spirit in search of experience. He represents the mystical cleverness bereft of reason within us, the childlike ability to tune into the inner workings of the world." Hat sold separately.As you've hopefully been able to t ... More >>

Weekend Music: Tony Joe White, Candlebox, John Mayer, Bobby Blue Bland, Flowers to Hide and More

Juneteenth Revisited

Two arts organizations attempt a new spin on an old event

Dr. Roger Wood's Matagorda Island Discs

Overnight Express: In Case You're Not Sick of Me Going on About Tom Petty...

Houston Musical Landmarks and the I.Am.We Collective

The Scene Is Dead. Long Live the Scene!

Ideas toward a Houston-style musical Day of the Dead

James Hunter

Another overnight success 20 years in the making

South By Lomax: Part Two

That Was the Year That Was

Looking back on the local scene in '06

James Hunter

ames Hunter appears Friday, May 26, at the Continental Club, 3700 Main, 713-529-9899

Irie iFest

Finding the coolest runnings at this year's Jamaica-themed Houston International Festival

Gutbucket Blues, Chopped and Screwed

The North Mississippi Allstars and Houston DJ Jimmy D team up on a revolutionary EP

Rock You like a Hurricane

The Press Music Awards Showcase brings a category-five storm of tunes

Buenos Aires Virus

Continental Club dweller Glover Gill would sooner starve to death than give up playing tango. Not that guys who back Pavarotti and score Hollywood films waste away that often.

Texas Johnny Brown

Blues Defender (Choctaw Creek Records)

Jenny Toomey

Friday, November 2

Pack Fair & Square

Bluesman Big Walter celebrates his 87 years with star pupil Jerry Lightfoot

Racket

The Last Concert Cafe has glimpses from its unique history

The Rock of Aged

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

Benefit for Pete Mayes and Hamp Simmons

A concert for under-the-weather bluesmen

Behind the Music (City)

Is she rock? Is she soul? Jonell Mosser keeps 'em guessing

Teddy Remembered

Radio Shy

Sound Check

Still King

Home with the Blues

Joe "Guitar" Hughes has never strayed far from the town that gave him his sound

Rotation

Blues Kudos & Burb Buzz

Handy Houston bluespeople, and the next great wave from -- Katy