Brian Eno

The Rocks Off 100: Beau Beasley, Organist For the End of Time

Who? For this edition of the Rocks Off 100, we reached out to Beau Beasley, of Houston grind legends Insect Warfare, The Homopolice, NO TALK, Born Liars, Reason Of Insanity, Knuckle Scraper, Machine Gun Romantics, Race Against Time, KG Beasley And the Leather Violence, and a host of other bands that ... More >>

Now Houston Baseball Fans Know What It's Like to Hate the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

Before I became enamored of rock stars, rock journalists, punk rockers, metal mavens, or DJs, the first idols in my life were Houston Astros players, namely Craig Biggio, Jeff Bagwell and the late Ken Caminiti. So on Wednesday, when the Baseball Hall of Fame failed to induct Biggio or Bagwell, or ... More >>

Explaining Classic Rock Bands to Kids

This past Sunday, The New York Times ran a piece by Paul Greenberg where the author explained how important the Beatles were to music and pop culture to his five-year old son. The child didn't know that the band had albums, but only knew the Fab Four from iTunes playlists. "When the Beatles record ... More >>

Dr. Dog's Scott McMicken: Texas Crowds Are More Fun

Dr. Dog singer/guitarist Scott McMicken describes the band's newly released seventh album, Be the Void, as "rawer and more powerful" than its polished predecessors. We chatted with McMicken about the album, the band's recent lineup additions, and why he deems Texas crowds among the world's best.

Last Night: My Morning Jacket At Verizon Wireless Theater

Photos By Marc Brubaker​Check out our slideshow of photos from the show. My Morning Jacket, at least to me, are a festival band. It's their natural habitat. Their records are built to be projected across city parks. Out of the half dozen times we have settled in front of Jim James and company ... More >>

Lordy Lordy, T. Rex's Electric Warrior Is 40

​A few months back, we had this to say about T. Rex on the occasion of the fortieth anniversary of their single "Bang A Gong (Get It On)" reaching the top of the UK charts. This Saturday, parent album, Electric Warrior, turns 40 years old. It bears repeating, not because we are too lazy to com ... More >>

10 Songs For Pissed-Off Travelers

This spring, Austin honky-tonker and Pasadena native Dale Watson had some dates in Australia and made the mistake of booking a flight from Sydney to Melbourne on Singapore-based budget carrier Tiger Airways. According to the Sydney Morning Herald, not only did the airline charge Watson a $500 exce ... More >>

ACL 2011 Rumors: Ten Bands Who Could Make The Cut

Marco TorresWill ACL close with classic rock again, like with the Eagles last year? Neil Young?​The Austin City Limits Music Festival's big 2011 lineup announcement is imminent, scheduled for May 17, and Rocks Off will surely be on top of the news after it hits. Last year we sat on the compute ... More >>

Ask A (Producer For) Rapper(s)

Chris Rockaway​The hip-hop world is a less than sensible place - lots of times, you're even required to clarify when bad means bad and when bad means good - so once a week we're going to get with a rapper and ask them to explain things. Something you always wanted to ask a rapper? Email introd ... More >>

Hickoids Indulge Deviant UK Fetish On Twits

hickoids.com​At least for Lonesome, Onry and Mean, a good cover is one that takes an old chestnut in a new direction. And if about halfway through the chorus a light bulb flashes on in the brain: "Eureka, Batman, I know this song." The Hickoids' new album of all British-rock covers album Kicki ... More >>

Freedom of Choice

No time like the present for satirical synth masters Devo.

Saturday Night: Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeroes at Warehouse Live

Photos by Groovehouse​Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeroes Warehouse Live October 9, 2010 Oh crap, Aftermath thought shortly after Edward Sharpe struck up the Magnetic Zeroes Saturday night, it's the Polyphonic Spree all over again. Unless we are having an especially bad day, Aftermath is no ... More >>

Young Mammals Emerge From Hibernation At Big Star Tonight

​Rocks Off is still getting used to running into (or emailing) local musicians we haven't seen for a while, asking them where they've been and getting the answer "on tour." We're not complaining. That's the case with Young Mammals - after a sharp set at Free Press Summer Fest, the band virtua ... More >>

Justin Bieber's Autobiography: The Lost Introduction

​Today Rocks Off got word that pop sensation Justin Bieber was finishing up his first autobiography. The 16-year-old is set to release Justin Bieber: First Step 2 Forever: My Story in October - in print, not tweet by tweet, no less. Following in the footsteps of other poppers like Miley Cyrus, ... More >>

Jeremy Messersmith, Obsessed With Death In A Cheerful Way

​With The Reluctant Graveyard, indie-pop singer-songwriter Jeremy Messersmith has crafted the most gorgeous, lush, and sunny record ever about death and dying. Corpses, organ donors, coffin salesmen, shot-down gangster doppelgangers, and zombies (both literally and the '60s Colin Blunstone va ... 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 >>

MGMT Phones It In, Leaves It Off The Hook

Photos by Groovehouse​ Here are a few things we learned Monday night at MGMT's show at House of Blues. First off, they are not a "live" band in the grand musical sense of the word. While new album Congratulations is a catchy, odd, fucked-up little sophomore outing, it's not at all meant for live c ... More >>

Westheimer Block Party Listology: Flowers to Hide Chooses the Saddest Songs In the World

All this week, Rocks Off is previewing Saturday and Sunday's Westheimer Block Party by asking WBP performers to fill out a list from Lisa Nola's Music Listography book we're so fond of. Next up, Jesus and Mary Chain-y alt-rockers Flowers to Hide tell us the saddest songs in the world. claudiabelle†... More >>

Summer Sounds

Enough shows to keep concertgoers busy all season long

Aftermath: Greg Ginn & the Taylor Texas Corrugators and Jambang at Last Concert Cafe

Photos by Craig HlavatyEven while playing dissonant improvised bass in a trio consisting of himself, a shit-hot mandolin player, and a jazz drummer, Greg Ginn still sounds like Greg Ginn. After almost a decade as the captain of hardcore mavericks Black Flag, Ginn embarked on a career as an im ... More >>

Aftermath: The Killers at Verizon Wireless Theater

Photos by Torey Mundkowsky Next year this decade will be over, and very few new bands have distinguished themselves either at the turnstiles or the cash register. Even one of the main ones that has, the Killers, chose to hit the theater circuit this winter after releasing its th ... More >>

Tired of the Hype, But That's All There Is

Next month, Houston gets to be a cool kid. But only for a week.

Joy Division's Expanded Reissues

Unknown Pleasures, Closer, Still, Control Original Motion Picture Sound Track

David Bowie, Buddha of Suburbia

CD Review

Average White Band

RIP, Syd. And RIP, 'Cid.

A psychedelic pioneer and the drug that helped do him in are both sorely missed

Hurricane Mixtape

Music to drown by

Mystery Bopping

Racket searches for the hoppingest grocery store in town

Moby for Veep

John Kerry should hit the decks for his running mate

Peter Murphy

Thursday, May 30

Local Rotation

Jody Hughes -- Japanic

Dead Man Walking

Minus his female soul mate, a young politician loses his spiritual way

Shut Your Mouth

Where is instrumental rock? Los Straitjackets and John Paul Jones might know.

Glamour of Glaw

The leader of the Vulgarians makes a fashion statement

Rotation

Glam-rock Goldmine

Stylish Velvet unfolds to reveal real substance

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Press Picks

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