Chase Hamblin

Free Press Summer Fest Adds More Performers, Unique "White Noise" Beer

Free Press Summer Fest has added about a dozen artists, many of them local, to the lineup of this year's festival taking place June 1 and 2 in Eleanor Tinsley Park near downtown. For the first time, it will be offering a festival-specific beer to help wash them all down. According to a press releas ... More >>

The Best Concerts In Houston This Weekend: Bill Carter, Chase Hamblin, Deftones, etc.

Bill Carter McGonigel's Mucky Duck, March 29 With wife/writing partner Ruth Ellsworth, Bill Carter co-wrote 1989's "Crossfire," one of Stevie Ray Vaughan's last big hits. That song went on to earn music publisher BMI's "Million Airs" award for more than 2 million radio spins; musically speaking, it ... More >>

Rocks Off's Cactus Music Series Continues With Chase Hamblin And Trampled Under Foot

Rocks Off has been sponsoring Cactus Music in-store performances for some time. This weekend we have two acts we are proud to be bringing to you in conjunction with Quinn and his band of merry Cactus employees. This afternoon at 5:30 p.m., we are proud to present Kansas City blues-rock act and Int ... More >>

Discovery Green Announces 2013 Thursday Concert Series With The Suffers, Billy Joe Shaver, And Chase Hamblin

Discovery Green has formally announced the performers for the venue's weekly Thursday night shows, starting May 2. These free weeklies have everything you need, from beer, food, plenty of grass to stretch out on, and of course great music. This year's acts include The Suffers, Billy Joe Shaver, Ha ... More >>

The Best Concerts In Houston This Weekend

Scooter Brown Band Firehouse Saloon, January 4 Few bands on the Texas country circuit -- a scene largely made up of affable college dropouts -- can say that they have a true-blue U.S. Marine up front, but the Scooter Brown Band can. Lead singer-songwriter/Iraq war combat veteran Scott Brown chose ... More >>

The Rocks Off 100: Ramblin' Chase Hamblin, the Man Who Will Be Paid

Welcome to the Rocks Off 100, our portrait gallery of the most compelling profiles and personalities in the far-flung Houston music community -- a lot more than just musicians, but of course they're in there too. Who? Who? The very idea that I even have to tell you who Chase Hamblin is makes me fee ... More >>

Brace Yourselves, the End of the World Parties Are Coming

Here in Houston, we shouldn't need an excuse to throw great parties, but I suppose the so-called Mayan Apocalypse is a pretty good reason to get shit-housed and listen to local bands. This Friday almost everyone seems to be throwing an "End of the World" show or mini-fest -- if they aren't putting ... More >>

HPMA 2012 Showcase

One night. 11 venues. 55 minutes.

Your 2012 Houston Press Music Awards Showcase Artists

It's here, the lineup for the 2012 Houston Press Music Awards showcase on Sunday, August 5. We are still finalizing the roster of venues, but it is a triangle between House of Blues, Warehouse Live and Phul Court, the outdoor venue and food-truck gathering spot at 1311 Leeland, with a few more plac ... More >>

What Is the Springboard South Music Festival Anyway?

The 2012 Springboard South Music Festival makes its debut this weekend, starting today and running through Sunday at CityCentre Houston. The event, boasting three days of music from 45 bands on two stages, is being touted by organizers as an opportunity for independent artists and musicians and educ ... More >>

SXSW: Why Are We Here?

That headline is not any kind of existential plaint; Rocks Off was legitimately curious. We know why we're at SXSW - it's our job. But it's a broad, broad spectrum between those of us doing some kind of business here this week and the hordes of people in Austin purely to party. So, because we are s ... More >>

Houston Acts Stage Own SXSW Invasion

Sixteen Houston acts will play an all-day free show during SXSW from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday, March 16, at the Gypsy Lounge, 1504 E. 6th St. The party is sponsored by The Convoy Group, the company run by Houston promoter and sometime Rocks Off photograher Mark C. Austin, who announced the party ear ... More >>

Are Streaming Sites Ensuring The Music Industry's Long-Term Survival?

The look on my face when I couldn't hear "Temporary Secretary" on Rdio.​This past week, Paul McCartney's team pulled most of his catalog - including his works with Wings - off streaming music sites such as Rdio, Rhapsody, Spotify and MOG. Listeners are now deprived of Band On the Run, Back To ... More >>

Saturday: Chris Gray Day at the Continental Club

Photo by Marco TorresChris with the officers that saved his life.​Click here for a slideshow of the bands and here for a slideshow of the crowd. "I didn't know Chris was a celebrity." Chris Gray's mother told a rapt audience from the stage on Saturday afternoon that she was "overwhelmed" by ... More >>

Artist of the Week: HPMA Nominee Clory Martin

​Welp, you've made it. Tonight is the Houston Press Music Awards ceremony, otherwise known as Music Christmas, otherwise known The Opposite of the Holocaust, otherwise known as The Day Jesus Says "Fuck. Yes." We figured we'd sneak in one more HPMA-themed Artist of the Week column. Meet, Clor ... More >>

Friday Night: Sideshow Tramps CD Release At Fitzgerald's

Photos by Jason WolterHayes Carll (left) and Craig Kinsey go down the road.​Sideshow Tramps Fitzgerald's September 9, 2011 If Aftermath doesn't have to be at the office first thing in the morning, sometimes we let our personal hygiene slide a little. Some days stretch well into the afternoon ... More >>

Saturday Night: Wild Men Of Rock At The Continental Club

Photos by Marc BrubakerThree Mustangs & A Stallion (clockwise from top left): Andre Williams, Roy Head, Archie Bell, Little Joe Washington​Wild Men of Rock feat. Andre Williams, Archie Bell, Roy Head, Little Joe Washington, the Allen Oldies Band & special guest Sundance Head Continental Club S ... More >>

Discovery Green Lands Roots-Rock Royalty For Free Fall Concerts

Jason WolterTexas Tornados at Discovery Green, September 2010​A return engagement from Tex-Mex supergroup the Texas Tornados, reunited (after a fashion) roots-rock polymaths NRBQ - now featuring a former Houstonian on drums - and the honky-tonk hero who told Tiger Airways a thing or two highli ... More >>

Upcoming: Blue October, Guitar Shorty, Weird Al Yankovic, Etc.

​Asleep At The Wheel: Sat., Aug. 20. The Firehouse Saloon. Blue October, Iamdynamite: Sun., Aug. 21, 8 p.m.; Mon., Aug. 22, 8 p.m. House of Blues. Bela Fleck & The Flecktones: Wed., Oct. 12. House of Blues. "Dharmageddon" With B L A C K I E, Roky Moon & BOLT, Fat Tony, Tyagaraja, ListenLis ... More >>

Summer Fest Saturday: A Sizzler With Beirut, Big Boi, Black Joe, Fucked Up, Sharon Jones, Ween & More

Ed. Note: We're not done yet... Chris GrayRusted Shut​Chris Gray: I think the quickest way to sum up Summer Fest, environmentally, is in fact biologically: In eight hours at the festival Saturday, hydrating continuously with mostly water, I made my own water once, shortly before Beirut. Sunda ... More >>

Upcoming: Judas Priest, Thin Lizzy, Peter Bjorn & John, Etc.

​Bowling For Soup, The Dollyrots, Sunderland: Fri., Aug. 19. Warehouse Live. Breathe Carolina, Chiodos, I See Stars: Thu., July 28. Warehouse Live. Craig Kinsey, Sara Van Buskirk, Benjamin Wesley: Fri., June 10. Heights Live. The Damned Things: Wed., Aug. 17. House of Blues. The Dead Revo ... More >>

Summer Fest Releases Stage Schedule, Set Times

Jermaine Rogers​If Rocks Off learned anything at iFest these past two weekends, it's that we should have started our own bottled-water franchise. And that when you go to a music festival, it's a good idea to know who is playing and when. Running around willy-nilly is all well and good unless i ... More >>

MCM: More Local Music News Than Parties In Cairo

Todd Spoth​Welcome back to yet another installment of our semi-famous Magnolia City Mixtape. Rocks Off works hard to scrape every barnacle of local music news from our ship that sails the high seas of the Internet - or something like that. Slim Thug welcomed everyone back to Texas for the Sup ... More >>

Upcoming: Wilco, Wilco, Jimmy Buffett, Wilco, Wilco, Etc.

​"Canned Acoustica II" With Robert Ellis, Roky Moon, Tyagaraja, Black Queen Speaks, Chase Hamblin, Winter Wallace, Sara Van Buskirk, Ancient Cat Society: Thu., March 3. Warehouse Live. The Canvas Waiting, Holy Fiction, Finnegan, The Shallows: Fri., Feb. 11. Fitzgerald's. Clan Of Xymox: Sat. ... More >>

Canned Acoustica

Hot Saturday Night

Roky Moon & BOLT release debut LP.

Thankstaking

KTRU Flap Inspires Downfall Parody, Uncle Charlie Poster

Uncle Charlie/ unclecharlieart.com​As of Wednesday morning, the Save KTRU Facebook page is up to almost 1,500 members, another petition is circulating at savektru.org and Rocks Off has heard that KTRU supporters have already received sizable financial support for a potential legal action again ... More >>

KTRU Staff, Supporters Vent, Discuss Plans To Fight Station's Sale

Photos by Chris GrayThe atmosphere before Monday's meeting resembled a study hall without the books.​Still stunned, confused and exhausted from the news that Rice University had agreed to sell the terrestrial broadcast rights and capabilities of its largely student-staffed radio station KTRU ( ... More >>

Like A Movie, HPMA Showcase Afternoon Over Far Too Quickly

Jim BrickerHell City Kings: Not afraid to get salty.​This was the first year and no doubt the first of many for the Houston Press Music Awards Showcase to converge on Washington Avenue like a sweet-sounding pestilence made up of drums, mikes, a few steel guitars and a tanker truck full of musi ... More >>

Some More HPMA Nominee MP3s And A Little Showcase Info

Monica Fuentes​One week from tomorrow, the 2010 Houston Press Music Awards ballot goes live online, so hello this year's nominees, you're running out of time to send us your MP3s so we can post them and show the city (and the rest of the Interwebs) what you sound like. Please send them to chri ... More >>

Upcoming: Margaret Cho, Payper Boyz, Nikki Yanofsky, Guilty Simpson, Etc.

​Autolux, Gold Panda:  Tue., Sept. 7. Warehouse Live. Bane, Trapped Under Ice, Cruel Hand, Alpha & Omega: Wed., Sept. 1. Walter's on Washington. Built By Snow, The Black & White Years: Sat., July 24. Walter's on Washington. Daniel Tosh: Sat., Oct. 2. Verizon Wireless Theater. ... More >>

Houston Leading "Ford Fiesta Movement" Bonnaroo Contest

myspace.com/blackqueenspeaksBlack Queen Speaks​ For what seems like months now, Rocks Off has been seeing emails and posts about Team Houston, Ford Fiesta, Backseat Jukeboxes, and the battle of the bands this Saturday at Warehouse Live. To clear up any confusion, Rocks Off recently asked local pho ... More >>

A Few Possible Cures For Rocks Off's Acute "Can't Stay Home" Syndrome

Lev Kuperman/ myspace.com/viaaudio​ Monday night, an obviously delirious Rocks Off found ourselves upstairs at the Mink's Backroom instead of where we should have been, home in bed asleep. We enjoyed high-energy/lo-fi trio Vivian Girls, but at this point we are starting to realize we may have a pr ... More >>

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot

2009 was definitely a year, we'll say that much.

Upcoming Events

This weekend, get outside and enjoy this beautiful weather while it lasts. The Slow Food Picnic Dinner at Discovery Green is just one way to do that. Monica Pope and Andrea Lazar of t'afia are putting on the at 6 p.m. It will feature locally grown and caught food prepared by local chefs like Ra ... More >>

Distant Early Warning: Bobby Bare, Cross Canadian Ragweed, Mariza, Green Jelly, Randy Rogers, etc.

​Between The Buried And Me, Devin Townsend Band, Cynic, Scale The Summit: Mon., Jan. 11. Meridian. Billy Dean: Fri., April 16. Dosey Doe Coffee Company. Bobby Bare: Sat., May 22. Dosey Doe Coffee Company. "The Canvas Grand Opening" With Chase Hamblin, listenlisten, Sideshow Tramps, The Mighty Orq ... More >>

Aftermath: More Free Press Summer Fest at Eleanor Tinsley Park

Photos (except where indicated) by Craig HlavatyB L A C K I E and friends​ "How is this Houston?" "How the hell is this Houston?" Aftermath couldn't stop saying that phrase over and over again to whoever we found ourselves walking with the past two days all over Eleanor Tinsley Park at the inaugur ... More >>

Aftermath: Still More Summer Fest at Eleanor Tinsley Park

Photos by Amber RousselDevin the Dude, retinue in tow​​Summer Fest paid out much more than necessary over its two-day span, offering local artists the chance to take the same stage as major artist and, rather than be treated like small opening acts by an unknowing crowd, some audience members kn ... More >>

Summer Stock

MP3 of the Day: Chase Hamblin

​Chase Hamblin's A Fine Time EP somehow bridges the gap between the Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band and the late orchestral work of Elliott Smith, without all the suicidal tendencies. The five-song release really is a marvel to listen, sounding like George Martin or Jon Brion themse ... More >>

Things to Do This Weekend If You're (Almost) Broke

Friday​Newly crowned Best Indie Rock winners Spain Colored Orange bring their florid psych-pop to the Contemporary Arts Museum's monthly Steel Lounge Underground, with Gracie Chavez and a showdown between Sasha Braverman and Henry Chow. 8 p.m., free. Houston industrial fiend Mike Terror menaces at ... More >>

Progress Report

Taking stock of the Houston music scene on the eve of the annual Houston Press Music Awards Showcase.

Tonight: Chase Hamblin CD Release at the Continental Club

It's not very often that Rocks Off gets to know an artist we review personally. But as we stumbled out of the Texas heat one Friday night and into Avant Garden, we asked the bartender who the artist was being played - he smiled and replied coolly, "Well, me." A man who could make a decent drink and ... More >>

Things to Do This Weekend If You're (Almost) Broke

Rocks Off knows it's hard to have fun without spending money. Trust us, like Bill Clinton, we feel your pain. But we've been combing the club listings and put together a list of shows and other music-related happenings that won't set you back too any more than $10. You can thank us later, because yo ... More >>

Fresh Fruit

Mango's attempts to resurrect Westheimer's bohemian past.

Tonight: Crystal Stilts at Rudyard's

Crystal Stilts hails from Brooklyn, N.Y., and specializes in the sort of shoegaze-indebted garage rock that's so dangerously laid back it's just short of comatose. I've never caught 'em live, but my guess is that their shows are rapturous, daze-inducing events - religious drone-pop experiences, ... More >>

Tonight: Women at Rudyard's

Women Women www.flemisheye.com Allegedly recorded on boomboxes, gathering in garage pop, tape loops, lo-fi folk and chiming math-rock, the eponymous debut from Calgary quartet Women is an unpredictable and untotalizable mess. Casual listeners drawn in by minor blog hit "Black Rice" will find ... More >>

Fun with Nuns

Theatre Southwest's Nice People is good for some laughs

A Real Mix

Screw everything and go to the Sexxxtravaganza