Chicago

MUY CALIENTE SUMMER EDITION

Aeros Bombing at the Wrong Time

A very wise man named John Blutarsky once said, "Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? Hell no." But after this weekend, even though the Germans didn't bomb the Houston Aeros, it might be getting to that point where it can be said that the season's over. The Aeros played three games thi ... More >>

The Worst Moments from SXSW 2012

The last few days, Village Voice Media's indefatigable music staff has been regaling you with stories of the best from SXSW 2012. In the midst of these discoveries, we've been culling another list: the worst shit. The acts that ranged from huge bore-fests to downright lame. Below, you'll find our cr ... More >>

Egypt Central: The Anthem of Hate Day

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's a good thing Egypt Central caught us in a violent rage because we're pretty sure that's how their music is supposed to be heard. Your ... More >>

HSPVA's Encore 40!

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's a good thing Egypt Central caught us in a violent rage because we're pretty sure that's how their music is supposed to be heard. Your ... More >>

Old School

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

Paula Poundstone

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

Sampler Plate: This Week in Food Blogs

Each week, we put together a sampler plate of the most interesting links from both local and national food blogs. Know a blog we should be paying particular attention to? Leave the address in the comments section below. Dude, You Going to Eat That?: One of Dr. Ricky's most recent posts covers a fav ... More >>

7 Reasons Transformers 3 Made Me Want to Kill Myself

It stinks!​Yes, I try and keep it sports-related in this space as much as I possibly can. That's what I've been asked to bring to the table on Hair Balls and that's where my area of expertise lies. However, sometimes there is confluence of circumstance so powerful that I must stray from sports ... More >>

Who Needs a Pizza Oven When You Have a Grill?

​I love pizza of all varieties: Chicago-style, New York slices, mass-market chains and local Houston joints. But my favorite pizza is homemade, because it's fun to do. Baking a pizza in the oven intimidates me, probably because my oven sucks and my air conditioner sucks. (Anyone wanna buy m ... More >>

Comment of the Day

​You know how to screw up in this world? Order a drink containing vodka. Just don't do it, and especially not at Anvil, as you can see in this story on CultureMap. Coincidentally, in the comments section of Joanna O'Leary's post about the Corpse Reviver at Mockingbird Bistro, one reader, ve ... More >>

Rocks Off's Favorite Shows Of 2010

Marco Torres​Editor's Picks: Mary J. Blige, Reliant Stadium (RodeoHouston), March: Exquisite. Beach House, Walter's on Washington, April: Can't hate on this one either. Magical. Wu-Tang Clan, Numbers, December: Against all odds, they brought the motherfuckin' ruckus.

NFL & College Football -- Weekend's Best Bets

Does not look like fun​Before I get into the Best Bets for this weekend, a public service announcement for those of you traveling to Singapore any time soon. They still cane people there. Just ask former Florida State tight end Kamari Charlton. He is over in Singapore as you read this helping ... More >>

Chicago All the Way

At BB's, get your hot dog dragged through the garden.

Maps & Atlases

At BB's, get your hot dog dragged through the garden.

Pickles, Mustard and Pierogi

​I am not sure the Polish food store beside Polonia actually has a name. The sign just says "Kielbasa, Golabki, Pierogi." The store is justly famous for its fabulous jelly-filled paczki doughnuts and outrageous kabonosy and kielbasa. (They fly in 600 pounds of sausage from Chicago each week.) ... More >>

CenterPoint Hits The Jackpot At The Federal Stimulus Feeding Trough

Photo courtesy White House Flickr group​Let them bitch all they want in Chicago about getting shut out of federal stimulus funds for "smart-grid" power projects. Here in Houston, we're kicking ass.The federal gummint, that socialistic, fascist Big Brother, announced today how it is spending $3.4 b ... More >>

Chef Rick Bayless: Reluctant Rock Star

Photo by J.C. Reid​A visitor to Macy's at Memorial City Mall last Wednesday would have been surprised at the more than 100 people -- many of them young women -- lined up in the Kitchen and Home area. Were the Jonas Brothers endorsing a line of tableware? No, but it was a rock star of sorts -- ... More >>

Mos Def

Photo by J.C. Reid​A visitor to Macy's at Memorial City Mall last Wednesday would have been surprised at the more than 100 people -- many of them young women -- lined up in the Kitchen and Home area. Were the Jonas Brothers endorsing a line of tableware? No, but it was a rock star of sorts -- ... More >>

ZZ Top's Dusty Hill is 60 Today

You didn't think we'd get out of here without wishing happy birthday to Houston's own Dusty Hill, the ZZ Top bassist who turns 60 today, did you? Hell no! To celebrate - and give any neophytes an idea of just how widely loved the Top really is - here's a pair of covers from about as far apart as you ... More >>

Grab Some Kielbasa

photo by Robb WalshAnytime I find myself anywhere near the Polish food store next to Polonia restaurant at 1900 Blalock, I stop in and buy six or eight kabonosy sausage. I am guessing the long skinny Eastern European pork sausages were the inspiration for Slim Jims--both varieties of dried sausage a ... More >>

Free 7" from Room 101

Local/Chicago one-man noisenik Room 101 isn't letting a silly thing like the economic crisis stop him from releasing music - he's just decided to give it away. Email him at robface1@hotmail.com and he'll send you a copy of his brand-new four-song 7", complete with artwork by Winston Smith, who ... More >>

Mail Call: Diagonals, Fountains of Wayne, Jason Isbell, Chess Records, Sally Crewe and More

After a hot minute, Mail Call returns in a slightly revamped format... Pick of the Litter Diagonals (Austin), Valley of the Cyclops (Monofonus Press) They Say: "A sweet-and-sour dark-pop soundtrack for the dawn of the post-Bush era." Rocks Off Says: Loose-fitting, lo-fi melodic garage ... More >>

Digitalia: Discobelle

So maybe not everyone is into the Swedish music scene, but for all you club-music enthusiasts out there, Discobelle has a number of free MP3s, videos and fun mixes. The three-year-old site posts daily tunes by producers residing anywhere from Brazil to London. You'll find selections from ... More >>

Classic Rock Corner: The Greatest Band Logos of All Time, Part 2

An early example of rock art... We're back to reveal the best of the best, the cream of the crop, the cappo di tutti cappi of classic-rock band logos evah! And when we say "greatest," we look for a combination of things including memorability, longevity, graphic design, influence and appearances. ... More >>

Aeros-Wolves: Say Hello to Dane Crowley and Krys Kolanos

An early example of rock art... We're back to reveal the best of the best, the cream of the crop, the cappo di tutti cappi of classic-rock band logos evah! And when we say "greatest," we look for a combination of things including memorability, longevity, graphic design, influence and appearances. ... More >>

Poi Dog Pondering

The Chicago band visits the Continental Club

Pelican, with Thrice and Circa Survive

The Chicago band visits the Continental Club

Aeros Win, as Does Britany

The Chicago band visits the Continental Club

MONARCH LOUNGE'S SCORPION ZINGER

The Chicago band visits the Continental Club

Fighting Tech with Tech, Redux

The Chicago band visits the Continental Club

Let's Yacht Rock, Chum

The Chicago band visits the Continental Club

Rock over Houston

The Daddy of Rock N' Roll will whip your ass

Down-Home Delights

Ten of the best from Nashville and elsewhere

Racy Roxie

Chicago delivers a night of naughty theater

Drums and Tuba

Sunday, May 22, at Rudyard's, 2010 Waugh Drive, 713-521-0521.

Gear Head

Ron-E fades into the night

The Way We Wore

Vintage Vogue shows how fashion went from pillbox hats to pantsuits

Tango and Cash

Chicago dances its way through the origins of the celebrity crook

Old Masters and Young Guns

Filmmaking in 2002 wasn't just for the boys

Golden, with Rye Coalition and *mytwilightpilot*

Tuesday, August 27

Playbill

The Blacks

Irrelevant Reverence

Dismissing artistic pretension

The Authenticity Myth

The Mex-Mex issue

Best Freeway to Get Lost On

Loop 610

Down for the Count

"El Matador" Chavez fought his way to the top of the boxing ranks. Now he hopes to make his greatest comeback - if the INS will let him in the ring.

News of the Weird

"El Matador" Chavez fought his way to the top of the boxing ranks. Now he hopes to make his greatest comeback - if the INS will let him in the ring.

Tangled Jungle

The Alley wrestles with Bertolt Brecht, and nobody emerges a winner

Sound Check

The Alley wrestles with Bertolt Brecht, and nobody emerges a winner

Meat Market

Morton's of Chicago has surprises, as well as steaks, on its menu