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Subject: Chris Gray
Houston to Austin and Back Again
June 29, 2007I Was a Lunchtime Eyewear Model
October 25, 2007Midday MP3s: Music from the Jonx and Sew What
July 3, 2008Over the Weekend: Sugar Hill, Summer Sin, Swami Ramdev and Houston Astros
July 21, 2008Fried Rice: Live-blogging the HPMA VIP Party
July 27, 2008Turning the Screw: Lower Life Form, Slim Thug, R.I.P. Bernie Mac, Chris Brown & T.I. Team Up, Master P and More
August 11, 2008The Early Scene at Obama HQ
November 4, 2008Slideshow: Things that Took Less Time than Chinese Democracy
As many of you no doubt know by now, what passes for Guns 'N' Roses these days did the unthinkable Sunday and released Chinese Democracy (available exclusively at Best Buy), disappointing thousands of critics who are going to have to think of some other metaphor for something that takes a really, really, really, long time. For example, Axl Rose and friends took two years longer to make the album than the Beatles' entire career (including the Quarrymen). See what else he ou
November 24, 2008Happy Thanksgiving: John Lennon's "Cold Turkey"
Some of you will be eating this for a while, Rocks Off supposes. - Chris Gray
November 27, 2008Duran Duran Still On... for Now
Although Duran Duran drummer Roger Taylor is battling a pernicious ear infection that makes travel impossible, forcing the '80s icons to cancel last night's show in San Antonio and tonight's in Dallas, the band's publicist says Friday's show at Verizon Wireless Theater is still on. For now, that is. Stay tuned to Rocks Off for any changes. Tickets are still available through the venue or Ticketmaster. - Chris Gray
December 2, 2008A SugarHill Supergroup of Sorts
The SugarHill Gang, from left: Fever Tree's Rob Landis, Radio Birdman's Dennis Tek, engineer Andy Bradley, Tyson Steth, Kenny Cordray and Dust Peterson Photos by Chris Gray Watching musicians in the studio is like watching meat processors make sausage: it's tedious and there's lots of blood. But it's worth it to watch the innards of one of the all-time classic Houston psychedelic songs, Fever Tree's "San Francisco Girls" (1968), get ripped out and put back together. (Check out the origina
December 3, 2008Tonight: Pimp C Tribute on KPFT's "Damage Control"
Has it really been a year already? Indeed it has: On December 4, 2007, Port Arthur-born MC and producer Pimp C was found dead in his Hollywood hotel room; the Los Angeles County Coroner listed the cause as a combination of sleep apnea and accidental overdose of codeine-containing cough syrup. To say things haven't been the same without him would be a massive understatement. Tonight on KPFT's "Damage Control" (90.1 FM, 12-3 a.m.), Pimp's former UGK partner Bun B and HoustonSoReal/AustinSurreal
December 3, 2008Aftermath: Spain Colored Orange at the Continental Club
Photos by Chris Gray Is Spain Colored Orange the Badfinger of Texas? Why not? Thursday at the Continental Club, the local quintet's heavy, lush pop was dense and intricate, but never at the expense of melody. Its members have also heard at least one jazz album in their lifetimes, evident in their frisky interplay and consistent groove. Multiple Houston Press Music Award winners in 2006 and this year, SCO has been tagged as one of Houston's most likely to break out for years, and that still ho
December 5, 2008Art Rock: Fishbone's December 8 Meridian Setlist
A funky, funky good time. - Chris Gray
December 9, 2008Coming Up: Music Lists. Lots and Lots of Music Lists.
Over at Rocks Off, we've just loaded up the first of 11 (cuz that's way better than ten) music-related lists to cap off 2008. Chris Gray bats leadoff, counting down the year's best reissues. Over the next two weeks we'll have...oh, wait, why not do this in list form? 1. Top Ten Pop Songs of 2008 2. Top Ten Indie Rock Songs of 2008 3. Top Ten Dance Mixes of 2008
December 17, 2008Correct Ticket Locations for Friday's Bianca Noons Tribute
[Note: tickets are not available at area Fiesta stores as previously reported.] Planeta Bar-Rio 6400 Richmond, 832-251-9600 Island Resort 12180 Bissonet, 281-564-4012 Caribbean Cuisine 7433 Bissonnet, 713-774-7428 House of Manna 508 Murphy Road, 281-403-6262 Tat Imports 8236 W. Bellfort, 713-981-6677 Grace's Cafe 1909 Texas Parkway, 281-261-8451 Halaal Meat 9801 Bissonnet, 713-271-5000 Tickets are also available at neutralsisters.com. - Chris Gray
December 17, 2008Tonight: Toys for Tots Drive at the Mink
If you're at all like Rocks Off - and God bless you, every one - you spend most of December trying to catch up on all the local music you missed during the previous 11 months. And, well, drinking. Luckily, you can do both tonight at the Mink's Toys for Tots all-star local extravaganza. Here's what's on the docket: Downstairs Giant Princess (8 p.m.); Brett Taylor (8:50 p.m.); Paleo (9:40 p.m.); B L A C K I E (10:30 p.m.); Riff Tiffs (11:20 p.m.); Buxton (12:10 a.m.) Upstairs Death by T
December 19, 2008Slideshow: Snakes on an Album
One of the songs slithering around Rocks Off's head lately is "Snake Farm," the title track to grizzled Hill Country troubador Ray Wylie Hubbard's 2006 album, where the singer and a comely employee of the ramshackle reptile house between San Marcos and New Braunfels get it on amongst the other tongue-flicking creatures. That set him wondering how many other musicians the legless vipers have inspired, both musically and visually, and it turns out quite a few others have snakes on the bra
December 22, 2008Merry Christmas from the Rocks Off Family
...and so say all of us! - Chris Gray, Craig Hlavaty, Dusti Rhodes, Keith Plocek, William Michael Smith, Bob Ruggiero, John Nova Lomax, Ernest Barteldes, Brandon K. Hernsberger, Jef With One F, Michael Arceneaux, Linda Leseman, kris ex, Kathy F. Mahdoubi, Rosa Guerrero, Nick DiFonzo, Jason Ferguson and Shea Serrano
December 25, 2008Aftermath: Noontime Carilion Concert at First United Methodist Church
Aftermath has always had a thing for bells. The call of a carilion has to be one of the most sublime sounds man ever created - if you've never heard one play Bach's "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring," well, it would make the devil himself a believer. One of Aftermath's favorite things about working downtown is that First United Methodist Church (1320 Main) is right up the street, so when he's walking to or from lunch, he'll often pause and listen to the daily carilion concert for&nbs
December 24, 2008Aftermath: Robert Earl Keen at House of Blues; Dash Rip Rock at the Continental Club; Hayes Carll at Warehouse Live
Photos: Hayes Carll/ Craig Hlavaty; Dash Rip Rock, Robert Earl Keen/ Chris Gray On their 1996 self-titled debut LP, Hee Haw-loving Nashville ironists BR5-49 cut a song called "Little Ramona (Gone Hillbilly Nuts)." Anyone who has read either the paper or this site in the past few weeks will no doubt know that little Rocks Off has likewise gone hillbilly nuts. He hasn't stopped listening to other kinds of music completely, but lately, to paraphrase someone who was most definitely not a
December 29, 2008Free Tickets for Doors Tribute Band at House of Blues Tomorrow
About two dozen tickets for tomorrow night's latest installment of House of Blues' tribute-band series - weird scenes inside the goldmine from Huntington Beach, Calif.-based Doors fans Wild Child - are available until 6 p.m. in the lobby of the Press offices, 1621 Milam, Suite 100. First come, first serve, as always. Seriously, HOB ought to think about turning all these tribute nights into some sort of subscription series. - Chris Gray
January 2, 2009The Menu of Guy Clark's "Texas Cookin'"
If you're like Rocks Off, you've probably, finally, eaten your way through the last of the holiday leftovers. (If you've never had deep-fried Cajun turkey, by the way...) You could always start that healthier diet you're always talking about, and exercise, but who are we kidding? It's time to re-stock that pantry, so let's let Texas songwriting legend Guy Clark plan the menu with one of the all-time best songs about Lone Star cuisine... Meats, Poultry and Beans Barbecue Chili Armadillo pie Enc
January 6, 2009The Menu of Guy Clark's "Texas Cookin'"
If you're like me, you've probably, finally, eaten your way through the last of the holiday leftovers. (If you've never had deep-fried Cajun turkey, by the way...) You could always start that healthier diet you're always talking about, and exercise, but who are we kidding? It's time to re-stock that pantry, so let's let Texas songwriting legend Guy Clark plan the menu with one of the all-time best songs about Lone Star cuisine... Meats, Poultry and Beans Barbecue Chili Armadillo pie Enchiladas
January 6, 2009Local Rotation: Something Fierce's There Are No Answers
Something Fierce There Are No Answers www.somethingfiercemusic.com Open letter to the Warped Tour: If you don't include Something Fierce on your 2009 80-something band docket, you deserve to have Andy Macdonald or Kyle Loza do one of their extreme-sports stunts right into your figurative nuts. Or whatever. Not every band in its early (early) twenties can find the Buddy Holly heart inside an MC5/Sex Pistols riff machine like "Modern Girl," after all.
January 7, 2009Aftermath: The Magpies and Sideshow Tramps at the Continental Club
Photos by Chris Gray It didn't look good at the beginning. A few minutes after 9 p.m. Wednesday, the posted start time for visiting Cleveland roots-rockers the Magpies, the "count" at the Continental Club front door was all of 16 paying customers, and the band was nowhere in sight. Two chicken tacos at Tacos a Go-Go and one Lone Star at the Big Top later, things were much improved. The room was considerably fuller - and would go on to be one of the biggest Wednesday-night crowds Aftermath ha
January 8, 2009Tonight: Room 101 at River Oaks Theater
Update: This show was cancelled, but Room 101 plays Fitzgerald's Feb. 13. No sooner than Rocks Off's good friend (and hella photographer) Rosa Guerrero rhapsodized about the River Oaks Theater's occasional (but always loud) music shows comes word that Houston/Chicago noisemaker Room 101 has a gig there tonight. Expect to hear the two new songs the enigmatic one-man band - probably the best-prepared musician for a chemical attack ever - just posted to his MySpace page, "New Rome" and
January 12, 2009Flashback: Something Fierce at Cactus Music
Photos by Chris Gray Houston punk trio Something Fierce put on a spirited pre-tour in-store at Cactus Music Saturday afternoon, performing several songs from its brand-new disc There Are No Answers and a Clash cover. It was a fine day in garageland, to be sure. More photos after the jump.
January 19, 2009Her Name Was Daisy: Up Close And Personal At The Celebrity Goat-Milking Contest
The goats stood -- for the most part, quietly -- in a line, their heads locked into a contraption to hold them in place. Daisy was the scotch-gold goat who was my destiny. I was in the third tier of the "Celebrity Goat Milking" competition at the Houston Livestock and Rodeo. Our job, with the briefest of instruction, was to milk a goat. My only preparation had been to look at some confusing recommendations I'd Googled online and to watch a very short three-part video on how to milk a goat. One t
March 4, 2009Tonight: The Magpies at the Continental Club
[A review from the Magpies' January Continental show is here.] Chris GrayMy son, a guitar plunker raised on huge doses of Rockpile and Joe Ely, tipped me to the Magpies. He saw them at Hayes Carll's Stingaree Festival about a year ago and pronounced them the hardest-rocking band of the whole soiree. Tooling over to MySpace, it only took a brief introduction to the band's work to convince me that he might be onto something. Not only does the band rock, it has smart lyrics and, with keybo
April 14, 2009Steak Night: Under the Volcano
September 18, 2008We Are the Hollow Men
December 20, 2007Aftermath: Susan Cowsill at Discovery Green
Photos by Chris Gray A sloping hillside full of people on blankets, kids running around, dogs lolling, and a fine band playing "Yellow Submarine" - this truly was what the whole Discovery Green concert series is about.Susan Cowsill and her band powered through a short set of their own material - as well as crowd-pleaser "The Rain, The Park, and Other Things" before launching into a spirited rendition of the entire 1966 classic Revolver by the Beatles. The band smoked its way through "Taxman" and
June 12, 2009Slide Show: Albums Almost as Old as We Are
The other day, the Rocks Off brain trust was sitting around talking, and one of us happened to mention whatever album it was we were talking about - it might have been Duran Duran's Rio - came out the year one of us was born. That got us thinking, "How much have albums released within 12 months after our birthdays influenced our musical tastes?" Quite a bit, really. Click on the Rocks Off staffer's name for their slideshow; release dates are based on the best information we could gather via Wik
June 22, 2009Aftermath: Michael Jackson Tribute at Numbers
Chris Gray Well, Numbers' Michael Jackson tribute turned out to be three songs and a few arch comments from the DJ, before a typical Classic Numbers crowd that was more interested in the Cure than the King of Pop. The real action was across the street at Mango's, where the Tontons enhanced their reputation as one of Houston's hungriest bands at a free show.
June 29, 2009House of Blues Takes Area Students to Blues School
Photos by Chris Gray Class has begun, school is in session and all the pupils are attentively waiting to hear what the teacher has in store. But there are no desks, tests or No. 2 pencils anywhere in sight. These H.I.S.D. students are seated at a special assembly to receive a lesson of great importance: Music appreciation, specifically the blues. Uprooted from a typical school day, Friday morning these Houston-area kids left their traditional schools behind and enrolled in what House of Blues li
June 29, 2009Aftermath: The McKenzies, the Howlies and Springfield Riots at the Mink
Photos by Chris GrayThe McKenzies To Aftermath, the Mink's Backroom has always seemed more like a house than a music venue - especially inside, with the dark floors, corner bars and abundant, comfortable seating, it's like one of those cozy but spacious multi-resident dwellings where we all went to at least one party in college. Judging by the average age of the crowd at Tuesday night's show, that's pretty much what it was.
July 8, 2009From the Front: Photos from Chris Gray
Chris Gray dropped up some photos from earlier in the day.Kickin' it with Born Liars.Fun with Benjamin Wesley.Did you miss the Fucking Transmissions Unplugged?
July 26, 2009Even More from the Front: Photos from Chris Gray
Chris Gray ran into some folks on the street ...B L A C K I E Channel 39 came to see how things are going ...Jim Purdell and Don Walsh discussing perhaps Rusted Shut's show today at Notsuoh...And one quick live shot of Ozeal and the Eulypians gettin' crazy on the amps (literally).
July 26, 2009HPMA Aftermath: Ozeal & the Eulypians, Nosaprise, Benjamin Wesley, Tha Fucking Transmissions, Kristine Mills, Peekaboo Theory, Versecity and Spain Colored Orange
Chris GrayFive hours is not a long time. It is if you're driving from Houston to Texarkana or Uvalde, maybe. But when hopscotching all over downtown trying to take in as much of the Houston Press Music Awards showcase as you can until your feet and your ears cry uncle, those 300 minutes go by in a heartbeat. But every once in a while, in the words of Bob Dylan, "the next 60 seconds can seem like an eternity." Those fleeting moments are the keepers, and tops on the list Sunday was Ozeal &
July 27, 2009Your One-Stop HPMA Showcase Link
GroovehouseLos Skarnales just wouldn't quit at House of Blues Sunday. Rocks Off is just about recovered from Sunday's HPMA showcase mayhem, or as recovered as we're going to get. Despite some bitching on Hands Up Houston - what else is new? - everybody we've talked to had as much of a blast as we did. But in case you missed something, just follow these links to Rocks Off's various reports from the field and pictures, pictures, pictures. By the way, the winners will be announced Thursday eveni
July 28, 2009HPMA: We Have Some Winners: Little Joe Washington, Cornbreadd, Flying Fish Sailors
Chris Gray Umbrella Man got the HPMAs off to a rousing start with some heel-kicking, toe-tapping zydeco gospel - after they cleared off the cables so hobbled singer Kam could get to center stage on her Rascal-like scooter. Then the first round of winners was announced... Best Folk: Flying Fish Sailors. FFS' Jay Lee almost took his own picture onstage. Best Guitar: Little Joe Washington, who we couldn't seem to find, but managed to be front and center when his name was called, then serenaded
July 30, 2009HPMA: We Have Some Winners: Fat Tony, Cactus Music, Swishahouse, Nick Cooper, Kristine Mills
Chris Gray Born Liars injected some scuzzy rawk n' roll to the festivities after we were dressed for not repping the zydeco scene. It's really amazing how fast yet how together the Borns really are live. Equal parts MC5 and The Clash.Here come some more awards, kids....Best Underground Hip-Hop- Fat Tony is our man! Third Ward's native son plugs the last night of the "Speakerboxx" DJ night at the Mink...Best Record Store- Cactus Records! And here is Quinn Bishop. He's done a shit ton for Houst
July 30, 2009HPMA: We Have Some Winners: Geoffrey Muller, D.R.U.M., Speakerboxx, Wild Moccasins, Los Pistoleros
Chris GrayGroovy, groovy acoustic reggae from Ryan Scroggins & the Trenchtown Texans, featuring Sideshow Tramps' Geoffrey Muller, plus Pat Kelly banging on a couple of 4X4s. Singing about people watching "that old devil box." We guess if they're watching on Channel 39, it's OK. For tonight.So far, our host Johnny Bravo of Jack FM gets a conditional fail for trying a little too hard to be funny. Cool Metallica tee though.Best Miscellaneous Instrument: Geoffrey Muller, Sideshow/Mesmer, for
July 30, 2009Aftermath: The Houston Press Music Awards Ceremony
Photos by Chris GrayUmbrella Man As Maureen McGovern once sang, there's got to be a morning after. And it's about as pleasant as you imagine it is. It's not even that Rocks Off is hung over (much), it's more that after Thursday night's Houston Press Music Awards ceremony, we literally left it all on the field. The tank is empty. Even Jackson Browne has no idea how spent we are. Even so, we'd be lying if we said we didn't have a good time at the awards. Or that we're not proud as a peacock tha
July 31, 2009Aftermath: Blue October and Its Mystifying Cult at Verizon Wireless Theater
Chris Gray Friday's sold-out Blue October show at Verizon left Aftermath wondering one of the most vexing, troublesome things any reviewer can: "What is it about this band," the voice in our head kept asking over and over again like a car alarm, sometimes even threatening to drown out the band itself, "that we just don't get?" Because it must be something. Something we spent the balance of the onetime Houston band's homecoming show trying to figure out, and didn't get much of anywhere - past
August 17, 2009Aftermath: We Were Wolves and Satin Hooks, Born to Be Wild at the Mink
Photos by Chris Gray It's been false-starting for a couple of years, but that grunge revival may be right around the corner - if it ever went anywhere in the first place. Beaumont's We Were Wolves plugged into the Mudhoney machine at the Mink Tuesday night, crafting sludgy sheets of guitar noise to contend with screamed and howled vocals over sledgehammer bass and drums. Then they won us over forever with a completely unironic and totally groovy cover of Steppenwolf's "Born to Be Wild." It's
August 19, 2009Aftermath: Fastball at House of Blues
Chris Gray It hasn't been that long since the '90s ended, but it sure seems like it sometimes. Like going to a concert sponsored by a radio station, in Saturday's case Mix 96.5. It doesn't matter what the station is, or who is playing, you're immediately struck by two things: "People still listen to the radio?" and "People still listen to these bands?" In Fastball's case, that's a plus. The rest of the country may know them from their string of radio hits starting with 1998's "The Way," but b
August 24, 2009Live From ACL: Buckets of Rain, and a Bright Spot or Two
Photos by Chris GrayThis photo was NOT taken Saturday. Trust us. The streak is over. In eight years, Austin City Limits has seen plenty of days of unbearable heat, but hardly any rain. The most significant time was during Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers' headlining 2006 set, but even that was more of a lighting show than an actual shower.All that ended Saturday, to spectacular (and disgusting) effect. It started raining in Austin before noon, but the heavens really opened up around 3 p.m.,
October 3, 2009ACL 2009 Snapshot: Better Than Nothing, We Suppose...
Chris Gray This is all the female companionship some people at ACL are going to get, but at least this guy's friends won't have any trouble finding him. If he has any, that is.
October 4, 2009
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