Christian Rock

The Genesis Of King's X: The DUg Pinnick Interview, Part 1

"My house in Texas is a really great thing," DUg Pinnick says, King's X bassist/singer. "So I don't want to get rid of it." Pinnick now lives in Los Angeles, he says, "to further my career." At 62 years old this year, he's got the energy and ambition of a man one-third his age. He's been in L.A. fo ... More >>

Underoath

Quiet Company

Switcharoo: 10 Artists Who Tried Other Genres

Have you ever bought an album of an artist you were familiar with and thought, "wow... that's different?" In fact, many artists try out other genres than the one where they originally became popular as a way for them to grow as artists. But a big question remains: Will the audience grow with them a ... More >>

Reader's Poll: What's the Deal With Christian Music?

So you are disgusted, angry, and outright righteously pissed that your beloved 103.7 is gone with the wind, replaced by 24 hours of Christian music. Gone are your usual playlists full of Wilco, Soundgarden, Sheryl Crow and Death Cab For Cutie, not to mention your favorite DJs and personalities. Th ... More >>

Christian Radio Group Buys 103.7 FM

Update to story originally posted on May 25, 2012: Sounds like the switch became official at 5 p.m. today, and our friends on social media are pissed. Apparently the indie format went out with Semisonic's "Closing Time" and R.E.M.'s "It's The End Of The World As We Know It." Well played. KHJK 103.7 ... More >>

Friday Night: Stryper At House Of Blues

Stryper House of Blues May 18, 2012 A dedicated legion of Stryper fans cheered on Friday night to bang their heads to the bands greatest hits along with a few excellent covers. Stryper came out in full yellow-and-black attire while lead singer and guitarist Michael Sweet crooned a version of "Bat ... More >>

Stryper's Michael Sweet: "We Stick To Our Guns"

See more with Michael Sweet in this week's issue of the Houston Press. In the 1980s, contemporary Christian music was on the cusp of accepting a nice little jolt of electricity for headbangers everywhere. That jolt of electricity, my friends, was Stryper. They burst onto the scene and have since p ... More >>

Stryper: Christian-Metal Kings

Michael Sweet explains what Stryper learned from Judas Priest and Van Halen.

Stryper

Top 7 Promotional Music Gimmicks -- Both Used & Unused

One of the most interesting things in the music business is how managers and record companies promote and market their artists. Sometimes they do a great job, and other times they fail. When they do fail, their like that hickey you got three weeks ago -- still there. But, like a hickey, people even ... More >>

Creed's Scott Stapp Knows You Hate His Band

Creed lead singer Scott Stapp talks about faith, haters and a whole lot more.

Friday Night: Winter Jam 2012 At Toyota Center

Winter Jam 2012 feat. Skillet, Sanctus Real, Peter Furler, Kari Jobe, Building 429, Dara Maclean and Group 1 Crew March 23, 2012 Toyota Center Hosted by NewSong and starring Skillet, Sanctus Real, Peter Furler (former lead singer of the Newsboys), Kari Jobe, Building 429, Dara Maclean, Group 1 Crew ... More >>

Whitney & Me: One Fan's Recollections

Saturday I got a text from a close friend saying that Whitney Houston had passed away. Needless to say, I was a bit shocked. I honestly thought she would be around for years to come so that she could could keep blessing us all with her terrific voice.. I grew up listening to Contemporary Christian ... More >>

Last Night: Mutemath at House of Blues

Let's get something straight right off the bat: Mutemath is not a Christian band. Sure, the band members are all lifelong Christians, but the New Orleans-based act sued their label, Warner Music Group, in 2006 for breach of contract and negligent representation when their debut EP Reset was releas ... More >>

Stryper's Michael Sweet: "God Formed This Band"

Photos by GroovehouseStryper at House of Blues, December 2009​Stryper, the world's coolest and heaviest '80s Christian heavy metal band of the '80s, comes to Scout Bar Monday night, touring behind last month's covers LP, The Covering. It's an appropriately shiny and heavy disc of covers from a ... More >>

Stryper

Pre-Bieber, Five Memorable Musician Interview Gaffes

​Remember in the days before "Bi-winning," when Twitter was all up in arms about Justin Beiber's interview with Rolling Stone? Was it really a surprise that some of the pop star's opinions, as told to the magazine last month, would be half-baked and maybe even a bit ignorant? Put aside for a ... More >>

The 71's: God's Punk-Ass Kids

The 71's on Facebook​The 71's are a band that by all rights Rocks Off should be throwing rocks at instead of embracing warmly in our ear canals. Their rock is poppy, sincere, and inspired by faith in a God we want nothing to do with. So why do we love their new EP Rock and Roll Reaction Part 1 ... More >>

No Shoes, No Problem

The Listening Room at NiaMoves might be the best live music venue you've never heard of.

Wal-Mart Ejects Christian Band From Store

The 71s are a Christian rock band, but don't let that distract you from the fact that they are completely awesome. Trust me, when a former Satanist is a Christian band's biggest cheerleader, then that band is a band to be reckoned with. And a stunt like the story behind the group's "Start Again" vi ... More >>

Jimmy Needham

Aftermath: Stryper Shout At The Devil at the House of Blues

Photos by Groovehouse / Click here for a slideshow​This year, Aftermath has seen all strains of metal: From Slipknot and Mastodon's metallic beatdowns at Verizon Wireless Theater, to The Sword's kindly menacing sludge jams at the inaugural Summerfest, to the force of power that is Motorhead at ... More >>

What Would Jesus Jam? Christian Bands Who Found Secular Success

​Save for a few modern screamo bands like Underoath and the rap-rocking P.O.D., few Christian rock bands have had has as much an impact in mainstream secular music than the Bible-flinging Stryper. In the mid to late '80s the band was the premier Holy Ghost-filled metal band during a time when most ... More >>

Stryper

What's In a Name? Hey, Look, It's 10th Gräde Cütie Again!

It's a well-known fact that most band names are essentially gobbledygook, but here at Rocks Off, we're trying hard to decode Houston's oddest monikers in order to find a little meaning. We mean this with affection and sincerity: 10th Gräde Cütie destroys everything they touch and should be booked ... More >>

Aftermath: The 71's and Evangeline at Warehouse Live

Photos by Jef With One F It's accurate to say that I went to see The 71's on Monday night with some hesitancy; my knowledge of contemporary Christian music is limited to Jars of Clay's "Flood" and the Prom scene from the movie Saved!. Despite my affection for the band's LP, We Are Locomotive, I ju ... More >>

Tonight: Sharks and Sailors, Bullet for My Valentine, Blue Mountain, MercyMe and More

Three Revolutionaries: Prince, Radiohead and Stryper

The Rentals, Copeland, Goldenboy

Gift Rap

Never Opening Near You

Music biopics Hollywood won't make

Be Your Own PET

Be Your Own Pet performs Friday, November 10, at Mink, 3718 Main. Call 713-522-9985 for more info.

Biff Upper Lip

What's on God's iPod?

Big Show

Have a Seat on The Bench

Versus the Mirror, with Boy Sets Fire, the Fully Down and My Last War

Wednesday, May 17, at Java Jazz Coffeehouse, 2502 FM 1960 East, 281-528-8129

Page France, with Jason Carmona, Jetpack, Dizzy Pilot and Three Fantastic

Monday, March 13, at Super Happy Fun Land, 2610 Ashland, 713-880-2100

Never Go to a Party in Friendswood

Where does your town rank in the Houston-area good-taste stakes?

Music to Cover Your Eyes To

Houstonian Nick DiFonzo has one of the world's finest collections of bad album covers

Rapping on Heaven's Door

Can Christian hip-hop save Enock from his demons?

switchfoot

No matter what you call 'em, they're headlining the Music Awards

Rock of Ages

Houston singer-songwriter Brandon Stanley gets by with a little help from his friend... upstairs

Holy Diver

Atomic Opera

Go Whisper It on the Mountain

Sevenfold

Gospel According to Matthew

The Good Lord Willing, Songwriter Matthew Levine Plans to Spread the word of Baha'i

On Beyond Christian Rock

Heaven Sent?

Caedmon's Call strives to be heard above the Christian rock din

Sound Check