Chuck Berry

Slip Slidin' Away: My Life as a Rock Journalist With the Houston Press

I had a hernia operation in the early summer of 2006, and had nothing to do all day but hobble around with cool cane a borrowed from Grandpa Hlavaty and play on the Internets for two months or so. I had developed the injury while working at Domino's, but it was cool because their insurance helped ... More >>

Time-Trippin': Great Houston Radio TV Ads From Yesterday

If I have learned anything over the past year at Rocks Off, it's that you guys really, really get heated when it comes to FM radio in Houston. From format changes, myopic classic-rock playlists, and controversial morning hosts, Houstonians care about their terrestrial radio choices. Hell, you do spe ... More >>

10 Cool & Cheap Weekenders: December 14-16

Kinky December 15, the Engine Room In the same class as Cafe Tacuba, Kinky is a Mexican alt-rock band no stranger to electronic music and hip-hop. The group formed in Monterrey in the late '90s and has seen its star steadily rise, headlining Central Park's SummerStage this past July during New York' ... More >>

Saturday Night: George Jones at Arena Theatre

George Jones Arena Theatre September 8, 2012 I never wondered what it's like to be almost 81 until Saturday. I never expected to live that long, and still don't. But while watching George Jones onstage at the Arena Theatre, it was difficult to not at least wonder. But hell, I'm not even 40 and mos ... More >>

5 Tips for Musicians to Avoid IRS Trouble

It's a fact of life that bears repeating: The IRS does not fuck around, no matter who you are. Legendary musician Chuck Berry received a reminder of this universal truth the hard way 33 years ago this month. Only three days after playing a gig on the White House lawn for President Jimmy Carter, the ... More >>

Friday Night: The Beach Boys at The Woodlands

The Beach Boys Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion June 8, 2012 The Beach Boys taught a generation of American kids how to be teenagers. With songs about the perils of love, the magic of cars, school ties, faceless authority, and depression and isolation, they wrote the book on high-octane hormonal roc ... More >>

Nils Lofgren Goes Old School, Talks E Street Tour

In a list of phrases that most music journalists would probably like to see banned, hearing that an artist's latest record "is their most personal yet" would rank near the top. But in the case of singer/guitarist Nils Lofgren --who, for the record, did not use that phrase -- it's actually true. Th ... More >>

Ragin' Cajun Jo-El Sonnier Plays Nutty Jerry's Saturday

​Nutty Jerry's in Winnie has been doing a great job bringing in legacy acts like Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis, Guess Who, Mickey Gilley, Ronnie Dunn, and Blood, Sweat and Tears. But the club really got our blood pumping when they booked the Cajun wildman, Jo-El Sonnier, who plays the club Satu ... More >>

Show Me Your GIFs: Great Classic Rock 'N Roll GIFs Galore

It seems to me that musical history is made up of fragments of indelible images, good and bad, that inform each person's experience. Then there are the swatches of tunes that grab you by the heart strings or the throat, making you a fan for life. But it's those moving pictures that you first remembe ... More >>

The Roots Of Jimbo Mathus: From Charley Patton To Charlie Parker

Jimbo Mathus's latest work, Confederate Buddha, was easily one of the most overlooked roots albums of 2011. Don't worry, we sort of slept through it too, but that just means you can make up for that with us by checking him out Saturday night at the Continental Club, with opening act Shinyribs. You ... More >>

Teen Angels: 10 Musicians with a Penchant for Young Girls

In the great 80s comedy Night Shift, there is a scene where Michael Keaton is driving down what appears to be the West Side Highway in New York in a brand new Cadillac with "Jumpin' Jack Flash" blaring from the speakers. In a bid to impress a mildly terrified Henry Winkler, Keaton attempts to demons ... More >>

Boots Electric

G N' R, The Cure & Chili Peppers Could Be Hall Of Famers Next Year

Oh, this will be a fun induction ceremony...​This morning, The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in Cleveland announced the list of nominees for its Class of 2012: The Small Faces & The Faces, Freddie King, The Cure, Guns 'N Roses, Heart, Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Spinners, War, Joan Jett and the Bl ... More >>

Lemmy & HeadCat Mates Walk The Rockabilly Walk

​You could say that the members of roots-rock trio HeadCat got together to pay tribute to the King. But instead of the baby Jesus of Bethlehem, these three wise men -bassist/singer Lemmy Kilmister (Motörhead), drummer Slim Jim Phantom (ex-Stray Cats), and guitarist/pianist Danny B. Harvey (ex ... More >>

The Best Songs From 1958

​This Saturday is Craig's Hlist's father's birthday, and the man turns 53. Sorry to out your age, Dad, but it's for science. This week while doing other research, we found that most people whose art we enjoy were actually born in 1958. People like Alec Baldwin, Prince, Jello Biafra, Jools Holl ... More >>

The 25 Most Influential Bands Of The '90s

Trent Reznor, you know, before the Oscar and all the weightlifting. ​As a music writer, we are asked constantly to compare the new with the old, to decipher the periphery where modern bands' influences come from to understand where we are going and what we are seeing. We can hear everything Ke ... More >>

SXSW With LOM: Gourds Kill, Grandfather Child Wins, Candy Golde Shines

Donica ChristensenWhat the Gourds saw from the stage at Friday's Vanguard Records party​Day Two found Lonesome Onry and Mean at the Vanguard Records day party, where the label was intent on showcasing several of its newest acts. While Viva Voce may not be the best band name ever, the Pixies-is ... More >>

Last Night: Selena Gomez At RodeoHouston

Photos by Groovehouse​Selena Gomez Reliant Stadium March 6, 2011 Teen-pop star Selena Gomez showed off a new, deeper register during her kid-friendly Sunday night set at RodeoHouston. It's easy to forget that these kids can age just like everyone else, even as they make us feel old. Since her ... More >>

The Radiators

The Happen-Ins

R&B-tinged rockers shun Austin's "dorky" alt-country scene.

Beethoven Enters Year 241 Of Total Awesomeness

​Today is Ludwig Van Beethoven's 240th birthday. It's hard to adequately sum up the man's contribution to music because frankly no modern figure comes anywhere close. In honor of the undisputed master of all that is classical music, Rocks Off thought we'd put together some interesting tidbits ... More >>

Last Night: Kings Of Leon At The Woodlands

Photos by Marc Brubaker​Kings of Leon Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion September 22, 2010 Sold. It took us long enough, or it took them long enough, but Aftermath has had our last cup of Kings of Leon haterade. We found them tepid at Verizon in 2008 and standoffish at Toyota Center last year ... More >>

The Mother Truckers

Capsule Stage Reviews: Five Guys Named Moe, The Hollow, Hunter Gatherers, The Mousetrap

2010's Hottest Wedding Jams: Aventura, Lady Gaga, Pantera(!?)

​ In the immortal words of Vince Vaughan, "Tattoo on the lower back? Might as well be a bullseye" "It's wedding season, kid!" Whether you're taking the plunge yourself, in the bridal or groom's party or just crashing, Rocks Off thinks knowing what you'll be dancing to at the reception is just as i ... More >>

Tonight: Houston Filmmaker Raymond Gale's Electric Purgatory at Domy Books

Electric Purgatory screened almost two years ago at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, but Rocks Off still hasn't seen Houston director Raymond Gayle's film about the plight of the black rocker. We're gonna miss the next screening too - tonight at Domy Books - due to Thanksgiving travel, but we are ... More >>

Aftermath: Deer Tick Remembers Lightnin' Hopkins - Do You? - at Warehouse Live

Photos by Eggs/ breakfastontour.com​ Deer Tick's set Sunday night at Warehouse Live, opening for the lovely and photo-shy Neko Case, was the perfect capper to a weekend that saw us become sleep-challenged conspiracy hounds and road-weary travelers all within the span of a day. Too bad that the ban ... More >>

HPMA: Guess What? More Winners: Sideshow Tramps, Homopolice & A Dream Asleep, DJ Sun

Chris Gray​ Well, Little Joe didn't sit in with the Flamin' Hellcats, but Scarface sure did. Dude's got some serious Chuck Berry mojo going on. Who knew?Best Tribute Band: Beetle. Thanking a multitude of Houston music royalty. Beetle really is a sight to behold, and about a minute fraction of the ... More >>

The Nickel: A Musical History of the Fifth Ward, Part 3

[Note: Part 1 of The Nickel is here, and Part 2 is here.] Almost as forgotten as Hersal Thomas, Goree Carter was a Fifth Ward guitarist who was credited by late New York Times pop critic Robert Palmer with being the creator of the very first rock and roll record. This was his obscure 1949 singl ... More >>

Classic Rock Corner: Blues/Soul/R&B In Memoriam 2008

Ah, that nasty Grim Reaper took a lot of great musicians this year, and his scythe cut a wide swath across all genres, including many heavyweights in the blues and R&B world. The greatest loss comes in the form of someone who was a man, a song, and a beat all in one... Bo Diddley, singer-songw ... More >>

Retro Active: The Five Worst '80s Christmas Songs

OK, sure, the truly worst '80s Christmas songs are doubtlessly "Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer" and Band Aid's (above) "Do They Know It's Christmas?" But everyone knows this. However, there were many other holiday songs released during the '80s that nearly reached such heights of crapulence ... More >>

Album of the Week: Christmas a Go-Go

One thing about Christmas songs, every single artist to ever pick up a guitar or drumstick seems to have recorded at least one, a company that apparently includes Joe Pesci, Soupy Sales (kids, ask your grandparents) and garage gods the Electric Prunes. Guaranteed, Christmas a Go-Go is the only plac ... More >>

Roy Orbison: The Soul of Rock and Roll

Mail Call: Post-Ike/ACL Edition

Soul Day at ACL: I Feel Good!

Jimmy LaFave

Aftermath: Heybale! at the Continental Club

Bo Diddley, RIP

Honeydripper Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

Vampires of Moscow

Heybale

Saturday, October 15, at the Continental Club, 3700 Main, 713-529-9899.

Amy Rigby

Thursday, June 19

The Boob Scotch Tour

Staying abreast of modern trends in blues with Bob Log III

A Perfect Fitz

"Snit" Fitzpatrick finds sweet inspiration in his own rock band

Free Birds and Drop Kick Chihuhahas

New Year's Eve Houston at Bayou Place

The Sound of Money

New Year's Eve Picks

New Year's Eve Blastoff

Static

Chaquico's New Trip

The former Starship guitarist orbits an acoustic planet