Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival

Has ACL Festival Jumped the Shark?

Texans Electric Touch Top Amazon's MP3 Chart

RIP Ron Asheton

The Stooges, "No Fun" Stooges guitarist Ron Asheton, whose MC5-inspired gutter blues effectively laid the foundation for punk rock guitar, was found dead this morning in his Ann Arbor, Michigan, home, the Ann Arbor News reported. Asheton's personal assistant contacted Ann Arbor police after not he ... More >>

Aftermath: The Killers at Verizon Wireless Theater

Photos by Torey Mundkowsky Next year this decade will be over, and very few new bands have distinguished themselves either at the turnstiles or the cash register. Even one of the main ones that has, the Killers, chose to hit the theater circuit this winter after releasing its th ... More >>

Flannel File: The Descendents

One hot morning in August of 1997, my little brother and I hopped on MARTA (Mom wouldn't let me use the car) and moseyed on down to the Lakewood Fairgrounds in Atlanta for the third-ever Warped Tour. Should the writer of a column about experimental music be ashamed of having gone to the Warped Tour ... More >>

Smiths Reunion Rumored at Morrissey's Jones Hall Show

Strangeways, here they come: Rocks Off has learned that former Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr has requested passes for his ex-bandmate Morrissey's sold-out April 11 show at Jones Hall, leading to speculation that the two will perform onstage together for the first time since the influential Manch ... More >>

Rock The Bayou Is a Bust

Strangeways, here they come: Rocks Off has learned that former Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr has requested passes for his ex-bandmate Morrissey's sold-out April 11 show at Jones Hall, leading to speculation that the two will perform onstage together for the first time since the influential Manch ... More >>

The Octopus Project

Strangeways, here they come: Rocks Off has learned that former Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr has requested passes for his ex-bandmate Morrissey's sold-out April 11 show at Jones Hall, leading to speculation that the two will perform onstage together for the first time since the influential Manch ... More >>

Caught In The Net

Strangeways, here they come: Rocks Off has learned that former Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr has requested passes for his ex-bandmate Morrissey's sold-out April 11 show at Jones Hall, leading to speculation that the two will perform onstage together for the first time since the influential Manch ... More >>

High Gas Prices Still Hurting Touring Bands

Notes toward a post-cheap-gas touring economy

Protest Songs for George W.

That's my Bush!

Bauhaus

Bauhaus appears with Nine Inch Nails and TV on the Radio on Sunday, June 4, at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, 2005 Lake Robbins Drive, The Woodlands, 281-363-3300

¿Niño A?

¡No! Café Tacuba is more than the Mexican Radiohead.

Playbill

¡No! Café Tacuba is more than the Mexican Radiohead.

Cruel Summer

Are we hearing the death rattle of the sheds?

Remaking the Band

Will the Pixies 2.0 thrive like Mission of Burma, or stumble like Urge Overkill?

Some Further Thoughts on iFest, and Festivals

Photos by Chris Gray Skyscrapers - something you won't see at Austin City Limits. Western Swing maidens the Quebe Sisters performed in the shadow of the Jesse H. Jones Library.Previously, Rocks Off's idea about what a "festival" should look like, and what to expect, came from his exper ... More >>

Fix Your Face

Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker is more hip-hop than most rappers.

ACL Fest Preview: Five Outdoor Music Festivals That Could Have Gone a Lot Better

The 2009 Austin City Limits Festival kicks off Friday, and many of you are no doubt devising parking strategies and grappling with various permutations of 'How will I make it from the [a] set at [b] stage in time to catch [x]'s set at the [y] stage?' It's a serious dilemma, as ACL always puts toget ... More >>

Twice-Told Tales

How Houston's Justice Records came to release a spooky, sexy Love & Rockets tribute album.

Houston 2020: The Future Is Unwritten

But hey, that's not stopping Noise.

Tegan and Sara

But hey, that's not stopping Noise.

SXSW Aftermath: Here's To The Most Accessible, Personable Festival In Years

Katharine ShilcuttAt SXSW, everywhere is a venue, including the back alley where we came across these ladies Thursday afternoon.​SXSW is a festival that tries to beat you down like the drip-drip of acid on the blink-blink of an eyeball, and more times than not it succeeds. But if you're able to co ... More >>

Aftermath: White Rabbits Fire A Large-Caliber Percussion Gun At Walter's

Photos by Eggs/ breakfastontour.com​ It's Coachella season, and all the indie critters are scurrying through the Southwest on their way to California. OK, not all of them, but enough that right now is one of those times on the calendar (SXSW, ACL, Voodoo Fest) where Houston feels a little less rem ... More >>

Beyonce's Naughty T-Shirt, Devin's Suite 420, Eric B Vs. Nicki Minaj, Rick Astley Chopped And Screwed...

Welcome back to Turning the Screw, Rocks Off's weekly rap post. It probably won't rhyme, at least most of the time. E-mail tips to introducingliston@gmail.com. Thanks, homies. Single of the Week: Kritikal Van Gogh, "Dog Eat Dog" Wire to Wire ​Beyonce had tongues wagging at this weekend's Coac ... More >>

Austin City Limits Festival Tickets On Sale Tomorrow At 10 A.M.

We're not saying Soundgarden is playing ACL, but you never know...​That's right. Now why would Rocks Off make something like that up? Hope you have $180 lying around and don't have any meetings or classes or anything like that tomorrow morning, because they're going to go quick. Better go ahead an ... More >>

Twitter You've Heard Of (Grrr), But What's a Drobot?

​Rocks Off's sister music blogs have been kicking ass on music analysis lately. At The Sound of The City, critic Christopher R. Weingarten talks about how Twitter and search-engine optimization (SEO) are ruining music journalism. And if you think Austin City Limits was a mess last year, check out ... More >>

Summer Tours We'd Like To See: Bring Back Texxas Jam!

Reminder: Tickets for Lady Gaga's Toyota Center show next year go on sale tomorrow at 10 a.m.​ Summer concert season doesn't last as long as hurricane season, and leaves somewhat less damage in its aftermath, but at least it gives us something to look forward to during those long, hot months. This ... More >>

Summer Swoon

Proudly independent, recent Grammy nominees Silversun Pickups aren't ready to hit the "Panic Switch."

Scott Weiland: Five Great Onstage Meltdowns Before His

Marc Brubaker​ For more images from Sunday's ill-fated show, see our slideshow here. As most of the continental U.S. knows by now, Stone Temple Pilots lead singer Scott Weiland (above) had some... issues... at the band's Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion show Sunday. Arriving late and opening ... More >>

Does "Indie Rock" Mean Anything At All Anymore?

​Our colleague Shea Serrano has been doing brisk business with his Rap Round Table blogs, corralling local hip-hoppers into talking about events in their scene and in the world at large. No topics are off limits, and everyone is willing to talk. So Rocks Off decided it was time for Houston's ... More >>

Internet Gives Thanks For "Based God" Lil B

​2010 was a big year for Berkeley, California's Lil B, aka "The Based God." He taught the world how to "Cook," supplied his disciples with new gospel almost daily, and graced the cover of The Fader. Now at 21 years old and only a month into the new year, he's released a digital album, been i ... More >>

L.A. Rapper Gets Signed, Eats A Roach

​The members of Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All - or Odd Future, if you're into the whole brevity thing - have been on the online radar since last summer, and have already managed to make the Coachella cut and late-night talk-show circuits in 2011. At the outset, however, the most recogniz ... More >>

BREAKING SXSW NEWS: Death From Above 1979 Reunion Show Mayhem

Craig Hlavaty​It was a music nerd's dream, one of your favorite bands of the past ten years reuniting. Even though the titanic-sounding Canadian bass and drums duo Death From Above 1979 only released one LP, one EP, and a remix album, they managed to cultivate a following of rabid punks, indie ... More >>

Last Night: Foals At Fitzgerald's

Photos by Jim Bricker​Foals Fitzgerald's April 19, 2011 Just minutes after Fitzgerald's opened its doors for last night's Foals show, tickets were gone. The sold-out venue was packed before second opener Freelance Whales even hit the stage, and it's no wonder - Oxford quintet Foals, fresh off ... More >>

I'm Gay & 10 More Recent Dubious Rap Album Titles

​Lil B is obviously an outlandish artist, but his most recent blogworthy activity has many hip-hop fans pretty damn upset. This past weekend at Coachella, The Based God announced the title of his next album. He has named it I'm Gay and according to the Based God, it's a major move to demonstra ... More >>

Slayer Girlfriend Reigns In Love

Christopher Victorio​A few hours ago, while reviewing the OC Weekly's coverage of the Big 4 metal festival in Indio, Calif., we came across this picture of a female metal fan with a sweet-ass Slayer tattoo in the middle of her abdomen. Why does God creates such beautiful things, and then keeps ... More >>

Rise Of Lil B And Odd Future Both A Gift And A Curse

​So you've written the greatest song the world has never heard. You spent a good two-and-half hours on those brain-melting metaphors, and another three laying them on wax. Every bar requires repeated listening to fully digest. Your ad-libs are on point like Chris Paul. The beat knocks harder ... More >>

Arcade Fire On For ACL; Kanye Expected In Midnight Lineup

​Tonight at midnight, the folks at C3 Presents who book the Austin City Limits Music Festival are expected to drop the lineup in full onto the festival's official Web site. And like, duh, Rocks Off will of course be up and about to post it to the blog once it goes live. You are more than welco ... More >>

Ryan Seacrest Begets a Music Festival... And The Apocalypse

Mason Lankford said, "There will come a day when we forget the Rapture ever even happened," but Rocks Off is keeping an eye out for signs of our impending Armageddon. We were wrong last time, but we're totally right this time! Jyle Dupuis​Ryan Seacrest is a towering figure in the entertainmen ... More >>

Rock & Roll's Top 10 Brawlin' Brothers

Note: Not real brothers. We just liked the picture.​Brothers share a link that is unique and special. Same DNA, same familial backgrounds, quirks, talents, and sometimes musical taste. They can also argue, get physical, try to overpower one another, and hold grudges over years that are hard to ... More >>

Four Artists Who Died Before Playing Houston

theindependent.co.uk​When Amy Winehouse died Saturday, almost everyone noted how the troubled British soul singer had joined the "27 Club," the list of legendary musicians who passed away at that age that also includes Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, Kurt Cobain, Brian Jones of the Rolling Stones, ... More >>

Epic Meal Time

Deadmau5 feasts on the energy of enthusiastic electronica fans.

Yo Gabba Gabba's Creator Talks Bands and Stage Diving Kids

Courtesy photoYo Gabba Gabba's Brobee and Plex with Chromeo.​What do you do when you have kids but you can't stand any of the TV programming geared toward them? Get together with a long-time buddy and make a low-budget version of what you'd like to see on television. That's how Christian Jaco ... More >>

This Station Is Now Operational: At The Drive-In Is Reuniting. Finally.

​With the beginning of a Twitter account and an official website, heavily influential El Paso-based rock act At The Drive-In has announced their reformation today. What the future will hold for the group, which splintered into the Mars Volta and Sparta after their 2001 split, is anyone's guess ... More >>

Refused Are Not Fucking Dead, Playing Coachella

Photo via officialrefused.com​Holyshitholyshitholyshit. As if the news of the At The Drive In reunion wasn't enough, Refused is back. The trailblazing hardcore band that called it quits in 1998 have reassembled and in a statement on their site, confirmed that they're playing Coachella as well ... More >>

Nine Bands From the '90s Underground That Should Consider Reuniting

Photo via officialrefused.com​Everyone was all abuzz about the reunion announcements of Refused and At the Drive-In this week. I was less abuzz. I never much cared for Refused (nor International Noise Conspiracy) and I was one of those people that liked ATDI "before" (and I certainly had no ne ... More >>

Noise For The Ages: Top Post-Hardcore Guitarists Through the Years

The album that basically made the genre.​While it may not often be recognized by "mainstream listening audiences," post-hardcore is not a dead genre. Though its popularity has often waxed and waned throughout the years since its inception in the mid '80s, there are always great upstart bands k ... More >>

Drum Kit From Hell: With Bill Ward Out, 5 Replacement Drummers For Black Sabbath

Drummer Bill Ward, furthest right, has left the band.​Black Sabbath's big reunion plans seem to be cursed. First, guitarist and the only consistent member of the band Tony Iommi was diagnosed with lymphoma. Then they had to drop out of playing Coachella due to Iommi's diagnosis. The latest spe ... More >>

The Jesus And Mary Chain Hitting Houston On March 13 During SXSW Swing

​Known best for their 1985 album, Psychocandy, the Jesus And Mary Chain have been called one of the most influential British bands of the '80s. With the wall of crushing reverb, drenched in pop hookiness, their sound foretold bands like the beloved My Bloody Valentine, the cultish Black Rebel ... More >>