Craig Hlavaty

The Best Concerts In Houston This Weekend: Cave Singers, Buzzfest, Crystal Castles, etc.

Cave Singers Fitzgerald's, April 19 The Cave Singers are hard to pin down. Made from parts of Pretty Girls Make Graves and the Blood Brothers, among other decidedly less folky bits, the Singers cut a languid, soulful stance that roars only rarely. Even still, their catalog satisfies those who wish ... More >>

The Best Concerts In Houston This Weekend

Down Warehouse Live, January 11 Long-running sludge daddies Down are still riding high from last year's six-song EP, Down IV Part I - The Purple EP, and rightfully so. The effort was one of 2012's best releases, making it onto plenty of year-end lists and satisfying Down fans' hunger for new materi ... More >>

Fun Fun Fun Fest Sunday In Review: Turbonegro, De La Soul, Araab Muzik & More

The last day of Fun Fun Fun Fest 2012 was another dusty affair. I can feel about a pound of crud in my lungs, and my ears are ringing like a mother-fluffer, which means I had a great Sabbath at Auditorium Shores. SLIDESHOWS: The Girls of Fun Fun Fun Fest Turbonegro, De La Soul and Edward Sharpe: F ... More >>

Fun Fun Fun Fest Saturday In Review: Kreayshawn, Refused, Girl Talk & More

Saturday's FFFF was a dusty affair, with merch tables making money off bandannas and other face coverings hand over fist. Where did that phrase come from, by the way? What do hands and fists have to do with making money, aside from petty crime? SLIDESHOW: PiL, Refused, A$AP Rocky: Fun Fun Fun Fest ... More >>

Fun Fun Fun Fest Friday In Review: Bun B, Bob Mould, Against Me! & More

The first day of Fun Fun Fun Fest was marked by the oddball stylings of an in-character Val Kilmer terrorizing the stage with the Black Lips, and the triumphant return of rap legends Run-D.M.C. rocking the main stage to close out the night. In between there was Bob Mould, Converge, Houston's own Bun ... More >>

ACL 2012: Sunday's 10 Best & Funniest Moments at Zilker

The rains came early on Sunday morning, but by the time the ACL opened up for business before noon, there was hardly a cloud in the sky, making for an extremely warm and muddy day. The biggest acts of the day -- Red Hot Chili Peppers, Iggy & the Stooges, Crystal Castles, and the Avett Brothers -- he ... More >>

ACL 2012: Friday's 12 Best & Funniest Moments at Zilker

Check out our slideshow of the crowds at Day 1 of Austin City Limits. In the interest of being tidy and not boring you with minute details of the three-day exercise in sweaty and human endurance underway in Zilker Park this weekend, Rocks Off is giving you a break. Our team on the ground at the Aus ... More >>

7 Cool & Cheap Weekenders: Jackie Greene, Sander Van Doorn, Yes Indeed Fest, etc.

All of 31 years old (growl), Jackie Greene's preternatural resemblance to hip '70s roots-rockers like J.J. Cale and Little Feat has already led The New York Times to dub the San Francisco singer-songwriter "the prince of Americana." He has already sang lead with Grateful Dead bassist Phil Lesh's gro ... More >>

HPMA Showcase: Sunday's 12 Best Random Moments

Besides all the music, Rocks Off asked our writers to keep an eye out for the unusual at Sunday's HPMA showcase -- because it's everywhere -- and let us know if they found anything especially offbeat or otherwise noteworthy. HPMA Showcase: The 12 Best Artists of 2012 HPMA Showcase: Rocks Off's Top ... More >>

HPMA 2012 Showcase

One night. 11 venues. 55 minutes.

A Quiet Moment With the Very Loud B L A C K I E

See also Craig Hlavaty's review of B L A C K I E's new album GEN. To go with the Houston Press Music Awards issue, this week's feature story is a profile of B L A C K I E (all caps, with spaces), a noise musician that's a little too rap to be classified as a noise musician and way noisy to be class ... More >>

Houston Music Showcase: A Semi-Talk With B L A C K I E

See also Craig Hlavaty's review of B L A C K I E's new album GEN. This week brings us the Houston Press Music Awards and the feature story is a profile of B L A C K I E (all caps, with spaces), a noise musician that's a little too rap to be classified as a noise musician and way noisy to be classi ... More >>

The Best of SXSW Music: Friday 3/16/2012

If you're familiar with chaos theory, which in its basic form is the attempt to find patterns in the random acts of shit on Earth, then you may understand the difficulty that comes with describing a full day at SXSW. To break down the chaos, Village Voice Media's roving music editors have selected t ... More >>

The Best of SXSW Music: Thursday 3/15/2012

If you're familiar with chaos theory, which in its basic form is the attempt to find patterns in the random acts of shit on Earth, then you may understand the difficulty that comes with describing a full day at SXSW. To break down the bright, scintillating chaos, Village Voice Media's roving music e ... More >>

Comment of the Day: Office Space Reference of the Year

We have some great commenters here on Hair Balls, and it's time we paid some damn attention to them. So we'll be highlighting a Comment of the Day each morning, from the previous day's work. Maybe two comments, even. This will all be determined by a highly rigorous scientific formula involving wit ... More >>

Chafing 101: Rocks Off's 2011 Music Festival Odyssey

Music festivals are now a part of our lives, just like deadlines, angry commenters, lack of sleep, and eye fatigue. And eating at our desk. That sucks. But at least we have food and a desk, right? Rocks Off ventured all over the state -- OK, really mostly Austin -- to cover festivals for the blog. ... More >>

Midtown Throwdown

Your guide to our very first Houston Press Best of Houston® BestFest.

Prayerapalooza: Our Slideshow Of The Response

Photo by Groovehouse​Do you feel better now? If not, it's your fault, because Rick Perry and 30,000 attendees of The Response prayed their hearts out for you today. We have a slideshow of the event here; our Craig Hlavaty tweeted throughout and we'll have his report soon.

What Is A Music Critic's Life Really Like?

​Walter Peck: Because I'm curious. I wanna know more about what you do here! Frankly, I've heard a lot of wild stories in the media and we want to assess any possibility of dangerous and possibly hazardous waste chemicals in your basement. - Ghostbusters Rocks Off can promise you we are not h ... More >>

The Seven Ages Of Britney Spears: A Poem

By William Shakespeare and Craig Hlavaty ​All the world's a stage, even things like MTV and stuff. And all the men and women merely players, even Fred Durst and that one chick from that one show that we forgot the name of. She had long hair probably. They have their exits and entrances, like ... More >>

Happy Birthday George Strait: His Saddest Songs Ever

Craig Hlavaty​Today is George Harvey Strait's 59th birthday, and Rocks Off is celebrating by listening to some of the saddest songs he has ever recorded, because it's what we usually do on Wednesday afternoons anyway. Just a few months back he scored his 83rd Top 10 hit with "The Breath You Ta ... More >>

SXSW Saturday: Hot Sauce Hawker Billy Gibbons Smokes Elmore James At Rachael Ray Party

Craig Hlavaty​ Billy Gibbons sat in with The Cringe at Rachael Ray's Feedback Party at Stubb's just after lunchtime for a cover of Elmore James' blues standard "Dust My Broom". The ZZ Top guitarist also mentioned his BFG hot sauce line, which he had a bottle of in his back pocket.

SXSW: The Kills At Stubb's SPIN Party Friday Afternoon

Craig Hlavaty​Even though the beginning of their set was fraught with technical issues, the Kills turned in a heated set, in more ways than one, under the big top at Stubb's for SPIN magazine's annual day party.

Suggestive Restaurants to Get You in the Mood This Valentine's Day

The big red cock itself.​On the way to Jimmy Changa's a few weeks ago, my dining companion and I passed a country-cute little restaurant in Deer Park called Jug and Muffin. Aside from reminding me that I still want to open a pub some day called The Honk and Jiggle, we couldn't stop giggling to ... More >>

Photobombs Through the Ages

The pinnacle of modern-day photobombing​Photobombing might have reached its peak at the Golden Globes when Michael Douglas PB'd his way into a picture with his wife Catherine Zeta-Jones and Angelina Jolie. The phenomenon has become popular on the internet, of course, and as with everything el ... More >>

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. Blue Jean Gourmet: Former EOW blogger Nishta Mehra's first post of 2011 on her ... More >>

Houston Music's People Of The Year

Craig Hlavaty​Editor's Pick: Grandfather Child. It was a good year for the blues all around - the Black Keys' well-deserved radio breakthrough with Brothers; Lightnin' Hopkins' long-overdue historical marker in Third Ward - but Lucas Gorham's crew is a razor-sharp reminder that the best blues ... More >>

Loco for Loko

Readers doubt our rapid-consumption story.

Loko Oh No

Testing the new fad drink

Twitter: Five More Types Of Tweets We Can Live Without, Thanks

Don't get cute with the hashtags, plz?​Last month Craig Hlavaty, as part of his feature on the Twitterverse, examined the five most annoying things people can do on Twitter.It turns out there's five more. At least.Hlavaty ably limned the TMI posts, the what-I'm-eating tweets, the horror of Foursqu ... More >>

Where Are We Peeing Between Karaoke Rounds?

Craig Hlavaty​ This two-story Montrose bar is ground zero on Friday nights to sing your heart out, for better or worse. The club's weekly karaoke shindig is one of the most drunk and lively in the city. Astute Houston drinkers should have already guessed where we are this week, but even so, the st ... More >>

Where Are We Peeing, And Talking About Freddy Fender, Justin Bieber, Lady Gaga, Barbra Streisand And Adam Lambert?

Craig Hlavaty​So Tuesday night, we found ourselves all by our lonesome at this small bar, coming down off our birthday weekend. It's a cozy little spot with an ample jukebox, plenty of character, and way too much Lone Star. We sat next to the bar's video poker machine, mainly to rest our head. Pro ... More >>

Hlavaty On The Hloose At SXSW: The Fader Fort, MGMT Rumors, Mariachi El Bronx, The Meaning of "Prison Wallet" And A BBQ Truck In Peril

Photos by Craig Hlavaty2:36 p.m.: Our man on the scene's wrist, not even three hours into SXSW.​ 2:04 p.m. Rocks Off Sr. to Hlavaty: "OK hoss, let's hear something about some music this hour." 2:22 p.m.: Hlavaty, by phone: "I gotta run over to the Fader Fort to pick up some credentials, and I'm do ... More >>

Broadcast News -- Press Members Attempt To Rock

You probably thought you were watching a Josie & the Pussycats remake last night on 39 News. Instead, it was the Houston Press Rocks Off Lego Rock Band party, with our Katharine Shilcutt, Craig Hlavaty and John Gray -- along with a random audience member -- attempting musical greatness.

2009 Concert Rewind, April: Springsteen, Jandek, Morrissey, The Faint, iFest, Cake... and Nickelback

Harley C. Pitts​ Kevin and Dustin Welch, McGonigel's Mucky Duck, April 2: "Dustin (son of Kevin) Welch stunned the sparse crowd at the Duck last night from the first note of "One False Move," the brilliant opener to his new album, Whisky Priest. While the graying crowd had mostly come to hear the ... More >>

Aftermath: Conspiracies, Prog-Metal, Gypsy-Folk, Hardcore and Remembering a Fallen Friend Sunday at Westheimer Block Party

Craig HlavatyRoom 101​ Day 2 of the Westheimer Block Party started with slightly cooler temperatures and an hour-long caffeine-fueled session speaking with the 9/11 conspiracy booth in the parking lot at Numbers. Did you know that there were three shooters at Columbine, and bombs planted inside th ... More >>

Aftermath: More Drums and Drummers Than We Ever Thought We'd See at an Intercontinental Airport Hangar

Videos by Craig Hlavaty Any drummer jokes, say the one about Ginger Baker and coffee both sucking without Cream, pretty much have to go out the window when you enter an expansive warehouse that includes over 100 boys and girls, and men and women, pounding on their respective kits. Sometimes in tand ... More >>

The Top 20 Freaks You'll Meet at Ren Fest

We went to the Texas Renaissance Festival in Plantersville this weekend to attend our cousin's wedding, and wouldn't you know we brought a camera along to document through our drunkenly narrow and judging eyes all the WTF-ery walking amongst the trees. Secretly we wish we could also don a pair of ti ... More >>

Aftermath: The Dandy Warhols at Warehouse Live

Photos by Craig Hlavaty​ While Afermath doesn't have any hard data on hand to back this up, we're guessing that driving an audience to a show on Labor Day evening is a tough sell. Or at least it seemed to be for the Portland, Ore.-based Dandy Warhols Monday night at Warehouse Live. Despite their ... More >>

Aftermath: Collective Soul and Black Stone Cherry at House of Blues

Photos by Craig Hlavaty​ Something strange happened during the '90s. Southern Rock as we once knew it all but disappeared. Charmed by grunge, drowned in amplification, bands began shedding the elements of blues and country that threaded that noble line from Lynyrd Skynyrd through the Georgia Satel ... More >>

52 Pick-Up

Your guide to the 2009 Houston Press Music Awards showcase

Almost A Millionaire: One man's brief stint in the spotlight

Highlights from the Blog at HOUSTONPRESS.COM

Who Are the Mysterious Sunset Stripperz?

Photos by Craig Hlavaty This past weekend, Midtown haunt Coffee Groundz held its first weekend music festival. The music started early Saturday afternoon and didn't end until late in the day on Sunday. Acts like Runaway Sun and soul-rocker Kenneth Scott were crowd favorites on the back patio. We wer ... More >>

Cop Warmth Poaches Rocks Off's Artwork on New Cassette

"Jesus Sanchez"... sorry, Craig Hlavaty Rocks Off loves getting local tapes and vinyl in the mail here. That's not a cry for free shit or a sad call for pity. We just dig hearing new music off something other than an Apple product or a boring plastic round disc. That being said we just got in the ne ... More >>

Aftermath: Cake at Verizon Wireless Theater

Photos by Craig HlavatyCake has never sounded like anyone else, and no one that came after has ever come close to sounding like the Sacramento band either. It's not like Nirvana or Green Day, with 1,000 copycat bands immediately coming out of the proverbial woodwork to shove out their own shingle. E ... More >>

Merry 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 Fergus ... More >>

A Black Friday Soundtrack

It's become a tradition. You spend two days cooking, slaving over a hot stove, sweating into the family green bean casserole, making gallons upon gallons of iced tea for assorted loved and loathed ones. But instead of taking the next day off to go comatose and let the fullness subside, what do yo ... More >>

Not Quite the Crowds We Expected at Rice Village or the Galleria

After all the hype of the past week leading up to Black Friday, we decided to venture out into the world of massive sales and astronomical blowouts and deeply discounted electronics. But where'd you all go? Did we miss all of you? Did you already head home to make Turkey Helper? We drove over to ... More >>

Slideshow: Method Man & Redman at House of Blues

Craig Hlavaty Craig Hlavaty braved a serious contact-high risk to take some shots of East Coast blunt-lovers Method Man & Redman's Blackout 2 tour at House of Blues last night. Click here for a slideshow. - Chris Gray

SXSW: Health, The Cribs, The Black Keys, The Soundtrack of Our Lives, And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead