Cyndi Lauper

10 Songs That Will Pack Your Wedding Reception's Dance Floor

Jan Hammer and the Top 10 TV Theme Songs of the '80s

Not a lot of television shows win multiple Grammys. Then again, not a lot of television shows ever sounded (or looked) like Miami Vice. The cutting-edge series perfectly captured the pastel zeitgeist of its time when it debuted in 1984, influencing film, fashion, design and music in a way that few T ... More >>

10 Totally Played Out Wedding Songs That Will Still Pack the Dance Floor at Your Reception

Years ago, a wedding planner told me the basis of a successful wedding is remembering that primarily the ceremony is for the bride, the food is for the groom, the photos are for the family and the music is for the friends. While not 100 percent accurate, it does form the basis of a pretty successful ... More >>

Quietly, For a Dance Club, Rich's Reopens Under New Ownership

Rich's, the popular but troubled Midtown dance club, has quietly reopened under a new ownership group after the landlord evicted previous tenants in May. The venue at 2401 San Jacinto is now operated by a group of investors calling itself Rich's Sacred Ground Inc. According to Texas Alcoholic Bever ... More >>

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 >>

Musically Speaking, What Is the Best Zodiac Sign?

Sometimes some musicians just can't even be put in the same sentence as one another. Depending on people's musical preferences. It's hard to compare and can be a bit confrontational. But one thing is for sure the day on which someone is born can't be changed. And then that's where astrology comes in ... More >>

Parental Advisory! Another Look at the PMRC's "Dirty 15"

In 1985, the Parental Music Resource Center was formed as basically a watchdog group over popular music. Essentially, their goal was censorship. However, there was one big problem: The group was made up of the likes of Tipper Gore (wife of then-Senator and future Vice President Al Gore), Susan Bake ... More >>

The 3 Best Musician/Wrestling Tag Teams

The world of wrestling and the world of music have an awful lot in common. You've got you over-the-top characters, the lights, the spectacle, the flashy costumes and choreography. (See this, in fact.) Pretty much the only thing separating them are the injuries, and depending on the rock show not eve ... More >>

Best Of Free Press Summer Fest Day 1: Quintron, Big Freedia, Morris Day, Etc.

See Rocks Off's complete Free Press Summer Fest coverage. Be sure to also check out our slideshows: the sexy, sweaty Summer Fest crowds and the bands of Summer Fest 2012. Cory Garcia: Stage 7 isn't the most glamorous. Most of your set will be spent playing to the handful of people who came out to y ... More >>

The American Bandstand (Extended) Hot 100

Somehow it's hard to believe that Dick Clark was only 82 years old when he died after suffering a "massive heart attack" Wednesday morning in Santa Monica, Calif. (Since I managed to survive one myself, I've noticed that anytime someone dies of a heart attack, it's always "massive."). Despite his yo ... More >>

Please Please Me: Rock's Top 10 Greatest Double Entendres

​Almost half a century ago this month, the Beatles released their first U.S. single, "Please Please Me." Though a fine example of the group's early pop sound, it wasn't an immediate smash in the States. After being issued in England on the EMI-owned Parlophone label on Jan. 12, 1963, Capitol ... More >>

14 Notable Female Rock Drummers

girlscantwhat.com​Last week, we rounded up a list of our favorite female rock bassists. We'd like to continue the trend of honoring rock's finest females, by next recognizing 14 notable female rock drummers. As usual, we will focus on the live-performing, touring drummers over time, rather tha ... More >>

The 12 Best Songs in '80s Movies

​For many of us Generation X and Y-ers, much of our adolescence can be directly linked back to '80s cinema. Thanks to writers and directors like John Hughes, '80s teen movies were accurate depictions of suburban (non) happenings. Furthermore, the '80s were a special time in film history thanks ... More >>

Idol Beat: Schlemiel. Schlimazel.

​So it seems the only difference between the two-hour Wednesday Idols and their one hour counterparts on Thursdays is twice as many "wacky" interludes (über Green Bay Packer fan Megan Frazier is going to make one lucky man...really miserable someday) and a third more shots of Steven Tyler wal ... More >>

A Fistful of Soul

One righteous vintage vinyl party.

Our Annual Hour In Sunny 99.1's Holiday Hell

​The day before Thanksgiving, Sunny 99.1, "Houston's Official At-Work Station" did its yearly change-over to all holiday music. It's now a Houston tradition to turn over the dial at 5 p.m. on Thanksgiving Eve to snort your first line of Burl Ives or Brenda Lee of the season, before you have ev ... More >>

Margaret Cho: Cho Dependent Tour

She's singing - and still sassy

Saturday Night: Natalie Merchant At Verizon Wireless Theater

Photos by Marc Brubaker​Natalie Merchant Verizon Wireless Theater August 21, 2010 For more photos from Saturday's show, see our slideshow here. Natalie Merchant must either have always had the patience of a saint or simply instilled it in herself upon deciding to open her current tour with 9 ... More >>

Last Night: Cyndi Lauper At House Of Blues

Photos by Marc Brubaker​Cyndi Lauper House of Blues August 12, 2010 See a slideshow of Cyndi Lauper's performance at the House of Blues last night. Hoping Cyndi Lauper might tackle Lightnin' Hopkins Thursday night proved a little much, but lady can sing the blues. Perhaps sensing that her fa ... More >>

Candy Flip

Gram Rabbit's psych-disco twang

Cyndi Lauper

Cyndi Lauper Vs. Pat Benatar: An '80s Lady Grudge Match

​Honestly, if Rocks Off had been around in the early '80s, we would have been the biggest damned Cyndi Lauper fan in this city. Our second favorite female artist would have been Pat Benatar, because gruff chicks who snap their fingers menacingly at the camera are foxy. Also, Lauper sang about ... More >>

What Do YOU Want To Do With Your Life??: Bad Dads In Music Videos

Sorry ladies, he's taken. By my mom.​This weekend is Father's Day, a holiday in which fathers all over the Hallmark Empire receive cards and gifts ranging from power drills and bourbon to celebrate them sticking it out for the duration of your ragged existence on earth. Craig's Hlist and hi ... More >>

Yes, We're Going To Kenny G. Got A Problem With That?

​Yes, tomorrow night Craig's Hlist will be at Kenny G with your mother and your weird aunt who likes to buy you fertility crystals for the summer solstice. Kenny G intrigues us to the no end. Along with Michael Bolton, he was a part of a tag-team duo of pop culture musical dregs in the '90s. But t ... More >>

Distant Early Warning: Colbie Caillat, Cyndi Lauper, Delta Spirit, Jerry Jeff Walker, Knitters, Nas, Supersuckers, Etc.

​America: Fri., June 25. Stafford Centre. American Sharks, Scorpion Child, Betaplayer: Thu., April 22. Boondocks. Cyndi Lauper: Thu., Aug. 12. House of Blues. Colbie Caillat: Fri., Aug. 27. Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion. Delta Spirit, David Vandervelde, The Romany Rye: Wed., July 16. Mango's. "D ... More >>

Hang The DJ: Bowling Alley's Music Mix Strikes Out With Reader

apollozero.blogspot.com​Rocks Off received a rather breathless email this morning from a reader who was none too happy that his first visit to a local bowling alley this past weekend was marred by the DJ's tin ear. He was complimentary of the staff, the drinks and the establishment itself - names ... More >>

Game Time: 2009 -- A Celebration In....Death?

Every year around this time, it's not uncommon to stumble across a retrospective of some sort that pays tribute to those who have passed away, typically those with some modicum of celebrity status. I'm always amazed at actually how few deaths there are most years. I mean, I'm no actuary, but when ... More >>

Our Decade In iTunes, Ol' Dirty Bastard Through the Fleshtones and Good Ol' Morrissey

​Maybe the biggest evolution in music this decade has been the availability of online downloads, starting with Napster and ending with half a dozen legitimately - licensed venues for purchasing music over the tubes. Rocks Off will admit it. Back in the day, we were illegal downloaders. Waiting 20 ... More >>

Turning the Screw: Slim Thug, KRS-One, Robin Thicke, B.o.B., The Renaldo The Ensemble, Joe Budden, Slaughterhouse, Mary J., Scarface & Tupac, etc.

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: "Thug," Slim Thug Wire To Wire KRS-One is going to be helping out the homeless on Thanksgiving. What's ... More >>

He Said She Said: Songs Guaranteed to Offend the Opposite Sex, Part 2

It's been 25 years since Tipper Gore and the ladies of the PMRC (Parents Music Resource Center) self-righteously rode the the rescue of delicate ears across America, claiming that rock music was "infecting the youth of the world with messages they cannot handle." It was the 1950s all over again. Th ... More >>

Idol Beat: The One

Mea culpa: Yi. I typed this entire post - then accidentally closed the Mozilla Firefox window and lost everything. Let this be a lesson to every blogger out there: compose in Word. For real.Photos by Ray Mickshaw/ FoxAmerican Idol winner Kris Allen practices his "Who, me?" showbiz face. Let's not be ... More >>

Selecting The Proper Valentine's Day Soundtrack

A Fine Romance

Joan Jett: Still Fierce at 50

REEF'S THYME AFTER LIME

Rain and the Parade, But Not Necessarily Both at the Same Time

Totally Gay

Idol Chatter

Best Albums of the Year, 2006

Veda, with the Jonbenet

Friday, September 9, at Mary Jane's Fat Cat, 4216 Washington Avenue, 713-869-5263.

Röyksopp

The Understanding

Les Saucy Pants

Asstacular!

Rotation

Cyndi Lauper

Sunday, April 25

Steve Forbert

Saturday, February 21

Computer Error

When it comes to local facts, don't rely on Allmusic.com

Frankly Funny

Joe Frank comes to life in Jerry's World

The Great Escape

Baz Luhrmann makes movies--and audiences--in his own image

Wham, Bam, Thank You, McMahon

Wrestlemania X-Seven enters the ring

Bill-bored

At least Tom Jones left the mesh shirt at home