Danzig (Band)

Please, Rick Rubin: Leave Metal Bands Alone

Unless you live under a rock, you've probably heard that Black Sabbath recently released their long awaited comeback album, 13. It's their first with Ozzy Osbourne on vocals since 1978's Never Say Die, and riding high at No. 1 on the UK Charts, their first No. 1 hit since 1970's Paranoid. So: comeba ... More >>

Gritty Local Bands Plug In For Superstorm Sandy Relief

The Journey Agents, Knights of the Fire Kingdom, etc. Dean's and Notsuoh January 20, 2013 It's only been since October, but Hurricane Sandy already kind of feels like it happened forever ago. Hell, we've weathered a fiscal cliff, a school shooting and a Texans playoff loss since then. The news crew ... More >>

Top 5 Reasons Not to Be a Concert Promoter

Have you ever dreamed of promoting your own shows? I'll bet you've even sat around at times plotting out your own bills, dreaming of how awesome it would be to see an all-star line-up of, let's say, Poison, Ratt, Tesla, WASP, White Lion, and Cinderella. And while that sounds absolutely horrific, I'm ... More >>

Music That Will Officially Be Old In 2013

One of my favorite pastimes is reminding my friends how old we are all getting, partly because I am cruel, and probably because even I am astounded that actor Steve Guttenberg is now three years older than Wilford Brimley was when they filmed Cocoon together in 1985. We can all think of things tha ... More >>

The Rocks Off 100: Willow Villarreal, Hatetank Maniac

If you are under 30 in Houston and grew up going to punk or hardcore shows off Washington Avenue -- when it was still scary for the right reasons -- you were probably there because Willow Villarreal of Hatetank Productions booked the gig. His booking and promoting work helped bring tons of nationa ... More >>

Talking to James Moody, Co-Captain of HMS Fun Fun Fun Fest

In Texas, only a few major music festivals cater to the punk and indie subcultures. Houston's own Free Press Summer Fest, Chaos In Tejas, 35 Denton, maybe the free and freaky day parties of SXSW, and Fun Fun Fun Fest, put on by Transmission Entertainment in Austin. REWIND: Fun Fun Fun Fest Releas ... More >>

Gothic Council Picks Your Halloween Playlist

Believe it or now, some fall air snuck down here and actually managed to weaken Pappy Sun's murderous death grip on Houston. It was nice to walk the dog without feeling as if I lived in the crotch of a Bulgarian shot putter warming up for the hurl. Plus, in every store the Halloween decorations are ... More >>

Fun Fun Fun Fest Releases Daily Schedule

This morning Fun Fun Fun Fest organizers released the daily schedule for November's three-day orgy of booze, denim, and loudness in the middle of Austin's Auditorium Shores. The color-coded stages -- black, yellow, orange, and blue -- are set up according to genre and size of the act. Last year th ... More >>

Saturday Night: Nicki Minaj at Bayou Music Center

Nicki Minaj Bayou Music Center July 28, 2012 I am told by countless bloggers that Nicki Minaj is a "polarizing." Her Grammy performance, her lyrical abilities, whether she's a rapper or pop star, the quality of "Starships"; all have been debated endlessly on this here World Wide Web. Because the I ... More >>

Artist Suggestions For A New Saturday Morning Tribute CD

On of the few CDs I still listen to in this amazing digital age is Saturday Morning: Cartoon's Greatest Hits. The album, which is still not available on iTunes, was a tribute to all the best cartoon theme songs of the '60s and '70s. Things like Scooby Doo and Sigmund and the Sea Monster, but with ba ... More >>

Shot In The Dark: Angels & A-Holes

When you're in the photo pit taking pictures for a publication such as Rocks Off, you can become the unwanted center of attention from both the audience and especially the artists. Most of the time you are only a few feet away from the performer, and often in their direct line of sight. They can and ... More >>

SXSW 2012: Our Inner Monologue (Day Two)

If you are here in Austin for SXSW you know that this place has just devolved into free cereal, Doritos, and Red Bull on the streets, which are bathed in lasers from the tops of buildings. Plus there are screaming humans of all ages, races, sizes, and creeds on the streets almost 20 hours a day. Whe ... 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 >>

Drinking With Drinkify: Website Concocts Cocktails For You Based On Your Musical Tastes

​The website Drinkify combines your musical tastes with your booze tastes, with sometimes hilarious and dangerous results. The site does what we have been doing since we first took our first sip of the hard stuff, and that's finding the right music for your liver-killing. Though, if you foll ... More >>

Fun Fun Fun Fest: Houston Shines And Scares In Austin With Fat Tony And B L A C K I E

Photos By Marc Brubaker​In a weekend that was fraught with Danzig's sad faded rocker antics and dust dust dust, two Houston artists brought their "A" games to Fun Fun Fun Fest's inaugural Auditorium Shores appearance in Austin. B L A C K I E and Fat Tony, two wildly different kinds of rappers, ... More >>

Our Top Ten Picks For Fun Fun Fun Fest 2011

Photo By Marc BrubakerBest Coast at Fun Fun Fun Fest 2010​This weekend the Rocks Off team will cover their third Fun Fun Fun Fest in Austin, at the festival's new home Auditorium Shores. Each year this fest seems to get bigger and better, without losing it's grimy luster. Is it the Austin City ... More >>

Your Biggest Fan: When Rockers Get Stalkers

cinemafestival/shutterstock.com​This past week a statement by pop institution Madonna helped put away one of her newest stalkers, Polish citizen Grzegorz Matlok, who broke into Madge's London home and the residence of her ex-hubby Guy Ritchie. Madonna submitted the statement to Southwark Crown ... More >>

10 Songs That Helped Make Nick 13's Country Debut

​Tiger Army's Nick 13 delivered his self-titled solo debut this year, and the lead singer of one of the past decade's biggest psychobilly bands has made one of the most enjoyable traditional country records of 2011 not called Photographs. Yes, this 10-song set from the man you first met on t ... More >>

True Blood: Best. Episode. Ever. Song Ain't Bad, Either.

Alan Ball was known for his masterful use of music in Six Feet Under. He's lost none of his touch when it comes to his current HBO series, True Blood - which happens to be set in the Louisiana swamps, not terribly far from Houston. ​For some reason, Gothtopia has spent the last decade complet ... More >>

Fun Fun Fun Fest Adds Spoon, Black Lips, Cannibal Corpse

​That probably spooked you all, huh, thinking we added those three to our own BestFest, right? In addition to previously announced biggies like Slayer, The Damned, Public Enemy, the Hot Snakes reunion gig, and the Danzig Legacy project, these new three only sweeten the deal for FFFF attendees ... More >>

Your Weekly Heat Wave Music Blog: Hotter Than Hell Edition

Ed. Note: Remember that "songs about Hell" blog we mentioned a couple of days ago? It's still hot, and here it is. maximumwage.wordpress.comThe Southwest Freeway and Loop 610, 4 p.m.​There's an old saying in Botswana: "Shitfire is it hot!" Wait, maybe that was Bandera. Anyway, whatever hemisp ... More >>

Fun Fun Fun Fest Leaking 2011 Lineup On Turntable.fm

​After leaking artists including Okkervil River, Odd Future, X and - most people believe - Slayer, Austin's Fun Fun Fun Fest has officially begun announcing its 2011 lineup via the brand-new file-sharing/social-media hybrid Turntable FM. Fun Fun Fun began streaming songs from this year's arti ... More >>

Out Today: Other Things Besides Born This Way... Seriously

​This past weekend was magical, what with Rocks Off finally getting to see Foo Fighters play songs from Wasting Light and all. You may remember that we have been wanking over Light since it came out in April, but it's really good. Best rock album of the year? Maybe, unless Jack White or Josh H ... More >>

Jesus Is On the Mainline: The Son Of God In Rock & Roll

​With Easter Sunday coming up, we delved into all the instances of Jesus Christ in rock and roll. He's been a popular lyrical subject since he was born over 2,000 years ago, and his family enterprise runs neck and neck with sex when it comes to the entire lyrical history of music. Hymns or lov ... More >>

Effeminate Synthpop Band Death Metal Singer = ???

This could be your new bandmate.​Rocks Off likes to troll the musicians section of Craigslist in an effort to catch interesting acts at their very inception. Usually we get the same old thing day in and day out: Need FOC (Friend of Christ) bass player for worship band. Must have ride. 18 SER ... More >>

Graphic: Top Five Rejected Girl Talk Mash-Ups

​Tonight is the big, wildly anticipated Girl Talk show at Verizon Wireless Theater. The show was originally slated for the House of Blues, but ticket sales and space dictated the gig move a few blocks away to capture the magic. Girl Talk, aka Gregg Gillis, is notorious for his inventive mash ... More >>

Songs For Our Brother's 21st Birthday

Craig HlavatyLemmy (left, duh) and Jake Hlavaty​Today is the 21st birthday of one of Craig's Hlist's biggest musical influences: Not the Pixies' Doolittle, Nine Inch Nails' Pretty Hate Machine, or even Operation Ivy's Energy LP. It's an actual person, our little brother Jake. The kid came of l ... More >>

Fun Fun Fun Fest: A Pocket Guide To Rocks Off's Picks

All photos courtesy funfunfunfest.comCall us crazy, but we think we may not be seeing Craig after this weekend.​Tonight Rocks Off heads to Austin to cover our third festival this year in the capitol city, Fun Fun Fun Fest. This is also our second trip to the festival in Waterloo Park. Think AC ... More >>

Wax Audio's Tom Compagnoni: Portrait Of A Mash-Up Artist

Courtesy of Tom Compagnoni​Rocks Off is quite keen on YouTube mashups. Whether it's famous ones like the contentious "Boulevard of Broken Songs," which melds Green Day's "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" with Oasis's "Wonderwall" - and Noel Gallagher still says Green Day should pay him for ripping ... More >>

Upcoming: B.O.B., Crocodiles, Danzig, Fastball, NOFX, Etc.

​Aaron Hall, Slim: Thu., Sept. 30. Arena Theatre. All That Remains, Asking Alexandria, And She Whispered.: Tue., Oct. 26. Warehouse Live. B.O.B.: Tue., Oct. 19. Warehouse Live. Crocodiles, Golden Triangle: Sat., Nov. 6. Walter's on Washington. Chayanne: Sat., Dec. 4. Toyota Center. Chely ... More >>

Devo, MGMT, Mastodon, Devin, Black Congress Head Fun Fun Fun Lineup

GroovehouseMGMT at House of Blues in June​The official lineup for this year's Fun Fun Fun Fest, set for November 5-7 at Waterloo Park in the heart of downtown Austin, was released moments ago. In terms of firepower, this year's Fun Fun Fun roster arguably brings the festival within striking di ... More >>

Beavis And Butt-Head's Greatest Video Hits, Dillhole

​On the night of November 28, 1997, Rocks Off was sitting in his friend Chad's parents' house in Pearland, watching the final episode of MTV's Beavis and Butt-head. The boys had been a part of our daily lives since at least fifth grade, and as we marched into the second semester of ninth grade ... More >>

Top 5 Songs On Jacob Black Of Twilight's iPod

​Well, today is the day Twilight: Eclipse is released, and a million voices are screaming, "Honey, do we hafta?" Since Gothtopia already runs a column on vampires - and may we add that Bill Compton would put some serious maim in Edward Cullen's sparkle motion? - today we're gonna talk about w ... More >>

Answers To Our "Metal Or Hymn?" Quiz

au_tiger01 via flickr.com​ A little harder than you thought, wasn't it? If Sunday-morning hymns belong to the King of Kings, and heavy metal is the Prince of Darkness' domain, they sure seem to copy each other's notes a lot. If you haven't seen our little sacred-vs.-profane brain-teaser yet, go ah ... More >>

Suck It, Ben Gibbard: Two Weeks At The Wheel With Lady Gaga

​The past two weeks Rocks Off has been driving around Houston with only one disc in his car to listen to. It makes us feel like a billion damned dollars without fail, and can make any banal drive home after the bar feel like even more of a sexy adventure than it already is. It's not Motorhead, it ... 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 >>

Westheimer Block Party Listology: Paris Falls' Favorite, and Least Favorite, Musical Moments In the Movies

All this week, Rocks Off is previewing Saturday and Sunday's Westheimer Block Party by asking WBP performers to fill out a list from Lisa Nola's Music Listography book we're so fond of. It's not too late for your band to be up here, either; just email chris.gray@houstonpress.com by noon Thursday if ... More >>

Video from Fun Fun Fun Fest In Austin: Metallagher, Death, Jesus Lizard and More

Marc Brubaker​ This weekend Rocks Off also brought along our littlest member, our Flip camera, to Fun Fun Fun Fest in Austin. It proved to be indispensable in tight places where a regular still camera may not be as useful. Here's a smattering of what we captured through it's tiny lense. We are sur ... More >>

Aftermath: Fun Fun Fun Fest In Austin Day 2 - Metallagher, Street Dogs, Lucero, Crystal Castles, Gorilla Biscuits, Danzig

Photos by Marc Brubaker/ Click here for a slideshowNice to see you too, Metallagher.​ Day two of Fun Fun Fun Fest began with a slow and steady rain shower that turned into an all-day headliner. As we walked the ground and felt the rain soak into our clothes we started getting ACL flashbacks. Befor ... More >>

Rocks Off's Picks for This Weekend's Fun Fun Fun Festival

You can think of this weekend's Fun Fun Fun Fest in Austin as the indie, metal, and hip-hop little brother of the more staid Austin City Limits Music Festival. The fourth edition of the two-day event held in Waterloo Park in Austin starts tomorrow afternoon. Per our stated life path, Rocks Off will ... More >>

He Said She Said: Hot, Sweaty, Angry Workout Songs

​When it comes to exercise, men and women don't have many different reasons for doing it. Mainly, both genders want to look better naked if perchance they find themselves without clothes on around a stranger they want to sleep with. Life expectancy, general health, and mental well-being are all se ... More >>

Start the Guessing Now: Which Fun Fun Fun Fest Artists Will Also Play the Next Block Party?

​ Fun Fun Fun Fest, the scuzzier, noisier cousin to the Austin City Limits Music Festival, announced its lineup this afternoon. Held November 7 and 8 in Austin's Waterloo Park, FFFF is up to 91 artists this year, everyone from rappers the GZA, the Pharcyde and the Cool Kids to electronic/dance act ... More >>

House of Blues Changes Houston's Live Music Landscape Before Even Opening

Rockin' Renewal

The imminent launch of new venue Warehouse Live makes it official: Downtown is now Houston's live music hot spot

Kontroversy

Korn ignores critics of its heavy metal attitude

State-of-the-Art Ghouls

White Zombie holds its own with the metal-heads and the punks alike

Pop Moment

Puke Sick

Thoughts of Sonic Youth, kid's shows and animal testing with sick body and warped mind

Rotation