Dave Grohl

Transcribing Is a Bitch: The Collected Craig Hlavaty Interviews

My last official day at the Houston Press is tomorrow, so these past two weeks I have been sifting through my body of work here at Rocks Off, almost seven years of words. I've been gleefully overdosing on nostalgia here at my desk, and I have (almost) no regrets. I'll have some more words on my depa ... More >>

The Best Shows In Houston This Week: Rihanna, Suzanna Choffel, Wavves, etc.

Rihanna Toyota Center, April 15 Rihanna has combined her athletic stature, formidable vocals, down-for-whatever attitude and some alarming life choices to become a flashpoint pop star, a lightning rod for controversy that even Lady Gaga would have trouble rivaling these days. Musically, the Barbado ... More >>

10 Signs Your Band Won't Make It at SXSW

Being a successful musician really has to be a slice of heaven. And of course the chicks are great. It's why from the beginning of time men (and women) have taken up instruments in the chance that they will be played in front of many, many others, some of whom could possibly want to have sex with ... More >>

EPIC: The 20 Most Overused Terms In SXSW Band Bios

Before I take any trip to Austin and SXSW, I always take more than a few days to peruse the schedule and check out a few of the hundreds of names on the roster and read their bios. Some years there are more bands with "wolf" and "space" in their monikers than usual, and some years there are random ... More >>

10 Music Films at SXSW That You Don't Wanna Miss

Well, it's SXSW time again, friends, and you know what that means: dashing around Austin all day, drinking until our eyebrows fall out and doing our best to stick to pre-planned schedules intended to maximize the amount of live music that we can cram into our ear canals before passing out on the flo ... More >>

Fresh Cream and the Top 10 Power Trios of All Time

Forty-six years ago this week, British blues-rockers Cream unveiled their debut album, Fresh Cream, one of the most deeply influential rock and roll records of all time. The original supergroup, the band was intended to unite the "cream" of the late-'60s British blues scene, featuring Eric Clapton ... More >>

5 More Christmas Songs by Houston Artists (and the Butthole Surfers)

5. Butthole Surfers, "Good King Wenceslas" Would you believe me if I told you that a Butthole Surfers song is impossible to explain? There's a version of "Good King Wenceslas" that Mannheim Steamroller made pretty famous on elevators around the world. You wouldn't recognize the words if I told you, ... More >>

Life After "Popular"

Nada Surf wouldn't play the major-label game, and lived to tell the tale.

Unscripted: Top 10 Actor/Musician Collaborations

Johnny Depp and Marilyn Manson have been hanging out a lot lately. The actor joined the antichrist onstage a couple of weeks ago at the Revolver Golden Gods Awards show in L.A., and played guitar on "Sweet Dreams" and "Beautiful People." Depp also collaborated with Manson on a cover of Carly Simon' ... More >>

Pop Rocks: So Who's Going to Perform at Next Year's Super Bowl Halftime Show?

If Janet Jackson's nip slip in 2004 threw ice water on the practice of using current entertainers for Super Bowl halftimes, M.I.A.'s middle finger salute dumped it in the Bering Sea. Finally, after eight years of K. Billy's Sounds of the '70s and Pete Townshend's belly (which somehow didn't draw *an ... More >>

Forever Young: Musicians Who Refuse To Age

The other day, looking around on YouTube for Pantera stuff -- did you know that this month Vulgar Display Of Power turns 20? -- I found a relatively recent clip of lead singer Phil Anselmo VH1 Classic's That Metal Show from late 2010. The current Down crooner and mouth from the south was guesting on ... More >>

Rocks Off Lists Our Favorite Downloads of 2011

It's getting to be that time of year, when the temperature drops and the lists start rolling in. Read any blog, magazine or newspaper and you're bound to run across at least a handfull of year-end lists, particularly when it comes to music. We all like to talk about the stuff we like. It's just what ... 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 >>

Father Figures: 100 Famous Musicians' Paternal Professions

If you're a Texan of a certain age, this week you've probably spent some time mourning the death of Jerry Haynes, the children's TV host better known as Mr. Peppermint. Haynes' show on WFAA-TV in Dallas, Peppermint Place, ran from the '60s to the '90s and was widely syndicated across the state, incl ... More >>

Drain You: The 10 Most Expensive Nirvana Items On eBay

​Today officially marks 20 years, yes two decades, since Nirvana's Nevermind hit stores and started a whole new movement in music, er, well at least brought one further above ground. The past month the music world has been awash in articles and blogs about Nevermind, with the three living arch ... 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 >>

Happy Birthday Butch Vig: A Quick Discography

Butch Vig making the donuts.​Today is Butch Vig's 55th birthday. The acclaimed record producer and sometime musician has been at the helm of some of the best grunge and indie records of the past 25 years, and his production style has made him one of the most sought-after sound architects in t ... More >>

Out Today: Paul Simon Resurgent, Foos Get Loud, Isbell Kills

​It's New Release Tuesday, and this week's is one of the biggest days of the year, with new discs by the Foo Fighters, a reinvigorated Paul Simon and TV On The Radio leading the pack, plus a few other artists returning to the scene after a few years away from the limelight. Next week (April ... More >>

30 Seconds With Ryan Key of Yellowcard

Photo by Adam Elmakias​Rocks Off sat down with guitarist and vocalist for alternative punk rock sensation Yellowcard http://www.yellowcardrock.com, whose new video "Hang You Up" is the only reason we can think of to brave MTV these days, to see what we could learn about him in 30 seconds. Roc ... More >>

SXSW Last Night: Queens Of The Stone Age At La Zona Rosa

Craig Hlavaty​Rolling Stone magazine surely knows how to throw a showcase, bringing forth Dinosaur Jr.'s J. Mascis, Mini Mansions, and Black Angels to open for a reinvigorated Queens Of The Stone Age on Wednesday night. Every band on the bill coalesced with each other beautifully and succinctl ... More >>

Last Night: Canned Acoustica II At Warehouse Live

Southern Backtones' Hank Schyma​Canned Acoustica II Warehouse Live March 3, 2011 Check out our photos of Canned Acoustica II: Acoutstic Boogaloo! It's awfully hard to dog a charity event, especially one donating to a cause as noble as the Houston Food Bank, so Aftermath won't even try. Besid ... More >>

Two Timing: The 11 Best Rock Duos

Todd Cole​Wednesday night, noisy indie duo No Age (above) pulls into Fitzgerald's. The two-piece of guitarist Randy Randall and drummer Dean Allen Spunt, starting making waves in 2007 with their debut Weirdo Rippers. 2008's Nouns brought them even more acclaim, and along the way they gained fo ... More >>

Five More Heavy Metal Christmas Carols

​Last year's unholy Christmas metal list was so popular, we decided to reach back into our quasi-Santanic bag and find five more songs for you to blare while trimming the tree and wrapping presents. We made our list too late to catch Rob Halford's Christmas album, Winter Songs. Otherwise it ... More >>

Three Songs, No Flash: Mark C. Austin's Life In The Pit

All photos by Mark C. AustinGwen Stefani of No Doubt in The Woodlands, May 2009​This evening, local rock photographer Mark C. Austin unveils his first exhibit of his work since he began shooting bands almost five years ago. Austin's work has appeared in print and online for the Houston Press a ... More >>

Rock And Roll Saved Steve Almond's Life - Here's How

​It's one thing to enjoy music as the kind of casual background noise to a car ride, jog in the park or commercial extolling the incredible mileage of the new Honda. Fiction writer, memoirist and former Miami New Times music writer Steve Almond (My Life in Heavy Metal, Candyfreak) is not that kind ... More >>

Aftermath: Houston Radio Friendly Unit Shifters Bid Nirvana's Kurt Cobain Happy 43rd

Photos by Jay Rascoe​This past Saturday would have been Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain's 43rd birthday, and to celebrate, a band of some of Houston's best indie and hardcore cats got together to throw down a set of covers at Big Star Bar in the Heights, billing themselves as Danneurysm. Opening wit ... More >>

Back To The Future: The Dirty Rotten Imbeciles That Meet In D.R.I.

metal-archives.comA hometown D.R.I. gig, 1982​Tonight at Wired Live, formerly the Meridian - or still the Meridian, just not for much longer; we don't even know at this point - you can watch part of punk and hardcore history duke it out with some of the new wave. Legendary crossover thrash band an ... More >>

Heckler's Delight: R. Kelly at Reliant Arena

Sorry, we couldn't resist...​King of R&B. Ghostwriter supreme. Pop genius. Unabashed sex fiend. Bump 'n' grind horndog. Acquited pedophile. Ultimately, history will decide whether or not R. Kelly deserves some, all, or any of these labels, but here are two facts that aren't in dispute: 1) the ... More >>

ACL 2009 Day One: Aftermath

Photo by Mark C. AustinSchool of Seven Bells​Before we start discussing the great music we heard yesterday, we would like to take time to thank the Gods Of Rock for blessing Day One of the Austin City Limits Festival (ACL) 2009 with an amazing afternoon and evening of weather. Anyone who has ... More >>

Overkill? No Such Thing

Motörhead's Lemmy Kilmister has never been one to mince riffs — or words.

Melvins

Maybe Miley Would Be Better Off Dead Like Selena, Kurt and These Others...

In case you missed it - and if you value your immortal soul, we're sure you did - Hannah Montana star/future tell-all memoir author Miley Cyrus unveiled a newer, more "mature" look last weekend at the only venue appropriate for such things: the Teen Choice Awards. Nothing says "successful transitio ... More >>

Aftermath: Green Day at Toyota Center

Mark C. Austin​ During "Minority," the motorized 2000 Celtic-thrash mash-up that closed Green Day's main set Saturday night, Toyota Center's video screen became a collage of flyers from the group's early days, before the platinum albums, roadies, Grammys and extra live musicians (there were four S ... More >>

Cold Shot At The Hideaway

A guitar prodigy electrifies Richmond Strip tavern

The Best Christmas Album of 2008 is... Metal?

Barnstorming Georgia Trio The Whigs

Complete Control

Mail Call: Post-Ike/ACL Edition

ACL Notebook Dump, Pt. 2: Measuring Time Mars Volta-Style, Led Zeppelin Rumors and More

The 2008 Vans Warped Tour, with Angels & Airwaves

Last Night: Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers at Super Bowl XLII

Reporter’s Notebook: Random Scrawlings from the Van Halen Show

Dinosaur Jr.

Dinosaur Jr performs Sunday, June 17, at Warehouse Live, 813 St. Emanuel St., 713-225-5483.

Honor Bound

A fictional look at the future of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

A Thin Line...

Introducing the most hated men in rock (besides Sting)

Cobain in Clubland

Recollections of Nirvana's three Houston shows

Embrace the Darkness

Forget the hype and the backlash -- listening to Permission to Land is the key

Reach for the Sky

The selfishness of Hands Up Houston nourishes Space City's beleaguered indie scene

Rotation

Boozoo Chavis and the Magic Sounds, Keith Frank & the Soileau Zydeco Band, Verbena

Hole on Halloween

The Pop Moment

Astral Dejection The Shonen Knife/Breeders/Nirvana tour blows through Houston's hall of shame