Dropkick Murphys

Musicians, Music Offer Sweet Relief After a Terrible Week

Life can get pretty dreary at points, and last week was, without a doubt, the dreariest week in a long time. From the massive fertilizer-plant explosion that devastated West, Texas to the Boston Marathon bombing and everything in between, our nation faced some pretty horrific tragedies in which many ... More >>

David Foster Wallace's Infinite Jest: The Soundtrack (With Endnotes)

One of Time magazine's Top 100 English-language novels of the last century, the late David Foster Wallace's Infinite Jest is a gargantuan book. Its cutting, comedic views cover a broad swath of American life, but focus on family dysfunction, chemical dependency, depression, entertainment saturation ... More >>

The Best of Coachella, Weekend One

Ed. Note: Rocks Off proudly presents to our readers coverage of Coachella's first weekend courtesy of our sister papers LA Weekly and OC Weekly. Karen O's Outfit Karen O's wardrobe on Friday night was bad-ass. The Yeah Yeah Yeahs front woman appeared on the main stage in a technicolor cape draped o ... More >>

Last Night: Dropkick Murphys at House of Blues

Dropkick Murphys House of Blues February 28, 2013 If you happened to lose your wooden leg last night at House of Blues, it's pretty understandable. I mean, it was a Dropkick Murphys show, after all. No one expected anything tame. The crowd was riled up well before the band took the stage, chanting ... More >>

Last Night: Zac Brown Band at Reliant Stadium

Zac Brown Band Reliant Stadium February 28, 2013 I knew I was going to be a fan of the Zac Brown Band back in May 2012, when just hours after the Beastie Boys' Adam Yauch succumbed to cancer, the group came onstage at New Orleans' Jazz Fest to the strains of a Beasties song. It was that simple to ... More >>

Signed In Blood: 7 Life Lessons From a Dropkick Murphy

The Dropkick Murphys may need no introduction. For 16 years now, they've been thrashing out their Celtic punk sound, solidifying their status as Boston legends in their own right. Deemed Fenway Park's unofficial house band, the Murphys are now headlining their own St. Patty's Day tour, putting on ... More >>

The Best Shows In Houston This Week: Tame Impala, Dropkick Murphys, Zac Brown Band, Nosaprise, Etc.

Tame Impala With The Growl Fitzgerald's, February 25, 8 p.m. Tame Impala's late-2012 effort Lonerism plays like the Beatles circa Abbey Road channeling T. Rex's The Slider, with a hefty helping of early '10s dream-fuzz. The Australian act has come along way from opening for MGMT in 2010, a tour in ... More >>

Looking Back On Queens Of The Stone Age's Songs For The Deaf

This past week one of the most beloved rock disc in the decade turned 10 years old. It was August 27, 2002 that the world met Queens Of The Stone Age's third LP, Songs For The Deaf, a blistering, swaggery, pummeling kick-in-the-nuts of a rock album. The band, lead by towering Ginger Elvis Joshua H ... More >>

Best in Show

Sorting out the 2012 HPMA Best CD/LP/EP nominees is easy.

Last Night: Dropkick Murphys At House Of Blues

Dropkick Murphys House of Blues February 28, 2012 Check out photos of last night's sold out Dropkick Murphys show at House of Blues. Everybody's Irish at a Dropkick Murphys show. Tuesday night at House of Blues, Rocks Off saw more shamrock-festooned gear and Boston Red Sox caps than should normall ... More >>

Street Dogs

Upcoming: Dropkick Murphys, Glen Campbell, Il Divo, Red Fang, Dax Riggs

"The 15th Annual Townes Van Zandt Wake": Sun., Jan. 1. Old Quarter Acoustic Cafe (413 20th St., Galveston), 413 20th St., Galveston, Galveston. Adrian Bourgeois, Street Violence, Art Institute: Tue., Dec. 13. Super Happy Fun Land, 3801 Polk, Houston. Band Of Skulls: Fri., March 16. Fitzgerald's, 2 ... More >>

Vive La France: 14 French Lessons From English Pop Songs

Shutterstock/faqs.org​Happy Bastille Day, everybody. Today France celebrates the day in 1789 when an angry mob stormed the eponymous (our new favorite word) prison in central Paris, freed all seven prisoners - they were really after the guns and ammunition, Clash-style - and touched off the Fr ... More >>

iFest's First Weekend Thick With Music, Humidity

GroovehouseJimmie Vaughan (left) and his band gave the large iFest crowd some saxual healing Saturday.​Lots more iFest in our slideshows: The bands, the performers, the crowds and even the food. For something that was still going on 24 hours ago, the first weekend of the Houston International ... More >>

You Talkin' to Me? Seven Musical Moments in Martin Scorsese Films

​We scoured the Internet, like we do for at least nine hours a day, for an excuse to embed Scorsese clips into one, organized blog post. Lucky for us, we found that timeliness was applicable: the 35th anniversary edition of Taxi Driver is out on Blu-Ray! We'll probably stick to our used copy t ... More >>

Flogging Molly

Ten Years After: Our Favorite 2001 Albums

​This hlist is kind of funny now, seeing that the dearly departed White Stripes are smack-dab in the middle with White Blood Cells. We swear this final hlist was made Tuesday afternoon, before Wednesday's breakup announcement. Funny how the band has actually been on the tips of our lips for a ... More >>

Top 10 Self-Titled Debut Albums

​It wasn't until we were discussing its release this week that Rocks Off realized we're basically the same age as Led Zeppelin's debut album. Recorded in October 1968 and released the following January, Led Zeppelin is 42 years old. It suffers from some of the same ailments as all of us who r ... More >>

Springsteen 2.0: Can Baby Bosses Cruise The Backstreets?

Daniel Kramer​This fall, Houstonians salivating for another touring run by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band don't have to search to hard to find bands heavily influenced by the man's sound and work ethic. Even though Springsteen and his merry band of musicians may be cooling their road ... More >>

The Top 20 Iconic Rock T-Shirts Of All Time

​When you are young and exploring all the magic that rock and roll offers, wearing a shirt of your favorite band feels like an act of defiance. You want everyone to know who you support, even if the shirt doesn't fit right or it's faded. We remember a time when kids were getting suspended from ... More >>

Top 8 Post-2000 Soldier Songs

​Like many of you, Rocks Off has friends and family members who have served (or are serving) in our armed forces. Memorial Day is when we honor the sacrifice so many of them have made - and are still making - fighting America's wars. Songs about the hardships suffered by soldiers and their familie ... More >>

Play Ball! Songs That Distract Us From The Astros' Impending Disappointment

​This week's He Said She Said is brought to you by the Houston Astros and the letter "D," which stands for disappointment. No other thing in He Said's life, other than a woman, has brought more sadness and dysfunction. But at least the Astros have never broken off an engagement with us or punched ... More >>

Dropkick Murphys

Distant Early Warning: 30FootFall, Agnostic Front, Dropkick Murphys, George Thorogood, Joe Ely, Slayer, etc.

​30FootFall: Fri., Dec. 25. Fitzgerald's. Agnostic Front, Death By Stereo: Sun., Jan. 24. Walter's on Washington. American Sharks, The Watermarks: Wed., Nov. 25. Boondocks. Band of Heathens: Fri., Dec. 11. Old Quarter Acoustic Cafe. Basses Loaded, Springfield Riots, Nosaprise: Fri., Nov. 27, 8 p. ... 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 >>

The Pogues

Listology: Blaggards' Patrick Devlin Picks Ten Acts He'd Sing Backup For

Jay Lee/ www.baldheretic.com​ Anyone who's seen them knows that local "Stout Irish Rockers" Blaggards' front man Patrick Devlin's natural place is center stage. But even he has artists he wouldn't mind stepping back for, so we asked him to list us a few in advance of Blaggards' free concert at Dis ... More >>

Overkill? No Such Thing

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

St. Patrick's Day Special: Ten Great Irish (Or Irish-American) Musicians and Bands

St. Patrick's Day is, well, today, so, rather than hit the pub to celebrate - which we'll probably still do, to be honest - we thought we'd put together a mixtape for you of our favorite Irish and Irish-American bands along with a favorite tracks by them. Pint of Guinness and shot of Jameson sol ... More >>

H-town Hangman: Guess the Band, Win a Prize

All right, all you kids out there, time to test your mettle. Rocks Off knows you know what's up. We've seen you at Walter's, Rudz and all those other hallowed haunts that make up this little "scene" of ours. You can probably rattle off a dozen or so favorite local bands without batting an eyelas ... More >>

Turkey Trot

Artists choose the songs that rocked their 2008 worlds

2008 Houston Press Music Awards Showcase

A preview of the 60 bands and five DJs that are taking over downtown this weekend

Pro Athlete Musicians

Athletes step off the field and into the studio

Against Me!

New Wave

Summer Mix Tape

Goodbye Joe, Me Gotta Go

There are 25,000 Cajuns in Houston. Almost none of them play Cajun music. Why not?

No Más for the Vatos Rudos

Los Skarnales go the way of all flesh

The Lucky Charms

Blaggards, Houston's only Celtic metal band

Do You Hear What I Hear?

Wack's Very Special Holiday Music Guide

Warped Minds

A day at punk rock's biggest summer tour takes more than just stamina

Hot Shows

Summertime concerts that will leave you sweating

Los Skarnales

Pachuco Boogie Sound System

I'll Drink to That

Fuel your New Year's Eve with these boozy sing-along tunes

Pop-Punk Penance

A cool kid seeks heavenly redemption

Return of Los Vatos Rudos

Los Skarnales are set to release a new full-length with a new lineup

Everything Old Is New Again

What do punks the Dropkick Murphys have in common with soulful Norah Jones? More than you think.