Recently No Doubt pulled the video for their song "Looking Hot" in response to criticism that it was discriminatory against Native Americans -- ironic, considering November is Native American Heritage Month. Smooth one, Stefani. Still, the revived '90s ska band shouldn't feel too bad. They're in so ... More >>
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. Erykah Badu Free Press Summer Fest June 2, 2012 Miles Davis was the great self-reinventor, going from bop and modal jazz to fus ... More >>
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 >>
Rocks Off is about to wrap up our Free Press Summer Fest pre-game coverage for the afternoon... sort of. Really, it's just a pause. Of course we will be out at the festival all... weekend... long... and won't be shy about letting our readers know exactly what's going on. Even stuff besides the gorg ... More >>
Songstress Erykah Badu first brought her own brand of spirituality, sensuality, and street smarts into the R&B/hip hop charts over a decade ago with her debut album Baduizm. Her sound, managing to speak to both the worlds of hip-hop and soul, as then predicted has proven to be something of long-term ... More >>
After raising ticket prices Monday night, Free Press Summer Fest announced more headliners Thursday morning. What are you getting for that extra dough? How about Pretty Lights, Erykah Badu, Fitz & the Tantrums, Phantogram, R3hab, David Garza? Respectively, that's one Colorado EDM space cadet, one ... More >>
In a few weeks on April 21, Record Store Day is yet again set to obliterate the wallets of record collectors around the country, and the Flaming Lips will have quite a release for fans on that day. What would you think if I said that they have been recording with none other than Ke$ha, Bon Iver, Nic ... More >>
So, we come to it: the end of all things. Four days of madness, Doritos, Skrillex and finally, St. Patrick's Day. Before we bid SXSW 2012 farewell, allow us to share our favorite moments from SXSW day four. Later, we'll let you know which shows weren't so hot. Find our favorites below, and if there ... More >>
Beyoncé's ever-changing baby bump.In the world of prominent celebrities, it's headlining news even if that famous person sneezes. So in when Houston's own Beyoncé announced her pregnancy at the 2011 VMA's in August, the media and fans went into a frenzy of reactions. Some were elated, some ... More >>
Photos by RizohErykah Badu Arena Theatre May 21, 2011 Even if she never drops another album, Erykah Badu will still go down as one of the most important artists of our generation. Few can massage a neo-soul groove, seduce a jazz tune, and straddle a hip-hop beat the way she can. On the same ... More >>
Rocks Off is no He-Man Woman Hater's Club. We like women quite a bit, actually, especially those women brave enough to wade through the rivers of bullshit in the male-dominated music business. If you'll page back a few weeks, you'll remember the discussion of our favorite female artists from ... More >>
Marco TorresBun B celebrated his 38th birthday last night at the launch of Vice magazine's new music site, Noisey.com at Austin warehouse district club Kiss & Fly.
Craig Hlavaty Each year at SXSW there are certain artists that you find either by sticking around after the artist you came for, or coming to the venue early, for said artist you came for. Memphis' Valerie June is our first and best find so far this year, coming directly after Buxton at the 1 ... More >>
Marco TorresMethod Man returns to Texas to smoke our SXSW party this year.We finally have the full lineup for the 2011 Village Voice Media/Frank 151 SXSW party, and it's a doozy. Heading up the bill are Staten Island Shao-Lin spitters the Wu Tang clan, still coasting on their late 2010 reunio ... More >>
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 involv ... More >>
Texas is loaded with natural resources, among them beautiful women. The state has provided many, many gorgeous, sexy and smart women. To be sure, not all of them combine all of those qualities -- here are tradeoffs to be made -- but still, there's been no shortage in our lifetimes of fetching Texas ... More >>
Recently, Florida's lame-duck governor Charlie Crist has said he's considering pardoning Jim Morrison for his 1969 indecent exposure charge, stemming from The Doors' notorious Miami concert in which a drunken Lizard King swore numerous times and proceeded to whip it out onstage. Of course, Mo ... More >>
A Place to Bury StrangersIt's here, folks. And not a moment too soon. Not even a month after ACL, and before Thanksgiving, the folks at from South by Southwest sent out there first missive detailing the 2011 event, scheduled for March 16-20. Rocks Off is shuddering already, but in a good way. ... More >>
streethop.comLadies Love Cool James: LL Cool J on The ViewChris Rock once said that women don't pay attention to rap lyrics. Truth be told, most casual hip-hop fans - male and female - rarely pay attention to lyrics. As long as the beat is catchy, they'll drop down and get their eagle on all ... More >>
Right On! PRThis weekend the Houston Press welcomes New York indie duo Matt & Kim to town to headline this year's edition of the Houston Press Music Awards, along with Trae tha Truth and Jonathan Tyler & The Northern Lights. Rocks Off will be giving away a bunch of HPMA wristbands today and t ... More >>
Photos by Jody Perry / Click here for a slideshowErykah Badu is a vanishing specimen, a pop star who courts controversy - see the "Window Seat" video, coming soon to a Dallas courtroom near you - not out of some narcissistic need to be in the headlines, but because she is legitimately differe ... More >>
Sunday night, resurgent '90s nu-metaleers Korn stop by Verizon Wireless Theater as headliners of the annual Jagermeister Music Tour. Wonder if they've still got the gorilla suit. It seems like more and more artists are following the model of bands like U2, whose recently scratched 360 Tour was "p ... More >>
With Mother's Day fast approaching, we can't help but recognize all the hot rocker mamas out there making music and babies. It can't be easy to write the next great pop song and have a tiny human being inside you sucking nutrients from your body, in the process girding their loins for making you ... More >>
Neuski via flickr.com The Grand Ole Opry, which was supposed to celebrate its 85th birthday party May 25, is currently underwater, like most of Nashville (above). Nashville Public Radio is reporting that the Cumberland River crested at a whopping 52 feet. When does hurricane season start aga ... More >>
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. Mark C. AustinNosaprise at the 2009 Houston Press Music Awards Showcase Single of the Week: "Start Today," Nosaprise Wire ... More >>
The hip-hop world is a less than sensible place -lots of times, you're even required to clarify when bad means bad and when bad means good- so once a week we're going to get with a rapper and ask them to explain things. Have something you always wanted to ask a rapper? Email it to introducingliston@ ... More >>
"A man that studieth revenge keeps his own wounds green, which otherwise would heal and do well." - Sir Francis Bacon ihasahotdog.comShe Said has never been one for revenge, preferring to believe (at least), that people make their own beds. But if she was the vengeful type, she'd seek it out not ... More >>
Photos by Marco Torres / Click here for a slideshow9:25 p.m.: Standing in line to pick up tickets with the photographer, Bun B happens to walk up right behind us. (The Bun B Law of Inevitability is infallible.) I turn around and tell him hello and that we've spoken on the time several times ... More >>
Larami Culbertson 9:30 p.m.: Just walked in to see the place pretty well filled. Snoop is playing through the speaker system. If you walk into a venue and "Gin and Juice" is playing, you can take that as a sign that you're going to have a good time. Well, that or that a riot is going to break out ... More >>
Craig Hlavaty The Imani School Student Jazz Ensemble Craig Hlavaty Erykah BaduRocks Off is still in the very early recovery stages from this weekend, which was one of the most satisfying musical whirlwinds he's been sucked into in quite some time. He started off Friday evening at  ... More >>
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. Anthony RathbunSingle of the Week: "Criminal," Mic Skills Wire To Wire Foxy Brown, recently an indirect victi ... More >>
Congrats, TV on the Radio! This morning our sister paper in Manhattan's Cooper Square, the Village Voice, released the results of its annual Pazz & Jop poll, where hundreds of music writers and editors rank their favorite albums of the past year in what has to be an absolute nightmare for th ... More >>
Local filmmaker Raymond Gayle explores how the pioneers of rock became anomalies
Chappelle returns with a raucous Block Party
Saturday and Sunday, April 23 and 24, downtown in an area bounded by Dallas, Rusk and Louisiana streets and Sam Houston Park. For information, call 713-654-8808.
Mama's Gun (Motown)
The Roots makes rap come alive live
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