Erykah Badu

Last Night: Solange at Fitzgerald's

Solange Fitzgerald's March 12, 2013 Solange has a famous sister. You've probably heard of her; both women grew up around here. And now let that be the last time we mention the elder Knowles sibling, because her younger sister is definitely on some different shit. In her half-decade and change as ... More >>

The Rocks Off 100: The Vocal Force That Is Kam Franklin

This Saturday night, Houston's The Suffers play the Continental Club with the Bandulus and Wilroy Black and The Boss on board as support. Widescreen ska/rocksteady act The Bandulus is also releasing a new album, The Times We Had, that night as well. You can give it a listen right here over on Band ... More >>

The 30 Best Texas Albums

Ranking the 30 best Texas albums of the past 30 years seemed like an impossible task. We did it anyway.

So What Happened to That Kendrick Lamar Show Anyway?

If you had penciled Kendrick Lamar in your Halloween-week concert plans (Bieber, Manson/Zombie tonight, Nas/she-might-show-up-on-time Lauryn Hill tomorrow) you might be disappointed. The Compton rapper whose debut album good kid, m.A.A.d city has become the talk of music (besides Taylor Swift), won' ... More >>

8 Cool & Cheap Weekenders: October 19-20

Matt & Kim House of Blues, October 19 Infectious pop, bright-eyed wonder and criminally catchy hooks have made Matt & Kim one of the best live acts to emerge out of the Aughties. The duo -- keyboardist Matt Johnson and drummer Kim Schifino -- feed off the energy of the crowd, and usually end up in ... More >>

Norah Jones

Fanning the Flames: The Top 10 Performances at Woodstock 99

This week marks the 13th anniversary of Woodstock 1999, the iconic festival's much-maligned third iteration that kinda dissolved into rape and looting towards the end. As 200,000-strong anarchic gatherings go, everything went off rather pleasantly for much of the festival, but the bonfires, looting ... More >>

New Featherface LP Conjures Some Actual Magic

It's been more than two years since Houston's Featherface has released a new record, though that doesn't mean that they were short on actively contributing to the local scene. Since the release of their last EP It Comes Electric, they've performed many shows and have been steadily growing in popu ... More >>

Summer Fest Releases Schedule & Stage Times

Time to make some hard choices, folks. Free Press Summer Fest just released the schedule for this year's two-day event June 2 and 3 in Eleanor Tinsley Park.

Top 5 Local Acts We'd Like To See Playing SXSW

Neighboring Houston is already providing a wealth of talent to Austin's SXSW this year, but so many other acts are flying under the radar that we think deserve that extra buzz, or maybe they just couldn't make it for various reasons. Point is, we would have liked to just have the option to see cert ... More >>

Robert Glasper Experiment

Shot In The Dark: The Ones Who Got Away (So Far)

UPDATE (3:23 p.m.): Promotional video by Monica Fuentes added after the jump. Jay LeeLittle Joe Washington at the Continental Club's 10th anniversary, July 2010​Slowly but surely, Rocks Off has been getting ready for our "Shot In the Dark" photo exhibition at Warehouse Live's Studio next Thur ... More >>

SXSW: The 10 Best Of The Fest This Year

Photos by Craig Hlavaty​

Wild Flag, Wu-Tang, Erykah Badu and Yelawolf: Liveblogging the Village Voice Media SXSW Showdown

Marc BrubakerTimes New Viking gets the party started.​The doors didn't open exactly at 5 p.m., but that didn't stop the Austin Music Hall from filling quickly just before Austin-by-way-of-Houston locals Ume took the stage, the first band in the all-night line-up for the 2011 Village Voice and ... More >>

Idol Beat: I'm About To Have A Nervous Breakdown

​My head really hurts...sorry, after last night's shenanigans, I couldn't help breaking out the Black Flag. Have you ever had one of those really bad nightmares, the kind that is so horrifying it wakes you up multiple times during the night? And even though your subconscious is trying to offe ... More >>

Upcoming: Erykah Badu, Rihanna, Snoop Dogg, Etc.

​Apocalyptica: Wed., March 23. House of Blues. Blu, J*Davey, The Niceguys: Tue., March 15. Groundhall. Deep Dark Robot: Mon., April 4. Rudyard's. Erykah Badu: Sat., May 21. Arena Theatre. Frontline Assembly, Die Krupps: Sat., June 4. Numbers. George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic: Fri., ... More >>

Balaclavas, Moccs, Fat Tony Place In Pazz & Jop Poll

Show of hands, everyone who is surprised this is No. 1.​Music writers all know that once they get their Village Voice Pazz & Jop ballot in their e-mail inbox, that it's time to tally their loves from the last year. It's sort of like the leaves changing or the first freeze of winter coming. You ... More >>

Last Night: Too Short & Devin The Dude At House Of Blues

Photos by Marco Torres​Too Short, Devin the Dude, DJ Kid Capri House of Blues January 16, 2010 The truly legendary lineup of DJ Kid Capri, Devin the Dude and Too Short came together Sunday night for Houston's first major hip-hop show of 2011. The term "legendary" is often just a synonym for " ... More >>

Yo Gabba Gabba!'s Greatest Hits

​A year ago, in honor of Sesame Street's 40th birthday, Rocks Off brought you a list of the beloved television program's 10 Best Musical Appearances. But 41 years ago, Nickelodeon didn't exist. Now the network is known for its retro-cool vibe, thanks to bringing back shows from the golden age ... More >>

No Shame

Dr. Dog shrugs off faint praise.

Vanilla Ice And 11 Other Artists Dallas Can Keep

​Tomorrow night at 2016 Mainstage, Houston gets to relive its (our?) dark white-rap past when Dallas native Vanilla Ice hits the stage at the venue formerly known Sammy's On Main. Yes, that Vanilla Ice, from our haughty neighbors to the north who can do no wrong in the eyes of Texas Monthly. ... More >>

Matt & Kim, Jonathan Tyler Sign On To Music Awards Showcase

myspace.com/mattandkim​Today Rocks Off is pleased to announce that we have two special guests for this year's Houston Press Music Awards showcase, all day Saturday, August 7, inside and outside along Washington Avenue. After the locals do their thing, we have indie duo Matt & Kim and Texas boo ... More >>

F**k You Very Much, Austin

• Talk about buzzkill. During All Time Low's Bamboozle Roadshow performance at Six Flags in Arlington last week, amusement park security pepper-sprayed a handful of preteens who rushed the stage in a surge of prepubescent hormonal musical bliss. The band gave the security an earful of Fuck You! a ... More >>

FAIL: Jeff Beck, Jonas Brothers, Lilith Fair, ACL Fest

If you're reading this, you're either on the Internet, or else you've mastered multi-dimensional thought-projection processes that would make Michio Kaku cry like a little girl. We'll assume the former, and just in case you don't already know, the Internet has decided that the word "failure" is too ... More >>

4 Summer-Movie Soundtracks We Already Hate

​Last week, we told you of some upcoming summer-movie soundtracks that look like they're going to be fantastic. If positivity is your thing, go read that article. This one is going to be all about the upcoming soundtracks that make us wince so hard it feels like someone's chopping our balls with a ... More >>

Before the Flood

West Texan Ned Sublette reflects on pre-Katrina New Orleans in a new memoir.

Slim Thug, Texas Takeover, Bun B, Mack 10 Vs. Ice Cube, Rappers on Twitter, Erykah Badu, Z-Ro, Freck Billionaire, 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: "Callin' My Phone," Slim Thug feat. Slim Wire to Wire Texas Takeover is doing an NCAA-style bracket ... More >>

Was Chris Brown Shopping For A Birthday Party Spot At The Galleria?

celebrityevil.com (Warning: Some NSFW content on site)​ Channel 39 recently posted a short video of Chris Brown as the embattled R&B singer visited the Galleria over the weekend. The video is about a minute of Brown, a small entourage and a phalanx of security guards leaving a shoe store and h ... More >>

If You Don't Know Them by Now

Through word of mouth alone, Smitty's has become a Third Ward staple.

Artist of the Week: Funk/Soul Rockers and Microsoft Word Mortal Enemies Kuumba Freeque

Each Wednesday, Rocks Off arbitrarily appoints one lucky local performer or group "Artist of the Week," bestowing upon them all the fame and grandeur such a lofty title implies. Know a band or artist that isn't awful? Email their particulars to introducingliston@gmail.com.​ Hi there. Welcome back ... More >>

Aftermath: Neon Collars at Rocbar

Photos by Chris GrayWith a heavy funk groove, guitar equally rooted in jazz and rock and soulful vocals as fierce as anything Sasha could belt out, Neon Collars makes you wonder - happily, for once - what they're teaching in the schools these days. The five-piece sometimes telegraphs its age in Fran ... More >>

Leela James: Let's Do It Again

Local Album of the Week: Leela James' Let's Do It Again

Leela James Let's Do It Again www.leelajames.com To understand what an arresting, puzzling record Leela James' Let's Do It Again really is, look no further than the L.A. native and adopted Houstonian's cover of Foreigner's mid-'80s soft-rock/gospel-lite singalong "I Want to Know What Love Is." ... More >>

Artist of the Week: Caretta Bell

Each Wednesday, Rocks Off arbitrarily appoints one lucky local performer or group "Artist of the Week," bestowing upon them all the fame and grandeur such a lofty title implies. Know a band or artist that isn't awful? Email their particulars to introducingliston@gmail.com. Photos courtesy of ... More >>

Turning the Screw: K-Rino, Nosaprise, Method Man, T.I., Devin the Dude, Trick Daddy, Flo Rida, The Kanye, Jim Jones, Botany Boyz and 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. Single of the Week: K-Rino, "Past, Present, Future" Wire To Wire In case you forgot about him, here's the link to Houst ... More >>

Roy Hargrove Quintet

Tonight: Erykah Badu at the Arena Theatre

Marc Baptiste/ courtesy www.baduworld.comLast week, Rocks Off had the distinct pleasure of chatting with R&B Earth mother Erykah Badu as she looked after her brood at her South Dallas home. The first part of our interview appears in this week's print issue and online here. Here's the rest ... More >>

2008 in Texas Albums and Local EPs

Texans Score 30 Grammy Nominations

Allison Krauss, Robert Plant and T-Bone Burnett (far right) Texas artists landed 30 nominations in 20 categories when the contenders for the 51st annual Grammy Awards were announced today, including all five nominees for Best Tejano Album and four of the five Best Norteno Album contenders. All of ... More >>

Floating over to Monarch Lounge

New Money douches and Amazing Race winners at Monarch Lounge

J Dilla and Lupus

Power-walking tracks to remember the beatsmith by

Omar

Best by Far (Spun)

Seven and Seven

Dueling numerically named nightspots forge a truce amid clubbers' confusion

Toro! Toro! Toro!

Home to pop queens and dance hall kings, Texas is still bullish about the music market

Great Scott

The Philly R&B neo-soulstress defies simple definitions

Shelf Life

Long after Britney Oops her way to obscurity, these releases will continue to sing

No Pimps Allowed

Common and Black Eyed Peas dare to raise the artistic standards of hip-hop

Born to Sing

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