Explosions in the Sky

Rotation: Explosions in the Sky

Tomorrow Night: The Paper Chase at Walter's on Washington

Much like their associates in Houston's own Bring Back the Guns, the Paper Chase (a.k.a. the pAper chAse) combine the infectious weirdness of the Pixies with the wry self-consciousness of the Dismemberment Plan and the menace of Drive Like Jehu. The Dallas quartet is led by acclaimed independent ... More >>

Mogwai

Much like their associates in Houston's own Bring Back the Guns, the Paper Chase (a.k.a. the pAper chAse) combine the infectious weirdness of the Pixies with the wry self-consciousness of the Dismemberment Plan and the menace of Drive Like Jehu. The Dallas quartet is led by acclaimed independent ... More >>

Pelican, with Thrice and Circa Survive

Much like their associates in Houston's own Bring Back the Guns, the Paper Chase (a.k.a. the pAper chAse) combine the infectious weirdness of the Pixies with the wry self-consciousness of the Dismemberment Plan and the menace of Drive Like Jehu. The Dallas quartet is led by acclaimed independent ... More >>

Texas Albums

2007's best Texas albums, from Houston, Austin and beyond

This Will Destroy You, Unwed Sailor

Ambient and/or progressive fans will find plenty to like with these two instrumental groups

Mono

Ambient and/or progressive fans will find plenty to like with these two instrumental groups

Do Make Say Think

Catching up with Canadian instrumental wizards Do Make Say Think

Maserati

Catching up with Canadian instrumental wizards Do Make Say Think

Riff Tiffs

Afflictinnitus

Exile on Main Street

Racket and the new guy take the annual Houston Press Music Awards Showcase plunge

How to Be Musically Hip

A cheat-sheet for the culturally challenged

Explosions in the Sky, with the Octopus Project and A Hawk and a Hacksaw

Saturday, January 28, at the Engine Room, 1515 Pease, 713-654-7846.

Gay-Unit

Twisted G is most definitely not trapped in the closet

Big Boss Man

Jimmy T99 Nelson predated and outlived Elvis P. and has won the affections of Elvis C.

Local H

Friday, May 7

Searching for Signal

Friday, May 7

Dredg, Torche

Friday, May 7

Mostly Metal: Isis vs. Mastodon

As you might read in the print edition of this week's Press, the experimental metal band Isis will be at the Meridian tonight. All of Isis' albums since 2002's Oceanic have explored similar territory: long, unhurried songs that blend doom-metal with the noodly, spacey guitar work characteristic of p ... More >>

Girl Star, Grown Up

Still proud of her family band, Susan Cowsill does her own thing now.

Before We Go: House of Blues' "Rock & Roll" Night, Tontons, Gallant Knight, a Willie D Tribute, Britney Returns and More

Tonight, see how - or where, anyway - the beautiful people kick back at House of Blues' new weekly "Rock & Roll" night in the venue's ultra-plush and oddly brothel-like Foundation Room (entrance on Dallas Street), with no cover, $3 beer and whiskey, tunes curated by Metropol/Stuka/Mink veteran T ... More >>

MP3 of the Day: Yes, There Are Summer Fest Tickets Left

​Rocks Off just got off the phone with Free Press Houston editor/publisher Omar Afra, the Bill Graham of Saturday and Sunday's Summer Fest. After disguising himself as "that guy from that punk band you wrote those bad things about" - dude, you're going to have to be more specific than that - Afra ... More >>

Aftermath: Free Press Summer Fest at Eleanor Tinsley Park

Photos by Amber Roussel/ Click here for slideshows from Day 1 and Day 2​ They said it couldn't be done, that no one in Houston would dream of spending two days in the punishing August heat at an outdoor music festival.An anonymous Of Montreal member shows off his tiger style.​Rightfully (somewha ... More >>

Coming of Age

Against long, long odds and punishing heat, Free Press Summer Fest is a hit.

Mono

Against long, long odds and punishing heat, Free Press Summer Fest is a hit.

Aftermath: Our Ten Favorite Performances at Fun Fun Fun Fest

Photos by Marc Brubaker/ Click here for slideshows from Day 1 and Day 2Times New Viking​ If there's anything that Aftermath truly loves about music (outside of watching talented people create outstanding art), it's the innate propensity the medium possesses to bring people together. There is somet ... More >>

Aftermath: Another Round Of Bands Watching Bands At SXSW Overflow Fest

The Extraordinaires, debating a late night or early start. Videos by Matthew Keever Two days had gone by since we last visited the SXSW Overflow Fest at Super Happy Fun Land, and the number of people in attendance seemed to have quadrupled. Tuesday night, the bands had much better luck than those w ... More >>

Co-Pilot

The Extraordinaires, debating a late night or early start. Videos by Matthew Keever Two days had gone by since we last visited the SXSW Overflow Fest at Super Happy Fun Land, and the number of people in attendance seemed to have quadrupled. Tuesday night, the bands had much better luck than those w ... More >>

Arcade Fire Headed To Houston May 4 For Pavilion Date

cnn.com​Arcade Fire is finally heading to Houston on May 4 for a date up at Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, in the Woodlands. Last Sunday the band played upsetters at the Grammys winning the award for Album Of The Year for their album The Suburbs which was based on frontman Win Butler's childhood ... More >>

Upcoming: Das Racist, Echo & The Bunnymen, Surfer Blood, Etc.

​Arcade Fire, Explosions In The Sky: Wed., May 4. Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion. Bob Schneider: Thu., April 7. McGonigel's Mucky Duck. Cory Morrow: Sat., April 23. The Firehouse Saloon. Das Racist, Fat Tony, Muhammadali, Simple Success, DJ iPod Ammo: Tue, March 22, Fitzgerald's. David C ... More >>

By the End of Tonight

​Arcade Fire, Explosions In The Sky: Wed., May 4. Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion. Bob Schneider: Thu., April 7. McGonigel's Mucky Duck. Cory Morrow: Sat., April 23. The Firehouse Saloon. Das Racist, Fat Tony, Muhammadali, Simple Success, DJ iPod Ammo: Tue, March 22, Fitzgerald's. David C ... More >>

Last Night: Miranda Lambert At RodeoHouston

Photo courtesy of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo​Miranda Lambert Reliant Stadium March 16, 2011 Shucks, ma. Our lil' ol' East Texas gal done all growed up. Sugar and spice and definitely everything nice, unless you piss her off, Miranda Lambert is a different kind of crossover act. A r ... More >>

Out Today: Glee Warbles, Gorillaz Fall, Kinks Ride Again

​It's been a week since the Foo Fighters' album, Wasting Light, hit the stores, and Rocks Off has probably averaged at least one or two spins of the solid disc per day. Right now, we are actually on track four. Will anything top Light this week? That remains to be seen. Next week will bring ... More >>

Out Today: Steve Earle Is Alive, Bootsy's Aged Funk, And The Late Poly Styrene's Last Disc

​Yep, it's the third week now that we have been listening to the new Foo Fighters album, Wasting Light. We even acquired it on vinyl this weekend, so we are doubly screwed. Now we just need it on cassette tape and one of those toothbrushes that play music in your skull like you are schizophren ... More >>

More Local Music News Than Half-Price Deals At Cactus

Another week, another teeming cup runneth over, full of local music news. Here's our latest installment of Magnolia City Mixtape. ​This week's soundtrack comes from Roosh Williams, whose Common Struggles of a Modern Man album just dropped. Roosh also has a video for the track "No Hard Feeling ... More >>

Last Night: Arcade Fire At Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion

Photos by Marc Brubaker​Arcade Fire, Explosions In the Sky Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion May 4, 2011 It was a sort of homecoming for titanic indie-rockers Arcade Fire Wednesday night in the Woodlands, as the band returned to Houston after five momentous years to play songs from The Suburbs, ... More >>

Last Night: Mogwai At Warehouse Live

Photos by Steve Gullick/Sub Pop RecordsMogwai: No photos please, we're Scottish.​While the slapping of stylistic labels onto music may irk bands, such terms are often warranted, accurate, and most importantly, not necessarily negative. Scottish rockers Mogwai hold a laundry list of said labels ... More >>

An Offender List Offends

Photos by Steve Gullick/Sub Pop RecordsMogwai: No photos please, we're Scottish.​While the slapping of stylistic labels onto music may irk bands, such terms are often warranted, accurate, and most importantly, not necessarily negative. Scottish rockers Mogwai hold a laundry list of said labels ... More >>

Summer Fest Critic's Guide: Who We're Seeing At Tinsley

Jermaine Rogers​In three very short years, Free Press Summer Fest has gone from an experiment most people thought would fail to destination music festival most people wouldn't dare miss even if it is going to be 105 degrees outside. Rocks Off has seen quite a bit of online chatter from people ... More >>

Little Smoke

Texas post-rockers This Will Destroy You take a dark turn

Ponderosa Gives House Of Blues A Mouthful

Photos by Jason Wolter​Rocks Off is usually ambivalent, at best, about restaurant shows. One of the few times we're not interested in live music at all is when we're eating, and we imagine we're hardly the only person who feels that way. Strolling violinists and mariachi groups especially get ... More >>

State Of The Scene Part 2: Welcome To Middle Finger City

Craig HlavatyOne Man Wrecking Crew: B L A C K I E at SXSW 2011​Welcome back. Before we proceed with our "State of the Scene" discussion, Rocks Off would like to say a couple of things we didn't get to in our print manifesto this week. The first concerns our former city of residence. Rocks Off ... More >>

Top 10 Texas Movie Soundtracks

​This weekend, as the rest of the world catches Harry Potter mania for (perhaps) the final time, Houston gets a serious dose of Urban Cowboy nostalgia. Theater Under the Stars' production of the Tony-nominated 2003 musical - which The New York Times called "a conclusive demonstration that it's ... More >>

Co-Pilot, The Calm Blue Sea

​This weekend, as the rest of the world catches Harry Potter mania for (perhaps) the final time, Houston gets a serious dose of Urban Cowboy nostalgia. Theater Under the Stars' production of the Tony-nominated 2003 musical - which The New York Times called "a conclusive demonstration that it's ... More >>

Prayerapalooza: The Response At Reliant Stadium With Rick Perry And A Packed House

GroovehouseGovernor Rick Perry leads Reliant Stadium in prayer on Saturday morning. ​Our country's credit rating was downgraded just less than a day before The Response event at Reliant Stadium opened its doors. The world is scary and getting more so by the day. People are afraid of the future ... More >>

Dig This Vol. VII With Western Standards, Dead Mineral & The End Of Young Girls?

The current volume of local music is staggering. New Houston bands are born daily, and all too often pass away just as quickly. Rocks Off wants to help you (and ourselves) keep up. Courtesy of Dead Mineral​Stay seated smugly at that desk and continue tossing that half-priced Halloween candy ... More >>

Scale the Summit

The current volume of local music is staggering. New Houston bands are born daily, and all too often pass away just as quickly. Rocks Off wants to help you (and ourselves) keep up. Courtesy of Dead Mineral​Stay seated smugly at that desk and continue tossing that half-priced Halloween candy ... More >>

Co-Pilot

The current volume of local music is staggering. New Houston bands are born daily, and all too often pass away just as quickly. Rocks Off wants to help you (and ourselves) keep up. Courtesy of Dead Mineral​Stay seated smugly at that desk and continue tossing that half-priced Halloween candy ... More >>