Fats Domino

Paul Anka, Ladies' Man and Sinatra Worshipper, Tells It His Way

My Way: An Autobiography By Paul Anka with David Dalton St. Martin's Press, 384 pp., $29.99 Currently celebrating his 55th year in show business with this autobiography and the new CD Duets -- which finds him singing with artists like Celine Dion, Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson, and (through the magic ... More >>

Here's the Lowdown: The Boz Scaggs Interview, Part 1

From his earliest records and concerts to his most recent discs and tours with buddies Michael McDonald and Donald Fagen as the Dukes of September, Boz Scaggs has always shown a reverence for music history. That's especially true for the old blues and R&B tunes he'd hear wafting over the airwaves fr ... More >>

An Animal Roars Again: The Eric Burdon Interview, Part 1

As lead vocalist for the '60s British Invasion band the Animals, Eric Burdon fronted what was perhaps the toughest R&B-influenced group from the era (sorry, Stones fans), and had a second incarnation exploring psychedelic music. In his collaborations with War, Burdon pushed the boundaries of impro ... More >>

Bonus Rocks Off 100: Clint Broussard, Blues In Hi-Fi Man Now Back On FM

Welcome to the Rocks Off 100, our portrait gallery of the most compelling profiles and personalities in the far-flung Houston music community -- a lot more than just musicians, but of course they're in there too. Who? If you're a fan of Texas R&B radio, and you definitely should be, there is no gre ... More >>

The Chitlin' Circuit: Road to Rock & Roll Ran Straight Through Houston

Above: Walter Barnes and the Royal Creolians, the first kings of the Chitlin' Circuit Most music critics, writers, historians, and aficianados in Houston don't think this city has ever gotten enough credit for its contributions to blues, soul, and, the Holy Grail, the birth of rock and roll. Well, ... More >>

'90s Rock Doc "When We Ruled H-Town" Premieres Tonight

Remember the '90s? When it comes to Houston's rock scene, a lot of people don't. Sure, local bands were drawing large crowds to venues like the Axiom, the Vatican and the Unicorn, but much of the music of that era never made it outside the Beltway, and those clubs have been closed down for decades. ... More >>

Introducing...The Beatles: Celebrating Their First Ed Sullivan Performance

Lonesome, Onry and Mean didn't get in much trouble in school. So his parents were a little disturbed to find the eighth grader in the principal's office on the afternoon of February 10, 1964. He and his best friends, Mike Clowdus, Brad Rutledge, and Larry "Suitcase" Simpson, had been written up and ... More >>

Allen Oldies Band

No Surprises: Rock Hall Set To Induct Guns N' Roses, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Beastie Boys

Photo By Marco TorresGuns N' Roses are Rock Hall bound, but which version of GNR will show up? ​This morning (well, it leaked last night) the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame in Cleveland announced their 2012 class of inductees. Included on the list are Guns N' Roses, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Beastie Bo ... More >>

Here to Stay

The Rebirth Brass Band continues to evolve by "growing the music."

Jon Cleary, New Orleans R&B Piano Master, Makes Rare Visit

Rick Olivier​The last time Rocks Off saw Jon Cleary, he was hammering his piano like a blacksmith at the Big Easy, totally surrounded by adoring blues fans - so many, in fact, that it was difficult to even get a glimpse of the British-born pianist from the rear of the crowd. Cleary and his ba ... More >>

Memphis

Top 10 Louisiana Bands Of All Time

​Pardon the geographical pun, but besides Texas, our neighbor to the east may be the most musical state in these United States. And in terms of per capita, Louisiana, which ranks 25th in population to Texas' second, is probably second to none. Outside Nashville's Grand Ole Opry, the program m ... More >>

Last Night: Boz Scaggs At Stafford Centre

Photos by Bob Ruggiero​Boz Scaggs Stafford Centre February 17, 2011 While mellow modern jazz players have hijacked and ruined the word "smooth" as a synonym for blandness, Thursday night Boz Scaggs helped reclaim the adjective as a positive attribute in a powerful show laden with most of his ... More >>

Soul City: Boogie-Woogie Godfather Amos Milburn

Black History Month is always a great time to recall some of Houston's greatest musical innovators and leaders. Rocks Off will highlight some of them during the remainder of February. ​Born in Third Ward on April 1, 1927, self-taught pianist Amos Milburn was one of the true godfathers of roc ... More >>

Does Elvis Still Matter?

As part of our ongoing celebration of Elvis' birthday week, Rocks Off asked our writers the simple question in the headline. ​Chris Gray: Absolutely he still matters. When I was compiling that list of quotes and lyrics about Elvis earlier this week, I wasn't that surprised to see that even Be ... More >>

Allen Toussaint

Los Skarnales

The punk/ska band adds New Orleans funk.

Friday Night: Dr. John At House of Blues And Jon Cleary At The Big Easy

Photos by Jason Wolter​Dr. John/Jon Cleary House of Blues/The Big Easy August 20, 2010 In spite of all the BS whining that we don't "support the local scene" or that we have our head up somebody's ass, it's a great time to be a music journalist in Houston. Friday night was no exception, as Af ... More >>

Before the Flood

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

See You Later Alligator: Louisiana Legend Bobby Charles Dead at 71

It's a sad day in the swamps of South Louisiana as Bobby Charles, a founder of the musical genre known as swamp pop and one of the most under-rated songwriters of his time, has passed away at 71. Originally from rural Abbeville, Charles rose to fame on the very cusp of the birth of rock and roll wh ... More >>

Lonesome Onry and Mean: The Rockabilly Country Soul of Big Al Downing

Maybe the most successful African-American country artist of the post-Charley Pride period was Big Al Downing. Talk about a guy who could blur the line between country and soul. An affable Oklahoman, Downing had a huge baritone voice that could melt hearts. Downing's career began in rockabilly. Aft ... More >>

Lonesome Onry and Mean: Last Men Standing

​Lonesome Onry and Mean vaguely remembers someone telling us a couple of years ago that Las Vegas bookies actually had a line on whether Chuck Berry would die that year (we think it was 2007). The macabre factor aside, remembering this Wednesday got LOM to pondering about the Godfathers of Rock an ... More >>

He Said She Said: Songs That Remind Us of Our Grandfathers

​ She Said has something she wants to admit. Here goes nothing. We... like... country music. No big deal, right? You wouldn't think so, unless you grew up in a town filled with racist rednecks who thought the glitz of '90s Nashville qualifies for the only music worth listenin' to. She Said rebelle ... More >>

Ten Cover Songs So Bad They'll Shrivel Your Soul

Two nights ago, while carelessly patrolling the back alleys of the internet, Rocks Off stumbled across Hilary Duff's execrable cover of The Who's "My Generation". Well, what did you think, YouTube commenters? ​ You sure you're not being too harsh? ​ Yeah... ours too. Someday, when we ... More >>

Who Stole the Roll?

Overnight Express: In Case You're Not Sick of Me Going on About Tom Petty...

Friday Night: Doyle Bramhall at McGonigel’s Mucky Duck

Honeydripper Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

Trombone Shorty and Glen David Andrews at Fado

Freddy Fender is 'El Bebop Kid'

Local Motion

Houston's Very Best Songs Ever

...otherwise known as the H-Town 20

The Houston 100: From Charles Brown to Sippie Wallace

New Orleans Legend Al "Carnival Time" Johnson and a Guilloteen's Swan Song

McManus plays his last Houston gig this week, while a Big Easy piano-pounder plays his first

DISConnect

Sales of CDs are falling faster than you can say iPod

Irie iFest

Finding the coolest runnings at this year's Jamaica-themed Houston International Festival

Boxing the Rock

Six of the year's best multi-disc sets (and one of the worst)

Mystery Bopping

Racket searches for the hoppingest grocery store in town

Best AM Radio Personality

Paul Berlin

Crash and Burn

Landlords and bounced checks abort the Fabulous Satellite Lounge's ten-year mission to rock the Heights

Rocker Robbery

The theft of his trailer capped a bad week for John Evans

Bah, Humbug!

The glut of holiday CDs kills the Christmas spirit

Brass Tacks

Who killed "When the Saints..."? The Dirty Dozen, and don't you forget it.

Swamp Thing

Out of the soup of southern Louisiana comes a collection of Cajun all-stars with an indescribably sweet sound

Ska Fathers

When searching for the source of the Jamaican sound, look no further than the Skatalites

Rotation

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

The Sound of Money

Static

Sound Check