The line between rock star and cranky toddler can be a fine one; deny them their candy and you've got tears welling up and naughty words being shrieked at ear-bursting decibels. Every once in a blue moon, though, a rational thought will pipe up from said rock star, and it deserves a little bit of no ... More >>
Marconi, Tesla, Steve Jobs and some other folks we rarely mention should be elevated to hero status for creating the means and devices we turn to while spending hours in traffic. Groups that geek out on such stats suggest at least ten percent of Americans spend about 90 minutes a day behind the w ... More >>
There are certain truths we all accept about the Grammy awards, including but not limited to: no matter how many times she's won Taylor Swift will always make that "ohmygod people like me?!?!?!" face; that NARAS president Neil Portnow will show up to make a speech that no one will remember; someone ... More >>
While we celebrate the holidays, Rocks Off is resurrecting a few of our best Christmas-themed blogs from the past few years. (Wait... resurrecting is Easter. Never mind.) This blog originally appeared December 14, 2010. No doubt you have all been chin-deep in Christmas movies since you undid your b ... More >>
You may have heard that the Grammy nominations were released this past week. It has some great choices from the committee, surprisingly enough. You've got nominations for extremely deserving artists such as Fiona Apple, Frank Ocean, Bjork, and Tom Waits. Even the Album of the Year award is a competi ... More >>
Autumn temperatures may finally be creeping into Houston at last, but Portland's Red Fang promises to work up one last sweat in the city on Sunday when the shaggy rockers roll into Fitzgerald's. The band had too much fun hitting the road this summer to close the books on it just yet. Red Fang playe ... More >>
Ever on the lookout for more ways to praise the Lone Star State -- and the make a few more bucks in the process -- the people at myplates.com are now offering "Natural Texas" vanity license plates. A field of weeds, the plates look like -- not exactly inspiring. To myplates, though, they shine: "Bl ... More >>
Fiona Apple Bayou Music Center September 21, 2012 The arrival of Apple's tour bus at Bayou Music Center Friday was a soothing sight to fans, as many feared the beloved musician wouldn't make it out of jail in time for her scheduled show. Rewind: Fiona Apple Arrested In West Texas For Hash Possessi ... More >>
Sierra Blanca, Texas -- that wonderful city in far West Texas that loves to pinch leaf-loving musicians like Willie Nelson and Snoop Dogg Lion -- has claimed another trophy, arresting singer Fiona Apple Wednesday night for pot possession. According to TMZ, the singer-songwriter was arrested for po ... More >>
Today is the 53rd birthday of Mark Romanek. Though he's a perfectly legit Hollywood director of great films like One Hour Photo and Never Let Me Go, he is also responsible for some of the greatest music videos of all time. For 20 years he has worked with top-level performers, and today we celebrate ... More >>
My new favorite band is an NYC death-grunge group fronted by the fetching Shelley X, Ghxst. The band sucked me in with the single "Doomgirl," which I described as Fiona Apple singing for Alien Sex Fiend. If that doesn't make you want to download them immediately then brother, you're reading the wron ... More >>
As 2012 reaches the halfway point, one of the most gratifying musical comebacks has been none other than Bocephus himself, Hank Williams Jr. It's not a very long list, either - the Beach Boys, Fiona Apple, and now the late-breaking Blur; we're still not sure Chris Brown and Beach House count as "com ... More >>
Tonight House of Blues welcomes Garbage back to Houston after a seven-year hiatus. The group, lead by fearsome Scottish redhead Shirley Manson, has been sorely missed from the music scene. They are currently touring behind their upcoming album Not Your Kind of People, which hits stores May 14. Rock ... More >>
If you're familiar with chaos theory, which in its basic form is the attempt to find patterns in the random acts of shit on Earth, then you may understand the difficulty that comes with describing a full day at SXSW. To break down the bright, scintillating chaos, Village Voice Media's roving musi ... More >>
Big-hitting acts are piling up at this year's SXSW, with the likes of Jack White, Fiona Apple, GZA, 50 Cent, Bruce Springsteen, Skrillex, and the list goes on. Though, whether you're travelling with a fancy badge or wristband, or especially if you're just going to partake in the free festivities, do ... More >>
"What I want from each and every one of you is a hard-target search of every gas station, residence, warehouse, farmhouse, henhouse, outhouse and doghouse in that area." -- Tommy Lee Jones, The Fugitive You don't have to spend much time at South By Southwest to know that all of the above building ... More >>
It happens every year: an errant rumor turns Austin and SXSW upside down for a few hours or even days, leading to mass hysteria, mild apathy, and sometimes sadness. At my first SXSW in 2001, I got a "hot tip" that the Beastie Boys were going to join Mix Master Mike at La Zona Rosa for a secret show, ... More >>
Sixteen Houston acts will play an all-day free show during SXSW from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday, March 16, at the Gypsy Lounge, 1504 E. 6th St. The party is sponsored by The Convoy Group, the company run by Houston promoter and sometime Rocks Off photograher Mark C. Austin, who announced the party ear ... More >>
For the first time it seems, the Odd Future gang's music videos have caught up with their lyrical content, judging by their brand-new video for "Rella," off upcoming release The Odd Future Tape Vol. 2 (due March 20). The album, minus former member Earl Sweatshirt, is the group's studio debut. The ... More >>
A comedy written by and starring women, Bridesmaids still screwed.
I missed most of last night's introduction because I was still trying to get my head around how they're going to milk tonight's selection show for two freaking hours. American Idol is just another example of domestic ineffeciency: take what should be -- at best -- a thirty minute program and ... More >>
Pink Floyd has finally settled its lengthy dispute with their longtime record label EMI. The band, which signed to the label over 40 years ago, first took EMI to court last spring in an effort to clarify their existing contract. Floyd sought to prevent EMI from "unbundling" their albums by se ... More >>
No doubt you have all been chin-deep in Christmas movies since you undid your belt on Thanksgiving evening. Rocks Off made sure to steal a copy of National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation from our folks' house before the calendar even hit December. Unlike other blogs, we don't hate all Christm ... More >>
Artists like Elvis Presley, Madonna, and Mick Jagger undoubtedly helped define the consumate rock star crush. But there have been a handful of worthy others along the way - armed with that certain je ne se quoi - who haven't left our radar. Years later, turns out we're still smitten with thi ... More >>
Shakira shimmies into town tonight at Toyota Center, and frankly, she's pretty much the only artist Rocks Off regrets having to miss while we're in Austin covering ACL. Say what you will about her caterwauling voice and her corny foreign-ness. There's something so playfully goofy about Shakir ... More >>
She's singing - and still sassy
Dana DonovanLittle Joe Washington and a pair of enthusiastic fans at the 2007 HPMA ceremonyAs we may have mentioned once or twice, tonight Rocks Off and the Houston Press reveal the winners of this year's 2010 Houston Press Music Awards over at Warehouse Live. It's a free show, with performan ... More >>
Rocks Off Sr. is curious why Rocks Off Jr. chose a picture of Christina Hendricks for an article about dreams.For some reason, Craig's Hlist has been sleeping way too much lately. Blame the booze, fear of the sun, or just plain lack of giving a rat's ass about the daylight. With sleep comes d ... More >>
Ratt, "Round and Round" Thursday night, Ratt hits up Warehouse Live with what passes for their original line-up. At their peak, the band was a gritty and decadent alternative to bands like Poison, skewing closer to Motley Crue in terms of excess and drug abuse. The band managed to ... More >>
Animate!The farther down the Tumblr rabbit hole Rocks Off goes, the more and more we find that it's chockfull of musical amazing. This link gives you a good run down of sites to get you started, with every site leading you to a whole plethora of others that will suit your proverbial fancy. The th ... More >>
Courtesy of Stephen "Rube" Sager Live Nation has outdone itself on its latest "No Service Fee" Wednesday. All day, $29.99 buys a lawn ticket - one lawn ticket, mind you - parking, all those pesky fees, a hot dog and a soda for any participating show at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion. Once they ... More >>
Photos by Michael Becker/ Fox No joy in Megan's world Wednesday night.Karma's a bitch, ain't it? Megan Joy admits that she doesn't care what Simon Cowell thinks of her performances, and then, when the judges have to decide whether or not to save her from elimination, Simon throws that comment ... More >>
Even a fire wont stop this songstress
Thankfully, Ms. Apple has decided to remain with us
Begin to Hope
Sure, Fiona Apple is crazy...like a fox!
A veteran Liverpudlian rock band and a kung-fu-obsessed Staten Island MC have more in common than you think
How deep is this Toyota subsidiary's love of hip-hop?
Extraordinary Machine
Don't Say a Word has the budget, but not the brains, to chill us
Migraine Mills. All-consuming paths converge at Katy's megamall
New Releases Reviewed
Sarah McLachlan had a brainchild, and it was a girl
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