George Clinton

Acts You Shouldn't Miss at iFest's First Weekend

Rocks Off asked our staff members who will be covering the Houston International Festival for us this weekend to give us one or two choices for artists they don't want to miss. Forro In the Dark Bud Light World Music Stage, 2:30 p.m. Saturday/Center Stage, 6:30 p.m. Saturday As one of the first ac ... More >>

The Best Concerts In Houston This Weekend: Blake Shelton, Tegan & Sara, etc.

Blake Shelton Reliant Stadium, March 15 After more than a decade of climbing country music's ranks to become one of its most successful and charismatic male vocalists, Blake Shelton found himself taking a little heat not long ago when comments he made about certain "old farts" clinging to country's ... More >>

Upcoming: Riff Raff, Father John Misty, Wavves, Surfer Blood, the Killers, Etc.

10 Years: With thelastplaceyoulook, Lost Element, A Midnight in Chicago., Sat., March 16, 8 p.m., $21/$25. Scout Bar, 18307 Egret Bay Blvd., Houston. Adrenaline Mob: With Nothing More., Fri., March 22, 8 p.m., $16/$20. Scout Bar, 18307 Egret Bay Blvd., Houston. Allah-Las: Mon., April 1, 8 p.m., $8 ... More >>

The Great Outdoors

Your 2013 music-festival outlook, Texas edition.

Your 2013 Music Festival Outlook (Texas Edition)

I don't know about you, but I am not totally in love with winter weather. Yes, it affords you the ability to wear beanies and cool fingerless gloves and dress like a hoodlum, but it's the heat that I love the most. That's why I love thinking about music festivals, because that's where we all get t ... More >>

Jan Hammer and the Top 10 TV Theme Songs of the '80s

Not a lot of television shows win multiple Grammys. Then again, not a lot of television shows ever sounded (or looked) like Miami Vice. The cutting-edge series perfectly captured the pastel zeitgeist of its time when it debuted in 1984, influencing film, fashion, design and music in a way that few T ... More >>

OG Ron C Purplefies Girl Talk's All Day

There are a lot of reasons why OG Ron C running Girl Talk's All Day through his "Chopped Up Not Slopped Up" purplefication process is fun, but one of them seems more substantial -- or, at the very least, more appropriate -- than the rest. To be entirely reductive: Girl Talk is a DJ from Pittsburg ... More >>

Start the Revolution! 10 Songs About Historical Events

If you ever look at music throughout time, along with a history book -- they kind of complement each other. Some of the greatest songs in rock, R&B and rap have chronicled history both social, major news events, sports, entertainment and political. In my opinion, many times, the song is about what ... More >>

Play It Again, Sam: 10 Artists & Comedians Signed To Casablanca Records

Casablanca Records was a record company started by Neil Bogart -- no relation to the late legendary actor Humphrey Bogart, although Neil was a big Bogie enthusiast and admirer. In the 1970s, Casablanca Records was the go-to label for disco much like Death Row was the go-to place for gangsta rap in t ... More >>

Top 5 Musical NBA Players

The NBA All-Star Game is coming up in a couple of weeks. There may not be any Rockets on the roster - even ex-Rocket/Knicks sensation Jeremy Lin didn't blow up in time to be added as a reserve - but musical names such as Kanye West, Rihanna (the halftime entertainment), Lenny Kravitz, Josh Groban, ... More >>

Distant Early Warning: Delta Spirit, Cursive, George Clinton, Hot Chelle Rae, Orgy, Youth Lagoon

American Sharks: Sat., Feb. 25. Fitzgerald's, 2706 White Oak, Houston. The Black Belles, Black Tabs: Sun., March 18. Warehouse Live, 813 St. Emanuel, Houston. Bobby Bare Jr.: Wed., Feb. 1. Continental Club, 3700 Main, Houston. Buxton, Marmalakes, Featherface: Sat., Feb. 4, 8 p.m., $8.00. Fitzgera ... More >>

Fishbone's Ska-Punk Casts A Long Shadow In New Film

Photo by Ann Summa​The documentary Everyday Sunshine: The Story of Fishbone flirts with a balance between history and character as it looks behind the scenes at a group that failed to achieve large-scale commercial success, but inspired many groups that did. Directors Lev Anderson and Chris ... More >>

Five Can't-Miss Acts At ACL Fest This Year

Craig HlavatyWe're running this picture of My Morning Jacket's Jim James now because this will be the last we see of him all weekend.​For weeks after we skipped last year's Austin City Limits Music Festival to man the controls in Houston, Rocks Off found ourselves thinking, "Man, I wish I woul ... More >>

iFest's First Weekend Thick With Music, Humidity

GroovehouseJimmie Vaughan (left) and his band gave the large iFest crowd some saxual healing Saturday.​Lots more iFest in our slideshows: The bands, the performers, the crowds and even the food. For something that was still going on 24 hours ago, the first weekend of the Houston International ... More >>

Promoter Mike Kelley: "Numbers Is Houston's CBGB"

Marco TorresWu-Tang Clan's GZA and Ghostface Killah at Numbers, December 2010​Numbers' credentials as a concert venue are undeniable - everyone from Siouxsie and the Banshees to Green Day to Type O Negative has played there. It's hard to argue, though, that the past decade hasn't been a rough ... More >>

iFest President & CEO Jim Austin Stepping Down February 1

Festival not booking Justin Beiber, interim replacement says GroovehouseGeorge Clinton at iFest 2010​Speaking of festivals... The Houston International Festival announced earlier today that Dr. James Austin will retire as president and chief executive officer of the Houston Festival Foundati ... More >>

Upcoming: Adam Lambert, School Of Seven Bells, Vampire Weekend, Etc.

​12 Stones, Egypt Central: Sat., July 24. Scout Bar Clear Lake. Adam Lambert: Wed., Sept. 8. Hobby Center for the Performing Arts. Andre Nickatina, Bizzy Bone, Glasses Malone, TMills, Dot Dot Curve: Sun., Aug. 15. Warehouse Live. Black Label Society, Clutch, Children Of Bodom, 2 Cents: Thu., ... More >>

Glee: Faking The "Funk"

​"Daddy?" "Yes, son?" "What does regret mean?" "Well son, the funny thing about regret is that it's better to regret something you have done than to regret something you haven't done. And by the way, if you see your mom this weekend, will you be sure and tell her SATAN! SATAN! SATAN!" - Butth ... More >>

Glee: Faking The "Funk"

​"Daddy?" "Yes, son?" "What does regret mean?" "Well son, the funny thing about regret is that it's better to regret something you have done than to regret something you haven't done. And by the way, if you see your mom this weekend, will you be sure and tell her SATAN! SATAN! SATAN!" - Buttho ... More >>

Nothing's Wrong

Scott H. Biram cuts back on the craziness...just not in his music.

Miss Rockefeller's? Marcia Ball and Texas Johnny Brown Headline iFest Benefit February 12

brides.com​Like many of you - we're guessing, anyway - Rocks Off never saw a show at Rockefeller's. We didn't get inside the Loop much during high school (too busy checking groceries) and, although we managed to go to Mary Jane's, the Satellite Lounge and maybe the Abyss (it's a little fuzzy) on v ... More >>

The Incredible Truth: The Best Southern Rap Albums (and Mixtapes) of 2009, Part 1

​Yeah, it stirred the Yankees to the World Series championship, but was there a more boring album this year than Jay-Z's The Blueprint 3? Perhaps it was a geographic thing; with a few exceptions like Raekwon and Kid Cudi, most of 2009's exciting, innovative rap records came from Southern artists. ... More >>

Distant Early Warning: Fiery Furnaces, Keb' Mo, Merle Haggard/Kris Kristofferson, Warped Tour and the First iFest Names

​Billy Joe Shaver: Thu., March 11. Dosey Doe Coffee Company. Cody Canada, Kyle Hutton: Tue., Jan. 26. Dosey Doe Coffee Company. Cory Chisel & The Wandering Sons, Dawes, Jason Boesel: Fri., March 5. Rudyard's. David Knopfler: Fri., May 7. Dosey Doe Coffee Company. The Fiery Furnaces: Fri., Jan ... More >>

Flash Drive

H.I.S.D.'s DJ grinder turns his camera on.

Flannel File: Primus

Primus circa 1998, Copenhagen, DenmarkAs the title of this feature might suggest, '90s nostalgia is in full swing, and one of the orders of the day is reexamining the aesthetic reputation of bands we liked when we were teenagers but of whom we subsequently became embarrassed, swapping them in our es ... More >>

Hello, Houston!

Noise breaks down the months of live music ahead

Aftermath: Jandek at Rudyard's

Photos by Mark C. AustinAftermath had literally no idea what to expect at Sunday afternoon's Jandek show at Rudyard's, the first-ever public performance in Houston by one of the world's leading "outsider" musicians (who just happens to live here). From the little he knows of Jandek's prodigio ... More >>

Making Sense of a Trying Year

Teen Houston Rapper Headed for Beijing

The O.G. of Love

Johnny "Guitar" Watson gets his due with a terrific two disc set

On the Down-Low

Shovel away all that Usher, Prince and Lil Jon you've been jamming, and dig this year's buried black-music treasures

Americana Pie

Grab a slice of 2004's best roots music while it's still hot

Americana Pie

Grab a slice of 2004's best roots music while it's still hot

On the Down-Low

Shovel away all that Usher, Prince and Lil Jon you've been jamming and dig this year's buried black-music treasures

Rick James RIP, Bitch

Houston DJs pay homage to the funky one

Computer Error

When it comes to local facts, don't rely on Allmusic.com

Et tu, Lenny

Like every other rocker, Lenny Kravitz is headlining his own festival

Static

Rotation

Young Gun

Talking Revolution

Michael Franti and Spearhead are into change, if not the Internet

Press Picks

Nasty Conquers All

Determination, and bad manners, rescue Ugly Americans from a sorry fate

Houston Press 1996 Music Awards

Letters

Play till You Drop

Yes, they're a party band, but the Gingbreadmen are out for more than just a good time

Critic's Choice

Listen to the Quiet (and Loud)

What Is It Good For?

Lollapalooza, Year Four: The bloom is back

Made in Houston

Hometown stages feature more than one sort of menagerie