George Harrison

Rock's Best Fiction Novelists and Poets

We writers are a masturbatory bunch, if you don't mind me saying so. We love to talk about our own work, the works of others, and generally just get into a huge hubbub over the art of the written word. So I don't think it should come as any surprise that some of our favorite musicians are also accla ... More >>

The Best Concerts In Houston This Weekend: Cave Singers, Buzzfest, Crystal Castles, etc.

Cave Singers Fitzgerald's, April 19 The Cave Singers are hard to pin down. Made from parts of Pretty Girls Make Graves and the Blood Brothers, among other decidedly less folky bits, the Singers cut a languid, soulful stance that roars only rarely. Even still, their catalog satisfies those who wish ... More >>

Rocker Tony Sheridan, One-Time Beatles "Frontman", Dead At 72

In the realm of mainstream Beatles lore, Tony Sheridan gets largely forgotten. The British singer in fact lead an early incarnation of the band in their Hamburg days, when they were the Silver Beatles, a boozy club act. He played on the same circuit as the boys, and they acted as his backing group a ... More >>

Liam Gallagher Is My Hero. Don't Judge Me.

Liam Gallagher is a literary genius. Yes, I said it. And I won't take it back. But wait. Don't start typing out your "Beady Eye sucks and their album tanked" rant just yet. I can explain. I say this based not on Liam's musical prowess but on his inane ability to drop pearls of bitchy wisdom aime ... More >>

Christmas Past: 15 Odd Christmas Gift Ideas for Musicians

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 November 21, 2011. As the timeless tale of the Little Drummer Boy reminds us, there is no greater ... More >>

The Song is a Lie: Billy Idol, Cyberposeur

All week we've been exposing the song titles that don't check out when put against the test of truth. Thus far you've learned: 1. George Harrison's guitar did not gently weep. It was actually Eric Clapton's. 2. Kiss said we got the best when we wanted it, but mostly we got session musicians and ... More >>

The 5 Worst Cover Albums of All Time

I think when they're just starting out, every musician dreams of making a cover album at some point down the road. We all have our favorite songs that we wish we had written and we all fantasize about singing and playing them ourselves. It's why karaoke bars exist. Of course, everyone thinks they w ... More >>

Explaining Classic Rock Bands to Kids

This past Sunday, The New York Times ran a piece by Paul Greenberg where the author explained how important the Beatles were to music and pop culture to his five-year old son. The child didn't know that the band had albums, but only knew the Fab Four from iTunes playlists. "When the Beatles record ... More >>

The Bangles' Susanna Hoffs: "I Listen a Lot to the '60s Still"

In the '80s, Susanna Hoffs was at the top of her game as a member of all-girl band the Bangles, who had many hits including "Hero Takes a Fall," "Walking Down Your Street," "Walk Like an Egyptian," "Eternal Flame," and countless others. Though the band split in 1989, Hoffs reunited with the Bangle ... More >>

Burn! Music's 12 Best Insults & Jabs

One of the not-so-fun things in the world is to get insulted or, in the words of Kelso from That 70's Show, get "burned." Now, let's imagine what it would be like to be insulted by some musician on one of their albums -- that "burn" I can only imagine was magnified by a million. Nevertheless, som ... More >>

Who Is Paul McCartney?!: Rocks Off Tells You

So, it's the day after the Grammys, and you may still be wondering who that "hella old" man with the droopy eyes playing the weird left-handed bass was on the telecast last night. You know, the guy next to the guy from Foo Fighters and that one other ancient-looking man in the tight jeans who looks ... More >>

Iron Men: Five Rock 'n' Roll Cancer Survivors

Sad news emerged today that heavy metal godfather Tony Iommi has been diagnosed with the early stages of lymphoma. It was a big shock for Black Sabbath fans, as the group's original lineup have a new album and a world tour planned for 2012. Though already counted among rock and roll's ultimate sur ... More >>

6 Musicians and Their Charities

​The main knock on celebrity charity is that it's essentially a brand-building tool -- good for image and not much else. The tax savings don't hurt, either. But not all charitable connections are about image-burnishing and tax savings. (God, we sure hope not.) The number-crunchers at Forbes lo ... More >>

15 Odd Christmas Gift Ideas for Musicians

​As the timeless tale of the Little Drummer Boy reminds us, there is no greater gift than the gift of music. But what about those on your Christmas list who already have plenty of music in their lives? Buying gifts for musicians is no easy task -- most of them already own the entire Rush disco ... More >>

Jerry Shirley: A Slice of the Pie Has His Say

​English lad and budding drummer Jerry Shirley was all of 16 years old in late 1968 when he received the phone call that would change his life forever. On the other line was Steve Marriott, the singer/guitarist for mod group the Small Faces ("Itchycoo Park"). Shirley's musical hero and new a ... More >>

Last Night: Peter Frampton At House Of Blues

Photos by Barry Sigman​Peter Frampton House of Blues October 16, 2011 If you own one Peter Frampton album, chances are it's Frampton Comes Alive!, the 1976 effort which sent the former Herd/Humble Pie singer and guitarist's solo career into the stratosphere. In the process, the title became k ... More >>

You In Color: The Black Angels' Christian Bland Talks Film Scores

Photo By Craig HlavatyThe Black Angels' Alex Maas at Free Press Summerfest in June​Tomorrow night the Black Angels hit Houston for the third time in about a year, with a gig over at Fitzgerald's with fellow retro-doomers Dead Meadow and Spindrift. The last time the Angels were in Houston it wa ... More >>

Father Figures: 100 Famous Musicians' Paternal Professions

If you're a Texan of a certain age, this week you've probably spent some time mourning the death of Jerry Haynes, the children's TV host better known as Mr. Peppermint. Haynes' show on WFAA-TV in Dallas, Peppermint Place, ran from the '60s to the '90s and was widely syndicated across the state, incl ... More >>

Friday Night: Hippiefest At Arena Theatre

Photos by Barry SigmanFelix Cavaliere, Forever Young (Rascal)​Hippiefest feat. Dave Mason, Mark Farner, Gary Wright, Rick Derringer & Felix Cavaliere's Rascals Arena Theatre september 2, 2011 The title of this annual touring package show was something of a misnomer, as most of the acts made t ... More >>

10 Things You May Not Know About The Beatles' Revolver

​First released in the UK on August 5, 1966, the Beatles' Revolver was born into tumultuous times for the band. The "Bigger Than Jesus" debacle was reaching its height in the United States, as some fans who took John Lennon's flippant remark about his band's popularity as heresy burned Beatles ... More >>

Last Night: Arctic Monkeys At House Of Blues

Photos by Marc Brubaker​Arctic Monkeys, Young Buffalo House of Blues August 3, 2011 See the Arctic Monkeys' chav-y chic in our slideshow. Five years since their first stateside splash in February 2006 with their debut Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not, we've watched the Arctic Mo ... More >>

10 Songs For Pissed-Off Travelers

This spring, Austin honky-tonker and Pasadena native Dale Watson had some dates in Australia and made the mistake of booking a flight from Sydney to Melbourne on Singapore-based budget carrier Tiger Airways. According to the Sydney Morning Herald, not only did the airline charge Watson a $500 exce ... More >>

Lemmy & HeadCat Mates Walk The Rockabilly Walk

​You could say that the members of roots-rock trio HeadCat got together to pay tribute to the King. But instead of the baby Jesus of Bethlehem, these three wise men -bassist/singer Lemmy Kilmister (Motörhead), drummer Slim Jim Phantom (ex-Stray Cats), and guitarist/pianist Danny B. Harvey (ex ... More >>

Dear Paul McCartney: Please Come Play Houston

connect.in.com​Dear Paul McCartney, Hi. This is Craig Hlavaty and I write about the musics for the Houston Press Rocks Off blog here in the Bayou City. Lately I have been seeing on Twitter and the greater Internet that you are slowly piecing together a concert tour of baseball stadiums. Which ... More >>

Bobby Keys: iFest Nabs Rolling Stones Sax Maniac

The Rolling StonesBobby Keys takes an Exile on Main Street breather, Nellcote, France, 1971​Born in Lubbock and raised just east in Slaton, Joe Ely's home town, saxophonist Bobby Keys left Lubbock in 1960 looking for kicks. At 14, he was playing with Bob Dylan influence, Bobby Vee, before movi ... More >>

What If The Beatles Broke Up After Revolver?

​Thursday is the 44th anniversary of the release of the Beatles' pivotal Revolver, an album that continued their growth away from their boy-band roots and into something stranger, better and far more complex. 1965's Rubber Soul had started the transformation with its multiple psychedelic influ ... More >>

Adios Summerfest, Until Next Year

Marc Brubaker Black Congress​Sophomore slumps apparently don't apply to Summerfest, seeing that Saturday and Sunday they came out swinging all over Eleanor Tinsley Park and Allen Parkway with Girl Talk, Slim Thug and Bun B, and the Flaming Lips, alongside dozens of Houston's best local band ... More >>

Museum Of Fine Arts Screening Rare Beatles And Bob Dylan Footage This Weekend

​It's an odd thing to think about, but imagine seeing the Beatles on American television for the very first time. Imagine how different they looked from any other musician making popular music in the early 1960s. Or think about Bob Dylan, going electric at Newport, how scandalous it would have bee ... More >>

Lonesome Onry and Mean: The Second Act of Onetime "New Dylan" Larry Hosford

​Unless you're a professional Trivial Pursuit player, chances are high you've never heard of Larry Hosford. But there was a time when Hosford was hailed as the next Bob Dylan and was hanging around Shelter Records with the likes of George Harrison, Leon Russell and J.J. Cale. Lonesome, Onry and Me ... More >>

Get Lit: Miss O'Dell: My Hard Days and Long Nights with The Beatles, The Stones, Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, and the Women They Loved by Chris O'Dell with Katherine Ketcham

​In one of the most rollicking and enjoyable classic rock memoirs of recent years, Chris O'Dell offers scores of interesting first-hand experiences with a who's who of icons, as well as her own keen observations on their personalities even hardcore fans will find fresh. But just who, you might ask ... More >>

Aftermath: Houston's "Fab 40" Does Abbey Road at Discovery Green

Photos by Groovehouse​Something about these Fab 40 concerts at Discovery Green makes Aftermath swell with pride at the mere fact of being a Houstonian. Seeing several dozen musicians of every age and race on stage together recreating a landmark album note for note, all in the shadow of the skyline ... More >>

Maryland Bang

Meet Rye Rye, Baltimore's latest rap sensation.

Tonight: Michael Hardie and Milton Hopkins at Red Cat Jazz Cafe

The Most Demanding Songs in Rock History

Sgt. Pepper at Discovery Green

Casiotone for the Painfully Alone and Clue to Kalo, with Hearts of Animals

Shawn Phillips Is Stranger Than Fiction

Meet Navy rescuer and true rock and roll Zelig

The King of Kong, Monty Python's Life of Brian: The Immaculate Edition, King of California, Automatons

Miss Pop Rocks: Memo to Larry King: Retire

Rotation: Ringo Starr, Photograph: The Very Best of Ringo

Sitar Star

Anoushka Shankar may soon be as famous as her dad -- but don't tell her that

Live Sex Chat

Get the dirt on doin' the dirty with these college ladies

This Week's Day-by-Day Picks

Playbill

The Passion of Brian

Move over, Mel, it's the second coming of Monty Python

Rodney Crowell

Tuesday, August 26

A Prickly Pair of Problems

Cactus Music and Video battles to keep its marquee and to get the Eagles on its shelves

The Good with the Badfinger

A Houston producer pays loving tribute to an enduring -- if cursed -- band

Rotation

Sound Check