Gwen Stefani

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Verizon Drops Stefani

Aftermath: No Doubt, Paramore, and The Sounds at Cynthia Woods

Photos by Mark C. Austin Any returning mega-band thinking of mounting a huge reunion tour to drain poor folk of their cash (cough Blink-182 cough) need look no further than No Doubt's current tour and sold-out set last night at Cynthia Woods to see how it should be done. For the bands that we ... More >>

Houstonpalooza

Saturday, February 23

Trading Spaces

Monique Powell dumps Save Ferris and heads out on her own

A Musical Guide to Navigating the Economic Crisis

Down Payment Blues

Fishbone

Down Payment Blues

Odd Couples

Strange musical pairings

Gwen Stefani and Lady Sovereign

Lady and The Vamp

Song Title Scrabble

Mixed-up monikers

Comeback Clips

A music-video renaissance is afoot -- but it's strictly on the download

Black-Ass Fleas

Are they sellouts -- or just really bad rappers?

Destroying Babylon

Death by Stereo wants to unite the world's punk and metal kids. How sweet.

The Hipster's Guide to Rock and Roll Vendettas

And you thought rappers were the only ones who had beefs

Jurassic Live

Globe-trotting beats archivist Diplo spins into town

Crash and Yearn

Howard Hughes gets what he wants, in this case a fun and loving biopic

Chiba Pets

Ska-punkers Change Up may be the next Japanese sensation

No Doubt

Tuesday, May 7

Joydrop

Houston Press Music Awards' featured act

Rotation

Save Ferris

Summer Sounds

Enough shows to keep concertgoers busy all season long

No Doubt

Enough shows to keep concertgoers busy all season long

For World Toilet Day, the Most Creative Lyrical Uses of the S-Word

According to an email Rocks Off received from none other than the World Toilet Organization, today is World Toilet Day. We're told it's an "internationally recognized" occasion for drawing attention to the plight of the 2.5 billion people on the planet who lack proper facilities. To this end (heh), ... More >>

He Said She Said: "Fuck You Owl City" and the other Worst Songs of the Decade

Sweet Jeebus, this decade had some awful pop music. You would think the Lord would spare us a little in light of all the terrorist attacks and hurricanes we got this past period. Where the past ten year cycles had disco, new wave, and classic West Coast hip-hop to sate the aural thirsts of Top 40 li ... More >>

He Said She Said: "Fergitrocious" and the Worst Songs of the Decade

In a perfect world, The Black Eyed Peas' "My Humps" would actually be called "My Bumps," and it would be an ode to Stacy Ferguson's rampant misadventures with meth addiction, because that would be the only thing that could make that horrible, horrible song bearable. You might think it's harsh for Sh ... More >>

He Said She Said: Songs That Make Us Feel Like a Natural Woman

​ Despite what Shania Twain may think, feelin' like a woman isn't always about going totally crazy in men's shirts and short skirts. The life of a modern woman is often more about balancing work and social obligations, maybe even with motherhood, while still trying to look good (if you even care a ... More >>

Musical Moms That Make Us Melt

​ With Mother's Day fast approaching, we can't help but recognize all the hot rocker mamas out there making music and babies. It can't be easy to write the next great pop song and have a tiny human being inside you sucking nutrients from your body, in the process girding their loins for making you ... More >>

Whoa! 21 Famous Musicians' High-School Yearbook Photos

Willie Nelson, the LAST time he had his hair short.​While Rocks Off was seeking out the best rock star yearbook photos for this blog, we came to a conclusion: Everyone was ugly in their yearbook photos, except Gwen Stefani and Beyonce Knowles. Everyone else looks weird as hell, or nothing like the ... More >>

The 7 Most Polarizing Albums In Recent Memory

​This Monday night, MGMT hits the House Of Blues behind new album Congratulations, which has been getting one of the most tepid responses for a new album by a buzz band in recent media memory. The people that jumped on the bandwagon in 2008 after the Brooklyn-based then-duo released Oracular Spect ... More >>

When Rock Stars And Movie Stars Reproduce: Five Offspring Bands

​No, these aren't Offspring cover bands, which would be gross, since Offspring sucks pretty badly on their own. They aren't as cool as we thought they were in 1994. No, let's talk about what happens when famous folks let their children loose to be rock stars. Some fall while others find fame i ... More >>

Sammus: The Femme Rapper/Producer's Top Five Remix Tracks

The hip-hop world is a less than sensible place - lots of times, you're even required to clarify when bad means bad and when bad means good - so once a week we're going to get with a rapper and ask them to explain things. Have something you always wanted to ask a rapper? Email it to sheaserrano@gmai ... More >>

Three Songs, No Flash: Mark C. Austin's Life In The Pit

All photos by Mark C. AustinGwen Stefani of No Doubt in The Woodlands, May 2009​This evening, local rock photographer Mark C. Austin unveils his first exhibit of his work since he began shooting bands almost five years ago. Austin's work has appeared in print and online for the Houston Press a ... More >>

Tailgating in Midtown

A trendy Everyman bar? Can that even happen?

Ten Rock-Star Crushes We Still Haven't Outgrown

​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 >>

Exes On Tour: White Stripes, ABBA, Lindsey & Stevie...

​We're all familiar with the credo against intra-office dating, often crudely expressed as "Don't shit where you eat." Most of us subscribe to it, knowing the potential drama it could ensue. "How will this affect my work," we wonder. "What happens if we break up?" But all's fair in love and ... More >>

Remember hasHBrown's Sounds from the Backseat?

Houston's history is dotted with albums that, fairly or not, have been swept aside. We'll examine them here. Have an album that you think nobody knows about but should? Email sheaserrano@gmail.com. ​hasHBrown Sounds from the Backseat (Council Music Group, 2009) In prepping to write our forth ... More >>

Merry Christmas From Rocks Off

Rocks Off polled our staff for their favorite Christmas songs to create a playlist for you to enjoy while you open presents, drink egg nog, or however else you celebrate. Enjoy. Ahh, the gift that keeps on giving...​Editor's Pick: U2, "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)": Neph Basedow: Ped ... More >>

If Your Life Were A Movie, Which Song Would Be The Trailer?

​It started as a whim on Twitter, asking friends what songs would soundtrack the trailer of the movie of their life. Would their life's tale be a rollicking drug-fueled, love-filled adventure backed by the Rolling Stones' "Jumping Jack Flash", or would it be a morose and somber drifting story ... More >>

Top 10 Musician Movie Cameos

Rocks Off has no idea why Mick Jagger might prefer Performance to Ned Kelly.​Over recent years, Rocks Off has been repeatedly surprised by the quality performances of musicians in films. Naturally, there are some duds in the mix; even Mick Jagger himself, who starred in 1970's Ned Kelly, disow ... More >>

Slutwave: Pop Phenomenon Or Feminist Scourge?

"Every generation needs a new revolution." - Thomas Jefferson Marc BrubakerKe(Dollar Sign)ha at House of Blues, July 2010​As one of the few women on the Rocks Off writing team, we were fervently proud to take an introspective stab at the new, curiously named micro-genre that 2010 bestowed upo ... More >>

Atoning for the [Cinematic] Sins of the Father

A poor *black* kid? They'll never buy it.​That rumbling you heard yesterday was the muted "harrumph"-ing of thousands of American film journalists after news of the Will Smith/Jay-Z Annie reboot was confirmed: Overbrook Entertainment has formally announced a partnership with Jay-Z for future ... More >>

Top 10 Super Bowl Halftime Shows

idontlikeyouinthatway.com​This Sunday, Rocks Off will be live-blogging and tweeting this year's Super Bowl halftime show, which will feature noted scholars The Black Eyed Peas. We are diligently studying the entire BEP canon and that of all of their solo members, like the dedicated pop histori ... More >>

Music's Top 10 Most Fashionable Women Right Now

GroovehouseThe Yeah Yeah Yeahs' Karen O at the 2009 Austin City Limits Music Festival​Fashion, like songwriting and other artistic outlets, is a form of self-expression. It adds to one's aura; it speaks on her behalf. Yet fashion sometimes gets overlooked in music, and undeservedly so. Follow ... More >>

Stars & Stripes Forever: 10 Musicians Wearing Old Glory

​This ain't no rag, Charlie Daniels pointed out not too long ago. It's a flag. Fashion blog Thrifted thinks Old Glory is also one of the summer's hottest trends, so here are 10 musicians putting their patriotism front and center. Happy Fourth of July, everybody.

This Week in Deliciousness

One tiny, lonely crab cake. I call him "Sebastian."​Welcome back to the weekly roundup here at Eating Our Words, where we're still nursing bottle rocket burns and kebab skewer wounds from the 4th of July celebration on Monday. Did anyone else get really, really drunk and wind up donating half of y ... More >>

Father Figures: 100 Famous Musicians' Paternal Professions

Mr. Peppermint: Sire of a Surfer.​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 ... More >>

Top 10 Songs About Other Musicians

​When you make music your life, it's only natural that you'd look at the people around you doing the same and find someone who just moistens the muse's panties. What we've tried to put together here is a list of those best efforts. Bear in mind, with one notable exception we've steered clear ... More >>

BuzzFest XXVII

​When you make music your life, it's only natural that you'd look at the people around you doing the same and find someone who just moistens the muse's panties. What we've tried to put together here is a list of those best efforts. Bear in mind, with one notable exception we've steered clear ... More >>

No-Fun Number Ones: The Worst Chart Toppers Since Tiffany

Denim never dies.​It's no secret that chart success is no real guarantor of musical quality. Hell, "(How Much Is) That Doggie in the Window?" went number one way back in 1952, pissing kids off so badly that they had to invent rock 'n roll. Twenty-five years ago this week, however, Billboard ... More >>

Forever Young: Musicians Who Refuse To Age

"I'm forever, sugar tits!"​The other day, looking around on YouTube for Pantera stuff -- did you know that this month Vulgar Display Of Power turns 20? -- I found a relatively recent clip of lead singer Phil Anselmo VH1 Classic's That Metal Show from late 2010. The current Down crooner and mou ... More >>