Subject: Indie Rock and Indie Pop

• Houston Has a Bad Reputation with Touring Indie Bands

  July 10, 2008

• Vinyl Heads

  September 20, 2007

• Screw October

  June 1, 2006

• Girl Star, Grown Up

  June 11, 2009

• Local Motion: Top Sellers at Area Record Stores

  Cactus Music 2110 Portsmouth, 713-526-9272 www.myspace.com/cactusmv1. Springfield Riots, Say When EP 2. Todd Snider, The Excitement Plan 3. Jubal Lee Young, Last Free Place in America 4. Sonic Youth, The Eternal 5. Steve Earle, Townes 6. Elvis Costello, Secret, Profane & Sugarcane 7. Grizzly Bear, Veckatimest 8. Dirty Projectors, Bitte Orca 9. Dave Alvin & the Guilty Women 10. Rh

  June 18, 2009

• Starlight Mints

  June 25, 2009

• The Last Roundup: Wild Moccasins Almost Home, Michael Jackson's MC Friends and More

  Kim DouglassThat's right, we're using it again...IndieHouston is keeping up with those crazy kids in Wild Moccasins, who will be home next weekend playing Mango's for Buxton's 7-inch release party. Hands Up Houston is giving early warning all over the place: Dinosaur Jr and Built to Spill at Warehouse Live October 23.

  June 30, 2009

• Lonesome Onry and Mean: Maria Taylor's LadyLuck

  During his Fourth of July road trip to San Antonio, Lonesome Onry and Mean found himself listening to Maria Taylor's excellent LadyLuck and wondering how he could have been so remiss in not reporting on such a fine record. Producer, singer, writer, arranger, Taylor is a huge multi-threat talent who manufactures appealing, instantly memorable songs. I don't remember the last time I heard a record with so many instantly likeable tracks that seem to fit so many radio formats. This is certainly one

  July 7, 2009

• Aftermath: The McKenzies, the Howlies and Springfield Riots at the Mink

  Photos by Chris GrayThe McKenzies To Aftermath, the Mink's Backroom has always seemed more like a house than a music venue - especially inside, with the dark floors, corner bars and abundant, comfortable seating, it's like one of those cozy but spacious multi-resident dwellings where we all went to at least one party in college. Judging by the average age of the crowd at Tuesday night's show, that's pretty much what it was.

  July 8, 2009

• Enjoy the Silence

  July 9, 2009

• Artist of the Week: Tax the Wolf

  Each Wednesday, Rocks Off arbitrarily appoints one lucky local performer or group "Artist of the Week," bestowing upon them all the fame and grandeur such a lofty title implies. Know a band or artist that isn't awful? Email their particulars to introducingliston@gmail.com. Several weeks ago, we saw a middle-school-aged kid wearing a T-shirt that simply read "Tax the Wolf." We assumed it was a band, and since we were also wearing a shirt that supported a band (Austin electronica/indie-rockers Sou

  July 8, 2009

• Yourself and The Air

  July 16, 2009

• Pump Up the Volume

  July 16, 2009

• ReFried Rice: In the Hot Seat with Chris Wise from Buxton

  ​Chris Wise was going to do an interview but instead he decided to try and pick up Geoffrey Muller from the SideShow tramps. The two are currently discussing Muller recent stroll down dress lane at the I am Mesmer CD release show. Oh, Muller just said he would "be honored" to help out with the next Buxton release. Wise is happy about that. Muller: What would I do? Just hang out in my dress?Wise: It helps the Sugarhill vibe.Okay, Chris, now it's time to get in the hot seat.Who are you here to

  July 26, 2009

• John Mayer Is Full of Crap

  ​Something about John Mayer just gets under Rocks Off's skin. We'll admit there was a time he made us believe our body was a wonderland, and yes, we've even wanted to "run through the halls of our high school and scream at the top of our lungs." But no more. The quiet little guitar player we once thought Mayer was is no more, and in his place is a narcissistic lothario. The latest incident of immense ridicule came - big surprise - via Twitter. "Listening to the hits channel on Sirius. I will

  July 30, 2009

• Free Press Summer Fest

  August 6, 2009

• Summer Stock

  August 6, 2009

• Aftermath: Free Press Summer Fest at Eleanor Tinsley Park

  Photos by Amber Roussel/ Click here for slideshows from Day 1 and Day 2​ They said it couldn't be done, that no one in Houston would dream of spending two days in the punishing August heat at an outdoor music festival.An anonymous Of Montreal member shows off his tiger style.​Rightfully (somewhat), the Bayou City has acquired a reputation where indie-minded bands like Explosions in the Sky and Of Montreal went to die before they stopped coming here at all. And although there has never been a

  August 10, 2009

• Coming of Age

  August 13, 2009

• The Young and the Restless

  August 13, 2009

• Houston’s Finest

  September 3, 2009

• Walter's on Washington Leaves Its Namesake Avenue Behind.

  September 3, 2009

• The Festival at the Mink

  September 10, 2009

• Ghosts of Washington Avenue

  September 10, 2009

• On the List: Jonx Drummer Danny Mee's 11 Favorite Female Vocalists

  ​The other day, Houston Press Night & Day editor Olivia Flores Alvarez - whom we're so glad is feeling better and back at work again - handed Rocks Off Lisa Nola's new book called Music Listography: Your Life In (Play)Lists, and the wheels started turning like "Proud Mary." Because we're not quite up to divulging information like "List Songs You'd Strip To" or "List a Song That Reminds You of Each Lover You've Had" - but stay tuned - we thought we'd go ahead and let some local musicians fe

  September 16, 2009

• The Horrors

  September 24, 2009

• Arctic Monkeys

  October 1, 2009

• Windsor Drive

  October 1, 2009

• Songs By ACL Artists That Should Be Covered By Other ACL Artists

  Isn't it fun to imagine all your favorite bands are best friends? And that when they spend time together, as so many of them are doing right this second at the Austin City Limits festival, they would inevitably learn each others' songs? Here are some songs by ACL bands which we'd like to see covered by other ACL bands. We think they've got time to make it happen. Song: Sleepyhead Original Artist: Passion Pit Who Should Cover It: The Dirty Projectors "Sleepyhead" is the weirdest song that Roc

  October 2, 2009

• ACL 2009 Day One: Video Killed the Radio Star

  Although audio-visual equipment isn't technically allowed inside the festival, that doesn't prevent kids armed with iPhones and Flip cams from capturing their favorite shows from the crowd. Below are some of our favorite crowd-captured videos from ACL so far. The Yeah Yeah Yeahs

  October 3, 2009

• ACL 2009 Day Two: Aftermath

  Photo by Mark C. Austin​Was it something we said or did? Aftermath openly gushed about how great the weather was on Friday and how it seemed that maybe, just maybe, we were going to finally attend an Austin City Limits (ACL) that didn't consist of heat and dust. Well, it seems that the powers-the-be misunderstood what our words of thankfulness and decided to perpetuate the lack of oppressive heat and dust by having it rain all day long. As in, Aftermath arrived at Zilker Park just after n

  October 4, 2009

• ACL 2009 Day Three: Arctic Monkeys Are All Growns Up

  Photos by Groovehouse​Just weeks after the release of their new Humbug, the Arctic Monkeys hit the AMD stage at mid-afternoon with a newly grungy sound reminiscent of Primal Scream and somehow, hairy period Kinks.

  October 4, 2009

• ACL 2009 Day Three: Aftermath

  Photos by Mark C. AustinDavid Garza​So, what happens to freshly laid grass in a public park after a day full of rain and thousands of people walking back and forth across it at the same time? Well, as anyone who was present for Day Three of Austin City Limits Festival 2009 (ACL) could tell you, it turns into a big muddy, stinking, sloppy mess, one with the power to swallow shoes and small children whole. The stories from this day will mostly revolve around how people were able to survive

  October 5, 2009

• ACL Aftermath, Part 2: Now That That "Dillo Dirt" Unpleasantness Is Out of the Way, How About Some Music?

  Mark C. AustinSeems like we recognize this guy from somewhere...​ More and more, Aftermath uses ACL more than SXSW to see which recent buzz bands are worth their salt, and of course to check on how some old favorites are doing. This year, tops on our new-to-us list were Blitzen Trapper, who managed to condense most of the late '60s and early '70s - Dylan, the Dead, CSNY and a lot more besides - into their hour-long set Friday, and MuteMath, neighbors from New Orleans whose echoing guitar, prop

  October 5, 2009

• Million-Dollar Mud

  October 8, 2009

• Thursday

  October 15, 2009

• Aftermath: U2 at Reliant Stadium - One Love, We Get to Share It

  Photos by Groovehouse/ Click here for a slideshow​A day or two before U2 (and love) came to town, a friend emailed us a joke. At least we think it's a joke. It really doesn't have anything to do with U2, except that it has everything to do with U2. "I was so depressed last night thinking about the economy, terrorism attacks, World War III, global warming, my retirement savings, Social Security, my job, national health care and my credit card debt that I called Lifeline. "Got a freakin' call ce

  October 15, 2009

• Season of the Witch

  October 22, 2009

• Houston Women's Festival

  October 22, 2009

• Dinosaur Jr., Lou Barlow

  October 22, 2009

• Aftermath: Dinosaur Jr., Built to Spill and a Whole Lotta Gear at Warehouse Live

  Photos by Jody Perry​ Fans in the crowd at Warehouse Live's Dinosaur Jr. show Friday night should have known what was in store for them when J Mascis' roadies began setting up his equipment. Six amps for a single guitar player. If you thought the show was loud, imaging standing three feet in front of them, like Mascis has for the last 25 years.​Aftermath finally made it through the security line in time to catch the last few songs from opener Lou Barlow, once friend and then foe of Mascis. T

  October 26, 2009

• Aftermath: An Exuberant Pre-Halloween Show With The Factory Party, Ringo Deathstarr and Springfield Riots at the Mink

  Photos by Adam P. NewtonThe Factory Party​In Aftermath's opinion, there are few things more enjoyable than spending an evening together with friends at the beloved haunt that is the Mink. We're able to toss back a drink or four, catch up on each other's lives, and hopefully hear some really great music. So Friday night, we gladly made our way out to the corner of Main and Alabama to hear Springfield Riots, Ringo Deathstarr, and The Factory Party, along with the hopes that we would get to hear

  November 2, 2009

• Aftermath: Surfer Blood, More Than the Poor Man's Vampire Weekend, at Mango's

  Photos by Craig Hlavaty​ One can sit around all day and wax faux intelligent about where a band gleams their influences from. It's armchair quarterbacking for the kind of folks who wake up in the middle of Sunday afternoon and could give a good goddamn about 100 yards and monied monoliths of bro. For some people the best part of listening to music is trying to reverse-engineer each piece of band that comes through, and sadly finding greasy defective second-hand parts or amazing finding keen me

  November 4, 2009

• Lucero

  November 5, 2009

• Rocks Off's Picks for This Weekend's Fun Fun Fun Festival

  You can think of this weekend's Fun Fun Fun Fest in Austin as the indie, metal, and hip-hop little brother of the more staid Austin City Limits Music Festival. The fourth edition of the two-day event held in Waterloo Park in Austin starts tomorrow afternoon. Per our stated life path, Rocks Off will be there covering all the bands, fans and assorted debauchery that all that comes with. This year's line-up is rife with musical pioneers, unsung heroes, along with the usual "It" bands that you will

  November 6, 2009

• Distant Early Warning: Better Than Ezra, Cursive, Flogging Molly, Jay-Z, John Mayer, Yo La Tengo, etc.

  ​40 oz. To Freedom (Sublime Tribute): Fri., Jan. 22. Scout Bar Clear Lake. "4th Annual Rudz Thanksgiving Eve" With Born Liars: Wed., Nov. 25. Rudyard's. Bowling For Soup, Smile Smile: Sat., Dec. 5. Scout Bar Clear Lake. "104.1 KRBE Not So Silent Night" With All-American Rejects, Justin Bieber, Cobra Starship, Jay Sean: Fri., Dec. 18. Verizon Wireless Theater. Ben Lerman: Fri., Dec. 18. Notsuoh. Better Than Ezra: Tue., Dec. 29. House of Blues. Born Liars: Thu., Dec. 10. Mango's. The Burden, Sa

  November 10, 2009

• Aftermath: Conspiracies, Prog-Metal, Gypsy-Folk, Hardcore and Remembering a Fallen Friend Sunday at Westheimer Block Party

  Craig HlavatyRoom 101​ Day 2 of the Westheimer Block Party started with slightly cooler temperatures and an hour-long caffeine-fueled session speaking with the 9/11 conspiracy booth in the parking lot at Numbers. Did you know that there were three shooters at Columbine, and bombs planted inside the federal building in Oklahoma City in 1995? That's another blog for another time and place, where we're not being followed by corporate spies with guns that shoot ice bullets and rayguns and whatnot

  November 16, 2009

• Never Mind Twilight, Here Are the Best Werewolf and Vampire Music Videos

  ​ Werewolves and vampires have been at each others' throats long before Twilight: New Moon (opening tomorrow) had them making pouty duck-faces at one another. Thankfully, the tradition of the vampire and the werewolf in the art of the music video is a much richer one than the antics of the crybaby douchemobiles in the Twilight series would suggest. The Kills, "Black Balloon" This video puts a gritty, almost documentary-style spin on the vampire, which is a refreshing change from the usual gla

  November 19, 2009