International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies

Gritty Local Bands Plug In For Superstorm Sandy Relief

The Journey Agents, Knights of the Fire Kingdom, etc. Dean's and Notsuoh January 20, 2013 It's only been since October, but Hurricane Sandy already kind of feels like it happened forever ago. Hell, we've weathered a fiscal cliff, a school shooting and a Texans playoff loss since then. The news crew ... More >>

Finally -- an Interactive Exhibit of Third World Poverty!

Screw Disneyworld: this year, Hair Balls is forgoing the traditional theme park experience to explore the sights and sounds of abject third world poverty at Houston Baptist University November 14-17. Yep, that's right: a traveling interactive exhibit by Compassion International, which touts itself ... More >>

John Callen Jr.: Cypress Dealer With 14 Kilos Of Coke, 1 Kilo Of Heroin & 14 Weed Plants: "I Deserve Mercy"

A former Cypress resident with an impressive drug-trafficking business told a judge at his sentencing "I deserve mercy," but got more than 15 years in prison. John Callen Jr., 52, moved to Michigan after a 2003 raid at what prosecutors called his "upscale Cypress home," but eventually pleaded guilt ... More >>

The Roots Of Jimbo Mathus: From Charley Patton To Charlie Parker

Jimbo Mathus's latest work, Confederate Buddha, was easily one of the most overlooked roots albums of 2011. Don't worry, we sort of slept through it too, but that just means you can make up for that with us by checking him out Saturday night at the Continental Club, with opening act Shinyribs. You ... 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 >>

Last Night: Canned Acoustica III At Warehouse Live

Deep Ella​Canned Acoustica III Warehouse Live Green Room May 26- 2011 How do you soundtrack a good cause? Why, yes, with a good dose of what our friend Haj calls "folksy acoustic stuff." There was plenty on display Thursday at Canned Acoustica III, a homegrown charity event which spotlights l ... More >>

Canned Acoustica 3

"Canned Acoustica III"

Upcoming Events

Photo by GroovehouseThe lawn at the Menil will be the place to be this Saturday.​First things first: The 2011 Burger Bracket Championship is on like Donkey Kong this coming Monday, April 4, at Lucky's Pub. The first 100 people there before 6 p.m. will receive a ticket and a judging token and w ... More >>

Sprinkles' Efforts to Help Japan

​With the recent disasters that have occurred in Japan, we're all looking for a way to help out however we can. There are numerous benefits and texting campaigns that have successfully raised money for relief efforts. Today Sprinkles Cupcakes is selling Red Cross Red Velvet cupcakes to ben ... More >>

Tracie Denise Bell: Cop Who Bilked Hurricane-Kids Charity Gets 16 Years In Prison

Tracie Denise Bell: Basketball was the road to ill-gotten riches​A Houston police officer who tried to bilk $435,000 via a bogus basketball league for hurricane evacuees has been sentenced to 16 years in prison, the DAs office announced.Tracie Denise Bell, 41, had been with HPD for a dozen years w ... More >>

Turning The Screw: All the Way, Z-Ro, Devin, Lil' O, UGK, Nicki Minaj, Ras Kass, Lil Wayne, Beyonce, Dre, Aziz Ansari, Wu-Massacre and More

Welcome back to Turning the Screw, Rocks Off's weekly rap post. It probably won't rhyme, at least most of the time. E-mail tips to introducingliston@gmail.com. Thanks, homies. Single of the Week: "Bring The Kush Back Freestyle," ATW Attn: Houston's Underground Rappers: You are on notice. These two ... More >>

Another Way to Help Haiti... "Don't Change" a Thing

Even though it misrepresents a bunch of funky Australian pub-rockers as a New Wave band, "Don't Change," from 1982's Shabooh Shoobah, broke INXS on U.S. college radio long before "What You Need" or "Need You Tonight." It's always been one of Rocks Off's favorites, from a group that has given us man ... More >>

Second Haitian Relief Concert at Warehouse Live This Week Scheduled for Friday

​ On the heels of Bun B's all-star (if borderline interminable) "Houston 4 Haiti" relief concert at Warehouse Live Monday night that reportedly raised in the neighborhood of $10,000, the venue will open its doors - albeit in the smaller studio room - for another benefit Friday night starring f ... More >>

Adobo Hoedown: Filipino Food For a Charitable Cause

Photo by Katharine ShilcuttFilipino pastries from Godo's​When Typoon Ketsana hit the Philippines on September 25, it was the worst weather-related disaster the country and its capital city of Manila had seen in decades. Severe flooding caused an evacuation of an enormous portion of the city, displ ... More >>

Questions Continue To Rise About Houston-Based Lifeguard Program

Photo by Todd SpivakJohn Hunsucker​John Hunsucker is not a medical doctor. This is one of the first points his many critics tend to make.They make it because Hunsucker, who runs Houston-based NASCO (National Aquatic Safety Company), the third-largest lifeguard training organization in the nation, ... More >>

Josh Neufeld

Josh Neufeld's Katrina comic isn't kid stuff

James Rollins/David Morrell

Two of today’s best thriller writers share the Murder by the Book stage

Enough With The Rain Already (Updated 11 am)

Photo courtesy Houston TranstarMessy, messy morning, as you probably have realized.The west side of town got pummeled with up to a foot of rain; some homes have flooded.Commuting is a nightmare: Frontage roads are flooded, people are going the wrong way down streets to escape. We hear that getting i ... More >>

Number Of "Missing" Ike Victims May Be Cut In Half

Con Artists Head To The Red Cross Shelters

The Worrisome List Of The Missing

Unlucky Pasadenans Arrive At The George R. Brown

More Bad News For HPD

Violence Is Golden in Wanted

With its secret boys club and bloody good fun, this one has all of the fight with none of the guilt

Fighting for Air: Drowning and the Heimlich Maneuver

Most doctors say the Heimlich maneuver should not be used to save drowning victims. So why does UH professor John Hunsucker continue to teach it to lifeguards?

River People

Folks around Lake Livingston are what they are

Primary Season

Check out some of the new candidates for this year's Houston Press Music Awards

Puff Piece

Thank You for Smoking's satire falls short of incendiary

Keepin' On

New Orleans artists find refuge -- and studios -- in Houston

Think Pink

Run over cancer at the Komen Houston Race for the Cure

No Help Wanted

Report a terror threat at your own risk

Welcome, Neighbors

Houston's music community responds to an unprecedented influx of talent

Stylish Scavenging

Troll for art at the Downtown Stomp Around

Katrina & The Waves

Houston gets hit with its own hurricane surge

This Week's Day-by-Day Picks

Femmes Fatales

The fun is freaky -- and free -- with the Ladies of the Night

Jammin' on the Sabbath

If the Sunday-afternoon concert series isn't enough, there are still 10,000 free reasons to go to the Space Place

Pole Position

Stages Repertory Theatre debuts a hilarious ethnic Joke

Charity Cases

Nonprofits chase the younger set in the search for new blood

Best Nonprofit

American Red Cross, Greater Houston Chapter

License to Entertain

Letter Perfect

A Sudanese refugee gets the best holiday greetings: Her family is safe

Way Out There

A new TV news operation is coming to Houston. More or less.

Fingered by the Flood

Consumers complain about exploitation from Allison

Reel Worlds

Houston mines international gold with the Pan-Cultural Film Festival

Remaining Calm

Letters

The Insider

Film Culture