Jack Kerouac

Father John Misty Is a Dangerous Man

Josh Tillman has always been a man some might describe as a malcontent, but he wasn't always so damn dangerous. He first busted onto the scene in 2005 with a slew of hand-recorded demos sliding easily into the role of most-tortured folksinger, but he gained national recognition with a stint as drumm ... More >>

Team Kerouac

Kristen Stewart and Garrett Hedlund chat about the film version of On the Road.

9 Rock Stars & Their Favorite Books

Musicians like to read as much as the next person and being a creative lot they tend to draw inspiration from their favorite books. Which pieces of literature have struck a chord in the hearts of our favorite rock stars? 9. Billie Joe Armstrong, Catcher in the Rye: This probably isn't a surprise si ... More >>

A July 4 Playlist That Goes Boom!

July 4 is truly America's national holiday, because it combines two of the country's grandest traditions: Taking the day off work and blowing shit up. Because freedom isn't free, fireworks and other explosives are embedded in America's formative myths and our national character. Also, they're pretty ... More >>

Kerouac Fest 2013: Go!Go!Go!

Uncovering Peter Case: The Rocks Off Interview

Julie EnsmingerPeter Case at Cactus Music last year​"I was always sort of not interested in what my generation was doing," Peter Case told Rocks Off 10 years ago after flipping through Louvin Bros. compact discs at a now-defunct bookstore in Sugar Land, surrounded by car dealerships, business ... More >>

Last Night: The Low Anthem At Fitzgerald's

Photos by Jim Bricker​The Low Anthem Fitzgerald's May 2, 2011 In another lifetime, and another location, Fitzgerald's could have been a barn. Every time we see a show upstairs, Aftermath halfway expects an owl to swoop out of the rafters and sink its talons into an errant field mouse. Note t ... More >>

Byrds, Burritos, and Bluegrass: Chris Hillman Interviewed

"'Pay attention. It's very strange out there.'" Chris Hillman (left) and Herb Pedersen​Often overshadowed by flashier, more volatile, or more tragic bandmates, singer and multi-instrumentalist Chris Hillman's cred as a pioneer of country-rock is nonetheless impeccable. As a co-founder of the ... More >>

The Best Bar-Fight Song Of All Time: "Colorado Kool-Aid"

​"I's sittin' in this beer joint down in Houston, Texas/ Drinkin' Colorado Kool-Aid and talkin' to some Mexicans..." So begins one of the greatest bar fight songs of all time. Along with "Pardon Me (I've Got Someone To Kill)," "Colorado Kool-Aid" is one of the high-water marks of Johnny P ... More >>

The Ten Worst Movies of 2011...In Advance

Oh, don't act surprised.​2011 is barely out of the oven and I'm already filled with dread. Could it be the fact I've spent the entire year so far coughing up chunks of green lung tissue? That I've finally despaired of ever finding a writing gig that doesn't involve "Lady Gaga sex tape" Google ... More >>

Last Night: Justin Townes Earle At Fitzgerald's

Photos by Jim Bricker​Justin Townes Earle Fitzgerald's December 2, 2010 It's been a tumultuous year for folk-rocker Justin Townes Earle. Lucky for him, we're fast approaching year's end. This fall the Nashville native and recently settled New Yorker released his third album Harlem River Blues ... More >>

Saturday Night: Natalie Merchant At Verizon Wireless Theater

Photos by Marc Brubaker​Natalie Merchant Verizon Wireless Theater August 21, 2010 For more photos from Saturday's show, see our slideshow here. Natalie Merchant must either have always had the patience of a saint or simply instilled it in herself upon deciding to open her current tour with 9 ... More >>

Amiri Baraka

With more than 50 years as an artist and activist, this writer continues to bring readers new work

I Wanna Be Your Dog (Or Cat): Oh, For A Muse Of Fire (Hydrants)

Animals wind up at the Bureau of Animal Regulation and Care for all sorts of reasons. Regular readers know all too well of the existence of douchey owners who surrender cats and dogs for idiotic reasons. But today's dirty half-dozen are all stray. They've been out there in that cruel world all ... More >>

Naked Lunch

William Burroughs's writings made for a difficult, though not entirely inaccessible, film

Dust in the Wind

Son Volt's latest album is steeped in Midwestern musical history.

Top Ten Americana Albums of 2008

Picking the best folk and Americana records of the year isn't nearly as hard as discarding those great records that just didn't feel right stuck in the category. Releases by Calexico and DeVotchKa felt far too worldly to pigeonhole as folk or country, for instance, while Blitzen Trapper's fantastic ... More >>

Steak, Wine and Pie at Dharma Cafe

Historic Huaraches in Stafford

A taco stand yields an awesome breakfast and the solution to a Mexican food mystery

Step Right Up: The favorite Tom Waits songs of tons of local and national music figures

Last Night: X at Warehouse Live

Eric Taylor

Saturday, January 21, at Anderson Fair, 2007 Grant, 713-528-8576.

This Week's Day-by-Day Picks

Feel the Steel

It'll all pan out at this weekend's Pan Jam Fest

Don't Mock Us

A book that's impossible to read

Club Directory

A Grand Guy

How Steven Soderbergh kept the Terry Southern tale from turning tragic

On-the-Job Training

Wanna write books for a living? First, head for the slaughterhouse

Songbird Silenced

Pioneering singer/songwriter and native Houstonian Mickey Newbury passes away

Dharma and John

Dharma Cafe has atmosphere to spare and a lot of good home cooking, but you might want to pass on the pizza

Confess, Greg

For years, Fletch was out of print. Now, his father explains why.

Image Versus Reality

MFA exhibits shatter two things that America loves: Its myths and its marketing

Befitting the Bard

The Shakespeare Festival shows its finest form with two venerable plays

Junk-Food Journalism

A new book detailing the "dark side of the all-American meal" could use a little more beef itself

The Great Divide

Paula Vogel's The Mineola Twins splits the family (and politics) in two

Duke of Dissonance

Back to the Beat

Source pays homage to Kerouac and company

Double Image

Does selling George W. Bush mean Mark McKinnon has sold out?

Son of Jack

Kerouac-inspired, Austin-based Guy Forsyth trips out in Americana dream

Night & Day

June 25 - July 1, 1998

Elling's Rant

Reason to Roam

At 67, Ramblin' Jack Elliott reclaims -- temporarily -- the urge to wander

Rotation

Rotation

Blues Survivor