Jack White

Them’s Fighting Words, Broseph!

Reverberations: The Rippers, Thee Exciters and Brimstone Howl

Five Spot: Jack White, The Edge, Jimmy Page and the Mediocrity of Your Life

ACL Notebook Dump, Pt. 2: Measuring Time Mars Volta-Style, Led Zeppelin Rumors and More

The Five Best Bond Themes

Critics may have found the 22nd James Bond caper, Quantum of Solace, "grim and downcast" (The New York Times), but audiences didn't seem to mind, turning out in sufficient numbers for Quantum to set a new 007 opening-weekend record of more than $70.4 million (domestic). But never mind the movie ... More >>

Gazing Ahead into 2009, Part 2

[Note: see here for Rocks Off's previous prognostications.]   U2 (March) Best Case Scenario: Armed with the backing of Live Nation, they release their best album in over a decade and Bono shuts his face as they sell out Reliant Stadium in two minutes. Worst Case Scenario: The recession (fi ... More >>

Musical lowlights of 2007

Shaken, Not Stirred

Detroit Cobras, Willowz

concert preview

The White Stripes

Get Behind Me Satan

The Raconteurs

Broken Boy Soldiers

The Hipster's Guide to Rock and Roll Vendettas

And you thought rappers were the only ones who had beefs

Americana Pie

Grab a slice of 2004's best roots music while it's still hot

Americana Pie

Grab a slice of 2004's best roots music while it's still hot

Holly's Hobby

How did an elusive Brit become a garage-rock cult figure? Hell if she knows.

Best Place to Buy a Musical Instrument

How did an elusive Brit become a garage-rock cult figure? Hell if she knows.

Loretta Lynn

Van Lear Rose (Interscope)

GoGoGo Airheart

Monday, March 22

Joss Stone

The Soul Sessions (S-Curve)

Mark Ronson

Here Comes the Fuzz (Elektra)

Whirlwind Heat, with the Kills and the Singles

Wednesday, September 10

Dexter Romweber Duo

Wednesday, September 10

Playbill: Pontiak Tonight At The Mink

Some albums, indeed some artists, can only be truly appreciated when listened to at near injury-inducing volume. Pontiak, with its earthy blend of bluesy psychedelia, proto-metal and sub-harmonic doom drone, is one such band. When you crank it all the way up, Maker hits like a mild concussion with ... More >>

Our Favorite ZZ Top Covers: QOTSA, Van Halen, Iron Maiden, Dwight Yoakam, Willie Nelson, Tina Turner and... Rapeman?

[Note: Now with added Ministry.] Counting down to Friday's ZZ Top/Aerosmith show in The Woodlands is starting to feel like the week Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers played there last year: a steady build of anticipation and antsiness, until Friday we're flat-out squirming to get out of the office. ... More >>

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 ... More >>

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 manage ... More >>

Million-Dollar Mud

The 2009 Austin City Limits Music Festival became a quagmire everywhere but onstage.

Five Musicians Who'd Make Better Vampires than Those Sparkly Twilight Douchebags

​New Moon, the second movie in the Twilight series, hits theaters this week, and even though the trailers alone have us ready to put it on our "Worst of 2009" lists ("Jake! NOOOO!"), there's no denying the movie is going to make more money than an underaged prostitute at a Promise Keepers conventi ... More >>

Uprising

2009 wasn't a great year for albums, but songs were a different story.

Holly Golightly & the Brokeoffs

2009 wasn't a great year for albums, but songs were a different story.

Heavy Weather

A band that started by accident, the Dead Weather is now here to stay.

The Dead Weather Leaves Us Dumbfounded And Dirty

Photos by Groovehouse​ For more photos from the concert, see our slideshow here. Sometimes bands come along that burn so hot and bright that words fail you. And sometimes all you can do at their shows is stand there with your hands at your side in utter shock at what you are seeing. If you were at ... More >>

"Farting & Whistling Man" Upstages Dead Weather

Groovehouse Alison Mosshart, oblivious to the olfactory atrocities occurring mere feet away.​ No good libido-draining show could go off without a hitch in Houston, that's for damned sure. Just as the Mona Lisa is slowly falling apart and the world will implode in 2012 if Obama gets reelecte ... More >>

Busted! 20 Musician Mugshots

​ Getting arrested and booked isn't the end of the world, by any means. Well unless you just killed a shit-ton of people at a bowling alley or something, it really is. But if you are a rocker or a celebrity who committed a minor offense, it's just a funny footnote in your public life you can look ... 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 >>

Music's Top Five Hottest Trends For 2011

Photo illustrations by John Seaborn Gray​Every year-end Rocks Off prognosticates the likeliest trends in music for the upcoming year. So far, we've got a 100 percent success rate, although since the FBI made us take down all of our previous predictions, we have no way to prove it. So you'll j ... More >>

Rocks Off's Favorite Shows Of 2010

Marco Torres​Editor's Picks: Mary J. Blige, Reliant Stadium (RodeoHouston), March: Exquisite. Beach House, Walter's on Washington, April: Can't hate on this one either. Magical. Wu-Tang Clan, Numbers, December: Against all odds, they brought the motherfuckin' ruckus.

The Rock & Roll Fantasy Camp From Hell

Rocks Off recently got invited to cover something known as Rock & Roll Fantasy Camp, which works a lot like baseball fantasy camp, except none of the participants can field a line-drive grounder. Among the idols rock campers will meet include 3 Doors Down, Mark Farner, the drummer from the Hooters a ... 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 >>

The 31 Best Music Documentaries Of All Time

​Hands down, above all of these following music documentaries, Craig's Hlist's two favorite of all-time are The Decline of Western Civilization Part 2: The Metal Years, and The Beatles Anthology. We can watch both on repeat for days and not complain. That will probably all change once we see ... More >>

SXSW: Jack White's Mobile Third Man Record Store

Craig Hlavaty​If you felt like booking it to the parking lot next to Frank at 4th and Colorado on Wednesday afternoon, you would have been treated to a quick acoustic set from Jack White and the Texas debut of his Third Man Rolling Record Store.

Detroit Leanin': Who Is The Best Motor City Artist Ever?

detroitrockcity.altervista.org​Some places breed music. Due to sheer size, any big city will produce its fair share of talented musicians, and some - Memphis, New Orleans, Chicago - seem to have music in the water supply. But none, arguably, more than Detroit: John Lee Hooker, the Motown dias ... More >>

Out Today: Danger Mouse In Rome, Nick Cave & Queen Reissued

​It's back to the usual grind for Rocks Off after last night's late-night Austin City Limits Festival lineup announcement. Sadly, we will not be seeing the Foo Fighters play songs from Wasting Light in Austin come September. And yes, still playing it, along with a steady diet of Guns N' Roses. ... More >>

Wanda Jackson Loves Jesus, Jack White & Adele

​Rocks Off conducted an unusual interview this week. We say "interview," when perhaps a better word is "exchange." Recently we have been tinkering with the composition of our interviews, in the hopes of avoiding boilerplate questions like "Who are your influences?" in favor of something, we h ... More >>

Out Today: Other Things Besides Born This Way... Seriously

​This past weekend was magical, what with Rocks Off finally getting to see Foo Fighters play songs from Wasting Light and all. You may remember that we have been wanking over Light since it came out in April, but it's really good. Best rock album of the year? Maybe, unless Jack White or Josh H ... More >>

Single Jack White: 10 Women He Should Date Next

GroovehouseThe Dead Weather's Allison Mosshart at House of Blues, May 2010​Today came word that Jack White and wife Karen Elson are splitting in grand style, with a celebratory party in their hometown of Nashville this evening. Together, the two struck a sultry pose, the brooding, multifaceted ... More >>

Dex Romweber Duo

GroovehouseThe Dead Weather's Allison Mosshart at House of Blues, May 2010​Today came word that Jack White and wife Karen Elson are splitting in grand style, with a celebratory party in their hometown of Nashville this evening. Together, the two struck a sultry pose, the brooding, multifaceted ... More >>

2 Become 1: Musical Match-Ups We'd Like To See

​Kanye "Hitler" West and Jay-Z released their (overused music writer word alert) epic Watch the Throne album this week, to mostly great reviews. This fall the first fruits from the recently announced Lou Reed/Metallica collaboration should be on the store shelves, which still sorta weirds us o ... More >>

Electric Six: Love Songs for Mentally Disturbed People

​If Barry White did a record with Al Jourgensen it might sound something like Heartbeats and Brainwaves, the eighth studio album from Electric Six. This is the first time we've come into contact with the band, having only been aware of them vaguely from their song "Gay Bar" and the fact that ... More >>

White Denim

​If Barry White did a record with Al Jourgensen it might sound something like Heartbeats and Brainwaves, the eighth studio album from Electric Six. This is the first time we've come into contact with the band, having only been aware of them vaguely from their song "Gay Bar" and the fact that ... More >>

The 2012 Katy Perry Fantasy Relationship Draft: Which Rappers & Rockers Should She Date Next?

​The pop and tabloid world was rocked last Friday as we got word that Russell Brand was divorcing his wife of 14 months, Katy Perry, smack in the middle of the holiday season. The pair spent Christmas apart, with Perry cavorting in Maui in a bikini - yes, there are boob shoots - and Brand repo ... More >>