Jason Isbell

John Fullbright Growls Like Hayes Carll, Or Vice Versa

At last, the promise we've always seen in John Fullbright is signed, sealed, delivered, and certified in his first full-length studio album, From the Ground Up. Having seen Fullbright solo and duo the last two years and loving the starkness of his windblown Leon Russell Okie plaint, hearing him with ... More >>

Americana Music Association Nominates Robert Ellis As Emerging Artist Of The Year

Houston's own globe-trekking Robert Ellis received an Emerging Artist of the Year nomination from the Americana Music Association Thursday afternoon. The ceremony was officiated by actor and musician John C. Reilly, and featured performances by Ellis and a few other big names like Lucinda Williams a ... More >>

Sunday: iFest in Downtown Houston -- Galactic, Jason Isbell, Etc.

Houston International Festival Downtown Houston April 22, 2012 With a slight north breeze keeping festival-goers from broiling under a cloudless sky, Sunday's iFest turned into a perfect laid-back Houston day of rest and entertainment excess. It didn't hurt that the music lineup was both diverse an ... More >>

7 Cool & Cheap Things To Do This Weekend: 4/20, Record Store Day, iFest, Etc.

Today is 4/20, and you know what that means. (Or do you? We always forget.) One thing it means is that Art Inst., Ese, Big Gerb & the Bearded Bandidos and Secret Society are playing a show tonight at Walter's. Come hungry. Houston House of Creeps is trying to raise enough money to buy a new PA, so ... More >>

Houston International Festival

iFest 2012 Heavy On Latin Rock, Funk, South Americans

The Houston International Festival officially announced its 2012 lineup this morning. The music is heavy on Latin-flavored rock, reggae and funk, with Texas well-represented as always and an exceedingly rare Houston appearance by Seun Kuti, son of Afrobeat giant Fela, and his group Egypt 80. Among ... More >>

Ten Albums That Should Be Grammy Nominated Over Linda Chorney's

Photo by Jason WolterJason Isbell (left) and Amanda Shires (right) are both more deserving than Chorney.​The small world of Americana music is all a-twitter over New Jersey woman Linda Chorney's nomination for a Grammy in the Americana category. In case you haven't been following the story, Ch ... More >>

Grammy Sham: Americana Artist Gets Nominated Through the Web

The subtle front page of Chorney's website.​As if the Grammys didn't have enough credibility issues, NARAS, the organization that controls the process, has left a loophole large enough for a complete unknown to manipulate her way onto the final ballot in the Americana category. The news broke ... More >>

Saturday Night: James McMurtry, Jason Isbell at Firehouse Saloon

Photos by Jason WolterJason Isbell (left) with Amanda Shires on violin.​Wow, Rocks Off is a huge fan of Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, but Saturday night this hard-charging band from Muscle Shoals, Alabama got a lesson in Texas big beat. Isbell himself was sitting in the backstage area while J ... More >>

Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit

Survival Skills

Jason Isbell sees a glimmer of hope in his true-to-life melancholy story-songs.

James McMurtry Can Make It Here

​One of the truly gifted Texas songsmiths, James McMurtry has carved a nice, viable career out of great lyrics, stellar playing, hard touring, a good work ethic, and common sense. His last two studio albums, Childish Things (2005) and Just Us Kids (2008), established McMurtry as one of the mos ... More >>

Buxton: "Not Everyone Is Going To Love You"

Photos by Marc BrubakerBuxton at Rudz in August​Lonesome Onry and Mean has been spinning local sensation Buxton's upcoming release Nothing Here Seems Strange for almost two weeks now. And we're sorry, but we still don't get it. Maybe we are old and jaded and out of it, but to us it sounds l ... More >>

Nick 13

Summer Fest Sunday: Peak Fun With B L A C K I E, Hayes Carll, Guitar Wolf, Yeasayer, Robert Ellis & More

Jim BrickerGood ole boy done good: Hayes Carll had a productive homecoming.​Chris Gray: Not long after I got to Summer Fest Sunday, I spotted festival honcho Omar Afra finishing up one of local musician/yogi Tyagaraja's yoga workshops in the wooden glade known temporarily as the Budweiser Beer ... More >>

Summer Fest Critic's Guide: Who We're Seeing At Tinsley

Jermaine Rogers​In three very short years, Free Press Summer Fest has gone from an experiment most people thought would fail to destination music festival most people wouldn't dare miss even if it is going to be 105 degrees outside. Rocks Off has seen quite a bit of online chatter from people ... More >>

Jason Isbell, Americana Heir Apparent, Won't Run From Country

Joshua Black Wilkins/All Eyes Media​It seemed a bit odd to be talking to Jason Isbell on Memorial Day. Lonesome, Onry and Mean had just watched a YouTube clip of Isbell doing "Dress Blues," his tribute to a high-school friend who died in Iraq. And with a daughter who did her tour of duty in A ... More >>

The Best Albums Of 2011 (So Far)

​The year isn't quite half over, but as of today, "summer" is officially here - even if the calendar needs a few weeks to catch up - and by the time summer is over, so will 2011. Or close enough. So Rocks Off asked our staff to give us their favorite two albums of the year so far, plus one out ... More >>

My Head Hurts, My Feet Stink: Five Songs For A Hangover

funny.desivalley.com​Every now and then after a night out, Lonesome, Onry and Mean's head feels like it's been in a fight with some guy who owns a nail gun. While we may no longer be on a regular first-name basis with morning - nor, by way of waiver, are we particularly prone to over-serving o ... More >>

Summer Fest Releases Stage Schedule, Set Times

Jermaine Rogers​If Rocks Off learned anything at iFest these past two weekends, it's that we should have started our own bottled-water franchise. And that when you go to a music festival, it's a good idea to know who is playing and when. Running around willy-nilly is all well and good unless i ... More >>

Out Today: Paul Simon Resurgent, Foos Get Loud, Isbell Kills

​It's New Release Tuesday, and this week's is one of the biggest days of the year, with new discs by the Foo Fighters, a reinvigorated Paul Simon and TV On The Radio leading the pack, plus a few other artists returning to the scene after a few years away from the limelight. Next week (April ... More >>

SXSW: The 10 Best Of The Fest This Year

Photos by Craig Hlavaty​

Rocks Off's Must-See Music Picks For SXSW '11

​As you may have heard, there's a teeny-tiny little music festival going on in Austin later this week. Some of the early birds on team Rocks Off are either already there or well on their way, as a matter of fact. With more than 2,000 artists playing the official part of SXSW alone, trying to ... More >>

Last Night: Drive-By Truckers At House Of Blues

Photos by Jason Wolter​Drive-By Truckers House of Blues September 23, 2010 To be considered "great," a rock group needs to occasionally (at least) spread itself beyond the confines of songs about chasing girls/ditching school to touch on more universal themes. Some acts come to this realizati ... More >>

Love and Theft

The decade with no name left behind plenty of memorable music.

Drive-By Truckers

Ghosts of Washington Avenue

Noise goes whistling through the scenester artery's music venue graveyard.

Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit: Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit

Album of the Week: Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit

Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit www.jasonisbell.com Jason Isbell just turned 30 this past February, so calling him an old soul might be soft-pedaling things a bit. You just can't be callow and pen a line like "She left me alone with these pills, and the last ... More >>

Mail Call: Diagonals, Fountains of Wayne, Jason Isbell, Chess Records, Sally Crewe and More

After a hot minute, Mail Call returns in a slightly revamped format... Pick of the Litter Diagonals (Austin), Valley of the Cyclops (Monofonus Press) They Say: "A sweet-and-sour dark-pop soundtrack for the dawn of the post-Bush era." Rocks Off Says: Loose-fitting, lo-fi melodic garage ... More >>

Tonight: Justin Townes Earle at McGonigel's Mucky Duck

Honky-tonk blues youngun Justin Townes Earle, 26, hits McGonigel's Mucky Duck tonight. Rocks Off called him up last week to ask about last year's first round of tours behind debut release The Good Life, his early hip-hop influences, his new record and how he'll handle a venue with no room to dance ... More >>

Mick Jagger meets Gilley's

Some Girls Ride Bulls

Whither Southern Rock?

Drive-By Truckers: Brighter Than Creation's Dark

Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit

I Can’t Stand the Rain...

Dress Blues

Once a Drive-By Trucker, Jason Isbell strikes out on his own

Drive-By Truckers, with the Black Crowes

Sunday, July 2, at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, 2005 Lake Robbins Drive, The Woodlands, 281-363-3300

South By So Huge

Austin's little music festival is all grown up

Shut Up and Drive

The Drive-By Truckers ain't just whistling Dixie in their van

Drive By Truckers

The Dirty South (New West)

The Class of '03

Grab your gift certificates and trade in your white elephants -- here's what you really wanted for Christmas

Drive-By Truckers

Decoration Day (New West)