John Mellencamp

Drenched in Blog: Hall of Fame Nominations a Big Cleveland Steamer

Drenched In Blog: Um… Hallelujah?

Do We Have to Play the National Anthem Before Every Single Sporting Event?

The Art of Getting Broken

Mary Cutrufello wanted to be a rock star. For a moment she was.

Retro Active: The Five Worst '80s Christmas Songs

OK, sure, the truly worst '80s Christmas songs are doubtlessly "Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer" and Band Aid's (above) "Do They Know It's Christmas?" But everyone knows this. However, there were many other holiday songs released during the '80s that nearly reached such heights of crapulence ... More >>

The Soul of Storyville

OK, sure, the truly worst '80s Christmas songs are doubtlessly "Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer" and Band Aid's (above) "Do They Know It's Christmas?" But everyone knows this. However, there were many other holiday songs released during the '80s that nearly reached such heights of crapulence ... More >>

Heavenly Fire

Jason and the Scorchers reunite, and get hot in the process

Blowed Up Real Good

Hootie gets big while keeping its eyes on the small stuff

Troubadour for a Lost Generation

Hootie gets big while keeping its eyes on the small stuff

Go Her Own Way

Me'Shell Ndegeocello can't find a niche -- not that she really wants one

Rotation

Me'Shell Ndegeocello can't find a niche -- not that she really wants one

African Electric

Me'Shell Ndegeocello can't find a niche -- not that she really wants one

Sample Melody

Me'Shell Ndegeocello can't find a niche -- not that she really wants one

Burying the Brakeman

Me'Shell Ndegeocello can't find a niche -- not that she really wants one

Static

Me'Shell Ndegeocello can't find a niche -- not that she really wants one

Rotation

Me'Shell Ndegeocello can't find a niche -- not that she really wants one

The Book of James

Colorful characters fill James McMurtry's Tex-rock sound

Analyzing Bocephus's "McCain-Palin Tradition"

Elephant Walk

Who Stole the Roll?

Elephant Walk

Miranda Lambert

Elephant Walk

Protest Songs for George W.

That's my Bush!

Cred Sheet

Stuff you need to know to avoid musical ostracism

Roots Redux

Dan Colehour's Midwestern musings get their day in the Texas sun

He's a Maniac

The Nightfly puts his white-boy dance moves to the supreme test at Lizzard's Pub

Messing with Texas

Rockers bash Bush, with varying results

War on War Songs

Iraq and roll don't go together well when rockers protest

Nice Guy, Nice Songs

From 4-H to Miss Molly, Hadden Sayers keeps aiming for the next plateau

Is The Woodlands Getting a Minor-League Baseball Team?

Well, not that Rocks Off knows of - although, really, what are you people waiting for up there? - but according to our colleagues at 29-95.com, Bob Dylan, John Mellencamp and Willie Nelson will throw a few high and outside at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion August 2, with tickets going on sale v ... More >>

Distant Early Warning: Asher Roth, Dax Riggs, Franz Ferdinand, Peter Frampton and More

Ace Enders, Person L, The Gay Blades, The Dangerous Summer: Wed., July 15. The Java Jazz. Asher Roth, Kid Cudi: Fri., July 31. House of Blues. "The Battle Of Sam: Battle Of The Bands": Sat., June 6. The Showgrounds @ Sam Houston Race Park. Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson, John Mellencamp: Sun., Aug. 2. Cy ... More >>

Single-Album Sets We'd Like to See, Part 1: Bob Dylan, George Strait, The Pogues and More

Initiated by indie-rockers like Sonic Youth, Slint and Built to Spill at mid-2000s festivals - UK/U.S. hopover All Tomorrow's Parties and its various tie-ins being the most prominent - playing a beloved LP front to back in concert is now the hottest thing going on the classic-rock circuit. Within th ... More >>

Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson, John Mellencamp

Initiated by indie-rockers like Sonic Youth, Slint and Built to Spill at mid-2000s festivals - UK/U.S. hopover All Tomorrow's Parties and its various tie-ins being the most prominent - playing a beloved LP front to back in concert is now the hottest thing going on the classic-rock circuit. Within th ... More >>

Big Willie Style: The Red Headed Stranger at the Movies

Honeysuckle Rose This weekend at the Woodlands comes one of the most prolific trios of artists to ever appear on the same bill. Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson and John Mellencamp converge on the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion for what looks to be one of those landmark shows people brag about catching, k ... More >>

Aftermath: Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson and John Mellencamp at Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion

http://www.flickr.com/photos/cosmopolitician/​Sunday night's Willie Nelson, John Mellencamp and Bob Dylan gig out at Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion was an exhibition for an artist in his comfortable twilight, another on the cusp of a new revolution and the last one stoically fighting the violent ... More >>

Aftermath: A Quiet Night At The Rodeo With Lady Antebellum, John Mellencamp (Sort Of) And Larry The Cable Guy

Photos by Jason Wolter​ On Monday night, Lady Antebellum performed to a crowd of a little more than 65,000. Having been in a band, the idea of playing in front of so many people is both exciting and nerve-racking, but by RodeoHouston standards it's about middle of the road, and felt like less. It ... More >>

New, Hidden Americana Gems From Philly, Nashville And The Ozarks

Desoto Rust​ Too many records, too many records, too many records. Sometimes Lonesome, Onry and Mean just has to take a deep breath, swallow hard and admit we can never give a fair listen to all the stuff that shows up in the mailbox. And since we seldom do actual album reviews in print anymore, w ... More >>

Glee: We're Gonna Keep On Rockin' Forever...Forever

​The theme this week was the loss of the glee club's voice -- both literally (Rachel has laryngitis) and figuratively (Puck gets a haircut, followed by a corresponding loss of mojo). Will asks everyone to solo in front of the whole group with a song that represents where they are in in their l ... More >>

Glee: We're Gonna Keep On Rockin' Forever...Forever

​The theme this week was the loss of the glee club's voice -- both literally (Rachel has laryngitis) and figuratively (Puck gets a haircut, followed by a corresponding loss of mojo). Will asks everyone to solo in front of the whole group with a song that represents where they are in in their l ... More >>

Acts We Think - OK, Hope - Are Playing ACL Fest This Year

​By this time Tuesday, we will all know who is playing the Austin City Limits Music Festival in October. Damn, it seems like we have speculating about the line-up since, well, we got the last of the "Dillo Dirt" out the middle of our toes after last year's muddy and rainy ACL weekend. Tuesday brig ... More >>

Last Night: Kings Of Leon At The Woodlands

Photos by Marc Brubaker​Kings of Leon Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion September 22, 2010 Sold. It took us long enough, or it took them long enough, but Aftermath has had our last cup of Kings of Leon haterade. We found them tepid at Verizon in 2008 and standoffish at Toyota Center last year ... 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 >>

Happy Anniversary, Nirvana's Nevermind

​This past Friday, a significant musical anniversary came and went with barely a peep. It was only 19 years to the day the last album to cause a legitimate sea change in popular music - both the industry and the art - was released. Rocks Off knows that was a few days ago, but hey, we had a bus ... More >>

Upcoming: Buzzfestivus, John Mellencamp, Merle Haggard, Etc.

​Amplified Heat: Fri., Nov. 26. Rudyard's. Authority Zero: Thu., Dec. 2. Scout Bar Clear Lake. Belanova: Wed., Dec. 1. House of Blues. Born Liars, The Energy, The Mahas, Talk Sick Brats: Wed., Nov. 24. Rudyard's. "Buzzfestivus" with Smashing Pumpkins, Jimmy Eat World. Sun., Dec. 5. Verizo ... More >>

Time Waster Tuesday -- NBA Superstars Videos (via YouTube)

"'Remember when' is the lowest form of conversation." -- Tony Soprano Tony was right, you never want to be "remember when" guy, and I try my best not to be. But the fact of the matter is, for many of us, what happened between the ages of 16 and 28 constitute the "good times." High school, maybe ... More >>

Guns N' Roses, Rolling Stones, Prince Coming In 2011?

Sind Axl und Slash wieder Freunde geworden?​Rocks Off is in the concert business for all intents and purposes. We scour Pollstar and other Web sites and almost hourly looking for new shows and tours to tell you about around the clock. In the span of writing this introduction we just listed Luc ... More >>

Lonesome Onry And Mean's Top 11 Obscure 2010 Albums

​As per previous years, Lonesome Onry and Mean isn't going to bother with running down all this year's major-label releases. Ranking the relative merits of Lady Gaga, Carrie Underwood and Adam Lambert is the Houston Chronicle's job, we suppose. Seeing major players like Robert Plant, Bruce Sp ... More >>

John Mellencamp

​As per previous years, Lonesome Onry and Mean isn't going to bother with running down all this year's major-label releases. Ranking the relative merits of Lady Gaga, Carrie Underwood and Adam Lambert is the Houston Chronicle's job, we suppose. Seeing major players like Robert Plant, Bruce Sp ... More >>

Last Night: John Mellencamp At Jones Hall

Photos by Marc Brubaker​John Mellencamp Jones Hall April 3, 2011 See pics of a dapper-looking John Mellencamp on stage in our slideshow. Don't call him Cougar. John Mellencamp has been trying to live down that record label-foisted moniker for over 30 years, ditching it entirely in 1990 and ... More >>

Bar Light, Bar Bright: Beer Signs & Songs That Light Them Up

Photos by Jason WolterChris Knight at the Firehouse Saloon, August 3​Rocks Off has a bad habit of what some people refer to as "honky-tonkin'." Single, childless and a lifelong Lone Star drinker, we have no reservations about staying out till all hours, even if sometimes it does make us feel l ... More >>

Looking Back at A Very Special Christmas Track by Track

​In the late 1980's, music empresario Jimmy Iovine cobbled together quite a collection of pop and rock artists to record songs for a Christmas album benefitting the Special Olympics. In 1987, A Very Special Christmas was released and rapidly became an instant holiday classic thanks to the star ... More >>