Johnny Winter

Dropping Today

Uncle John Turner, 1944-2007

Rick Mitchell Pops His ACL Cherry

Lingering Long on Love Street

Lady Belts the Blues

Marcia Ball signs with Alligator and gets a new groove on

The Chill is Gone

Texas guitar legend Albert Collins passes at age 61

Dumbass Deluxe

Texas guitar legend Albert Collins passes at age 61

A Hard Case of the Blues

Roy Ames and his Home Cooking records have spread the sound of Houston blues around the world. Some local musicians are wondering why he hasn't spread more of the wealth as well.

That Indefinable Something

Chris Duarte brings a retro energy to rockin' blues and bluesy rock

Sole of Houston: Airport Drive, The Finale (Including Unwanted Puke)

And here is the final installment of David Beebe and John Lomax's 20-plus mile hike from Intercontinental Airport to Spanish Flowers restaurant. Part one is here and part two is here.David Beebe's accounts of the same hike are here and here.Airline's furthest reaches are lined by sprawling and run-d ... More >>

Critic's Choice, The Road to Storyville

And here is the final installment of David Beebe and John Lomax's 20-plus mile hike from Intercontinental Airport to Spanish Flowers restaurant. Part one is here and part two is here.David Beebe's accounts of the same hike are here and here.Airline's furthest reaches are lined by sprawling and run-d ... More >>

Here Comes the Judd

And here is the final installment of David Beebe and John Lomax's 20-plus mile hike from Intercontinental Airport to Spanish Flowers restaurant. Part one is here and part two is here.David Beebe's accounts of the same hike are here and here.Airline's furthest reaches are lined by sprawling and run-d ... More >>

Cry Tough

Essential bassist Tommy Shannon hangs in there

Letters

Essential bassist Tommy Shannon hangs in there

Just the Basics

Essential bassist Tommy Shannon hangs in there

Black Blues, White Label

Essential bassist Tommy Shannon hangs in there

Happy Birthday, "Louie Louie"

Forty-six years ago today, a group of teenagers gathered in a Portland, Oregon, studio to record a ridiculously simple anthem that would go on to become one of the most influential - and most misunderstood - songs in rock history. The group was the Kingsmen - none of whom was over age 17 - and the ... More >>

Chris Masterson & Eleanor Whitmore

Forty-six years ago today, a group of teenagers gathered in a Portland, Oregon, studio to record a ridiculously simple anthem that would go on to become one of the most influential - and most misunderstood - songs in rock history. The group was the Kingsmen - none of whom was over age 17 - and the ... More >>

Welcome to Never Ever Land

Forty-six years ago today, a group of teenagers gathered in a Portland, Oregon, studio to record a ridiculously simple anthem that would go on to become one of the most influential - and most misunderstood - songs in rock history. The group was the Kingsmen - none of whom was over age 17 - and the ... More >>

Home for the Holidays

Forty-six years ago today, a group of teenagers gathered in a Portland, Oregon, studio to record a ridiculously simple anthem that would go on to become one of the most influential - and most misunderstood - songs in rock history. The group was the Kingsmen - none of whom was over age 17 - and the ... More >>

Johnny Winter

Texas musician plays red-hot blues

Alan Haynes

Blues guitarist comes home

Johnny Winter

Johnny Winter performs Sunday, November 19, at Fitgerald's, 2706 White Oak, 713-862-3838.

Yin and Yang

The killing of Dimebag Darrell rains on Michael Haaga's Continental Club Plus and Minus Show parade

Johnny Winter

I'm a Bluesman (Virgin)

Good Riddance to Bad Rubbish

Roy Ames, child pornographer and record producer, dies at 66

Dark Riders

The good, the bad and the ugly rock-star performance contracts

Street-Fighting Man

Roy Head used to love to mix it up. Now the blue-eyed soul man fights to keep his career alive.

Bert Wills

Tell Me Why (Gold Rhyme)

Play that Monkey Beat

Tell Me Why (Gold Rhyme)

Live at Liberty Hall

The short but storied past of Houston's legendary live music venue.

Houston 101: The Brief, Groovy Life Of The Love Street Light Circus & Feelgood Machine

The Sixties. A time when you could open a club called the Love Street Light Circus & Feelgood Machine. Unironically, too!I mean, look at that picture. It looks like it's from a very bad Hollywood movie -- you can almost hear the lame attempt at psychedelic rock, the wavy light show, the tortured ... More >>

Back to the Dead

Black Leather Jesus's Richard Ramirez resurrects the Dead Audio Music Festival.

Summer Stock

Black Leather Jesus's Richard Ramirez resurrects the Dead Audio Music Festival.

A Musical Guide to Post-Secession Texas, Part 2: "Trinity"

[Note: This week Rocks Off is looking at the musical heritage, highs and lows, for each of the five possible states that might result should Texas secede from the U.S. like Gov. Rick Perry wants it to. Yesterday we began with the Panhandle/West Texas "Palo Duro" territory; today it's northeastern qu ... More >>

The Forgotten Festival

The 1969 Texas International Pop Festival

The Music of True Blood, Episode 1.12: Closing Up Shop With a Ditty Called "Ain't No Grave"

Alan Ball was known for his masterful use of music in Six Feet Under. He's lost none of his touch when it comes to his current HBO series, True Blood - which happens to be set in the Louisiana swamps, not terribly far from Houston. With Season 2 just completed, Rocks Off is now working our way backw ... More >>

Distant Early Warning: Angie Stone, Ani DiFranco, Beach House, Chrisette Michele, Dax Riggs, Johnny Winter, Yanni, etc.

​American Sharks, Passengers, Big Black Spiders, Young Brothers, The Mahas: Fri., Jan. 22, 8 p.m. Walter's on Washington. Angie Stone, Joe: Fri., March 26. Arena Theatre. Ani DiFranco: Thu., April 8. Warehouse Live. Beach House: Fri., April 23. Walter's on Washington. Blaspherian, HOD, Gravehill ... More >>

Distant Early Warning: Athlete, The Bangles, Cypress Hill, Imogen Heap, MGMT, O'Jays, Rush, Talib Kweli, Etc.

​Athlete, Carney: Sat., June 26. Walter's on Washington. All Leather, Balaclavas, Yip-Yip: Sat., May 15. The Mink. The Bangles, Tonic: Sat., May 29. Moody Gardens Outdoor Amphitheater. Tyagaraja, Black Queen Speaks, Peekaboo Theory, Robert Ellis & The Boys, The Tontons, VerseCity, Wayside Dri ... More >>

Beyond His Years

A bluesman since age ten, Bernard Allison has learned his lessons well.

Eric Clapton's Crossroads Guitar Festival 2010

The greatest of guitar greats dazzle during a two-hour film documentary

Bedtime Stories

Natalie Merchant finds poetry in new album.

Candy Golde Set To Kick In Some Faces At SXSW Debut

​If there is a must-not-miss show for Lonesome Onry and Mean at Austin's annual springtime musical clusterfuck next week, it's Candy Golde at Club Deville, 11 p.m. Friday night. A scary-good Chicago lineup of grizzled veterans - Cheap Trick drummer Bun E. Carlos, Wilco's John Stiratt, and gui ... More >>

Johnny Winter's New Orbit: Roots, William Shatner & Sly Stone

bobmargolin.comLondon, 1979 (l-r): Bob Margolin, Johnny Winter, Muddy Waters​Beaumont-born bluesman Johnny Winter is having a very busy year for a man who is 67. Not only is he set to release his first album of newly recorded material in eight years, Winter is also featured on I'm Back! Family ... More >>

Friday Night: Hippiefest At Arena Theatre

Photos by Barry SigmanFelix Cavaliere, Forever Young (Rascal)​Hippiefest feat. Dave Mason, Mark Farner, Gary Wright, Rick Derringer & Felix Cavaliere's Rascals Arena Theatre september 2, 2011 The title of this annual touring package show was something of a misnomer, as most of the acts made t ... More >>

Texas Pop Festival Finally Getting Historical Marker

Mike PorterBathe, hippies, bathe!​Rocks Off can't do anything about the drought, but this weekend we will be breaking our own personal drought and returning to the Austin City Limits Music Festival after taking 2010 off. But long before ACL, there was another massive musical gathering in Texa ... More >>

Baron Wolman: A Bounty Of Iconic Rock Photography

Photos by Baron WolmanIke & Tina Turner​Every Picture Tells a Story - Baron Wolman: The Rolling Stone Years Omnibus Press, 176 pp., $37.50 If you could point to one thing that makes today's music journalists most jealous, it would probably be the music journalists of the '60s and '70s. Back t ... More >>

Upcoming: Young The Giant, Old 97's, Anvil, Mason Jennings, Poor Pilate

Anvil: Thu., Feb. 9. Warehouse Live, 813 St. Emanuel, Houston. Aaron Lewis: Thu., Jan. 12. Verizon Wireless Theater, 520 Texas, Houston. Andy Grammer, Ryan Star: Fri., Feb. 17. The Bronze Peacock Room @ House Of Blues, 1204 Caroline, Houston. ​Anthony Green, The Dear Hunter: Tue., Jan. 31. ... More >>

Distant Early Warning: Social Distortion, Gary Clark Jr., Melvins, Girls, Maná, De La Soul

Photo By Jim BrickerBobby Womack onstage with Gorillaz in October 2010 at Toyota Center​2 Chainz, Paul Wall, Propain: Thu., March 1. Warehouse Live, 813 St. Emanuel, Houston. Anvil, Rotting Corpse, Metavenge, Fallacy: Thu., Feb. 9. Warehouse Live, 813 St. Emanuel, Houston. Asleep At The Whee ... More >>

Rocks Off Now Sponsoring Some Cactus Music In-Stores

Photos by Jim BrickerThe Wild Moccasins at Cactus Music, Record Store Day, April 2011​After a preview last fall featuring Girl In a Coma, it gives Rocks Off great pleasure to announce that effective immediately, we will be sponsoring selected in-stores at Cactus Music, no fewer than two a mont ... More >>