Leon Russell

Stevie Wonder: The Greatest Mother's Day Gift of All (Almost)

My dad and Stevie Wonder have a love/hate relationship. He's a year older than the soul singer, so it's rather weird hearing him talk about Stevie as if they were brothers, despite the fact that they have never met. Ever. But that's how it is with my family: we have beefs and issues with people we m ... More >>

Upcoming: Kelly Rowland, Black Flag, Loretta Lynn, Josh Groban, Tricky, etc.

Abbey Rode (Beatles Tribute): With Already Gone (Eagles Tribute)., Sat., May 11, 9 p.m., Free. Concert Pub -- Galleria, 5636 Richmond, Houston, 713-278-7272. Abigail: With Rotten Sound, PLF, Speedwulf, Oath of Cruelty., Thu., May 30, 8 p.m., $12. Walter's, 1120 Naylor, Houston, 713-222-2679. Alex ... More >>

Yellow Brick Road Brings Elton John to Toyota Center March 28

Wednesday morning, Live Nation announced that British superstar Elton John and his band will perform at Toyota Center on Thursday, March 28. This is good news, because Rocks Off has been in a Tumbleweed Connection phase anyhow, not that we're all that likely to hear "Ballad of a Well-Known Gun," "C ... More >>

Unknown K. Phillips Records With Dream Team on American Girls

Above: K. Phillips and the Concho Pearls doing NSFW "Rambler" Most people won't have heard of K. Phillips, but his new album American Girls is getting some serious critical raves. Checking the list of personnel on the album -- Rick Richards on drums, Bukka Allen on keys, Jimmy Pettit on bass, Kevin ... More >>

New Book Gives Session Aces the Wrecking Crew Their Past Due

The Wrecking Crew: The Inside Story of Rock and Roll's Best-Kept Secret By Kent Hartman Thomas Dunne Books, 304 pp., $25.99. Motown had the Funk Brothers, Nashville had the A-Team, and Stax/Volt had their Memphis men, but gold-record-for-gold-record, no group played on more hits in the '60s and '70 ... More >>

If This Is It

Poor Pilate's keyboard man David Lascoe doesn't hide his love of Huey Lewis.

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 >>

Loose Fit

Self-avowed rock throwback Jonathan Tyler prefers living off the grid.

Nine Covers of "Heartbreak Hotel" on Its 58th Birthday

Exactly 58 years ago, Elvis Presley released Heartbreak Hotel on RCA Records, which had just bought his contract from Sun Records for a measly $35,000. Heartbreak sold 300,000 copies in its first week and would eventually become the King's first certified gold record. Also, it's worth noting that, ... More >>

Classic Christmas: A Christmas Gift for You from Philles Records

Over the holidays, we're looking back at some classic Christmas albums taking some track by track and just digging on others. ​Christmas music comes in all shapes and sizes. From jazz and blues to hip hop and heavy metal, everybody thinks they have an interesting take on holiday classics, but ... More >>

Your Wallet's New Mortal Enemy: Heights Vinyl On White Oak

Photos By Craig Hlavaty​The scene was bustling at Heights Vinyl on Saturday, as Houston's newest record store opened it's doors with complementary beer, DJs and bands, and crates of great vinyl to sift through. The store's location on White Oak, just yards from Fitzgerald's and all the new r ... More >>

Locally Speaking

My Top Ten Local Albums of 2011

The 15 Best Bill Graham Presents Posters And Artwork

Photo By Tony MorelliBill Graham in 1974​Twenty years ago this week, legendary concert promoter Bill Graham went to the big backstage party in the sky after the helicopter he was riding in flew into a high-voltage tower in Vallejo, Calif. Also killed in the crash was Graham's girlfriend, Melis ... More >>

Glen Campbell's 15 Greatest Hits - As A Guitarist

Yet another reason to love Pet Sounds.​In a few hours, Rocks Off will be down at the Stafford Centre, watching the sold-out first Houston-area stop on Glen Campbell's extended "Farewell Tour." It might be the only one, but the tour is booked well into 2012, so we figure there's got to be a Dos ... More >>

Happy Birthday Don Was: His Five Best Production Jobs

Vicky Sapp​Nerds like us - you have to be a music nerd if you're reading a blog on Don Was - have favorite producers, like some sports guys have favorite coaches. Sometimes we listen to an album just because someone we like produced it, or it somehow gives it us extra cred even if we may not l ... More >>

J Roddy Walston & the Business

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 >>

Upcoming: Ana Gabriel, Deadmau5, Leon Russell, Etc.

​Ana Gabriel, Marco Antonio Solis: Sat., Aug. 20. Toyota Center. Ben Sollee: Thu., July 21. Fitzgerald's. Bexar County Bastards, Hell City Kings, Southbound Saints: Fri., June 10. Rudyard's. Black Congress, Milk Music, Chest Pain: Tue., June 7. Rudyard's. Bob Schneider: Sat., July 23. Hou ... More >>

Arcade Fire On For ACL; Kanye Expected In Midnight Lineup

​Tonight at midnight, the folks at C3 Presents who book the Austin City Limits Music Festival are expected to drop the lineup in full onto the festival's official Web site. And like, duh, Rocks Off will of course be up and about to post it to the blog once it goes live. You are more than welco ... More >>

Johnny Dowd Joins Ranks Of Oklahoma Music Greats

johnnydowd.comJohnny Dowd, one of the weirdest musical Okies of them all.​Poet, musician, avant-garde musical thinker and doer, Johnny Dowd may live in upstate New York these days, but that fellow is 100 percent died-in-the-wool Okie through and through. When Dowd opens his mouth to sing, Dust ... More >>

New Music Releases April 5: Leon Russell, Robbie Robertson, The Ravonettes, The Kills, Etc.

​Last week brought new releases from Britney Spears, Radiohead, and a few Pearl Jam re-issues hitting store shelves amid reports that the industry was finally starting to see some improvement. Spears' Femme Fatale is currently projected to enter the top spot of the Billboard 200 chart with sal ... More >>

Old Familiar Friend

Brendan Benson relaxes after The Raconteurs.

Eyeballin: James Brown Cape-Walks Away With The T.A.M.I. Show

Often written about, mythologized, and showing up in clips on rock docs and YouTube, the 1964 concert movie The T.A.M.I. Show has amazingly never been released in uncut format until now. And though it was shot in black and white, the exuberance and energy of the concert overcomes any pigmentation pr ... More >>

Phosphorescent

Lonesome Onry And Mean: Two Chicago Cats Remember A "Diamond Ring" And "Spanish Harlem"

Los Angeles-based Cary Baker's Conqueroo is one of the go-to publicity firms for folks in the roots-music game. Baker grew up in Chicago and has been instrumental in keeping the memory of a number of old-time Chicago bluesmen like Arvella Gray's memory and music alive. His earliest song memory: "My ... More >>

Lonesome Onry and Mean: The Second Act of Onetime "New Dylan" Larry Hosford

​Unless you're a professional Trivial Pursuit player, chances are high you've never heard of Larry Hosford. But there was a time when Hosford was hailed as the next Bob Dylan and was hanging around Shelter Records with the likes of George Harrison, Leon Russell and J.J. Cale. Lonesome, Onry and Me ... More >>

Get Lit: Miss O'Dell: My Hard Days and Long Nights with The Beatles, The Stones, Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, and the Women They Loved by Chris O'Dell with Katherine Ketcham

​In one of the most rollicking and enjoyable classic rock memoirs of recent years, Chris O'Dell offers scores of interesting first-hand experiences with a who's who of icons, as well as her own keen observations on their personalities even hardcore fans will find fresh. But just who, you might ask ... More >>

Lone Star Motorcycle Rally

Bikes take over Galveston Island

Distant Early Warning: Archie Bell, Cannibal Corpse, Maxwell, Scott H. Biram, Titus Andronicus, etc.

​The 69 Eyes, Dommin, The Becoming: Sun., Oct. 11. Meridian. All Time Low, Hey Monday, We The Kings, Friday Night Boys: Wed., Oct. 28. House of Blues. "Oldies Fest" With The Allen Oldies Band, Roy Head, Archie Bell, Barbara Lynn: Sat., Sept. 5. Continental Club. Billy Squier: Sun., Oct. 4. Wareho ... More >>

Leaving L.A.

West Coast honky-tonker Mike Stinson shocks his peers by moving to Houston.

Distant Early Warning: ...Trail of Dead, Glen Tilbrook, Jolie Holland, Vomitfest, Rob Thomas and More

...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead , The Secret Machines, The Watermarks: Sat., Sept. 12. Warehouse Live. Back in Black (AC/DC Tribute), Tragedy (Metal Bee Gees Tribute): Sat., Aug. 15. House of Blues. Billy Joe Shaver: Sat., Aug. 15. The Firehouse Saloon & Eatery. Bleu Edmondson: Thu ... More >>

Richie Havens, Still Looking Forward

The Old Balladeer

ACL Is Underway, Rootsy Early On

Last Night: Adam Carroll & John Evans at McGonigel’s Mucky Duck

T-BONE TOM'S SUNSET SHOT

Johnette Napolitano

The singer's post-Blonde ambition

Scenes from a Picnic

Willie, Dylan, Kinky and the Ghost of Bob Willis descends on Fort Worth. Wack is there too.

Music Awards Survey

A rundown of every act on this year's bill

Playbill

City Under Siege

Musicians provide HPD with plenty of overtime pay

1999 Houston Press Music Award Winners

It's a Family Affair

Willie Nelson brings along his pals for his annual musical picnic

Hi Del-Fi

New sounds from famed label

Night & Day

April 8-14, 1999

Night & Day

July 2 - 8, 1998

Canadian Born, but Texas Proud

Fred Eaglesmith descends from the Great White North with a unique American vision

Rotation

Full Nelson

With a new disc and a boxed history, Willie Nelson wonders who'll buy his memories

Critic's Choice

Out of the Bars