London (England)

Enter Shikari

Robin Gibb Of The Bee Gees Falls Into Coma

Robin Gibb, one-third of fraternal British/Australian '70s disco-pop superstars the Bee Gees, fell into a coma Friday night in a private London hospital, according to wire services. Reuters reports that Gibb, 62, is surrounded by his family. He was hospitalized for pneumonia earlier this earlier t ... More >>

Getting Thumped

The bass line is everything in dubstep, whose core moves like robo-elephants, stomping and booming along.

6 Cool & Cheap Things To Do This Weekend

The "Reggae Riddim Revival" rides into Last Concert Cafe Friday with D.R.U.M., Bigga Staar, Zin and DJ Meshak, plus live painting and dancers. Before 9:30 p.m., cover is only $5 if you bring a hand drum. In case you were wondering, there will be a drum circle. In one of the oddest bookings we've s ... More >>

Coast of Utopia: Salvage

The "Reggae Riddim Revival" rides into Last Concert Cafe Friday with D.R.U.M., Bigga Staar, Zin and DJ Meshak, plus live painting and dancers. Before 9:30 p.m., cover is only $5 if you bring a hand drum. In case you were wondering, there will be a drum circle. In one of the oddest bookings we've s ... More >>

Molecular Gastronomy and More: Modernist Cuisine, Volume 1

Modernist Cuisine is not your grandmother's Joy of Cooking. It establishes a new language by which chefs can communicate the complexities of their intellectual work. Authors Nathan Myhrvold, Chris Young and Maxime Bilet have produced a beautiful and fascinating cookbook that explores the possibili ... More >>

The Best LP Side Ones Ever

Spurred on by the realization that both David Bowie's commercial breakthrough Let's Dance and Queen's News of the World had solid, sturdy side ones on their vinyl releases, I then began the hunt for other great vinyl slabs with amazing side ones. Of course, the idea is that this could only include ... More >>

Top 5 Amusing Food-Related Entries From Samuel Johnson's Dictionary

During a recent trip across the pond, I visited the life residence of Samuel Johnson, a charming four-story house-turned-museum in south London. I'd recently read Johnson's A Journey to the Western Islands of Scotland, but was fuzzy on his most famous work, the Dictionary of the English Language, pu ... More >>

Top 5 British Food Traditions To Embrace Now

As mentioned in an earlier post, I recently returned from London, where I was celebrating the 200th birthday of Charles Dickens and stuffing my gob with vittles. Houston stole my heart with its diverse food scene, but London, despite being bloody expensive, still has a certain something, or, rather ... More >>

The Coast of Utopia: An Extended Run and Revival of Part I -- Good News for Tom Stoppard Lovers

Gird your loins. Main Street Theater, which has experienced great success with Voyage, the first part of its The Coast of Utopia trilogy, has decided to extend its run and bring back the Voyage for two performances, "providing the chance to see all the parts of the trilogy over three consecutive day ... More >>

Traveling Light

Gird your loins. Main Street Theater, which has experienced great success with Voyage, the first part of its The Coast of Utopia trilogy, has decided to extend its run and bring back the Voyage for two performances, "providing the chance to see all the parts of the trilogy over three consecutive day ... More >>

26th Law and the Media Seminar Tackles the WikiLeaks Debate

​The 26th Law and the Media Seminar will feature a discussion of the legal, ethical and practical implications of WikiLeaks. The mega site that has released hundreds of documents to the media over the past couple years stirred up a firestorm of controversy over how this information should be h ... More >>

I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change: A Sweet, Rosy-Cheeked Revue

The setup: This intimate, four-character, Off-Broadway musical revue about relationships (1996) makes you feel better when you leave than when you come in, as its visionary producer James Hammerstein once said. There's magic in that pronouncement, for this pleasant, unexciting, eager-to-please litt ... More >>

100 Creatives 2012: Enrique Carreón-Robledo

​Enrique Carreón-Robledo truly believes that his fate was written in the stars. He did not come from a musical family, and it was by chance that he stumbled upon an old gentleman sitting outside near his home in Mexico, teaching children how to play the mandolin. Mesmerized, the young Carreón-Ro ... More >>

Taped Live Brit Plays Come to Sundance Houston in High Def

It's like a tour of the British theater scene on the cheap. Sundance Cinemas is bringing four taped performances of the National Theatre of London to downtown Houston starting in January and running through April. And even in a city like Houston with its extensive theater scene, Sundance Cinemas ex ... More >>

Christmas Carol

It's like a tour of the British theater scene on the cheap. Sundance Cinemas is bringing four taped performances of the National Theatre of London to downtown Houston starting in January and running through April. And even in a city like Houston with its extensive theater scene, Sundance Cinemas ex ... More >>

This Just In: SXSW Announces First Round Of 2012 Showcasing Bands, Including Fat Tony and Something Fierce

Photo By Marco TorresFat Tony at a day show at SXSW '11​Sweet lord, it's not even Thanksgiving yet and South By Southwest is making us excited for March in Austin already. Today the industry festival announced a few bands coming to the capitol city next year, and a few Houston names and Rocks ... More >>

Riot Riot Upstart: Songs For The UK Riots

photoshoplooter.tumblr.com/​A few days ago, in the midst of the worst of the rioting going on around London, which has now dominated the headlines for the better part of a week, someone on Twitter remarked "If Americans rioted every time the cops shot somebody we'd have no time for cocaine and ... More >>

6 Wrestling Finishing Moves That Would Suck at Stopping Riots (w/ Video)

Your riot-control specialist​I am admittedly not always the most up to speed on current events. I'm a generally selfish person. If it has nothing to do with my a) job, b) family, c) friends, d) bank account or e) need to satisfy hunger pangs, then whatever "it" may be gets thrown on the back b ... More >>

More Local Music News Than Memorial Day Furniture Sales

What would your Friday be without Magnolia City Mixtape? Pretty bleak, if you're trying to keep up on all the local music here in Houston. Thankfully, we're here to make that last day of the work week just a bit better. Propain launched his music video for the Departure track, "Say I Won't." Dire ... More >>

Houston Is an International "City of Opportunity"

There's opportunity in them thar skyscrapers.​A big new report by PwC, which used to be PriceWaterhouseCoopers, says Houston is one of 26 "Cities of Opportunity" in the world today. The only other American cities: New York, LA, Chicago and San Francisco. Pretty classy company. We came in 11 ... More >>

Honoring Barbara Jordan's 75th Birthday: Five Video Clips

Starting tomorrow, Texas Southern University will begin a year-long celebration of what would be the 75th birthday of alumna Barbara Jordan. Jordan was steeped in Houston, a Wheatley High grad who represented the Fifth Ward in Congress throughout the '70s. Here are five video clips of her career: ... More >>

The Five Worst Canned Foods You Can Easily Find In America

Ha! Spotted Dick is NOTHING compared to the other items on this list.​It's easy to go to a foreign market and find items that seem strange and offensive to an American palate. Wandering through a Korean market, someone might offer you steamed silkworm pupae. In a South American market, you mig ... More >>

The Most Anticipated Albums Of 2011

​NATIONAL White Lies, Ritual: They killed at festivals in 2008 and 2009, but do London's Interpol-styled lads have longevity? Dr. Dre, Detox: It's been on hold or gestating since at least Clinton was in office. Will it continue to be hip-hop's Chinese Democracy? R.E.M., Collapse Into No ... More >>

SXSW 2011 Still Untainted By Houston Artists

listenlisten: Not playing SXSW 2011... yet.​Rocks Off just got the latest list of names for next year's SXSW conference and festival in Austin, and just like the last time, the conference remains unsullied by any performers from Houston's filthy, rotten, disgusting, in-need-of-quarantine music ... More >>

Cage Match: Werewolf Of London Vs. Purple People Eater

​Ladies and gentlemen, it's been a while since we had a Cage Match. Our apologies, we couldn't find a band willing to take on Nickelback - really. Be that as it may, get yourselves ready for a special Halloween edition as two of the greatest monsters in song take on each other. You gotta ask ... More >>

Eclipse

Brooding folk for the Twilight crowd.

Top 5 Fine Food Arts

Japanese Bento Box "Mona Lisa"​Art created from food has a uniquely universal appeal and a certain whimsy that you don't always find with other media. But food artists are often dismissed as "novelty," despite the powerful reach of their work and the fact that it's often crafted out of some of ... More >>

Capsule Stage Reviews: Five Guys Named Moe, The Hollow, Hunter Gatherers, The Mousetrap

Japanese Bento Box "Mona Lisa"​Art created from food has a uniquely universal appeal and a certain whimsy that you don't always find with other media. But food artists are often dismissed as "novelty," despite the powerful reach of their work and the fact that it's often crafted out of some of ... More >>

Holly Golightly Talks Country Living, Snake Handling, Old Gospel And Soul

Troy Martin​ Holly Golightly may have unplugged, but the former member of Billy Childish's '90s UK garage-rockers Thee Headcoatees hasn't mellowed out. On 2008's Dirt Don't Hurt and the brand-new Medicine County, she and the Brokeoffs - aka Texas-born drumming companion Lawyer Dave - have been get ... More >>

"We're Ashamed The President Is From Texas" And Other Acts Of Career Suicide

Seven years ago this week, the Dixie Chicks had the No. 1 country single in the U.S. with Bruce Robison's lump-raising "Travelin' Soldier." Meanwhile, in Washington, D.C., the Bush Administration was putting the finishing touches on its Iraqi invasion strategy, which prompted Chicks lead singer Nat ... More >>

Year in Film: Director of the Decade

Clint Eastwood talks straight about his prolific career.

Truth in Advertising

Somers Town gets at the heart of working-class London. And might sell some train tickets, too.

Oregon Trail

Art Brut taps ex-Pixie Black Francis for the down-and-dirty Art Brut vs. Satan.

Richard Alston Dance Company

Dance like you want to

Pretty Vacant: The Trouble With Houston's (Newly Award-Winning) Skyline

Photo courtesy GHCVB​Forbes Traveler has a new list up -- called alternately "the 13 greatest urban silhouettes" and "the world's most stunning city skylines."Here is what makes a skyline great, according to the article: It has to be more than merely memorable, it must have some exceptional chara ... More >>

Oh My God, How Did I Not Know Gwyneth Paltrow Has A Stupid Website?

I am such a Johnny-come-lately to this party, I fear. But then again, perhaps it is for the best that I did not realize any sooner that Gwyneth Paltrow has what has to be the most self-indulgent, ridiculous website ever, and it's named -- for some reason -- Goop (with the tagline "Nourish the Inner ... More >>

Feast Is Bloody Brilliant

I am such a Johnny-come-lately to this party, I fear. But then again, perhaps it is for the best that I did not realize any sooner that Gwyneth Paltrow has what has to be the most self-indulgent, ridiculous website ever, and it's named -- for some reason -- Goop (with the tagline "Nourish the Inner ... More >>

“End Game: British Contemporary Art from the Chaney Family Foundation”

From skeletons to steel wire, the YBAs use anything and everything to make avant-garde art

The Rat Pack: Live at the Sands

It’s Frank, Sammy and Dino — again

Hot Fuzz

The Shaun of the Dead duo skewer action flicks

Paydirt : "The Thames Mudlarks"

A delightful show at CTRL features seven London artists

“The Thames Mudlarks: A Group Show of London Artists”

A show inspired by London mud wrestlers/artists

Dickens on the Strand

Galveston’s holiday festival goes back to Brit basics this year

Yatra Brasserie

A chic new Indian restaurant on Main Street serves Desi-Tex tacos for lunch

Fish Gone Wild

A chic new Indian restaurant on Main Street serves Desi-Tex tacos for lunch

Dark Side of the Moon

Flying Saucer Draught Emporium

Curry for the Laddies

London Sizzler serves up Indian food made the British way

Gastropub Crawl

The Red Lion isn't just another fake British pub -- it's an authentically fake British pub

Bang This

The Red Lion Pub