Subject:

Music

  • Blogs

    April 17, 2012

    Readers Poll: The Most Underrated Rock Albums Of The '90s

    For this week's readers poll, I asked our Facebook and Twitter chums their choices for the most underrated and unsung albums of the '90s. We all agree on things like Nevermind, Harvest Moon, Mezzanine, The Soft Bulletin, Odelay and OK Computer, but what about albums that fall through the cracks of ... More >>

  • Blogs

    April 16, 2012

    Rap Round Table: The Best Female Rapper Of All Time Is...

    Some rappers happen to be thoughtful, intelligent people. Each week, Rocks Off will have some of them here discussing issues relevant to their culture. This Week's Panel: Zavey, hasHBrown, Scooby, Medicine Girl, Nicki Minaj, Renzo, Rob Gullatte, more. Not Invited: Hologram Tupac This Week's Promp ... More >>

  • Blogs

    April 14, 2012

    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 >>

  • Blogs

    April 13, 2012

    A Letter To Tyga: You Made Us Wait Too Long Thursday

    Tyga did finally go onstage... well after 1 a.m.Dear Tyga, Look, Michael -- may I call you Michael? Michael, I'll be honest: What happened Thursday night hurt. A lot. I don't know if you ever showed up -- I heard you went onstage a little after 1 a.m., and I want to believe that, but I believe ... More >>

  • Blogs

    April 13, 2012

    Lionel Richie Vs. Chuck Norris: Who Would Win?

    So far the musical comeback of the year has been Lionel Richie, hands down. Last week the Alabama-born crooner's new album in three years, Tuskegee, debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 with sales of almost 200,000 copies. According to The Hollywood Reporter, if about 185,000 copies of Madonna's MD ... More >>

  • Blogs

    April 11, 2012

    Kenny Chesney & Tim McGraw Playing Reliant Stadium August 4

    Rocks Off is used to seeing these kinds of announcements only around the Rodeo or at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington. But two of country music's top alpha males, Kenny Chesney and Tim McGraw, will bring their "Brothers of the Sun" tour to Reliant Stadium Saturday, August 4, promoter AEG announced today ... More >>

  • Blogs

    April 10, 2012

    Houston Scores Big-Time In Latest Edition Of Encyclopedia Of Country Music: Part 5

    While Houston played a huge part in the early history of country music, by the end of the 1950s a new breed of artist was coming on the scene. Western Swing, for all purposes, was a relic, and although honky-tonk was still a force in the charts and on radio, its share of the pie was waning. The arr ... More >>

  • Blogs

    April 9, 2012

    Bonna-What?: How 7 U.S. Music Festivals Got Their Names

    This whole week, the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival, featuring the Black Keys, Radiohead, Dr. Dre & Snoop Dogg, Pulp, At the Drive-In, the Shins, AVICII, David Guetta and maybe one or two others, will be all anyone who follows music these days will be talking about. Then early next week, it' ... More >>

  • Music

    April 5, 2012

    Devil in the Woodpile

    Hard-country hillbilly Marty Stuart is always pickin' on Nashville.

  • Blogs

    April 5, 2012

    Ask A Rapper: Killa Cal-Wayne's Dissertation On Gangster Rap

    The hip-hop world is a less than sensible place -- lots of times, you're even required to clarify when bad means bad and when bad means good -- so once a week we're going to get with a rapper and ask them to explain things. Something you always wanted to ask a rapper? Email sheaserrano@gmail.com. T ... More >>

  • Blogs

    April 5, 2012

    Notice: Mariah Carey Still Has More No. 1 Singles Than Elvis

    Four years ago this week, Mariah Carey made music history by scoring the 18th No. 1 single of her career. Think about that for a second: If you're reading this, Mariah Carey has recorded more No. 1 singles than women you've had sex with (a lot more). What makes the feat even more incredible is that ... More >>

  • Blogs

    April 4, 2012

    Circle Takes The Square: Casting The H-Town Version of Hip Hop Squares

    News broke last week that MTV2, MTV's sister network nominally dedicated to actual music, is reviving the classic Hollywood Squares format as Hip Hop Squares, an over-the-top tic-tac-toe game featuring urban personalities including actor/comedian Nick Cannon; record producer DJ Khaled; rappers Fat J ... More >>

  • Blogs

    April 3, 2012

    Houston Scores Big-Time In Latest Edition Of Encyclopedia Of Country Music: Part 4

    Our fourth installment of Houston-area country-music pioneers honored with inclusion in the second edition of The Encyclopedia of Country Music details the last of an amazing group of local musicians from the '30s, '40s, and '50s who left their brand on the people's music. While the Appalachian and ... More >>

  • Blogs

    April 2, 2012

    15 Things Rocks Off Learned Watching The ACM Awards

    Sunday nights, I usually like to watch The Amazing Race after 60 Minutes. I don't usually watch much reality television at all, but something about the combination of total incompetence, vicious backstabbing and exotic locales as several, two-person teams race around the globe is completely intoxica ... More >>

  • Blogs

    March 30, 2012

    Last Night: The-Dream At Fitzgerald's

    The-Dream, Jack Freeman, Lee-Lonn March 29, 2012 Fitzgerald's "When you're fucking the wrong bitch, bad things happen." The-Dream, clad in a black T-shirt, some cheap Ray-Ban frames with a Raiders snapback and those rather extravagant "You Aren't Really Up On This" Nike MAGs shoes said that Thursd ... More >>

  • Blogs

    March 29, 2012

    10 Things We Learned At The Awready! Houston Hip Hop Conference

    The much-anticipated Awready! Houston Hip-Hop Music Conference was held Wednesday at the University of Houston, drawing in academics, screwheads, and media alike. The conference is a joint venture between the University of Houston Libraries and Rice University's H.E.R.E. Project (Houston Enriches Ri ... More >>

  • Blogs

    March 29, 2012

    RIP Earl Scruggs: 4 Other Icons For Odd Musical Instruments

    Rocks Off was saddened to hear this morning that bluegrass great Earl Scruggs passed away Wednesday in a Nashville hospital at age 88. It's safe to say that the North Carolina native, best known for his fruitful partnership with guitarist Lester Flatt, was the most famous banjo player in the world. ... More >>

  • Calendar

    March 29, 2012

    Hahn & Enigma Variations

    Rocks Off was saddened to hear this morning that bluegrass great Earl Scruggs passed away Wednesday in a Nashville hospital at age 88. It's safe to say that the North Carolina native, best known for his fruitful partnership with guitarist Lester Flatt, was the most famous banjo player in the world. ... More >>

  • Blogs

    March 28, 2012

    This Grandpa Only Knows Five Bands On This Year's Warped Tour

    It's my job to have at least a passing knowledge of what most bands and artists sound like. In my one of seven capacities here at the paper, I am in charge of music listings, those things in the back of the paper that tell you what is happening every week. (While I am on the subject, I need let yo ... More >>

  • Blogs

    March 28, 2012

    Readers Poll: The Best Third Albums Ever

    This week in 1980, Van Halen released their third album Women And Children First, which contained the hits "And the Cradle Will Rock...," "Everybody Wants Some!! and fan favorite "Romeo Delight." It's not the best VH album ever, but it was, in fact, their third album. Most VH super-freaks I know an ... More >>

  • Blogs

    March 27, 2012

    Houston Scores Big-Time In Latest Editon Of Encyclopedia Of Country Music: Part 3

    The further one digs into the second edition of The Encyclopedia of Country Music, the deeper one's appreciation of the contributions of Houston's country-music pioneers becomes. Yeah, just check out the black circles under the eyes and drunk-ass grins on Leon Payne's band above. That photo alone sp ... More >>

  • Blogs

    March 27, 2012

    Sugarland Says It Will Play New BBVA Compass Stadium

    Updated with comments from BBVA Compass Stadium Director of Marketing, PR & Booking Gina Rotolo -- 12:24 p.m. Pop-country duo Sugarland will be playing the Houston Dynamo's new stadium, BBVA Compass Stadium, the band announced in a set of tour dates on its Web site. The show, scheduled for Aug. 26, ... More >>

  • Blogs

    March 26, 2012

    Friday Night: That Big Metal Show At Bayou Music Center

    That Big Metal Show Bayou Music Center March 23, 2012 Early in his band's set on Friday night, Downfall 2012 front man Danny Gil told the crowd to expect something special. "Get ready for a metal show like you've never seen," he said. Gill wasn't exaggerating -- Downfall 2012 delivered a dense s ... More >>

  • Blogs

    March 26, 2012

    Friday Night: Winter Jam 2012 At Toyota Center

    Winter Jam 2012 feat. Skillet, Sanctus Real, Peter Furler, Kari Jobe, Building 429, Dara Maclean and Group 1 Crew March 23, 2012 Toyota Center Hosted by NewSong and starring Skillet, Sanctus Real, Peter Furler (former lead singer of the Newsboys), Kari Jobe, Building 429, Dara Maclean, Group 1 Crew ... More >>

  • Blogs

    March 26, 2012

    Aerosmith & Cheap Trick Rock Toyota Center July 30

    This morning Aerosmith, the band that wouldn't die (or refuses to go away), announced a Houston stop on this summer's "Global Warming" tour at Toyota Center Monday, July 30. Taking a break from the casino/state-fair circuit, Illinois power-pop heroes Cheap Trick open. Aerosmith is still be rumored ... More >>

  • Blogs

    March 26, 2012

    ZZ Top & Their Gang Of Outlaws Hit The Woodlands June 23

    ZZ Top is returning to the Houston stage June 23 at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, for their "Gang Of Outlaws" tour, along with openers 3 Doors Down and Gretchen Wilson. Before you complain, Rocks Off would like to kindly remind that ZZ Top is the greatest group to come from Texas and the Ho ... More >>

  • Blogs

    March 23, 2012

    Last Night: Experience Hendrix Tour At Arena Theatre

    Experience Hendrix Tour Arena Theatre March 22, 2012 It was a guitar-gasm of monstrous proportions at the Arena Theatre when string shredders, bass thumpers, keyboard squealers, and one very, very hardworking drummer paid tribute to the musical legacy of Jimi Hendrix in a 3 hour show that expertly ... More >>

  • Blogs

    March 22, 2012

    Top 5 Old Musicians Actually Using Twitter

    Like youth itself, Twitter is wasted on the young. But not everyone over 35 has completely tuned it out -- after a recent upgrade to a smartphone, even I'm using it now after years of Twitterphobia. (Hit me up at @ThePhantomTX.) Since I've been on, I've learned that most musicians have handed off t ... More >>

  • Blogs

    March 21, 2012

    Dweezil Zappa: Jimi Hendrix "Rings True To Every Generation"

    As far as the estates of deceased classic-rock artists go, few can hold a lighter to the efforts of Jimi Hendrix's in terms of keeping the artist and their music alive. In recent years, Experience Hendrix, LLC -- run by Jimi's half-sister Janie -- has churned out a number of products to satiate bot ... More >>

  • Blogs

    March 20, 2012

    Houston Scores Big Time In Latest Editon Of Encyclopedia Of Country Music: Part 2

    Our second installment of Houston connections in the recently published second edition of The Encyclopedia of Country Music is a truly monumental list of writers, performers and performances that show that while Houston may not have been the musical business center that Nashville became, the Bayou C ... More >>

  • Blogs

    March 19, 2012

    Bun B's Birthday: "Murder" Still Kills

    ​Some rappers happen to be thoughtful, intelligent people. Each week, Rocks Off will have some of them here discussing issues relevant to their culture. This Week's Panel: Slim Thug, Lil O, E.S.G., Delo, hasHBrown, Medicine Girl, Mac, Chane, more. Not Invited: Marcus This Week's Prompt: King ... More >>

  • Blogs

    March 16, 2012

    SXSW: Lil Wayne's YMCMB Showcase At Austin Music Hall

    ​"I believe in three things: I believe in God; I believe that I ain't shit without you, and I believe that I ain't shit without you!" - Lil Wayne to his fans After being shut out of the T.I./B.O.B show at La Zona Rosa by order of the fire marshal, I headed over to see Lil Wayne at the Austin Mu ... More >>

  • Blogs

    March 16, 2012

    Rumor: Eminem To Perform At Tonight's Shady Records SXSW Party

    Most of the world's biggest rappers - Jay-Z, Kanye West, Snoop Dogg, T.I., 50 Cent - have performed in Austin within the past week, are about to perform, or are at least in the city partaking in the SXSW festivities. Rocks Off was leaving Stubb's late Thursday night and heard Snoop Dogg performing ... More >>

  • Blogs

    March 15, 2012

    Fool's Gold Makers Dirty And Nasty Discuss... Fool's Gold

    The hip-hop world is a less than sensible place - lots of times, you're even required to clarify when bad means bad and when bad means good - so once a week we're going to get with a rapper and ask them to explain things. Something you always wanted to ask a rapper? Email sheaserrano@gmail.com. Thi ... More >>

  • Blogs

    March 12, 2012

    Last Night: Go Tejano Day At Reliant Stadium

    Go Tejano Day feat. Duelo, La Original Banda El Limon, Mariachi Invitational Finalists RodeoHouston, Reliant Stadium March 11, 2012 The rain didn't dampen the mariachi spirit last night. Check out our slideshow from Go Tejano Day. I've said it before, and I'll say it again: Tejano is dead. But tha ... More >>

  • Blogs

    March 9, 2012

    Why Taking The Piss Out Of Your Most Beloved Musicians Is Healthy

    A few days back I wrote a less-than-excited review of Bruce Springsteen's latest album, Wrecking Ball. The Boss' official Twitter account has been retweeting every hyperbolic 140-character superfan review of the new disc. One guy claimed that Wrecking Ball made him sob on the side of the highway for ... More >>

  • Blogs

    March 9, 2012

    Last Night: ZZ Top At Reliant Stadium

    ZZ Top RodeoHouston, Reliant Stadium March 8, 2012 See more photos from Thursday, even some without beards, in our slideshow. I admit, I had almost given up on waiting for ZZ Top to show me something new. Not even something from their new album - which is finally completed but caught up in the mus ... More >>

  • Blogs

    March 9, 2012

    Top 10 Possible Future RodeoHouston Performers

    The hardest thing about making a list of possible future RodeoHouston performers is making sure to color inside the lines, which means the things that I want probably wouldn't work. Sure, the Black Keys on opening night and the Rolling Stones doing an-all country set to close out the season would be ... More >>

  • Blogs

    March 8, 2012

    Last Night: Blake Shelton At Reliant Stadium

    Blake Shelton RodeoHouston, Reliant Stadium March 7, 2012 See more pictures from Wednesday's rodeo in our . Blake Shelton could very well be the Vince Vaughn of modern country music. Or is that Brad Paisley? No, I think Brad Paisley is the Paul Rudd and that would make someone like Jason Aldean th ... More >>

  • Blogs

    March 8, 2012

    Houston Scores Big-Time In Latest Encyclopedia Of Country Music

    With 53 related entries, Houston fared well in the second edition of The Encyclopedia of Country Music (Oxford University Press, $65), released last month, the first revision of the 600-page volume since its initial printing in 1998. Michael McCall, Country Music Hall of Fame archivist and one of t ... More >>

  • Blogs

    March 5, 2012

    Friday Night: Megadeth At Verizon Wireless Theater

    Gigantour: Megadeth, Volbeat, Lacuna Coil Verizon Wireless Theater March 2, 2012 Check out our slideshow of the Gigatour. No, Motorhead didn't play in Houston Friday night at Verizon Wireless Theater, but the rest of the 2012 Gigantour bill of Megadeth, Volbeat and Lacuna Coil made it to the Bayou ... More >>

  • Blogs

    March 4, 2012

    Last Night: Radiohead At Toyota Center

    Radiohead Toyota Center March 3, 2012 Radiohead just doesn't add up. The band has effectively turned its back on the music business, pioneering alternative methods of distribution of its music to fans (most of it online), short-circuiting the traditional promotional apparatus by releasing last year ... More >>

  • Blogs

    March 1, 2012

    Jason Cassidy's 10 Country Songs You Should Hear Before You Die

    Tonight traditional country upstart Jason Cassidy headlines Big Texas Dance Hall & Saloon out in Clear Lake. The strip-center venue, known for it's pretty girls with painted-on jeans and copious amounts of trucks in the parking lot and a Bud Light in every hand, has been host to Cassidy many times b ... More >>

  • Blogs

    March 1, 2012

    Lacuna Coil's Cristina Scabbia Talks Gigantour, Dark Adrenaline

    Conventional wisdom used to be that the hyper-masculine world of heavy metal would never fully embrace a female superstar, but that was before Lacuna Coil's Cristina Scabbia hit the scene. Armed with a soaring contralto and a humble attitude that belies her striking beauty, Scabbia has converted mor ... More >>

  • Blogs

    March 1, 2012

    Trae Tha Truth Signs With T.I.'s Grand Hustle Label

    Wednesday, Trae Tha Truth, protagonist in one of rap's perpetually involved narratives, announced that he'd joined with multiple Grammy winner T.I., signing to T.I.'s imprint Grand Hustle. Trae alluded to making a "big announcement" on Twitter the day before, though many expected it'd relate to ei ... More >>

  • Blogs

    February 29, 2012

    The Hype Machine: Top 10 Indie Buzz Bands You May Have Forgotten

    So you're a hipster. Not you specifically. I would never accuse the great Rocks Off readers of being hipsters. But hypothetically, say you're a hipster. How do you choose your favorite bands? Well, you stroll on over to any indie-rock blog and check out all the latest buzz bands obviously. The probl ... More >>

  • Blogs

    February 27, 2012

    In Prog We Trust: Five Progressive Rock Bands You Hate, But Shouldn't

    There are some forms of music that struggle to find critical acclaim while others are loved by critics but universally dismissed by the public. Then, there is another group that, despite a loyal and sometimes massive cult following, are disliked by critics and everyday music fans alike. Meet prog-r ... More >>

  • Blogs

    February 24, 2012

    Cool Britannia: Your Essential Britpop Playlist

    It was announced this week that British bands Blur, New Order and the Specials will be performing at the closing ceremonies of this year's Summer Olympics, which will be held in London in July and August. All three bands represent three distinct parts of British popular music from past 35 years. We ... More >>

  • Calendar

    February 23, 2012

    ROCO UST Chamber Music Series

    It was announced this week that British bands Blur, New Order and the Specials will be performing at the closing ceremonies of this year's Summer Olympics, which will be held in London in July and August. All three bands represent three distinct parts of British popular music from past 35 years. We ... More >>

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