North Texas

The State Water Plan May Not be Dead (The Unkillable Zombie of Legislation?)

Going into the 83rd state legislative session, it seemed like the state water plan would swim on through the legislative plumbing faster than Nemo went down that sink drain and onward to freedom and hanging out with some tubular sea turtles, in Finding Nemo. Well, that's just not how things went do ... More >>

Following Boston Bombing, Some Houston Media Outlets Shirk Duties

After two bombs exploded at today's Boston Marathon -- with a third reportedly detonating at JFK Library minutes ago -- Houston's local media scene has attempted to gather the facts of the fast-breaking story. However, instead of doing the tradition leg-work that, you know, delineates the media's re ... More >>

The Wait Is Finally Over!!: Way-Too-Early Odds On March Madness 2014 Are Out

As is the case in almost everything in 2013, the shelf life for enjoyment of the 2013 NCAA men's championship game (a thrilling 82-76 Louisville win over Michigan) was a total of about five minutes before we started looking ahead to 2013-2014. Almost immediately after the game was over, already odd ... More >>

The New Crusaders

TSU restarts its jazz program, tapping into the talents of the fabled Joe Sample and kids looking for a place to play.

P.L.F. Stays On Its Grind With New Devious Persecution

Unless you're actively seeking out the absolute gnarliest music you can find, it's easy to forget that there's a whole world of extreme sounds out there, roiling just underground. Local grindcore destructors P.L.F. (neé Pretty Little Flower) have seen a pretty big chunk of that world. Since forming ... More >>

20 Essential Texas Albums From 2012

One of the quiet pleasures of (finally) putting 2012 to bed is mop-up duty. All year, I tried to keep a running list of albums released by Texas-based or Texas-related performers that I enjoyed listening to. Sunday night, I tallied them up. For some reason, besides that we've already handled the ye ... More >>

Infamous Last Words: Some of the Strangest Final Utterances from Death Row

"Well, gentlemen, you are about to see a baked Appel." Those were the last words of one George Appel, a cop-killer electrocuted by the state of New York back in 1928, and it might just be the greatest such utterance of all time. Not that Appel hasn't had some competition over the years. At his 196 ... More >>

Atheism Rising

Those folks across Texas who don't believe in God are getting organized and going public.

Special Texas Edicion: Are There Any Mexican Virgins Who Wait Until Marriage?

And why do Mexicans use lard to refry their beans?

Welcome To The Charles Sims Show

Houston Cougar running back Charles Sims is probably one of the nicest guys you could ever meet. He's quiet, and getting more than a sentence or two from him in a media setting just isn't going to happen. In fact, when dealing with the press, Sims looks as if he'd rather face an entire opposing defe ... More >>

The 5 Best Shows In Houston This Week: Rosie Flores, Otep, Mission of Burma, Etc.

Rosie Flores, the Austin-based "Rockabilly Filly" and onetime L.A. cowpunk scenester who played the Continental Club with Mike Stinson in late July, circles back around to celebrate her birthday Tuesday at KPFT's monthy free-show series "Troubador Tuesdays" at Natachee's Supper & Punch. Back then, ... More >>

The 5 Best Shows In Houston This Week: Lindsey Buckingham, Etc.

Recently Rocks Off noticed our VVM sister paper in Phoenix has been running a list of their picks for the upcoming week's best shows first thing Monday morning. We thought, "Hey, our readers speak the same language(s) as theirs do, so why not try it ourselves?" As far as Fleetwood Mac goes, Lindsey ... More >>

New Baylor Stadium: Now Texas Can Actually Have a Good College Football Venue

On Friday, Baylor regents gave a thumbs-up to the construction of a new $250-million stadium that will post up on the Waco campus and alongside the Brazos River. If Waco City Council green lights the $35 million tax increment financing zone funds that would be needed, then the 45,000-seat venue coul ... More >>

UH Hires Developers for New $105 Million Football Stadium

Look at the University of Houston, acting all grown up and everything. They are so cute at that age. UH, long suffering in grand old Robertson Stadium, particularly in recent years when the football team has been, you know, actually good, finally is moving forward on a much ballyhooed stadium plan ... More >>

Bob Dorough: Jazzman Reflects on Miles Davis, "Devil May Care" & More

Bob Dorough is the kind of musician who when he's performing in the area, someone makes sure to call the local newspaper and tell them about it. In this case the man who made the phone call was Houston jazz producer Joe Peine. (Thanks, Joe.) Perhaps best-known for the insouciant jazz standard "Devi ... More >>

UH Releases Schedule for Last Season in Robertson Stadium & Conference USA

The UH Cougars will be ending some relationships after this season -- they'll be leaving Conference USA for the Big East, and demolition crews will begin working on Robertson Stadium in December 2012. The school isn't sure yet where the 2013 football team will play while a new stadium is being buil ... More >>

Hank Schyma: Southern Backtones Singer Is Fearless Tornado Chaser

If you saw the dramatic footage out of North Texas Tuesday, hopefully from the safety of your living room or gathered around a TV at work, you know that weather events like those tornadoes can make pretty compelling television. And someone has to head straight into those storms to film all that vide ... More >>

Cougars Pull Off the Huge Comeback Against Louisiana Tech, But Problems Linger

Also known as the story of the Houston Cougars.​The Houston Cougars got the 35-34 win over the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs on Saturday night. They had to come from behind to do so, battling back from a 20-point third quarter deficit and scoring 21 points in the fourth quarter. And despite failin ... More >>

Cougars Looking to Cage the Bulldogs

The UH coaching staff hopes the team shows up for the complete game against Louisiana Tech.​The Houston Cougars don't want to start off another game like they did last week. A start where the opposition, a clearly lesser school, jumps off to a lead. A start that finds the team struggling to ... More >>

Rice Seeks Win Number One Tomorrow While UH Aims for 2-0

Purdue storms into Rice Stadium tomorrow.​Welcome to week two of the college football season. The Cougars go on the road to North Texas for what should be a sure win while the Owls host Purdue in an attempt for win number one. And if there's ever a week where the Owls are going to defeat a p ... More >>

Jesus "Jesse" Gonzalez: Former HS Teacher Marries Student, Complicates Prosecution of Improper Relationship Case

Bad teachers abound in Texas.​Recent weeks have seen a rash of cases involving high school teachers having sexual relationships with students past the age of consent. These cases differ from sexual assaults in that while they are second-degree felonies punishable by up to 20 years in prison, ... More >>

All 12 UH Football Games On Air Or Online This Year

A, ummmm, wide variety of viewing methods​If you've got a TV screen or a computer, you can watch every second of UH Cougar football this coming season, the school announced today. The catch is you have to have CBS's college-sports channel and CSS in your cable/dish/whatever package. But if yo ... More >>

“Into the Sunset”

Drunken Wee-Hours Whataburger Drive-Thrus: A Proud Texas Tradition

I'll take a Whatachicken with fries and a large vodka.​Shamefully, all too many of us have been there: out in the bars since happy hour, it's now a quarter-past closing time. We stagger to the car and suddenly remember we haven't eaten a thing other than beer nuts since lunch. Hunger cuts thro ... More >>

Rice Basketball: Owls Slay Cavaliers

How about some Rice basketball?​The Rice Owls shouldn't have to struggle against a team like the St. Gregory's Cavaliers. St. Gregory's is one of those NAIA teams brought in to boost records and help with the confidence. And a final score of 75-58 makes it appear that Rice didn't have that m ... More >>

Rice Owls Lose Again

Owls bowl chances are as extinct as the galleryfurniture.com bowl​The Rice Owls were full of talk before the season started about how they were going to a bowl game this season. Talk of how people were underestimating them. Of about how they would surprise people.And the Owls are surprising ... More >>

Rice Finds Out What Big 10 Football Is Like

He does look mean​The Rice Owls came into Saturday's game against the Northwestern Wildcats on a high.Though they had played a sloppy game against North Texas the week before, the Owls had come away with the win. The offense had moved the football. The defense had made stops when it needed to. ... More >>

Rice Faces Northwestern In Battle Of The Brainiacs

The Rice of the north meets the Northwestern of the south​The Rice Owls (1-1) open the Rice Stadium portion of their home schedule on Saturday night when they host the Big 10's Northwestern Wildcats (2-0). But despite last week's 32-31 come from behind win over North Texas, the Owls know that they ... More >>

Rice Struggles But Gets Out Of Denton With A Win

Hot, muggy day in North Texas​The Rice Owls didn't get their first victory until November last season, starting off at 0-8. That's not going to be the case this season as, on Saturday night, the Owls something they never accomplished last season.They hit the .500 mark as their come from behind 3 ... More >>

Houston Texans: Five Possible 2010 Theme Songs

​If you haven't been able to tell by the depleted charcoal supplies and life-size bikini-model cutouts by the Miller Lite at your neighborhood grocery store (provided it's not Whole Foods), it's almost football season. Houstonians greet this time of year with the same unbridled jubilation they ... More >>

Toadies

KLOL Lives; DJ Shortee Benefit Sunday; Dallas Loves Indian Jewelry

• The always-entertaining video blog Keep Houston Rich shared with us this early-'90s television commercial for "Houston's only album rock station," KLOL. "Word on the street is that this ran during a Miami Vice episode," the bloggers write, which reminds us of this epic TV spot covering Morriss ... More >>

Windpower Woodstock: George W. Bush, Limitless Swag & A Burgeoning Success Story

Windmills in Texas -- as romantic-looking as in Holland​We used to love when oxymoronic news broke because a former editor would always exclaim, "Dogs are sleeping with cats! Film at 11!" Canines definitely hooked up with felines at Windpower 2010 this week in Dallas, where former President George ... More >>

Go On & Do Your Thing Saturday With Scott McCurry & The Mercenaries

www.myspace.com/scottmccurry​After David Gray last month, Rocks Off has a newfound appreciation for blue-eyed singer-songwriter soul. So if Midlake is a little too fey for you, and Alicia Keys a little too pricey, allow us to introduce you to North Texas' Scott McCurry & the Mercenaries, whom ... More >>

Worst Impersonation Of A Police Officer, Ever

​The police pull you over because you're swerving "all over the road." Fair enough.But this wasn't your typical DWI. For one thing, the arrestee was riding a bicycle. For the other, he got charged not only with public intoxication, but with impersonating a police officer -- all because the thrift- ... More >>

Obama, No Way. W And Some Dallas Cowboys? You Bet!

​Houston, whenever you worry the right-wing loons are making you look bad, take solace in this: There's always Dallas.North Texas was perhaps the country's capital of the awe-inspiring movement that kept schoolkids from hearing a president speak about staying in school. And the Dallas area played ... More >>

Free Tickets for Le Freak/M80's Tonight at House of Blues

These fine-looking gentlemen are Le Freak, the Metroplex's premier disco-era cover (or, sorry, "tribute") band, sort of like Houston's Disco Expressions with better wigs and fewer personnel. They and their North Texas buds the M80's - aka Molly and the Ringwalds with Bowie wigs and no ... More >>

College Football Review: Plenty of Upsetting (in a Good Way) Results

The John Royal College Football Top 25, Week Three

Drenched in Blog: SXSW Bitchin' Band Alert: Ghosthustler

Pullem’ Up? Sometimes Dallas Makes It Way Too Easy

College Football Roundup

Wines

Five That'll Blow Your Mind

Andrea Lazar’s Passionate Picks

Andrea Lazar’s Passionate Picks

EVERGREEN Wildflower Hotline

Football U: Pigskin for Turkeys

Football U: Pigskin for Turkeys

Idiot Savant

Brad Tucker retains a quirky, casual approach as he tinkers with his art

Dallas Domination

The Metroplex schools Houston when it comes to the indie scene