Paul Fredric

Asmodeus X Reveals Trippy Sci-Fi Flashback Video

Just when I think I'm never going to hear from the band that got me into goth in the first place Asmodeus X pops back into existence out of nowhere. This time it was with a new music video for the title track off of 2011's Bright Ones, and it is out there. WAY out there. Though there is some basic ... More >>

Friday Night: Covenant at Numbers

Covenant, The Break Up Numbers August 31, 2012 I couldn't believe that this was Covenant's first Houston show, and much thanks must go to Roberth Ehlinger of The New Beat and John Housman and David Spade of Past Present Productions for making it happen. It cannot be overstated just how popular the ... More >>

Top 10 Goth Songs From Houston Ever

The local goth scene in Houston has been around for quite a while. Though it's never been a dominating force in Houston music, its influence has been felt, and some truly remarkable songs have made their way into our little black hearts. Here's our pick of the Top 10 goth tracks released by local ar ... More >>

10 Evil Songs Now Warping Our Toddler's Mind

Velia AlmazanPlaying drums is OK. Dating a drummer gets you grounded for a week.​When you have a kid, certain things are slow to change. For instance, in general you don't immediately throw away your death-metal albums and restock with Barney, because why would you? They don't know what they'r ... More >>

Gothic Council Trims the DJ's Set List

Every goth has a song that is a club staple that they simply cannot stand. We don't know if it's some type of gothic hipsteritis, or if we just all have that breaking point that a DJ insists on poking until it crumbles, but there it is. Case in point, we cannot freakin' stand "Warm Leatherette" by ... More >>

Gothic Council Debates Great Gothic Album Cover Art

​Gothtopia would like to firmly bitch-slap an old adage, that being the warning about judging a book by its cover. The lesson we are supposed to draw from that is that we should look deeper inside than just the surface in order to better appreciate the true character of whatever the subject is ... More >>

Rocks Off Lists Our Favorite Downloads of 2011

It's getting to be that time of year, when the temperature drops and the lists start rolling in. Read any blog, magazine or newspaper and you're bound to run across at least a handfull of year-end lists, particularly when it comes to music. We all like to talk about the stuff we like. It's just what ... More >>

True Blood: In Death There Is A Heavy Peace

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. Welcome to Bon Temps, population... dropping.​Maybe it's the ... More >>

The Top 25 Comedy Rap Songs Of All Time: Nos. 5-1

​Here we are at long last, folks. Here are the top 5 hilarious rap tunes of all time. It was tough to decide who would rule the roost. Seriously, we thought harder about this than we did over naming our daughter. In the end, we think we've saved the best for last. If you've missed the rest o ... More >>

Gothic Council Remembers Their First Dance

​Gothtopia has spent the better part of our free weekends over the last decade hanging out at Numbers whenever DJ Mina hosts Underworld. It remains the hub of all things goth in Houston, and Mina's dedication to the institution doesn't earn her nearly the praise it deserves. We'd like to take ... More >>

Biophilia: Bjork Releasing The First App-Based Album

​Your humble narrator is being dragged kicking and screaming into a future of iPhones and whatnot, both by being married to a loyal Apple convert and the innovations of the music industry. Though Rocks Off still tracks down local acts and releases the old-fashioned way - online concert listing ... More >>

The Four Best Books with Corresponding Soundtracks

​It goes without saying when you're talking to a music journalist, but music can be the greatest inspiration for a writer. Even if you're not writing about the music itself, it can still be an indispensible catalyst for the written word. More and more in modern literature, the afterwards featu ... More >>

What's in a Name? Fired for Walking

Photo by Kimberly Fernandez​It's a well-known fact that most band names are essentially gobbledygook, but here at Rocks Off we're trying hard to find meaning in the oddest monikers. Well, Rocks Off can't say we haven't been to an opium den anymore. Our own Fired for Walking is a loud and thor ... More >>

Gothic Council Debates Possible Sandman TV Series

​Now that we've finally seen something as difficult as Alan Moore's Watchmen turned into a decent, if not groundbreaking, film, the question on many comic fans' minds is whether or not the long-awaited adaptation of Neil Gaiman's Sandman may finally happen. The past month has been a slew of c ... More >>

How Much Damage Has Twilight Done To Goth?

evilpoppy.org.uk​In our last meeting, Gothic Council member Paul Fredric of Asmodeus X said the following... As a gothic union or lobby we'd definitely have a large stake in all things vampiric. How about a class-action lawsuit again the Twilight movies and novels for trying to misrepresent v ... More >>

Gothic Council Debates Unionization, Johnny Cash

evilpoppy.org.uk​In Wisconsin, there's a huge political fight over what form of bargaining state-worker unions will be able to use in the future, and it got us thinking. After all, goths provide many valuable goods and services to the community, such as dark music, disturbing art, and a whole ... More >>

NASA's New Comet Recordings: Worth Sampling Or Not?

nasa.govThe Temple 1 comet as seen by NASA's Deep Impact spacecraft​On Valentine's Day, NASA's Stardust was able to get within spitting distance of the comet Temple 1. This was the second visit by our spacecraft after Deep Impact buzzed Temple back in 2005, so it gave scientist their first cha ... More >>

Gothic Council Debates Peter Murphy's March 19 Show

Chris GrayPeter Murphy at Meridian, July 2008 - we have waited a long time to get a better picture.​It was announced recently that the Godfather of Goth himself, Peter Murphy, will be making a special trip down to Houston. The former Bauhaus front man and composer of super-hits like "Cuts You ... More >>

Why I Wrote A Book About The Bottom Of The Music Biz

​Let's drop the royal we for a second, okay? This is Jef, and I'm here to shamelessly plug my book signing at Cactus Music from 12-3 p.m. tomorrow (beverages provided by St. Arnolds; music by Giant Princess). I also want to explain why the book exists at all. I'm prone to hyperbole, I admit, ... More >>

On Friday The 13th, Houston Musicians Share Some Superstitions

​Friday the 13th has been considered an unlucky day since at least the 19th century. Birthed from a potent combination of Christian traditions, pagan folklore and classical numerology, it is estimated that over $800 million is lost each time it rolls around through people canceling plans or ev ... More >>

Gothtopia: Awen's The Bells Before Dawn

Awen. After seeing the Dallas goth-folk group play its sole Houston performance in 2006 opening up for Verdandi (the neo-folk side project of Asmodeus X's Paul Fredric), I could only assume that Awen was a pagan-y word meaning "to leave boot prints in the colons of all who witness." There are p ... More >>

Aftermath: Asmodeus X at Numbers

Dark's Shadows

DJ Dana Dark shepherds Houston's goths to blacker pastures

Goth Via Space City

Let other goth acts infest other cities; Asmodeus X is perfectly happy here