Phil Collins

30 Seconds With IAmDynamite

Chris Martin and Chris Phillips as IAmDynamite is one of the great modern duo-bands that manages to make two guys sound like an army, easily putting them up there with acts like Chromeo and our own Morgue City. Do yourself a favor and pick up a copy of Supermegafantastic f or the infectious rock an ... More >>

5 Bands Who Pioneered Modern Indie-Rock... Besides the Smiths

Legendary guitarist Johnny Marr is set to release his first ever solo record next month after years of being a sideman for other bands, some rather important. In anticipation, he's had some choice words to say that one would have expected more from his less level-headed ex-Smiths compatriot Morrisse ... More >>

The Top 5 Artists Written Off By "Serious Music Listeners"

One of the weirdest things to happen in music in 2012 was the revelation that Ke$ha might be, gasp, a talented singer with ambitions beyond brushing her teeth with Jack Daniels. I'm pretty sure when she debuted in 2009, none of us "serious music listeners" appreciated anything about her. I mean, she ... More >>

Jan Hammer and the Top 10 TV Theme Songs of the '80s

Not a lot of television shows win multiple Grammys. Then again, not a lot of television shows ever sounded (or looked) like Miami Vice. The cutting-edge series perfectly captured the pastel zeitgeist of its time when it debuted in 1984, influencing film, fashion, design and music in a way that few T ... More >>

"In The Air Tonight": 5 Things About What Has Somehow Become Sport's Biggest Get-Psyched Song

We had 790's Big Show on yesterday as we were coming in to the office, and the subject turned to pre-game get-psyched songs, a discussion triggered by the lameness of Clay Walker's Texans' anthem "It's Football Time In Texas." Co-host Lance Zierlein began tossing out possible replacements, which se ... More >>

The Old 97's Rhett Miller: "We'll Play Our Hit Twice"

Rewind: The Old 97's Rhett Miller: "Then the Stage Gets a Lot Bigger" Streets of Where I'm From (music feature) When Nirvana upended the music business in the early '90s, the major record labels saw dollar signs in every dive bar and honky-tonk in the lower 48. That extended all the way to Texas, ... More >>

The Saxophone: 8 Songs That Show Off Rock's Underappreciated Horn

Bruce Springsteen is currently in the middle of a world tour with E Street Band, their first without saxophonist Clarence Clemons. "The Big Man" passed away one year ago today from complications resulting from an earlier stroke. His death was sad for many reasons, but the reasons most relevant to ... More >>

Gorilla Monsoon: A Birthday Playlist For A Wrestling Legend

Growing up as I did in the '80s, professional wrestling was more than entertainment, it was religion. The Hulkster, Roddy Piper, Randy Savage and Andre were all unapologetically over-the-top, one-dimensional; comic characters that did glorious battle for dubious reasons. It was a great time to watch ... More >>

10 Movie Songs We Can't Hear Without Thinking Of Sex

While we at Rocks Off boast many obsessions and vices (we'll call them "hobbies"), a few choice ones unashamedly top our list. If you perverted pop-culture junkies agree that sex, music, and movies are among life's simplest and most necessary pleasures, then keep reading. If you still blush during s ... More >>

Bartender Chat: Mike Shapiro of Char Bar

This week, I paid a visit to a sometime overlooked stop among Market Square bar-crawlers: the tailor and watering hole-in-one, Char Bar (pronounced "sh" as in champagne). Maybe people are confused by the signs, as one reads "Duke of Hollywood Tailors" and another "Char Bar." So which is it? It's bo ... More >>

6 Musicians Who Messed With Texas

Today, March 2, is Texas Independence Day, the day a bunch of old white politicians and landowners declared this part of the Mexican state of Coahuila y Tejas to be its own sovereign republic in a cabin near Washington-on-the-Brazos. For some inexplicable reason, Rocks Off does not have the day off ... More >>

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 >>

Stunt-Casting A More Modern Disney Soundtrack

Photo by Katie Rommel-Esham​The other night I watched Beauty and the Beast for the first time in roughly forever. I was shocked by two things: How much of the plot I had forgotten, and how many of the songs I remembered. It's like that for most Disney classics: I can't tell you what happened but I ... More >>

La La Love You: Top Ten Cheesiest Love Songs For Valentine's Day

It's that time of year again. Everything is red and full of hearts. Chocolates and roses are marked up. Couples are showing off and singles are desperately searching online dating services for a quick set-up to give them their own special day. That's right, it's about to be Valentine's Day! Some are ... More >>

20 Albums To Leave Your Children Plus Five To Grow On...

It started as a simple question: What albums would you leave your unborn children, if you knew you were on borrowed time and may not be around to show them the way. At first I asked for albums for sons, but then it grew broader, not out of needing to pacify the PC-thug in me, but to make sure everyo ... More >>

Ten Musicians Who Played Other People on TV

Sebastian Bach on Gilmore Girls​Fictional television shows are full of gimmickry. Some of it is good and some of falls flat. Others are subtle in-jokes. However, it can be interesting when a popular artist appears on a television show because it gives the audience a glimpse into another side o ... More >>

Happy Gorilla Suit Day! 5 Music Videos for Celebrating.

Today is National Gorilla Suit Day. We're not explaining it for you because something so magical needs neither intellectual discourse, nor to be held up against the scrutiny of skeptics who are clearly dead inside. Just accept it. Today is National Gorilla Suit Day, and all are commended to observe. ... More >>

Like Crazy: 10 Other Twentysomething Firsts No One Will Be Making a Movie About

At some point in the human life cycle, everyone begins to relate to the songs of Phil Collins. It's called having loved and lost. In Like Crazy, currently showing at the River Oaks Theatre, director Drake Doremus depicts the rise and fall of first love. Two attractive youths played by Anton Yelchin ... More >>

Ask A Rapper: Discussing the Six Worse Rap Collaborations Ever

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. &# ... More >>

Pop Rocks: How Does The Lion King Stand Up Among Recent Disney Releases?

Hail to the king...of the box office.​Box office analysts were a bit puzzled by the haul taken in by The Lion King 3D last weekend. The 1994 film was given the three-dimensional treatment and released to the tune of almost $30 million, beating both Contagion and fellow openers Drive ($11 milli ... More >>

Five Songs For Congo's Independence Day

​Rocks Off remains fascinated with obscure holidays like World Rabies Day. Usually we focus on either lesser-known American holidays, or international holidays endorsed by the United Nations. Today though, we decided to branch out to other countries and wish a happy Independence Day to the cit ... More >>

Stone Deaf Forever: Rockers With Hearing Loss

​The wages we pay to rock and roll aren't always of the sinful and hungover variety. Some of us pay, dearly, with our hearing, one of the best gifts that God has given humanity. Besides Kate Upton that is. Today is Pete Townshend's 66th birthday, and The Who guitarist is just one of countles ... More >>

Rockin' In Plain Sight: Our Favorite Hidden Album Tracks

​In the days when compact discs and tapes ruled the world, hidden tracks on albums were like secret gifts from your favorite bands. Off the liner notes, not in the original track listings, and totally unassuming, sometimes tucked away after minutes and minutes of silence on a disc. With the ... More >>

Meet at the Junction

Finally, a sports bar that your girlfriend won't hate.

10 Uncool Artists Primed For Hipster Rediscovery

Tumblr"Aw, dammit, I grabbed Dad's iPod by mistake. Paul Simon... is that one guy, or two Beatles?" ​Remember emo kids? Only a few short years ago, the nation's venues of the nation were filled with kids in all black, wearing ultra-skinny jeans, eyeliner, white belts, and identical chopped-mea ... More >>

Top 10 Super Bowl Halftime Shows

idontlikeyouinthatway.com​This Sunday, Rocks Off will be live-blogging and tweeting this year's Super Bowl halftime show, which will feature noted scholars The Black Eyed Peas. We are diligently studying the entire BEP canon and that of all of their solo members, like the dedicated pop histori ... More >>

Nine More Washed-Up Musicians On Reality Shows

Photo illustrations by John Seaborn Gray​Everybody's favorite lovelorn rock has-been Vince Neil has signed on to Skating With the Stars, an upcoming reality show sure to feature an exact recreation of the photo illustration above. Times, it seems, are tough all over, and Neil can't be the only ... More >>

Huey Lewis & the News

Pop Rocks: Ten Musicians I Want to Have Sex With Less Than Lady Gaga

​I understand Lady Gaga's declaration of celibacy last month was something of a big deal, if only because most of us have a hard time believing everyone in the music business isn't vigorously fellating each other on those off days when they're not sacrificing puppies to Clear Channel or auto-tunin ... More >>

American Idol: Miley As Mentor

​There were many dark and torturous moments in last night's American Idol. If forced to pick just one, I would have to go with the selection of Miley Cyrus as this week's "mentor" to the singers. The mentor thing, I am gathering, is a regular feature in which a recording artist stops by to lis ... More >>

Idol Beat: Miley As Mentor

​There were many dark and torturous moments in last night's American Idol. If forced to pick just one, I would have to go with the selection of Miley Cyrus as this week's "mentor" to the singers. The mentor thing, I am gathering, is a regular feature in which a recording artist stops by to lis ... More >>

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inducts Stooges; Rocks Off Team Member Faints In Disbelief

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame announced its Class of 2010 inductees Tuesday. Somehow, Jann Wenner and his cronies even managed to induct an actual rock band this year: streetwalkin' Detroit cheetahs Iggy & the Stooges - who, according to RRHOF rules (25 years after an artist's first recording ... More >>

An Exercise In Pain: Six Songs of Radio Phil Collins

John Seaborn Gray​ Inspired by Seanbaby's wonderful article using Pandora via Phil Collins as musical gaydar, Rocks Off logged on to our Last.fm account to see where a similar journey with the Genesis drummer and noted Texas history buff might take us. After all, it's not really scientific unless ... More >>

Slideshow on Demand: You Make the Call

chemistryland.comRocks Off loves to put together musical slideshows, and if the response to a few of our recent ones is any indication (hi, Digg!), you like them too. Album covers are an almost inexhaustible resource that are always fun to look at and can be grouped together any number of ways. So l ... More >>

Selecting The Proper Valentine's Day Soundtrack

A Fine Romance

Recent Super Bowl Halftime Highlights and Lowlights

Backfield in Motion

British Television Advertising Awards

Think of today’s screening as the Super Bowl, without all the football — just the great, over-the-top ads

Single File

“what we want is too late”

Lawndale’s studio artists explore collaborative efforts separately

Grand Theft Auto X: The Screwston Chronicles

Rock Band

It's never been easier to start your own (fake) band

Retro Active: A Nuclear Era, But I Have No Fear

Musical Food Groups

If singers were cheese, what kind of cheese would they be?

True Blue Confessions

Let's join Madonna for a friendly round of Celebrity Breach of Confidentiality

...And Justice for All

Rock's prime offenders face the music

Local Rotation

Alphabet Soup

The Colour Clear knows exactly where it should be filed in the record store. But what about in real life?

Racket

Clear Channel keeps the air free of insensitive songs

Reg Revisits Gay '80s

My Night With Reg

Real Deal