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Houston's Top 10 Band Names

For years now I have made a personal study of delving into the murky and sometimes macabre monikers our local bands have chosen. Now we shall have them compete for our pleasure. Here are the ten best band names in the city. 10. Holy Fiction Evan Lecker's spiraling, philosophical explanation behin ... More >>

Artists Who Need Their Own Sirius/XM Channel Already

I've had satellite radio in my life since Christmas. Nothing is better than falling asleep on the couch on a Saturday afternoon after a big fat lunch with Willie's Roadhouse playing; waking up every few hours to piss during a Ray Price cut and then falling back to sleep. What I love the most, besi ... More >>

The Carpettes: Unsung UK Punks Back For The First Time

​Punk bands like The Clash have been lauded by critics and fans spanning across the globe, while other superb acts like The Carpettes have remained stuck between the cracks of history. This is almost tragic, since their blend of fine-etched, unblemished pop-tinged punk was just as riveting as ... More >>

Undisputed: Trae Tha Truth At His Realest On New Mixtape

​Trae Tha Truth has released his second mixtape of the year. It is called Undisputed and is a precursor to his forthcoming proper album, Street King. The tape is 24 songs of Trae doing what it is that Trae does: Rapping and being intimidating and hinting at what's to come on future products a ... 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 >>

Upcoming: Billy Joe Shaver, Def Leppard, Stephen Marley, Etc.

​"20th Annual KTRU Outdoor Show" With Washed Out, Real Estate, Fat Tony, Young Mammals, Grandfather Child, The Tontons: Sat., April 9. Rice University. Billy Joe Shaver: Sat., June 18. Dosey Doe Coffee Company. Chingo Bling, DJ Ebonix: Fri., April 8. Bronze Peacock Room @ House of Blues. C ... More >>

Saturday Night: Slim Thug, Z-Ro & J-Dawg At Arena Theatre

Photos by Marco Torres​Slim Thug, Z-Ro, J-Dawg Arena Theatre January 22, 2011 Houstonians from the Northside, Southside and everywhere in between gathered at the Arena Theatre on Saturday night to celebrate two kings. January 17 was Martin Luther King Day, and the 19th was Southwest-side rapp ... More >>

Trae Vs. The Box: No. 2 Local Music Story Of 2010

Rocks Off is counting down the Top 5 local music stories of 2010 this week. We have already covered Lightnin' Hopkins, Meridian and Fitzgerald's. ​In 2008, eight people were shot at Trae Day, a day sanctioned by the City of Houston to honor rapper Trae tha Truth's philanthropic work with the ... More >>

Train Keeps A-Rollin'

Aerosmith expects first album in nine years.

Confirmed: Trae And The Box Both Drop Lawsuits

Marco TorresBrandi Garcia and Trae at last week's Trae Day​Saturday, reports began popping up that Trae tha Truth, recent celebrator of Trae Day/Houston Press cover man/upcoming HPMA special guest, had dropped his suit against Radio One and The Box. Though no one from Trae's side has been avai ... More >>

Trae's Lawsuit Against The Box Appears To Be Over

​Apparently the long, dramatic saga of Houston rapper Trae's lawsuit against local radio station 97.9 The Box has come to an mysterious and abupt end. Fox 26 News reported earlier today that Trae and his legal team have dropped the suit they filed back in May that alleges The Box put a ban on ... More >>

DJ Brandi Garcia Addresses Box Dismissal At Press Conference

​As Rocks Off mentioned in last week's Trae feature, DJ Brandi Garcia, long a fixture on the Houston airwaves and one of the city's most beloved radio personalities, was recently fired from KBXX 97.9 FM, The Box. Though speculation was that she fired for playing a record that featured a verse from ... More >>

Out of the Box

Banned from KBXX 97.9, Trae tha Truth takes his case courtside.

Rap Goes To College: 5 More Possible Hip-Hop Professors

​Rice University just got a lot more... trill. Never thought you'd hear those words in the same sentence? Yeah, us too. But as hiphopdx.com reports, you just might be seeing a lot more "Diamonds and Wood" and "Front, Back & Side to Side" in the Rice University parking lot. That's because B ... More >>

DJ Brandi Garcia Fired From The Box

​The Trae vs. The Box saga continues. Late Monday night a source close to the situation sent word to Rocks Off that Brandi Garcia, DJ at The Box for the past decade, had been terminated. Victor Vital, Radio One's defense attorney for the Trae lawsuit, confirmed the firing Tuesday afterno ... More >>

Judge Denies Trae's Injunction Request Against The Box

​Simply put, the task before Trae seems illogical. No hip-hop artist has ever walked into a courtroom and essentially forced a radio station to play their music. Then again, no other hip-hop artist has a day named after him in his own city. Interestingly, it was the unfortunate events that occurre ... More >>

Love, Shelby

Shelby Lynne smolders on Tears, Lies, and ­Alibis.

Trae's Attorney: The Box "Going Beyond Legal Bounds"

Chris Gray​ Trae the Truth and his attorney officially announced this morning they are filing suit against local radio station 97.9 the Box, its parent company Radio One and several station staffers for "business disparagement, conspiracy and tortious interference" they say has resulted from the B ... More >>

Rocks Off Requests Trae On The Box

​At this morning's press conference announcing Trae the Truth's civil lawsuit against 97.9 The Box and its parent company Radio One (see previous entry), community activist Deric Muhammad asked the media present to call the station and request Trae's music. Rocks Off asked our rap writer Shea Serr ... More >>

Trae Filing Suit Against 97.9 The Box Parent Company, Staff

​Publicists for Trae the Truth sent out a press release this afternoon with the news that the Houston rapper will hold a press conference tomorrow morning to announce he is filing a civil suit against 97.9 The Box parent company Radio One, as well as several staff members of the station, alleging ... More >>

97.9 The Box Declines Comment On Trae Situation

​After a couple of days of phone and email tag, Rocks Off was finally able to get in touch with Terri Thomas, program director of 97.9 The Box, regarding the highly rated urban station's reputed ban on everything associated with local rapper Trae tha Truth - songs, mixtapes, in-studio appearances, ... More >>

Letters

Letters

How Long, Oh, Lord, How Long

Another outpost of crap plops onto the Houston dial, as this open letter reveals

Weapons of Mass Distraction

At Miami's Winter Music Conference, P. Diddy blows up dance music while the U.S. blows up Iraq