Randy Travis

Give Us a Hand

Weekend Music Part 2: Randys Travis and Weeks, Yuppie Pricks, Jackyl, Spain Colored Orange and More

Rabbit Was a Boxer

The education & travels of the natural-born fighter, fierce homeless poet, charming talker, convicted felon, begetter of children & receiver of messages from Heaven

Last of the Hard-core Troubadours

The education & travels of the natural-born fighter, fierce homeless poet, charming talker, convicted felon, begetter of children & receiver of messages from Heaven

Fit for a Fiddle

Classical? Country? In the hands of fiddler Mark O'Connor, it's one thing: music.

Wanted Man

Johnny Cash may just be a legend, but he's never sounded better

Honky-Tonk History

He had 78 hits over 50 years and revolutionized country music. Now, Hank Thompson gets a new green light.

Rotation

He had 78 hits over 50 years and revolutionized country music. Now, Hank Thompson gets a new green light.

"Think" Not

A Texas housewife/songwriter claims country hunk Collin Raye stole her song

Idol Beat: The Top 11

Photo by Ray Mickshaw / FOXPictured: Matt Giraud, exquisite gumline Traditionally, I've concluded the first Idol Beat of any given week with predictions as to who the American Idol judges or viewing public will send home the next night. This week I'm upending that, and predicting that no one will go ... More >>

Carrie Underwood, Carnival Ride

Carnival Ride

RIP, KIKK

A redneck institution drowns in a flood of syrupy smooth jazz

Hello, Houston!

Noise breaks down the months of live music ahead

James Hand

Friday, May 5, at Blanco's, 3406 West Alabama, 713-439-0072

Never Go to a Party in Friendswood

Where does your town rank in the Houston-area good-taste stakes?

Joy Lynn White

Tuesday, January 24, at McGonigel's Mucky Duck, 2425 Norfolk, 713-528-5999. White also will appear at 6 p.m. Tuesday for an in-store at Cactus Music & Video, 2930 Shepherd, 713-526-9272.

Webb Wilder, with Opie Hendrix and the Texas Tall Boys

Friday, March 18, at Dan Electro's, 1031 East 24th, 713-862-8707.

A Thin Line...

Introducing the most hated men in rock (besides Sting)

Some Kind of Slugger

The rock and roll life of Jeff Bagwell

Choo Choo Ch'boogie

The Derailers get back on track with a major-label deal

Randy Travis

The Derailers get back on track with a major-label deal

George Strait

The Derailers get back on track with a major-label deal

The H-Town Countdown, No. 12: Street Military's Don't Give a Damn

Roughly 84,000 rap albums have been released in Houston since 1989. We're counting down the 25 best of all time every Thursday. Got a problem with the list? Shove it. Just kidding. Friendship. Email it to sheaserrano@gmail.com. Street Military Don't Give a Damn (Wild Pitch, 1999)​Surprise. Kids, m ... More >>

Fool Hearted Memory: Music That Chooses You, Not the Other Way Around

​ Someone once observed wryly that the only member of your family you'll ever actually choose is your spouse, and perhaps a whole lot of that observation is equally applicable to the music of our lives. A couple of years back we were sitting at Prince's Hamburgers off the Southwest Freeway in the ... More >>

Lonesome Onry and Mean: Vince Gill Confirms for Conroe's Crighton Theater

Lise Liddell​ Lonesome Onry and Mean has been holding his breath for a few days, keeping a secret. We've been waiting on one last signature on the contracts before announcing one of the biggest shows ever at Conroe's Sounds of Texas music series. But Wednesday night we got an email from Mark Germi ... More >>

Distant Early Warning: Ben Folds, Caribou, Lupe Fiasco, Randy Travis, Steve Martin, Etc.

​Authority Zero, Voodoo Glow Skulls: Fri., April 9. Wired Live. "Aqua Teen Hunger Force Live": Fri., April 16. House of Blues. "Bamboozle Road Show" With Hanson, Good Charlotte, Forever The Sickest Kids, Cartel, Boys Like Girls, All Time Low: Fri., May 28. Verizon Wireless Theater. Ben Folds: Sat ... More >>

Remembering Jose Lima, Entertainer And Recording Artist

Jose Lima gave Astros fans another reason to be sad this year when the colorful, erratic, but always entertaining righthander died Sunday of an apparent heart attack in Southern California. Despite Lima's winning 21 games and making the NL All-Star team as an Astro in 1999, owner Drayton McLane see ... More >>

Into the Jungle

The Jungle Rockers are wound too tight for Vietnam...what about Texas?

Last Night: Carrie Underwood At Toyota Center

Photos by Marco Torres​Carrie Underwood Toyota Center October 6, 2010 Carrie Underwood is perfect for Vegas. That's not a knock - mostly. Underwood is wholesome, engaging and dynamic. She's no Tina Turner, but she can strut onstage. Her voice is excellent - good range and control, on key and ... More >>

Ten Country Covers That Top The Pop Originals

​Our copy must still be in the mail, but Rocks Off figures we have heard enough songs from Jamey Johnson's new album The Guitar Song on Sirius/XM's Outlaw Country to know that we like it a whole lot. But none that we've heard so far are our favorite new Johnson song. It's close. No flies on G ... More >>

No Shame

Dr. Dog shrugs off faint praise.

Vintage Rodeo Concert Pictures: Elvis, George Strait And More

All photos courtesy of Houston Livestock Show & RodeoElvis Presley (1970, '74)​Rocks Off was so knocked out by our sister blog Hair Balls' gallery of vintage Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo pictures a few days back that we emailed the Rodeo (which starts tomorrow with Clay Walker, for all you r ... More >>

Tony Arata: The Dirt On "The Dance" And Four Other Hits

​This weekend, Conroe's Crighton Theater hosts another big-time writers in the round song-swap with Lee Roy Parnell, Tony Arata and J.D. Souther. Looking at their songwriting credits, which include "Love Without Mercy," "We All Get Lucky Sometimes," "On the Road," "Best of My Love," "New Kid i ... More >>

Upcoming: Arctic Monkeys, Emmylou Harris, R. Kelly, Etc.

​"25th Annual Texas Crawfish & Music Festival" With Fuel, Lit, Earshot: Budweiser Crawfish Stage., Sat., May 21. Old Town Spring. Amplified Heat, The Happen-Ins: Sat., May 21. Continental Club. Arctic Monkeys: Wed., Aug. 3. House of Blues. Joe Jack Talcum, The Bassturd, Rival Wife: Thu., J ... More >>

Out Today: Arctic Monkeys Suck It And See, Black Lips Get Cosmic, Joe Ely Satisfied At Last

​This week of new releases brings a Mark Ronson-produced Black Lips album, the country debut of psychobilly idol Nick 13, an inventive career-spanning set from Randy Travis, and another Arctic Monkeys album, continuing their interesting progression from Brit garage brats into muscular rockers ... More >>

1986: Best Musical Year Ever?

​For almost two weeks now, Rocks Off has been obsessed with the year exactly 25 flips of the calendar backward from this one. It started when Steve Earle did one of his "Time Machine" shows, where the singer-songwriter who plays House of Blues Wednesday spotlights a dozen or so of his favorite ... More >>

Distant Early Warning: Cults, VNV Nation, Childish Gambino, King's X, Village People, Etc.

​30 Foot Fall: Sun., Dec. 25. Fitzgerald's, 2706 White Oak, Houston. Amplified Heat, Dixie Witch: Sat., Jan. 7. Continental Club, 3700 Main, Houston. Bang Bangz, Hello Chief, New York City Queens: Sat., Feb. 4. Fitzgerald's, 2706 White Oak, Houston. Band Of Heathens: Wed., Feb. 1. Main Stre ... More >>

Randy Travis Arrested in Sanger This Morning For Suspicion Of Intoxication

​This morning in Sanger, Texas, country crooner Randy Travis was arrested on "suspicion of public intoxication" by local authorities. Our sister paper to the north, Dallas Observer, also picked up on the story, which is currently making the rounds on TMZ. According to Denton County officials ... More >>

Randy Travis: Weird North Texas Drunk-In-Public Bust

Denton County JailRandy Travis: Mugshot might be the best thing he's released since 1990. ​It may seem that we're talkin' foolish, but Randy Travis was arrested early this morning, allegedly drunk in a car parked in front of a Baptist church in the Denton County town of Sanger. (Travis report ... More >>

Randy Travis' Arrest: Five Other Country-Music Arrests That Sound Like Country Songs

Randy Travis: Life is like a country song​Randy Travis' arrest sounded like nothing more than the opening verse to a country song. The singer is drunk, late at night outside a Baptist church, drinking wine out of the bottle. If that doesn't set you up for a redemptive last verse after you've ... More >>