Ray Wylie Hubbard

The Rocks Off 100: Jack Saunders, Dealer of Grit & Jangle

Welcome to the Rocks Off 100, our portrait gallery of the most compelling profiles and personalities in the far-flung Houston music community -- a lot more than just musicians, but of course they're in there too. See the entire Rocks Off 100 at this link. Who? Jack Saunders is one of Houston's most ... More >>

Steve Said Bringing a Bit of Dosey Doe to D.C. Inaugural Ball

Rocks Off wanted to know why Dosey Doe Music Cafe had cancelled its January 19 Ray Wylie Hubbard show, so we called and got a dosey dose of serendipity. As it turns out, owner Steve Said was asked to be the talent buyer for the Texas State Society of Washington D.C.'s Black Tie & Boots Inaugural Bal ... More >>

The Rocks Off 100: Mason Lankford, Folk Family Revivalist

Who: Mason Lankford is the young songwriter behind many of the tunes performed and recorded by the Folk Family Revival. The band's debut, Unfolding, was an amazing collection of spiritual and moving Americana tracks that was easily one of the best albums of 2011. Since then, he and his band of broth ... More >>

Which Texas Musicians Would Get Page 1 New York Times Obits?

Like it or not, death is an inevitable part of the news cycle. A big part of the news cycle, most of the time. Look at Tony Scott, Phyllis Diller and... wait, what time is it now? Rocks Off is not trying to be flippant at all here, because we had our own brush with the reaper less than a year ago: ... More >>

Here Come the Trishas, Texas' 4-Part Harmony Queens

Does anyone else miss the Dixie Chicks? Is it even OK to say that in Texas? We hope so, because a week or two ago Rocks Off stumbled across "Tonight the Heartache's On Me" again and have been on a serious Chicks kick ever since. But as the song says, that trio is a long time gone at this point. The ... More >>

7 Cool & Cheap Things To Do This Weekend: Neuwave!, Iguanas, Jack Saunders, Etc.

One final reminder that Belgian electronic body music groundbreakers Front 242's show originally scheduled for tonight at Numbers has been cancelled (for some time, it looks like), but we're guessing Classic Numbers might toss in "Headhunter" or "Never Stop" anyway. If not, you'll hear EBM and every ... More >>

Ray Wylie Hubbard

But Seriously, Folks... Joe Walsh Coming To Nutty Jerry's May 18

One of the best parts about seeing the Eagles in the 21st century, besides all the jokes about grandchildren and Ben-Gay that they make, is seeing Joe Walsh onstage. That survivor with the dull Everyman stare. The man who did enough drugs to stay awake until the Sun explodes. Because even while Do ... More >>

Top 5 Old Musicians Actually Using Twitter

Like youth itself, Twitter is wasted on the young. But not everyone over 35 has completely tuned it out -- after a recent upgrade to a smartphone, even I'm using it now after years of Twitterphobia. (Hit me up at @ThePhantomTX.) Since I've been on, I've learned that most musicians have handed off t ... More >>

Some Questions About the Texas Music Awards 2012 Ballot

If you think we were flabbergasted by songwriter Bob Cheevers touting his election as 2011 Songwriter of the Year in the Texas Music Awards sponsored by mytexasmusic.com and "sanctioned" (a hedge word that appears frequently in relation to the Texas Music Awards) by the Texas Academy of Music (high ... More >>

The Wylie Llama for President

The singer-songwriter on ­Michelle Bachmann, seceding from the Union, big hair and wild hogs.

Zoo Station: A Noah's Ark Of 75 Animal Songs

And of every living thing of all flesh, two of every sort shalt thou bring into the ark, to keep them alive with thee; they shall be male and female. Of fowls after their kind, and of cattle after their kind, of every creeping thing of the earth after his kind, two of every sort shall come unto thee ... More >>

The Five Most Texan Types Of Music

​Happy San Jacinto Day, fellow Texans and people who wish they were; i.e. everyone else. If you don't know why today is special, shame on you. But since us Texans are a friendly sort, allow Rocks Off to fill you in. On April 21, 1836, Texian forces under Gen. Sam Houston (aka "Big Drunk") lau ... More >>

Todd Snider

Balaclavas, Moccs, Fat Tony Place In Pazz & Jop Poll

Show of hands, everyone who is surprised this is No. 1.​Music writers all know that once they get their Village Voice Pazz & Jop ballot in their e-mail inbox, that it's time to tally their loves from the last year. It's sort of like the leaves changing or the first freeze of winter coming. You ... More >>

Hayes Carll

Lonesome Onry And Mean's Top 11 Obscure 2010 Albums

​As per previous years, Lonesome Onry and Mean isn't going to bother with running down all this year's major-label releases. Ranking the relative merits of Lady Gaga, Carrie Underwood and Adam Lambert is the Houston Chronicle's job, we suppose. Seeing major players like Robert Plant, Bruce Sp ... More >>

Get Behind the Mule

Gov't Mule main man Warren Haynes swears he takes time off, but we don't really believe him.

Lonesome Onry and Mean: Two Top Producers Recall Their Earliest Musical Memories

Two of the better known roots producers on the scene have radically different memories of the first music of their childhoods that gripped them by the ears and heart. Gurf Morlix, whose notable production credits include Lucinda Williams' Grammy-winning Car Wheels on a Gravel Road as well as stella ... More >>

Age of Endarkenment

Ray Wylie Hubbard's new album gets low-down with hookers, tornadoes and religion.

Lonesome Onry and Mean: No Wrong Answers on Ray Wylie Hubbard's New Album

​Lonesome Onry and Mean's second early pick for our 2010 best-of list is Ray Wylie Hubbard's A. Enlightenment, B. Endarkenment, (Hint) There Is No C, set to drop this coming Tuesday. Ever since he started working with producer/guitarist Gurf Morlix four records ago, Hubbard has gotten further and ... More >>

Cross Canadian Ragweed

Lonesome Onry and Mean: Looking Ahead to Jonathan Richman, Ray Wylie Hubbard, Scott Miller and Lots More

While doing our usual hunt for interesting acts coming to Houston in the next few weeks, Lonesome Onry and Mean came across some great stuff coming to Continental Club and McGonigel's Mucky Duck. The brainy, always quirky Jonathan Richman will be at the Continental Saturday, January 29. An origianl ... More >>

Dwight Yoakam

Lonesome Onry and Mean: The Mucky Duck Hits a Hot Streak In the Cool Weather

Lonesome, Onry and Mean just noticed that venerable listening room McGonigel's Mucky Duck has a major streak of high-grade talent Nov. 12 through 17. Beginning with the Subdudes on the 12th, the Duck quickly plows through Texas legend Ray Wylie Hubbard (13th), troubadour-poet Tom Russell (14th), on ... More >>

Today: SpringFest in Old Town Spring

Allison V. Smith/ www.maxstalling.comLots of twangy stuff going on in the North Woods this weekend. Scroll down a bit for the Texas Independence Day in downtown Conroe (starring Mr. "Screw You, We're From Texas" himself, Ray Wylie Hubbard) or, if you prefer, there's SpringFest - including win ... More >>

Lonesome Onry and Mean: Gurf Morlix and Last Exit To Happyland

Photo by Lynne Hawrelko What a beautiful world we'd be living in if Joel Osteen or Pat Robertson or Rush Limbaugh used Gurf Morlix as musical director. His new Last Exit to Happyland is full of aching songs full of deep humanity and decency as well as head-shaking social accusations and knife-to-the ... More >>

Conroe Announces Second Annual Texas Independence Day Music Festival and Chili Cook-off

The City of Conroe has announced the program for its second annual Texas Independence Day Music Festival and Chili Cook-off on March 7. The musical lineup:

2008 in Texas Albums and Local EPs

Slideshow: Snakes on an Album

One of the songs slithering around Rocks Off's head lately is "Snake Farm," the title track to grizzled Hill Country troubador Ray Wylie Hubbard's 2006 album, where the singer and a comely employee of the ramshackle reptile house between San Marcos and New Braunfels get it on amongst the other&n ... More >>

The Shredder

One Show, One Sentence

Aftermath: Randy Weeks at Discovery Green

Houston Music Festivals

The last three weeks of this month promise to be hard on your wallet, eardrums and liver

Stingaree Music Festival

Hayes Carll hosts a sandy shindig in a reverse hurricane

Cracker

Thursday, June 15, at the Meridian, 1503 Chartres, 713-225-1717

This Week's Day-by-Day Picks

Tony Joe White

Friday, September 30, at McGonigel's Mucky Duck, 2425 Norfolk, 713-528-5999.

Macon Greyson

Friday, April 29, at the Firehouse Saloon, 5930 Southwest Freeway, 713-977-1962.

Playbill

The Dirty Thirty

The worst songs of all time from Texas

Caroline Herring

Friday, January 23

Britannia Rules the Strand

Galveston reanimates Victorian England for the 30th year in a row

Ray Wylie Hubbard

Saturday, August 16

Life Begins at 41

Early success was almost the end of Ray Wylie Hubbard

Wylie Coyote

Rotation

Press Picks

Ray Wylie Gets Intense

The self-improved "Redneck Mother" man refines his technique

Rotation

Press Picks