Ross

Tattoo Nation: Ink Me

New film documents Southern California's tattoo scene, from Danny Trejo to Ed Hardy.

Chef Chat, Part 1: Jeff Axline of Brooklyn Athletic Club, on Moving Around as a Navy Kid, and The Sexy Lifestyle of a Free-Standing Restaurant Chef

This is the first part of a three-part Chef Chat series. Come back to read parts two and three, which will run in this same space on Thursday and Friday. On a sleepy corner of Richmond, close to the Spur and around the corner from Montrose, the Brooklyn Athletic Club -- which took over the space t ... More >>

Aw, Nuts

A brief history of movie characters getting whacked in the balls.

What the Deal, Lucille's?

Something has gone wrong with a restaurant that should have, could have, been great.

New Music From Scarface, Nas, Trae, Kirko Bangz, Bun B, Slim Thug, Paul Wall, Z-Ro... In 2 Songs

Let's not dance around this too much. Two songs came out Thursday that you need to hear. The first inexplicably comes via DJ Khaled, rap DJ/producer/screamer/barterer. His new album(!?) comes out this August, which respectable Houstonians will be strong-armed into purchasing because it includes gu ... More >>

SXSW: Why Are We Here?

That headline is not any kind of existential plaint; Rocks Off was legitimately curious. We know why we're at SXSW - it's our job. But it's a broad, broad spectrum between those of us doing some kind of business here this week and the hordes of people in Austin purely to party. So, because we are s ... More >>

Health Department Roundup

"The language used in some of these violations is troublingly oblique, Christopher."​Back to the old style this week, where inspectors check out dozens and dozens of places, but hand out next to nothing in the way of citations or closures. The only place to get cited was also temporarily clo ... More >>

Rap Round Table: What Are We To Think Of Rick Ross's New Mixtape, Rich Forever?

Some rappers happen to be thoughtful, intelligent people. Each week Rocks Off will have some of them here discussing issues relevant to their culture. Photo illustration by John Seaborn Gray​This Week's Panel: Bun B, Slim Thug, Z-Ro, Killa Kyleon, A.D.D., Roderickvonn, Onehunnidt, Kyle Hubbar ... More >>

Montrose Winter Social: Festival of Sound Checks

Photos by Barry Sigman​For more pics from the inaugural Montrose Winter Social, check out our slideshow. The years spent organizing and attending a number of live music events have taught us several valuable lessons: 1) the line-up will inevitably change the second after being finalized and s ... More >>

Rap Round Table: What Is The Best Song You Have That Was Inspired By Another Human?

Some rappers happen to be thoughtful, intelligent people. Each week Rocks Off will have some of them here discussing issues relevant to their culture. Photo illustration by John Seaborn Gray​This Week's Panel: Bun B, Young Sensation, Fat Tony, Hollywood Floss, O.N.E., hasHBrown, Kyle Hubbard ... More >>

Thanksgiving Television Episodes That Didn't Knock Us Out From Tryptophan

We can't lie and say that Thanksgiving television specials give us that same warm and fuzzy feeling as their Yuletide counterparts. For starters, there are very few of them and it is difficult to find them anywhere besides the Hallmark Channel. Lucky enough, regularly scheduled television uses the ... More >>

Rap Boom Reload

In 2005, rappers put Houston on the map. Then the spotlight moved on. Some musicians are working hard to turn it back this way.

Vegan Dreamquest Dinner 3: Soy Burger at The Hobbit Cafe

Photo by Joanna O'LearyActual burger bigger and tastier than may appear in this photo.​On Day 3 of Vegan Dreamquest 2011, I decided to round out my vegan dinner experiences (takeaway burito, home-cooked beetloaf with gravy), by going out. Radical Eats was my first choice, but they aren't open ... More >>

Top 5 Food Inspired Moments in Television

Food and television. My two favorite things in life. I mean, besides family and friends, of course. Anyway, some of the greatest scenes in television are based around food, as evidenced by this season's rum-ham filled It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia episode. Feeling inspired myself, I made a list ... More >>

Our Ten Favorite Glenn Danzig Pictures

Marc Brubaker​Today is Glenn Danzig's 56th birthday, and the former Misfits and Samhain frontman is as evil and cantankerous as ever as he stalks this cursed Earth, darkly reaping the senior discounts of the innocent. For a year now he has been able to buy black jeans and black shirts from Ros ... More >>

Doeman Sounds Off On Hip-Hop Headlines

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 >>

Trust

Party at the Moon Tower

This Second Ward hangout is all about good food, good beer and good friends.

Laying Odds On Rick Ross' Arena Theatre Show Sunday

​Ricky Rozay will come thundering into town this Sunday. This is a most excellent situation. Saying that Ross is only a little intriguing is like saying that his waistline is only a little oversized; he is perhaps the world's most interesting pseudo-thug. Lots of people went yo-yo when he was ... More >>

The Houston Sound Maps Our "No Zoning" Music Scene

Katya Horner/Downtown DistrictThe John Evans Band in Market Square Park​What is the Houston Sound? Until recently, it was a trick question. Although Houston has produced too many distinguished artists to name across a wide variety of genres from blues, country and jazz to psychedelic rock, noi ... More >>

Which Houston Rappers Are "Blowin' Money Fast"?

​This has been Ricky Rozay's summer, for certain. Teflon Don was, in short, a sparkly, magnanimously produced, well-acted-out album. By the way, let's just go ahead and keep pretending like the entire planet hasn't figured out that Ross employed a ghostwriter for TD. Hard evidence? Well, there ... More >>

Game Time: Whaler Fan Fest -- Houston Oiler Fans May Know How I Feel

Hartford Whalers: They live on as a dessert​"Somewhere along the line, we will see you in another place in another time. God bless all of you fans. Remember one thing, you may have lost the NHL, but you have not lost the memories." -- Chuck Kaiton, the voice of the Hartford Whalers after the Whal ... More >>

Sakara Ross: I Ain't No Jump-Off Girl, No Matter What That NBA-Groupies Site Says

Steamy NBA frolics​What would you do if you felt someone libeled you on a website, but the site's owner was untraceable and couldn't be served with a lawsuit? Such is the fate of Houstonian Sakara Ross, who wants to be a model and actress, but who's only getting attention for allegedly being ... More >>

Pop Rocks: The Time Is Now For A Friends Movie

​It's been a dark six years since we said goodbye to Central Perk and the Rembrandts dropped off the face of the earth. Now, in Year 6 AF, dawn looks like it's finally breaking; we could be getting a Friends movie. Now, I don't want to get anyone's hopes up. Will a film catching up with Monic ... More >>

Pop Rocks: Just Create A Sex-Tape Channel Already

​The celebrity world was rocked yesterday by news that country singer Mindy McCready's sex tape was about to hit the streets. Okay, maybe "rocked" is the wrong word. How about "briefly distracted from Kate Gosselin's behavior on Dancing with the Stars?" Time was, a sex-tape scandal was cause for ... More >>

Fault Lines

Horse Head Theatre Company delivers a drama about unexpected surprises

League City Ladies Room Peeper Nabbed

Photo courtesy League City PD​Imagine this scenario, ladies. You're out shopping, and your bladder is bursting. You rush to a stall and sit down to pee. Ahhh, bliss. Suddenly, from the stall next door, this head appears under the partition:That head belongs to Dickinson's Juan Gomez, who is allege ... More >>

Five Spot: J-Dawg, Z-Ro's Lyrical Match (Seriously)

Welcome back to Five Spot. Every Friday, we'll examine a recent bit of music news and, sometimes awkwardly, tie it to a bit of Houston rap. It's five videos and occasional cussing. Send tips to introducingliston@gmail.com.​You know, prior to the three seconds of gunshots that unwound all the good ... More >>

Cornbreadd Weighs In On 50 Cent/Rick Ross Feud

How bad off is hip-hop right now? Sales are still in the toilet - only one rap record, Jadakiss' The Last Kiss, is in the current Billboard Top 20 - and even Kanye West shooting his mouth off isn't that interesting anymore. About the only thing with legs these days is the 50 Cent/Rick Ross feud, wh ... More >>

Five Spot: Slim Thug is Back

Welcome back to Five Spot. Every Friday, we'll examine a recent bit of music news and list five reasons why it's either brilliant or dumb-assed. Send tips to introducingliston@gmail.com. Photo by thebestbradley Numerous emails from PR people over the last two or so months have informed us that but a ... More >>

An American Idol From Jasper

We've had our Aggie American Idol. Now we have one from Jasper.Michael Sarver, according to those who watch American Idol, has gotten himself into the finals, or the semi-finals, or whatever it is that's a step beyond the comic-relief idiot tryouts.As the Beaumont Enterprise reports, Sarver is ready ... More >>

Tax Break for the Rich II

The Harder They Come

The subversive mainstream friendliness of Shortbus

Morcheeba

The Antidote

Monster Mash

Jackal and Hyde breed badass beats

Boys Do Cry

The band nearly broke apart before the Cure finally took

Letters

Slipping into Darkness

A lobbyist's last tango: politics, sex, drugs, death

The Kids Aren't Alright

Fledgling director Jonas Akerlund spins the next hip dope flick

Your New Friends?

NBC hopes Coupling is its next hitcom, which bugs the show's biggest fans

A Woolf in Goat's Clothing

Edward Albee tears up the Alley Theatre with his two Tony Award-winning plays

Nothing to Celibate

40 Days plods through a dull and unbelievable plot

Look Ahead

D.A. Pennebaker doesn't make history, but he's captured so much of it

That Rap-Metal Shit

Ross Tossed

Perot inspired his legions to throw the hypocritical rascals out of politics. He just never thought he'd get the boot, too

Rotation

Human Machine

Fighting the Renaissance

A family battles to save its land -- and a homeless shelter -- from an urban-renewal juggernaut

Cute Threat

The fight to save the Katy Prairie

How many winters more will Arctic waterfowl make their 10,000-year-old journey to the western edge of Houston?