Shina Rae

SXSW: Shina Rae, Social Butterfly

Shina Rae on FacebookShina Rae and her patriotic suspenders at the Maxim Super Bowl party last month​Despite how it may appear to even our closest associates, Rocks Off is not in the business of accosting random women on the street. We don't think we could even if we wanted to. So when we saw ... More >>

Houston At SXSW: Where & When The Bayou City Invades

​In the coming week, legions of Houstonians will trek northwest to descend upon the city of Austin, blessing it with our mere presence during the madhouse that is SXSW. Heck, some of Houston is already there. Our delegation is not limited to SXSW attendees, however. A host of Houston bands, r ... More >>

MCM: More Local Music News Than Fried Food At The Rodeo

Each week Rocks Off navigates the treacherous seas of the mysterious Internet, casting nets to bring you the finest and freshest music news from around Houston. Enjoy. ​Scale The Summit's new album, The Collective, was released this week, and the entire thing is up for streaming on Soundcloud ... More >>

Arcade Fire Tickets On Sale Next Friday

​We'll lead off this week's Magnolia City Mixtape with, well, the headline. It's 10 a.m. next Friday (March 4) at livenation.com or by phone at 1-800-745-3000. In other late-breaking concert news, Bob Seger hits Toyota Center April 30. Tickets for that one go on sale next Saturday. Our soundt ... More >>

Remember Simple Success' Smash and Dash EP?

Houston's history is dotted with albums that, fairly or not, have been swept aside. We'll examine them here. Have an album that you think nobody knows about but should? Email sheaserrano@gmail.com. Photos by Sarah Levit​Simple Success opens up for Mac Miller tonight at Warehouse Live. They p ... More >>

Mic Skills, Dirty And Defiant At Summerfest

Photos by Mani Nezami via Flickr​ Summerfest's "Fancy Pants In the Bowl" stage served numerous functions this weekend, providing cover from the unforgiving sun, air-conditioning and cheaper drinks to those wearing the coveted pink wristband. But on Sunday, it served as shelter from the pouring rai ... More >>

Bun B Added To Summerfest; Schedule Announced

Marco TorresBun B at Warehouse Live, April 20​ He shows up at every other show in town, so why not Summerfest? Free Press Houston and Pegstar announced today that the king of the trill, Bun B, will join Slim Thug onstage on Day 1 of the two-day event scheduled for June 5 and 6 in Eleanor Tinsley P ... More >>

South Bayou: Where And When Houston Artists Are Playing In Austin This Week

​Monday afternoon, when Rocks Off was scouring our email, MySpace, Facebook and various other Web sites for the following information, this thought occurred to us more than once: "Why are we wasting our time telling Houstonians where to go see people during SXSW who they can see practically anytim ... More >>

Chatter: Long Ball

Ex-ballplayer and busker George Thorogood: Now playing in a kid's movie near you.

Aftermath: Peace, Love, Little Joe and Hooker Heels at Westheimer Block Party

Photos by Groovehouse​ We'll get the obligatory platitude out of the way first. If any of you didn't Day 1 of the one-and-only two-day edition of the Westheimer Block Party, then you missed an excellent day of music and community in Houston. As we walked between stages spanning the corner of Wes ... More >>

Aftermath: A Weekend With the Magically Reappearing Ralf Armin (and Some Really Gross Portapotties) at Westheimer Block Party

Brittanie SheyDead Roses - that's the ubiquitous Ralf Armin in the hat at left - on the roof of La Strada​ You know how sometimes you'll learn a new word, and in the weeks that follow you'll realize you're hearing that word everywhere, eavesdropping it in conversations and reading it in the newspa ... More >>

Free Press Houston Announces Westheimer Block Party Lineup

​Our friends and neighbors at Free Press Houston just posted the lineup for the next Westheimer Block Party, November 14 and 15 on lower Westheimer. Rumors it's soon to become the Washington Avenue Block Party in an attempt to coax some of those sweet, sweet yuppie ad dollars out of the Social, Pe ... More >>

Life on Mars

Grammy-winning prog-punks The Mars Volta mellow out on Octahedron.

Artist of the Week: Bubbly Electro-Rap Princess Shina Rae

Each Wednesday, Rocks Off arbitrarily appoints one lucky local performer or group "Artist of the Week," bestowing upon them all the fame and grandeur such a lofty title implies. Know a band or artist that isn't awful? Email their particulars to introducingliston@gmail.com.Carlie Thompson​ With reg ... More >>

Digital Domain

Prolific Houston songwriter Joe Mathlete empties his vaults (almost) onto the Web.

Bayou Beat: Method Man on His Pellet-Gun Aim, The Debut of HUSH, Local Bands Vying for ACL Spot, Thee Armada MySpace Finalist, etc.

Above, Method Man talks about his pellet-gun accuracy, which was a little off the night he allegedly shot Houstonian Mary Anderson, who is now suing him on several counts including assault. Besides playing House of Blues Friday with Redman and Ghostface, looks like Meth will spend some time in Hous ... More >>

Leave Your Genre at the Door

This Just In: Houston Bringing It to SXSW

St. Patrick's Day Guide 2005

St. Patrick's Day Guide 2005