Sinead O'Connor

Five Essential Willie Nelson Albums

This week and into next, the State of Texas and the rest of the world will join together in saluting American hero Willie Nelson on his 80th birthday. Rocks Off would certainly like to add our congratulations, but we woke up today -- well, yesterday -- looking to start an argument. The standard li ... More >>

The 30 Best Texas Albums

Ranking the 30 best Texas albums of the past 30 years seemed like an impossible task. We did it anyway.

Musically Speaking, What Is the Best Zodiac Sign?

Sometimes some musicians just can't even be put in the same sentence as one another. Depending on people's musical preferences. It's hard to compare and can be a bit confrontational. But one thing is for sure the day on which someone is born can't be changed. And then that's where astrology comes in ... More >>

Top Six Rap Videos Set In Places Of Worship

Rocks Off was only 13 years old in October 1992 when singer Sinéad O'Connor sang an a cappella version of Bob Marley's "War" on Saturday Night Live and, on cue, tore an image of Pope John Paul II into pieces while singing the word "evil." "Fight the real enemy," she exclaimed at the end of one of ... More >>

Aerosmith & Cheap Trick Rock Toyota Center July 30

This morning Aerosmith, the band that wouldn't die (or refuses to go away), announced a Houston stop on this summer's "Global Warming" tour at Toyota Center Monday, July 30. Taking a break from the casino/state-fair circuit, Illinois power-pop heroes Cheap Trick open. Aerosmith is still be rumored ... More >>

Sinead O'Connor's Top 5 F-Bombs

Sinead O'Connor may be one of my oldest pop-music crushes. I remember being fascinated with her close-cropped haircut in the "Nothing Compares to U" video, but I think it was watching her tear up that picture of the pope on SNL in 1992 that really did it. As a high-school senior only then finding ou ... More >>

Last Night: Dropkick Murphys At House Of Blues

Dropkick Murphys House of Blues February 28, 2012 Check out photos of last night's sold out Dropkick Murphys show at House of Blues. Everybody's Irish at a Dropkick Murphys show. Tuesday night at House of Blues, Rocks Off saw more shamrock-festooned gear and Boston Red Sox caps than should normall ... More >>

Are SNL's Divisive Musical Guests Making It Relevant Again??

Even as sketch comedy tastes have changed, and a segment of the population has sadly written it off as an unfunny relic, NBC's Saturday Night Live is still pulling in cutting-edge, marquee musical guests each week, in the process creating national stars or pariahs. Or sometimes both. Case in point ... More >>

Top 5 Musicians Whose Art Trumps Their Politics

Once again we have yet another example that if a musician opens his or her mouth without the benefit of a guitar or piano close by, trouble is usually not far behind. In this case it's Rockin' Randall Hank Williams Jr., who compared this year's Obama/John Boehner "golf summit" to Adolf Hitler hittin ... More >>

Marley's Ghost: Bob Lives In More Than Just Dorm Rooms

The Onion​Thirty years ago today, Bob Marley passed away from cancer at the young age of 36. According to one joke, it took three days to bury him because his coffin kept jammin'. Bada bum. That's not even our favorite. Earlier this year, Dan Turner, press secretary to Mississippi Governor an ... More >>

Shock Therapy: Would Sinead O'Connor Still Cause An Uproar?

​Sunday night is a special night. It's the 18th anniversary of Sinead O'Connor's infamous Pope-a-ripping on Saturday Night Live. For the extremely small number of you who somehow have the Internet but not VH1, the facts are these: O'Connor, always the most peaceable and least controversial of ... More >>

Mullets & More: 17 Signature Musical Hairstyles

​If you have hair, Craig's Hlist hates you. Not in a "you shot my whole family" or "you are the serial killer who dissolved my sibling in a vat of acid" way, more in a "you got the last sausage and cheese kolaches at the office" way. Our hair loss began sometime in high school, when we were ... More >>

Top 8 Post-2000 Soldier Songs

​Like many of you, Rocks Off has friends and family members who have served (or are serving) in our armed forces. Memorial Day is when we honor the sacrifice so many of them have made - and are still making - fighting America's wars. Songs about the hardships suffered by soldiers and their familie ... More >>

Musical Moms That Make Us Melt

​ With Mother's Day fast approaching, we can't help but recognize all the hot rocker mamas out there making music and babies. It can't be easy to write the next great pop song and have a tiny human being inside you sucking nutrients from your body, in the process girding their loins for making you ... More >>

Unmasked and Anonymous

Houston's Without a Face wins over crowds with songs about MySpace, lactose intolerance and stalking local TV anchors.

Lonesome Onry and Mean: Celtic Accordion Queen Sharon Shannon

​One of Lonesome Onry and Mean's favorite Pogues tracks is actually Steve Earle's great anti-war song "Johnny Come Lately" from Earle's Copperhead Road album. Earle has frequently spoken of his affinity for Ireland, particularly Galway, which we might call one of his retreats. It was through Earle ... More >>

Texas Spider-Man Fans: You Could Be A Broadway Star! (Or, Maybe Not)

Spider-Man geeks, rejoice!! You may not only get to live out your fantasy -- being Peter Parker and his alter ego -- but you can be a Broadway star!! Or, on the other hand, you can participate in a huge publicity stunt. They're making a musical out of Spiderman, complete with a new (to us, anyw ... More >>

St. Patrick's Day Special: Ten Great Irish (Or Irish-American) Musicians and Bands

St. Patrick's Day is, well, today, so, rather than hit the pub to celebrate - which we'll probably still do, to be honest - we thought we'd put together a mixtape for you of our favorite Irish and Irish-American bands along with a favorite tracks by them. Pint of Guinness and shot of Jameson sol ... More >>

Artist of the Week: Without a Face

Spazmatics = Revenge of the Replicants

Did you know that '80s cover band the Spazmatics has clones from coast to coast?

Fred Claus

Vince Vaughn tries to attract a different set of underage babies with Fred Claus

Give Us a Hand

Retro Active: 1987, Here We Come

Hot Sounds, Summer in the City

A few local discs to sizzle with

Flying Soul-o Flying Soul-o

Max Cavalera on Soulfly and making friends

Aimless Attack

Daddy G on Massive Attack's meanderings

'Bout Time

Give it up for soul survivor Bettye LaVette

For Those About to Rock

Guitar Hero cranks rhythm-gaming up to 11

Massive Attack

100th Window (Virgin)

Moby

18 (V2 Records)

Shake Your Sheilas

1998 Houston Press Music Awards Nominees

Everyday Ravishments

Neil Jordan shows a childhood both deeply Irish and thoroughly deranged

Rotation

Irish Ambassadors

The Chieftains may flirt with rock, but they always come home to Ireland

Full Nelson

With a new disc and a boxed history, Willie Nelson wonders who'll buy his memories

Rotation

Like Father, Like Son

Spanic Boys make classic rock and roll a family affair

Celting Point

Plus: Less Donna McK., archiving Texas folk music, and Iggy's eats Jelly