South by Southwest Festival

SXSW 09 Application Deadline Friday

SXSW Update: Volunteers Needed; Dead Man's Bones, Dirty Honey Added

SXSW 09 performers the Homopolice at Rudyard's, Christmas night 2008 We always hear our friends complain about not being able to score a wristband or a badge to SXSW. We understand, it blows hard being a discriminating music elitist and not being able to make it to any of the big nightly shows. But ... More >>

SXSW Update: Sonics, Bar-Kays, Black Lips, Young Mammals, Wild Moccasins Added

The Sonics, "Psycho a Go-Go" Another week goes by, with yet gigantic list of SXSW performers coming to Austin in March. The final list comes out January 30, so be prepared for maximum bloggage. We're still crossing our fingers and polishing up the nondescript white van in the hopes that Katy Perry ... More >>

This Week in SXSW: Katy Perry Kisses the "Lake of Fire"

There's now less than a month to go until we here at Rocks Off throw sobriety and sane living to the wind at this year's SXSW festival. This past week we learned of a boatload of new stuff about the weeklong liver-damaging voyage in March, so here goes... The list of bands keeps growing and gro ... More >>

The Oak Ridge Boys Sure Have Changed

Yes, this is the Oak Ridge Boys, who will be collectively speaking March 19 at the Austin Convention Center during SXSW, about reinvention in changing music markets. The popular country-gospel group is best known as being the band who recorded one of the five albums left in your parent ... More >>

Westheimer Block Party Seeking Vendors

Yes, Rocks Off knows we're in the middle of the rodeo, and SXSW is next week (shiver), but life does go on, y'all. Besides, once all the SXSW debris is cleared away, it'll be less than a week until Free Press Houston's Westheimer Block Party - which is rapidly metastasizing into ... More >>

Tonight: Houston SXSW Mixer at Caroline Collective

If you're from around these parts and headed to SXSW - whether the film, music or interactive festivals - or just curious about who is, head down to Caroline Collective, where this year's Houston delegation will be rubbing elbows and quaffing drinks starting at 5 p.m. "Our goal is for Houst ... More >>

The Fearless Critic Does SXSW

Although South by Southwest doesn't take place in Houston, you wouldn't know it from all the hoopla that goes on here in the days and weeks leading up to the festival. And because plenty of Houstonians will be making the trek to Mecca Austin to see their favorite bands play bands that record la ... More >>

SXSW: Once More Into The Breach

By the time you read this, Rocks Off will be winding his way toward Austin for his 15th SXSW in the last 16 years. Every year he wonders if this is going to be it, if his feet, his fingers and/or his liver will finally up and say "Uncle!" He wouldn't blame them one single solitary bit. SXSW is l ... More >>

SXSW Stream: Notes From The Field

Photos by Chris GrayGuaranteed, at least one person will completely ignore this sign this week.So far the SXSW rumor mill has spun out tales of private or surprise performances by Kanye West, the Roots, Jane's Addiction and Bob Dylan. Further details, if there are any, to follow.Estimated badge pick ... More >>

SXSW: Anatomy of a Swag Bag

As an official SXSW registrant, your first task after checking in your hotel is to go to the Convention Center and pick up your official badge. Task 1B is to go downstairs afterward and pick up your swag bag. Over the years, I have learned you can tell a fair bit about both the music business and t ... More >>

SXSW Snapshots: Strange Days Indeed

Beelzebun's: All Hell's About to Break Loose! Photos by Chris GrayThis guy hasn't slept in days.

SXSW: Echo & the Bunnymen at Stubb's

Photos by Chris GrayBy Friday afternoon, SXSW fatigue has taken hold. You're walking a little slower, less inclined to whip out the notebook to jot down every little observation - Rocks Off has seen many journos just typing notes into their BlackBerries, a trend that both intrigues and dismays him - ... More >>

Top Five SXSW Performances

Chris Gray Black Joe Lewis and a couple of HoneybearsWell, thank God that's over. SXSW 09 is history now, so before we completely block it out of our mind for another 11 months, here's Rocks Off's top five reasons it was worth going to after all. Dave Alvin & the Guilty Women: ... More >>

Westheimer Block Party Preview: Updates from Elaine Greer, Bolt, Linus Pauling Quartet, Future Blondes and More

The second in Rocks Off's series of self-penned updates from bands playing Saturday's Westheimer Block Party. If this also applies to you, please send yours to chris.gray@houstonpress.com. Elaine Greer: "I have been working on my first-ever EP, which is set to be released in May, and am playing ... More >>

Westheimer Block Party Preview: Updates from Woozyhelmet, Hell City Kings, Gold Sounds, Heptic Skeptic and More

Woozyhelmet: "Woozyhelmet is one word. We've been spreading the love of our new album, Get Down, for the last several months and are working on a follow-up EP that will only feature Brandi singing with the working title "Crop Brandi Out." It may end up being a 7" on Soda Pop Sounds. Jay recentl ... More >>

Balaclavas, Future Blondes

Woozyhelmet: "Woozyhelmet is one word. We've been spreading the love of our new album, Get Down, for the last several months and are working on a follow-up EP that will only feature Brandi singing with the working title "Crop Brandi Out." It may end up being a 7" on Soda Pop Sounds. Jay recentl ... More >>

Houston's SXSW Strategy

Seeing the Elephant

The Death Set, with Matt and Kim

Seeing the Elephant

The Last Word from the Press on SXSW 2008

We swear, we're done now

White Lies

We swear, we're done now

Not to Stoke the SXSW '10 Rumor Mill at All, But Might Pavement and Soundgarden Show Up?

Well here it goes, the year's first official blog entry about South by Southwest 2010. Yes, we know that it doesn't start until March 17, but the hype machines have already been running since the fall and rumors have been getting stoked since before Austin City Limits in October. So let's get this ... More >>

More SXSW Speculation: Perhaps a Visit from the Plastic Ono Band?

​We haven't even passed MLK Day, and already Rocks Off is spinning our collective wheels about SXSW. Hell, we haven't even covered RodeoHouston, and we have already begun talking about where we are going to crash every morning at dawn. Rocks Off would like to admit that even on the way home from A ... More >>

SXSW Adds Wild Moccasins, Roky Moon & BOLT, White Stripes' Northern Lights Doc

This week Rocks Off is pleased to announce that Houston pop kids Wild Moccasins will be playing the Houston Press' SXSW showcase. So you guys can now mark the Moccs down as another local band set to bear down on Austin in March. We will have the names of the other performers coming by next week or ... More >>

There's A Bomb At SXSW, MacGruber!!!!

The South by Southwest Film Festival has firmed up its lineup, and it includes a film by artiste Michael Gondry and....MacGruber.There is a lot of hatred out there for the Saturday Night Live MacGruber sketches, but we have to admit we like them. Mostly because they come in small doses, not in 90 ... More >>

Still Not Sold On SXSW? How About Smokey Robinson, High On Fire, She & Him, Band Of Horses, Drive-By Truckers, Deer Tick, Anya Marina, Black Angels, Major Lazer...

Today the organizers of the SXSW Music Festival announced their showcase schedule for the music portion of the industry fest starting on March 17. This is the news Rocks Off has been looking for, so let's get it on. We are now one month away from Sixth Street and one of the world's biggest conglome ... More >>

News On The March, White Stripes, Guitar Shorty - Rocks Off Will Be At Cactus Music All Saturday Afternoon

Just when Rocks Off was wondering how we were going to spend one of our last work-free days before SXSW, Cactus Music's weekly email circular showed up in our inbox. So now we know: We're going to be watching music. Shocker, huh? So much for laundry and shit. Here's what's going down: News on the M ... 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 >>

Aftermath: SXSW Begins With A Bang, And A Blade, At Motörhead

Photos by Craig Hlavaty​ It wasn't a SXSW-sanctioned show, but for Motörhead, Aftermath will spare the formalities. Last night at Stubb's in Austin, the prolific and iconic punk-metal-biker-doom band turned in a concrete gig to unofficially open SXSW 2010 with a decidedly hellish bang. Aftermath ... More >>

SXSW Aftermath: Partying With Andrew WK > Sleep

Photos by Craig Hlavaty​Rocks Off stayed out past curfew (last call at the bars) to make our way to the Pure Volume party, just a few all too short hours ago. Headliner Andrew WK riled up the already drunken, burrito-fueled crowd with his staunchly pro-party anthems until way past 4 a.m. and right ... More >>

SXSW Aftermath: A Night Of Ecstatic Peace, White Mice And Courtney Love Singing The Blues

Photos by Craig HlavatyBlack Helicopter​Rocks Off Jr.'s fourth night of SXSW frolicking starting off groggily as we woke from a well-needed nap after what has seemed like a month now pounding the pavements of Austin, seeking out new music from club to club like soldiers kicking in doors in Iraq lo ... More >>

SXSW Aftermath: Freelance Whales And Local Natives Shine At French Kiss Records' Showcase

Photos by Brandon K. HernsbergerFreelance Whales​For as long as French Kiss Records has put on a showcase at SXSW, French Kiss Records has not dissapointed. The bands in their stable are a who's who of up and comers along with a number of indie mainstays that have remained in the public conscious ... More >>

SXSW: Dios And The Black Angels Warm Up A Frigid Saturday Night

Photos by Craig HlavatyDios​ Saturday night was a frigid one for the last full night of SXSW, and Aftermath's musical choices seemed to fall directly in line with the torrid temperament of the weather gods. The night before we found ourselves dabbing sweat of our brows, and exactly 24 hours later ... More >>

SXSW Aftermath: How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Get In The Groove

South by Scorsese: The festival in a single 6th St. tracking shot. Video by Craig Hlavaty It didn't take long for Aftermath to remember you don't have to look very hard at all for music at SXSW; in fact, we were barely even awake when it happened. After arriving in Austin late, late Thursday night, ... More >>

SXSW Aftermath: Here's To The Most Accessible, Personable Festival In Years

Katharine ShilcuttAt SXSW, everywhere is a venue, including the back alley where we came across these ladies Thursday afternoon.​SXSW is a festival that tries to beat you down like the drip-drip of acid on the blink-blink of an eyeball, and more times than not it succeeds. But if you're able to co ... More >>

SXSW Aftermath: Alex Chilton Haunts A Festival Full Of His Musical Children

Dan OkoThe line for the Black Keys outside the Mohawk Saturday afternoon... we have no idea about the pinata truck, either​ After the mega-shows last SXSW with Metallica and Kanye West, the 2010 version of SXSW launched struck your humble badgeholder as busier than last year, just on a smaller ... More >>

Yes, We Are Sick Of SXSW Too, But We Did Find (And Shoot) These Videos...

Bun B x Motion Family x SXSW from Motion Family on Vimeo. Bun B wrecks it at SXSW; video by Motion Family As the dust settles from SXSW 2010, we began scouring YouTube for clips of some of our favorite performances. We managed to capture a handful on our own, but the internet video site is awash wi ... More >>

A Few Possible Cures For Rocks Off's Acute "Can't Stay Home" Syndrome

Lev Kuperman/ myspace.com/viaaudio​ Monday night, an obviously delirious Rocks Off found ourselves upstairs at the Mink's Backroom instead of where we should have been, home in bed asleep. We enjoyed high-energy/lo-fi trio Vivian Girls, but at this point we are starting to realize we may have a pr ... More >>

The Year SXSW Film Broke

At 17, you were going through a lot changes too.

Beyonce Baby Rumors Freeze Internet; Allen Oldies Band Wows New York Times; Justin Bieber, Future Bull Rider

​ This ROCK SOLID SOURCE claims Beyoncé is preggo. Uh huh. However, it's being re-reported by publications like the New York Post and The Daily Swarm... so maybe it's legit? Speaking of rock solid sources, the Allen Oldies Band got a nice little write-up in this New York Times SXSW recap: "L ... More >>

Surprise... Houston Is Sending Some People To SXSW

​In the past couple of weeks, Rocks Off's already-groaning email inbox has begun sagging even further with pings from random Australian bands looking for "coverage" for their SXSW appearances - we recommend a geography lesson, mates - and the usual onslaught of press releases on behalf of arti ... More >>

Wu-Tang, Fishbone, Trae Top Village Voice/Frank 151 SXSW Party

Marco TorresMethod Man returns to Texas to smoke our SXSW party this year.​We finally have the full lineup for the 2011 Village Voice Media/Frank 151 SXSW party, and it's a doozy. Heading up the bill are Staten Island Shao-Lin spitters the Wu Tang clan, still coasting on their late 2010 reunio ... More >>

2011 South By Southwest Supplement

Buxton takes its bump to the roots-rock big leagues in stride.

App of the Week: Lanyrd

Now, if someone would just create something to cover the shows too.​App: Lanyrd Platforms: All Smart Phones Web site: Lanyrd.com Cost: Free Most weeks, this space is filled with information about an app you can get for iPhone or Android. This week is slightly different because Lanyrd is n ... More >>

Super Happy Fun Land's SXSW Overflow Fest In Full Swing

myspace.com/jankanabaySierra Leone's Janka Nabay plays Super Happy Fun Land's SXSW Overflow Fest Monday night.​Not everyone has the capital to attend South by Southwest this year, but that doesn't mean that you won't have the opportunity to hear some of the greatest bands in the world in the c ... More >>

SXSW Live Pics Last Night: B L A C K I E

Craig Hlavaty​We started our SXSW Wednesday night by supporting Houston's own B L A C K I E at underground venue Barcelona, where he scared unaware college gals and converted a slew of SXSW badgeholders.

SXSW: The Best Things Come In Small Packages

Brittanie SheyThe Vandelles​If we'd been playing SXSW bingo yesterday, Rocks Off would have scored multiple squares for animal hats and "more badges than clothing." We spied a guy in a Borat swimsuit (sooo 2007, brah) and had the pleasure/pain of riding our bike behind Leslie Cochran wannabe w ... More >>

SXSW Tour Diary: The Nice Guys

The Nice GuysThe Nice Guys at Cream Vintage.​Rocks Off is asking a handful of Houston artists to write about their experiences performing at SXSW. Day 1 of SXSW went pretty well, we got on the road to ATX at about 9 a.m. The moment we arrived in Austin we were busy, went straight to the conve ... More >>

SXSW Last Night: LL Cool J Knocks Out Red Bull Thre3style

Marco Torres​The largest party of this year's SXSW included eight world-renowned DJ's, one legendary hip-hop group, a rap pioneer, and more than 10,000 screaming fans who took over a entire city block of Austin's Warehouse District Saturday night. Fueled by Red Bull and love of the turntable ... More >>

SXSW 2011: Videos and Photos Galore

What the @#$% happened last night? A City Pages SXSW recap of 3/17 from MPLS.TV on Vimeo. Want to experience SXSW 2011 but have a short attention span? Then check out the above video compiled by our sister paper City Pages which features several big-name performers plus highlight footage from the V ... More >>