Sweden

Sunday: Niki & the Dove Bring Electric Instinct to Houston

Sweden produces some of the best electronic music in the world, as evidenced by the exhilarating Covenant show that hit Numbers two weeks ago. This time, Fitz's gets to host some Scandinavian beep-and-boopery, and it doesn't get any better than Niki & the Dove. I first got into the band after cover ... More >>

Wouldn't It Be Cool If the Houston Texans Only Played Texas Music at Games?

Much like most Houstonians, I will be in front of a television on Sunday watching our Houston Texans play the Miami Dolphins at Reliant Stadium. It's a big and promising year for our team, one of only professional sports franchises in town that are successful. Did you know that Billy Ray Cyrus is ... More >>

Covenant

“Scandinavian Design”

7 Cool & Cheap Weekenders: Weird Fest 2012, The Suffers, Etc.

Houston House of Creeps (807 Williams), now near Last Concert Cafe, is hosting Weird Fest 2012 starting at 7 p.m. The lineup, as per the Facebook event page: Driver Friendly (Tour kickoff show in Houston), Fingers Crossed (Houston Assholes), Deep Cuts (Scored every Disney Classic soundtrack), Chemis ... More >>

Refused Are Not Fucking Dead, Playing Coachella

Photo via officialrefused.com​Holyshitholyshitholyshit. As if the news of the At The Drive In reunion wasn't enough, Refused is back. The trailblazing hardcore band that called it quits in 1998 have reassembled and in a statement on their site, confirmed that they're playing Coachella as well ... More >>

A Cooler Coke: Grandpa Lundquist Christmas Soda - Scandinavian Julmust

Photo by Nicholas L. HallA Jul-Tide Must!​Other people's Christmas Traditions are weird. I mean, let's be honest, here. Nobody thinks that Catalonia's Caga Tió - an anthropomorphic, candy-shitting take on the yule-log - is normal. The same can probably be said for the Dutch Zwarte Piet, whose ... More >>

New Girl in Town

Rooney Mara takes control of the Stieg Larsson juggernaut in Dragon Tattoo.

Eight Businesses We Expect Will Be Getting Custom Texas License Plates Soon

​We recently wrote about a new crop of Texas license plates with a variety of themes, most of them sports related. One of the designs, however, was for the Texas Roadhouse restaurant chain that isn't even based in the Lone Star State. We certainly understand the passion of a sports fan, but ... More >>

Your Musical Word of the Day: Calenture

John Oxley LibraryClipper Ship Blackadder​Definition: A fever, specifically a fever that was supposed to affect sailors on long sea voyages to the tropics. The fever caused hallucinations that the ocean was actually a green field, and sailors would attempt to jump down to it only to drown. The ... More >>

Houston Is an International "City of Opportunity"

There's opportunity in them thar skyscrapers.​A big new report by PwC, which used to be PriceWaterhouseCoopers, says Houston is one of 26 "Cities of Opportunity" in the world today. The only other American cities: New York, LA, Chicago and San Francisco. Pretty classy company. We came in 11 ... More >>

Guitarist Brian Robertson Loves Thin Lizzy, Texas Women

​As one half of Thin Lizzy's legendary "twin guitar" classic lineup in the mid- to late '70s, Scottish guitarist Brian "Robbo" Robertson started to make an impact on classic-rock history while still a teenager. That's him shredding on the legendary break in Lizzy's most popular (and, alas, al ... More >>

Let the Right One In

Swedish vampires in love - betcha haven't seen this story

Let the Right One In

Swedish vampires in love - betcha haven't seen this story

A Royal ABBA Salute And Other Scandinavian Musical Delights

Photos by Brittanie SheyThe Royal Band outside Stockholm Palace​Välkommen from Scandinavia! More specifically, Gothenburg, Sweden, the country's "second city" and home to some of Rocks Off's favorite bands from recent years, including El Perro Del Mar, The Soundtrack Of Our Lives and The Knif ... More >>

Bun B Hurt At Gumball 3000 Rally Concert

Careful there, Bun.​Bun B jumps onstage at Houston-area hip-hop concerts so often that the idea of the II Trill rapper getting hurt under the lights is almost inconceivable. But apparently that's what has happened. Allhiphop.com is reporting that Bun, whose presence will no doubt be missed at toni ... More >>

For San Jacinto Day: Five Victories More Lopsided Than The Texas Army's

​I probably didn't need to remind you that today is the 174th anniversary of the Battle of San Jacinto, where Sam Houston led the Texas Army to victory over the forces of General Antonio López de Santa Anna. The battle brought an end to the bloody Texas Revolution, and made siestas unfashiona ... More >>

Inquiring Minds: Simon Balthazar of UK Indie-Pop Tarts Fanfarlo

www.fanfarlo.com​ ​Reservoir, the debut album from London's Fanfarlo, is the kind of album that immediately grabs your attention with its unique and joyful spirit. From the stumbling, heartfelt swoon of songs like "I Am a Pilot" to the droll and upbeat wit of songs like "Harold T. Wilkins, Or Ho ... More >>

3 Short Films by the Michele Brangwen Dance Ensemble

Movement, movies and music capture a moment in the MBDE's evolution

Amon Amarth

Dance Salad Festival

Believe the hype (not the name)

Tonight: Masshysteri (Early Show) at the Mink

America's long love affair with all things garage and punk from the frozen, liberal land of Sweden has gone unabated for years, even replacing our tongue-wagging brouhaha for fresh British "iconoclasts" soon to be collecting dust in used bins. Masshysteri proves that such Scandinavian fetishes a ... More >>

Casseroles and Cocktails: A 1950s Themed Aurora House Party

Web exclusive!

MySpaced Out: Finland Twangs!

Frida Hyvönen We all know Helsinki rocks; that's a given. But to pigeonhole the Finnish music scene as nothing but one huge population of Laika and the Cosmonauts headbangers would be a mistake. While Finland certainly stands shoulder to shoulder with Sweden and Denmark when it comes to steroidal ... More >>

Another Root Cellar Romp: Parsnips and Rutabagas

Swedes are larger and denser than turnips. No, it's not an ethnic joke--swedes are what they call rutabagas in England. The rutabaga, or Swedish turnip, is often sold with a wax coating to protect the skin from discoloration. Rutabaga comes from the Swedish word rotabagge. Swedes are best roasted or ... More >>

The United Nations of Food at Phoenicia Specialty Foods

USA vs. Mexico Soccer

Mexico tries to win its first game against the US on American soil

MySpaced Out

Our social-network scout sizes up some all-female Scandinavian bands

UBS Verbier Festival Orchestra

Conductor Charles Dutoit and pianist Martha Argerich join the international youth orchestra for a world tour

Sylvia, A Masked Ball

Despite some leg humping, A. R. Gurney's fable gets best in show

Stupid Baby Names

Metallica Jones

Whistling Mexicans

A Heavy Salad

The Hellacopters, with Nebula, Illuminati

Thursday, March 16, the Meridian, 1503 Chartres, 713-225-1717

They're Burning Up

Sun and Skin

This Week's Day-by-Day Picks

Polar Flair

Sigrid Sandström brings arctic splendor to Inman Gallery

Fringe Characters

This summer the PC Cowboys trade KILT for kilts

Salad Barre

A buffet of dance troupes comes to town

Matt Minor & Shot Glass

Train to Catch (Self-released)

Nicolai Dunger

Soul Rush (Lakeshore)

She Knows Where She's Going

Sigrid Sandstrom's work follows the fantastical landscapes of the mind

The Hives

Veni Vidi Vicious (Epitaph/Burning Heart)

Mixing It Up

International dance fans can get their fill with Dance Salad

Amplified

Back in Black

Into the Line of Fire

Swede Lasse Hallström steps into America's abortion controversy with The Cider House Rules

Shiny Happy People?

Sweden's Cardigans aren't as warm and fuzzy as they let on