Tanya Tucker

Houston Needs a Real Country Station, Not More Bull

Somewhere in college those of us arts and humanities types who were passionate about music, but knew we were not talented enough to perform it professionally, eventually wandered into the journalism school or the student radio station. Everyone else must have wound up in a marketing classroom. Rewi ... More >>

Wanda Jackson

Rockabilly Legend Wanda Jackson: "I Do Music People Like"

>Wanda Jackson has had a career most musicians would envy. The "Queen of Rockabilly" has entertained audiences for decades with such songs as "Hot Dog! That Made Him Mad," "Hard Headed Woman" and "Fujiyama Mama," displaying an originality and bravado that helped pave the way for artists as diverse a ... More >>

UPDATED: Memorable Houston Concerts of 1992

UPDATE (2:03 p.m.): Alice In Chains was advertised but dropped out, and was replaced with Australia's Baby Animals. The year 1992 was an important one for me as far as Houston concerts are concerned: It's the first time I went to a concert within the Houston city limits, the "Outside Broadcast" leg ... More >>

Which Texas Musicians Would Get Page 1 New York Times Obits?

Like it or not, death is an inevitable part of the news cycle. A big part of the news cycle, most of the time. Look at Tony Scott, Phyllis Diller and... wait, what time is it now? Rocks Off is not trying to be flippant at all here, because we had our own brush with the reaper less than a year ago: ... More >>

Switcharoo: 10 Artists Who Tried Other Genres

Have you ever bought an album of an artist you were familiar with and thought, "wow... that's different?" In fact, many artists try out other genres than the one where they originally became popular as a way for them to grow as artists. But a big question remains: Will the audience grow with them a ... More >>

The 10 Funniest & Weirdest Country Song Titles

Country music has come a long way as far as popularity goes over the years, from the likes of such bygone greats as Ernest Tubb and Eddy Arnold to current favorites Sugarland and Dierks Bentley. But it has always had some rather... interesting-sounding song titles to grace listeners' ears. Shall we ... More >>

The Bassman Cometh: Jerry Scheff On Working With Elvis, Dylan & The Doors

Way Down: Playing Bass with Elvis, Dylan, The Doors & More By Jerry Scheff Backbeat Books, 240 pp., $19.95 Bassist Jerry Scheff had a bird's -eye view of a lot of musical greats in the '60s through the '80s, and in this memoir, the easygoing, affable storyteller tells about his experiences and how ... More >>

Tanya Tucker

Welcome To My World: 10 Musicians Who Deserve Their Own Reality Show

Ever since The Real World hit the MTV airwaves in the early '90s, reality television has been all the rage. However, since The Osbournes debuted in 2002, some of that reality programming has catered to music fans. Even such music artists as country artist Tanya Tucker, rapper/minister Reverend Run ... More >>

Distant Early Warning: Dick Dale, Gemma Ray, Lincoln Durham, William Shatner, Meshuggah

Active Child, Balam Acab, Superhumanoids: Sat., May 5. Fitzgerald's, 2706 White Oak Bastard Sons Of Johnny Cash: Thu., March 8. Continental Club, 3700 Main Battery (Metallica Tribute): Mon., April 16. Scout Bar Clear Lake, 18307 Egret Bay Blvd. Black Market Syndicate, The American Heist, Dead To ... More >>

1986: Best Musical Year Ever?

​For almost two weeks now, Rocks Off has been obsessed with the year exactly 25 flips of the calendar backward from this one. It started when Steve Earle did one of his "Time Machine" shows, where the singer-songwriter who plays House of Blues Wednesday spotlights a dozen or so of his favorite ... More >>

Zoo Station: A Noah's Ark Of 75 Animal Songs

And of every living thing of all flesh, two of every sort shalt thou bring into the ark, to keep them alive with thee; they shall be male and female. Of fowls after their kind, and of cattle after their kind, of every creeping thing of the earth after his kind, two of every sort shall come unto thee ... More >>

The United States Of Women In Music

​Rocks Off is no He-Man Woman Hater's Club. We like women quite a bit, actually, especially those women brave enough to wade through the rivers of bullshit in the male-dominated music business. If you'll page back a few weeks, you'll remember the discussion of our favorite female artists from ... More >>

Upcoming: Das Racist, Echo & The Bunnymen, Surfer Blood, Etc.

​Arcade Fire, Explosions In The Sky: Wed., May 4. Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion. Bob Schneider: Thu., April 7. McGonigel's Mucky Duck. Cory Morrow: Sat., April 23. The Firehouse Saloon. Das Racist, Fat Tony, Muhammadali, Simple Success, DJ iPod Ammo: Tue, March 22, Fitzgerald's. David C ... More >>

15 Gets You 20: Rock & Roll Jailbait Through The Years

theprettyreckless.com​Friday night, The Pretty Reckless (above) pulls into town for a gig at House of Blues. The band, led by Gossip Girl star Taylor Momsen, is known largely for the 17-year-old singer's penchant for wearing something resembling lingerie, chain-smoking and basically being a te ... More >>

18 Successful Musicians Under Age 18

Dan Klores CommunicationsTommy, can you hear me?​Tonight House Of Blues welcomes the traveling underage rock revue School Of Rock as they re-create highlights from 1985's Live Aid concerts. SOR features three bands or teens and preteens rocking out and learning the ropes of touring and rock. ... More >>

Yes, We're Going To Kenny G. Got A Problem With That?

​Yes, tomorrow night Craig's Hlist will be at Kenny G with your mother and your weird aunt who likes to buy you fertility crystals for the summer solstice. Kenny G intrigues us to the no end. Along with Michael Bolton, he was a part of a tag-team duo of pop culture musical dregs in the '90s. But t ... More >>

How Texas and Alabama Match Up... Musically

​ For once, Rocks Off is grateful for this sinus-splitting headache (thanks, Mike Stinson!), because it gives us something to focus on besides the fact that we are crawling out of our skin waiting for kickoff tonight. At this point, sports pundits have analyzed the Longhorns and Crimson Tide to wi ... More >>

Distant Early Warning: Anvil(!), David Cook, Lee Greenwood, Skatalites, Tanya Tucker, Tegan & Sara, etc.

​"13th Annual Pimp-N-Prostitute Ball" With MINIKISS, The Crisis, DJ Looney, DJ Jager, DJ Velvet: Sat., Oct. 31. Warehouse Live. Ali Zafar: Sat., Oct. 24. Arena Theatre. Anvil: Sun., Jan. 24. House of Blues. Brave Combo: Fri., Dec. 11. Dosey Doe Coffee Company. Buxton, Surfer Blood, F.G. and the G ... More >>

Lone Star Scorecard: All Tanya Tucker Edition

​The history of country music - or any music until recent years, for that matter - is largely represented by men, with female artists popping up more and more frequently as time passed and concert/record promoters realized there was a market for women in the business. In country, you started with ... More >>

Aftermath: Reba McEntire at RodeoHouston

Photos by Mark C. AustinReba McEntire is the closest modern country will ever get to the artistic heights of its pioneering female vocalists. Sure Tanya Tucker had her run but the booze, powders and Glen Campbell took their toll. Shania Twain was just a Nashville/Pat Benatar Frankenstein proje ... More >>

Tonight: James Jackson Toth and The Dutchess and the Duke at the Mink

A New Official State Song for Texas?

A case for a new — or different, anyway — state song

Weekend Music: Get Your Free On

Billy Joe Shaver, Everybody's Brother

www.billyjoeshaver.com

David Allan Coe

Thursday, August 24, at the Meridian, 1503 Chartres, 713-225-1717

Redneck Renaissance

Gretchen Wilson’s return to town makes us wonder, What’s really behind all these songs about Wal-Mart, cheap beer and NASCAR?

Play "Free Bird"!

Using the Bob-O-Meter to rate cover songs

Americana Pie

Grab a slice of 2004's best roots music while it's still hot

Americana Pie

Grab a slice of 2004's best roots music while it's still hot

Playbill

Defending the Dirty Thirty

And coping with Yankee slander

Glen Campbell

Saturday and Sunday, May 1 and May 2

Billy Ray Reynolds

Whole Lot of Memories (Compadre Records)

The Reddest Neck in Town

David Allan Coe is the most politically incorrect man in mainstream music

Rodney Hayden

True to Texas

Boots and Hoots

Rocky Carroll crafts footwear for presidents and popes -- but not the Houston Rodeo

Rotation

"Think" Not

A Texas housewife/songwriter claims country hunk Collin Raye stole her song

Rotation

Press Picks

The Reason of Rimes

LeAnn Rimes has taken country music by storm. She's only 14. And that's the rub.

Swing Kings

Pretty Babies

Inside the Miss American Rodeo Pageant: A tale of big hair, big money and little girls

Rebel from the North

Mary Cutrufello may not fit the country mold, but she knows the country sound

Press Picks