Subject:

Texas

  • Blogs

    December 17, 2012

    The Best-Selling Albums On Our Top 30 Texas Albums List

    One thing you will notice about our Texas 30 list is that not everything that made the cut was a best-seller, though the albums have been heavily influential and may be in everyone's private collection. Just look at all the satellite blogs we have written around the Texas 30 mentioning the albums th ... More >>

  • Blogs

    December 17, 2012

    Could You Get All of Your Christmas Shopping Done at Buc-ee's? Probably

    If you travel anywhere in Texas, you have no doubt been to a Buc-ee's super gas station, home of clean restrooms, cheap gas, crack-like Beaver Nuggets, cutesy Texas trinkets, hunting gear and, at peak traveling hours during weekends and holidays, groggy and zombie-like humans hungry for beef jerky a ... More >>

  • Blogs

    December 14, 2012

    The Texas 30: Texas' 6 Best Latin Albums of the Past 30 Years

    As I was reviewing the list of The Texas 30, in the back of my mind I kept thinking one thing... "Where my brown people at?!" Rewind: The Texas 30 (cover story) Slideshow: The Texas 30 album covers Listen To Our Texas 30 Picks On Rdio and Spotify Right Now Sure, Queen Selena rightfully made t ... More >>

  • Blogs

    December 14, 2012

    The Texas 30: Texas' 10 Best Rap Albums

    Texas rap has played no small part in hip-hop's history. More specifically, Houston (and of course P.A.) rap has played no small part in hip-hop's history. (There are other cities in Texas, I hear, though with the exception of Dallas's brief swag-based blip, they've, to this point, remained largely ... More >>

  • Blogs

    December 13, 2012

    The Biggest Surprises From the Texas 30 Ballots

    Perusing the final ballots for the Texas 30 with a few highlighters this past week was a blessed odyssey into the past three decades of all things Texas music. For as many no-brainers as there were, there were plenty of head-scratchin' exclusions. Rewind: The 30 Best Texas Albums (cover story) Sl ... More >>

  • Blogs

    December 12, 2012

    Behold the Texas 30, Plus Albums 40-31

    At this point, hopefully you know what the Texas 30 is and why Rocks Off is counting down to the Top 30 Texas albums of the past 30 years, as determined by a statewide panel of professional music writers. The short answer is, of course, because we can, and because it was a great excuse to listen to ... More >>

  • Blogs

    December 12, 2012

    Listen To Our Texas 30 Picks On Rdio and Spotify Right Now

    Today we reveal the top 30 Texas albums released over the past 30 years. It was rough work, but we did it. Rewind: The Texas 30: The Third Runners-Up, Albums 60-51 The Texas 30: The Second Runners-Up, Albums 50-41 Behold the Texas 30, Plus Albums 40-31 From Selena to Steve Earle to Pantera, th ... More >>

  • Blogs

    December 12, 2012

    Introducing the Texas 30: The 30 Best Texas Albums of the Past 30 Years

    We forget if it was Muhammad the Prophet or a different kind of prophet, Willie Nelson, who answered the question about why he climbed the mountain with a simple, "Because it's there." In Willie's case, the question would probably be why he continues to tour, but the answer is the same. In this wee ... More >>

  • Blogs

    December 11, 2012

    Curses That We Yelled At Our TV Screen Last Night During The Texans-Patriots Game

    11-2. 11 and 2. Not a bad record to have at all. It's looks strong. It's better that 2-11, that's for sure. There is no reason jump off of a cliff, get your Texans throat tattoo scrubbed off with a wire brush, or to paint your house. But during last night's Texans-Patriots game, a lot of us di ... More >>

  • Blogs

    December 11, 2012

    The Texas 30: The Second Runners-Up, Albums 50-41

    On our computer, Rocks Off has been looking at that damn Texas 30 spreadsheet so long our eyes are frosting over. Monday we said about 400 different albums were spread across the ballots we received from almost 25 music-media wags across Texas. We looked at the sheet again after that and it was actu ... More >>

  • Blogs

    December 10, 2012

    Stormy Monday: Texans v Patriots Will Be Wet, Cold and Ugly

    In week 10 in the NFL, the Texans went on the road and impressed a lot of people, beating the Bears 13-6 on a wet, blustery night in Chicago. If they are to do it again and come closer to clinching home-field advantage throughout the playoffs, they will have to face similar conditions once again, th ... More >>

  • Blogs

    December 10, 2012

    10 Texas Christmas Ornaments from Etsy You May or May Not Want on Your Tree

    We Texans like stuff made by other Texans. We like to believe we are our own little country down here. In fact, some of us wish we were. In short, Texas pride runs deep, which is why we take every opportunity we can to demonstrate it. This Christmas, all over the state, there are houses decorated wi ... More >>

  • Blogs

    December 10, 2012

    The Texas 30: The Third Runners-Up, Albums 60-51

    Friday, Rocks Off told you about our "Texas 30" project, compiling a list of the best 30 albums of the past 30 years. Today we're about to show you the first of three bubbling-under appetizer lists we did just to put a little oil on the gears. Here, starting with No. 60, is where it gets interestin ... More >>

  • Blogs

    December 7, 2012

    Coming Next Week: The Texas 30

    One day this summer, it must have been, a certain Mr. Craig Hlavaty brought a book he had found at a Houston-area thrift shop called (the) Genuine Texas Handbook into the office. This book is about everything you ever loved about Texas in the early '80s condensed into 200-something pages -- big hair ... More >>

  • Blogs

    December 7, 2012

    Comcast SportsNet Houston Debacle Keeping Buzz-Worthy Rockets from Getting Buzz

    What if the Rockets won in a forest and no one was there to see it? These are the kinds of philosophical questions many fans must ask themselves this year because the vast majority don't have access to games on TV thanks to an apparent impasse between Comcast SportsNet Houston, the official home of ... More >>

  • Blogs

    December 4, 2012

    Santa Duck Hunter: This is How We Do Holiday Decorations in Texas

    There is a common snicker often heard among people who don't live in Texas about the Lone Star State. We like to hunt and fish and eat chili with no beans in it. We wear big cowboy hats and cowboy boots on, like, Tuesdays. We talk funny. All of those things are true for certain people in Texas. Man ... More >>

  • Blogs

    December 3, 2012

    You Better Watch Out...Someone Might Steal Your Car This Christmas

    So, let's see, what's on my wish list for this year? There's this killer Rush baseball jersey, a $1000 Visa gift card, chicken nuggets for life and, oh right, NOT getting my car stolen or broken into. Given how many cars get ripped off during the holidays, that last one on the list might be the toug ... More >>

  • Blogs

    November 14, 2012

    What Do Texas Secessionists, Teenagers and Hibernating Bears Have in Common? A Venn Diagram

    Texas once again masterfully thrust itself into the national spotlight yesterday when it became clear that on Monday, more than 51,000 people had signed a petition and sent it in to Washington D.C. saying Texas should say adios to the United States. At issue continues to be the disconnect between ... More >>

  • Blogs

    November 9, 2012

    Health Department Report: Food Trucks, St. John's, Skewers and More

    If you had the over on the number of places the Health Department would inspect this week, you're probably a little unhappy; it's been a slow past few days. As for betting on the number of times Bears quarterback Jay Cutler puts on his cranky face when he goes against the Texans on Sunday night -- w ... More >>

  • Blogs

    October 25, 2012

    Huntin' Season Begins: A Collection of Old-Time Hunting and Boozing Ads

    Right now in the state of Texas, thousands of virile Texan fathers, uncles, brothers and grandpas are heading to leases all over this great part of the union to track, shoot, skin and mount furry things. Yes, it's hunting season again in the Lone Star State. Whether you are wielding the family d ... More >>

  • Blogs

    October 24, 2012

    A Taste of Texas Wines at Sullivan's

    Last week, Sullivan's Steakhouse played host to Messina Hof founders Paul and Merrill Bonarrigo for a wine dinner showcasing the Texas-based winery's award-winning wines. I was invited to attend, not only to reacquaint myself with the Messina Hof's wines, but also to sample the specialty menu create ... More >>

  • Blogs

    October 19, 2012

    10 Great Autumn Bikinis Not On St. Baart's

    Our list of 25 Best Reasons to Love Texas in the Autumn was, we were told, a little skimpy on the babes. Not that there's anything inherently sexy about fall (although some dudes go nuts over the boots-with-dresses look), it's just that some folks think any listicle must include skimpily clad femal ... More >>

  • Blogs

    October 17, 2012

    Saul Gutierrez: Arrest Made in Fatal Texans-Packers Stabbing

    Police have arrested a suspect who they say stabbed a person to death in a brawl that might be related to the Texans-Green Bay Packers game Sunday. Saul Gutierrez, 17, was arrested without incident yesterday and has been charged with murder. The fatal incident occurred about 9:30 p.m. Sunday in th ... More >>

  • Blogs

    October 12, 2012

    Spending Sunday at Sorrel Urban Bistro

    Everyone knows that during football season, my Sundays are reserved for all-day game watching. I'm in two fantasy football leagues, and I'm a diehard Texans fan (they're undefeated, for those of you who are living under a rock). I typically watch the games at my local sports bar with other crazed fo ... More >>

  • Blogs

    October 9, 2012

    Top Five Foods You Must Try at the Texas Renaissance Festival

    The Texas Renaissance Festival began this weekend on Saturday, October 8, bringing in people from all over the state. The last time I went to the Renaissance Festival was in high school, but I am glad to say that it is still the same enjoyable and hysterical event it was six years ago. People still ... More >>

  • Blogs

    October 5, 2012

    How to Ship Wine Legally to Texas

    In the wake of my post Wednesday, "Texas Wine Shipping Prohibition Is Morally Indefensible (and Bad for Business)," I wanted to follow up with some tips on how to ship wine legally to Texas. Although it hasn't been updated for more than two years, the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission does have a ... More >>

  • Blogs

    October 3, 2012

    It's National Chili Week: Top 5 Unusual Chili Ingredients

    Every region has its own rendition of chili. New Mexico has green chili (interesting), Cincinnati has spaghetti with chili (still don't understand) and Texas puts meat in its chili (definitely the best). I always love classic chili with beef or sirloin (I'm a Texas girl, what can I say?), but somet ... More >>

  • Blogs

    September 25, 2012

    "Natural" Texas License Plates: The Mind Assumes Weed, And The Vanity Plates Deliver

    Ever on the lookout for more ways to praise the Lone Star State -- and the make a few more bucks in the process -- the people at myplates.com are now offering "Natural Texas" vanity license plates. A field of weeds, the plates look like -- not exactly inspiring. To myplates, though, they shine: "Bl ... More >>

  • Blogs

    September 12, 2012

    Senator Rodney Ellis Joins Chorus Questioning the Statewide Voter Purge

    Amid the increasing uproar over the state of Texas purging its voter rolls and notifying people that their names will be expunged from the rolls because they are dead -- who aren't -- State Senator Rodney Ellis (D-Houston) asks a good question. Why now? Why is House Bill 174 calling for a check of ... More >>

  • Blogs

    September 7, 2012

    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 >>

  • Blogs

    September 6, 2012

    Are You Ready? 85 MPH & No Ticket Between Austin and San Antonio

    Sammy Hagar, get outta here with that weak-ass "I can't drive 55" crap. You've still got 30 mph to go before the cops will lift that radar gun to track you on one specific stretch of Texas highway. The Texas Transportation Commission, feeling the need for speed (to continue along in the `80s cultur ... More >>

  • Blogs

    September 4, 2012

    Pappas Come Lately, There's a New Kid in Town: Sommelier Steven McDonald

    Last week, I sat down to chat with thirtysomething San Antonio native Steven McDonald, who recently returned to Texas from New York City, where he had been working as a sommelier at some of the city's top fine wine destinations. A former music educator, Steven is now working as a sommelier at Pappas ... More >>

  • Blogs

    August 31, 2012

    Man Falls To Death Off Escalator At Texans' Game (UPDATE: ID'd As Jonathan Kelly, 25)

    A man fell from one of Reliant Stadium's large escalators and died during Thursday night's Texans-Vikings exhibition game, various media outlets say. The identity of the victim has not been released, but CBS Houston says says the 45-year-old man "fell to his death while horse-playing on an escalato ... More >>

  • Blogs

    August 30, 2012

    Texas GOP Slapped Again: Now Judges Toss Voter ID Law

    For the second time this week, federal judges have dealt setbacks to grand plans by Texas Republicans to suppress the minority vote protect the sanctity of the ballot. Tuesday a federal panel found the state's new redistricting maps to be biased; today another panel has ruled that the new voter ID ... More >>

  • Blogs

    August 28, 2012

    Feds Toss Out Texas's Redistricting Maps: Biased Against Minorities, Panel Says

    The Texas GOP's lengthy effort to create redistricting maps that federal judges say don't discriminate against minorities hit another snag today when a three-judge panel in D.C. threw out the latest plan. The judges said the proposed maps failed to meet fairness standards using various tests and an ... More >>

  • Blogs

    August 27, 2012

    Where Are We Eating? Clue: Hometown 'Cue

    Is there anything more Texan than a plate of barbecue and a Lone Star beer? You can get them both at this hometown barbecue "chain," where the pecan pies are as popular as the brisket. Think you know where we're eating this week? Leave your best guess below.

  • Blogs

    August 21, 2012

    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 >>

  • Blogs

    August 21, 2012

    Tropics Heating Up as We Reach the Stretch Run of Hurricane Season

    Despite June and July's tropical bluster, as predicted, it's been a fairly quiet hurricane season. With eight named storms, three of which were hurricanes -- none of them stronger than a category two and only one making landfall (in Mexico) -- the pace has been just about what forecasters thought at ... More >>

  • Culture

    August 16, 2012

    Special Best Of Edition: Why Do Mexicans Put Stickers Honoring the Dead on Their Car Windows?

    And why do Chicano Studies professors always wear guayaberas?

  • Music

    August 16, 2012

    Six Market Blvd. Shakes It Down

    Rising Texas country stars will sign anything you want, up to a point.

  • Blogs

    August 7, 2012

    Of Mice, Men & The Mentally Retarded: Thomas Steinbeck, Novelist's Son, Weighs In On Texas' Planned Execution Of Marvin Wilson (UPDATED)

    Thomas Steinbeck, a writer who is the son of seminal American novelist John Steinbeck, has entered the fray over Texas' plan to execute a man with an IQ of 61. It's taken him a while -- he's pissed over a 2004 opinion issued by the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals -- but he comes by his outrage hone ... More >>

  • Blogs

    August 3, 2012

    8 Cool & Cheap Weekenders: Houston SunBurn, HPMA Showcase, Etc.

    This is... impressive. It's called Houston SunBurn, and it's somehow related to famous Nevada freakfest Burning Man. It's tomorrow at Jet Lounge, the Engine Room and Last Concert Cafe, and looks like a who's who of local fringe talent - experimental electronica to Americana, and literally everything ... More >>

  • Blogs

    July 24, 2012

    Eat Local, Support Local: The GO TEXAN Restaurant Round-Up Is Here

    Houston Restaurant Weeks is coming this August. But before you budget all your dining dollars to that worthy cause, remember that an equally worthy one is going on this week: The GO TEXAN Restaurant Round-Up. Each year, the GO TEXAN Restaurant Round-Up features restaurants across the state cooking ... More >>

  • Blogs

    July 20, 2012

    New Crop of Texas License Plates Design Include State Troopers, UH and Sorority

    The state of Texas has unveiled a new batch of license plate designs and are looking to Texans for guidance on if they should release them. Last year, we goofed on the state with a batch of license plates we didn't think would ever make it onto the list of choices in Texas. Not surprisingly, none of ... More >>

  • Blogs

    July 17, 2012

    Perry Demands Obama Apologize for Holder's "Incendiary" Remarks

    Governor Rick Perry took time out of his busy schedule of telling the federal government to kiss his ass and whopping up on socialists to demand an apology from the President for remarks made by the U.S. Attorney General at the NAACP convention held in Houston last week. Apparently, Perry thought Ho ... More >>

  • Blogs

    July 13, 2012

    Four Ways to Keep Your Technology and Data Safe During a Storm

    It's been a little wet in Texas recently for those who don't live here. When we get thunderstorms here, it can create some issues, particularly for technology, which, as you probably know, doesn't mesh very well with water or power surges from lightning. I mean, have you ever dropped your iPhone in ... More >>

  • Blogs

    July 6, 2012

    A Feisty Texas Radio Road Trip with the Mike Stinson Band

    Lonesome Onry and Mean hasn't been out on the road with his son, Mike Stinson Band guitarist Lance Smith, in quite a while. But due to a propitious routing that took us to my father's place in Gatesville for a couple of days, LOM hit the highway with the band last weekend. It is worth noting that L ... More >>

  • Blogs

    July 6, 2012

    A Basque Wine for Slimy Okra

    Even in East Texas, where fried okra is to the culinary landscape what George the Gator is to Peggy's on the Bayou, people simply can't tell you what okra tastes like. My wife Tracie P, an accomplished gastronome and native of Orange, Texas (where she grew up frying her okra in Nanna's cast-iron sk ... More >>

  • Blogs

    July 5, 2012

    Video: Dynamo Tailgaters Warm Up for Armed Forces Day Game

    Tailgating isn't just for football anymore. It's also for fútbol. Since the opening of BBVA Compass Stadium (and even when they were still playing at Robertson), fans have swarmed the parking lot before games to eat, drink and generally stir up a ruckus. Taking a cue from the massive tailgate event ... More >>

  • Blogs

    July 3, 2012

    Where Are We Drinking? Clue: It's Deli-cious

    At this delicatessen, nearly everything on the menu -- both food and drink -- is all Texan. That includes the wines, such as a refreshing glass of McPherson Roussanne or the blushing Becker Vineyards Provençal Rosé shown below. Think you know where we're drinking this week? Leave your best guess ... More >>

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