Thin Lizzy

Is There Any Chance the New Thin Lizzy Album Won't Suck?

This week, Rolling Stone and NME got wind of the fact that '70s hard-rock heroes Thin Lizzy will hit the studio this fall to record their first new album since band founder/leader/icon Phil Lynott's death 26 years ago. The news was actually broken by HotPress.com last week, but it took a while for w ... More >>

6 Non-Yank Bands Who Wrote American Anthems

Some of the most definitive "all-American" rock anthems were written by bands who not originally from the United States. Think about it... what are some rock and roll staples that remind you of our beloved country, which gave us the freedom to rock? "The Boys Are Back In Town" "We Are The Champions ... More >>

The Sword

Before We Cared: 10 Bit Players Who Became Superstars

On this day in 1965, British songstress Petula Clark reached number one on the charts with "Downtown," a pop classic with an unforgettable hook that has become a mainstay of oldies radio, film soundtracks and TV advertisements in the years since. The song even served as a plot point in an episode o ... More >>

The Boys are Back...and Sometimes in Town

You may think you've traveled a long way to get to a show, but it's unlikely you gone the distance that Stephen O'Brien has. In 2003 the Dublin, Ireland-based musician flew to Austin, primarily to catch a gig by King's X and, as an added bonus, maybe soak up the city. He must have like it because he ... More >>

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Snubs Rush...Again

Photo by Jeff Balke​A couple years ago, I was sitting on the back porch at the Continental Club talking music with a fairly well known music writer who seemed to believe that anything with a big hook or the slightest inkling of musicianship beyond the garage band aesthetic was utter garbage. I ... More >>

Top 5 Songs About Whiskey

Whether it's rye or bourbon, straight or blended, Irish, Scotch or Canadian, rock, country or classical, whiskey and warblers go way back. Even Stravinsky was quoted as saying "My God, so much I like to drink Scotch that sometimes I think my name is Igor Stra-whiskey." In whiskey-related weird news ... More >>

Your Shameful Musical Secrets Collected: #gotcha!

​For the past few days on Twitter, Rocks Off has been imploring our followers, our precious 3,250 friends (and counting), to tell us their shameful musical secrets by using the hashtag #shamefulafternoonsecrets or #shamefulmorningsecrets, the latter which could sound like a sordid booty call h ... More >>

Who Are You? Songs Commonly Attributed To The Wrong Artists

​Last week, after the tragic, alcohol-fueled passing of Jackass hero Ryan Dunn, Rocks Off at Taco Cabana wearing a promotional shirt for The Hangover II that we stole borrowed from the office here at the Press. As we were loading our hands with condiment containers, a guy came up to us and sai ... 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 >>

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 >>

R.I.P. Phil Lynott: Top 10 Thin Lizzy Songs

​Thin Lizzy bassist and front man Phil Lynott passed away 25 years ago today due to drug and alcohol dependency in Salisbury, England. The hole Lynott, who was 36, left in the rock world has never been filled. First off, we should just post Lizzy's entire Jailbreak album right here to honor t ... More >>

Saturday Night: The Sword At Fitzgerald's

Photos by Craig Hlavaty​The Sword Fitzgerald's January 1, 2010 Aftermath wasn't even nursing a hangover after New Year's Eve, but the Sword's headlining show Saturday night melted down whatever residual toxins we were floating in and washed them away across 90 minutes at Fitzgeralds upstairs. ... More >>

The Sword, Venomous Maximus, Black Congress, Omotai

The Most Anticipated Albums Of 2011

​NATIONAL White Lies, Ritual: They killed at festivals in 2008 and 2009, but do London's Interpol-styled lads have longevity? Dr. Dre, Detox: It's been on hold or gestating since at least Clinton was in office. Will it continue to be hip-hop's Chinese Democracy? R.E.M., Collapse Into No ... More >>

Bon Jovi, Rock & Roll Hall Of Famers? It Could Happen...

Stay classy, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame...​This morning the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame announced this year's ballot of nominees, with the winners to be announced in December and inducted next March in New York. Fifteen names are on this year's ballot, ranging from hip-hoppers, proto-metal icons, ... More >>

Rudyard's 32nd Anniversary

Last Night: Mates Of State And Free Energy At Warehouse Live

Photos by Marc Brubaker / Click here for a slideshowFree Energy​Mates of State, Free Energy Warehouse Live July 8, 2010 There's nothing like getting ripped from your lemon grass tofu because there's a magician opening a Mates of State show. Aftermath was sitting down like a real, live human b ... More >>

sIngs' Brett Taylor: One Musician, Two Songs, Same Name... He Makes The Call

​ Saturday night at Mango's, sIngs debuts its new EP, Hells, to what is sure to be a full house. Also on the bill are the reawakened Sharks & Sailors, Casiotone for the Painfully Alone, Young Mammals and B L A C K I E. Casiotone was to play a gig at The Husk next to Khon's, but when that venue ... More >>

Eyeballin': Are You Ready for Thin Lizzy's Are You Ready?

​Classic Rock Bob has long sung the praises of Thin Lizzy as an extremely underrated band whose catalogue is full of sonic riches well beyond "The Boys are Back in Town." But by the time this full-length concert was shot for the German TV show Rockpalast in 1981 around the time of the Renegade LP, ... More >>

He Said She Said: Songs That Make Us Feel Like a Man, Baby!

Mad Men's Christina Hendricks makes us feel like a man in the best possible way...​He Said's view of manhood wasn't built on sweat and labor the way most guys would probably say. Early on in our musical journey, we always equated music to being sleazy and slithery, or just dancing. It makes sense ... More >>

Monotonix

Aftermath: Fastball at House of Blues

Chris Gray​ It hasn't been that long since the '90s ended, but it sure seems like it sometimes. Like going to a concert sponsored by a radio station, in Saturday's case Mix 96.5. It doesn't matter what the station is, or who is playing, you're immediately struck by two things: "People still listen ... More >>

Cheap Trick, Def Leppard, Poison

White Rhino

OK, Maybe the Eagle Does Play Some Black People

As we usually do when we get into work, Rocks Off tuned into Dean & Rog on the Eagle and lo and behold, they were talking about our suggestions to improve the station we posted here Tuesday. D&R especially seemed to enjoy the part where we said it wouldn't kill the Eagle to play some more pe ... More >>

Aftermath: White Rhino at Boondocks

Photos by Chris Gray "They're 'classic heavy rock,' or so they tell me," Aftermath texted a friend shortly before Austin's White Rhino went onstage at Boondocks Monday night. "Heavy metal, or just heavy?" came the reply. White Rhino had just gone on, with some menacing guitar spray and a kinetic ba ... More >>

Low Man's Joe: Where I Stand

Local Album of the Week: Low Man's Joe's Where I Stand

Low Man's Joe Where I Stand www.myspace.com/lowmansjoeBefore "Wanted Dead or Alive," before "It's My Life," before Jon Bon Jovi went off to Hollywood and took the Lost Highway through Nashville in 2007, Bon Jovi was a pretty decent hard-rock band. Poppier than most, definitely, but Jon's Springsteen ... More >>

Aftermath: Fake Problems and Born Anchor at Walter's on Washington

Photos by Craig Hlavaty On a Monday night, all you can really look forward to is a decent evening of lackluster television and maybe some leftover barbecue from the weekend's flame-kissed debauchery. But last night at Walter's was the exact anecdote for a "case of da Mondays" in so many ways. In rec ... 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 >>

Classic Rock Corner: Scott Gorham of Thin Lizzy Interviewed

www.getreadytorock.com Thin Lizzy's Phil Lynott (l) and Scott GorhamWhen L.A.-based guitarist Scott Gorham flew to England in the early '70s, he was just hoping to score an audition with the band his brother-in-law had joined, Supertramp. That gig never materialized, and after kicking around ... More >>

The Mighty Stef

How Rocks Off Spends a "Night Off"

[Note: this was written at 1 a.m. this morning while Rocks Off listened to Wilco's A.M. for approximately the 15th time in the last two weeks.] Rocks Off would just like to state for the record how happy he is. Tomorrow I may feel like shit, and probably will, but tonight I'm like a kid behind ... More >>

The Hates: 30 Years of Hate 1978-2008

Iron Maiden

Monotonix

The Tel Aviv trio performs its raw rock

Valient Thorr, Riverboat Gamblers

Valient Thorr and Riverboat Gamblers perform Monday, August 6, at Red Room inside Meridian, 1503 Chartres, 713-225-1717. ASG and Totimoshi are also on the bill.

Explain Your Most Played

The Replacements

Don't You Know Who I Think I Was?

The Hellacopters, with Nebula, Illuminati

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

Pop Rocks

Ten albums that'll snap and fizz in your ear buds all winter long

The Hold Steady

Separation Sunday

Every Time I Die, with the Red Chord

Monday, September 19, at the Engine Room, 1515 Pease, 713-654-7846.

Ted Leo and the Pharmacists

Shake the Sheets (Lookout!)

Playbill

Drifter

Lottery Bar (Self-released)

Sunburst 17

Sunburst 17 (Self-released)