Tool (Band)

Powerful Tool

The Name Game

When Austin's Little Sister found she had too many siblings, she became Sister 7

Hip and Hawaiian

When Austin's Little Sister found she had too many siblings, she became Sister 7

Static

When Austin's Little Sister found she had too many siblings, she became Sister 7

Static

When Austin's Little Sister found she had too many siblings, she became Sister 7

Sparking Interest

David Rice finally throws the switch on greenelectric

Tribute Bands Struggle for Respect

Talking to local fakers Dressed to KISS, Black Dog, Lights Out, Bad Motor Scooter, Toology and Brian's Johnson

2007 Houston Press Music Awards Showcase

Talking to local fakers Dressed to KISS, Black Dog, Lights Out, Bad Motor Scooter, Toology and Brian's Johnson

Screw October

Justin Furstenfeld orders us to hate him. We obey.

Pandora's Boss

Meet the guy behind the Web site that could be the MySpace.com of music

Pay for Play

Superstar session drummer and Dadaist marketing genius Josh Freese (Devo, A Perfect Circle, the Vandals) sells himself, his famous friends and all-you-can-eat shrimp at Sizzler to promote his new album.

Twitter Ticker: Musicians Love to Overshare

It's amazing the things that people have to say in 140 characters or less. Some take forever to update their adoring public, about their lives while others tweet like it's about to go out of style. Do they not realize everyone can read these things? And that they are, more or less, setting themselve ... More >>

HPMA Aftermath: MELOVINE, the Snake Charmers, LL Cooper, Peekaboo Theory and Buxton

Mark C. AustinThe Snake Charmers take a breather after bluesing up Martell's.​ It was hot as hell when the Houston Press music staff met up at the Flying Saucer ordering different shades of exotic beers and several different kinds of cheese. Bands were divided up between writers, and pretty much e ... More >>

StubHub: Houston Is More "Rockin'" Than Vegas, Less So Than Hartford and Milwaukee

Craig HlavatyThe Phish of the Southwest and king of Houston's summer concert hill: George Strait​Online ticket broker StubHub.com released its annual list of America's Top 20 "Most Rockin' Cities" Friday, with Houston holding steady at No. 17 for the second year in a row. We probably would have be ... More >>

Ghosts of Washington Avenue

Noise goes whistling through the scenester artery's music venue graveyard.

Aftermath: The Mars Volta Gets All Violently Cosmic At Verizon Wireless Theater

Photos by Eric Sauseda​ There are simply no other bands doing what the Mars Volta do today and everyday. Plenty of second-rate bands have taken a look at the Volta's template and taken a foolhardy crack at it, but they have all failed miserably, leaving wakes of hackneyed concept albums and ill-in ... More >>

Fall In

Photos by Eric Sauseda​ There are simply no other bands doing what the Mars Volta do today and everyday. Plenty of second-rate bands have taken a look at the Volta's template and taken a foolhardy crack at it, but they have all failed miserably, leaving wakes of hackneyed concept albums and ill-in ... More >>

Twice-Told Tales

How Houston's Justice Records came to release a spooky, sexy Love & Rockets tribute album.

Dr. Strangelove

Tool and A Perfect Circle wouldn't work, so Maynard James Keenan channels his love of Hee Haw through Puscifer.

Aftermath: Puscifer at Jones Hall, the First Show We've Walked Out On In Years

Photos by Groovehouse​Aftermath considers himself a reasonably tolerant sort of fellow - you pretty much have to be to do this job. And we know for a fact we have a sense of humor, and a pretty off-color sense of humor at that, because it's gotten us in hot water more than once. ​Which is why ... More >>

2009 Concert Rewind: The 2009 Houston Press Music Awards Showcase and Ceremony

Showcase Sunday, Part 1 Shea SerranoRunaway Sun​ Dominique: "We guess critics would call her style 'neo-soul,' but it didn't seem very 'neo' to me, more like 'jazzy soul.' She fronted a piano-led trio with two backing vocalists and from the first sultry Fender Rhodes groove to the final explosive ... More >>

Distant Early Warning: Angie Stone, Ani DiFranco, Beach House, Chrisette Michele, Dax Riggs, Johnny Winter, Yanni, etc.

​American Sharks, Passengers, Big Black Spiders, Young Brothers, The Mahas: Fri., Jan. 22, 8 p.m. Walter's on Washington. Angie Stone, Joe: Fri., March 26. Arena Theatre. Ani DiFranco: Thu., April 8. Warehouse Live. Beach House: Fri., April 23. Walter's on Washington. Blaspherian, HOD, Gravehill ... More >>

Gumby, We Hardly Knew Ye: 10 Stop-Motion Videos for the Late Art Clokey

Late last Friday, Rocks Off learned that Gumby and Davey and Goliath creator Art Clokey had passed away in his sleep at age 88. The pioneering stop-motion animator and his clay work were fixtures in children's television from 1957 on. All of Clokey's characters were moral, fun-loving and devoid of ... More >>

Great Moments in Douchebaggotry: Michael Jackson Takes Paul McCartney's Advice... In the Douchiest Way Possible

Great Moments in Douchebaggery is brought to you by Rocks Off's upcoming Washington Shore party, Thursday, February 11, at the Washington Avenue Drinkery. All types of douchebags are encouraged to attend. Sadly, the duo enjoyed only a very brief period of skipping merrily about together.​In the ea ... More >>

Don't Start A Band, Unless You Have Some Clue How To Market Yourself

​ Rocks Off has been bad, very bad. In our last two "Don't Start a Band" blogs, we ragged on our bassist, our drummer and our guitarist. We meant it all in good fun, but we have yet to rag on ourselves, and that's just not fair. So here's to equality and journalistic integrity. We joined the band ... More >>

Shakira, Tool, Kings Of Leon, Roger Waters All On Sale Within A Week

​This morning, Live Nation announced more huge roadshows hitting Houston soon (enough), adding Shakira and prog-rockers Tool to Toyota Center's 2010 roster. On-sale information for Kings Of Leon and Roger Water's in-concert production of Pink Floyd's The Wall was also released; see the end of this ... More >>

Upcoming: Babyface, Disturbed, Loverboy, Nile OK Go, Pentagram, Etc.

​Andrew Karnavas: Fri., July 16. McGonigel's Mucky Duck. Babyface: Fri., Aug. 13. Arena Theatre. Bob Log III: Sun., July 11. Rudyard's. Cornbreadd, Fat Tony, B L A C K I E: Fri., May 28. Dean's Credit Clothing. Disturbed, Avenged Sevenfold, Stone Sour, HaleStorm, Hellyeah: Sun., Sept. 12. Cynthia ... More >>

Tool

​Andrew Karnavas: Fri., July 16. McGonigel's Mucky Duck. Babyface: Fri., Aug. 13. Arena Theatre. Bob Log III: Sun., July 11. Rudyard's. Cornbreadd, Fat Tony, B L A C K I E: Fri., May 28. Dean's Credit Clothing. Disturbed, Avenged Sevenfold, Stone Sour, HaleStorm, Hellyeah: Sun., Sept. 12. Cynthia ... More >>

Tool's Awe-Inspiring Stinkfist Belts Toyota Center

GroovehouseNo Tool photo approval = singer Maynard James Keenan, the last time he was in Houston.​"For the next two hours, nothing else matters," said Tool's Maynard James Keenan as his band launched into "Jambi" right after stirring the pot of the crowd with "Third Eye" from 1996's Aenima to ... More >>

True Blood: A Bloody Night On The Sun With Otep

Alan Ball was known for his masterful use of music in Six Feet Under. He's lost none of his touch when it comes to his current HBO series, True Blood - which happens to be set in the Louisiana swamps, not terribly far from Houston. Ed. Note: The True Blood report was preempted for Rocks Off HPMA sh ... More >>

Last Night: Deftones At Verizon Wireless Theater

"Get away from the garbage can, bitch." Photos by Marc Brubaker​Deftones Verizon Wireless Theater October 20, 2010 For more photos from the show, see our slideshow here. Not many bands have the longevity the Deftones do, and after 22 years and counting, they have their art down to a science ... More >>

Saturday Night: Godsmack, Bush And Seether At Buzzfest

Photos by Austin MillerGodsmack​Buzzfest, featuring Godsmack, Bush, Seether Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion October 23, 2010 For mucho photos from Saturday's Buzzfestivities, see our slideshow here. Aftermath didn't get to Buzzfest XXV out at Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion until around 6:30 ... More >>

Frickin' Lasers: Six Artists Who Could Really Use Them

Photo illustration by Monica FuentesNow that's more like it.​If you don't have tickets for tonight's Ghostland Observatory show at Warehouse Live, you are shit out of luck. Sorry to say, but the show is sold out, and when things sell out at that venue, they mean it. Seriously, you may have to ... More >>

Ten Songs Worse Than A TSA Pat-Down

​Today is the biggest travel day in the United States, according to the airlines. That means many of you will be experiencing for the first time the intrusive X-rays or demeaning pat-downs handed out by TSA as part of their new "You Assholes Don't Have to Fly, You Know" business strategy. Kee ... More >>

New Year's Eve at the House of Blues

​Today is the biggest travel day in the United States, according to the airlines. That means many of you will be experiencing for the first time the intrusive X-rays or demeaning pat-downs handed out by TSA as part of their new "You Assholes Don't Have to Fly, You Know" business strategy. Kee ... More >>

It's The Final Countdown

2011 is almost here — how will you ring it in?

It's the Final Countdown

2011 is almost here — how will you ring it in?

In The Jailhouse Now: Tom DeLay's Prison Soundtrack

​Tom DeLay is, in Lonesome, Onry and Mean's opinion, one of the lowest, vilest, most divisive, scum-sucking snake oil salesmen ever to enter politics. Now DeLay is heading to the pokey to serve time for his money laundering activities (pending his appeal, of course). We don't recall another H ... More >>

Over One Million Served

Cedar Lounge a Northside institution.

Ten Years After: Our Favorite 2001 Albums

​This hlist is kind of funny now, seeing that the dearly departed White Stripes are smack-dab in the middle with White Blood Cells. We swear this final hlist was made Tuesday afternoon, before Wednesday's breakup announcement. Funny how the band has actually been on the tips of our lips for a ... More >>

The 25 Most Influential Bands Of The '90s

Trent Reznor, you know, before the Oscar and all the weightlifting. ​As a music writer, we are asked constantly to compare the new with the old, to decipher the periphery where modern bands' influences come from to understand where we are going and what we are seeing. We can hear everything Ke ... More >>

The Great Salsa Debate

Taco Milagro vs. Sullivan's Steakhouse in a hip-shaking showdown.

Five Real Wizards Who Make Harry Potter Look Like David Blaine

​By the time you read this, your humble narrator will be on the edge of our seat at the West Oaks Alamo Drafthouse watching the triumphant finale of the Harry Potter films. The books and movies have given us of our best times over the past decade, and it's hard to believe that it's all over. ... More >>

Libra Soul: The Singing Voice Of The 99 Percent

Photos courtesy of Aiton Extea/Libra Soul​Around this time last year, Rocks Off told you about a man named Aiton Etxea and his quest to find "reason-filled musicians" for the purposes of forming a band. His use of the term "reason-filled" caught our attention because we were regular trollers o ... More >>

Baby's Cryin': Rockabye Baby Sends Us Lullaby Renditions of Van Halen

Yep. ​The folks at Rockabye Baby! remake hard rock from the likes of AC/DC, Led Zeppelin, Tool, and the Smashing Pumpkins into baby-friendly jams with "soothing mellotrons, vibraphones and bells," replacing all the things that made those bands perfect for well, making rock and roll babies. Thi ... More >>

Last Night: HURT At Fitzgerald's

Photos by Matthew Keever​Barely 100 people filed into Fitzgerald's downstairs quarters Thursday night for HURT's acoustic performance. It was warm, and the fans overhead served only to circulate the air around the room as members of the crowd conversed amongst themselves between songs. Onstage ... More >>

Tori, Tool, TLC And The Other Musical Debuts Of 1992

​1992 was a pretty heady year for music in general, with the masses gobbling up all the gangsta rap, grunge, and pop-country they could. That year would see the release of not only R.E.M.'s Automatic For The People, Peter Gabriel's Us, Pantera's Vulgar Display Of Power, but also what is arguab ... More >>