Tupelo

Mel Tillis: Coca-Cola Cowboy

At 80, first-time author isn't done yet.

HPMA 2012 Showcase

One night. 11 venues. 55 minutes.

Overlooked and Underrated: Finding Bonnie's in South Houston

​It spent nearly 25 years in the hands of a woman who started as a bar owner when she was only a few years short of senior discounts, and upon her death, it was passed on to her beautician because she didn't have any blood family, though she seemed to have the other kind in spades. Bonnie's ha ... More >>

Lord of the Hipsters

Whatever mashup-pioneering DJ Diplo decides to spin, it's a guaranteed party.

10 Odd Things Left At Elvis Presley's Grave

Chris GrayAs close as Rocks Off has ever come personally to Elvis' grave. Graceland was already closing for the day by the time we got there in April.​Today is the 34th anniversary of Elvis Presley's death, which means that even as you read this, Graceland workers are hard at work sorting, cat ... More >>

The Truhearts: Singer-Songwriters, Bass Fishing Enthusiasts

Each Wednesday, Rocks Off arbitrarily appoints one lucky local performer or group "Artist of the Week," bestowing upon them all the fame and grandeur such a lofty title implies. Know a band or artist that isn't awful? Email their particulars to sheaserrano@gmail.com. ​This week, the perfectly ... More >>

The Absolute Best "Baby Elephants In A Swimming Pool" Video Ever

We've only today come across this Houston Zoo video, but as the drought returns it's well worth a look. Baylor and Tupelo, the Zoo's baby elephants, have never looked cuter or funnier than in this clip. And we all know how cute Baylor can be: He swept the field in our Houston Zoo Cute-Off tournamen ... More >>

Son of a Preacher Man

Paul Thorn's life is straight out of a Southern Gothic fairy tale.

The Houston Zoo's 10 Cutest Baby-Animal Pictures

The Houston Zoo has a new calf, Sam, according to a tweet today. The Zoo is getting pretty efficient at spreading the news of cutie-wootie widdle baby animals, and who can blame them? We decided to comb the Zoo's Flickr page for 10 of the best zoo-baby pictures. 10. Cocquerel's sifaka This smells ... More >>

The United States Of Music

Monica FuentesFull-size image below​Rocks Off's sister blog Hair Balls did it with murderers and serial killers. Food blog Eating Our Words, riled the beer snobs with one about the best beers from each state in the union, and a teetotaling follow-up chronicling the best soda pops. For the pas ... More >>

Charlie Louvin, Country Music Hall Of Famer, Dies At 83

​Country Music Hall of Fame member Charlie Louvin, who with his brother Ira ranked with Ralph and Carter Stanley as one of the greatest duos in bluegrass history, passed away overnight. Louvin, 83, had been receiving experimental treatment for pancreatic cancer. Nashville-based entertainment ... More >>

Elvis: 30 Famous Quotes About The King

​Rocks Off is celebrating Elvis week this week - the King would be 76 years old on Saturday. (Or hell, maybe he will be 76 years old on Saturday.) That's more than three-quarters of a century, but it just doesn't seem like a very long time. Maybe that's because whether or not he actually died ... More >>

Tupelo: New Baby Elephant To Challenge Baylor's Cuteness Crown

Courtesy Houston ZooTupelo says move over, Baylor​Mere months afte winning the epic Houston Zoo Cute-Off, Baylorthe baby elephant is seeing his reign challenged by the arrival of Tupelo, an equally cute -- and younger -- rival.Such us the hard life of the jungle. Or the zoo.Tupelo entered the wor ... More >>

Happy Anniversary, Nirvana's Nevermind

​This past Friday, a significant musical anniversary came and went with barely a peep. It was only 19 years to the day the last album to cause a legitimate sea change in popular music - both the industry and the art - was released. Rocks Off knows that was a few days ago, but hey, we had a bus ... More >>

Paul Thorn Loves "Pimps And Preachers" Alike

​Like a lot of folks, we're sure, Rocks Off is chomping at the bit to get our ears around the remastered and expanded version of the Rolling Stones' Exile on Main Street, due in stores Tuesday. Rocks Off has done a lot of things while Exile was blasting out of a jukebox, radio, our iPod's earbuds, ... More >>

Pop Rocks: Anyone Not Rooting For The Cowboys In The Amazing Race Is A Rotten Bastard

​The 16th season of The Amazing Race wraps up next Sunday, when one of the three remaining teams will claim the million dollar prize and ride off into relative obscurity (go ahead. name a past Race winner...now name five ex-Survivors, my case rests). This season has ranged from Chile to the People ... More >>

Van Morrison

Mayday, Mayday: Van Morrison Opens Woodlands' 2010 Season May 1

​This weekend word came from Live Nation that legendary Irish crooner and songwriter Van Morrison will be open the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion's 2010 season Thursday, May 1, Van the Man's first Houston appearance in more than 30 years. According to songkick.com, Morrison first hit Houston in J ... More >>

We've Been Had: The Enduring Wisdom of Uncle Tupelo's Anodyne

Anodyne: Noun. Anything that relieves distress or pain. (dictionary.com)​When Son Volt goes onstage tonight at the Continental Club (we've heard around 11 p.m.), there's an outside chance the band might pull out Doug Sahm's "Give Back the Key to My Heart" - we are in Texas, after all. Otherwise do ... More >>

Lonesome Onry and Mean: All Hail the King of Irish Rock and Soul, Van the Man Morrison

Obviously with U2 and the Pogues alone, the Irish scene has had a huge effect on the pop music of the past half century. But no list of Irish influences on 20th century rock and roll can be complete without Van Morrison. ​In 1968, LOM's senior year in high school, Them played the Ector County Col ... More >>

Can't Get It Out of My Head: "New Madrid"

Wilco, "New Madrid," live at the Fox Theater, Boulder, Colorado, May 1995 Rocks Off is never really not on an Uncle Tupelo kick, but it sure came flooding back after he heard "New Madrid" on Fred Imus' Saturday-morning Trailer Park Bash satellite-radio show last weekend. Even among such fut ... More >>

It's Been 50 Years Since the Music Died

Fifty years ago today - February 3, 1959 - the world lost three of its early pioneering rock and rollers in a fiery plane crash over Clear Lake, Iowa. Texan Buddy Holly, Chicano rock godfather Ritchie Valens, and Sabine Pass-born disc jockey/songwriter J. P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson all lay ... More >>

Flipping the Script

Who's partying like rock stars? Rappers!

Partners in Rime

People Under the Stairs fix the leak

Hurricane Mixtape

Music to drown by

The Litmus Band

Is Wilco still trying to break your heart, or has it done so already?

A Beautiful Mind

A spate of tribute shows salutes a healthier Roky Erickson and the 13th Floor Elevators

Cry Uncle

For Uncle Tupelo fans, there's No Depression in reissue heaven

Gays and God

Plus: Balancing Act, In Jay's Day, Making Book

Sympathy for the Angel

Wilco's Jeff Tweedy and the scourge of great art

Phat Cat

Ex-Stray Cat Lee Rocker brings rockabilly into the '90s

Tupelo's Curse

Rotation

Humblebees

In Ulee's Gold, Victor Nunez's sticky-sweet direction lacks sting

Rotation

A Whole Lot Country

And quite a bit rock and roll add up to No Depression music

A Van for All Seasons

Van Morrison's getting older, grouchier and, with his latest CD, better again

Rotation

Unpromised Land

Jolene strives to make sense of life's punches -- and make a living

Rotation

Rotation

Pray

In a small town south of Houston, they say school prayer is a matter of religious freedom. But even in Santa Fe, freedom for one student can be tyranny for another.

Maxwell's Demons

If you get crosswise with Larry Maxwell, beprepared to go to court

The Country of Rock and Roll

From the ashes of Uncle Tupelo springs Wilco, genreless and great

New Blues

Alternative rock robs pop's cradle