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NASA Video Reveals Telescope Near Miss with Soviet Satellite and How Much Crap There Is In Orbit

You have to hand it to the folks at NASA. In an effort to educate -- no doubt in part to remind people that, "Hey, people who think science is the devil, it is actually really important -- they produce tons of videos, blog posts and other educational materials that are often times pretty damn fascin ... More >>

The Dan Marino Restaurants

The 13 restaurants that nearly made our 30 essential Texas restaurants list.

The Best Concerts In Houston This Week

Jon Spencer Blues Explosion Fitzgerald's, January 21 The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion has been back preaching the blues gospel and garage wail for three years now, since reissuing their catalog to rave reviews and excitement from fans young and old. The trio -- Jon Spencer, Judah Bauer and Russell S ... More >>

10 Songs That Will Pack Your Wedding Reception's Dance Floor

What Was Your Favorite Concert at The Summit?

It must be music-venue day today. Rocks Off would like to thank Jon Harvey of Houston (@oompahead) for alerting us via Twitter to the fact that on this day in 1975, when I was a few weeks away from turning one year old, the sports and entertainment arena then known as the Summit opened in Greenway P ... More >>

Digital Endorsement: 10 Artists Who Will Gladly Mention Your Business On Twitter

As a culture it appears that we've stopped caring about the idea of selling out. Whether it's because we've learned that record sales don't always pay the bills, have started seeing artists as humans instead of paragons of creative integrity, or simply stopped caring, artists saddling up with corpor ... More >>

True Blood: The World of Dark, the World of Tomorrow

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. On its surface, the fifth episode of this season of True Blood was ... More >>

The More You Know: 5 Music Web Sites To Add To Your Bookmarks

The true power of the Internet is information. Don't get me wrong; free music, photos of kitties, Ryan Gosling memes, and pornography are all wonderful, but it's information that's the real star even if we take it for granted. It's changed the way people do reports in school, made us think we're sma ... More >>

Battleship

Because every generation needs an Armageddon.

Top 9 Comments On Summer Fest 2012: Where's The Women?

As most of Houston and the surrounding area knows by now, Free Press Summer Fest announced its 2012 lineup in the wee hours this morning. By now Rocks Off has had a few more hours to reflect on the festival, entering its fourth year at Eleanor Tinsley Park June 2 and 3, and also to take a shower. O ... More >>

Decoding Newt Gingrich Based on His Known Musical Tastes

The digital revolution is slowly killing our favorite form of amateur psychoanalysis. We've all gone through someone's CD collection at some point when they weren't in the room, and from the albums we found we were able to deduce something about their personality. Now, we don't even have a CD shelf, ... More >>

Ten Bands From the '00s Underground That Should Consider Reuniting

All right, so they haven't been broken up as long as the bands in April's excellent look at '90s underground bands who should get back together. We still miss 'em. You know how it is: you get to remembering that album you loved from a few years back and think to yourself "Huh, I wonder when The So-a ... More >>

The Much-Feared Restaurant Wars Hit Top Chef: Texas

​Now that Work of Art is over, I've had to find another reality show to haphazardly catch before tuning into Bravo on Wednesday nights. That show is Restaurant Impossible, and it's weirdly addictive. I've even found myself seeking it out on purpose, which is something I never do with Food Network ... More >>

YASSEAH!: Creed Hitting Houston For A Two-Night Stand This Spring

Photo By GroovehouseCreed's Scott Stapp at his nearly sold-out acoustic date at the House Of Blues in March. ​It's hard to believe, but Florida rock giants Creed will be celebrating 15 years of 1997's landmark debut, My Own Prison. Well, it's not that hard to believe if you can do math and shi ... More >>

Collins and Gorathy Uwake: Feds Seize Over $1M and Five Fancy Cars in Drug Raid

Wikipedia CommonsOf the five rides cops seized in their raid, police say that Collins Uwake loved his Titan the best.​With a Missouri City drug raid late last month, agents from the DEA and multiple other local and state agencies closed an investigation into the activities of husband-and-wife ... More >>

The 10 Most Unintentionally Hilarious Business Names in Houston

Gained in translation​Legend has it that back in that glorious half-season when Randy Johnson was mowing 'em down for the red-hot Astros, Drayton McLane thought up what he believed was a brilliant way to part Astros fans from still more money had one of his famous food-service brainstorms. He ... More >>

Top 5 Food-Inspired Holiday Games

Photo by Neighborhood CentersThese kids wouldn't last a second in our egg hunt.​Raise your hand if you are obsessed with holidays. I think I've spent a good $50 on mini pumpkins this month. I like hiding them around the apartment and surprising my fiancé with them; next to the alarm clock whe ... More >>

Father Figures: 100 Famous Musicians' Paternal Professions

If you're a Texan of a certain age, this week you've probably spent some time mourning the death of Jerry Haynes, the children's TV host better known as Mr. Peppermint. Haynes' show on WFAA-TV in Dallas, Peppermint Place, ran from the '60s to the '90s and was widely syndicated across the state, incl ... More >>

Five Oddly Timed or Just Plain Odd Texas License Plate Offerings from MyPlates.com

​The folks over at MyPlates.com, who bring us just about every custom license plate our Texas hearts could desire, just released a batch of new offerings we didn't even know we needed. The mostly-sports-themed releases provide citizens of our great state the opportunity to show pride in their ... More >>

Full Swag For Das Racist, No Swag For Astros & Paul Wall

​Das Racist is Rocks Off's favorite joke-rap group, ever. It annoys most people we know -including our boss, who is like, "All right, no more Das Racist for everyone's sake, please." That's being nice - Ed. Earlier this year, we traveled to SXSW strictly to catch every show, and we're planning ... More >>

September Knows How To Party: Bourbon!

Anamaris Cousins PriceBourbon - before and after​I don't know how this all got started, these National (fill in the blank) month/day, but if September is celebrating the joys of bourbon, who am I to stand in the way? Well, officially, it is National Bourbon Heritage Month, a time to celebrate ... More >>

True Blood : Finally, Some Freakin' Siouxsie

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. ​Look, we know that True Blood is a goth show only in the se ... More >>

Happy Birthday Leon Theremin: His Invention's Greatest Hits

You wish.​Today marks the 115th birthday of Russian inventor Leon Theremin, inventor of the theremin, one of the eeriest and ookiest instruments created in this past century. Mr. Theremin celebrated quietly with family and friends in his native Russia. Just kidding, he died in 1993. The ther ... More >>

Debt Ceiling: The 10 Worst Tweets From the Texas GOP Congressional Delegation

Tweets don't fail me now​As the GOP debates whether it wants the Tea Party to drive it (and the country) off a cliff by playing games with the debt ceiling, we looked to Twitter for the updates from our state's congresssional delegation. Oddly, the Republicans didn't tweet anything like "Yes, ... More >>

Upcoming Events

Americas: So long, and thanks for all the dish.​It's been a long time coming, but Americas on Post Oak Boulevard is finally closing after 20 years. And while it will indeed be sad to lose its iconic dining room -- which I've always fondly thought of as "Dr. Seuss on acid" -- the restaurant is ... More >>

Never Mind Arcade Fire: Bands Who Fit Other Houston 'Burbs

Gabriel Jones/Merge Records​Tonight's the night. Win and Will Butler of conquering indie heroes Arcade Fire finally return to the town that indirectly won them a Grammy, The Woodlands. On last year's The Suburbs, the Butlers and their Canadian compatriots reflected on the brothers' restless M ... More >>

German Measles Break Non-Metal "No Disease Names" Rule

Todd Purple​ You know, if we had to sum up The German Measles' music, we'd have to just stick with saying, "They're from New York." It's a very, very Velvet Underground, East Coast approach to rocking you and mocking you. They're so obscure they haven't even heard of themselves, you motherlovi ... More >>

Pop Rocks: The Black Hole of Infotainment

Jesus christ...​I wonder sometimes if we're approaching the singularity in entertainment reporting. A "singularity," as we all know, is the point in which gravitational forces cause matter to have an infinite density and zero volume. If we define "density" as "number of stories and/or article ... More >>

Billy Bob Thornton Producing ZZ Top Biopic, Sources Say

Craig HlavatyBillys Gibbons (left) and Bob Thornton at Fitzgerald's, December 2009​How how how how will this not be Rocks Off's favorite movie of all time after it comes out? If the rumors coming out of Hollywood and last month's SXSW conference are true, the story of that Lil' Ol' Band from T ... More >>

Comment of the Day: Slap the Bag

​In the comments section for Amber Ambrose's Wine of the Week entry, Wine-o pointed out a possible use for the boxed wine called Seven: Looks like I've got another contender for a good game of slap the bag... Don't know this game? Neither did we. But Urban Dictionary does: Slap the Bag: R ... More >>

Comment of the Day: Those Crazy Brits

​The things you can learn from reading the comments section on EOW. Joanna O'Leary wrote about five fascinating nursery rhyme foods, and commenter Trisch chimed in with the weirdest tidbit we've seen all day: On a recent transpacific flight, I watched a show where blackbird pie was on the men ... More >>

Five Four Musicians Who Practice Witchcraft

​Gerald Gardner founded Wicca in the 1960s, though many claim the idea was originally thought up with assistance by Aleister Crowley. Regardless, the faith has become one of the most prominent neopagan belief systems in the world, and the pentacle symbol used by adherents is even approved for ... More >>

MTV Struggles to Remain Relevant By Naming A Twitter Jockey

​This week MTV announced an online campaign looking for the network's first-ever TJ, or Twitter Jockey. Unlike the video jockeys of the cable station's past, these folks would instead live-tweet from MTV events for a year, earning a salary, and live in New York City. In addition to Twitter, th ... More >>

Concert Etiquette For Dummies: Don't Be A Douche

Brittanie SheyBlack Joe Lewis & the Honeybears, Walter's on Washington, April 2​ The following scenario has happened to Rocks Off three times in the past two months: There we are, waiting patiently in line to get into a crowded general-admission concert. When we finally get in, we make our way ... More >>

SXSW Aftermath: Roll Call At Saturday Night's Alex Chilton Tribute

Philippe Brizard/ WikipediaAlex Chilton in France, 2004​Which big names played the Big Star tribute? In the wake of turmoil of the death of Alex Chilton, local media bandied names including Cheap Trick, fresh off a sterling SXSW show at Auditorium Shores, and Paul Westerberg - who had his say-so i ... More >>

Aftermath: Balaclavas' Unsettling LP Release Even Upsets Backroom's Plumbing

Jody PerryBalaclavas​ If you were at the Backroom Saturday night and aren't quite sure what transpired, don't worry. You aren't alone. Aftermath is still wrapping her head around the night too. We do know this: Dead Roses played, with our dear friend Ralf Armin on sax. Indian Jewelry's girls flung ... More >>

Idol Beat: Here We Go Again...

Last night's guest judge: a bobblehead doll Victoria Beckham​I've never watched a whole season of American Idol before, but that's a minor detail. Actually watching this show doesn't seem to be necessary to know as much about it as the most devoted fans: Amateur singers judges = quasi-drama. ... More >>

American Idol: It Begins

Last night's guest judge: a bobblehead doll Victoria Beckham​I've never watched a whole season of American Idol before, but that's a minor detail. Actually watching this show doesn't seem to be necessary to know as much about it as the most devoted fans: Amateur singers judges = quasi-drama. ... More >>

Come On, Avatar: Do Your Aliens Really Have To Be Blue? It's Been Done

It's hard to escape the ad campaign for James Cameron's Avatar, much as you'd like to. We've seen the trailer in a theater -- even in a 3-D theater -- and we are...whelmed. Certainly not overwhelmed; not yet ready to declare ourselves completely underwhelmed. We're sure it comes off better as a ful ... More >>

Saying Yes to Yelapa

Photos by Katharine Shilcutt​It looks like the curse may have been lifted from 2303 Richmond. The location has seen many restaurants come and go over the years, some which have had achingly short lifespans. Most recently, it was the home of The Chimney (for a few short months) and before that, Sau ... More >>

Kolache Crawl: Klobasneks

​On the left, Hruska's pan sausage and cheese kolache, on the right, Weikel's link sausage kolache. I loved them both. But the slightly dried, peppery link sausage inside of Weikel's version put it over the top. However, I am told that these sausage kolaches aren't really kolaches at all. Saus ... More >>

ACL Fest Preview: School of Seven Bells and Prescott Curlywolf

Amanda MertenSchool of Seven Bells​For the next three weeks, Rocks Off will be bringing you two or three short previews a day of artists playing the Austin City Limits Music Festival in Zilker Park October 2-4. That's right, ACL is 17 days away - where is this year going? (Same place as all the ot ... More >>

Food Fight: Battle Milkshake

Photos by Katharine Shilcutt The defending champion...the Beck's Prime chocolate milkshake​When putting out the request earlier this week for the best milkshake in town, we were confronted with a curious question from commenter Dr. Ricky: "Forgive me, but what constitutes a milkshake? Vers ... More >>

The Sister Cities Of Houston: A Critical Appraisal, Part 1

With the recent addition of Karachi, Pakistan, Houston now is a sister to 18 other cities around the world. Hair Balls is on the case - we studied all of them so you wouldn't have to. In the interest of brevity, though, we are parceling out our findings over the next couple of days. Here are the f ... More >>

Reba Is Taking Up Precious Brain Space

Have you ever had this experience where you don't exactly watch a show - meaning, you don't sit down to really watch it and enjoy it - yet somehow you end up watching little bits and pieces of a show all the time whenever it's on? Enough so that you sort of feel like you've watched a lot of that s ... More >>

Boogie Chillun

Get Lit: Doo Wop: The Music, The Times, The Era, by "Cousin Brucie" Morrow with Rich Maloof

Houston Noise Music

Top five reasons to love it

Nobody Gets Out of Here Alive

The Houston rock scene and the cultural cringe

Hip-hop as She Is Rapped

Translating the German Wikipedia entries of Houston's top MCs