He Ain’t Afraid of No Curse
Some stories are so important they demand extended coverage. Also, sometimes we don’t coordinate our writers and they wind up covering the same thing. Here’s Steven Devadanam’s take on Vince Young being named Madden cover boy. You can read John Royal’s take over here. Well, we shoulda seen this coming……
It’s Shepard Ross’s Turn to Blow Your Mind
Daniel Kramer Shepard Ross, general manager and wine guru at Glass Wall, offers up some of his teeth-staining favorites: $15 or less White 2005 Lo Brujo, Macabeo Calatayud, Spain “Fun, easy to drink, crisp, with hints of citrus and banana. Soft, round mouth feel, but still has some nice acidity.”…
It’s Shepard Ross’s Turn to Blow Your Mind
Daniel Kramer Shepard Ross, general manager and wine guru at Glass Wall, offers up some of his teeth-staining favorites: $15 or less White 2005 Lo Brujo, Macabeo Calatayud, Spain “Fun, easy to drink, crisp, with hints of citrus and banana. Soft, round mouth feel, but still has some nice acidity.”…
The Lord Taketh Away
Okay, all of you Vince Young-is-awesome-the-Texans-really-screwed-the-pooch-go-Titans fans. God has heard you. And He’s just as sick of you as I am. Vince Young has been chosen to be the cover boy for Madden NFL 2008. And you know what happens to the Madden NFL cover boys, don’t you? It’s called…
We Wanted to Get High, So High, But We Didn’t
Over at Grits for Breakfast, Scott Henson’s talking about a bill banning the use of salvia divinorum by Texans 18 and under. Henson had never heard of the drug before, but HouStoned sure has, as you can see in this article by Margaret Downing…
Dueling Critics: Rod Stewart
Rod Stewart came to Houston to make up for last week’s missed show last night and two, count them, two of our staffers were there to wittness it. First up is Assistant Music Editor Olivia Flores Alvarez’s version of the event, then it’s Art Director Monica Fuentes’ turn. Whatever the…
What Can Brown Do For You?
Scour the Internet these days and you’d be led to believe that the Texans will either select Leon Hall or Levi Brown with the tenth pick of the upcoming draft. Superior prospects such as Amobi Okoye, LaRon Landry and Adrian Peterson are all expected to be gone by then and…
Half and Half
Okay, before I start with the Astros, I’ve got an editorial comment to make. You know how baseball’s always talking about losing the young audience? Well, maybe that’s because Milo jabbers on and on about boardinghouse reach. Another editorial comment: Phil, when you’re up 6-1 in the top of the…
Paul Wall Update
Houston rapper Paul Wall’s Get Money, Stay True got only lukewarm reviews from USA Today last week but that didn’tstop the CD from debuting number eight on the Billboard 200. It currently sits at the number one spot on the Top Rap Album and number two on the R&B/Hip-Hop Billboard…
Cowboys Are Frequently, Not-So-Secretly Fond of Each Other
Ever see a wealthy white geezer in a ridiculous cowboy hat jerk off another wealthy white geezer in a ridiculous cowboy hat? Sounds Kinky, right? Well, it was. On Sunday, Kinky Friedman gave his old friend Don Imus a tug-job in the New York Post, rating him with other “individuals…
No Headline
The Pulitzer Prize winners were announced yesterday and free jazz pioneer Ornette Coleman won the Music Pulitzer for his 2006 release Sound Grammar (the first ever Pulitzer win for a jazz album). John Coltrane was given a Pulitzer Special Citation “for his masterful improvisation, supreme musicianship, and iconic centrality to…
Gender Equality
Looks like, contrary to what most people (who happen to be women) believe, guys actually work just as much as gals, according to a new study by three economists, including Daniel Hamermesh of the University of Texas. Slate has the story. – Keith Plocek…
He’s Baaaack!
Rod Stewart’s back in town. After having to cancel last week’s concert at the Toyota Center because his plane was grounded out-of-town, Stewart’s back to make it up to his fans. All tickets to last week’s concert will be honored tonight…
Break the Chain
And let’s just pretend we put another reference to Fleetwood Mac here. David Carr’s gone. He’s inked a deal with the Carolina Panthers. So you’d think that all involved with the travesty that has been the Houston Texans would just move on and leave well enough alone. But you would…
Dropping Today
Albums out today include: Zombie Girl Blood, Brains and Rock and Roll The electro/industrial/rock Canadian group is currently on tour with Front Line Assembly and Acumen Nation, but there’s no Houston date announced. Pam Tillis Rhinestoned Tillis co-produces and releases Rhinestoned on her own label. Tony Scott A Jazz Life…
Down to the Wire
Okay, who was that in Wandy Rodriguez’s body last night? The guy only gave up one run. Of course, the Astros bullpen came in and almost cost the Astros the game. The Brad Lidge role was played by Rick White. But the Astros won 4-3 on a Morgan Ensberg bases-loaded…
Get Your Motor Running
Dan Lanigan, Mammoth Photography In February’s Texas Monthly, Michael Hall described the “inland sea of beer,” mountains of litter, and fortresses of merchandizing booths that surrounded the Texas Motor Speedway — a former cow pasture outside of Fort Worth that became the eleventh largest city in the state during November’s…
Start Your Engines
Dan Lanigan, Mammoth Photography In February’s Texas Monthly, Michael Hall described the “inland sea of beer,” mountains of litter, and fortresses of merchandizing booths that surrounded the Texas Motor Speedway — a former cow pasture outside of Fort Worth that became the eleventh largest city in the state during November’s…
GT Garza “My Click”
A clip of Houston rapper GT Garza performing “My Click” just went up on YouTube. Click here for a look…
Money!
Parade Magazine released its annual “What People Earn” report yesterday. The results of the 2006 salary survey range from depressing (foster-care recruiter Angela Pratt earned only $23,000, while Rachel Ray got $6 million) to the surprising (Arnold Schwarzenegger earned $0, the deceased Albert Einstein $20 million) to the just plain…
Pretty Soon They’ll Be Using an Outboard Motor in the Hot Tub
Buried in the Chron story about the Sunday game between the Astros and Phillies being rained out was this little gem: The Astros also have been told that over 100 flights on regional jets have been canceled up the New Jersey Turnpike at Newark’s Liberty Airport. Okay, can I take…
Look Who’s All Grown Up
Today is the launch of Portfolio, a new business mag from Condé Nast. Normally we wouldn’t care much about “the intrigue, excitement, and power that attracts people to the business world,” but former Houston Press babe and assistant calendar editor Julia Ramey is on board, so we totally love the…
Random Thoughts While Anxiously Awaiting the NFL Draft and NBA Playoffs
We’re less than two weeks away from the most inexplicably fun sports day of the year! That’s right, I’m talking about the NFL draft. How can something so ridiculously over-hyped and completely devoid of anything even remotely athletic be so much fun to watch? It truly boggles the mind. Yet,…
Half Empty and Half Full
The Astros had some luck over the weekend. The ‘Stros split the series with the Phillies. Winning on Friday night. Losing on Saturday. The Sunday game was rained out. But that’s the good news. Brad Lidge pitched a sixth inning in the Friday game. And he still didn’t look good…
Live Shots: My Chemical Romance
Gerard Way, lead screamer of My Chemical Romance, is keeping a watchful eye out for the misfit boys and junior Suicide Girls that brave the pit that churns in front of his band of Jersey boys. As they performed miniature teen operas with gargantuan passion, he stopped the show at…
Rotation: Timbaland Presents Shock Value
Timbaland Timbaland Presents Shock Value Blackground/Interscope Tim Mosley’s megalomania is totally justified. He’s among the most consistently inventive producers of the past decade, and his profile has risen immeasurably thanks to recent hits on which he’s both dial-twister and co-star. However, Shock Value proves he’s a better supporting player than…
Playbill: The Blues Hound’s Spring Howl
Enjoy some blues and help KPFT 90.1 FM at the same time this weekend at the 5th Annual Blues Hound’s Spring Howl featuring the John Gaar Band, the Mark May Band, Little Ray & the Blues Sonics with Paul Orta & Texas Johnny Boy and The Octanes. The Blues Hound…
Live Shots: Sebadoh
I noticed Lou Barlow walking through the crowd about half an hour before opening act The Bent Mustache took the stage. For having been such an influential force in indie music for almost 20 years, Barlow exudes very little self-importance. Slipping behind The Bent Mustache’s drummer, Barlow casually took over…
No Headline
Did you hear it? The quiet little pop that happened when Apple sold the 100 millionth iPod last week? One hundred million of the high-tech mini-jukeboxes are now out there, each jammed with legally downloaded and, more importantly, supposedly illegally copied music. Along with all those iPods (most sold to…
We Don’t Even Know Where to Begin
So let’s just say a friend of a friend was hanging out on Craig’s List this balmy Friday evening and this, um, friend came across the most random, most awesome posting ever. Seriously, that thing’s a work of art. — Keith Plocek…
Houston Press Street Team
Catch up with the Houston Press Street Team this weekend and you might snag some free goodies. Friday, April 13 Benny Benassi at Bar Rio, 6400 Richmond DJ Keoki at Havok Afterhours, 5718 Fairdale Saturday, April 14 Aftershock at Fitzgerald’s, 2706 White Oak Texas Death Metal at the White Swan,…
That’s Why You Should Stay up Late
Our own Sen. Dan Patrick, R-Houston, cut quite a swashbuckling image in the wee hours of last night and this morning in the Texas Senate. As deftly recounted by a number of media outlets, including Robert T. Garrett of the Dallas Morning News, Patrick broke all sort of club rules:…
Not Bad for One of the Whitest Teams in Baseball
Okay, so the Press regularly bitch-slaps the Astros, so it’s only fair that we point out when they do something cool, too. And this Sunday, they’re doing just that: They’re one of six teams whose entire roster will wear the number 42 on Sunday, to commemmorate the 60th anniversary of…
Playbill: DBR and the Mission
Daniel Bernard Roumain, known as DBR, is a violinist and band-leader with a vision, to blend classical music with modern funk music, exploring when and how they meet. Along with his group, the multi-talented Mission, DBR tours the world bringing fans a surprisingly cohesive sound. He explains it this way:…
Did We Neglect to Mention Our Mom Also Thinks We’re Great?
Earlier this week we got a press release from Crystal Lee, Envy Magazine’s hottie marketing director. As you can see, the release included liberal use of semi-anonymous testimonials:…
Super Bowl LIV, Here We Come!
So the 2007 NFL schedule was released Wednesday, meaning we’re finally able to get a clear glimpse of the carnage awaiting the Texans in their sixth year of existence. Ever since the franchise selected Tony Boselli with the first pick of the 2002 expansion draft, Houston has been a cursed…
Maybe the Time Was Finally Right. Or Something.
It’s kind of a mystery to me why there is all this outrage over this particular racial crack from Don Imus. After all, way back decades ago, he was airing stuff like this on his morning show. (To be fair, Imus’s role in this is passive – comedian Rob Bartlett…
Double Standard
Okay, you’re not going to believe this, but it is the truth. I hate picking on the Houston Chronicle. I hate picking on the writers at the Chronicle. And I really hate picking on Richard Justice. But I’ve got to do what I’ve got to do…
God Bless You, Mr. Vonnegut
In a time when Anna Nicole takes precedence over a war and American Idol collects more votes than any election, it’s doubtful Kurt Vonnegut’s death will muster up more than today’s front page headlines. Maybe these are just the ramblings of a bookworm from high school, but it’s sad to…
This Just In: Nothing Bad Happened
The Astros update for today is that there is no update. Yesterday’s game against the Cubbies was snowed out. It will be made up on Thursday, July 12. But there is some really good news. Wandy Rodriguez’s turn in the rotation was skipped because of the rain out. That means…
Rotation: Avril Lavigne
Avril Lavigne The Best Damn Thing RCA Those who think that pop-music junkies represent music fandom’s lowest-common denominator should read the comments left on iTunes about Avril Lavigne’s cheerleader-chant-from-hell single, “Girlfriend.” Namely, this astute one: “The avril i looked up to was her own person, and proud of it. She…
Sebadoh
Though hundreds of artists emerged from the American punk scene of the 1980s, few of them serve as better examples of its importance than Sebadoh. The band adhered to the era’s D.I.Y. ethos, not as an ideology but simply as a default, releasing their own albums on cassette and making…
Classic Cuban CDs
In pre-Castro Cuba, musicians were gods. Once Castro came to power, though, God was banished, and musicians, like the rest of the island’s deities, were relegated to being just another cog in the revolutionary machine. Suddenly, bandleaders were propagandists, pushing Castro’s communist agenda; set-lists were mandated by the country’s politicos…
Trans Am
Eschewing the blatant political anger that dominated 2004’s Liberation, Trans Am goes for sheer dance-floor energy on the eclectic new Sex Change. Not to say they’ve completely checked their Bush-baiting at the door (“Exit Management Solution,” anyone?), but now that most of the country has gotten the picture on W,…
Woodwind Lakes subdivision built on oil and gas field turns on neighbor who pointed out the contamination
Paul and Cheryl Anderson were sinking into their king-size bed late one night in the fall of 2004 when they heard a loud, ominous thump. Already jittery from the constant crank calls and anonymous hate mail, they immediately sprang to their feet. Accompanied by a barking black Labrador, Paul Anderson…
Tret Fure
Tret Fure is a one-of-a-kind force of nature. While she once had a major label deal and was putting out records with the likes of Little Feat’s Lowell George and early admirer Spencer Davis, in the early ’70s she divined her true calling in the nascent movement that would become…
Chingo Bling: They Can’t Deport Us All
In the middle of last month, local rapper Chingo Bling launched the media blitz for his June 5 release They Can’t Deport Us All in typically creative fashion. Most local rappers of any renown own what are known as “wrapped” vans — Aerostars and other minivans with gaudy head shots…
Wines
Wine is supposed to be relaxing, not anxiety-inducing. So how do you pick a wine from all those pages and pages of foreign names on the wine list and all those mysterious labels on the shelf at the wine store? And how do you know when it’s a good value?…
Fish Gone Wild
There is a sign that reads “Wild Kitchen, London and Cajun Style” in front of a new restaurant on Stella Link. Combinations like steak-and-kidney gumbo, banger and mash poor boys and spotted dick beignets sparked across my cerebral cortex. It was too much to imagine, so I stopped in. The…
Disturbia
Writers Christopher Landon and Carl Ellsworth receive sole credit for the movie Disturbia, which is surprising, as the film clearly is based on both a previously published work (a 1942 short story by Cornell Woolrich titled “It Had to Be Murder”) and the John Michael Hayes-penned, Alfred Hitchcock-directed, Academy Award-nominated…
Pappasito’s
There’s no need to toss day-old Mexican bolillos (rolls). Restaurateurs turn them into bread pudding, or capirotada, which is traditionally served during Lent and Christmas. The capirotada ($6.90) at Pappasito’s (6445 Richmond, 713-784-5253) is dense and chocolaty; it looks a lot like a brownie but has the consistency of bread…
Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters
Frylock, Meatwad and Master Shake — the three Stooges inhabiting Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters — will survive should you choose to avoid their movie. Truth be told, you’ve probably never heard of them anyway, unless you’re a regular viewer of Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim programming…
Woodwind Lakes: Danger Baby on Board
“When I first met Mrs. Brooks, she answered the door with a baby on her hip and a toddler at her feet,” says Jay Klein, principal of Trinity Environmental, a consulting company hired by several homeowners to test properties at Woodwind Lakes. “I was definitely concerned.” John and Kimberly Brooks…
After the Wedding
A reformist disciple of Dogme, that earth- and camcorder-shaking movement wherein waves are broken and celebration is cause for alarm, Danish director Susanne Bier makes what you’d call emotional disaster movies. Her Open Hearts and Brothers, melodramas at once feverishly pitched and finely tuned, deploy paralysis and war, respectively, to…
CHUY’S
The best way to cure a hangover is to start drinking again. More alcohol, combined with decent Tex-Mex and attractive women, will ease even the worst of morning-after pains. I find myself taking this remedy late on a Saturday morning at Chuy’s Restaurant (2706 Westheimer, 713-524-1700), hanging out with two…
To Kill a Mockingbird
Almost anyone with a high school diploma has memories of Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird. The Pulitzer Prize-winning novel has been a favorite since it was published in 1960. Google the title, and more than a million hits appear offering everything from prepackaged lesson plans to papers for cribbing…
Woodwind Lakes: County Gofers
Woodwind Lakes residents never did file a lawsuit against Paul and Cheryl Anderson. Instead, they got the Harris County Appraisal District to do it for them. In Houston, it is every property owner’s right to protest his home valuation before an independent three-member Appraisal Review Board. If HCAD disagrees with…
Stage Capsule Reviews
Anna in the Tropics In this show, the heat’s on right from the beginning. Awaiting the new “lector” who’s been hired to read to them while they roll cigars, three women daub their faces and wipe the sweat from their necks during the Gulf summer of 1929. Reading great novels…
Mail Call
Juvenile: Your “cover story” on the Astros was weak, weak, weak [“Season of the Bitch,” Hair Balls, by Richard Connelly, March 29]. I put “cover story” in quotes because there was no actual Astros “story” in last week’s issue, just the usual BS and snide remarks that make it into…
“Peter Halley: New Paintings”
Peter Halley, the don of the 1980s Neo-Geometric Conceptualism movement and acolyte of the French philosopher Jean Baudrillard, has work on view at McClain Gallery in “Peter Halley: Paintings.” Halley lay low during most of the ’90s, but he’s been back on the radar for several years now. A lot…
Mickey Avalon
Wavy, muddled black hair. Smudged eyeliner and pouty lips. Tight jeans over slim hips and tattoos scrawled across pasty white skin. Mickey Avalon is the quintessential trashy musician, a hipster from the Sunset Strip who’s risen up from the dregs of prostitution to bust a rhyme about his drugged-out past…
Art Capsule Reviews
“Allison Hunter: New Animals” “New Animals” is a continuation of Allison Hunter’s “Simply Stunning” series, which showed at New York’s 511 Gallery last year. The Houston-based photographer’s recent work concentrates largely on animals, and the images reflect a progression toward emancipating creatures from the worldly environment. Sheep and deer inhabit…
Houston Noise Music
Houston Noise. Ah, yet one more minuscule music genre. This one’s local, at least, but still pretty hard to describe in ten words or less. It’s mostly distorted, stripped down, dark, moody, experimental music that seems to have no interest in being commercially successful. Wikipedia says it has “an aesthetic…
Mexican-American Culture
Dear Mexican, I lived here illegally for the first half of my life, so I’m very offended when I hear anti-immigrant comments. I especially can’t stand “Illegals don’t pay taxes, so they shouldn’t be here.” When my father applied for residency during the amnesty in the 1980s, part of the…
Your Guide to Being Cool
Cinematic Masterwork Adam Sandler’s profoundly disturbing resemblance to Bob Dylan in Reign Over Me. Though it is fun to imagine Bob singing “It’s cool to pee yo’ pants.” Societal Conundrums Wondering why anyone would knowingly watch a video clip of Karl Rove rapping. Have some respect for yourself. Technological Marvels…
God of War II
Publisher: Sony
Platform: PlayStation 2
Price: $49.99
ESRB Rating: M (for Mature)
Score: 9 (out of 10)
Alle Norton
Seventeen-year-old Alle Norton is what novelists call “a wisp of a girl.” Petite and slim, she’s like an Olsen twin with a great haircut, but one who can sing. Norton picked up the guitar five years ago and, after teaching herself to play, promptly began writing songs. Now, with demo…
Her One Little Secret
Sleeping Dogs Lie (First Look) Writer-director Bobcat Goldthwait takes a subversive concept (honesty is overrated) and marries it to an outrageous scenario (a woman’s family learns that she once, uh, performed for a dog) to createa romantic comedy? Well, sort of. Like Goldthwait’s underrated Shakes the Clown, Sleeping Dogs Lie…
Live Sports Cafe
It’s Tuesday, poker night at the Live Sports Cafe (407 Main, 713-228-5483). Barbara, a fortysomething blond, is already sitting at a table. A handful of poker players are at the bar, getting pitchers of beer and chicken wings. Michelle, the National Pub Poker League host and dealer, is handing out…
Our top DVD picks for the week of April 12
The Aura (Genius) Avatar: The Last Airbender — Book 2: Earth, Volume 2 (Paramount) The Batman: The Complete Third Season (Warner Bros.) Beneath Still Waters (Lions Gate) Bobby (Weinstein) Coming Soon (Lions Gate) Dead and Deader (Anchor Bay) A Guide for the Married Woman (Fox) Life of the Party (THINKFilm)…
Bill Callahan
Starting in 1990, Bill Callahan recorded and released highly idiosyncratic, stubbornly low-tech music under the name Smog. As time passed, his material became increasingly accessible and better-recorded. Another six years down the line, the spanking new Woke on a Whaleheart appears, credited to plain ol’ Bill Callahan. So, what’s different?…