Drenched in Blog: Juno Hits No. 1
What kind of world have we have found ourselves in when a soundtrack featuring the Velvet Underground, Moldy Peaches, and Sonic Youth covering the Carpenters is the best-selling record in America? Don’t get me wrong – this is pretty cool stuff. Five years ago, if you would have said someone…
Quanell X Joins the Chuck Rosenthal Ouster Party
Quanell X has taken the lead on one of the many efforts to remove Chuck Rosenthal as the Harris County District Attorney. Look for Quanell at a downtown protest on Thursday, scheduled for noon at the Harris County Criminal Courthouse. The rally is first of many, Quanell says, until Rosenthal…
Steroids and Roger Clemens: Andy Pettitte, Brian McNamee, Jim Murray and a Whole Lot of Suspense
Holy shit. If this news story is to be believed, which means that Brian McNamee’s attorney is to be believed, then when Andy Pettitte appears before Congress, he’s going to have something really interesting to say. Like that he and Roger Clemens discussed using HGH. Like that the discussion was…
The Seoul of Houston: The Weather Was Not the Strong Point on Long Point
In our most ill-advised jaunt yet, David Beebe and I chose to walk Long Point in from the Beltway to the Hempstead Highway, and then turn southeast there to Washington, and then trek the rapidly douchifying street of dreams in to Warren’s downtown. On paper, it didn’t seem like such…
Rockets-Warriors: Hope at Last?
Missed free throws in the final two minutes. Killer turnovers down the stretch. We’d seen this play so many times before. In fact, it seemed to have claimed permanent residence status at the Toyota Center over the past six weeks. But for one night at least, the Rockets flipped the…
Screw Bret Michaels: Musicians Who Really Deserve Reality Shows
With the writers’ strike in full swing, television is having to rely on reality shows even more than usual to weather the storm. Not least among the current crop is VH1’s Rock of Love 2 with Bret Michaels, where the Poison frontman again tries to find love after Season 1…
What a Dump: Get Ready for the Super Bowl
You may be surprised to hear this, but employees of the Houston Press often receive press releases, many of them from people who obviously never have looked at the Houston Press. They want us to write stories about bed-and-breakfasts in Vermont, new HEB stores, and popular Valentine’s Day gifts. We…
Reporter’s Notebook: Random Scrawlings from the Van Halen Show
Click here for a slideshow Whether for space or continuity considerations, music reviewers usually find that half of what they write down during a concert, or more, winds up on the newspaper equivalent of the cutting-room floor. Sometimes this is for the best, but thanks to the Internet such jottings…
Drenched in Blog: Nickelback DVD Collection! Yeah!!
Don’t know what to do with all those unused Best Buy and Circuit City gift cards left over from the holidays? Why not pick up Nickelback’s new Ultimate Video Collection DVD, in stores today? Not only will you get 12 videos of some sort of mentally challenged Jesus impersonator belting…
No Lingerie Bowl? What’s the Point?
The horror. The horror. Gentlemen, I hope that you are seated. I hope that you have braced yourselves, because I have some bad news. Some bad news indeed. You see, we’re not going to have any choice with the Super Bowl this year, we’re going to have to watch Tom…
Losing Nolan Ryan. Again.
The one thing that finally turned the public against John McMullen was when he let local icon Nolan Ryan escape up to Arlington and the Texas Rangers in 1988. Dr. McMullen would never recover his standing in the community, a standing which had already been virtually destroyed after the firing…
A Review of a Preview of the Texas Hill Country Wine & Food Festival
Austin came to Houston last week on a rolling food and beverage tour promoting the upcoming Texas Hill Country Wine & Food Festival. The biggest news? “Now you can drink from morning way into morning again,” announced Stephanie Bailey, who is handling the sponsorships for the April 10-13 event. In…
Last Night: Van Halen at Toyota Center
Van Halen Toyota Center January 28, 2008 Better Than: “My fellow Americans, you and I both know the State of the Union is pretty fucked up. Let’s all just listen to Women and Children First.” Download: You do realize this is Van Halen, right? Their fans think “downloading” is something…
Memories of Pauline and Mike Holovak
I was a week away from starting my third year of law school when I boarded a Delta flight for Washington, D.C., by way of Atlanta. I was on my way to interview for a job with the Justice Department – a job which I didn’t get. I remember sitting…
Drenched in Blog: C’mere Miley Ray…
Yesterday, hard-nosed news outlet Entertainment Tonight announced Miley Cyrus has legally changed her name to Miley Ray Cyrus. It’s been almost two decades since father Billy Ray hit the scene with his one-hit-wonder classic “Achy Breaky Heart.” No better time to capitalize on such a landmark societal shift than right…
Roger Clemens and Steroids: Stats Don’t Prove Squat
There was more Roger Clemens news yesterday. Rocket’s agent Randy Hendricks released an 18,000 word report seeking to rebut the allegations of steroids use. But I’ve got to be honest with you, I just can’t do it. I just can’t sit down and read the damn thing. I just can’t…
Slideshow: Van Halen at Toyota Center
We’re working up a full review of last night’s performance by Dave, Eddie, Alex and Wolfgang, but here’s a slideshow for breakfast. — Keith Plocek…
OMGNKOTB: The Return of the New Kids on the Block
Ohmigawd, ohmigawd, ohmigawd. Alert! Alert! Alert! OH MY GOD!!!!!!!!!!!! The New Kids on the Block are getting back together. Oh my God. Oh my GOD!!!!! I am totally serious. For real. They are…
Bacon Tastes Good: Benton’s Back in Business
Benton’s is the “bacon of the month” around my house. You can smell the hickory smoke right through the plastic wrapper. Maybe you’ve heard of the Grateful Palate’s Bacon of the Month Club? It’s a clever idea for bacon lovers, but the prices are a little ridiculous – $150 for…
This Just In: H-Town Remains Soul City
Surely it was no coincidence. A packed house at Walter’s Friday night – and I mean packed, as in the maximum occupancy certificate of 135 was more of a guideline than a rule, though there was still (barely) enough room to get to the bar and merch booth – was…
Have a Seat: Great Deals at Minute Maid Park?
Hey Astros fan. Are you pissed off about Drayton jacking up ticket prices for the Red Sox and Yankees games this summer? Well, you can just go to hell, you bunch of frigging, ungrateful ingrates. Don’t you realize what a bargain Drayton’s giving you? Don’t you know how cheap it…
Drenched in Blog: Stone Temple Reunion
It was unofficially announced last week, in separate interviews with Slash and Scott Weiland, that Stone Temple Pilots are reuniting for a tour. Touring should begin by the summer, sometime after Velvet Revolver unceremoniously implodes. When I excitedly told my friends this wonderful news over the weekend, I was met…
Want an NBA Title? Head East, Young Man
There’s no need to spend much time breaking down the Rockets’ latest loss to Utah. Yes, the déjà vu storyline is tempting to be sure, but it’s ultimately misguided. Let’s face it: From the moment word spread that Yao Ming would be unavailable for duty due to an upper respiratory…
Another Lost Weekend: San Antonio Rampage Take Two from Houston Aeros
“You just get in ruts,” center Steve Kelly said Friday night. But then he looked up and added, “I think we will be fine. We just got to get back to basic hockey.” Unfortunately for Kelly and his teammates, there’s no Ctrl-Alt-Delete in hockey. But after Friday night’s 3-1 loss…
Over the Weekend: Super Happy Fun Land, Drinking and Hockey…But Not All at the Same Time
In German there’s apparently a phrase that translates to “speaking about the weather,” which doesn’t necessarily mean you talked about the weather with someone; it just means y’all didn’t have a whole lot to say. Anyway, we sure are glad it wasn’t completely sucky outside this weekend. Not that we…
Slideshow: 12:15 a.m. at Kobain and 1 a.m. at Catbirds
Last night photog Bill Olive traveled from Kobain to Catbirds, from yupster to hipster, from alternative rock to free jazz. Click here for the pics. — Keith Plocek…
Q&A: Chloe Dao Talks Dead Poets and H-Town Style
Chloe Dao, winner of Project Runway season two and native Houstonian will introduce Dead Poets Society at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston tomorrow as part of the Movies Houstonians Love series. Houston Press Assistant Night & Day Editor Dusti Rhodes called her up to chat about her decision behind…
Last Night: Super Happy Fun Land Reopening
Click the photo for a slideshow of the action Poopy Lungstuffing, The Annoysters, Styrofoam Duck, Muzak John, Kevin 11 The new SHFL location at 3801 Polk Street January 25, 2008 Better than: The month we had to endure without Super Happy Fun Land / Ultra Painful Torture Land Download: Poopy…
Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew: Holy Shit, Is That Kenickie?!?
Picture, if you will, a 1980s slumber party in the `burbs starring Miss Pop Rocks and her best gal pals. The snacks? Ho Hos and Doritos. The music? Tiffany. The movie? Grease. The T-Bird Miss Pop Rocks was way hot for? Kenickie, naturally, played by Jeff Conaway. What a bad…
Weekend Music: Ka-Nives Out
If Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings, Dash Rip Rock or the Black Dahlia Murder/3 Inches of Blood metalocalypse ain’t your bag tonight, Houston’s beloved Ka-Nives play a house party at 9:30 tonight with the Dimes and American Sharks. So far the location of said party is a well-kept secret, but…
Web Extra: More Aggies Behaving Badly
In keeping with the Aggie-bashing fun, I bring you the return of college football police blotter… The story begins on November 29, 2007, when two men staged a home invasion at the Callaway Vista Apartments in Bryan-College Station. One of the men was armed, and the victim suffered minor injuries…
Slideshow and Video: Flash Mob Pillow Fight
We’ve loaded up a slideshow of photos by Daniel Kramer of yesterday’s flash mob pillow fight out front of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. After the jump, video from Dusti Rhodes…..
Aeros Get Ready for the Rampage
The San Antonio Rampage will be in Houston for two games with the Aeros this weekend, tonight and Saturday. The Aeros are in the Western Conference playoff mix, and one of the teams they’re battling is the Rampage. But for the Aeros to stay competitive, they are going to have…
Poll Positions: Pazz and Jop, and Country Too
If you are not yet quite sick of critics’ polls, two of the biggest and best are out at our sister papers. The venerable Pazz and Jop poll is up at the Village Voice, while the less venerable, more focused country music list is up on the Nashville Scene’s site…
Highly Anticipated Albums of 2008
Because lists aren’t just for Christmas, here are some of the most eagerly awaited albums scheduled for release in 2008. The anticipation is so high that this top ten list goes to 11. 11. Green Day How does a band follow their most commercially successful record, two Grammys, and a…
$13 at Sabor! on Bellaire
Where: Sabor!, 5712 Bellaire, 713-667-6001 What $13 gets you: Delicious authentically prepared Central American specialties. Sabor! is best known for its fajitas ($11.95) and seafood entrees, such as whole fried tilapia ($8.95) and black clams ($8.50). But I go for the simple, traditional fare – pupusas, plantains, tamales. I don’t…
Get Lit: Students for a Democratic Society: A Graphic History, by Harvey Pekar
I don’t know much about Harvey Pekar. I’ve never seen American Splendor. I never read his comic book. I know him primarily as a nut job who used to go on David Letterman and make Crispin Glover look sane. So maybe I’m not the best person in the world to…
Tight Fight: Bring Back the Summit!
While sitting in the Toyota Center rafters for the Foo Fighter’s show Tuesday night, I was reminded of the two things I hate about Toyota Center. The sound sucks. And the seats are designed for little people. Can’t we just do a deal with those idiots at Lakewood and swap…
Last Night: Chuck Prophet at the Continental Club
Chuck Prophet Continental Club January 23, 2008 Better Than: Doing your homework and going to bed early. Download: “You Could Make a Doubter Out of Jesus” is Prophet at his most intense and lyrical. Chuck Prophet is a wizard, and every wizard needs a special hat. As the edgy San…
Web Extra: Aggies Behaving Badly
Too bad Zach Corcoran wasn’t a football field. The Aggies and their Corps of Cadets operate on tradition. Sure, there’s the stuff with that dang dog, but don’t you dare step foot on their football field. Because that football field is sacred. And if you step foot on the turf,…
Rotation: Smokey Johnson, It Ain’t My Fault
Smokey Johnson It Ain’t My Fault Tuff City Int’l You often hear band people say a variation of this: “You’ll really like his drumming. He’s a very musical drummer.” It’s one of those seldom-defined, shorthand phrases like Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart’s famed definition of pornography. I can’t tell you…
Eff You, Bill Donahue
If you listen to ESPN Radio’s Mike and Mike in the Morning – and frankly, in Houston sports talk, there are, unfortunately, no other better options – then you know that several weeks ago ESPN roasted the hosts, Mike Greenberg and Mike Golic. The roast wasn’t televised – don’t want…
Web Extra: Hullabaloo, Caneck! Caneck!
The questions of justice outlined in this week’s feature notwithstanding, the Aggies are widely known for their idiosyncratic ways. There’s the incessant howdying. The keeping off the grass. The dog, a.k.a. Reveille, a.k.a. Miss Rev, ma’am, a.k.a. the highest ranking member of the Corps. Make fun of them, and the…
Houston Roller Derby Recreational League
Got everything it takes to be a roller girl, except for time? The Houston Roller Derby Recreational League is perfect for those who have the skating skills, muscles, guts and, most importantly, the fishnets, but not the flexible schedule. “Anybody can join at any time,” says Private BeenJammin’ of the…
Francis Ray
You gotta love a novel that has lines like, “You know how men are. They take what sluttish women offer.” And who can resist such tidbits as: “He stared down into her passion-filled eyes and knew she felt the same exquisite joining.” (For those readers who aren’t fluent in Romance-ese,…
One Pot Showdown
Stew, chili, chicken and dumplings, roast, and potatoes — these are some of the dishes Saint Arnold Brewing Company is suggesting culinary wizards create for its One Pot Showdown today. The cook-off contest has only one stipulation: The recipe has to include one of Saint Arnold’s famous brews. We’re got…
Don’t sit in the front row unless you want to become part of the act
Even if you haven’t seen his stand-up act on Loco Comedy Jam and Comedy Central, you’ve heard his voice in Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius (as Sheen) and in Happy Feet (as Rinaldo). Much of comedian Jeff Garcia‘s humor is improv. He’s famous for taking on his audiences. “Where you work…
Torture Chamber Ensemble
Bassist Thomas Helton’s compositions pull from free jazz, chamber music, minimalist experiments and prog rock. He’s the leader of the Torture Chamber Ensemble, but don’t let the name put you off. Helton’s music is strangely enticing, far from torture — and accessible, despite that convoluted opening description. “Selfish Shellfish,” off…
Galveston’s Mardi Gras
Organizers of the Galveston Mardi Gras are doing everything they can to make this year’s celebration more family friendly — they want to clean up the drunks, topless college chicks and urine. Ah, good luck with that. Anyway, all the hallmarks of the event will be there for the more…
Pharoahe Monch
Pharoahe Monch blends the sounds of soul, R&B and gospel for beats that back lyrics usually not about bitches and bling. An exception: his recent remix of Amy Winehouse’s “Rehab,” in which he expressed his distaste for the media’s obsession with tabloid dolls. “Place me with these snobby white girls…
Winter Formal
In the dance smorgasbord Winter Formal, the local presentation group Dance Houston celebrates urban dance (also known as hip-hop), a genre that’s old enough to have a proud legacy but new enough to be wildly innovative. More than 150 local artists, many of them quite young, will display the genre’s…
“Black Box”
For “Black Box,” her new exhibit at Art League Houston, Houston-born artist Phi Phi Oanh arranged black boxes on the floor; they look like caskets ready for burial or shut in a tomb. Visitors can stroll through the somber rows of boxes, which are topped with lacquer paintings. For Aftertaste,…
Charlie Roberts
Once you’ve seen “Mambo Jambo: Cabinet of the Cosmos,” you’ll understand why artist Charlie Roberts calls himself a “maximalist.” The wooden cabinet almost touches the Rice Gallery’s ceiling and sidewalls, and it’s filled with wooden sculptures, while some 200 detailed paintings cover the doors. There’s an opening reception with Roberts…
The War Symphonies: Shostakovich against Stalin
Soviet composer Dmitri Shostakovich, the subject of the documentary film The War Symphonies, once wrote, “There was only one question: How did the leader like your work? The answer could mean life or death.” He would know. In 1936, Joseph Stalin, then-dictator of a repressive Soviet regime, walked out on…
Green: The New Red, White and Blue
New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman knows that going “green” is not just another marketing slogan. In his 2007 documentary screening today at Rice, Green: The New Red, White and Blue, Friedman delves into why “green” — that is, environmentally sound — practices became popular in the first place, and…
My Village at Sunset
Born into Cambodia’s royal family, Norodom Sihanouk has, in his lifetime, been the figurehead of the country’s independence movement, the author of a constitutional provision that essentially made him king for life, a secret ally of the Chinese and North Vietnamese, a political exile and the reinstated king after the…
Dead Poets Society
For Chloe Dao, fashion designer and winner of the Project Runway’s second season, Dead Poets Society was a life-changing film. “I dropped out of University of Houston, enrolled in Houston Community College with their fashion design program and went for a weekend in New York City…it turned out to be…
Houston Tango Festival
Argentinean composer Enrique Santos Discépolo once said, “The tango is a sad thought that you can dance.” See how melancholy you can be at the three-day Houston Tango Festival. A combination master class, conference and dance party all rolled into one, with an intensity on par with the dance itself,…
Maria Guzman’s “Moving In”
Local artist Maria Guzman’s “Moving In” exhibit at Lawndale Art Center is about adapting to a new environment. “My dad is Colombian, my mother is from Peru, and I was born in Italy; and that’s what a lot of this show is about,” Guzman says. “It’s all different aspects of…
Suh Se-ok’s “Where Clouds Disperse”
At first glance, Suh Se-ok’s exhibition “Where Clouds Disperse” appears to be Korea’s version of the Rorschach test, but in these ink, paper and brush paintings, simplicity shrouds technical mastery. In the 1950’s, Suh Se-ok brought minimalism and abstraction to Korea’s conservative art world with his unprecedented style and figurative…
Matt Braunger
Matt Braunger is worried about the message Harry Potter is sending to kids — “that it’s okay to own an owl for a pet — noooo,” says the comedian, who’s trained with the likes of Susan Messing and improv guru Del Close. “Owls are made of feathers, claws and hatred,”…
“Visual Voice: The Poster Art of Finn Nygaard”
It’s rare that an illustrated advertisement will draw and hold your attention with all the force of museum-worthy art, but the posters and prints created by the Danish artist Finn Nygaard certainly give the lowly poster’s reputation a boost. To celebrate the exhibit “Visual Voice: The Poster Art of Finn…
Super Happy Fun Land Grand Reopening
If you’ve been jonesin’ for sock monkeys, odd wall art, theater seating and crazy music, don’t worry — the new version of Super Happy Fun Land, whose old spot was named Best Place to See Local Music in our Best of 2007® edition, is almost ready. Last week, owner Brian…
“Design Life Now: National Design Triennial”
America is having a love affair with design. And to show how it affects our everyday life, the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston is hosting “Design Life Now: National Design Triennial.” The show, put together by the Smithsonian’s Cooper-Hewitt Design Museum, focuses on the best designs of the past three years,…
Adriana Lecouvreur
Based on the true life story of an 18th–century French actress, Adriana Lecou-vreur is a story of love, death and betrayal. In the opera, Adriana and Maurizio are in love. That doesn’t matter to Princess de Bouillon, who wants Maurizio for herself. Prince de Bouillon is oblivious to his wife’s…
The Lieutenant of Inishmore
Young, Irish and totally hot, Martin McDonagh is a rock star among playwrights. Four of his plays have been nominated for Tony Awards, and a short film he wrote and directed won an Academy Award in 2006 (expect a full-length feature this year). About murder, sex crimes and oddballs, his…
KGOWTF: Poker on the Radio?
Is KGOW 1560 a crappy radio station, or what? Let’s start with the basic fact that you can barely hear it during the day and that its nighttime signal is nearly non-existent. Then there’s the so-called talent. The Chron has loaned the station Richard Justice and Ken Hoffman. The people…
Strange Shape: Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo Named to Texas Monthly List
In celebration of its 35th year anniversary, Texas Monthly has released a list of 35 people who will shape the future of Texas. Cyclist Lance Armstrong tops the list (no surprise there). Texas Monthly Editor Evan Smith says, via press release, the list “highlighted the people most likely to have…
Confessions of a Superhero, The Hunting Party, Adrift in Manhattan, Sex and Breakfast
Confessions of a Superhero (Arts Alliance) As one of those quoted on the package (“A more beautiful documentary you’re unlikely to find”), I can only reiterate my earlier praise: Matt Ogens’s doc, about mortals dressed as superheroes trolling Hollywood Boulevard for tourists’ loose change, is stunning to look at —…
Malcolm Holcombe
Malcolm Holcombe’s MySpace site is studded with fan comments like “your songs feed my soul,” odd pronouncements indeed when addressed to a battered-spirit hillbilly poet who once had a reputation as an unpredictable, slightly dangerous performer. Yet after remarrying and shaking the demons of drugs and alcohol, today Holcombe is…
Rod Paige and Scientology, Margaret Thatcher at the Warwick, Pool Owners and Public Works
Scientology Rumors Swirl The inexplicable career of former HISD superintendent Rod Paige may be taking another strange turn: into the land of Xenu, thetans and L. Ron Hubbard. Anti-Scientology groups have begun raising questions about whether Paige’s consulting business, Chartwell Education, is about to become the latest ally of Scientology’s…
Templars
Before the term “aggro” was co-opted by cute hipsters, it was used to describe bands like Templars. Even after some 15 years in the trenches, the New York quartet remains one of the most menacing, important punk bands out there. Their songs are less melodic than those of The Business…
Various Artists: Disco Not Disco: Post Punk, Electro & Leftfield Disco Classics 1974-1986
You can’t quite peg that underwhelming ‘meh’ feeling this third Disco Not Disco compilation inspires to the economic law of diminishing returns, much less sequel-itis. The first installment of the series, curated by DJs Joey Negro and Sean P. in 2000, introduced a new generation to the spiny and rubbery…
The Magnetic Fields: Distortion
Following 1999’s synth-less I, Magnetic Fields are back behind the keys on Distortion. The first half’s only real standout is “California Girls,” as the other tracks simply play into the band’s established shtick. The second half shines, however, beginning with the sweetly haunting “Please Stop Dancing,” which will grace numerous…
Nicky Click: I’m On My Cell Phone
A producer, beatmaker, video artist, songwriter and performance artist from Durham, New Hampshire, Nicky Click is also a petulant bitch. But that’s probably exactly how she wants it. I’m on My Cell Phone (Crunks Not Dead), her sophomore effort, is an imaginative hodgepodge of minimalist hip-hop and urban folk that…
THE LOUNGE AT BENJY’S PISCO PINA
There’s something I’ve always wondered about happy hour: Most bars provide drink and food specials for more than an hour, so why isn’t it called “happy hours”? Feeling sad because of a man problem — and what girl doesn’t on a daily basis? — I wondered if I could transform…
Solid Gold: Jersey Boys
The melody is instantly recognizable: “Oh, What a Night.” But something’s weird. The arrangement is off. It doesn’t sound like beloved Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons. Oh sweet lord, is that French? And it’s being rapped — to a disco beat! The audience reacts with unease. Suddenly, the back…
Our top DVD picks scheduled for release this week
America! The Complete Series (RHI) Barney Miller: The Complete Second Season (Sony) Best Actress Collection (Fox) Best Picture Academy Award Winners Collection (Fox) Blonde Ambition (Sony) Butterfly Collectors (Koch Vision) The Catherine Cookson Anthology (Koch Vision) ER: The Complete Eighth Season (Warner Bros.) The Game Plan (Disney) Hawaii Five-O: The…
Danse Macabre: AES+F
AES+F is a Russian art powerhouse comprised of Tatiana Arzamasova, a conceptual architect; Lev Evzovitch, a conceptual architect and filmmaker; Evgeny Svyatsky, a graphic artist; and Vladimir Fridkes, a fashion photographer for the likes of Vogue. The group combines their diverse skills to spectacular effect: Their work is slick, smart…
It’s more of the same in Woody Allen’s Cassandra’s Dream
“I do think the writing is pessimistic — all that stuff about life being a tragic experience,” says Angela Stark (played by newcomer Hayley Atwell) early in Woody Allen’s Cassandra’s Dream. An actress talking about the play she’s appearing in at a small London theater, Stark could just as well…
Plump : I Like the Idea of Chance
On I Like the Idea of Chance, their third album, Houston quintet Plump mixes funk, rock, reggae and a thick slice of humor for a sound as groovy as it is dripping with Southern comfort. Songs like “Varmint Poontang” and “The Governor” encapsulate their whimsical point of view, but don’t…
Capsule Art Reviews: “Andreas Nottebohm: Into the Light,” “Howard Sherman: In my mind, you’re inflatable,” “Ornament as Art: Avant-Garde Jewelry from the Helen Williams Drutt Collection,” “Will Boone: A Man’s House Is His Coffin”
“Andreas Nottebohm: Into the Light” Andreas Nottebohm’s tinted and engraved raw metal surfaces walk a line between art and novelty. Like those computer-generated stereograms that require forced optical distortion to make out the hidden three-dimensional forms, Nottebohm’s works can induce dizziness and vertigo if you stare at them too long…
Al Stewart
Though best known for a pair of ’70s SoftSational Hits (“Year of the Cat,” “Time Passages”), Scottish native Al Stewart should actually get props as an O.F.R.G. — Original Folk Rock Gangsta. After all, one of his early songs was a nearly 19-minute rumination on his sexual awakening and subsequent…
Bayousphere
Anyone who’s seen (or read) Charlie Wilson’s War knows that belly dancing can be a key component of international diplomacy. It apparently can also help people finish the Houston Marathon. Debbie Scheel, of the Sirrom School of Dance, gives it up for those hardworking runners struggling to finish. To view…
Drive-By Truckers: Brighter Than Creation’s Dark
Even devoted DBT fans may find the Alabama/Athens rockers’ eighth album frustrating, or long-winded at the very least. It’s 19 mostly acoustic, down-tempo songs spread over 75 dour, occasionally thrilling, minutes. Their trademark hard ‘n’ heavy chargers are largely confined to “The Righteous Path,” “Self Destructive Zones” and “That Man…
Untraceable is Massively Dumb
Regarding the irrelevance of Untraceable: First of all, torture is so 2007, and just because this drab little thriller with a flashy love of pain imagines itself a “critique of violence” doesn’t make it any less superfluous. Second of all, untraceable? Ha! You wish. While it’s true that the villain…
The Night Diamond Dave Rejoined Van Halen
FADE IN: INT. MGM GRAND PENTHOUSE SUITE, LAS VEGAS (NIGHT) The camera lingers on the full-length windows and panoramic view of the glittering Strip below, before slowly panning around the lavishly appointed room. WOLFGANG VAN HALEN sits on an overstuffed couch, playing Halo 3 with his uncle ALEX VAN HALEN…
Youth Without Youth Is Not Entirely Terrible
Youth Without Youth, Francis Ford Coppola’s self-financed return to the fray, is a curious project — well-crafted, personal and movie-movie old-fashioned even in its vanguard aspirations. Simply put, it’s a Faustian romance about the reversal of time and transmigration of souls which, shot mainly in Romania, adds a soupçon of…
What Happened to Honky Tonk in Houston
When did Houston — at least the Houston that lies inside the Beltway — cease to be a honky-tonk town? First, let’s define our terms. By “honky-tonk,” I mean stone-cold, cry-in-your-beer, weeping country music on the order of “He Stopped Lovin’ Her Today” and the boot-scooting Texas shuffles perfected by…
Golden Globes, Whoppers, Dr. Phil, Michael Cera and Hannah Montana
Readers of columns by Jennifer Mathieu, a.k.a. Miss Pop Rocks, have had plenty to say lately on our Houstoned blog. Here’s a sampling of their comments. Strike That Hold up, MPR: While I sympathize with the writers, I’m glad the Golden Globes did not go on [“I Miss the Awards…
Mardi Gras Grill
Fry this: Foods that people have deep-fried include Twinkies; Snickers, 3 Musketeers, Milky Way and Mars candy bars; cream eggs; ice cream; Oreo cookies; cheesecake; pizzas; cheeseburgers; mac and cheese; and even Coca-Cola, which is simply poured into and mixed with the batter before frying. Add to the list the…
ASK A MEXICAN
Dear Mexican, At a weekly Doors tribute band gig, I’ve noticed the majority of the crowd is Mexican. I swear, sometimes it seems like the crowd missed the exit to the Lupillo Rivera show or a Maná concert. Never realized Jim Morrison was the equal of Morrissey and Charles Bronson…
Keep Houston Weird: Dry Creek Café
The medium-rare slices of fish on the grilled ahi tuna salad at Dry Creek Café were a juicy watermelon pink in the middle, with a lovely crust of black pepper and spices on the outer edges. The gorgeous fish was served over lettuce tossed with sliced pears, roasted red peppers,…
Hueston Independent Spit District
Remember when hip-hop was exciting, back before its braggadocio became banal, its lyrics repurposed and watered down? Wouldn’t it be great if, say, eight guys got together and made a conscious effort to produce an LP that steered away from the tales of shiny teeth and silly little dances that…
Blues Clues at The Big Easy Social and Pleasure Club
Texas Johnny Brown is playing the shit out of a bluesy guitar solo. If that’s not impressive enough, he’s decided to go on a walk right smack in the middle of it. The local blues legend, who has played with everyone from B.B. King to Bobby “Blue” Bland, has stepped…
Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings
Since their last Houston show almost four years ago, Sharon Jones and her Dap-Kings have had local fans asking, “How long do we have to wait?” The Brooklyn-based, Augusta, Georgia-born super soul sister known for funky ditties such as “How Long Do I Have to Wait?” and “Got a Thing…
Rotten to the Corps: A Question of Justice at Texas A&M
Sunrise was hours away when Zach Corcoran and three friends returned to The Exchange, an apartment complex for students in College Station. Zach and the others were drunk. The drinking had started at dinner, followed by more drinks and shots in the Northgate district, a strip of bars and restaurants…
Capsule Stage Reviews: Frozen, Love, Janis, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, Veronica’s Room
Frozen The “Arctic frozen sea” of a pedophile’s mind lies at the chilly center of Bryony Lavery’s smart, mesmerizing Frozen. The play about a child killer and his victim’s raging mother was so affecting when it opened on Broadway in 2004, it was nominated for several Tony Awards, including Best…
Dash Rip Rock
F. Scott Fitzgerald couldn’t have been more wrong: There are indeed second acts in American lives. How else could Dash Rip Rock go from one of the biggest draws on the Deep South college-bar circuit to respected cowpunk elder statesmen and buddies with Live Kennedy Jello Biafra? Actually, that says…
Local Motion at Cactus Music
Cactus Music 2110 Portsmouth, 713-526-9272 1. Radiohead, In Rainbows 2. Steve Earle, Washington Square Serenade 3. Jesse Dayton & Brennen Leigh, Holdin’ Our Own 4. Various Artists, Music from the Motion Picture Juno 5. Dwight Yoakam, Dwight Sings Buck 6. Amy Winehouse, Frank 7. Billy Joe Shaver, Storyteller 8. Bob…
The Black Dahlia Murder, 3 Inches of Blood
Check subtlety, pretense and the last decade at the door; Vancouver’s 3 Inches of Blood don’t want anything to do with them. Eschewing fads and hipster cred in favor of staying true to their message of metal for its own ridiculous, epic sake, the quintet behind last year’s Fire Up…