Mark C. AustinLet's face it, by this point on Friday Rocks Off - and a lot of others, he'd wager - is pretty much brain-dead, and has been watching 30 Rock on Hulu for the last hour. But before... More >>
For the past six months, the music business has been aghast and/or enthralled with the AutoTune craze. There seems to be no stopping the phenomenon, which is now crawling into the public's brain at an alarming rate. No one... More >>
Welcome back to Five Spot. Every Friday, we'll examine a recent bit of music news and list five reasons why it's either brilliant or dumb-assed. Send tips to introducingliston@gmail.com. www.djbooth.netSwear to God, this is exactly how this... More >>
No record deal, no recordings — no problem for the South Memphis String Band.
By Bob Ruggiero
Thursday, April 23
In the mythology of both the Delta blues and Western religion, "Idle hands are the devil's tools." If that's the case, then Luther Dickinson must... More >>
Stan Ridgway had the good fortune to arrive on the music scene in 1982, just as MTV blew up. As front man for Wall of Voodoo, Ridgway's "Mexican... More >>
Los Lobos leaves Disney to reembrace their Aztlán roots.
By John Nova Lomax
Thursday, April 23
Forgive Los Lobos guitarist, drummer and principal lyricist Louie Perez for not being all that excited about his band's upcoming album. It's a... More >>
To understand what an arresting, puzzling record Leela James's Let's Do It Again really is, look no further than the L.A. native and adopted... More >>
When the Yeah Yeah Yeahs' first two singles ("Zero," "Heads Will Roll") from It's Blitz! dropped in February, critical eyebrows rose dubiously at... More >>
Taj Mahal called Seth Walker a "little white Ray Charles." And according to a prominently placed quote in the press kit for the Austin musician's... More >>
Jason Isbell just turned 30 this past February, so calling him an old soul might be soft-pedaling things a bit. You just can't be callow and pen... More >>
Despite the fact that leader Rupa Marya is of Indian descent, the April Fishes sound like a gypsy band lost somewhere on the wild borders between... More >>
It seems like a long time since Delta blues guitar-master Roy Rogers has graced a Houston stage. Rogers is such a monster slide guitar player,... More >>
British-born singer-songwriter Seal is currently touring behind sixth studio LP Soul, featuring covers of timeless classics like Sam Cooke's "A... More >>
There's no denying the fact that polarity, whether in relationships or musical performances, generally makes things more interesting. If you let... More >>
Richard Florida's March cover story in The Atlantic Monthly, "How the Crash Will Reshape America," offers bold predictions on how the financial... More >>
This weekend, Noise will finally become a true Houstonian. Despite growing up in Friendswood and living here the past 21 months, it will be the... More >>
Spoon's musical tinker Britt Daniel avoids the cringe.
By Chris Gray
Thursday, April 16
Over the past 15 years, Spoon has gone from being former Austinite Britt Daniel's bedroom brainchild to one of the most successful indie-rock... More >>
Forthrightly, UGK 4 Life, the seventh official LP (and first official swan song) from the Port Arthur princes, is various levels of great. From... More >>
You either love or loathe Baltimore's Dan Deacon. You either thought the runaway yammerings-on of "Wham City," from 2007's reviewed-to-death... More >>
Neko Case has never been one to pull punches. Her unique, almost brash voice doesn't really lend itself to timidity, and her songwriting tends to... More >>
Fans saw Carlos Coy as the invincible rapper, the gangsta who could become an icon for outcast Hispanics everywhere. But they didn't know his weakness -- young girls did.