The Vans Warped Tour is coming to town this Sunday, July 6th at Sam Houston Race Park. Since 1995, shoe manufacturer, Vans, has sponsored this all day music and extreme sports festival which in the past has boasted up to 100 bands in a single show. In 1998 the festival went international with dates in Europe, Japan, Australia and Canada. This year, on the Houston stop of this festival, over 40 bands will be......

Looking for a place where you could go way to work off all those hot dogs you're bound to cram down your big American mouth on Friday? Spend Saturday, July 5th jumping around to the sounds of Jeremy Jay and the Don't Fight It DJs at the Caroline Collective for a post-4th bash. Described by Pitchfork as "Peter Pan, or a left-coast Jonathan Richman" Jay has been raking in the accolades of late, surrounding last......

Many, many moons ago, when most of our 11 readers were just in diapers or better yet, not even born, there was a mega concert event that occurred at various times in both Dallas and Houston called The Texas Jam. The Texas Jam was legendary with huge names in rock headlining an all day concert. That was then... Rock The Bayou is now! Rock The Bayou is going to be a four day event......

Veteran singer-songwriter and one of Houston's favorite sons, Robert Earl Keen stands tall among such other Texas artists as Jerry Jeff Walker, Rodney Crowell, Ray Wylie Hubbard and Joe Ely as an example of how to achieve longevity in the country music business without ever having a Nashville hit. Keen is a down-to-earth, engaging and distinctive songwriter with a huge fan base that follows him from honky tonks to stadiums and joyously sings the lyrics......

We first wrote about Glass Candy last November. If you went to the show, you probably burned a hole in the sole of your shoes when what should have been a show turned into a synth-fueled dance party. Currently featuring both John Alexander: A Retrospective and Learning by Doing: 25 Years of the Core Program, the Museum of Fine Arts and Starbucks' Mixed Media Series is keeping with the Texas theme. The Portland-based Glass Candy......

It's Sum-sum-summahtime! What better way to enjoy a brisk summer evening than dancing like a fool under the full moon (well, it looks full to us, so we'll call it "full-ish"). The best dancing in Houston is had at any performance of The Allen Oldies that you can get yourself to, and there's one coming up Friday. Yes, Allen will have plenty of his special SPF 0 to save you from a moonburn, as the......

We missed our chance to properly warn you of Cryptacize's previous show in Houston earlier this year, but we won't do it again. The Oakland-based band plays The Backroom on Thursday, June 19. MP3: "Cosmic Sing Along" from Dig That Treasure (Purchase from Asthmatic Kitty) MP3: "No Coins" from Dig That Treasure (Purchase from Asthmatic Kitty) From the Asthmatic Kitty label, Cryptacize is the fateful union of indie talents Michael Carreira, Nedelle Torrisi and Chris......

Houston-area music for the weekend of May 29th – June 1st, 2008 Well, it seems that another weekend is upon us and that means it’s time for another installment of H-Town Rock. This week’s overarching theme: music from bands who reached their apex two or three decades ago! That’s right – this is your chance to enjoy music performed live that you normally have to listen to on your favorite classic rock station! All sarcasm......

Music for the Week of May 22-25 Welcome to H-Town Rock, your place to figure out just what music venues you’ll be attending around Houston this weekend. And as usual, this will be your chance to run into Houstonist as we’re out and about, braving the heat and humidity that we all love and hate here in Space City. If there’s anything you feel that we’ve left out, feel free to let us know. We......

Montreal rock band Islands [pictured] hone the splendidly scattered sound of their 2006 debut into more cohesive rock-orchestral arrangements on their latest release, Arm's Way. -Read an interview with Island’s lead Nick Thorburn at Pitchfork -Read an album review in Rollingstone -Catch Islands when they perform at Walter’s on June 25 -Buy Arm’s Way Usher's new record, Here I Stand, finds the R&B singer at a crossroads; he's changed management, and even sound - faintly......

Fun and pretty music is for Friday night. However, Saturday night is for outragously loud, all-out intense rock, which is why you should go catch The Jonx, Golden Axe and Awake play at The Backroom on Saturday, May 10. For almost six years, the Jonx has given Houston its fair share of their uniquely noise-garage-punk sound. For reasons unknown to us, they seemed to have taken a hiatus from live shows, with the single exception......

We really wish we could spend Friday night at a really cool, outdoor venue listening to crunchy guitar lined with fuzzy vocals, indie rock with one of the strongest rhythm sections in our 10 mile radius and two guys on guitar righteously rocking the stage. Lucky for us Hearts of Animals, Young Mammals and Wicked Poseur play The Orange Show on Friday, May 9 at 7 p.m. As you should be well aware of by......

Did you miss My Morning Jacket’s stop in Houston a couple of weeks ago? If so, set the DVR to this week’s Saturday Night Live, when the band makes in appearance to promote their upcoming album, Evil Urges, out June 10th. You also can catch musical legend Smokey Robinson on NBC’s Today this Tuesday, or the double header of Cher and Tina Turner on Thursday’s Oprah. MONDAY KT Tunstall (PBS – Tavis Smiley), 10:30......

Quite a few of our favorite classic names are making appearances in our TV listings this week. Neil Diamond, a.k.a. the Jewish Elvis, stops by the Today show this week, but we’ll have to distract ourselves with Def Leppard on Ellen and Carly Simon at GMA till Friday. In case you missed her last week Estelle makes a stop at Jimmy Kimmel Live; catch her before she takes over your iPod, TV set and radio......

::CASE Magazine Release Party:: Three things we CASE magazine issue release party and GIVE UP show closing reception team up tonight at the new Aerosol Warfare Gallery. If you had any inclination to see the installation GIVE UP (the Houston street art legend) did at the gallery this will be the last chance, and the first chance to get the new issue of CASE featuring: Gary Baseman, DUEL, Atmosphere, The Faint, Sage Francis, Bask and......

Have you seen Discovery Green? You simply must hit the amphitheater tomorrow evening from 6:00 - 8:30 pm to see Houston's own Archie Bell performing with one of Houstonist's favorites, The Allen Oldies Band. In fact, if you can go as early as 4:00 p.m. and no later that 7:30 p.m. - Central City Co-op is hosting a "Green Market", so pack a small cooler, just in case to stash your organic and locally grown/made......

It’s no secret that we at Houstonist love music, especially of the live variety. We’re also not oblivious to the fact that Houston isn’t necessarily recognized as musical haven, especially not in Texas, which is why our collective ears tend to perk up when we hear about one of the few remaining stalwarts of live music in Houston in the news. On Sunday, KHOU did a piece on Walter’s on Washington and the never-ending......

It's looks to be a good week for new music. We highly reccommend that you check out Tuesday's Goldfrapp perfomance, since "Happiness" has probably one of the most smile-inducing videos we've seen as of late. If you weren't able to buy your Radiohead tickets weeks ago, catch them on Wednesday night on Conan. Finally, keep an ear and an eye out for Estelle, who visits the States to promote her new album, Shine, which is......

::Aurora Picture Show's Media Archeology presents: Negativland:: It's a short ride from copyfight infamy to mashup immortality. Negativland, an experimental music and sound collage band which originated in the San Francisco Bay Area in the late 1970s, took their name from a Neu! song, while their record label is named after another Neu! song. The current core of the band consists of Mark Hosler, Richard Lyons, Don Joyce, David Wills, and Peter Conheim, but......

Young Brit rockers The Kooks are back with plenty of catchy hooks on their latest record, Konk. -Watch a video performance at Rolling Stone -Read an album review in the London Times -Watch the video for the song, "Always Where I Need to Be" at Youtube -Buy Konk Phantom Planet have come a long way since their sunny track "California" became an anthem on the youth drama The OC. The now Jason Schwartzman-less band showcase......

Bend Studio's Intimate Evening concert series continues tonight at NiaMoves in The Heights with a performance by Jake Shimabukuro. Shimabukoro is a virtuoso ukulele player who grinds his pint sized axe very well. In fact, he's been called the "Jimi Hendrix of the ukulele." Concert Promoter, Corinne Tames says that tonight's show may be the Houston debut for the Hawaiian artist. The performance sold out days ago after the Houston Hawaiian association publicized the concert......

We forewarned you a couple of weeks ago. We gave you another heads up a few days ago. With less than 24 hours left, you had better made up your mind about whether or not you’re going to the The Free Press' Westheimer Block Party. The last one was pretty much a rousing success with a blown out generator being the only exception. This year, though, the Free Press has upped the ante by bringing......

Admit it. You were crying in your super-double-extra-metro frappuchino when you saw the post about the Bob Schneider show tonight, weren't you? "Why isn't Houstonist giving away tickets for that show?" you whined to your co-cuber. Well, we are. Win tickets by sending us an email (contest@houstonist.com) with the answer to this little question. Where was Bob playing the night that Allison flooded Houston? Hint: it's in Houston. You can always buy tickets if......

Not been to Montrose's Sucker Punch yet? Whatcha waiting for, fool? Well, if it's a kick arse art show from a muy talented artist, then it's your lucky weekend, peeps. Sucker Punch + CreativeLeak present designs from artist, Tim Newton, on Saturday, April 12th, from 5-9pm. Refreshments will be served, with DJ spinning. "When I show my work or show my site to people, most of the time I hear, 'your stuff reminds me of......

::Bend Studio Concert Series presents: Bob Schneider:: Is it just us? Or does it seem like Bob Schnieder is in Houston more than the Mayor? Everytime we turn around, Austin's son is knocking at our door. Not that we're complaining. Jus' sayen. That's mostly why were checking out this new idea from Bend Studio and Nia Moves Yoga Studio. Experience something new and unique to the Houston area. Enrich your body and soul through music......

::Love/Reflection/Protest:: Opening tonight atDiverseWorks , "Love / Reflection / Protest," a concert featuring modern art song by Dutch, South African, and American composer, will be presented by the Foundation for Modern Music. Internationally-recognized artists, soprano Julia Bronkhorst and pianist Maarten Hillenius in The Amsterdam based duo will present an evening emphasizing tolerance, healing, and understanding, while uniquely expressing the complex and entwined relationship between the cultures represented within the program. Bronkhorst, an authority in Dutch......

We're really excited about Someone Still Loves You, Boris Yeltsin's new album, Pershing. These guys have a demonstrative skill for creating polished melodic songs that are timeless. -Check out SSLYBS' recent Daytrotter Session -Read an album review and watch the music video for the song, "Think I Wanna Die," at Spin -Hear a concert from SXSW on NPR -Buy Pershing Australian new wave group Cut Copy would like to see you on the dance floor......

::Reflections of the Soul: A Legacy of Forbidden Music:: Holocaust Museum Houston presents "Reflections of The Soul: A Legacy of Forbidden Music," a special program of string quartet masterpieces by Jewish composers whose music was considered "degenerate" and banned during Nazi occupation. Join Holocaust Museum Houston for this concert of chamber music by three 20th-century Jewish composers whose careers were greatly affected by the Holocaust. The program will feature works by Alexander Zemlinsky, Erwin......

Three years ago, young Max Bemis and his band Say Anything [pictured] had us in stitches with the wickedly irreverent song, “Wow, I Can Get Sexual Too,” from their debut album, …Is a Real Boy. The boys have gone a bit Emo on their latest record, In Defense of the Genre, telling a sweeping epic love story over the span of a 26 song double-disc set. Say Anything’s tour in support of In Defense makes......

There’s something about Casiotone for the Painfully Alone that really strikes us as brilliant. Actually, there are two things: the name and the music. Both are probably why the Chicago act dominates our “Recently Played” playlist so often. Casiotone’s Owen Ashworth is gracing Houston with another visit on Sunday, April 6 that will likely go over just as well as his previous stops here have. If you have any affinity for The Magnetic Fields......