Stop me if you've heard this one -- a lawyer, a doctor, and a writer walk into a bar...

Yeah, I'm not exactly sure of the punchline, but that's exactly what happened when I met up with last Friday with the guys from Scienter, Houston's own self-described "melodic alt-rock" group.

Led by frontman (and attorney) Arfeo Yllana, with Gerardo Barrera on backup vocals and guitar, Mario Lence on guitar, Peter Smuda on drums, and Dr. Glen Alliger on bass, Scienter happens to be one very productive group of dudes with some serious day jobs. Doesn't mean they bust out a sound that's anything close to as stuffy as the ol' 9 to 5 can be, though.

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They sound exactly like this looks.

Unless you're actively seeking out the absolute gnarliest music you can find, it's easy to forget that there's a whole world of extreme sounds out there, roiling just underground. Local grindcore destructors P.L.F. (neé Pretty Little Flower) have seen a pretty big chunk of that world. Since forming in 1999, guitarist/vocalist Dave Callier's trio of rage-aholics has toured the U.S. seven times and Europe three times. This year, the band plans to add Australia to the list.

That's a pretty long reach for a group plying the most excruciating mutation of heavy metal yet imagined, but if you want your music heard in a scene as tight-knit and far-flung as grindcore, you go to where the audiences are.

"I sometimes compare it to people who are really into extreme horror movies or really into hot sauce," Callier says. "They're more in a minority around the world than people who are into regular food or regular movies. But people who are into that stuff are like freaks about it."

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Photo by Jim Bricker

listenlisten

Houston folk-rockers listenlisten have been pumping out some of the best local records in Houston since the release of their self-titled 2007 EP. We here at Rocks Off are big fans, not just because they're from Houston, but because they bring a solid new angle to the indie-folk scene, a combination of murderous Nick Cave-esque dirge balladry with all the antiquity and fragility of the Mountain Goats.

Thursday night, front man Ben Godfrey will be playing with his solo project B.E. Godfrey at Mango's. We decided to reach out to him for an update on the status of listenlisten and his solo band in anticipation of the show.

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It's that time of year -- or at least it has been since, like, November -- for rock writers to show everyone else how cool they think they are with their year-end best-of lists. How obscure can you get? How controversial can you be with your choices?

"If only Honey Boo Boo released album that I could put next to Frank Ocean!" says one blogger to himself as he makes his Top 50 that no one will ever read. Who the fuck is Grimes anyway?

This best-of list is geared towards my favorite local albums of the year, the ones that grabbed me and shook me for weeks and months on end. No beers. shots, or free merch were involved.

I swear.

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Hayes Carll, right, with John Evans this past weekend.

While we wait for his follow-up to 2011's damned fabulous KMAG YOYO, Cactus Music has announced that Hayes Carll will be playing in-store on Thursday, December 13 at 5:30 p.m.

That's next Thursday, you turkeys.

Carll, one of the most vocal Houston Texans fans on Sunday afternoons on Twitter, is also playing the House Of Blues on December 28 with his Hayes Carll's Burlesque Circus and Sideshow Freakout. Craig Kinsey and Corb Lund are on the bill too.

Lund's latest record, Cabin Fever, is a big must-hear for 2012. Our own William Michael Smith talked about Fever a few months back on the occasion of a Lund show at the Firehouse Saloon.

This is gonna be one of those shows where you should all shut up and get shit-faced at.

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Welcome to the Rocks Off 100, our portrait gallery of the most compelling profiles and personalities in the far-flung Houston music community -- a lot more than just musicians, but of course they're in there too.

Photos by Christina Lynn

L-R: Frankie Lee, Cliff Dotterer, Butters

Who? Cliff Dotterer is the co-owner and operating manager of Black Dog Records, which just moved to its new Bellaire location last week. The shop's inventory of records and collectibles includes a who's who of rock legends and current artists, as well as rarities, imports, T-shirts, record player needles, buttons, 45s, CDs, box sets and more.

Upon entering Black Dog, you will hear the best of the store's vast inventory including the Rolling Stones, Janis Joplin, Fleetwood Mac, and more.

Dotterer has his own rock mega-fan credentials. He has attended nearly every Rolling Stones and Beatles/Paul McCartney tour since the '60s. However, he'll be sitting out McCartney's current tour which stops at Minute Maid Park in November.

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Photos By Nathan Smith

Bury The Crown's Mikey Seals

Gathering the tribes of Houston's local punk, metal and hardcore fans together for one wild night is no easy task, particularly on a busy weekend of live music. Throwing a free extravaganza of loud, aggressive sounds at Fitzgerald's is a good way to start, however.

Ten bands unleashed a wide variety of styles Friday across both stages of the old club, bringing crusties, 'heads and other assorted creeps out of the woodwork for what may go down for many as the ear-splitting party of the summer.

At the top of the lineup was Bury the Crown, the new project from the ex-A dream Asleep boys, who were celebrating the release of their debut EP. Bands up and down the bill brought their own support--with no cover charge, there wasn't much excuse to skip this show. The diverse crowds meshed nicely, and alcohol sales appeared brisk.

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Brand-new band Bury the Crown celebrates the release of its debut EP tonight at Fitzgerald's. When they take the stage, don't be surprised if you recognize a few familiar faces (and tattoos).

That's because Bury the Crown is the new group comprising the members of Houston Press Music Award-winning hardcore heroes A dream Asleep. Or is it just the same band with a new name? Frankly, we were confused. So we asked 'em.

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Bun B performs

Photos by Marco Torres

Disclaimer: Marco Torres was hired by Red Bull to take photos at Monday's #LOUD event, so we asked him to report back. -- ed.

Last October, Houston's City Council passed a new sound ordinance that dropped the Houston Police Department's requirement of using decibal meters when responding to noise complaints. The current ordinance allows officers to ticket performers and business owners based on audible noise alone.

This has led to substantial fines and even jail time for some in the Houston entertainment industry. Many of these court cases have since been dropped due to lack of witnesses and evidence, but the fight to amend and revise the new ordinance continues.

Monday night at House of Blues, Red Bull Houston and the Greater Houston Entertainment Coalition Political Action Committee held an event aptly entitled #LOUD, attracting many DJs, rappers, musicians and music lovers in support of amending the ordinance.

Rocks Off spoke with Joshua Sanders, a registered lobbyist and official spokesperson for the GHEC-PAC, concerning the event and the group's mission and progress.

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Featherface on Facebook

Back in mid-May, Featherface was to release their full-length album Actual Magic at a release show at Fitzgerald's. The show happened, but the album wasn't in the house.

Instead the band channeled their efforts into a September 1 debut of Magic. They will be debuting the physical album that night with a gig at Warehouse Live, sharing a bill with Austin's Quiet Company and the Ton Tons.

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