Houston Blog

We here at Rocks Off are only about a week away from chafed inner thighs, weird Japanese punk bands puking in hotel pools and sweating out our morning mojitos while walking to an art space off 4th Street.

South By Southwest is now only a week away. It was all fun and games in December when we were posting our little suppositions of who would be playing, but now this shit is serious.

In addition to all the nightly mess, SXSW is also a great place to get loaded on the cheap during the day. Not to mention all the free cigarettes for those of us still giving our lungs the finger. All the live music at night is more than likely badge or wristband only, and in the Great Recession it's not easy to shell out a mortgage payment for a badge, or even two cell-phone bills for a wristband.

Hello and welcome back to Radar Eyes. I've been away for the last three weeks...

Our Focus = Underground/ Unreleased/ Underexposed/ Misunderstood/ Unappreciated/ Etc., etc.

I am Chemical Mange.

R.I.P. Sandor Benczedi.

Rosa Guerrero

Welcome Beau Beasley of Homopolice, Heavy Leather Records, etc.

Radar Eyes: You are a Houston music institution and an ultra fan of Leather Ways... State your name and purpose!

Beau Beasley: My name is Beau Beasley. I am fan of leather and terrible music. The only purpose I have is to waste my hard-earned money on music that I enjoy and expect to lose money on it.

RE: So you're the man "behind" the recent onslaught of Homopolice media?

BB: Yes, and all other homosexual punk activities in this town. That's me.

SAN FRANCISCO -> BERLIN -> SAN FRANCISCO -> BEYOND!!!

Chris Rolls is the mastermind behind the high-energy San Francisco music machine known as Shakes Gown.

Radar Eyes: Name, social security no., purpose for living, etc.

Shakes Gown: Chris Rolls, and my purpose is to procreate... or so I have been told...

RE: And you also record music, am I right?

SG: Yes, I record, produce, compose, perform and release music which I have been doing since junior high... but not in earnest since I moved to San Francisco in 1998.

[Radar Eyes is a new recurring feature, peering at the underground from the unique mind of Indian Jewelry/Future Blondes shredder Domokos Benczedi. Proceed at your own risk... just kidding. Enjoy.]

Our Focus = Underground/ Unreleased/ Underexposed/ Misunderstood/ Unappreciated/ Etc., etc.

I am Chemical Mange.

First of all: R.I.P. Ron Asheton.

Second of all: Fuck.

RADAR EYES NO. 1: Rosa Guerrero, Ditchwater Corp.

Radar Eyes: State your name and purpose!

Rosa Guerrero: Haha, good question!

RE: Purpose?

RG: To share good rock and roll music with the peoples of Houston.

RE: And how do you do this?

RG: Multi-media blitzkrieg! I publish a photography zine called Ditchwater, which documents Houston's seamier music scenes. It's an old fashioned photocopied affair - I do B&W analog photography, so it lends itself well to that. And I am 1/3 of "Mutant Hardcore Flower Hour" on KTRU, the longest-running punk radio show in town.

And because I'm fond of putting holes in my head, I just started Ditchwater Records, which is a lonely-hearts singles club. Oh, and sometimes I organize and promote live shows.