The following creators are not necessarily mainstream in their music or their art. But all are insanely prolific (sometimes literally) and driven by darkness.

All of them push their creative abilities to the extreme to exorcise their own personal demons, be they mental illness, emotional abuse, or a fear of the unknown. All have carved out a niche in the avant-garde or outsider arts, often combining music, prose and art as an all-inclusive creative statement.

While their efforts might not receive the attentions of, say, Lars Ulrich's lavish fine-art habit, their output deserves no less respect and attention.

More »

The thing about Australian accents is that they're way awesome. They're even better on the phone chatting with Keith Jeffery, who just happens to be the front man for the indie-rock band known as Atlas Genius.

Does that name sound familiar? If it does, you might be onto something, because it's damn near everywhere at the moment. From Atlas' recent stints touring with bands like Silversun Pickups and Imagine Dragons, plus a new album and hit single, "Trojans," that has taken over mainstream airwaves, these guys are seeing the kind of massive success that takes years of groundwork to cultivate.

Atlas didn't quite follow that well-beaten path to fame, though. Besides Keith, the band's only other full-time member is his brother Michael Jeffery on drums. From the moment Atlas uploaded their first song to the Web in 2011, the duo has earned rave reviews across the blogosphere. Their synth-driven sound and breezy yet candid lyrics helped Atlas sell thousands of records before even signing to a label.

More »

Photo by Groovehouse

Iron Maiden at Cynthia Woods Pavilion in August 2012

Remember being in school and having to listen to all those awful educational songs? Our teachers would do anything to teach us, but most often they really have no idea what will appeal to anyone under the age of 40, so it gets hairy when something perceived as cool, like "that rapping stuff," gets incorporated into lessons.

You might think there hasn't been a good educational song written since Schoolhouse Rock, and you'd be mostly correct in that assessment. However, it hasn't been all bad, even if some educational songs might seem a bit preachy. Here's five of my picks for teacher's everywhere to combine music and education without embarrassing themselves.

More »

Photo by Groovehouse

Last week Dropkick Murphys raised more than $100,000 for their embattled fellow Bostonians.

Life can get pretty dreary at points, and last week was, without a doubt, the dreariest week in a long time. From the massive fertilizer-plant explosion that devastated West, Texas to the Boston Marathon bombing and everything in between, our nation faced some pretty horrific tragedies in which many, many lives were permanently altered.

But buried within the daunting headlines, the silver lining was there, even as rough as shit got. As unfortunate and truly unfair as last week's tragedies were, from them sprung a renewal of sorts, with people rallying together to help ease the struggling of those most deeply affected. That kind of support is often lost in the fray, tucked away behind the demands of our daily lives. But luckily for us, in the times when we need it most, that support always surfaces, ready to remind us of just how badass people truly are.

Sometimes it just takes squinting your eyes and looking closer, beneath the rubble of what's fallen apart, to see it. And that's just what I intend to do here. I'm squinting, and there's quite a lot to be amazed by. Below is our list of all of the silver linings that surfaced last week -- with a musical twist, of course.

More »

Ed. Note: This post from L.A.'s West Coast Sound was written expressly about Coachella, but could just as easily apply to Houston's upcoming Free Press Summer Fest or ACL, except for the whole medical-marijuana thing. Read closely; learn something.

Timothy Norris

This dude's actually drug free. But he still knows his rights

Hate to say it, but some of you at large Coachella-like music festivals this year are going to be approached by police officers assuming you have drugs. Well, you just may, but guess what? You still have rights, man.

Cameron Bowman is here to help! As a music-festival lover and attorney at San Jose firm Valencia, Ippolito & Bowman, he's a legal expert on this kind of thing. Bowman, aka The Festival Lawyer, talks below about the best ways to protect yourself if you're approached by the fuzz at the fest.

More »

Sweet Spot on Facebook

A few weeks back, our own Marc Brubaker detailed ten of the best record stores in the Houston area. This past weekend I finally visited another one to add to your list of must-visit shops in Houston, and it is worthy of the drive if you live inside the Inner Loop.

Sweet Spot Audio and Records is located in Webster, at the corner of Highway 3 and Bay Area Boulevard, and is run by a husband-and-wife team from the area who retired and jumped into the record store business.

Rewind:

Houston's Top 10 Record Stores

Nigel Harrison first opened up Sweet Spot in League City two years ago, intending to make his store a sort of "Hallmark for men," but he soon shifted gears into audio components (turntables, speakers, receivers) and new and used vinyl. He still carries band shirts and other trinkets alongside the vinyl.

Sweet Spot is now the only true record store in the Webster/Clear Lake area, and Harrison has customers aged 14 to 75 he says, some who come from as far as Beaumont to visit.

More »

Phil Ochs was never Bob Dylan. Oh, he wanted to be Dylan, but ol' Zimmy booted that bastard right out of his limo.

"You're not a folksinger, you're a journalist."

If only Phil had accepted himself as "the singing journalist." After failing to find the commercial success he so desired, Ochs turned to pills and alcohol to find relief.

He still cared about freedom and liberty, traveling the world, rubbing elbows with true radicals and revolutionaries. But in the end he wanted to be Elvis, and no amount of gold suits and Beatles covers would make it so. On this day in 1976, Ochs took his own life, leaving behind a legacy to be sifted through.

Slowly, more and more people are discovering and appreciating Oches' music. His lyrics, while topical, contain timeless themes, you can always draw parallels as history continues to repeat itself.

So today, let's celebrate this man with five tributes to his music, because after all, "Fifty Phil Ochs fans can't be wrong!"

More »

"I'm writing about Laura Nyro. What should I say?"

"Who?" This was not the answer I wanted or expected from my mother. After all, I had spent my single-digit years rifling through my parents' old vinyl and found Nyro's pen to be behind many a childhood favorite.

Laura Nyro was born into a forward-thinking and musically gifted Bronx family. She went from singing on street corners to selling out Carnegie Hall on a weekend that she just happened to have three of her compositions recorded by other artists in the Billboard Top 10. To top it off, she turned down Blood, Sweat & Tears when they thought she had what it took to step into Al Kooper's shoes.

More »

Creative Commons

So, the 9th Annual Mountain Soul Vocal Competition is just around the corner, and you should care because it involves the ever-illustrious Country Barbie known as Ms. Dolly Parton. She's my favorite, and just saying her name makes me want to adopt a Southern accent and wear rhinestones.

If you're a decent singer (which I am not, or I would enter and kick your ass), you might want to look into this little ol' contest. The Mountain Soul Vocal Competition is encouraging contestants to enter by singing your version of a song that Dolly has penned, and you could win all sorts of sweet swag -- including a recording session in Nashville and a guitar autographed by Dolly Parton. Swoon.

I'm sure at least half of the submissions will be "Jolene," but if you want to win that guitar, maybe you should try to change it up a bit. I mean, with 41 albums out and more than 3,000 songs penned, there's got to be a few Parton songs to choose from, right? (Also, if someone submits a metal version of "Coat of Many Colors," I will forever be in awe of your talents. Please and thanks.)

If you're interested in puttin' on your best Dolly Parton wig and warbling your way to fame, you can visit Bloomin' BBQ for more information on this amazingness. If you're still not sold, check out the list below. It'll help you out on your road to finding your inner Dolly Parton. Here are 10 Facts That Make Dolly Parton Badass:

More »

O'Dea via Wikipedia

Turns out Flesh N Bone -- yes, of Bone Thugs-N-Harmony fame -- has quite the green thumb, and he's using this super-power to spark up a little buzz.

In a move that makes him a viable candidate for my favorite rapper of all time, Mr. Stanley "Flesh N Bone" Howse has developed a new strain of medical marijuana known as "Phifty Calibur Cush," and he's cultivating and distributing his new type o' weed with the help of Green Oasis, a Michigan-based dispensary that specializes in being awesome.

So far, Phifty Calibur is receiving praise for its ability to provide effective pain relief for whatever ails ya. Oh, and not only will Phifty knock your pain on its ass, but apparently also has a "noticeably floral taste." (Um, I'm no scientist here, but I'd assume that "floral taste" is occuring because you're smoking a plant, smarties.)

More »