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Barack Obama and Me

It was the year 2000 and I was a young hungry reporter in Chicago covering a young hungry state legislator
A Prison Cover-up During Hurricane Rita

For days after the storm, inmates in Beaumont lived without A/C, electricity or hot meals. Press releases kept saying everything inside was fine. Guards and prisoners agree — that was nothing but B.S.
Little Bitty Burger Barn

"It's okay to be little bitty in the big city" is an apt slogan for this new burger joint, where sliders rule
Live-Action Role-Players Get Boffed in Amtgard

Amid flailing swords and flying shields, these modern-day knights fight on
It's Hip to Be Square at Masraff's

Continental cuisine is over, so why would anybody want to eat at this retirees' hang-out on South Post Oak Lane?

Barack Obama and Me (254)

It was the year 2000 and I was a young hungry reporter in Chicago covering a young hungry state legislator
A Prison Cover-up During Hurricane Rita (21)

For days after the storm, inmates in Beaumont lived without A/C, electricity or hot meals. Press releases kept saying everything inside was fine. Guards and prisoners agree — that was nothing but B.S.
Are You Hot Enough for Citizen Lounge? (7)

All This Useless Beauty
What's the Problem Houston? (5)

The city's skuzzy alt-rock scene thinks it is dying
Live-Action Role-Players Get Boffed in Amtgard (5)

Amid flailing swords and flying shields, these modern-day knights fight on

Are You Hot Enough for Citizen Lounge?

All This Useless Beauty
Rap's Rapidly Vanishing Female MC

The Why Chromosome
A New Official State Song for Texas?

A case for a new — or different, anyway — state song
Marilyn Manson's celebrity dating club

Mechanical Animals
Local Punks Something Fierce Try to Act Their Age

We Were the Young Americans

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Canine Crusaders

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The Muscle Men

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Our Favorite Albums of 2007

Continued from page 1

Published: December 27, 2007

Tomahawk, Anonymous: One of Faith No More/Mr. Bungle nomad Mike Patton's myriad extracurricular pursuits, obviously exploring his Native American interests. The song titles ("Mescal Rite 1," "Mescal Rite 2," "Sun Dance") could have been a bit more elaborate, but overall an enticing, borderline inexplicable mixture of mystical metal and, well, mescal. Quite a bit of it, evidently. See also: Puscifer, V is for Vagina; Grinderman, Grinderman; Ministry, The Last Sucker

The Hives, The Black and White Album: As someone who never really bought the Hives, this sure made me reconsider, and not because of the Timbaland songs. The record the Stooges failed to make with the weirdness that was The Weirdness. See also: Interpol, Our Love to Admire; Babyshambles, Shotter's Nation; Gogol Bordello, Super Taranta!

Siouxsie Sioux, Mantaray: The year of her 50th birthday, Siouxsie leaves the Banshees and Creatures behind for her — believe it or not — first-ever solo album. She's still every bit the slinky Goth seductress ("They Follow You"), with the kind of Shirley Bassey-like stature ("Here Comes That Day") that only gets better with age. See also: PJ Harvey, White Chalk; Willowz, Chautauqua; Avril Lavigne, The Best Damn Thing

White Stripes, Icky Thump: Their best yet. Oh yes. Combines the stadium-begging, pulverizing riffs of White Blood Cells and Elephant with the stylistic flightiness of Get Behind Me Satan. What is not to love? Jack and Meg are adorable in mariachi getup. Or kilts. Or rocking the fuck out. See also: Queens of the Stone Age, Era Vulgaris; Clutch, From Beale Street to Oblivion; John Fogerty, Revival

chris.gray@houstonpress.com

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Music

Most Popular

It was the year 2000 and I was a young hungry reporter in Chicago covering a young hungry state legislator

For days after the storm, inmates in Beaumont lived without A/C, electricity or hot meals. Press releases kept saying everything inside was fine. Guards and prisoners agree — that was nothing but B.S.

"It's okay to be little bitty in the big city" is an apt slogan for this new burger joint, where sliders rule

Amid flailing swords and flying shields, these modern-day knights fight on

Continental cuisine is over, so why would anybody want to eat at this retirees' hang-out on South Post Oak Lane?

It was the year 2000 and I was a young hungry reporter in Chicago covering a young hungry state legislator

For days after the storm, inmates in Beaumont lived without A/C, electricity or hot meals. Press releases kept saying everything inside was fine. Guards and prisoners agree — that was nothing but B.S.

All This Useless Beauty

The city's skuzzy alt-rock scene thinks it is dying

Amid flailing swords and flying shields, these modern-day knights fight on

All This Useless Beauty

The Why Chromosome

A case for a new — or different, anyway — state song

Mechanical Animals

We Were the Young Americans

Recent Articles By Chris Gray

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New Wave

concert preview

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Racket and the new guy take the annual Houston Press Music Awards Showcase plunge

A guide to being cool

Bobby Hamilton hunts the hairy beasts that he swears haunted him as a kid

At Miami's Winter Music Conference, P. Diddy blows up dance music while the U.S. blows up Iraq

Live from the Full Throttle CD-DVD (Sanctuary)

Following the lame-brained argument, we're all to blame for this movie

National Features

Phoenix New Times

Broward-Palm Beach New Times

Miami New Times

Village Voice

Our Favorite Albums of 2007

Continued from page 1

Subject(s): Mantaray , The Black and White Album , The Hives, Tomahawk, Anonymous , Countrypolitan Favorites , Southern Culture on the Skids, The Scene of the Crime , Siouxsie Sioux, Bettye LaVette, Sky Blue Sky , Wilco, White Stripes, Icky Thump

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