That’s right, folks. Your beloved Free Press Houston has hit a major milestone:  We’ve got TEN (10) years of publishing under our collective belts now. And we wouldn’t have gotten this far without the support and love that we get from our readers and our community. So, what better way to give a big ‘ol thanks to our hometown and celebrate this festive occasion than to throw a big ass party? We can’t think of one. So come hang out with us, listen to a fantastic lineup of music, partake in some local food and drink, and help us prepare ... Read More »

There are a number of ways in which individuals express their anger in frustrating situations. Ever get cut off in the middle of heavy traffic? Some of you might slam on the horn and scream obscenities at the asshole who committed the offense. There are days when your annoyance may be with a stranger from afar, someone you know and love, or even your local law enforcement officer. So, what do all of these things have in common? Well, it is now within your legal right to express your varied sentiments using your middle finger, if you so chose, without fear ... Read More »

A New Year is here and with that simple fact comes everyone’s favorite loaded question: “What are YOUR New Year’s resolutions?”  Come on. You know you’ve either asked that question at least a dozen times over the years or been forced to answer it when, really,  you don’t give much of a shit about goals or resolutions.  Hey, we’ve all been there and will probably have to endure it more often than we’d like. So,  maybe you don’t want to make any major changes to your life. Maybe you don’t have the time or energy to lose the 50 extra ... Read More »

By Michael Pennywark It’s August in Houston again and you’d never guess, but it’s hot as hell. It’s so hot that I’m sure, like me, you can only dream of escaping to somewhere nice and cool—somewhere like Scandinavia. Sure, it’s half a world away and they have those pesky reindeer everywhere, but being so close to the North Pole, it has to be cooler, right? Besides, I hear reindeer sausage is pretty tasty, and they certainly know how to make vodka if you can’t stomach the aquavit. Unfortunately, if you’re on a budget of Lone Star and Ramen noodles, like ... Read More »

By Nick Cooper Illustration by Shelby Hohl Photo by Erin Dyer The members of the Abolition Movement have been at it for almost 30 years.  Since Texas restarted the machinery of execution in 1982, Gloria Rubac, Joanne Gavin, and others have been leading the struggle, and waiting for the rest of Texas to wake up.  Gloria is about to become a great-grandmother, and Joanne turns 80 this month, but the younger members of the movement might find it tough to keep up.  The group goes to Huntsville several times per month to protest executions, writes letters, lobbies the legislature, organizes ... Read More »

By Kwame Anderson Frank Ocean- Channel Orange (Def Jam) - Frank Ocean has made an amazing album. The best albums are just that because they encompass all that is the human experience. We love, we laugh, we cry, we are our sins and sanctities. Channel Orange succeeds at being a well-decorated portrait. “Thinking Bout You” is honest (I don’t like you, I just thought you were cool of enough to kick it), maybe its game, the enduring quality, is the doubt. “Sweet Life” is the excess and the logic- why see the world when you got the beach- the characters ... Read More »

By: Meghan Hendley Photos by Mason Rankin Living in a concrete jungle means one is always scaling miles of gray highways, constantly soaring over sky high ramps, and as usual tapping our fingers on the steering wheel while we are stuck in bumper to bumper traffic. Glazed over from these perpetual sites, drivers may not notice the subtle shadows and lines that mimic contemporary art that can be found from freeways and major interstate intersections. Artist Mason Rankin, born and raised in Baytown Texas, was struck by the curves and twists of these massive road structures and decided to develop ... Read More »

By Tyler Barber Friendly? Think you would be in a zombie apocalypse? Most people seem to start off well-intentioned, but the world of DayZ has a way of changing people. I went from upstanding citizen of the overturned world — offering bandages, food, water to any fellow survivor in need — to a paranoid, calculating murderer. How can a game alter your playing-style so dramatically? In one made-up term: permadeath. Die in DayZ, and all of your accomplishments are lost forever. DayZ is a free mod for the military simulation PC game ARMA 2. It’s set on Chenarus, one of ... Read More »

By Amanda Hart Photos by SEIU We’ve all had those days driving down I-45 when we happen to look over and catch a majestic sunset framing our city skyline. Those soaring buildings, on some level, validate our incredible human ingenuity. However, a recent dispute between the property managers and the workers who clean those same buildings reminds us that every step we’ve taken forward as a species always seems to be followed by several steps backwards. A six hour work day in the life of Maria Teresa Lopez, a janitor who works at Greenway Plaza One here in Houston, consists ... Read More »