Two hundred and seventy miles north of Edinburg, Abby Garcia walked into mariachi rehearsal at Texas State University on a Wednesday in September. Three years ago, she filmed with a documentary crew for “Going Varsity in Mariachi,” which Netflix released on August 29 after it dazzled the Sundance Film Festival and SXSW in 2023, racked […]
Category: Music
Posted inCulture
In Texas, Selena Is at Least as Popular as Jesus
Texas hasn’t gotten its due as a major piece in the complex puzzle of American art. We’re here to rectify that. Every two weeks, H. Drew Blackburn will conduct a thoroughly scientific analysis of the 254 essential (one for every county) books, movies, tv shows, albums, podcasts, songs, and magazine articles — you name it […]
Posted inMusic
How a Grunge Gen X Dad Learned to Love Taylor Swift
Last year, I realized I had opinions about Taylor Swift. And not just “she sucks,” which would have been my go-to before having a daughter. But over the years of driving to and from daycare, swimming lessons, school, volleyball practices, basketball games, playdates, doctor visits, dental checkups, vacations, road trips, birthday parties, and sleepovers, I […]
Posted inMusic
Texas Man Buys, Then Publicly Destroys, $4,000 Taylor Swift Guitar
Somebody—well, a man—bought a perfectly good Taylor Swift guitar just to smash it up. It happened recently in Waxahachie at the Ellis County Wild Game Dinner, where a man paid a reported $4,000 for the guitar (plus a wall hanger), according to WFAA. But the winner brought a hammer on stage. In a video, the […]
Posted inCulture
Texans Still Love to Sing Karaoke. Sorry (Not Sorry).
CJ Morgan loves karaoke. Especially when he performs “Bring Me To Life” by Evanescence. There’s only one problem: He’s not very good at singing it. (In fact, it almost led to a fight at the Austin karaoke bar The Common Interest, after some audience members thought he was making fun of the singer, Amy Lee.) […]
Posted inCulture
Beyoncé Snubbed from CMA Awards
The final nominees for the 58th annual Country Music Awards have been announced, and Beyoncé was glaringly absent from any mentions. So was her album, “Cowboy Carter,” and her hit single “Texas Hold ‘Em” — the second longest-running no. 1 hit of 2024 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. “Cowboy Carter,” was a beautiful […]
Posted inCulture
Creating a ‘Savage’: Meet the Dallas Rapper Who Penned the Hook to Megan Thee Stallion’s Platinum Hit
Bobby Sessions knows how to evoke a reaction. The man who wrote the chorus to Megan Thee Stallion and Beyoncé’s platinum hit, “Savage Remix,” introduced himself to the world under a tree with a noose around his neck. In the music video for his 2018 single, “Like Me,” his first with legendary hip-hop label Def […]
Posted inCulture
Country Musicians of Color Are Seizing the Moment Beyoncé Gave ‘Em
When you grow up in Texas, you know your country music. There are the George Strait classics like “All My Ex’s Live in Texas,” which is part of any high school dance, two-step event, or wedding in the Lone Star State. Try going to H-E-B without hearing Asleep at the Wheel’s “Miles and Miles of […]
Posted inCulture
Beyoncé Names New Whisky After Her ‘Moonshiner’ Great-Grandfather
It’s the year of Beyoncé (again), and we’re here for it. After the smash success of her Cowboy Carter album, you’d think she would take a rest, but it looks like she’s swapping (er, adding) whisky to the hot sauce in her bag, and y’all, the swag. Bey is releasing a new Japanese-style inspired whisky […]