Music
March 19, 2021
Selena by the Numbers
How do we love the Queen of Tejano? Let us count the ways.
Music
Storytelling and reviews about the artists and trends that define the sounds of the Lone Star State
Music
March 19, 2021
Los tejanos queer vemos versiones de nuestras historias reflejadas en la historia de Selena
En los años desde su muerte, se ha convertido en un ícono gay, en especial en Texas.
Music
March 19, 2021
In Selena, Queer Tejanos See Themselves as Brilliantly Transfigured and Free to Love Grandly
In the years since her death, the Queen of Tejano has become a gay icon, especially in Texas.
Music
March 17, 2021
Demi Lovato’s ‘Dancing With the Devil’ Is a Brutal, Stunning Portrait of Addiction and Recovery
In her latest documentary, the Dallas-raised singer bravely confronts her demons.
By
Cat Cardenas
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Music
March 16, 2021
Selena Gomez Shines on Her First Spanish-Language EP
‘Revelación’ is a lush, dance-infused fantasy that features a singer brimming with confidence.
By
Cat Cardenas
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Music
March 15, 2021
Texans Cleaned Up at the Grammys, but Megan Thee Stallion and Beyoncé Were Snubbed for the Top Prizes
The thrilling night was marred by the continuation of an ugly tradition.
By
Dan Solomon
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Music
March 14, 2021
Why Selena Is Still the Queen of Tejano (and Punk Rock!)
Four Latina musicians chat about code-switching, role models, Freddy Fender, and the importance of growling.
By
Paula Mejía
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Film & TV
March 11, 2021
How SXSW Transformed a 280,000-Person Festival Into a Virtual Extravaganza
With no long lines, no traffic, and no parties, South by Southwest is going to look a lot this different this year. Here’s how organizers pulled it off.
By
Dan Solomon
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Music
March 10, 2021
A Houston Punk Band’s Protest Anthem Still Resonates, Forty Years After Its Release
The city’s police union sued AK-47 in 1981 for naming victims of brutality in the song ‘The Badge Means You Suck.’
Music
March 10, 2021
The Relief Gang Never Stops
When the power went out and the water stopped running, Trae tha Truth and DJ Mr. Rogers were there to pick up the slack.
By
Katy Vine
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One by Willie
March 9, 2021
T Bone Burnett on Murder Ballads and Willie Nelson, Holy Man
On our latest 'One by Willie,' the celebrated producer and songwriter discusses one of Willie's darkest songs.
By
John Spong
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Music
March 5, 2021
St. Vincent Is Back With a Bowie-Inspired Banger
Plus: Emmanuel Acho will lead an uncomfortable conversation on ‘The Bachelor,’ Megan Thee Stallion takes over Peloton, and Post Malone sings Hootie to some Pokémon.
Books
March 5, 2021
Texas Monthly Recommends: An Old-fashioned General Store in Houston
Plus: a coming-of-age novel set in El Paso and new music from Post Malone and Black Pumas.
One by Willie
March 2, 2021
How Willie Nelson Came to Cover Kermit the Frog
On the latest ‘One by Willie,’ Amy Nelson tells of a twenty-year quest to get her dad to record a beloved song from her childhood.
By
John Spong
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Music
February 26, 2021
Matthew McConaughey and Beyoncé Did More for Texas Than Ted Cruz
Plus: Taylor Kitsch gets back in the TV game, Travis Scott manages to get people excited about magazines, and Megan Thee Stallion does her best ‘Mean Girls.’
Music
February 26, 2021
Katy Kirby’s Stunning Debut Album Is Prayer Music for Agnostics
The Texas native infuses ‘Cool Dry Place’ with sharp turns and deceptions, all accompanied by her effortlessly beautiful vocals.
Music
February 25, 2021
Texas’s Legendary Sundance Records Is Back With a Massive Memorabilia Collection—For Sale
Nicknamed the Michelangelo of the Staple Gun, Bobby Barnard turned his San Marcos record store into a work of art. Now you can own a piece of it.
One by Willie
February 23, 2021
Storied Record Producer Don Was on the Fragile Magic of a First Take
On the latest ‘One by Willie,’ Was talks Ringo, Bob Dylan, Sinead O’Connor, and ‘Across the Borderline’—his favorite of all the tracks he’s worked on.
By
John Spong
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One by Willie
February 16, 2021
Steve Earle on ‘Local Memory’ and Lyrics as Literature
For our Season 2 premiere of ‘One by Willie,’ Earle takes us back to his days as a longhaired, seventeen-year-old San Antonio kid.
By
John Spong
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Film & TV
February 12, 2021
Oliver Stone’s New JFK Movie Already Faces Concerns Over Fact-checking
Plus, Pedro Pascal and Renée Zellweger land plum TV roles, Sandra Bullock pairs up with Brad Pitt, and GameStop movies continue to be a bullish investment.
Music
February 12, 2021
Tune In for a Special ‘One by Willie’ Feature on SiriusXM
Senior editor and podcast host John Spong will join Dallas Wayne for a special hour of music and conversation.
By
John Spong
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Music
February 9, 2021
The 61-Year-Old Queen of Quarantine Karaoke Won’t Stop Singing From Her Living Room
Alba’s Billie Hill is a star in the 700,000-member-strong Facebook group dedicated to COVID-safe karaoke. Hill shares how filming herself singing has helped her—and her fans—survive the pandemic.
Music
February 5, 2021
Texas Monthly Recommends: Reimers Ranch Park
Log off and go skip some stones over the Pedernales River.
Music
February 5, 2021
Sun June’s ‘Somewhere’ Is Intimate, Cinematic, Texan Regret Pop
Singer Laura Colwell explains how the band’s ethos—and day jobs—led to an album uniquely suited for our pandemic times.
Music
February 4, 2021
Trumpeter Rob Mazurek May Have Made Marfa’s Great Cosmic Jazz Album
As one of the genre’s most prolific players, the West Texas-based musician brings an experimental approach to his work.
One by Willie
February 3, 2021
Announcing Season 2 of ‘One by Willie’
Listen as our new season’s lineup of distinguished guests talks about their favorite Willie Nelson songs, from an outlaw classic to a Kermit the Frog cover.
By
John Spong
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Music
January 22, 2021
Texas Monthly Recommends: Nighttime Kayaking
Plus: the cult classic ‘Veronica Mars,’ Selena Gomez's new single, and a plant-based burger joint.
Texas History
January 20, 2021
How Manny Guerra Shaped the Tejano Music Scene
The San Antonio producer created a style that would endure for decades—and he helped Selena get her start.
By
Cat Cardenas
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Music
January 15, 2021
Willie Nelson Finally Shows Up for His SXSW Keynote, Thirty Years Later
Plus: Megan Thee Stallion’s ‘Love and Hip-Hop’ audition is eerily prophetic, Nick Jonas stars in ‘Jersey Boys,’ and Selena Gomez drops a new Spanish single.
Music
December 29, 2020
The Texas Tunes That Helped Get Us Through 2020
The smash singles, country albums, and even a bardcore remix that moved staffers this past year.
Music
December 28, 2020
Lomelda’s Hannah Read Is Just Looking for Home
An indie rock singer moves back to her hometown of Silsbee, Texas—to be at the center of the music industry.
Arts & Entertainment
December 21, 2020
Chopin Versus the Coronavirus: Classical Music Is Helping Houston Patients Heal
Being hospitalized during the pandemic is lonely and dehumanizing. In live, virtual, one-on-one performances, Houston Symphony musicians give the sickest patients a few minutes of peace.
Music
December 21, 2020
A Texas Monthly Blue Christmas Playlist
Feeling less than merry this December? Here are twelve great sad holiday songs to remind you that you’re not alone.
By
Rose Cahalan
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Music
December 18, 2020
The ‘Walker, Texas Ranger’ Reboot Is Ready to Kick Some Ass, Mourn Some Wives
Plus, Kacey Musgraves heads to Sesame Street, Jessica Simpson’s life becomes (another) TV show, and the year in McConaughey drawls to a close.
Style & Design
December 17, 2020
How Six of Your Favorite Texans Are Celebrating the Holidays This Year
Tootsie Tomanetz, for one, is capping off this pandemic year with lots and lots of Christmas lights.
Music
December 14, 2020
Margin Walker, Texas’s Largest Independent Concert Promoter, Is Shutting Down
For the music industry, the bad times are getting worse.
By
Dan Solomon
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Music
December 13, 2020
A Mariachi Choir in San Juan Has Drawn Faithful Fans for 35 Years
Even during the pandemic, visitors still travel to the Rio Grande Valley to hear the musical stylings of the famous devotional group.
Music
December 12, 2020
The Unflappable Country Star Charley Pride Dies at 86
The venerated musician, who spent much of his life in Texas, racked up more than fifty Top 10 hits over a six-decade career.
By
Paula Mejía
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Music
December 10, 2020
We Need to Talk About Selena
In the 25 years since her death, the singer’s memory has been flattened and commodified. Selena—and her fans—deserve more.
By
Cat Cardenas
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Music
December 8, 2020
A Final Elegy for Threadgill’s No. 1
A longtime patron remembers the intimate Austin venue—where one could eat pecan pie and see world-class musicians—ahead of its demolition.
Music
December 4, 2020
Texas Monthly Recommends: A Delectable Dallas Doughnut Shop
Plus, a trip to the garden store and a cozy Christmas album from Austin musician Molly Burch.
Music
December 4, 2020
Megan Thee Stallion Breaks Yet Another Record
Plus, Selena Gomez fans break ‘Saved by the Bell,’ Jim Parsons breaks the silence on his failed audition for ‘The Office,’ and McConaughey breaks out the clippers.
Music
December 2, 2020
Why Netflix’s Selena Series Ultimately Misses Its Mark
The initial installment of the two-part television show details the first 20 years of Selena’s life—yet it feels like we’ve hardly gotten to know the person the series is about.
By
Cat Cardenas
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Music
November 30, 2020
Collings Guitars Are Worth Every Penny
In a nondescript space outside Austin, the team behind these world-renowned guitars carry on the exacting legacy of their founder.
By
Michael Hall
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One by Willie
November 27, 2020
‘One by Willie,’ Episode 8: Wesley Schultz on ‘Pretty Paper’
The Lumineers lead singer and cofounder on the power of lonesome songs during the holidays, and an apples-to-apples comparison between Willie and Bruce Springsteen.
By
John Spong
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Music
November 24, 2020
On ‘Good News,’ Megan Thee Stallion Owns Her Well-Deserved Fame—and Gets Down to Brass Tacks
The Grammy-nominated Houston rapper’s confrontational, irreverent debut album feels like an apt fit for the year we’ve had.
One by Willie
November 20, 2020
‘One by Willie,’ Episode 7: Lee Ann Womack on ‘Three Days’
The Texas singer-songwriter and country music star on a song she’s been singing since childhood, the origins of inspired lyrics, and how Texas country songs are designed for dancing.
By
John Spong
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Film & TV
November 13, 2020
Beyoncé Runs Your Peloton Class
Plus, Selena Gomez plays a mountaineer, Jennifer Love Hewitt joins the pantheon of talking dogs, and William Jackson Harper takes the lead in a rom-com.
One by Willie
November 13, 2020
‘One by Willie,’ Episode 6: Sonny Throckmorton on ‘What a Way to Live’
The lauded songwriter behind many of country’s greatest hits talks Willie's picking parties with Darrell Royal and why you should never beat Willie Nelson at poker.
By
John Spong
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One by Willie
November 6, 2020
‘One by Willie,’ Episode 5: Wynonna Judd on ‘Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain’
The country music legend remembers hearing it on the radio in rural Kentucky and describes Willie's kindness to her grandmother backstage at the CMAs.
By
John Spong
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