It Takes The New York Times To Tell Me about My Neighbors

Apparently if you really want to get one of your neighbors to open up about herself, you need to send somebody over to interview her for The New York Times. I learned more about my neighbor Virginia Savage Talkington (lotta names) McAlester from the pages of the Times yesterday than…

A Rough Guide to Choosing Your First Bandmates

Are you a musician? Is your group having issues? Ask Fan Landers! Critic Jessica Hopper has played in and managed bands, toured internationally, booked shows, produced records, worked as a publicist and is the author of The Girls’ Guide to Rocking, a how-to for teen ladies. She is here to…

Downtown Has a Great Future. Forget the Past.

Had an interesting chat a while back with Dallas City Council member Philip Kingston about downtown office vacancy rates. Hey! What? It’s what people like us talk about. Just be glad you didn’t get stuck between us on an airplane. It’s interesting. Really. According to the Dallas Business Journal, Dallas…

Leave ’em Laughing

Dear Readers: Since it’s the end of the year and the Mexican is on his 18th tamale (made by the mujeres in his family, of course), behold some letters from angry readers (and one fan), along with my answers. May your 2014 involve more cousins smuggled into los Estados Unidos…

The Source of Dallas’ HUD Problem

Not that you asked, but here’s what it’s like to be me. I’m walking my dogs, Penny and Dorothy, up and down alleys in East Dallas, and I’ve got my little cell phone ear-bug deal going so I can talk to people and keep my hands free for clean-ups. And…

Dallas States Its Case on Federal Racial Segregation Charges

We spoke last week about the way city staff is dealing behind the scenes with a recent accusation of racial segregation by the federal government. Maybe we should talk, too, about the way they’re dealing with it in court. Late last month the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development…

The Dumbest Questions Asked in Song Lyrics

Screenshot from video.Foxes actually make a kind of high-pitched bark/scream sound. You would’ve known that if you just searched the Internet for, like, ten seconds. Music, as a largely subjective medium, lends itself to some thought-provoking questions: What is the best concert you have ever seen? Which is the better…

Everything I Need To Know I Learned From Loving Metal

Most people regard metal music as an anti-intellectual, chest-beating, noisy fit for cavemen. Despite this being 100 percent true, there are a few positive things that result from having an intense dedication toward one of the most juvenile forms of music out there. While listening to metal may still sentence…

What Books on Mexicans Should I Buy this Christmas?

Dear Readers: Behold your favorite Mexican’s annual Christmas gift guide, where I give shout-outs to some of my favorite books that deserve your money this holiday season! And for once, I won’t recommend my books — ¡Ask a Mexican!, Orange County: A Personal History and Taco USA: How Mexican Food…

South Dallas Needs Dale Davenport

Normally I don’t do this. I don’t suggest solutions. But in this case, I cannot resist. Last week I met with Mayor Mike Rawlings and his spokesperson, Sam Merten, to discuss an issue I had been writing about a lot — a car wash on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard…

The Ten Most Ridiculous Metal Album Covers of 2013

Do the people who conceived and designed these metal album covers just not give a fuck, or do they give too many fucks? The answer is not entirely clear, but that’s what makes them so awesome. Behold, the ten most ridiculous metal album covers of the year. By Jason Roche…

Kanye West Songs as Stick Figure Illustrations: Quiz!

Editor’s Note: Shea Serrano is an award-winning music writer and goofball whose recent exploits include Bun B’s Rapper Coloring and Activity Book. In his new column, he writes about his life and times. This game is very simple: Look at the pictures and guess what Kanye West song each one…

Why Doesn’t Our Band Have Any Fans?

Are you a musician? Is your group having issues? Ask Fan Landers! Critic Jessica Hopper has played in and managed bands, toured internationally, booked shows, produced records, worked as a publicist and is the author of The Girls’ Guide to Rocking, a how-to for teen ladies. She is here to…