Choosing to spin only vinyl for me is about activating a deeply rich resource that might not otherwise be shared in this age of digital DJs. Digging for records in Texas is amazing because as a Tejana, I have discovered so much about myself through Texas recording labels like—Freddie Records from Corpus Christi; Tear Drop Records from Winnie, TX; Ideal and Nopal Records both based in Alice, TX; and Falcon Records from McAllen, TX. These labels impart a history that is not readily accessible through textbooks or online searches. Here were entrepreneurial folks of Mexican heritage living in Texas who started their labels to present a better reflection of what communities in Texas were creating and listening to at their local social gatherings. These sounds and artists were often abandoned by the mainstream but thrived on the small mom-and-pop labels. This is my history as a Tejana and it's wonderful that I can contribute to its preservation. Not only do I get to save it from disappearing, but I get to share it with a wider audience through my DJ sets and recorded mixes. I impart the stories that the music and vinyl covers reveal and keep the culture present.
In addition to Tejano treasures, my visual arts practice takes me all around the USA and México where I dig and find tracks to compliment my growing collection. Each set I create is a reflection of my travels and unique perspective on the world. Each mix is a mirror of a certain time and place curated especially for you, dear listener.
Listen to some of my vinyl selections here, SUBSCRIBE to my Mixcloud page, or catch me spinning in Austin, TX.
Agentes Dobles (Mira Mira y La Moda Juvenil) were invited to spin as part of Queer Vinyl Collective’s new streaming series called The Studio. It was a hot August night in 2024 and we got heavy as we tried our best to hypnotize folks with our favorite rebajada y dub cuts from our shared collection. Enjoy!
To learn more about QVC’s series @ queervinyl.co
Enjoy a collection of conjuntos y cumbias with the experience of La Frontera from TX to CA at its heart. Stories told through songs about the liminal space between countries and cultures are some of my current favorites. I have had the pleasure of traveling to South California and West Texas and have thought a lot about how hard it must have been for my grandparents to travel here to the US and start over. I have also been in awe of the unique traditions of beauty, humor, and love we created despite the challenges and the sadness of mourning our Homeland. This mix is a celebration of survival and resistance and, of course, the great power of music to transcend hardships and make things better—always better.
IMAGE: A very cool bit of rasquachismo from the RGV, will someone make me some speakers like this?
Enjoy an all-vinyl mix inspired by my art installation at the New Mexico State University Art Gallery. Contemporary Ex-Votos: Devotion Beyond Medium is the first exhibition to pair 19th–20th-century retablos (small devotional paintings) from the NMSU Permanent Art Collection with new works by contemporary Latine artists like myself. For me, art & music have always been transcendent facets of my life and I have spent the last year considering how reverence, faith, and spirituality can build community through an object-making practice—both within the circle of religious faiths, as well as from outside organized denominations.
This collection of songs shares fun & joyous celebrations praising our amix celestiales and the parts of our brain and body that are occupied by the curious nature of what it all means to be a fragile human seeking love & acceptance
Join me in a little escape. Imagine an air-conditioned breeze gently blowing over you as you surrender to the rug below. I invite you to let this collection of curious songs wash over you—close your eyes and let your weary body and racing mind take a rest. Enjoy the perfect soundtrack for times when you need the world to wait a minute while you catch your breath. Thanks for listening, sending good vibrations from my vinyl collection to you.
The wildflowers are poppin’ and Madre Tierra is showing off here in Central Tejas. Enjoy an all vinyl mix of guitar twangs, country western warbling and the searching sound of the pedal steel—all perfect songs to sing along to while you take the back roads to find that perfect picnic spot this spring. Let this new season’s transition teach you more about who you are, who you were, and who you hope to be.
IMAGE: From the pages of John Lidstone’s "Working Big: A teachers guide to environmental sculpture" 1975.
Enjoy an all vinyl mix to get your nalgas moving to the polls! Hit play as you drive, ride, bike or walk your way towards activating great change for a brighter future. Whether you are voting for a less-than-perfect candidate to lead our country or placing a ballot for local propositions to improve your city or state’s infrastructure, it’s important to take responsibility for shaping our shared society. I vote for myself, my family and my elders that are no longer with us. I vote for a future with clean air & water for many generations to come. I vote for racial & immigrant justice. I vote for reproductive justice. I vote because I believe the future of our country depends on us working together to choose the best representation for all people. Join me in continuing to fight for our democracy and enjoy this mix as a little musical encouragement. When we vote, we demonstrate our collective power. Lead with love today & everyday, amigxs!
Created especially for Marfa Public Radio's BORDER BEATS & BABES show on MAY 8, 2020
As an invited babe in residence, I put together an hour long a collection of songs that have been my studio soundtrack for an upcoming exhibition at the Galveston Arts Center. The exhibit’s title is ROOTED BY INVISIBLE MEANS and I hope these sounds will ground you—like they have me—in a place of optimistic resiliency. All my Patreon supporters have the link for the downloadable version.
Thank you to host Gabriela Carballo for inviting me to take over the wheels of steel for an hour of good tunes, good tunes, good tunes.
An all vinyl mix of cumbia from around the Americas. Cumbia is the easy rhythm that even after a long day of work you can still move your hips to, it’s the beat that gets your nalgas moving through the hustle and bustle of the day, it’s a sound with deep African roots that we have come to cherish. All my Patreon supporters have the link for the downloadable version.
IMAGE: Detail of the album cover of Toby Muñoz’s “La Parranda en Panama”