Your Source for NPR News & Music
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

FRONTERA FREQUENCIES: Christmas

KTEP

In this episode of Frontera Frequencies, hosts Roberto Avant-Mier and Alejandra Seanez share a conversation about their Christmas music during the holiday season. The discussion highlights tracks like “Christmas Wrapping” by The Waitresses, and The Beach Boys’ “Little Saint Nick,” which are songs that provide us with Christmas cheer. Another testing tracks such as Big Bad Voodoo Daddy’s “Mr. Heatmiser,” which brought Ale and Doctor Avant-mier memories surrounded this classic holiday character.

For the Miner Music Minute, the hosts welcome Jose Martinez, who shares his musical tastes and the memories tied to his song selections. This songs including Brenda Lee’s “I Want to Be Wanted,” Rosie & The Originals’ “Angel Baby,” and Leon Bridges’ “Ain’t Got Nothing On You,” Jose reflects on how music connects to his personal life moments and family nostalgia.

This program originally aired on December 26, 2025.

Roberto Avant-Mier (PhD, Univ. of Utah) is the Interim Chair of the Department of Communication at UTEP and host of Frontera Frequencies. Prior to returning to Texas-El Paso in 2010, he was a professor at Boston College, and he previously attended the University of Utah, UTEP, and the University of Hawaii at Manoa. His research analyzes the discursive construction of Latino/Hispanic identity(ies) and cultural issues in popular music and film.
Ale Seanez is a graduate student and MTA who recently earned her degree in Communication. She is passionate about exploring how media, culture, border identity, and storytelling intersect, and plans to pursue a PhD after completing graduate school.
Daisy Morales is part of the on-air talent, and interview host, in charge of recording and producing shows such as El Paso Prime Time, Science Studio, and We Are UT El Paso; Daisy also manages the recently added Podcast division.
Martin Leon is a producer at KTEP, editing and assembling radio shows for the station. He engineers and records interviews, as well as being a Board Operator for Texas Standard once a week. Current shows include Jazz Night in America, The Latin Alternative, Classical Guitar Alive, From the Top, and Pipedreams.
Related Content
  • Hosts Roberto Avant-Mier and Alejandra Seanez talk about crossovers in music. SItuations, genres, song titles , anything that could create a crossover in music.They explore genre crossings, musical fusion, and crossover moments in pop, Latin music, rock, classical, and indie music. The Miner Music Minute features Words on a Wire host Daniel Chacón sharing his musical tastes and personal music memories related to them.
  • Hosts Roberto Avant-Mier and Alejandra Seanez talk about Color themed songs, Latin pop, alternative rock, and indie music songs that bring variety on Frontera Frequencies. Hosts Roberto Avant-Mier and Alejandra Seanez explore songs that have colors in their title and the meaning, tracks like “Rosa Pastel” by Belanova and “Blackeyedsusan” by José James. The Miner Music Minute features UTEP student Mabel Caraveo discussing their music tastes surrounded by alternative metal and rock favorites from Bring Me The Horizon and Deftones.
  • Hosts Roberto Avant-Mier and Alejandra Seanez talk about Latin Grammy winning and nominated artists on Frontera Frequencies. They discuss Latin pop and rock through music by Mon Laferte, Gustavo Cerati, and Juan Luis Guerra, while UTEP student Lianna Verrett shares personal music and memories related to them in the Miner Music Minute.