Corridos De La Frontera

How can you not love a band called “The Penguins of the North?” This band from Piedras Negreas, Coahuila, has been around for 50 years and play rural corridos (story songs). It’s music for the laborers and farm workers and has a rough, unpolished quality that makes it more about “life” and less about “music.” Serious subject matter (read the notes) that also sounds kind of bouncy. Very cool stuff. Guitars, accordion, and vocals, with an especially nasally lead singer that adds a cool/odd touch.

*1. Relaxed and lightly bouncy. A good intro to the music.
2. Midtempo w/nice accordion accents and a catchy melody.
3. Spoken word, another nice midtempo track.
*4. A bit more upbeat w/nice blend of vox/strings/accordion.
5. Nicely soaring vocal bits, a lazy song about a shoot-out.
*6. A lightly bouncy song of smugglers going to jail.
7. Two brothers fight over a woman. A midtempo tragedy ensues.
*8. Happy, toe-tapping song of being Mexican-American.
9. Extra nasally vocals in a waltz about an execution.
10. Good vocal harmonies & accordion. Midtempo.
11. Lazy corridos ballad.
12. Midtempo waltz about gangs & drugs. Sorta catchy.
*13. Another smuggling deal gone wrong. Midtempo.
14. Smuggling tequila can get you killed. Down/midtempo.