El Circo

Overshadowed by their Mexican rock brethren and hugely popular Los Caifanes in Mexico in the early '90s, Maldita Vecindad nonetheless carved out a niche as the best south-of-the-border rock-punk-ska outfit. This CD helped put them on the map in 1991 and opened doors for subsequent U.S. tours. From the frenzied ska fever on "Pachuco" to the casual salsa-samba hints in "Kumbala," Maldita play a wide range of worldbeat rhythms. Instantly catchy is the melodic "Tono," with hard, snapping beats and tense bass lines producing cool dance-rock rhythms. But the band also displayed its taste for humor on the offbeat "Pata de Perro" rocker and infused the horn-driven "Un Poco de Sangre" with just a smidgen of soul. --Ramiro Burr