When working in Mexico, I try to embrace as much of the culture as I can. It's a wonderful place full of many good things and experiences. One cultural asteroid I can't seem to avoid, though, is the 'banda' style of music popular with caballeros and working class folks. It's festive and energetic—completely overdone with heavy bass drum, tons of brass and crashing cymbals—and typically played at an unreasonably high volume from a car stereo worth more than the car itself. The car is often parked across the street from my house.
In the evenings, when I hit my banda limit, my solution is to go to iTunes, download some new music, and then bust out the miracle called BOSE QC2 noise-canceling headphones. And here's what I've been listening to lately...
Elbow/The Seldom Seen Kid ~ cooler than Coldplay, with a shade of Pink Floyd influence
INXS/Welcome to Wherever You Are ~ probably their least commercially successful album, but among their best
Dengue Fever/Escape From Dragon House ~ Cambodian pop meets surf guitar, or B-52s on psychedelics in Southeast Asia
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