Cafe Tacvba

SiNo, like its two-toned, meaning-laden title, is a slightly schizophrenic affair. The glorious, introspective seven-minute single/opus "Volver a Comenzar" is buttressed by songs that drip with wry, overt homages to Led Zeppelin and the Who -- the kind of outsize arena rock the band strenuously avoided in its 20-year career. Elsewhere, dance rock, punk and '80s pop fight for space, while Ruben Albarran repeatedly steps back from the mic to give other band members a chance to shine. Behind it all is the taut, intuitive musicianship of a band that knows itself so well that it can kill its sacred cows -- joyfully and continually -- without sacrificing its identity.

Ten songs into their disc, Mexico City's Cafe Tacuba get to the heart of what bugs them
most about contemporary times: group conformity. "You're defined by rock or
electronica, reggaeton or hip-hop/Or whatever the radio pushes," Ruben Albarren sneers
in Spanish over the driving punk of "Estar de acuerdo" ("to be in agreement"). His bratty
whine is pure Johnny Rotten. The Sex Pistols aren't the only classic rockers the... More >