Dan Zanes

It's a shame Dan Zanes didn't do a little more editing on his pro-immigration release Nueva York, because from "Tambora de Los Morenos" on, he's got a truly great album on his hands. He makes even fewer concessions to his young listeners than usual, however, singing entirely in Spanish and eschewing children's songs like "Los Pollitos" and "Un Elefante Se Balanceaba" in favor of traditional folk songs from a range of Latin American countries. It's as close to an adult release as Zanes has gotten in years; the stellar cast of collaborators includes Lila Downs and the Villa-Lobos brothers.