Zoe

• Genre: Latin Rock
• Zoe Website

About

Like so many rock bands the world over, Mexico's Zoe first looked outside their home country's borders for inspiration. In this case, the band's focus was Britain; they revered bands like the Charlatans and the Stone Roses as well as the mother ship of all Britpop, the Beatles. The group picked up their instruments in 1994 to pay homage to (and expand upon) that sound. Despite Zoe's consistently great albums, the music industry hasn't always rewarded them: an initial record contract in 1998 led nowhere, and the group ultimately recorded their own self-titled debut in 2000. That release led to a few appearances on film soundtracks and a well-received follow-up album, Rocanlover, in 2003. Still, it wasn't until mid-2005 that the band's fortunes changed: they signed with Noiselab, home to numerous forward-looking rock bands, and suddenly gained an international presence. In 2006 they released Memo Rex Commander y La Via Lactea, an album that coalesced a stunning mix of deft electronics and revisited '80s rock, and earned three Latin Grammy nominations for its brilliance.

- Sarah Bardeen