Kinky

If Monterrey, Mexico is, indeed, the center of the Latin alternative-music universe, then native sons Kinky are doing a great job of spreading the gospel. The five-piece collective's self-titled debut is an infectious collision of wah-wah guitars, pounding dance beats, and home-cooked rhythm and brass. The band injects just enough authentic tang in its music to raise an eyebrow with the traditionalists, while playing songs demented enough to lure in fans of new-school Mexican electro-pop acts like Plastilina Mosh and Titan. Produced by British tastemaker Chris Allison, whose previous clients include Coldplay and the Beta Band, the album floats on a blissful groove throughout, snaking through styles as diverse as retro shout-along funk ("Mas"), slick, Moby-like trance ("The Great Spot"), and Daft Punk-influenced electro ("Ejercicio #16"), without overpowering Kinky's own emerging identity. --Aidin Vaziri

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