Calexico/Gaby Moreno

With another strong notch in their Tex-Mex belt (2015’s Edge of the Sun), Calexico has once again proven its indie-rock mettle. Though the band has been around since the mid-90s, it’s really been the past 10 years -- and their accompanying bloom of regional and national festival circuits -- that have seen Calexico blowing up. A string of strong studio cuts, including Algiers in 2012, culminates in this year’s release, which would fit perfectly into a broken-down pickup’s cassette deck on a southbound trip through Baja Cali. “Bullets & Rocks” drifts through singer Joey Burns’ smoky vocals and Jacob Valenzuela and Martin Wenk’s dual trumpets. “Cumbia de Donde” connects listeners with the band’s Latin traditions (dig that percussion) -- musical traits that have defined Calexico from the get-go. (Eric Sandy)