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Alt.Latino: We All Go A Little Mad Sometimes

How scary would Alfred Hitchcock's famous Psycho shower scene be without its equally famous soundtrack? Music is essential in letting movie audiences know something awful is about to happen. Listen to those violins — any minute now, the serial killer will jump from the back seat of your car.

This week's show has new releases to make the hair on your neck stand up. Songs that belong on the soundtrack to an X-Files film, or a grindhouse flick directed by Quentin Tarantino. We've got it all: the noir psychobilly stylings of a Spanish rock band called Los Claveles, singing "They say hate is cheaper than love, and we're in no position to spend;" a Mexican-American DJ who seems to have locked the ghost of a 1920's starlet in his closet and forced her to sing beautifully; and a repentant Colombian with an angelic choirgirl voice, who just wishes she could be good.

We are also heavy on songs from Spain and rock 'n' roll tunes. That's no coincidence: Spain has a rich rockabilly and punk scene, which is in part a response to the '80s disco revival Latin alternative musicians went through last year.

Sit back and hold tight, because we've got ghastly new music to share with you.

Copyright 2024 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Alt.Latino: We All Go A Little Mad Sometimes

Nacional 42

From 'Nacional 42 E.P.'

By Los Claveles

Coming at you from: Spain

Sounds like: A bitlike Ry Cooder and Manuel Galbán's Mambo Sinuendo.

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Crazy Train (Ozzy Osbourne Cover)

From 'Crazy Train'

By Metalachi

Sound like: Mariachi's doing Heavy Metal. Enough said.

Coming at you from: Los Angeles

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Toro

From 'Diamantes'

By Columpio Asesino

Sounds like: Carpooling to the disco with psycho killers, qu'est-ce que c'est

Coming at you from: Spain

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Restart Feat. Sasha Perera

From 'Ceremony'

By Mexicans With Guns

Sounds like: A soundtrack to an X-Files movie.

Coming at you from: Austin Texas/London/Sri Lanka

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Beijos E Mordidas

From 'Arar'

By Andrea Roca

Sounds like: Mazzy Star

Coming at you from: Chile

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Buena Persona

From 'Color'

By Lido Pimienta

Sounds like: Kate Bush

Coming at you from: Canada/Colombia

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Lobo Mayor

From 'El Paisaje Salvaje'

By Fother Muckers

Sounds like: An example of why Chilean music rocks

Coming at you from: Chile

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Jasmine Garsd
Jasmine Garsd is an Argentine-American journalist living in New York. She is currently NPR's Criminal Justice correspondent and the host of The Last Cup. She started her career as the co-host of Alt.Latino, an NPR show about Latin music. Throughout her reporting career she's focused extensively on women's issues and immigrant communities in America. She's currently writing a book of stories about women she's met throughout her travels.