La Barranca has been a successful ongoing outfit for over a decade. Based in Mexico City, they are led by guitarist and songwriter José Manuel Aguilera, who previously and concurrently worked with Sangre Azteka, Jaguares, Cecilia Toussaint, Steven Brown/Nine Rain (Tuxedomoon), and more. He has an unusually economical style of playing that concentrates on great rhythms, superb tone, and very melodic solos. After the original lineup—Aguilera, Federico Fong (bass), Alfonso Andre (drums), all of whom were guest members of Jaguares with former Caifanes frontman Saúl Hernández—went its separate ways, a second version of the band included Santa Sabina guitar virtuoso Alex Otaola and the extremely flexible rhythm section of brothers Jose María ("Chema") and Alonso Arreola. The band's sound effortl