Monitor: Listen

Radio Zumbido - "Los últimos Días del AM"

Words: Sue Apfelbaum

Palm Pictures - $15.98

Like Mexico's Nortec Collective, Radio Zumbido mixes the traditional sounds of the band's native Guatemala with just about everything else -- jazz, jungle, dub, salsa, exotica -- you name it. But whereas the former's Tijuana Sessions was a compilation, los últimos días is a cohesive album by a trio of artists, led by Juan Carlos Barrios, that takes the listener on an exuberant journey marked by field recordings, percussive samples and poetry. Although inspired by the AM waves, Radio Zumbido is a full-frequency sonic experience.