It's not surprising to learn that Y La Bamba's records have been produced by the disparate likes of the Decemberists' Chris Funk and Los Lobos' Steve Berlin. The ornate instrumentation calls to mind the revivalist classicism of the Decemberists, as well as the Latin rock of Los Lobos, but the presence of both producers at various points highlights the range and varied output of Y La Bamba. While they are more than comfortable being classical with their interpretations of folk and world music, they thrive in that middle ground, where nothing is too easy to describe, let alone predict.

Read Rev. Adam McKinney's full feature on Y La Bamba in the Music & Culture section.

Y LA BAMBA, w/ People Under the Sun, Skinwalker, Black Wolf, 9 p.m., Friday, Jan. 30, The New Frontier Lounge, 301 E. 25th St., Tacoma, $5, 253.572.4020