Originally formed as a tribute to "King of Mambo" Pérez Prado, Orkesta Mendoza (a.k.a. Sergio Mendoza y La Orkesta) has morphed into a gorgeous, high-energy combination of mambo, cumbia, psych and rock. It's a sound that comes from deep in the Sonoran Desert: Orkesta Mendoza is based in Tucson, Ariz., but frontman Sergio Mendoza grew up in the border towns of Nogales, Ariz., and Nogales, Sonora, and he pulls influences from both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border into his music.

If you've never seen Orkesta Mendoza live, it's a little bit like walking into a different era. The six-piece group sets up like a big band, even wearing matching suits. The highly stylized, crisp look mirrors the band's precise execution of the music, resulting in electric live shows packed with crowds of sweaty people where it's not unusual to just start dancing with a stranger. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.