So much has been made of Amy Winehouse's "real deal" status, from her evocative, beyond-the-groove vocals to her brazen, eyelash-batting attitude. Lucky for us, the girl knows her music as well. And no …

Not feeling up to the challenge of diving into a whole slew of releases you may not be familiar with? Our Indie Spotlight mix solves that problem for you by grabbing a few of our favorite tracks from t …

There was a time - before emails, text messages, IMs and video chats - when long-distance relationships were strengthened via off-peak phone conversations and the occasional mixtape flooded with themes …

Merengue came to us from the Dominican Republic, where it provided the impetus for joyous, fervent dancing. Heavy on the brass, merengue's lively tempo is furthered by the use of tambora and guira.

Tropicalia was a short-lived, influential multimedia movement of the late '60s in Brazil where the artists mixed up the avant-garde, politics, and psychedelic pop music.

This style melds traditional tropical music such as bachata, merengue, and salsa with a youthful, urban edge.

Tango is a luscious, romantic style that came to us from Argentina, and it's generally performed by a six-piece group (orquesta tfpica) involving violins, bass, piano, and the key element — the b …

The artists here represent salsa's classic proponents - pioneers such as Tito Puente and Willie Col=n who epitomized the golden age of salsa in New York.

The often syncopated rhythms and complex percussion of samba have long been the official sounds of Brazil, while bossa nova (a more mellow, jazz-influenced approach to samba) is the country's most well …