The Tucson Sound

Marlon Bishop and Fernanda Echavarri take us on a journey through Tucson’s music scene. Although there is all sorts of music made in Tucson, several groups from the city have a what has been called a”desert noir” sound—with influences ranging from pysch rock to spaghetti Western soundtracks and music from Latin America. Tuscon is 70 miles from the US-Mexico border, so it’s only natural that rythmns and instruments from Mexico are very present in the city’s sounds. We feature bands like Calexico, Vox Urbana and Sergio Mendoza Y Orkestra—any of which make an ideal soundtrack for driving through the desert.