The abundance of pop-drenched grupero (Latin pop with norteño and Tex-Mex overtones) that flooded the regional Mexican market in the 1990s and 2000s didn't cause straight-ahead norteño to go away; quite the contrary. Veteran norteño acts like
los Tigres del Norte,
los Huracanes del Norte and
los Rieleros del Norte were more visible than ever, and
los Tucanes de Tijuana were even more popular in the 2000s than they were in the '90s. On top of that, recordings by the late
Chalino Sánchez (who was killed in 1992) continued to sell long after his death. Without a doubt, there are still plenty of listeners who like their norteño straight-ahead, which is exactly how
los Nuevos Rebeldes offer it on
Más Rebeldes Que Nunca (More Rebellious Than Ever). This 2008 release is not norteño for people who don't like norteño;
los Nuevos Rebeldes aren't the least bit apologetic about being a hardcore norteño group, and that outlook makes for lively, spirited performances on engaging tracks like "Mi Ranchito" and "El MZ." Corridos are definitely one of
los Nuevos Rebeldes' strong points; of the CD's 13 tracks, just under half of them are corridos--and the group's storytelling talents are evident on memorable corridos such as "Pancho Loco," "El Compa de Zacatecas," "El Dos Letras" (as opposed to "Las Dos Letras"), "Compa Pena" and "La Fiesta del 2 Letras." Los Nuevos Rebeldes don't perform corridos exclusively, but they do make them a high priority on this 39-minute disc. Fans of hardcore norteño can't go wrong with
Más Rebeldes Que Nunca. ~ Alex Henderson