When Los Lobos write their own songs, life is good. The East L.A. roots rockers' 18th album runs from the smoldering atmospherics and righteous indignation of "I'll Burn It Down" to the slinky instrumental "Do the Murray," with two Spanish-language stops along the way on the cumbia "Yo Canto" and norteño "Mujer Ingrata." But when Los Lobos hook up with songwriters like ex-Grateful Dead lyricist Robert Hunter, things start to go downhill in a hurry. Hunter's contributions on Tin Can Trust (see the cringe-worthy hippie regrets of "All My Bridges Burning") and on 2004's The Ride are unfortunate moments on two otherwise solid discs.

“Ambling Alp”

The "Ambling Alp" was the nickname of the six-and-a-half-foot-tall Primo Carnera. Though the song is named after the Italian-born 1930s heavyweight champion, Yeasayer are actually paying tribute to boxing legend Joe Louis with this first-person psychedelic dance-rock tune. “I was always interested in writing a song that had boxing mythology in it,” Yeasayer’s Chris Keating said. “It’s pretty fascinating: There were so many amazing characters, and it was so closely entwined with 20th century history.” Yeaseyer also invokes German champ Max Schmeling and hints at the historical significance placed on the historic bouts between the Nazi-era boxer and the African-American Louis.