"Welcome to the world of Los Mocosos!" Yes, the snot-nosed rascals from San Francisco"s Mission district are back and ready to bring more Chicano noise on Shades of Brown. From the land of Santana, the group came to prominence with the support of Aztlan Records, the first Spanish-language rock label in the country, which put out the band"s acclaimed 1998 debut, Mocos Locos. Founded by Happy Sanchez (bass) and Victor Castro (trombone), Los Mocosos now feature the bilingual rapped and sung verses of lead singer Manny Martinez. Martinez adds much flavor to a sound drenched in the influences of 1970s Latin soul groove bands like Malo, Azteca, El Chicano, and War. Tunes like "Spill the Wine," "Soy Callejero," "Caliente" (also featured on the Escena Alterlatina collection), and their homage to El Rey ("Tito Puente") are street-wise anthems fusing funk, salsa, rock, rap, and ska. Proud of their barrio roots, Los Mocosos take a hard look at the gentrification of their "hood on "Mi Barrio Loco." And whether you understand Spanglish or not, these are cool cruising sounds for hot summer days. --Jesse "Chuy" Varela