Culture Beat on Ensenada's downtown nightlife strip exhibits a similar aesthetic to San Diego's World Beat Center (Rasta/Mayan fusion, happy flowers, a shoddy Marley mural), except it's three stories high and housed inside what looks like a halved aircraft hangar.

The crowd is sparse - Ensenada’s free wine and music celebration, Verbena, is in full swing across town - but the mood is festive. We drink dollar cans of Yerba Mate as a band sets up and Blonde Redhead plays over the sound system.

Fender Guitars quality control overseer and Mexicali native Cesar Esquer, a former Reader album review contributor, organized a two day mini-tour with six bands in Ensenada and Rosarito.

Mexicali indie-psych rockers Hosanna remind of Pavement, Unwound, and Dungen. Observe.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8w7tkluKCKM

Fellow chicalense (er, Mexicalian) disco punkers Noise Beat Propaganda get the dance floor moving.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lb3gg-HeY3I

Drummer Shyno was also booked to play with two piece X=R7, but bassist Alex Tonella (Tron) wasn’t able to make the trip.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mDbAziZX0Ko

Here’s a video of Hosanna guitarist Shema and Shyno jamming at Shyno’s house in Mexicali a few months ago.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kNQpfp-dNwU

Interested in checking out more of Mexicali’s unique punk/experimental scene?

Here are some noteworthy shows coming to Bar Monaco, the city’s prime venue for music outside of the mainstream.

Saturday, August 20 - Blake Miller of LA dance-punk band Moving Units, Therapist (Calexico/Phoenix)

Saturday, September 3 – Subtitle (LA), Batwings (SD/Mexicali), Sludgebutt (SD), Letters From Readers (Mexicali)

Friday, September 16 – Retox (SD), Batwings, Maniqui Lazer (Mexicali), Noise Beat Propaganda

Saturday, September 17 - 2Up (Japan), Upsilon Acrux (LA), Innerds (SD), Tron (Mexicali) and DJ Monsterpussy (SD) @ Bar El Andariego