Music to Your Ears
Salsa, Salsa and More Delicious Salsa—“What do you think came first, the dip or the dance?" This question was recently posed at a Tuesday morning editorial meeting and is the kind of query that is either asked by: 1) A slack-jawed cretin, 2) One of many cloistered Americans, totally oblivious to Latin culture, 3) Both 1 and 2, or 4) A drowsy editor, exhausted from hours of mulling over every single word in the paper. The question in this case was asked by 4 (you know who you are). There, there, everyone says dumb things sometimes.
Flyer on the Wall
Their Pain = Your Gain
Glue your eyes to the rink as Albuquerque’s own Munecas Muertas knock the snot out of Minnesota Rollergirls away team, the Rockits. Saturday, June 2, at Club Fantasia (4901 McLeod NE). $5 in advance (www.dukecityderby.com), $7 at the door (opens at 3 p.m.). (LM)

Show Up!
The Ringers
Kamikaze hearts to keep your head up
Maybe you're craving something different, a little fever to fill your soul, an experience that stands out and stands alone in your next musical outing … seems like you're craving The Ringers. Promising more than your average rock show, this little band from Los Angeles is dedicated to high kicks and headlocks every time they take the stage.

Spotlight
Retro is the Future
Rap cassette release party featuring The Booty Green, North America and DJ Cherry Lee
It wouldn't be a stretch to say the boys of Rap have a mean case of retrophilia. One of their main musical inspirations is the 1989 NES game Ninja Gaiden. Keytars are essential at every show. Both Brandon Bethancourt and Hari Ziznewski wear large aviators, vintage Reebok shirts and nylon track pants—even when not performing. And for their first album release, they're going pure plastic with the classic white cassette tape.

Jazzed
A Trumpeter Grows in Brooklyn
Justin Ray returns to Albuquerque for a weekend of gigs
Albuquerque trumpeter Justin Ray misses his car. It’s the price he pays for living in Brooklyn, N.Y., a spawning ground for young musicians.

Sonic Reducer
Battles Mirrored · Björk Volta · Rufus Wainwright Release the Stars
You've probably heard the intricate prog math-rock thing Battles is doing before. But these New Yorkers do it with such precision and cleverness, it's worth hearing again. Cartoonish vocals wiggle and squirm, the occasional subplot of the larger loop-laden mesh, but the vox contribution is so symphonic, it's fair to classify this disc as instrumental. Don't let that frighten you off. When the momentum of Mirrored builds to the right speed and temperature, the thing just shimmers—perfect for easing the tedium of any drudge work on your to-do list.