The 10 most essential Latin alternative LPs from Nacional Records

Narrowing it down wasn't easy, but these are the label's most game-changing titles.

- BY ERNESTO LECHNER

Images from Nacional Records

From Andrea Echeverri's radiant 2005 solo debut to the second effort by the genre-bending Spinettango in May, the L.A.-based label Nacional Records has released dozens of fascinating albums.

Though not afraid to work with Latin alternative heavyweights like Los Fabulosos Cadillacs — or even the non-Latin Talking Heads side quest, Tom Tom Club — the imprint is also known for giving its undivided attention to artists with more modest followings. Highlights include Thievery Corporation chanteuse Natalia Clavier, Mexican dream-pop quartet Hello Seahorse!, downtempo maestro Federico Aubele and Paris-based Cuban singer La Dame Blanche.

Curating a selection of key albums from the label's treasure trove wasn't easy, but these 10 are absolutely essential.

(2005)

When Nortec Collective emerged from Tijuana in 2001 with the oceanic splendor of “Polaris,” the combination of deconstructed norteño snippets and exuberant electronic beats was downright visionary, championing the 21st century in Latin as a stylistic playground where anything was possible. Nortec was a true collective, a conceptual symposium of like-minded artists, and “Tijuana Sessions Vol. 3” reflected Nacional’s cosmopolitan glee.

From the indie vibe of “Tijuana Makes Me Happy” to the jazzy elegance of “Olvídela Compa,” Nortec’s second album found the band switching gears and focusing on crafting actual songs.

(2006)