Roger Clyne & The Peacemakers

Tucson native Roger Clyne had some amount of success in the mid-'90s with his rock band The Refreshments, whose sound fit well with the post-college rock explosion of the decade. But with the Peacemakers, Clyne's songwriting is culled from three similar styles — Americana, Tejano, and the ol' "white man on an island" sound pioneered by Jimmy Buffet. The amalgamation works well, coagulating into an upbeat, danceable drinking soundtrack (provided you're drinking margaritas, tequila, or Mexican moonshine). Clyne occasionally throws some Spanish lyrics ("Contraband") or mariachi horns ("Wake Up Call") into the mix, but the standout songs are the cheeky, poppy ditties, like the horn-heavy "Lemons" and the acoustic bop-and-pomp of "Noisy Head," in which Clyne sings, "I was crying for a vision, I got static instead/Boy, oh boy, I got a noisy head." There's no hint of that noise here, though — only a clean little collection of carefully crafted, radio-ready troubador tunes.