A seminal norteño-conjunto act, Los Relámpagos (literally "The Lightning from the North") set new standards of songcraft and technique, the latter through the astonishingly inventive playing of Ramón Ayala. They brought norteño music into the mainstream, and they did it while maintaining and even intensifying an essential "cantina" loneliness. Try an Internet video search on their classic "El Disgusto" to see the range of acts covering that song's killer accordion riff, and you will get an idea of the breadth of Los Relámpagos' influence. The overwhelming volume of re-released material and the haphazard sound of some discs can be a little daunting, but the group was remarkably consistent, and you can be sure of finding at least a couple of examples of greatness on any CD you pick up.
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