Los Aztex are a solid crew whose debut is an excellent voodoo fusion of tropical rhythms, roots music and bluesy tunes covering pretty much the same territory and more as Los Super Seven's folk roots outing last year. Like Los Super Seven's work, this 11-track collection of fresh and engaging bilingual tunes simply doesn't fit any preconceived radio formats.

Luckily for Los Aztex , the singer/songwriter tradition in Texas has survived for years with artists like Don Walser, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Joe Ely, etc. They may not get much radio play but they sell CDs and they consistently draw crowds in dance halls and roadhouses.

Music ultimately should move people, inspire sadness, reflection or elation, move them to tears or to the dance floor.

Los Aztex do all that on "Short Stories." The tracks can be called anything from blues-salsa and tropical funk to R&B merengue and Afro-Cuban-tinged boleros. Whatever the tag, it connects.

''Paranoid'' was the album my best friend Charlie Gonzalez banged his head to in high school, while I devoured early Beatles and learned to appreciate Elton John, Yes, and Santana, even some Chicago. I used to hate the Black Sabbath stuff but I guess enough exposure to it made an impression after a while, and I guess having your best friend explain the allure helps too. It was raw, primitive and intense, everything that metal and punk had to be to stand out again the emerging establishment rock of the day.

Santana explodes all the myths(industry and otherwise) here with a fiery fusion of familiar guitar burns and fresh voices. Magnetic and easy grooving, the highlights like ''(Da le) Yaleo'' and ''Maria Maria,'' maintain a low fire while the intensity of ''Africa Bamba,'' and ''Corazon Espinando,'' recall the soul workouts. Glad this worked out - Santana needed a serious shot in the arm - artistically - to reignite a career obviously in the twilight stage.

Muscular sound, wailing vocals, insightful perspectives on the daily grind of American life. From the analytical tunes to the cynical overtones on "Black" and beyond....this is the essence of '90s bluesrock. Unfortunetly, this was also the peak for a fantastic band that for a few years led the way for american rock in the late 20th century.