Yerba Buena

If a secret fountain of fun exists, producer Andres Levin has found it and is hoarding it for himself and his band Yerba Buena. On Yerba’s second release, Island Life, the group seamlessly blends Afro-Cuban funk, hip-hop, and salsa together for a concoction that is the sonic equivalent of spiked punch. The infectious “Belly Dancer” offers a solitary violin and then an explosive bonanza of hip-shaking percussion and horns. Every song enters your veins, raises your heart rate, and spurs your feet to movement, but what else would you expect from a band whose name means “good herb”?