Grupo Fantasma: From Austin To Prince To Tejano Noir

It's a productive time for the crew from Austin that calls itself Grupo Fantasma.

They're nominated for a Grammy in the Best Latin Rock, Alternative or Urban category for their album El Existencial. They're about to embark on a short swing through the Southwest. And they just released a new video to go along with "Montañozo," one of the cuts from their Grammy-nominated album.

The video has a concept: a Tejano noir set amidst the rough Texas landscape near the band's home base. There are machetes, bad guys, a chase and a damsel in distress.

Check it out:

Grupo Fantasma has been at this for more than 10 years. While we can still hear their various Latin roots, the band has developed into a sophisticated mosh of nuevo cumbia, funk, rock and fun.

But don't let the good times fool you. These are musicians who play in a variety of styles with conviction. They're funky and talented enough to have backed Prince on occasion.

The track that accompanies the video is a great example of how they can absorb influences, then spin them out in a way that evokes a different time and place while at the same time being unmistakably phantasmagoric. Learn more about the band at their own website.