Thee Commons, Itchy Kitty, Isaac Rother and the Phantoms

The East L.A. trio Thee Commons, the project of brothers David and Rene Pacheco, recently released its third full-length album Paleta Sonora, and it’s a collection of mostly Spanish-language retro-rock tunes driven by an irreverent streak — song titles include “Selena’s Butt,” “Leonard Cohen in the Sky” and “Mac de Cheese.” They’re clearly culling from several striking influences, including Chicano rock legends like Los Lobos and (their namesake) Thee Midnighters, guitar-worshipping garage and surf bands from the late ’60s and, perhaps most important, the sounds of the Latin dance-punk genre known as cumbia. If our recommendation isn’t enough to get you to the Big Dipper on Halloween, consider that the L.A. Weekly recently called Thee Commons one of the city’s best active live bands.