Heading to El Norte- "Crystal Frontier" by Calexico

Crystal Frontier
Joey Burns

Marco's shadow falls on the door to the seven lost cities of gold
Finds a raven's head and rattlers tail
Dead in his tracks, this godforsaken soul's
Unwanted here and his ghost lingers for years

Amalia's face hides behind the mask sweating on the TV factory line
That smile on her face is starting to crack
While welding back the pieces of a shattered heart
That's scattered out here, with the ghosts of her peers

Searches for her lost child along the river of tears, the river of tears

At the end of the working week
When drunken worlds meet
Both sides keeping a close eye
For a break in the line here on the crystal frontier, crystal frontier

Ramon tightens up his leather belt and slips through a hole in the fence
He can get you anything you want
Might cost you a life, might cost you
The whole price of freedom here on the crystal frontier

Searches for her lost love along the river of tears, the river of tears

Blood spills out on the streets
And bodies are missing for weeks
Both sides keeping a close eye
Watching the bullets fly here on the crystal frontier, crystal frontier

Toll of the Drug War: Self-Defense Groups in Michoacan

After years of chaos and being at the mercy of the Knights Templar cartel, armed groups of civilians have taken over policing Michoacan, Mexico.

There's an excellent summary of this situation at Upside Down World.

Life as an undocumented migrant- "Better and Better" by Calexico

Is it better than staying back home?

Better and Better
John Convertino, Joey Burns

There's a letter she keeps inside, a list of everyone she knows
Behind her closed eyes that turn her in when its time to go

Shes heading north into the haze, raise the wire and they raise the rent
Shes walking the sun back home and in the night the moon is gone

Is it better? Is it better and better?
Is it better than staying home with nowhere to go?

I've seen your face out on the plains drifting all alone
Draw my finger in the dirt and down another blue road

She's in Kansas and Alabam, Idaho and the Carolines
Know I've seen her before cant you recognize those hands
Is it better? Is it better and better?

Is it better than staying back home?
Is it better? Is it better and better?
Is it better with nowhere else to go?