Kevin Bronson on June 18th, 2009

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Portland, Ore., quintet Y La Bamba makes fractured folk that sounds as if it comes from dog-eared diaries. The author is statuesque Luz Elena, the daughter of Mexican immigrants, whose vintage vocals seem to come from the 78-rpm era, and the songs on last year’s debut, “Alida St.,” were inspired by her family and the troubles she had after taking seriously ill on a trip to India with giardia and amebic dysentery. Chris Funk of the Decemberists is currently producing the five-piece’s the follow-up. Live: the Hotel Cafe on Friday and Que Sera in Long Beach on Sunday.

||| Download: “Fasting in San Francisco”

Jenny Owen Youngs’ sophomore album “Transmitter Failure” came out in late May, and it’s a more rockin’ take on the pop-confessional aesthetic she displayed on 2007’s “Batten the Hatches.” It’s a musical space inhabited by a daunting number of songwriters, so the album’s appeal will largely depend on whether the storytelling and wordplay ring true to you. Live: Thursday at the Troubadour, opening for Amanda Palmer.

||| Download: “If I Didn’t Know”

Photo: Jenny Owen Youngs by Shervin Lainez