Alejandro Escovedo On World Cafe

Here's a story for you about two teenage boys named Salvo and Diego. One is Mexican, one is Italian, and both are immigrants living in America. They're into punk rock like MC5 and The Stooges. And beat poetry — Allen Ginsberg and Jack Kerouac — is their jam. The new album The Crossing tells their story of lives in America and all the thrills, adventures and realities that come with them.

Of course, Diego and Salvo are fictional ... sort of. They're avatars for the gentlemen who wrote this record, Alejandro Escovedo and Don Antonio, one Mexican-American and one Italian. Antonio and his band backed up Escovedo on a European tour and the men formed a fast friendship while on the road together.

The Crossing showcases the roots prowess Escovedo is known for, but also pushes in directions lyrically that you might not expect. The friendship of Diego and Salvo is realized on the album, but it's just an extension of the friendship Escovedo and Antonio have in real life.

We'll talk about all of this and hear some stories from Escovedo's punk rock days. But first, we start with a live performance of the song "Outlaw for You." Listen in the audio player.

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