If Federico Aubele’s sound — a worldly mix of sultry electronica, reggae, hip-hop and Latin American music — triggers thoughts of fellow ACL ’09 performers Thievery Corporation, well, that’s no coincidence. The native Argentine singer-songwriter/guitarist signed to Thievery Corporation’s Eighteenth Street Lounge Music after sending his demos to Eric Hilton and Rob Garza. Since then, Aubele’s songs have been heard in ultratrendy lounges full of beautiful people the world over. ESL Music released his full-length debut, Gran Hotel Buenos Aires, in 2003, and the eagerly awaited follow-up, Panamericana, in late 2007. As suggested by its title, the album is Aubele’s open-armed embrace of the Americas. “I find the cultural clashes, mixes and blends that have occurred over time [in the Americas] exciting, fresh and very young when you compare it with Europe or Asia,” said Aubele, who’s seen enough of the rest of the world (having lived in both Berlin and Barcelona) to make such comparisons.