Calexico
albums
influenced by the soundtracks of Ennio Marricone, the flamenco styles of band's like Love, the punk fury of the
80's L.A. scene, and most of all the American Southwest itself including mariachi music and the dry desert air.
The band is mainly multi instrumentalists Joey Burns and John Convertino though other people have collaborated
with them throughout the years. It is no coincidence that the band has served as backing band for artists like
Victoria Williams, Lisa Germano, Vic Chessnut, and Iron and Wine on different occasions - their unique style is
much revered and rare in rock music. They always establish a kind of "mood" and atmosphere in their songs, one
that yearns for a better world but never quite achieves it. Like all great bands, Calexico evolves each album,
making each one a unique experience regardless of quality. They do have quality though, and are one of the
most important rock bands to come out of the mid 90's, proving it with each genuine mention of their name.
Band Members: Joey Burns - Vocals, Gutiar, Bass, lots of others
John Convertino - Drums, lots of others
Best Album: The Black Light
Biggest Influences: Ennio Marricone, Love, The Minutemen
1996
Spoke - 7/8
The band's first record is not uncommon of debuts: lo fidelity, soft spoken, establishing a unique though
not-quite-there-yet sound. The thing that makes Spoke a great listen though is the musical quality. Littered
though the albums 19 tracks are gems like "Spokes", "Wash", "Removed" and opener "Low Expectaions", songs
that are short examples of why Calexico is a unique new band. Their range is their main strength, covering
flamenco on "Sanchez", surf instrumentals a la Breeders on "Scout", zydeco on "Mazurra", orchestration on
"Point Vincent", and great instrumentals scattered throughout. They have not settled on a style to pick on yet,
but it is no surprise they hail from Arizona because all of the songs have this "desert" quality that represents the
Southeastern US. The band shows it's influences on it's sleeves: both main members came from Howie Gelb's
similar themed Giant Sand, the songs that are very short have meaning like Minituemen and Wire's did, other
"desert" band mid-90's counter parts ("Slag" is a dead ringer for "Pepper" by the Butthole Surfers and Fastball
ripped off "Glimpse" for not one, but two of their only hits). In all, Spoke is truly an album experience, so to taking
one of these songs out of context would detract from the point. It is meant to be listened to all the way through,
no more no less. Some people would say the band has not found their sound yet and that this is a confusing
listen (it is a tad inconsistent throughout), but I choose to think the variety adds rather than detracts. The album
is a great start for a band that could literally, take any shape or form from here on and succeed greatly.
- Trevor e.y.
1.low expectations- 4
2.mind the gap- 2
3.mazurra- 2
4.sanchez- 4
5.haul- 3
6.slag- 4
7.paper route- 4
8.glimpse- 3
9.navy cut- gf
10.spokes- 4
11.scout- 4
12.point vincent- 4
13.wash- 4
14.ice cream jeep- gf
15.windjammer- 2
16.mazurka- 2
17.removed- 4
18.hitch- 2
19.stinging nettle- 4
1998
The Black Light - 8/8
Building off of the previous albums mariachi leanings, the band has chosen a less varied approach to great
effect. They show a mastery of mariachi based rock music, similar to Los Lobos, but different also. Between the
charming instrumentals like "Vinegaroon", "Gypsy's Curse", "Fake Fur", "Chach", the genre bending "Minas De
Cobre", and mysterious desert opera compositions like "Bloodflow", "Stray", "The Ride Pt. 2", "Missing", and the
title track, there is a world waiting to be explored. Listening to The Black Light is being transported into another
world, a world where scorpions surround you and you strugle to find water among the vast desert while seeing
many an oasis. The focus that is brought into shape from the otherwise great Spoke is manifested on the band's
second album, showcasing a wide range of instruments and timbres rarely seen in rock music. The Black Light is
an album that only a certain band could make; a completely unique experience. The most effective songs are
pointless to point out, because the way it moves from ballad to western standoff to instrumental make the album,
again, a total all encompassing experience. A must hear for any fan of music. - Trevor e.y.
1.gypsy's curse- 4
2.fake fur- 4
3.the ride part II- 4
4.where the water flows- 3
5.the black light- 4
6.sideshow- 4
7.chach- 4
8.missing- 4 *
9.minas de cobre- 4
10.over your shoulder- 2
11.vinegaroon- 4
12.trigger- 4
13.sprawl- 3
14.stray- 4
15.old man waltz- 2
16.bloodflow- 4
17.frontera- 4
2000
Hot Rail - 5/8
Ever expanding on their third record, Calexico has a somewhat failed attempt on Hot Rail. Some of this music
works great, especially the first couple of songs including band's longest track yet, "Fade". Those songs, along
with the aptly named "Sonic Wind", make the album worth hearing for the die hards. The problem lies with
"Service and Repair", "Untitled II & III", and several instrumentals. From these songs, there is no sense of feelings
present. Where older Calexico could display mastery in these areas, the band now seems to just be on auto pilot
and tries to apply too much "space" rather than "content". The critic Piero Scaruffi attributes this to the band's
ascent to a kind of classical music, but I fail to see this - to me it just comes across as boring, where the first
couple of songs are actually dynamic ("Ballad of Cable Houge" and "Fade" especially). If Calexico are indeed
trying to reach out to classical music, they don't succeed and never follow it up on subsequent albums, so I don't
think they are. Beyond "Midtown" and "Drenched", good but hardly great songs, there is no reason to listen after
"Sonic Wind" is done. A transitional album? Well not really, every album by Calexico tries something different, but
this is their first average one. - Trevor e.y.
1.el picador- 4
2.ballad of cable houge- 4
3.ritual road map- gf
4.fade- 4
5.untitled III- 1
6.sonic wind- 4
7.muleta- 2
8.mid town- 3
9.service and repair- 2
10.untitled II- 1
11.drenched- 3
12.16 track scratch- gf
13.tres avisos- 2
14.hot rail- 2
2003
Feast of Wire - 7/8
Luckily, the band is back in full force for their 4th record, the wide ranging Feast of Wire. Centered around the
illegal immigrant issue along the US-Mexico border thematically and journeying out to the range of styles Spoke
encompassed, the album is an intriguing listen. They add one more element here than Spoke did though, pop
music melodies. Uh Oh!!!!! It's that balance between pop and mariachi that prevails, whether its instrumentals
("Close Behind" and the "Sonic Wind" influenced "Pepita") or the lyrical and orchestrated songs ("Quattro", the
menacing "Black Heart", the sing along and one of the band's better known songs "Guero Canelo"). The
instrumentals leave as much of an impression as the other songs, so if anything they have perfected their
mariachi style as far as it will go. That is the thing with this record: the band is still evolving, but they are also kind
of stuck in place musically. The second half of the album suffers simply because these short songs do not always
hold the listeners attention. Calexico could have no doubt expanded some of these beautiful songs, "Not Even
Stevie Nicks" comes to mind, and cut some of their lesser efforts off ("Crumble", "Dub Latina", "No Dose") and
had a classic record. The songs are present for it, there are just too many at 16. What the listener is left with
though is still a great record by a constantly evolving band, that seems to be embracing their pop side. "Quattro",
"Black Heart", and "Woven Birds" are some of the best songs the band has ever done, and the record stands as
a minor masterwork of sorts. - Trevor e.y.
1.sunken waltz- 3
2.quattro- 4
3.stucco- gf
4.black heart- 4
5.pepita- 4
6.not even stevie nicks- 4
7.close behind- 4
8.woven birds- 4
9.the book and the canal- 3
10.attak el robot! attack!- 3
11.across the wire- 4
12.dub latina- 2
13.guero canelo- 4
14.whipping the horses eyes- gf
15.crumble- 2
16.no doze- 3
2006
Garden Ruin - 8/8
First off, let me say that I am glad Calexico changed on their 5th album. They have really mastered that
"mariachi rock" style and they needed to break free into new territory. Why this album divides fans is because the
new style is melodic pop, a direction anyone listening saw coming a mile away. Who cares though? The band has
the right to pick whatever style they want to, that is the joy of rock music. The bottom line is they learned from the
only mistake of Feast of Wire: make the songs longer and have less songs. At only 11 songs, this is a conscious
effort to change from a band that has always good at whatever they tried. It came as a huge surprise to us all,
but once you get used to it, you might agree that "Deep Down", "Letter to Bowie Knife", and "All Systems Red"
are the best songs the band has done EVER! "Deep Down" is commentary on the Iraq War but also an elegant
psychedelic journey that goes beyond the desert rock and into space territory; "All Systems Red" ends the
record on a rather shoegazing kind of note, also building to a Dirty Three kind of climax; "Letter to Bowie Knife" is
the pure best rock song the band has ever done, but it still has touches only Calexico could bring. I dare anyone
not to be touched by all three songs. The rest of the album has quite the variety about it: pure pop on "Bisbee
Blue", "Cruel", and "Lucky Dime"; Calexico of old on "Yours and Mine", "Roka" (with that Spanish touch still
intact), and the pleasant "Smash". Most everything works exceptionally well, and this record stands right next to
The Black Light as Calexico at their best. The band could truly go anywhere from here. - Trevor e.y.
1.cruel- 4
2.yours and mine- 4
3.bisbee blue- 4
4.panic open string- 4
5.letter to bowie knife- 4
6.roka- 4
7.lucky dime- 3
8.smash- 3
9.deep down- 4 *
10.nom de plume- 2
11.all systems red- 4
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