Calexico is a
Tucson, Arizona
, "(at the) base of the black ill
, nicknames = "The Old Pueblo", "Optics Valley", "America's biggest small town"
, image_map =
, mapsize = 260px
, map_caption = Interactive map ...
-based
Americana
Americana may refer to:
*Americana (music), a genre or style of American music
*Americana (culture), artifacts of the culture of the United States
Film, radio and television
* ''Americana'' (1992 TV series), a documentary series presented by J ...
,
Tex-Mex
Tex-Mex cuisine (from the words ''Texan'' and ''Mexican'') is an American cuisine that derives from the culinary creations of the ''Tejano'' people of Texas. It has spread from border states such as Texas and others in the Southwestern United ...
,
indie rock
Indie rock is a subgenre of rock music that originated in the United States, United Kingdom and New Zealand from the 1970s to the 1980s. Originally used to describe independent record labels, the term became associated with the music they produc ...
band. The band's two main members, Joey Burns and John Convertino, first played together in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...
as part of the group
Giant Sand
Giant Sand is an American musical group from Tucson, Arizona, United States. Its most constant member is singer-songwriter Howe Gelb. The group started as Giant Sandworms in the late 1970s post-punk and paisley underground scenes. They later s ...
. They have recorded a number of albums on
Quarterstick Records
Quarterstick Records is a sublabel of Touch and Go Records.
Artists
*Bad Livers
*Calexico
* DK3
* Dead Child
* June of 44
*Kepone
* The Mekons
* Mi Ami
*Peter Móren (of Peter, Bjorn and John)
*Mule
* Naked Raygun
*Tara Jane O'Neil
* Pegboy
*Ph ...
, while their 2005 EP ''
In the Reins
''In the Reins'' is a joint EP by Calexico and Iron & Wine, released by Overcoat Recordings on September 13, 2005. Iron & Wine's Sam Beam wrote all of the songs, which were recorded by the two bands together at Wavelab Studio in Tucson, Arizona. ...
'', recorded with
Iron & Wine
Samuel "Sam" Ervin Beam (born July 26, 1974), better known by his stage name Iron & Wine, is an American singer-songwriter. He has released six studio albums, several EPs and singles, as well as a few download-only releases, which include a ...
, reached the Billboard 200 album charts. Their musical style is influenced by traditional
Latin
Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
sounds of
mariachi,
conjunto
The term ''conjunto'' (, literally 'group', 'ensemble') refers to several types of small musical ensembles present in different Latin American musical traditions, mainly in Mexico and Cuba. While Mexican conjuntos play styles such as '' norteño' ...
,
cumbia
Cumbia refers to a number of musical rhythms and folk dance traditions of Latin America, generally involving musical and cultural elements from American Indigenous peoples, enslaved Africans during colonial times, and Europeans. Examples include:
...
, and
tejano mixed with
country
A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. It may be a sovereign state or make up one part of a larger state. For example, the country of Japan is an independent, sovereign state, while ...
,
jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...
, and
post-rock.
The band is named for the border town of
Calexico, California
Calexico () is a city in southern Imperial County, California. Situated on the Mexican border, it is linked economically with the much larger city of Mexicali, the capital of the Mexican state of Baja California. It is about east of San Diego ...
, and has been described by some as "desert noir".
History
Formation
Calexico had its origins in 1990 when Joey Burns, who was studying music at the
University of California, Irvine
The University of California, Irvine (UCI or UC Irvine) is a public land-grant research university in Irvine, California. One of the ten campuses of the University of California system, UCI offers 87 undergraduate degrees and 129 graduate and p ...
, met up with John Convertino, who was playing drums with
Howe Gelb
Howe Gelb (born October 22, 1956, in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania) is an American singer-songwriter, musician and record producer based in Tucson, Arizona.
Projects
Gelb's approach to music is collaborative and he has recorded with a number of s ...
in
Giant Sand
Giant Sand is an American musical group from Tucson, Arizona, United States. Its most constant member is singer-songwriter Howe Gelb. The group started as Giant Sandworms in the late 1970s post-punk and paisley underground scenes. They later s ...
. Burns joined them, after first playing upright bass on a European tour.
Giant Sand
Giant Sand is an American musical group from Tucson, Arizona, United States. Its most constant member is singer-songwriter Howe Gelb. The group started as Giant Sandworms in the late 1970s post-punk and paisley underground scenes. They later s ...
moved to
Tucson, Arizona
, "(at the) base of the black ill
, nicknames = "The Old Pueblo", "Optics Valley", "America's biggest small town"
, image_map =
, mapsize = 260px
, map_caption = Interactive map ...
in 1994. Burns and Convertino formed the Friends of Dean Martin (later the
Friends of Dean Martinez) which scored a record deal with
Sub Pop. However, the pair split up with Bill Elm, the co-founder of The Friends of Dean Martinez in 1996. The band subsequently became a kind of indie
rhythm section for hire, working with the likes of
Victoria Williams
Victoria Williams (born December 23, 1958) is an American singer, songwriter and musician, originally from Shreveport, Louisiana, United States, although she has resided in Southern California throughout her musical career. Diagnosed with multi ...
,
Bill Janovitz
Bill Janovitz (born June 3, 1966) is an American musician and writer. He is the singer, guitarist, and songwriter of alternative rock band Buffalo Tom, and has also released three solo albums. Janovitz has written extensively for Allmusic, author ...
,
Barbara Manning
Barbara Manning (born December 12, 1964) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist whose albums blend elements of rock, folk, pop and proto-punk. She's also known for her cover versions of often obscure pop songs. In addition to an acclaimed ...
and
Richard Buckner before forming Calexico.
Early years
Calexico first recorded
''Spoke'' in 1995 for German independent label ''
Hausmusik
A house concert or home concert is a musical concert or performance art that is presented in someone's home or apartment, or a nearby small private space such as a barn, apartment rec room, lawn, or backyard."VIDEO: House concert in Royal Oak," '' ...
'' with a limited edition of 2,000 copies. At that point the band was still called Spoke and the album was technically self-titled. After the band signed with Quarterstick Records (a subsidiary of
Touch and Go Records
Touch and Go Records is an American independent record label based in Chicago, Illinois. After its genesis as a handmade fanzine in 1979, it grew into one of the key record labels in the American 1980s underground and alternative rock scenes. ...
) and changed their name to Calexico, ''Spoke'' was reissued by that label in 1997. Burns and Convertino also collaborated with Gelb and
Lisa Germano
Lisa Ruth Germano (born June 27, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist from Indiana. Her album '' Geek the Girl'' (1994) was chosen as a top album of the 1990s by ''Spin'' magazine. She began her career as a violinist ...
on the album
''Slush'' released under the name
OP8
OP8 is the musical collaboration of the multi-instrumentalist Lisa Germano, Howe Gelb, Joey Burns and John Convertino. Joey Burns and John Convertino form the band Calexico together and have both been members of Gelb's Giant Sand.
The only alb ...
that same year.
Their second album ''
The Black Light
''The Black Light'' is the second studio album by American indie rock band Calexico. It was released May 19, 1998 on Quarterstick.
Track listing
Personnel
;Calexico
* Joey Burns – vocals, double bass, guitar, cello, mandolin, accordio ...
'' was released in 1998. This was a concept album about the desert of Arizona and northern Mexico and received excellent reviews, with the critic from the ''Wall Street Journal'' rating it as one of the best records of the year.
The band built their profile by touring as support acts for bands such as
Pavement, the
Dirty Three
Dirty Three is an Australian instrumental rock band, consisting of Warren Ellis (violin and bass guitar), Mick Turner (electric and bass guitars) and Jim White (drums), which formed in 1992. Their 1996 album '' Horse Stories'' was voted by '' ...
and
Lambchop. Calexico has regularly played festivals such as the
Bonnaroo Music Festival, the
Hurricane Festival
The Hurricane Festival, also just Hurricane, is a music festival that has taken place at the Eichenring, a speedway race track, in Scheeßel, Germany, since 1997. With more than 80,000 attendees (2022) it is one of the largest music festivals in ...
and
All Tomorrow's Parties
"All Tomorrow's Parties" is a song by the Velvet Underground and Nico, written by Lou Reed and released on the group's 1967 debut studio album, ''The Velvet Underground & Nico''.
Inspiration for the song came from Reed's observation of Andy Warh ...
. The ''Road Map'' album was a limited recording released in 1999 for sale only at Calexico's live shows.
Calexico released its third album ''
Hot Rail
''Hot Rail'' is the third studio album by the rock band Calexico. It was released in 2000 through Quarterstick Records
Quarterstick Records is a sublabel of Touch and Go Records.
Artists
*Bad Livers
*Calexico
* DK3
* Dead Child
* June of 44 ...
'' in May 2000 featuring the addition of horns and violin to their sound. The duo was busy in 2000 as they also appeared on a Giant Sand record called ''Chore of Enchantment'' as well as a tour only record ''Travelall''.
At the end of 2000, Burns and Convertino joined with two French friends
Naïm Amor and Thomas Belhôm to record "Tête A Tête" (Wabana Records, 2001) released under moniker ABBC (Amor/Belhom/Burns/Convertino). Calexico released two collections of rarities during 2001. ''Even My Sure Things Fall Through'' collected outtakes from previous albums, B-sides, remixes and material previously unreleased in the US. The album also featured Mariachi Luz de Luna who frequently played live with the duo. The ''
Aerocalexico'' album was sold exclusively at their gigs in 2001. Their songs "Ballad Of Cable Hogue" and "Service And Repair" were featured in the 2001 German comedy movie ''
Lammbock''.
Recent years
Released in 2006, ''
Garden Ruin'' is Calexico's fifth studio album and was produced by
JD Foster
JD Foster is an American record producer, bassist, multi-instrumentalist, composer and songwriter. He is known for working with country and Americana performers including Dwight Yoakam and Patty Griffin.
Producer, performer and recording art ...
. The sound strays slightly from earlier works, focusing less on the horn section and placing more emphasis on guitar and vocal tracks, giving the whole album a more contemporary Indie sound.
Their sixth studio LP is called ''
Carried to Dust'', featuring Sam Beam of
Iron & Wine
Samuel "Sam" Ervin Beam (born July 26, 1974), better known by his stage name Iron & Wine, is an American singer-songwriter. He has released six studio albums, several EPs and singles, as well as a few download-only releases, which include a ...
, Douglas McCombs of
Tortoise
Tortoises () are reptiles of the family Testudinidae of the order Testudines (Latin: ''tortoise''). Like other turtles, tortoises have a shell to protect from predation and other threats. The shell in tortoises is generally hard, and like oth ...
and Pieta Brown. It was released in the US via Touch & Go Records on September 9, 2008. The album was positively reviewed. On October 16, 2008, a three-song live acoustic video performance premiered on LiveDaily Sessions, featuring Joey Burns performing the songs "Two Silver Trees", "Writer's Minor Holiday" and "Man Made Lake".
In 2009, the song "Banderilla" was featured in an episode of
AMC (TV channel), AMC's
Breaking Bad.
In 2010, Calexico released the soundtrack of the documentary ''Circo''. The band also spent part of 2010 touring with Arcade Fire along the US west coast. In May 2011, their song "Slowness" was dedicated by
Gabby Giffords
Gabrielle Dee Giffords (born June 8, 1970) is an American retired politician and gun control advocate who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives representing from January 2007 until January 2012, when she resigned ...
to her husband
astronaut Mark Kelly as the wake up song aboard the
Space Shuttle ''Endeavour'' on its final flight. ''
Algiers'' was released 11 September 2012 on
Anti-Records and
City Slang (Europe). Algiers is titled after the neighborhood of New Orleans where it was recorded,
Algiers, New Orleans
Algiers is a historic neighborhood of New Orleans and is the only Orleans Parish community located on the West Bank of the Mississippi River. Algiers is known as the 15th Ward, one of the 17 Wards of New Orleans. It was once home to many jazz m ...
. This was Calexico’s seventh studio album.
In April 2013, Calexico released the album ''
Edge of the Sun
''Edge of the Sun'' is the eighth studio album by indie rock band Calexico. It was released in April 2015 on Anti-.
Accolades
Track listing
Personnel
;Calexico
*Ryan Alfred – upright and electric bass, synth, ambient guitar, vocals
*Joe ...
''. The album features guest appearances by
Neko Case
Neko Richelle Case (; born September 8, 1970) is an American singer-songwriter and member of the Canadian indie rock group the New Pornographers. Case has a powerful, untrained contralto voice, which has been described by contemporaries and cr ...
, Sam Beam (
Iron & Wine
Samuel "Sam" Ervin Beam (born July 26, 1974), better known by his stage name Iron & Wine, is an American singer-songwriter. He has released six studio albums, several EPs and singles, as well as a few download-only releases, which include a ...
), Ben Bridwell (
Band of Horses
Band of Horses is an American rock band formed in 2004 in Seattle, Washington. Led by singer-songwriter Ben Bridwell, who has served as the band's sole constant member throughout numerous line-up changes, the band's current line-up also inclu ...
),
Gaby Moreno
Gaby Moreno is a Guatemalan singer-songwriter, producer, film composer and guitarist. Singing in both English and Spanish, Moreno's music covers many genres including Latin, Alternative, Blues, Folk and Americana.
Biography
Moreno was born i ...
,
Carla Morrison
Carla Patricia Morrison Flores (born 19 July 1986), known professionally as Carla Morrison, is a Mexican indie-pop guitarist and singer. She has released three studio albums and has received various awards and nominations including two Grammy Aw ...
and members of the Greek instrumental group Takim. This album was also released on Anti-Records. In 2016, the band performed on the main stage at the
Edmonton Folk Music Festival.
In 2018, Calexico released ''The Thread That Keeps Us''. The album was recorded in Northern California in a home-turned-studio called
Panoramic House. The band called this space “The Phantom Ship”.
The album was co-produced by their longtime engineer Craig Schumacher. Calexico and Schumacher recruited musicians from all across the globe to find an earthy yet expansive sound. “There’s a little more chaos and noise in the mix than what we’ve done in the past,” Burns points out.
The rugged coastline of northern California impacted the making of ''The Thread That Keeps Us''.
This sound is heard throughout the album. The album was released by
Anti-Records and
City Slang on January 26, 2018.
''The Thread That Keeps Us'' was #2 on the Alternative Albums retail chart and #5 on the Americana / Folk Chart in the USA in its first week of sales (''
Billboard''). ''The Thread That Keeps Us'' also entered the charts in Europe at #7 in Germany, #13 in Belgium, #21 in Netherlands, #47 in France, #58 in the United Kingdom, and #60 in Italy.
On March 21, 2019, Calexico and
Iron & Wine
Samuel "Sam" Ervin Beam (born July 26, 1974), better known by his stage name Iron & Wine, is an American singer-songwriter. He has released six studio albums, several EPs and singles, as well as a few download-only releases, which include a ...
announced ''Years to Burn'', their first full-length collaboration album. It was released on June 14, 2019 via Sub Pop.
Then, on December 4, 2020, they released their eleventh album ''
Seasonal Shift'' via
Anti-.
In February 2022, Calexico announced that their thirteenth studio album, ''El Mirador'', would be released on April 8, 2022.
Members
The current members of Calexico are:
* Joey Burns – vocals, guitars, bass, cello, piano, keyboards, accordion, percussion, vibraphone
* John Convertino – drums
* Jacob Valenzuela – trumpet, vocals
* Martin Wenk – trumpet, guitar, keyboards, accordion, glockenspiel, vibraphone, theremin, vocals (occasionally harmonica & French horn)
* Scott Colberg – standup bass, electric bass
* Sergio Mendoza – keyboards, accordion, percussion
*
Brian Lopez – guitar, vocals
Live tour 2013:
* Joey Burns – vocals, guitars
* John Convertino – drums, percussion
* Sergio Mendoza – Keyboards, accordion, percussion
* Jairo Zavala – bouzouki, baritone guitar, vocals
* Jacob Valenzuela – trumpet, keyboards, vibraphone, vocals
* Martin Wenk – trumpet, guitar, keyboards, accordion, glockenspiel, vibraphone (occasionally harmonica & French horn)
* Ryan Alfred – bass, vocals
Discography
Albums
* ''
Spoke'' (1996)
* ''
The Black Light
''The Black Light'' is the second studio album by American indie rock band Calexico. It was released May 19, 1998 on Quarterstick.
Track listing
Personnel
;Calexico
* Joey Burns – vocals, double bass, guitar, cello, mandolin, accordio ...
'' (1998)
* ''
Hot Rail
''Hot Rail'' is the third studio album by the rock band Calexico. It was released in 2000 through Quarterstick Records
Quarterstick Records is a sublabel of Touch and Go Records.
Artists
*Bad Livers
*Calexico
* DK3
* Dead Child
* June of 44 ...
'' (2000)
* ''
Feast of Wire'' (2003)
* ''
Garden Ruin'' (2006)
* ''
Carried to Dust'' (2008)
* ''
Algiers'' (2012)
* ''
Edge of the Sun
''Edge of the Sun'' is the eighth studio album by indie rock band Calexico. It was released in April 2015 on Anti-.
Accolades
Track listing
Personnel
;Calexico
*Ryan Alfred – upright and electric bass, synth, ambient guitar, vocals
*Joe ...
'' (2015)
* ''
The Thread That Keeps Us
''The Thread That Keeps Us'' is the ninth studio album by American indie rock band Calexico. It was released on January 26, 2018, under Anti-.
Critical reception
''The Thread That Keeps Us'' was described as "impassioned stories about border pol ...
'' (2018)
* ''
Years to Burn
''Years to Burn'' is the second album by Calexico and Iron & Wine. The artists previously worked together on the EP ''In the Reins'' (2005).
Track listing
Personnel
* Sam Beam – vocals, acoustic guitar (all tracks except 4)
* Joey Bur ...
'' (with
Iron & Wine
Samuel "Sam" Ervin Beam (born July 26, 1974), better known by his stage name Iron & Wine, is an American singer-songwriter. He has released six studio albums, several EPs and singles, as well as a few download-only releases, which include a ...
) (2019)
* ''
Seasonal Shift'' (2020)
* ''El Mirador'' (2022)
EPs
* ''
Descamino'' (2000)
* ''
Even My Sure Things Fall Through'' (2001)
* ''
Convict Pool'' (2004)
* ''
In the Reins
''In the Reins'' is a joint EP by Calexico and Iron & Wine, released by Overcoat Recordings on September 13, 2005. Iron & Wine's Sam Beam wrote all of the songs, which were recorded by the two bands together at Wavelab Studio in Tucson, Arizona. ...
'' with
Iron & Wine
Samuel "Sam" Ervin Beam (born July 26, 1974), better known by his stage name Iron & Wine, is an American singer-songwriter. He has released six studio albums, several EPs and singles, as well as a few download-only releases, which include a ...
(2005)
* ''iTunes Live Sessions'' (2006)
Soundtracks
* ''
The Guard Original Soundtrack'' (2011)
Live
* ''
Scraping'' (2002)
* ''World Drifts In'' (2004)
* ''The Book And The Canal'' (2005)
* ''Ancienne Belgique'' (2008)
* ''Spiritoso'' (2013)
* ''Ancienne Belgique Vol. 2'' (2013)
Critical acclaim
Calexico has gained a reputation for consistently releasing high quality records. Their debut album ''Spoke'' received three stars from
AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databa ...
, which called the album “a Santa Fe rummage sale of sounds.” Their second album ''The Black Light'', released in 1998, gained the band notoriety and attention. AllMusic praised this sophomore effort and gave the album 4.5 stars. The album was praised for being “deeper and richer than their debut.” This effort showed Calexico’s quick maturity into a band that was poised for a long career.
''Hot Rail'' was released in 2000 and continued off the success of previous albums. Pitchfork gave the album a 7.9. The band then took a brief hiatus and released their next studio album in 2003, ''Feast of Wire''. This album can be viewed as their breakthrough, receiving incredible reviews across the board. The album received an 8.9 from Pitchfork, which described it as “the album we always knew they had in them but feared they would never make.”
Again after another hiatus, Calexico returned in 2006 with ''Garden Ruin''. Their streak of success continued with this album. Amazon gave their album a 90/100 and described it as “what
Sigur Ros might sound like if they came from Arizona, and it's truly excellent.” In 2008, came ''Carried to Dust''. By now Calexico was already established as a band who meticulously created beautiful albums. This success continued with ''Carried to Dust'' receiving 4.5 stars from AllMusic. Describing the album as “their most balanced, channeling their experience and potential into a subtly dramatic, chiaroscuro tour de force.”
2012 was a busy year for Calexico, giving birth to a new album titled ''Algiers''. Once again, the band received high praise. ''
The A.V. Club
''The A.V. Club'' is an American online newspaper and entertainment website featuring reviews, interviews, and other articles that examine films, music, television, books, games, and other elements of pop-culture media. ''The A.V. Club'' was cre ...
'' gave the album an A−. Another studio album came in 2015; titled ''Edge of the Sun''. This album also received high ranks from reviewers.
Rough Trade called it the twenty-first best album of 2015. Their most recent studio album came in 2018, ''The Thread That Keeps Us''.
Exclaim! rated the album a 4 out of 10.
Calexico- 'The Thread That Keeps Us' review
Exclaim! January 24, 2018
External links
*
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Calexico
American alternative country groups
Indie rock musical groups from Arizona
Musical groups from Tucson, Arizona
Quarterstick Records artists
American post-rock groups
Musical groups established in 1996
City Slang artists
Anti- (record label) artists
Epitaph Records artists
Sub Pop artists