Calexico | ||
| Allmusic Biography : Calexico take their name from a town on the border of California and Mexico, and the title certainly fits the band: theyve been mixing musical approaches and cultural perspectives with élan ever since group leaders Joey Burns and John Convertino began working together. Fusing the dusty sounds of the American Southwest with spaghetti western soundtracks, Mexican mariachi themes, vintage surf music, cool jazz, and a broad spectrum of Latin influences, Calexico are an eclectic ensemble whose work is as distinctive as it is unpredictable. Calexicos story begins in 1990, when bassist Joey Burns, a music student at the University of California Irvine, met percussionist John Convertino, who was playing drums with Howe Gelbs long-running band Giant Sand. Burns soon signed on to play bass with Giant Sand on a tour of Europe, and then relocated to Giant Sands home base of Tucson, Arizona. During downtime from Giant Sands projects in 1993, Burns and Convertino teamed with guitarists Billy Elm and Woody Jackson to form the Friends of Dean Martinez, a group that fused lounge-influenced pop melodies with the musical flavors of the Southwest. The Friends of Dean Martinez soon developed a loyal following on the alternative rock scene, and Burns and Convertino began collaborating with an impressive number of well-respected musicians, including Richard Buckner, Neko Case, Bill Janovitz, Lisa Germano, Victoria Williams, and Barbara Manning. In 1997, Burns and Convertino recorded an album together that was released in Europe under the title Spoke. However, when it was later issued in the United States by Quarterstick (a branch of the outstanding indie label Touch & Go), the duo opted to use the group name Calexico, and a year later they issued a second Calexico LP, The Black Light, which expanded on the cinematic feel and dry, evocative sound of the debut. Calexicos reputation as a live act grew after opening for the likes of Lambchop, Pavement, and the Dirty Three, and the groups sound and membership grew with their third studio album Hot Rail, as violins and horns were added to the arrangements; Calexicos membership would remain fluid over the years, with various musicians assisting Burns and Convertino as the group pursued different projects. In 2000, Calexico released Travelall, the first in what would become a long series of live albums the group made available to fans through their web store or at the merchandise table at their shows. Burns and Convertino began collaborating with the group Mariachi Luz de Luna, and they joined Calexico in the studio for the 2001 EP Even My Sure Things Fall Through, a collection of new tracks and alternate versions of previously released tunes. With 2003s Feast of Wire, Calexico began edging into something closer to mainstream popularity -- it was their first album to chart in Billboard, grazing the Independent Album and Heatseekers surveys. One year later, Burns and Convertino recorded a tune with Nancy Sinatra for her self-titled comeback album. And after years of Calexicos music being described as cinematic, filmmaker Michael Mann confirmed it by featuring their song "Guero Canelo" in the movie Collateral. In 2005, Sam Beam of Iron and Wine teamed up with Calexico to create a collaborative recording, and the EP In the Reins was the result; the two groups launched a joint tour to support the release. Calexico returned to working on their own for 2006s Garden Ruin, which became their first album to crack the Billboard Top 200 albums chart; Garden Ruin peaked at number 156, a solid showing for an independent release. By this time, Calexico also had a growing following abroad, especially as a live act, and they toured Europe, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands more frequently than the United States. For 2008s Carried to Dust, Calexico invited several special guests to join the recording sessions, including Pieta Brown, Iron and Wine, and Doug McCombs of Tortoise. It was Calexicos last album for Quarterstick Records; in 2009, the label scaled back their operations and ceased releasing new material. On 2012s Algiers, Calexico celebrated New Orleans Latin and jazz musical roots. They returned in 2015 with the ambitious Edge of the Sun, written and recorded during a sojourn in Mexico City and featuring appearances by Neko Case, Gaby Moreno, Sam Beam, Band of Horses Ben Bridwell, DeVotchKas Nick Urata, and members of the Greek ensemble Takim. For 2018s The Thread That Keeps Us, the band ventured to Northern California to craft songs about finding joy during hard times. The following year, they collaborated with Iron & Wine on the album Years to Burn, which included the single "Father Mountain." The joint project arrived in June on Sub Pop. | ||
 | Album: 1 of 27 Title: Spoke Released: 1996 Tracks: 18 Duration: 40:29 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Low Expectations (02:36) 2 Mind the Gap (00:52) 3 Mazurra (01:44) 4 Sanchez (03:15) 5 Haul (01:21) 6 Slag (02:26) 7 Paper Route (01:59) 8 Glimpse (02:38) 9 Navy Cut (00:29) 10 Spokes (02:37) 11 Scout (02:09) 12 Point Vicente (03:53) 13 Wash (02:35) 14 Ice Cream Jeep (00:29) 15 Windjammer (02:36) 16 Mazurka (01:17) 17 Removed (03:52) 18 Stinging Nettle (03:41) |
| Spoke : Allmusic album Review : The back cover photo of Spoke is a furrowing farm machine, and in the context of this recording, one might imagine clouds of birds following the machinery to eat up the disturbed insects. Calexico snatch up the bits of Americana turned out by a rototilling of the national music psyche. The 19 resultant tracks can be small as insects (the shortest being half a minute in length) and erratic in flight; there are lo-fi songs and themes that proceed without concern for what came before. One bit is held up by guitar, another by accordion, then one by vibes. A bit of desert dust sprinkled throughout may be the only constant theme -- a Santa Fe rummage sale of sounds. Spoke is very intriguing and well worth exploring. | ||
 | Album: 2 of 27 Title: The Black Light Released: 1998-05-18 Tracks: 17 Duration: 54:19 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Gypsy’s Curse (04:18) 2 Fake Fur (02:36) 3 The Ride, Part II (03:08) 4 Where Water Flows (01:57) 5 The Black Light (03:20) 6 Sideshow (02:02) 7 Chach (03:33) 8 Missing (06:01) 9 Minas de cobre (For Better Metal) (03:09) 10 Over Your Shoulder (04:10) 11 Vinegaroon (01:06) 12 Trigger (02:34) 13 Sprawl (01:27) 14 Stray (02:54) 15 Old Man Waltz (02:29) 16 Bloodflow (05:10) 17 Frontera (04:21) |
| The Black Light : Allmusic album Review : Deeper and richer than their debut, Spoke, Calexicos second album expands upon the sun-baked, cinematic sound of before with the addition of Latin jazz rhythms, mariachi trumpets, and pedal steel; in and of themselves, the groups songs are not exactly compelling, but theyre produced with such a fine sense of texture and atmosphere that The Black Light still makes for intriguing listening. | ||
 | Album: 3 of 27 Title: 98 - 99 Road Map Released: 1999 Tracks: 6 Duration: 28:18 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 El Morro (04:46) 2 Minas De Cobre (acoustic version) (02:19) 3 Man Goes Where Water Flows (04:19) 4 Glowing Heart of the World (04:50) 5 Too Much Sprawl (06:55) 6 Rollbar (05:08) |
 | Album: 4 of 27 Title: Travelall Released: 2000 Tracks: 9 Duration: 46:36 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 The Waves Crashing Silently Through the Dominators Hull (06:51) 2 Fine Patina (03:05) 3 The Night Is Upon Us (05:28) 4 Cachaça (04:19) 5 Driving to Get Away (04:44) 6 Comes With a Smile (02:26) 7 Lunada Lando (02:14) 8 Piker Sam (04:25) 9 Flat Handed and on the Wing (13:02) |
 | Album: 5 of 27 Title: Hot Rail Released: 2000-05-08 Tracks: 16 Duration: 1:04:56 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 El picador (03:15) 2 Ballad of Cable Hogue (03:29) 3 Ritual Road Map (01:16) 4 Fade (07:45) 5 Untitled III (04:07) 6 Sonic Wind (04:14) 7 Muleta (03:33) 8 Mid‐Town (03:33) 9 Service and Repair (04:03) 10 Untitled II (02:37) 11 Drenched (04:51) 12 16 Track Scratch (01:29) 13 Tres avisos (05:12) 14 Hot Rail (04:00) 15 The Crystal Frontier (04:20) 16 Hard Hat (07:09) |
| Hot Rail : Allmusic album Review : Continuing the Tijuana Brass meets Giant Sand and Ennio Morricone in a dark neuvo-waveo spaghetti Western approach theyve gradually refined over the past two albums, multi-instrumentalists John Convertino and Joey Burns keep exploring terrain theyve uniquely staked out. While not as cinematic, sprawling, and impressive as 1998s The Black Light, the duo create vivid soundscapes as dry, hot, and shimmering as the weather of their Tucson, Arizona home. Although they subtly expand their palette in all sorts of interesting ways, the spooky, late-70s Miles Davis feel they inject into the nearly eight-minute "Fade" through jazzy drums, spacy vibes, and ominous cello works best. The songs, especially the appropriately named atmospheric instrumentals "Untitled II" and "Untitled III" tend to meander, but the duo keeps peeling back more layers and different instruments to pull the listeners interest. "Sonic Wind" and "Ballad of Cable Hogue" are as succinct, melodic, and tight as theyve ever been, and Joey Burns yearning, whisper of a voice suits this evocative music perfectly. This could easily turn into schtick, though, and its to the duos credit that they not only take themselves seriously, but dont pummel their weirdness into the ground. Instead, they push and knead the already elastic boundaries of a genre theyve practically created, in jazzy, bluesy, and experimental directions that indicate they have a rich future ahead of them. Hot Rail isnt a great album; its far too spotty and inconsistent musically. But its an important one because it proves Calexico isnt content to remain stuck in an intriguing but limiting rut and is willing to explore new sonic directions while maintaining a distinctive identity and vision. | ||
 | Album: 6 of 27 Title: Aerocalexico Released: 2001 Tracks: 22 Duration: 56:17 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 All the Pretty Little Horses (04:02) 2 Blacktop (01:16) 3 ’64 Ford Fairlane (01:02) 4 Transistorites (02:09) 5 Clothes of Sand (03:44) 6 Train of Thought (00:29) 7 Redwood (00:44) 8 Gift X-Change (03:10) 9 TV Room (00:27) 10 Inch by Inch (00:47) 11 Reverse Ranch (00:46) 12 Crooked Road and the Briar (03:37) 13 Impromptu for Piano and Contrabass (02:55) 14 6 White Horses (00:28) 15 Sequoia (06:48) 16 Crawlspace (02:46) 17 Humano (instrumental) (04:48) 18 At the Table He Sat Alone With a Glass and a Bottle of Wine (02:17) 19 AZ Room (00:25) 20 Bees and the Flies (00:45) 21 Crystal Frontier (original version) (04:16) 22 Hush A-Bye / Singing Wind Ranch (08:34) |
| Aerocalexico : Allmusic album Review : This is one of the better odds and ends collections youll run across from any band -- with one or two more vocal tracks, and a pinch more of their mariachi-surf-Ennio Morricone signature sound; this tour/website disc would be indistinguishable from the bands official releases and arguably as good. Thats because Aerocalexico is home to some of the bands best songs, B-sides, and compilation entries, like the hard-driving "Crooked Road & the Briar," the holiday song "Gift X-Change," covers of the traditional ("All the Pretty Horses"), Nick Drakes "Clothes of Sand," and yet another version of "Crystal Frontier" (the bands EP, Even My Sure Things Fall Through, features two more versions). Many of the vocal-less interludes may be little more than studio snippets that dont amount to too much taken out of context (eight of the 23 tracks are under one minute long), but woven together they form a cohesive quilt for the traditional songs, and some of the more elaborate instrumentals. Some of the soundscapes stand on their own quite well, offering a compendium of the Calexico stylebook: "Blacktop" features tape loops, synth wash, and a slightly distorted nylon-stringed guitar accompanying the grizzled voice of Southwest historian and author Lawrence Clark Powell; "Impromptu for Piano & Contrabass" is a moody, Erik Satie-inspired composition showcasing the classical leanings of bandleaders Joey Burns (contrabass), and John Convertino (piano); the desert noir-like "Sequoia" is an evocative, image-conjuring soundtrack; and the full-band treatment that Goldfrapps "Humano" gets morphs it from an electronica James Bond homage into a jazz-inflected, instrumental rave-up. Calexico is one of indie rocks more imaginative musical collectives, and Aerocalexico is a wide-ranging document of their talents and influences, despite its humble origins. | ||
 | Album: 7 of 27 Title: Even My Sure Things Fall Through Released: 2001-05-22 Tracks: 11 Duration: 38:46 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Sonic Wind (instrumental mix) (05:07) 2 Crystal Frontier (Widescreen version) (03:59) 3 Untitled III (remix by Two Loneswordsmen) (04:07) 4 Chanel No. 5 (04:50) 5 Banderilla (03:44) 6 Crooked Road and the Briar (04:27) 7 Crystal Frontier (acoustic version) (03:34) 8 Blacktop (01:16) 9 ’64 Ford Fairlane (01:02) 10 Transistorites (02:09) 11 Piker Sam (04:25) |
 | Album: 8 of 27 Title: Scraping Released: 2002 Tracks: 13 Duration: 1:08:55 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Wash (04:27) 2 The Ride, Part 2 (03:11) 3 Sonic Wind (06:10) 4 Frontera / Trigger (05:44) 5 El Picador (03:05) 6 Sanchez (04:46) 7 Fade (11:47) 8 Wind Up Bird (05:26) 9 Minas de Cobre (04:21) 10 Lost in Space (04:27) 11 Stray (05:51) 12 Crystal Frontier (06:50) 13 Paper Re-Route (02:49) |
| Scraping : Allmusic album Review : Calexico has come a long way from those tentative but promising early duo dates that Joey Burns and John Convertino cobbled together during the Spoke years, when the Tucson-based band was still more of a quiet side project from the pairs regular gig as Giant Sands rhythm section. But beginning with the full-band shows for The Black Light tours, Calexicos eclectic mix of minor-key, mariachi-surf-spaghetti-twang-rock was custom-honed to replicate, and expand upon, the bands one-of-a-kind studio sound. The trumpet blasts, eerie vibraphone, plains-sweeping pedal steel, reverb-happy riffs, and thunderous press-rolls offered something for a broad range of music lovers -- particularly in Europe, where fans caught on earlier and in greater numbers. An Internet/tour-only CD www.casadecalexico.com, Scraping features the same band Calexico has fielded for several years now -- Burns (guitar, vocals), Convertino (drums), Martin Wenk (vibes, trumpet), Volker Zander (bass), Jacob Valenzuela (trumpet, vibes), and Lambchop member Paul Niehaus (pedal steel, guitar) -- and documents them at a time when theyve obviously gelled. Ten of the 13 pristine-sounding cuts are from a January 2002 show at San Franciscos Great American Music Hall. (Two other cuts, "Sanchez" and "Paper Re-Route," were recorded in Tucson in May of 2001, while a third, "Stray," is from the July 2000 Roskilde Festival in Denmark.) Scraping was recorded during a period when Calexico stretched out at least once or twice per show into extended, jaw-dropping jazz- or psychedelic-inflected soundscapes. Valenzuela proves inestimable, particularly on "Fade" (a 12-minute Miles Davis-meets-Morricone rave-up) and "Sonic Wind," his muted and clarion-like horn blowing powering some memorably climatic crescendos. The infectious single "Crystal Frontier" (from the EP Even My Sure Things Fall Through) was a regular show-closer at the time, its mariachi horn blasts, flamenco-like strumming, and extended bridge revving up crowds to a fever pitch before sending them on their way. That song was eventually supplanted by the equally rambunctious "Guero Canelo" to close the Feast of Wire tours that followed -- that this band has become even tighter on subsequent tours almost stretches credulity. One does wish there was at least one more cut on the 69-minute Scraping -- since they were cherry-picking, a version of another popular show opener and quintessential Calexico song, "Glowing Heart of the World" (from the Road Map EP), would have been a good candidate. There may be even better versions of some of these songs on the many live bootlegs generated by Calexico, but its unlikely theyll sound this crisp. Scraping offers irrefutable evidence that Calexico is one of the most entertaining live bands -- and, sadly, still somewhat neglected -- America has to offer. | ||
 | Album: 9 of 27 Title: Feast of Wire Released: 2003-02-10 Tracks: 16 Duration: 47:39 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Sunken Waltz (02:27) 2 Quattro (World Drifts In) (04:37) 3 Stucco (00:20) 4 Black Heart (04:48) 5 Pepita (02:36) 6 Not Even Stevie Nicks… (02:43) 7 Close Behind (02:51) 8 Woven Birds (03:46) 9 The Book and the Canal (01:44) 10 Attack El Robot! Attack! (03:17) 11 Across the Wire (03:26) 12 Dub Latina (02:19) 13 Güero Canelo (02:57) 14 Whipping the Horse’s Eyes (01:24) 15 Crumble (03:54) 16 No Doze (04:21) |
| Feast of Wire : Allmusic album Review : Feast of Wire does indeed offer a tantalizing array of sounds new and old from Calexico, including more pop-oriented takes on their already eclectic style as well as some different sonic twists. Though the album features plenty of the atmospheric interludes of their previous work -- such as the squelchy, piano-based "Stucco" and the cello- and pedal-steel-driven "Whipping the Horses Eye" -- the overall feel of Feast of Wire is one of restraint and refinement. The albums longest song, the gorgeous, film noir/spaghetti western fusion "Black Heart," tops out at just under five minutes, and the vast majority of the tracks barely make it past the three-minute mark -- not enough time for experimentation to turn into self-indulgence. However, it feels like these shorter compositions have more impact: "Sunken Waltz" sketches a vignette of Southwestern despair with just acoustic guitar, brushed drums, accordion, and Joey Burns papery vocals. Burns voice plays a larger part on Feast of Wire than on previous Calexico albums, adding a humble charm to sweeping songs like "Quattro (World Drifts In)." Despite its seeming limitations, Burns small, parched-sounding instrument is surprisingly versatile, lending a Dylan-like cast to the aforementioned "Black Heart" and a Dean Wareham-like drawl to the lilting Tex-Mex melody of "Across the Wire." Burns vocals also dominate Feast of Wires most uniquely accessible moments: "Stevie Nicks," a surprisingly, sunny bit of folk-rock, and the quiet, alt-country-ish "Woven Birds." But despite the steps forward Calexico makes on this album, the band still has time for their more traditional, instrumental-based music, exemplified here by "Dub Latina," "Pepita," and "Guero Canelo." The second half of Feast of Wire in particular sounds more like what youd expect from a Calexico album, and the group touches on the different facets of that style, including the kitschy-cool "Attack el Robot! Attack," which with its crunchy drums and gurgling synths, does sort of sound like it could be from a Mexican sci-fi movie; the shuffling Latin beat, pedal steel, and mod horns on "Close Behind" give it a Morricone-meets-mariachi feel that makes it a quintessential Calexico track; and best of all, "Crumble" builds on the smoky, jazzy side of their sound that they began developing in earnest on The Hot Rail. In the hands of a lesser band, all the different sounds Calexico explore on Feast of Wire could result in a mish-mash of an album, but fortunately for them and their fans, its one of their most accomplished and exciting efforts. | ||
 | Album: 10 of 27 Title: The Book and the Canal Released: 2005 Tracks: 17 Duration: 49:07 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Half a Smidge (01:49) 2 Whats a Little Wait (02:11) 3 Griptape (02:56) 4 Muddy Meadow (00:53) 5 Near the Woodpile (02:00) 6 Unter unserem Himmel (02:30) 7 Painted Over (03:42) 8 Electric Relay (03:16) 9 Ghostwriter (02:57) 10 Dredging (03:29) 11 Heavy With the Bass (03:00) 12 Arco Chato (01:43) 13 Break to Barranca (03:03) 14 Kiss and Tell (03:26) 15 In the Cut (01:49) 16 Drag Storm Around (04:20) 17 One Last Panoramic (05:55) |
 | Album: 11 of 27 Title: In the Reins Released: 2005-09-12 Tracks: 7 Duration: 27:44 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 He Lays in the Reins (03:43) 2 Prison on Route 41 (04:10) 3 A History of Lovers (03:09) 4 Red Dust (03:31) 5 Sixteen, Maybe Less (04:49) 6 Burn That Broken Bed (05:06) 7 Dead Man’s Will (03:13) |
 | Album: 12 of 27 Title: Garden Ruin Released: 2006-03-31 Tracks: 11 Duration: 40:35 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Cruel (03:59) 2 Yours and Mine (02:30) 3 Bisbee Blue (02:48) 4 Panic Open String (04:09) 5 Letter to Bowie Knife (03:06) 6 Roka (03:42) 7 Lucky Dime (02:33) 8 Smash (03:45) 9 Deep Down (04:31) 10 Nom de Plume (03:19) 11 All Systems Red (06:09) |
| Garden Ruin : Allmusic album Review : When a band starts out with an aesthetic as specific as Calexicos, sometimes expanding that sound means incorporating more pop elements into it. And, after years of being known -- accurately or not -- as the indie-mariachi band, Calexico may have felt boxed in by their very distinctiveness. Like Feast of Wire, Garden Ruin finds them moving further into more song-based, immediately accessible territory (their collaborations and performances with bands like Wilco and Iron & Wine may have also inspired them to tone down their theatricality). With no instrumentals -- a first on a Calexico album -- and less emphasis on elaborate arrangements, Garden Ruin presents an almost mainstream version of Calexico, with mixed results. At times, as on "Yours and Mine," the band strays toward typical alt-country and ends up sounding overly restrained and mature. However, the beautiful melodies on "Panic Open String" and "Bisbee Blue" (a warm little love song to Bisbee, AZ, where the album was recorded) and the 70s singer/songwriterisms of "Lucky Dime" prove that the band can bend pop to Calexicos sound instead of vice versa. Though Joey Burns whispery vocals help make Garden Ruin feel initially more hushed than it actually is, it becomes clear as the album unfolds that Calexico havent completely abandoned their flair for striking arrangements and drama. Theyve just channeled it in different directions. "Cruel" -- whose lyrics deal with environmental corruption -- nods to the classic Calexico sound with its swooning pedal steel, brass, and strings, while "Roka" is a haunted yet sexy-sounding duet that echoes the bands most stunning moments. "Letter to Bowie Knife" (which sounds like a kissing cousin to their fantastic cover of Loves "Alone Again Or?") marries lyrics like "This worlds an ungodly place" to a buoyant melody, one of Calexicos time-tested tricks. Likewise, the gentlest, most intimate ballad is called "Smash" -- but even this relatively quiet song has thunderous timpani rolling in the distance. The band also rocks more than it has in the past, earnestly on "Deep Down" and with real anguish on Garden Ruins striking final track, "All Systems Red." Ultimately, this album ends up being a more naturalistic take on Calexicos sound; just because its less stylized doesnt mean its less interesting -- it just takes a little more time for Garden Ruins power to reveal itself. | ||
 | Album: 13 of 27 Title: Tool Box Released: 2007-06-26 Tracks: 14 Duration: 42:05 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Above the Branch (03:12) 2 When Bellows Crack (03:43) 3 Lo-Fi Moon (01:03) 4 Barcelona Mosaico (02:25) 5 Hair Like Spanish Moss (04:04) 6 Vinyassa (03:04) 7 The News About William (02:35) 8 The Road Back (03:31) 9 In the Quiet (01:30) 10 Maria Chuchena (04:14) 11 Waitomo (03:30) 12 Detroit Steam (03:16) 13 Departure in F Minor (01:24) 14 When Only the Ashes Are Left (04:27) |
 | Album: 14 of 27 Title: Carried to Dust Released: 2008-09-08 Tracks: 15 Duration: 45:23 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Victor Jara’s Hands (03:19) 2 Two Silver Trees (03:49) 3 The News About William (02:47) 4 Sarabande in Pencil Form (00:39) 5 Writer’s Minor Holiday (03:09) 6 Man Made Lake (03:00) 7 Inspiración (03:34) 8 House of Valparaiso (02:46) 9 Slowness (03:35) 10 Bend to the Road (03:17) 11 El Gatillo (Trigger Revisited) (03:07) 12 Fractured Air (Tornado Watch) (03:15) 13 Falling From Sleeves (01:20) 14 Red Blooms (03:23) 15 Contention City (04:16) |
| Carried to Dust : Allmusic album Review : From its beautiful, spray-painted stencil artwork (courtesy of longtime Calexico cover artist Victor Gastelum) to the sounds within it, Carried to Dust recalls previous Calexico high points like The Black Light and, especially, Feast of Wire. Considering that Joey Burns and John Convertino reunited with many of the Feast of Wire players for these songs, the similarities shouldnt come as a surprise -- nor should Calexicos skill at revisiting older territory and finding new outcroppings in it. "Victor Jaras Hands," a tribute to the Chilean poet/musician/political activist who was murdered in 1973, begins Carried to Dust in quintessential Calexico fashion with intricate rhythms from Convertino and swells of mariachi horns, but the guest vocals by Jairo Zavala of the Spanish band Depedro add an extra, eloquent depth. "El Gatillo (Trigger Revisited)" returns to the rhythms and melody of The Black Lights "Trigger," but transforms them into a tense spaghetti western theme. The thoughtful, whispery pop Calexico dove into on Garden Ruin also gets its due here; unlike that album, which was so gentle that its charms took awhile to unfold, Carried to Dusts quiet moments are often just as vivid as the flamboyant ones. "House of Valparaiso," which features Iron & Wines Sam Beam, "Writers Minor Holiday"s twangy pop, and "Slowness"s sweetly ambling country duet sound even brighter next to "Inspiracion"s en Espanol lovelorn drama or "Two Silver Trees" gorgeously shadowy fusion of Latin and Asian elements -- Calexico is one of a handful of groups that would think of combining Chinese guizeng, Venezuelan cuatro, and omnichord on one song and make all those sounds work together in a completely natural way. Carried to Dust also has subtler moments of innovation, such as "Bend to the Road," which expands on Calexicos southwestern jazz leanings, and "Contention City," a collaboration with Tortoises Doug McCombs that spins toy piano and electronics into a haunting finale. Carried to Dust isnt just one of Calexicos most expansive albums, its also their most balanced, channeling their experience and potential into a subtly dramatic, chiaroscuro tour de force. | ||
 | Album: 15 of 27 Title: Ancienne Belgique: Live in Brussels 2008 Released: 2009 Tracks: 14 Duration: 1:12:59 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Bisbee Blue (05:44) 2 Roka (05:13) 3 Bend to the Road (05:12) 4 El Gatillo (04:09) 5 Two Silver Trees (05:35) 6 Inspiración (03:36) 7 Minas de Cobre (04:41) 8 Man Made Lake (05:27) 1 Alone Again Or (03:29) 2 Fractured Air (04:44) 3 Red Blooms (08:48) 4 Victor Jara’s Hands (04:24) 5 Crystal Frontier (05:17) 6 Crumble (06:40) |
 | Album: 16 of 27 Title: Live in Nuremburg 2009 Released: 2010-07-16 Tracks: 10 Duration: 52:33 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Roka (05:23) 2 Bend to the Road (05:19) 3 Inspiracion (03:41) 4 Crystal Frontier (06:50) 5 Two Silver Trees (04:40) 6 Red Blooms (05:30) 7 Victor Jara’s Hands (04:47) 8 Man Made Lake (04:02) 9 Fractured Air (05:30) 10 All Systems Red (06:49) |
 | Album: 17 of 27 Title: Circo Released: 2010-11-18 Tracks: 28 Duration: 44:16 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Gran Circo Mexico (02:13) 2 Casitas Mexicanas (00:48) 3 Boletos (01:30) 4 Moises en cadenas (01:12) 5 Dueto de Ivonne y Tino (01:40) 6 Los que se quedan (01:03) 7 Naydelin (01:28) 8 Tiempo de lluvia (02:21) 9 Globo de la muerte (00:35) 10 Camacos (01:49) 11 El escape del circo (02:19) 12 Don Gilberto (02:44) 13 Los Suenos de Tino (01:33) 14 Entrenandos a los tigres (01:14) 15 Perseverancia (00:56) 16 Dona Lupe (01:11) 17 Cuerdas astrales (01:23) 18 Dueto de Ivonne y Tino II (01:25) 19 Vals escrito a mano (01:12) 20 La carga hace andar al burro (00:39) 21 La familia Ponce (01:28) 22 El hervir rojo (00:37) 23 Amor adolescente (00:53) 24 La cuerda floja (01:12) 25 Pulsadas en los semaforos (02:37) 26 El cemeterio (02:24) 27 Escrito en la piedra (02:11) 28 Mi vida y el circo (03:39) |
 | Album: 18 of 27 Title: The Guard Released: 2011-08-21 Tracks: 23 Duration: 38:10 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Boyle Gets Dressed (01:21) 2 Boyle and McBride Discuss Motives (02:11) 3 Eugene Wheels Past (01:12) 4 Bourbon in the Jar (01:07) 5 Black Car, Black Night (00:29) 6 Tap at Cornell’s Window (00:59) 7 Into the West (03:07) 8 Boyle Swims Ashore (01:39) 9 All in a Day’s Work (04:31) 10 McBride’s Car Abandoned (00:44) 11 Malice Aforethought (02:32) 12 Hanley’s Bar (00:25) 13 Meeting by the Sea (00:49) 14 From Beyond (00:58) 15 I Like Sharks (02:00) 16 Boot Full of Guns (00:52) 17 Good to Go (00:52) 18 Everett’s Goodbye (02:32) 19 Boyle Ready for Action (01:05) 20 Leaving Gabriela (00:37) 21 Down to Two (01:54) 22 Firestorm of Impossible Odds (03:54) 23 Beautiful Fucking Day (02:20) |
 | Album: 19 of 27 Title: Selections From Road Atlas: 1998-2011 Released: 2011-11-18 Tracks: 16 Duration: 52:34 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Half a Smidge (01:49) 2 Waitomo (03:29) 3 Griptape (02:57) 4 Glowing Heart of the World (04:50) 5 Entrenando a los tigres (01:13) 6 All the Pretty Horses (04:02) 7 Inch by Inch (01:02) 8 Lost in Space (04:27) 9 Boletos (01:30) 10 El Morro (04:43) 11 Gift X-Change (03:11) 12 Detroit Steam (03:16) 13 Ghostwriter (02:59) 14 Cachaca (04:19) 15 Crystal Frontier (04:20) 16 Man Made Lake (04:19) |
| Selections From Road Atlas: 1998-2011 : Allmusic album Review : Selections from Road Atlas: 1998-2011 is another example of how much care and thought Calexico take in presenting their music to their fans. A distillation of the limited-edition vinyl set of eight tour-only releases -- itself a project the band embarked on because fans requested it -- it plays like a travelogue through Calexicos lesser-known musical territory, since many of these songs were never released anywhere else. The whispery, thoughtful Americana of “Half a Smidge” and “Griptape,” culled from 2005’s The Book and the Canal, share a link with the official Calexico albums surrounding it, Feast of Wire and Garden Ruin; the flamenco-surf of “Glowing Heart of the World,” from 98-99 Road Map, evokes the band’s earliest days. The collection favors one of the finest tour releases, Aerocalexico, including four tracks from it, including fan favorites such as the holiday song “Gift X-Change,” the hypnotic take on the traditional “All the Pretty Horses,” and the original version of “Crystal Frontier.” However, none of the tracks here could be called predictable; the version of “Lost in Space” (from Scraping) finds the band rocking out, while “Detroit Steam” (from Tool Box) could be from a blaxploitation movie soundtrack. Selections from Road Atlas: 1998-2011 does its job well: not only will it have fans who haven’t heard all of the tour albums hankering for more, it also reaffirms what a prolific, and consistent, bunch Joey Burns, John Convertino, and company are. | ||
 | Album: 20 of 27 Title: Road Atlas 1998-2011 Released: 2011-11-22 Tracks: 127 Duration: 7:08:02 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 El Morro (04:46) 2 Minas de Cobre (acoustic version) (02:16) 3 Man Goes Where Water Flows (04:17) 4 Glowing Heart of the World (04:49) 5 Too Much Sprawl (06:55) 6 Rollbar (05:01) 1 The Waves Crashing Silently Through the Dominators Hull (06:51) 2 Fine Patina (03:05) 3 The Night Is Upon Us (05:28) 4 Cachaça (04:19) 5 Driving to Get Away (04:44) 6 Comes With a Smile (02:26) 7 Lunada Lando (02:14) 8 Piker Sam (04:25) 9 Flat Handed and on the Wing (13:02) 1 All the Pretty Horses (04:03) 2 Blacktop (01:17) 3 64 Ford Fairlane (01:02) 4 Transistorites (02:09) 5 Clothes of Sand (03:44) 6 Train of Thought (00:29) 7 Redwood (00:44) 8 Gift X-Change (03:10) 9 TV Room (00:27) 10 Inch by Inch (00:47) 11 RVRSE Ranch/Reverse Ranch (00:46) 12 Crooked Road and the Briar (03:37) 13 Humano (instrumental) (04:48) 14 6 White Horses (00:28) 15 Sequoia (06:48) 16 Crawlspace (02:46) 17 Impromptu for Piano and Contra (02:55) 18 At the Table He Sat Alone (with) (02:17) 19 AZ Room (00:25) 20 Bees and the Flies (00:45) 21 Crystal Frontier (original version) (04:16) 22 Hush A-Bye / Singing Wind Ranch (08:34) 1 Wash (04:27) 2 The Ride (Part II) (03:11) 3 Sonic Wind (06:10) 4 Frontera/Trigger (05:44) 5 El Picador (03:05) 6 Sanchez (04:46) 7 Fade (11:47) 8 Lost in Space (04:27) 9 Minas de Cobre (04:21) 10 Wind Up Bird (05:26) 11 Stray (05:51) 12 Crystal Frontier (06:50) 13 Paper Re-Route (02:49) 1 Half a Smidge (01:49) 2 Whats a Little Wait (02:11) 3 Griptape (02:56) 4 Muddy Meadow (00:53) 5 Near the Woodpile (02:00) 6 Unter Unserem Himmel (02:30) 7 Painted Over (03:42) 8 Electric Relay (03:16) 9 Ghostwriter (02:57) 10 Dredging (03:30) 11 Heavy With the Bass (03:00) 12 Arco Chato (01:43) 13 Break to Barranca (03:03) 14 Kiss and Tell (03:26) 15 In the Cut (01:49) 16 Drag Storm Around (04:20) 17 One Last Panoramic (05:55) 1 Above the Branch (03:12) 2 When Bellows Crack (03:43) 3 Lo-Fi Moon (01:04) 4 Barcelona Mosaico (02:25) 5 Hair Like Spanish Moss (04:04) 6 Vinyassa (03:04) 7 The News About William (02:35) 8 The Road Back (03:31) 9 In the Quiet (01:30) 10 Maria Chuchena (04:14) 11 Waitomo (03:30) 12 Detroit Steam (03:16) 13 Departure in F Minor (01:24) 14 When Only the Ashes Are Left (04:27) 1 Bisbee Blue (05:43) 2 Roka (05:12) 3 Bend to the Road (05:12) 4 El Gatillo (04:09) 5 Two Silver Trees (05:34) 6 Inspiracion (03:35) 7 Minas de Cobre (04:40) 8 Man Made Lake (05:26) 9 Alone Again Or (03:29) 10 Fractured Air (04:44) 11 Red Blooms (08:48) 12 Victor Jaras Hands (04:24) 13 Crystal Frontier (05:16) 14 Crumble (06:41) 1 Gran Circo Mexico (02:13) 2 Casitas Mexicanas (00:48) 3 Boletos (01:30) 4 Moises En Cadenas (01:12) 5 Dueto de Ivonne Y Tino (01:40) 6 Los Que Se Quedan (01:03) 7 Naydelin (01:29) 8 Tiempo de Lluvia (02:21) 9 Globo de La Muerte (00:35) 10 Chamacos (01:49) 11 El Escape Del Circo (02:19) 12 Don Gilberto (02:44) 13 Los Suenos de Tino (01:33) 14 Vals Escrito a Mano (01:12) 15 Perseverancia (00:56) 16 Dona Lupe (01:11) 17 Cuerdas Astrales (01:23) 18 Dueto de Ivonne Y Tino II (01:25) 19 Entrenado a Los Tigres (01:14) 20 La Carga Hace Andar Al Burro (00:39) 21 La Familia Ponce (01:28) 22 El Hervir Rojo (00:37) 23 Amor Adolescente (00:53) 24 La Cuerda Floja (01:12) 25 Pulsadas En Los Semaforos (02:37) 26 El Cementerio (02:24) 27 Escrito En La Piedra (02:11) 28 Mi Vida Y El Circo (03:39) 1 Close Behind (live From Tucson) (03:05) 2 Gilbert (live From Denver) (04:43) 3 Minor Excursions (05:01) 4 Neath the Hollow (live From Tucson) (06:13) |
 | Album: 21 of 27 Title: Algiers Released: 2012-09-07 Tracks: 24 Duration: 1:42:34 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Epic (04:14) 2 Splitter (03:30) 3 Sinner in the Sea (04:14) 4 Fortune Teller (03:57) 5 Para (03:53) 6 Algiers (03:42) 7 Maybe on Monday (03:37) 8 Puerto (04:23) 9 Better and Better (02:33) 10 No te vayas (04:15) 11 Hush (04:22) 12 The Vanishing Mind (03:54) 1 Frontera / Trigger (05:30) 2 Epic (04:25) 3 The News About William (03:46) 4 Black Heart (04:54) 5 Minas de Cobre (03:41) 6 Inspiración (03:30) 7 Two Silver Trees (04:31) 8 Para (03:53) 9 Quattro (World Drifts In) (04:46) 10 Crystal Frontier (07:52) 11 The Vanishing Mind (04:26) 12 Fortune Teller (04:36) |
| Algiers : Allmusic album Review : Calexico had intended to record the follow-up to 2008s gorgeous Carried to Dust somewhere in Europe, but when those plans fell through, they chose Americas most European city, New Orleans, as their destination. The change of scenery is definitely felt in Algiers, named for the neighborhood in which they set up shop. While Joey Burns and John Convertino havent suddenly thrown Cajun and zydeco into their repertoire, theres still a rich stew (or should that be gumbo?) of sounds here. Calexico are never obvious, and their homage to the Big Easy is neither grandiose nor simple; instead, they incorporate subtle hints of the citys storied musical heritage into their own distinctive style. Algiers is bookended by songs that allude to "The House of the Rising Sun" in their pedal steel melodies; Convertino emphasizes the jazz side of his formidable percussion skills; and "No Te Vayas" is a fitting, and dramatic, tribute to New Orleans Latin and jazz musical roots. This time, however, Calexicos attitude, while not exactly boisterous, is a lot less studied and restrained than it has been in years, resulting in a more down-to-earth set of songs than theyve delivered in quite a while. "Splitter"s big brass and drums make it louder than the bands past few albums combined; "Sinner in the Sea" strikes sparks with its mix of blues and Latin rhythms, marking the first time in a long time that Burns voice has risen above a whispery croon; and while "Maybe on Monday"s bitter but ambiguous farewell to a lover may not be a true murder ballad, it has the sharp sting of one. However, the band still deals largely in shadows and echoes, and Algiers has plenty of those. "Puerto" and the title track feel like they could be a part of Calexicos catalog from way back when, while the single "Para" shows off their eerie, hypnotic side and the lovely Americana pop of "Fortune Teller" and "Hush" recalls Garden Ruins folky idylls. While these tales of people trying to escape their pasts arent quite as masterful as Carried to Dust, Algiers has some great songs and a vitality that Calexico should try to hang onto in the future. | ||
 | Album: 22 of 27 Title: Ancienne Belgique Vol.2 Released: 2013-02-01 Tracks: 14 Duration: 1:04:20 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Epic (04:41) 2 Splitter (04:07) 3 Para (06:17) 4 Dead Moon (03:49) 5 El Picador (03:06) 6 Sinner in the Sea (04:33) 7 No te vayas (04:31) 1 Maybe on Monday (04:25) 2 Corona (02:57) 3 Hush (04:32) 4 Close Behind (02:52) 5 Puerto (06:25) 6 The Vanishing Mind (04:12) 7 Guero Canelo (07:53) |
 | Album: 23 of 27 Title: Spiritoso Released: 2013-04-20 Tracks: 10 Duration: 46:26 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Frontera / Trigger (05:29) 2 Epic (04:24) 3 The News About William (03:46) 4 Black Heart (04:54) 5 Minas de Cobre (03:41) 6 Inspiracion (03:30) 7 Two Silver Trees (04:31) 8 Para (03:53) 9 Crystal Frontier (07:52) 10 The Vanishing Mind (04:26) |
| Spiritoso : Allmusic album Review : As the healthy number of live albums in the bands discography attests, Calexico are always a solidly entertaining live act and no stranger to documenting their performances. Still, Spiritoso is special enough that the group made it a Record Store Day exclusive for its original release. Documenting German performances with the Radio Symphonieorchester Wien and Deutsches Filmorchester Babelsberg, the album boasts a well-chosen set list drawing from Algiers, their most recent album at the time, as well as 1998s The Black Light, 2003s Feast of Wire, and 2008s Carried to Dust (they even perform "Crystal Frontier," a hard-to-find track first issued on the European version of their underappreciated third album, The Hot Rail). Hearing Calexico perform songs from a large portion of their career allows their strengths to come to the fore, and Spiritosos highlights make the most of the drama that their music has had since the beginning. Beginning with the fan-favorite medley of The Black Lights "Frontera/Trigger," the albums orchestral treatments make the most of Calexicos spaghetti Western majesty and whispery noir undercurrents. "Black Heart," which has the kind of stylishly world-weary melody made for strings and brass, is another standout, along with the other Feast of Wire cuts "Minas de Cobre" and "Quattro." The orchestral arrangements arent as integral to "Epic," where the insistent acoustic guitars take center stage, or "Two Silver Trees," where the strings add a little more depth. Even if Spiritoso isnt quite the definitive live Calexico statement, its still an elegant album that should please fans who enjoy the bands concert documents. | ||
 | Album: 24 of 27 Title: Maybe on Monday Released: 2013-06-13 Tracks: 5 Duration: 22:02 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Maybe on Monday (alternate version) (04:13) 2 The Walls Came Down (04:01) 3 Shabby Doll (05:29) 4 Unsatisfied (04:00) 5 Maybe on Monday (demo version) (04:19) |
 | Album: 25 of 27 Title: Edge of the Sun Released: 2015-04-10 Tracks: 12 Duration: 40:33 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Falling From the Sky (03:22) 2 Bullets & Rocks (03:30) 3 When the Angels Played (02:25) 4 Tapping on the Line (03:28) 5 Cumbia de Donde (03:09) 6 Miles from the Sea (03:41) 7 Coyoacán (03:03) 8 Beneath the City of Dreams (02:35) 9 Woodshed Waltz (03:29) 10 Moon Never Rises (03:28) 11 World Undone (04:29) 12 Follow the River (03:54) |
| Edge of the Sun : Allmusic album Review : Calexico have had a chiaroscuro career: after each of the bands more somber efforts, they tend to return with something lighthearted. Such is the case with Edge of the Sun: arriving after Algiers journey into New Orleans noir, it feels like a working holiday -- probably because it was close to one, with Joey Burns, John Convertino, and company spending ten days in Coyoacán, a Mexico City borough, for inspiration (later on, they recorded in Los Angeles and Athens, among other locales). Despite its Mexican beginnings, Edge of the Sun often tips toward Calexicos affable Americana, with particular success on "Falling from the Sky"s tumbleweed pop and on the gently insistent "Tapping on the Line," which is elevated by Neko Cases clarion vocals. On these tracks, Edge of the Sun recalls Garden Ruin and Feast of Wire, although the latter album negotiated its sonic and emotional twists with more drama. Its almost as though these songs are so sunwashed that they just cant be truly dark, even when the band tries its hardest. "Beneath the City of Dreams," a tale full of dealers and getaway cars, might have had more heft if it had appeared on Algiers or Carried to Dust, although Gaby Morenos cameos almost get it there; similarly, the "days of sorrow" referred to on "Moon Never Rises" feel distant, not recent. On the other hand, the gentle melancholy of "Follow the River" and the squinty-eyed, implosive "Bullets & Rocks" feel genuine. As always, Edge of the Sun is beautifully crafted, from the gorgeous arrangements and chord changes on "Coyoacán" and "Woodshed Waltz" to "Miles from the Sea"s poignant lyrics, which fall somewhere between a short story and a lullaby. Still, its hard to shake the feeling that this album is a little perfunctory compared to what came before it, and at times, its predictable: "When the Angels Played" is the kind of dusty, strummy song that sounds like it should have a harmonica solo -- and sure enough, it does. Its notable that Edge of the Suns brightest highlight is "Cumbia de Donde," a celebration of the footloose life. As pleasant as the album is, this time it feels like Calexico are just passing through. | ||
 | Album: 26 of 27 Title: The Thread That Keeps Us Released: 2018-01-26 Tracks: 22 Duration: 1:07:14 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 End of the World With You (03:08) 2 Voices in the Field (03:26) 3 Bridge to Nowhere (03:07) 4 Spinball (01:11) 5 Under the Wheels (03:23) 6 The Town & Miss Lorraine (02:39) 7 Flores y tamales (02:47) 8 Another Space (03:55) 9 Unconditional Waltz (01:38) 10 Girl in the Forest (02:46) 11 Eyes Wide Awake (04:20) 12 Dead in the Water (02:37) 13 Shortboard (01:57) 14 Thrown to the Wild (04:47) 15 Music Box (02:55) 1 Longboard (03:03) 2 Luna Roja (03:43) 3 Curse of the Ride (02:51) 4 Inside the Energy Field (01:17) 5 Lost Inside (04:30) 6 End of the Night (03:30) 7 Dream on Mount Tam (03:44) |
| The Thread That Keeps Us : Allmusic album Review : Calexico spent the 2010s venturing from their Tucson home to make albums such as their New Orleans love letter Algiers and their ambitious trip to Mexico City, Edge of the Sun. For The Thread That Keeps Us, they decamped to the Northern California coast and recorded in a studio they nicknamed the Phantom Ship -- another change of scenery that allowed them to cast their sounds and songwriting wider than ever. They set the tone for the album with "End of the World with You," where they find "love in the age of extremes" and rough up their jangly pop with some of their wildest solos yet. This need to find -- and sometimes fight for -- moments of joy and truth during hard times resonates on every track of The Thread That Keeps Us. Calexico have never shied away from social commentary, and they express the urgency of the late 2010s on unflinching songs like "Eyes Wide Awake" and "Dead in the Water," a snarling, stomping portrait of consumption and destruction. The band conveys this devastation more subtly -- and even more artfully -- on "Thrown to the Wild"s hazy ruminations and on "Voices in the Field," where their outrage smolders rather than blazes. Fortunately, Calexico spend as much time enjoying the world as trying to save it on The Thread That Keeps Us. Northern Californias mellow beauty seeps into "Girl in the Forest" and balances its ecological concerns with a peaceful vibe. Elsewhere, the bands flair for vivid imagery comes to the fore on "The Town & Miss Lorraine," which combines an old woman, a book of stories from a sunken ship, and plenty of rum into a haunting vignette. However, Calexico sound the most joyous when theyre exploring the eclectic mix of sounds at which theyve always excelled. The albums midsection is frequently thrilling: "Flores y Tamales" is an equally funky and majestic update of the bands earliest days; the gritty beats and brass on "Under the Wheels" hark back to Feast of Wire; and the restless percussion and squalling trumpets of "Another Space" make it one of the bands most rewarding experiments. By turns gentle and bold, traditional and boundary-pushing, The Thread That Keeps Us is another fine example of Calexicos ever-broadening horizons. | ||
 | Album: 27 of 27 Title: Years to Burn Released: 2019-06-14 Tracks: 8 Duration: 32:09 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 What Heaven’s Left (04:52) 2 Midnight Sun (04:14) 3 Father Mountain (02:54) 4 Outside El Paso (01:51) 5 Follow the Water (03:45) 6 The Bitter Suite (Pájaro / Evil Eye / Tennessee Train) (08:15) 7 Years to Burn (03:07) 8 In Your Own Time (03:09) |