Calexico
Encyclopedia
Calexico is a Tucson, Arizona
-based Americana
/ Alternative country
band. The band's two main members, Joey Burns and John Convertino, first played together in Los Angeles
as part of the group Giant Sand
. They have recorded a number of albums on Quarterstick Records
, while their 2005 EP In the Reins
recorded with Iron & Wine
has reached the Billboard 200 album charts. Their musical style is influenced by traditional Latin
sounds of mariachi
/ conjunto
/ cumbia
/ Tejano music
and also the Southwestern United States
country music
as well as '50s-'60s jazz
and '90s-'00s post-rock
, and they have been described by some as "desert noir" or indie rock
. The band is named for the border town of Calexico, California
.
Calexico had its origins in 1990 when Burns, who was studying music at the University of California, Irvine
, met up with Convertino, who was playing drums with Howe Gelb in Giant Sand
. Burns joined them, after first playing upright bass on a European tour.
Giant Sand
moved to Tucson, Arizona
in 1994. John and Joey 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
, Barbara Manning
and Richard Buckner
before forming Calexico.
in 1996 for German independent label Hausmusik 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
) and changed their name to Calexico, Spoke was reissued by that label in 1997. Burns and Convertino also collaborated with Gelb and Lisa Germano
on the album Slush
released under the name OP8
that same year.
Their second album The Black Light
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
and Lambchop
. Calexico has regularly played festivals such as the Bonnaroo Music Festival
, the Hurricane Festival
and All Tomorrow's Parties
. The Road Map album was a limited recording released in 1999 for sale only at Calexico's live shows.
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, Calexico joined with two French friends Naïm Amor and Thomas Belhôm to record Tete a Tete for release at the beginning of 2001. The band 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.
The Scraping live album was released in 2002. Their next studio recording Feast of Wire
was released in 2003 and made the charts for the first time appearing on Billboard's Heatseekers and Independent album chart. They made their first video for "Quattro (World Drifts In)" which was a single from Feast of Wire. They released a live DVD in 2004 called World Drifts In: Live at the Barbican. The song "Güero Canelo", from Feast of Wire, was featured in Michael Mann's Film, Collateral
, starring Tom Cruise
and Jamie Foxx
.
Calexico contributed the song "Burnin' Down the Spark" to Nancy Sinatra
's self-titled album in late 2004. The album featured artists who cited Sinatra as a musical influence. The song was released in the UK as the second single from the album in early 2005.
In 2005, Calexico joined up with Miami based folk band Iron & Wine
. Howard Greynolds of Overcoat Records was responsible for bringing the two bands together having previously been responsible for Tortoise
and Will Oldham
recording together. The In the Reins
EP was released in September 2005 and received a positive reception with an MSNBC review giving it honorable mention. It also made an appearance in the Billboard 200 album charts, becoming their first recording to make the album charts, and #12 on the independent charts. In October 2005, they commenced a US tour with Iron & Wine to promote the record.
Released in 2006, Garden Ruin
is Calexico's fifth studio album. 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 mainstream sound.
In 2007, Calexico was invited by Arcade Fire to record a cover of their "Ocean of Noise." This recording was used as the B-side
for Arcade Fire's "Intervention
" single, originally released on vinyl on May 21, 2007.
Several of Calexico's songs, usually their shorter instrumental pieces, have been used as interstitial and background music on Public Radio International
's This American Life
. Their songs "Ballad Of Cable Hogue" and "Service And Repair" were featured in the 2001 German comedy movie Lammbock
.
Their sixth studio LP called 'Carried to Dust
', featured Sam Beam of Iron & Wine
, Douglas McCombs of Tortoise
and Pieta Brown. It was released in the USA via Touch & Go Records on September 9, 2008. The album enjoyed solid reviews, with hometown paper the Arizona Daily Star praising the band's "ability to sweep you into its world, taking listeners to the American Southwest. This is one of the reasons Europeans love Calexico and others in this country are beginning to come around."
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 2010, a new album of Calexico was released: the soundtrack of the documentary "Circo".
Until recently, Calexico has been on tour with Arcade Fire along the west coast in 2010.
In May 2011, their song "Slowness" was dedicated by Gabrielle Giffords
to her husband astronaut
Mark Kelly as the wake up song aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour
on its final flight.
Tucson, Arizona
Tucson is a city in and the county seat of Pima County, Arizona, United States. The city is located 118 miles southeast of Phoenix and 60 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border. The 2010 United States Census puts the city's population at 520,116 with a metropolitan area population at 1,020,200...
-based Americana
Americana (music)
Americana is an amalgam of roots musics formed by the confluence of the shared and varied traditions that make up the American musical ethos; specifically those sounds that are merged from folk, country, blues, rhythm and blues, rock and roll and other external influential styles...
/ Alternative country
Alternative country
Alternative country is a loosely defined sub-genre of country music, which includes acts that differ significantly in style from mainstream or pop country music...
band. The band's two main members, Joey Burns and John Convertino, first played together in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
as part of the group Giant Sand
Giant Sand
Giant Sand is an American rock band, based in Tucson, Arizona, USA. The name is shortened from the original Giant Sandworms, a reference to the creatures in the Dune books. Overseen by singer-songwriter Howe Gelb, its membership has shifted over the years—at times with each album...
. They have recorded a number of albums on Quarterstick Records
Quarterstick Records
-Artists:*Bad Livers*Calexico*DK3*Dead Child*June of 44*Kepone*The Mekons*Mi Ami*Peter Móren *Mule*Naked Raygun*Tara Jane O'Neil*Pegboy*Phono-Comb*Rachel's*Rodan*Henry Rollins*Shipping News*Sholi*The Sonora Pine*Therapy?...
, while their 2005 EP In the Reins
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. The album peaked at #135 on the Billboard 200...
recorded with Iron & Wine
Iron & Wine
Samuel Beam , better known by his stage and recording name Iron & Wine, is an American singer-songwriter. He has released four studio albums, several EPs and singles, as well as a few download-only releases, which include a live album...
has reached the Billboard 200 album charts. Their musical style is influenced by traditional Latin
Latin American music
Latin American music, found within Central and South America, is a series of musical styles and genres that mixes influences from Spanish, African and indigenous sources, that has recently become very famous in the US.-Argentina:...
sounds of mariachi
Mariachi
Mariachi is a genre of music that originated in the State of Jalisco, in Mexico. It is an integration of stringed instruments highly influenced by the cultural impacts of the historical development of Western Mexico. Throughout the history of mariachi, musicians have experimented with brass, wind,...
/ conjunto
Conjunto
Conjunto literally translates as "group," and is regionally accepted in Texas as defining a genre of music that was born out of south Texas at the end of the 19th Century, after German settlers introduced the button accordion. The bajo sexto has come to accompany the button accordion and is...
/ cumbia
Cumbia
Cumbia is a music genre popular across Latin America. The cumbia originated in the Caribbean coast of Colombia, where it is associated with an eponymous dance and has since spread as far as Mexico and Argentina...
/ Tejano music
Tejano music
Tejano music or Tex-Mex music is the name given to various forms of folk and popular music originating among the Mexican-American populations of Central and Southern Texas...
and also the Southwestern United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
as well as '50s-'60s jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
and '90s-'00s post-rock
Post-rock
Post-rock is a subgenre of rock music characterized by the influence and use of instruments commonly associated with rock, but using rhythms and "guitars as facilitators of timbre and textures" not traditionally found in rock...
, and they have been described by some as "desert noir" or indie rock
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
. The band is named for the border town of Calexico, California
Calexico, California
Calexico is a city in Imperial County, California. The population was 38,572 at the 2010 census, up from 27,109 at the 2000 census. Calexico is about east of San Diego and west of Yuma, Arizona...
.
Formation
University of California, Irvine
The University of California, Irvine , founded in 1965, is one of the ten campuses of the University of California, located in Irvine, California, USA...
, met up with Convertino, who was playing drums with Howe Gelb in Giant Sand
Giant Sand
Giant Sand is an American rock band, based in Tucson, Arizona, USA. The name is shortened from the original Giant Sandworms, a reference to the creatures in the Dune books. Overseen by singer-songwriter Howe Gelb, its membership has shifted over the years—at times with each album...
. Burns joined them, after first playing upright bass on a European tour.
Giant Sand
Giant Sand
Giant Sand is an American rock band, based in Tucson, Arizona, USA. The name is shortened from the original Giant Sandworms, a reference to the creatures in the Dune books. Overseen by singer-songwriter Howe Gelb, its membership has shifted over the years—at times with each album...
moved to Tucson, Arizona
Tucson, Arizona
Tucson is a city in and the county seat of Pima County, Arizona, United States. The city is located 118 miles southeast of Phoenix and 60 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border. The 2010 United States Census puts the city's population at 520,116 with a metropolitan area population at 1,020,200...
in 1994. John and Joey formed the Friends of Dean Martin (later the Friends of Dean Martinez
Friends of Dean Martinez
Friends of Dean Martinez is an instrumental rock/post-rock band featuring members of Giant Sand, Calexico, and Naked Prey. FoDM music may be described as a combination of americana tunes with bits of electronica, ambient, lounge, psychedelia and dub intertwined with surf rock inspired lead...
) which scored a record deal with Sub Pop
Sub Pop
Sub Pop is a record label founded in 1986 by Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman in Seattle, Washington. Sub Pop achieved fame in the late 1980s for first signing Nirvana, Soundgarden, Mudhoney and many other bands from the Seattle music scene...
. 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
Rhythm section
A rhythm section is a collection of musicians who make up a section of instruments which provides the accompaniment section of the music, giving the music its rhythmic texture and pulse, also serving as a rhythmic reference for the rest of the band...
for hire, working with the likes of Victoria Williams
Victoria Williams
Victoria Williams is an American singer-songwriter and musician, originally from Shreveport, Louisiana, although she has resided in Southern California throughout her musical career. She is noted for her descriptive songwriting talent, which she has used to immerse the listener of her songs into a...
, Barbara Manning
Barbara Manning
Barbara Manning is an American indie rock singer-songwriter and guitarist. In addition to her solo career, Manning has been active in a number of bands, including 28th Day , World of Pooh, S.F. Seals and The Go-Luckys!. She has also distinguished herself as an interpreter of other writers' songs...
and Richard Buckner
Richard Buckner
Richard Buckner is an American singer-songwriter born in California. After living in Edmonton, Alberta for a number of years, he currently resides in Brooklyn, NY...
before forming Calexico.
Recording history: 1996–1999
Calexico first recorded SpokeSpoke (album)
Spoke is the 1997 debut album of Calexico, an indie rock band from Arizona.-Track listing:# "Low Expectations" – 2:37# "Mind The Gap" – 0:52# "Mazurra" – 1:46# "Sanchez" – 3:18...
in 1996 for German independent label Hausmusik 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
Touch and Go Records is an independent record label based in Chicago, Illinois, USA.After its genesis as a hand-made fanzine in 1979, it grew into one of the key record labels in the American 1980s alternative and underground rock scenes, Touch & Go carved out a reputation for releasing adventurous...
) 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 Germano
Lisa Germano is an American singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who has released seven albums featuring her often-hushed vocal style, confessional lyrics, and distinctive violin. Her 1994 album Geek the Girl received widespread critical acclaim, including being featured as a top album of...
on the album Slush
Slush (album)
Slush is the 1997 debut album by OP8, a band formed from Lisa Germano, Howe Gelb of Giant Sand, and Joey Burns and John Convertino of Calexico and Giant Sand. The album was released on Thirsty Ear and features covers of "Sand" by Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazlewood as well as "Round and Round" by Neil...
released under the name OP8
OP8
OP8 is the musical collaboration of the multi-instrumentalist Lisa Germano; Howe Gelb, the man behind the rock band Giant Sand; Joey Burns and John Convertino, who form the band Calexico together and have both been members of Giant Sand....
that same year.
Their second album The Black Light
The Black Light
The Black Light is the second studio album of Americana / indie rock band Calexico. It was released May 19, 1998 on Quarterstick.- Track listing :# "Gypsy's Curse" – 4:17# "Fake Fur" – 2:36# "The Ride " – 3:08...
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
Pavement (band)
Pavement is an American alternative rock band that formed in Stockton, California in 1989. In their career, they achieved a significant cult following, and they were called the best band of the 1990s by prominent music critics Robert Christgau and Stephen Thomas Erlewine...
, the Dirty Three
Dirty Three
Dirty Three are an instrumental trio consisting of Warren Ellis , Mick Turner and Jim White , originating from Melbourne, Australia. Since the Dirty Three formed in 1992, they have spent a lot of time overseas...
and Lambchop
Lambchop (band)
Lambchop, originally Posterchild, is a band from Nashville, Tennessee. Lambchop is loosely associated with the alternative country genre...
. Calexico has regularly played festivals such as the Bonnaroo Music Festival
Bonnaroo Music Festival
The Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival is an annual four day music festival created and produced by Superfly Productions and AC Entertainment, held at Great Stage Park on a 700-acre farm in Manchester, Tennessee. It hosted its tenth annual event June 9–12, 2011...
, the Hurricane Festival
Hurricane Festival
The Hurricane Festival, also just Hurricane, is a music festival that takes place in Scheeßel near Bremen, Germany, usually every June. It is promoted by German private music television channel VIVA, which belongs to Viacom, the MTV Network's parent company, as of 2004...
and All Tomorrow's Parties
All Tomorrow's Parties (music festival)
All Tomorrow's Parties is a music festival which takes place at Camber Sands holiday camp in East Sussex and Butlin's holiday camp in Minehead, Somerset, England....
. The Road Map album was a limited recording released in 1999 for sale only at Calexico's live shows.
Recording history: 2000–2010
Calexico released its third album Hot RailHot Rail
Hot Rail is the third studio album of Arizona indie rock band Calexico. It was released May 9, 2000 on Quarterstick Records.-Track listing:# "El Picador" – 3:14# "Ballad of Cable Hogue" – 3:29...
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, Calexico joined with two French friends Naïm Amor and Thomas Belhôm to record Tete a Tete for release at the beginning of 2001. The band 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
Aerocalexico
Aerocalexico is a 2001 Calexico album that was only available on their 2001 tour or on .-Track listing:# "All the Pretty Horses"# "Blacktop"# "'64 Ford Fairlane"# "Transistorites"# "Clothes of Sand" # "Train of Thought"# "Redwood"...
album was sold exclusively at their gigs in 2001.
The Scraping live album was released in 2002. Their next studio recording Feast of Wire
Feast of Wire
Feast of Wire is the fourth studio album of Arizona indie-rock band Calexico.- Track listing :# "Sunken Waltz" – 2:27# "Quattro " – 4:36# "Stucco" – 0:20# "Black Heart" – 4:48# "Pepita" – 2:36# "Not Even Stevie Nicks..." – 2:42...
was released in 2003 and made the charts for the first time appearing on Billboard's Heatseekers and Independent album chart. They made their first video for "Quattro (World Drifts In)" which was a single from Feast of Wire. They released a live DVD in 2004 called World Drifts In: Live at the Barbican. The song "Güero Canelo", from Feast of Wire, was featured in Michael Mann's Film, Collateral
Collateral (film)
Collateral is a 2004 crime thriller film starring Tom Cruise and Jamie Foxx. It was directed by Michael Mann and written by Stuart Beattie. It was Mann's first feature film to be shot mostly with high-definition cameras. Mann had previously used the format for portions of Ali and for his CBS drama...
, starring Tom Cruise
Tom Cruise
Thomas Cruise Mapother IV , better known as Tom Cruise, is an American film actor and producer. He has been nominated for three Academy Awards and he has won three Golden Globe Awards....
and Jamie Foxx
Jamie Foxx
Eric Marlon Bishop , professionally known as Jamie Foxx, is an American actor, singer-songwriter, stand-up comedian, and talk radio host. As an actor, his work in the film Ray earned him the Academy Award and BAFTA Award for Best Actor as well as the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a...
.
Calexico contributed the song "Burnin' Down the Spark" to Nancy Sinatra
Nancy Sinatra
Nancy Sandra Sinatra is an American singer and actress. She is the daughter of singer/actor Frank Sinatra, and remains best known for her 1966 signature hit "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'"....
's self-titled album in late 2004. The album featured artists who cited Sinatra as a musical influence. The song was released in the UK as the second single from the album in early 2005.
In 2005, Calexico joined up with Miami based folk band Iron & Wine
Iron & Wine
Samuel Beam , better known by his stage and recording name Iron & Wine, is an American singer-songwriter. He has released four studio albums, several EPs and singles, as well as a few download-only releases, which include a live album...
. Howard Greynolds of Overcoat Records was responsible for bringing the two bands together having previously been responsible for Tortoise
Tortoise (band)
Tortoise is an American post-rock band formed in Chicago, Illinois, in 1990.-Music:Tortoise's almost entirely instrumental music defies easy categorization, and the group gained significant attention from their early career. The members have roots in Chicago's fertile music scene, playing in...
and Will Oldham
Will Oldham
Will Oldham , better known by the stage name Bonnie 'Prince' Billy, is an American singer-songwriter and actor. From 1993 to 1997, he performed and recorded under variations of the Palace name, including the Palace Brothers, Palace Songs, and Palace Music...
recording together. The In the Reins
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. The album peaked at #135 on the Billboard 200...
EP was released in September 2005 and received a positive reception with an MSNBC review giving it honorable mention. It also made an appearance in the Billboard 200 album charts, becoming their first recording to make the album charts, and #12 on the independent charts. In October 2005, they commenced a US tour with Iron & Wine to promote the record.
Released in 2006, Garden Ruin
Garden Ruin
Garden Ruin is the fifth studio album from Tucson, Arizona indie rock band Calexico. It is notable for being the first Calexico album to feature no instrumental tracks, instead relying on a more direct, pop-style approach...
is Calexico's fifth studio album. 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 mainstream sound.
In 2007, Calexico was invited by Arcade Fire to record a cover of their "Ocean of Noise." This recording was used as the B-side
A-side and B-side
A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or...
for Arcade Fire's "Intervention
Intervention (song)
"Intervention" is a song by Canadian indie rock band Arcade Fire. It is the third single released from the band's second full-length album, Neon Bible. The single was released to digital retailers on December 28, 2006, and was released as a 7" vinyl in the UK under Rough Trade Records on May 21,...
" single, originally released on vinyl on May 21, 2007.
Several of Calexico's songs, usually their shorter instrumental pieces, have been used as interstitial and background music on Public Radio International
Public Radio International
Public Radio International is a Minneapolis-based American public radio organization, with locations in Boston, New York, London and Beijing. PRI's tagline is "Hear a different voice." PRI is a major public media content creator and also distributes programs from many sources...
's This American Life
This American Life
This American Life is a weekly hour-long radio program produced by WBEZ and hosted by Ira Glass. It is distributed by Public Radio International on PRI affiliate stations and is also available as a free weekly podcast. Primarily a journalistic non-fiction program, it has also featured essays,...
. Their songs "Ballad Of Cable Hogue" and "Service And Repair" were featured in the 2001 German comedy movie Lammbock
Lammbock
Lammbock is a 2001 German stoner film. The movie is based around two pizza delivery guys who decide to up their income by adding marijuana to the menu and get into trouble after attracting the attention of an undercover cop. There are numerous subplots, and the movie is essentially split up into...
.
Their sixth studio LP called 'Carried to Dust
Carried to Dust
Carried to Dust is the sixth studio album from Tucson, Arizona indie rock band Calexico, released September 9, 2008. It features a number of guest musicians like Iron & Wine, Tortoise's Doug McCombs, and Pieta Brown....
', featured Sam Beam of Iron & Wine
Iron & Wine
Samuel Beam , better known by his stage and recording name Iron & Wine, is an American singer-songwriter. He has released four studio albums, several EPs and singles, as well as a few download-only releases, which include a live album...
, Douglas McCombs of Tortoise
Tortoise (band)
Tortoise is an American post-rock band formed in Chicago, Illinois, in 1990.-Music:Tortoise's almost entirely instrumental music defies easy categorization, and the group gained significant attention from their early career. The members have roots in Chicago's fertile music scene, playing in...
and Pieta Brown. It was released in the USA via Touch & Go Records on September 9, 2008. The album enjoyed solid reviews, with hometown paper the Arizona Daily Star praising the band's "ability to sweep you into its world, taking listeners to the American Southwest. This is one of the reasons Europeans love Calexico and others in this country are beginning to come around."
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 2010, a new album of Calexico was released: the soundtrack of the documentary "Circo".
Until recently, Calexico has been on tour with Arcade Fire along the west coast in 2010.
In May 2011, their song "Slowness" was dedicated by Gabrielle Giffords
Gabrielle Giffords
Gabrielle Dee "Gabby" Giffords is an American politician. A Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives, she has represented since 2007. She is the third woman in Arizona's history to be elected to the U.S. Congress...
to her husband astronaut
Astronaut
An astronaut or cosmonaut is a person trained by a human spaceflight program to command, pilot, or serve as a crew member of a spacecraft....
Mark Kelly as the wake up song aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour
Space Shuttle Endeavour
Space Shuttle Endeavour is one of the retired orbiters of the Space Shuttle program of NASA, the space agency of the United States. Endeavour was the fifth and final spaceworthy NASA space shuttle to be built, constructed as a replacement for Challenger...
on its final flight.
Members
The current members of Calexico are:- Joey Burns – vocals, guitars, bass, cello, keyboards, accordion, percussion, vibraphone
- John Convertino – drums, percussion, piano
- Paul Niehaus – steel guitar, guitars
- Jacob Valenzuela – trumpet, keyboards, vibraphone, vocals
- Martin Wenk – trumpet, guitar, keyboards, accordion, glockenspiel, vibraphone (occasionally harmonica & French horn)
- Volker Zander – standup bass, electric bass
Albums
- SpokeSpoke (album)Spoke is the 1997 debut album of Calexico, an indie rock band from Arizona.-Track listing:# "Low Expectations" – 2:37# "Mind The Gap" – 0:52# "Mazurra" – 1:46# "Sanchez" – 3:18...
(1997) - The Black LightThe Black LightThe Black Light is the second studio album of Americana / indie rock band Calexico. It was released May 19, 1998 on Quarterstick.- Track listing :# "Gypsy's Curse" – 4:17# "Fake Fur" – 2:36# "The Ride " – 3:08...
(1998) - Hot RailHot RailHot Rail is the third studio album of Arizona indie rock band Calexico. It was released May 9, 2000 on Quarterstick Records.-Track listing:# "El Picador" – 3:14# "Ballad of Cable Hogue" – 3:29...
(2000) - Feast of WireFeast of WireFeast of Wire is the fourth studio album of Arizona indie-rock band Calexico.- Track listing :# "Sunken Waltz" – 2:27# "Quattro " – 4:36# "Stucco" – 0:20# "Black Heart" – 4:48# "Pepita" – 2:36# "Not Even Stevie Nicks..." – 2:42...
(2003) - Garden RuinGarden RuinGarden Ruin is the fifth studio album from Tucson, Arizona indie rock band Calexico. It is notable for being the first Calexico album to feature no instrumental tracks, instead relying on a more direct, pop-style approach...
(2006) - Carried to DustCarried to DustCarried to Dust is the sixth studio album from Tucson, Arizona indie rock band Calexico, released September 9, 2008. It features a number of guest musicians like Iron & Wine, Tortoise's Doug McCombs, and Pieta Brown....
(2008) - Circo (Soundtrack) (2010)
Tour only and miscellaneous albums
- 98–99 Road Map (1999), tour CD
- Travelall (2000), tour CD
- Tête à Tête (2001), side project as ABBC with Amor Belhom DuoAmor Belhom DuoAmor Belhom Duo was a French avant-pop band based in Tucson, Arizona, active from 1997 to 2002. Their music is noted for its offbeat sensibility, with . Members were Naïm Amor on vocals, guitars, violin and samplers, Thomas Belhom on percussion, drums, accordion and vocals, both from Paris, France...
- AerocalexicoAerocalexicoAerocalexico is a 2001 Calexico album that was only available on their 2001 tour or on .-Track listing:# "All the Pretty Horses"# "Blacktop"# "'64 Ford Fairlane"# "Transistorites"# "Clothes of Sand" # "Train of Thought"# "Redwood"...
(2001), tour CD - Scraping (2002), live
- The Book and The Canal (2005), tour CD
- Tool Box (2007), tour CD
- Ancienne Belgique – Live in Brussels 2008 (2009), tour CD
EPs
- Descamino (2000)
- Ballad Of Cable Hogue (2000)
- Even My Sure Things Fall ThroughEven My Sure Things Fall ThroughEven My Sure Things Fall Through is an EP by Arizona band Calexico.-Track listing:# "Sonic Wind" # "Crystal Frontier" # "Untitled III" # "Chanel #5"# "Banderilla"...
(2001) - Convict PoolConvict PoolConvict Pool is an EP released by Arizona band Calexico. Among its tracks is a cover version of the Minutemen's classic "Corona", with an arrangement featuring mariachi horns reminiscent of Johnny Cash's "Ring of Fire" and a cover of Love's "Alone Again Or" featuring flamenco handclaps.-Track...
(2004) - Black Heart (2004)
- In the ReinsIn the ReinsIn 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. The album peaked at #135 on the Billboard 200...
(2005), with Iron & WineIron & WineSamuel Beam , better known by his stage and recording name Iron & Wine, is an American singer-songwriter. He has released four studio albums, several EPs and singles, as well as a few download-only releases, which include a live album... - The Guns of Brixton / Interior of a Dutch House (2006), 7″ split single with BeirutBeirut (band)Beirut is an American band which was originally the solo musical project of Santa Fe native Zachary Francis Condon, and later expanded into a band. The band's first performances were in Wollaston, United Kingdom, in May 2006, to support the release of their debut album, Gulag Orkestar...
DVDs
- World Drifts In: Live at the Barbican (2004)
- Live From Austin TX (Austin City Limits) (2009)
Compilation contributions
- CommittedCommitted (2000 film)- Plot :The ever-optimistic Joline faces a challenge when her husband, flaky news photographer Carl , leaves her to find himself in Texas. Joline tracks Carl down and observes him, acquainting herself with his schedule and new friends - Plot :The ever-optimistic Joline (Heather Graham) faces a...
Soundtrack (2000) - It's a Cool, Cool Christmas – "Gift Xchange" (2000), a charity compilation by XfmXfmXfm is a brand of two commercial radio stations focused on alternative music, primarily indie pop, and owned by Global Radio.-History:Xfm was created in London in 1992 by Sammy Jacob, who later co-founded NME Radio in 2008. Xfm subsequently expanded to a network of four stations; there are...
- Dead Man's Shoes :"Untitled IIHot RailHot Rail is the third studio album of Arizona indie rock band Calexico. It was released May 9, 2000 on Quarterstick Records.-Track listing:# "El Picador" – 3:14# "Ballad of Cable Hogue" – 3:29...
" "Untitled IIIHot RailHot Rail is the third studio album of Arizona indie rock band Calexico. It was released May 9, 2000 on Quarterstick Records.-Track listing:# "El Picador" – 3:14# "Ballad of Cable Hogue" – 3:29...
" "Ritual Road MapHot RailHot Rail is the third studio album of Arizona indie rock band Calexico. It was released May 9, 2000 on Quarterstick Records.-Track listing:# "El Picador" – 3:14# "Ballad of Cable Hogue" – 3:29...
""Crooked Road and the Briar" - Soundtrack (2004) - Sweetheart 2005: Love SongsSweetheart 2005: Love SongsSweetheart 2005: Love Songs is a compilation album, released under Starbucks' Hear Music label in January 2005 in the United States. Sold in stores, the album features contemporary musicians covering classic love songs.-Track listing:...
– "Love Will Tear Us ApartLove Will Tear Us Apart"Love Will Tear Us Apart" is a song by the British post-punk band Joy Division. It was written in August and September 1979, and debuted when the band supported Buzzcocks on their UK tour in September and October 1979. It is one of the few songs in which singer Ian Curtis played guitar...
" (2005), Hear MusicHear MusicHear Music, also known as StarCon is the brand name of Starbucks' retail music concept and record label. Hear Music began as a catalog company in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in 1990 before being purchased by Starbucks in 1999.-Concept:... - Acoustic 07Acoustic 07Acoustic 07 is a 2-disc compilation album, released under V2 Records in the United Kingdom on March 12, 2007. The collection is the seventh of V2 Records' popular Acoustic series.-Track listing:Disc 1#"Lovestain", performed by José González...
– "Cruel" (2007), V2 RecordsV2 RecordsV2 Records is a record label that is owned by Universal Music Group as of October 2007. The label was founded in 1996 by Richard Branson, five years after he sold Virgin Records to EMI.... - I'm Not There: Original SoundtrackI'm Not There (soundtrack)The soundtrack album for the Bob Dylan biopic I'm Not There was released as a double CD on October 30, 2007. It features only one recording by Dylan himself—his previously unreleased recording of the title song "I'm Not There" recorded during The Basement Tapes' sessions in 1967—plus...
– "Goin' to Acapulco" (2007) The band also provide backing for other artists on several tracks. - LammbockLammbockLammbock is a 2001 German stoner film. The movie is based around two pizza delivery guys who decide to up their income by adding marijuana to the menu and get into trouble after attracting the attention of an undercover cop. There are numerous subplots, and the movie is essentially split up into...
: Original Soundtrack
Collaborations
- On Neko CaseNeko CaseNeko Case is an American singer-songwriter, best known for her solo career and her contributions as a member of the Canadian indie rock group The New Pornographers....
's album BlacklistedBlacklisted (album)Blacklisted is the third album by American vocalist Neko Case, released in 2002.The album marked a departure from the alternative country sounds of Case's first two solo albums...
(2002) - On Nancy SinatraNancy SinatraNancy Sandra Sinatra is an American singer and actress. She is the daughter of singer/actor Frank Sinatra, and remains best known for her 1966 signature hit "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'"....
's album Nancy Sinatra (a.k.a. To Nancy With Love)Nancy Sinatra (album)Nancy Sinatra is an album by Nancy Sinatra. It was released in 2004 on Attack Records.-Track listing:#"Burnin' Down the Spark" - 4:25#"Ain't No Easy Way" - 3:23#"Don't Let Him Waste Your Time" - 3:51...
(2004) - On Los Super SevenLos Super SevenLos Super Seven is a predominantly Latin American supergroup which debuted in 1998. The group won a Grammy Award for Best Mexican/Mexican-American Album in 1999 for its self-titled album. The group's musical style has changed with each incarnation, blending sounds from Tejano, mariachi, Cuban,...
's album Heard It on the X (2005) - Esa Banda En Dub (2005) – with Nortec CollectiveNortec CollectiveNortec Collective is a musical ensemble formed by various individual one or two man production projects. The group came together in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico. Their sound genre mixes electronica with musical elements and instrumentation of Tambora and Norteño music, resulting in the nortec ...
's PanopticaPanopticaRoberto A. Mendoza , known as Panoptica, has been one of the main figures in the Mexican electronic scene since the late 80s, founding bands like electro pos-industrial outfit Artefakto and in the late 90’s the Tijuana based norteña-meets-techno Nortec Collective...
included in Tijuana Sessions Vol. 3 - You Can't Always Listen to Hausmusik, But... (2006) – "Careless" (with The NotwistThe NotwistThe Notwist are a German indie rock band. Formed in 1989, the band moved through several musical incarnations despite maintaining a relatively stable lineup...
) and "Freunde" (with A Million Mercies) - On Neko CaseNeko CaseNeko Case is an American singer-songwriter, best known for her solo career and her contributions as a member of the Canadian indie rock group The New Pornographers....
's album Fox Confessor Brings the FloodFox Confessor Brings the FloodFox Confessor Brings the Flood is a 2006 album by Neko Case. It was her first solo studio album in four years.The album was recorded at Wave Lab Studios in Tucson, Arizona, except the beginning of "John Saw That Number", which was recorded in a stairwell at Toronto's Horseshoe Tavern; and "At...
(2006) - "Amor Porteño" on Gotan ProjectGotan ProjectGotan Project is a musical group based in Paris, consisting of musicians Philippe Cohen Solal , Eduardo Makaroff , and Christoph H. Müller .-History:...
's album LunáticoLunáticoLunático is the third album by Gotan Project. It was released in 2006 by the Paris-based ¡Ya Basta! records, run by Philippe Cohen Solal. The album is named Lunático after the racehorse of legendary tango master Carlos Gardel....
(2006) - On Marianne DissardMarianne DissardMarianne Dissard is a singer, lyricist and filmmaker living in Tucson, Arizona, USA. "A central figure in Tucson's desert music community" with her unique hybrid of French Chanson and Americana, she is noted as a ....
's album "Dedicated To Your Walls. May They Keep Blooming" (2006), performed and composed by Joey Burns. - On Naïm Amor's album SanguineSanguineSanguine is chalk of a reddish color, often called the true colour of blood. tending to brown, used in drawing, The word also describes any drawing done in sanguine.-Technique:...
(2007) - On Marianne DissardMarianne DissardMarianne Dissard is a singer, lyricist and filmmaker living in Tucson, Arizona, USA. "A central figure in Tucson's desert music community" with her unique hybrid of French Chanson and Americana, she is noted as a ....
's album "L'Entredeux" (2008), performed, produced and composed by Joey Burns. Also, with John Convertino on drums. - On Lizz WrightLizz WrightLizz Wright is an American jazz/R&B singer and composer.Wright was born in the small town of Hahira in the US state of Georgia; one of three children and the daughter of a minister and the musical director of their Church. She started singing gospel music and playing piano in church as a child,...
's album The Orchard (2008) - On Naïm Amor's EP Introducing... (2008)
- On Neko CaseNeko CaseNeko Case is an American singer-songwriter, best known for her solo career and her contributions as a member of the Canadian indie rock group The New Pornographers....
's album Middle CycloneMiddle CycloneMiddle Cyclone is the fifth studio album of American alternative country singer-songwriter Neko Case, released on Tuesday, March 3, 2009 on the ANTI- record label. Her first solo effort in three years, Case stated that "it took a very long time to make." As the title of the album suggests, the...
(2009) - On Naïm Amor's EP Precious Second (2009)
- On Susie Hug's album Tucson Moonshine (2010)
- On Amparo Sánchez's album Tucson-Habana (2010)
Chart positions
- Hot Rail – 2000 – UKUK Albums ChartThe UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
#57 - Feast of Wire – 2003 – #23 Independent Albums, #45 Heatseekers, UKUK Albums ChartThe UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
#71 - In the Reins – 2005 – #135 Billboard 200, #12 Independent Albums, UKUK Albums ChartThe UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
#161 - Garden Ruin – 2006 – #156 Billboard 200, #14 Independent Albums, #3 Heatseekers, UKUK Albums ChartThe UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
#76 - Carried To Dust – 2008 – #98 Billboard 200, #9 Independent Albums, #28 European Albums, UKUK Albums ChartThe UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
#55
External links
- Official website
- Calexico on MySpace
- Calexico lyrics
- Concert photos by Laurent Orseau (Black Session)
- Interview with Joey Burns and photos by Jonathan Leyser
- Calexico collection at the Internet ArchiveInternet ArchiveThe Internet Archive is a non-profit digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It offers permanent storage and access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, music, moving images, and nearly 3 million public domain books. The Internet Archive...
's live music archive - Carried to Dust interview with Joey Burns and John Convertino in L.A Weekly, September 2008.
- Calexico's Joey Burns writes about his eight favorite songs