Calexico
 

http://www.mychemicaltoilet.com/calexico_b.jpg

We don't really have a proper thread on this band (someone remind me to delete everything I posted older than 6 months) so why don't I just start one and ask if anyone's heard the latest album, Carried to dust? Because I have and I think I might fall in love with it...House of Valparaiso seems to be an early favorite...

Calexico - Two silver trees

Two silver trees wasn't bad. Might have to follow this one up.
Much better than that New Order tribute band you did lately.

mmm...you seem to be developing a pattern of listening to bands featuring two males together mate.

whysthatthen? ;)

Lol, I'm pretty sure there's more than two people in the band, I'm not sure why there's only the two of them in the pic and the video...http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/c...wer/unsure.gif But they are rather fetching...*giggles like a schoolgirl* ;)

Here's another sample of their work, from Feast of wire (2003) (fantastic album btw):

Calexico - Quattro (World drifts in)

Six apparently. Six albums too!

Edit: Good place to start then?

ooh...standup bass. :love:

Oh yes definitely, I've heard 4 and that one is definitely the best. If you're gonna get anything by them, get that...:)

Joey Burns – guitars and vocals
John Convertino – drums and percussion
Paul Niehaus – steel guitar
Jacob Valenzuela – keyboards, trumpet and vibraphone
Martin Wenk – accordion, guitar, synthesizers, trumpet and vibraphone
Volker Zander – standup bass

Obviously talented.

This is my little enthused write up of their gig which I attended some 2 and a half years ago...

Oh and yes, you should get their collaboration with Iron and wine, great stuff.

Hah. I'm kind of surprised to see a thread about these guys. I first got introduced to them through the movie, Collateral.
They wrote the song, "Guero Canelo", which appeared on the soundtrack.

Why surprised? They're a pretty big band in the indie/alternative community...:\

No idea. I didn't think many people knew too much about em'. I've only heard a few songs myself.

They remind me a little of Crowded House. Not so much in their sound but in their asthetic. Simple, well played melodies with easy on the ear vocals. Can't make my mind up if I could do a whole album by them.

You've been listening to too much metal man...trying chilling out and let the tunes do the work.

Too much Metal *tut* http://www.musicbanter.com/indie-alt...c-woo-hoo.html

You might like this one. I'm not much of a fan of them but I love this song.

Maybe I'm O.D.'ing on Nick Cave too much recently, but I swear to God he'd be right at home singing that track.

How did you just do that?

I've only heard Feast of Love, top album. Really great songs, and a lovely desert-y, chilled out vibe to it. Need to check out more!

Hmmm. Still unsure lol. I will get an album and digest it fully.

I have The Black Light from 1998. A Good album. It has at times a mariachi feel to it.

You're so right. This band, this album.... so great. Adidasss is right, they're pretty huge, Hwever, I guess I was just really late on picking up on them. That is, untill I saw them on Austin City Limits. Anyone catch that? Amazing.

Calexico's tune in I'm Not There (Going To Acapulco) was brilliant. Otherwise I've only heard them as Giant Sand, though I intend to look deeper eventually.

I never did come back with a full opinion so here it is: Very good underplayed guitar based tracks with just a hint of Americana. I have been reorganising my music collection today and realised how much stuff I had that has'nt got a deserved listen. 'Feast Of Wine' is a gorgeous little album.

I got into these guys through Iron & Wine and I just found this thread (looking for new stuff.)

I too found this as one of their best. And the Nick Cave thing I agree with and believe it to stem from the line

Referencing characters we don't fully know seems to be a Nick Cave move but for me thats the line. Coming out of a, lets call it a solo, and just cutting in on that line. Its like you're actually venturing around with the guy singing.

I'm glad to see there's already a Calexico topic.
It's my favourite band. Has been for about five years now.
I heard "Sunken Waltz" and I was in love.
Have seen them four times live now, have all their albums on vinyl and CD and I am expecting their next tour CD (soundtrack) anytime soon. Ordered it from their website, takes a couple of weeks to arrive here.
I'm usually not the merchandise/single/rarities type, but I wear shirts with Calexico on it, I buy their 7" singles and I should really get myself a poster when I see them live next time.

So yeah, I love, truly love, Calexico.
Altough they're pretty well known here, I still think they're underrated.
Wonder what the future with Calexico will bring.
I hope they stick to their americana/mexican roots. It's what they're good at :)

I don't think they're that well known here. I didn't look through but I'd bet most of the posters in here don't post anymore. We could support them more.

What did you like about Sunken Waltz? I'm listening to it now per your comment.

Edit:

I've been drilling through Youtube videos since and I tripped over this gem...

Wonderful band with a pretty unique sound.
Theres a free download of one of their concerts here -
calexico . cashmusic. org
(Type in as a normal web address - not allowed to post URLs yet).
Not had chance to listen yet but its got to be worth a shot for free

You know, I can't tell you.
It's not one of their more interesting songs.
But the crowd goes wild whenever they play it.
I myself like a pop song that sounds like a Waltz (I also love Elliot Smith's Waltz #2 for that reason).
But there's something about this song. I heard the intro back in 2005 and it caught me rightaway. Dragged me in.
I really was thinking "please let this continue to be good".
And it did. I like Joey Burns voice, even though he is not a parcicularly good singer. Is sounds pleasant.

I like the songs with mexican influences the best, too.
But what about

Or the instrumental version:


Or, a bit more mexican:


And, very mexican and instrumental, probably one of their most powerful songs:


And then there's this, always a beautiful moment when they play this one live:


I don't know what it is with these songs. They just grab me from the first few notes.
Can't help but love Calexico.

I already downloaded it a couple of months ago.
I'm not that much into recorded concerts, I rather play albums and see bands live for real.
You are now allowed to post URL's by the way, congrats :).

Here's a picture of Calexico live in Utrecht, this september
http://stijnkraft.ebenau.net/daily/2...ptember/11.jpg
Made with my phone, not brilliant.

And some pics i took of the Lowlands festival concert in 2009:

http://stijnkraft.ebenau.net/daily/2...lands/4/40.jpg

http://stijnkraft.ebenau.net/daily/2...lands/4/47.jpg

http://stijnkraft.ebenau.net/daily/2...lands/4/52.jpg

http://stijnkraft.ebenau.net/daily/2...lands/4/44.jpg

http://stijnkraft.ebenau.net/daily/2...lands/4/54.jpg

http://stijnkraft.ebenau.net/daily/2...lands/4/57.jpg

http://stijnkraft.ebenau.net/daily/2...lands/4/62.jpg

http://stijnkraft.ebenau.net/daily/2...lands/4/46.jpg

their lead singer's voice is gorgeous

^wow, I see that you can post a whole lot of photos in one post now.

Anyway, I too love Calexico. Sorta. In I think 1999 I found a used CD copy of The Black Light, loved it immediately and still count it among my favorite albums. For me they started going downhill after probably Hot Rail. Their newer stuff doesn't really grab me at all. Now they sound a little too serious about their Latin/indie-rock fusion. Or maybe not serious enough - I dunno but somehow I find them relatively boring now. Really, if it weren't for The Black Light I doubt I would have paid attention. But, yeah, I certainly considered them great at one point.

Ten, tops. Smileys included.

The Black Light is still one of the best things they made in my opinion.

I don't know. There's some really nice new songs.
You might want to try Roka or The News About William.
I agree with you that there's a bit too much indie/pop in their songs now.
Especially the "Garden Ruin" album was a bit of a disappointment.
Tool Box is a dreamy instrumental album, maybe you'd like that.

When you like the bit dark, lugubrous atmosphere of "The Black Light", you might want to try some of the later work by Giant Sand or probably the Band Op8. It's not influence by mexican music so much, but it does certainly have some similarity with the earlier work by calexico.

You might want to give them a try again, sometime.
I agree with you that some of the purity is lost, but the quality of the songwriting and the musical inventions are still there.

Still, I think the Black light is one of their best albums. I agree with you on that :)

Agreed. I like some of their new stuff, though, too. They're still one of my favorite bands to see live. Plus I have a huge crush on Joey Burns.

...And can I just say that I almost SQUEEE'd out loud to see a Calexico thread on this forum? :love:

I don't know what "sqee"ing is, but I'm glad we could help.

And welcome, by the way.

It's a girl thing. Sometimes we squeee. ...It's kind of like farting unicorn dust and daffodils, another thing girls do.

Danke schoen, dahlink.

So, you have a favorite Calexico track?

Too many to name. Some favorites would include El Picador, Quattro, Crystal Frontier, Minas De Cobre, Not Even Stevie Nicks, Two Silver Trees (speaking of Stevie Nicks, I refer to Trees as their "Fleetwood Mac song"), and their cover of Alone Again Or.

Two Silver Trees does seem to stick out like a sore thumb.

I like it, so I guess I don't mind a sore thumb or two. Then again, I like anything with a little atmosphere, kind of cinematic.

Hahaha, my ex-girlfriend has a crush on Martin Wenk.
She already did when we were still together. I didn't mind :).
And altough I don't fancy man, I must say the bandmembers have a very sympathetic appearance.

I also like the newer albums as well, but I understand people who don't.
It's a lot more poppy.

For the ones who like The Black light: Circo, the soundtrack, is a lot more 'old calexico' :).

The original one by love is pretty brilliant, too :).
You mention some nice songs, I just think Two Silver Trees is a bit too poppy.
Still a nice song, though

I don't mind the pop music sound. In fact, I quite like it. And my favorite version of Alone Again Or is still the Damned's version. Love's original is OK, but I think the song is much better suited to the Damned or Calexico's style. They both brought something out in the song that the original doesn't touch.