CALEXICO
''EDGE OF THE SUN''
APRIL 13 2015
40:06
1 Falling From The Sky 03:20
2 Bullets & Rocks 03:27
3 When The Angels Played 02:23
4 Tapping On The Line 03:27
5 Cumbia De Donde 03:07
6 Miles From The Sea 03:38
7 Coyoacán 03:00
8 Beneath The City Of Dreams 02:32
9 Woodshed Waltz 03:26
10 Moon Never Rises 03:25
11 World Undone 04:25
12 Follow The River 03:50
All Tracks By Calexico
Ryan Alfred/Bass (Electric), Bass (Upright), Guitar, Synthesizer, Vocals
Sam Beam/Vocals
Ben Bridwell/Vocals
Pieta Brown/Vocals
Joey Burns/Accordion, Banjo, Bass, Cello, Congas, Guitars, Harmonica, Organ, Shaker, Ukulele
Neko Case/Vocals
John Convertino/Drums, Percussion
Tom Hagerman/Strings
Steff Koeppen/Vocals
Thomas Konstantinou/Bouzouki, Lute
Greg Leisz/Guitar, Pedal Steel
Sergio Mendoza/Accordion, Guitar, Mellotron, Organ, Percussion, Piano, Ukulele, Vibraphone, Vihuela, Vocals (Background)
Gaby Moreno/Vocals
Carla Morrison/Vocals
Paul Niehaus/Pedal Steel
Adrian Perez/Harp
Antonio Pro/Guitarron
Isaac Rodriguez/Vocals
Amparo Sánchez/Vocals
Chris Schultz/Percussion, Vocals
Craig Schumacher/Moog Bass
Nick Urata/Vocals
Jacob Valenzuela/Trumpet
Martin Wenk/Synthesizer, Trumpet, Vibraphone
Jairo Zavala/Bass, Guitar
REVIEW/AMG
by Heather Phares
***1/2 Of *****
Calexico have had a chiaroscuro career: after each of the band's 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 Calexico's 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 Case's 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. It's almost as though these songs are so sunwashed that they just can't 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 Moreno's 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, it's hard to shake the feeling that this album is a little perfunctory compared to what came before it, and at times, it's 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. It's notable that Edge of the Sun's 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.
BIOGRAPHY/AMG
by Mark Deming
Calexico take their name from a town on the border of California and Mexico, and the title certainly fits the band, who've been mixing musical approaches and cultural perspectives with elan 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.
Calexico's 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 Gelb's 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 Sand's home base of Tucson, Arizona. During downtime from Giant Sand's 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. Calexico's reputation as a live act grew after opening for the likes of Lambchop, Pavement, and the Dirty Three, and the group's sound and membership grew with their third studio album, Hot Rail, as violins and horns were added to the arrangements; Calexico's 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 would make 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 2003's 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. 2004 saw Burns and Convertino record a tune with Nancy Sinatra for her self-titled comeback album. And after years of Calexico's 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 on 2006's Garden Ruin, which became their first album to crack the Billboard Top 200 albums chart, peaking 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 2008's 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 also Calexico's last album for Quarterstick Records; in 2009, the label scaled back their operations and ceased releasing new material, and for 2012's Algiers, Calexico partnered with Anti, an artist-friendly division of Epitaph Records. Calexico returned in 2015 with an especially ambitious new album, 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, Devotchka's Nick Urata, and members of the Greek ensemble Takim.
WEBSITE
TO THE TOP
''EDGE OF THE SUN''
APRIL 13 2015
40:06
1 Falling From The Sky 03:20
2 Bullets & Rocks 03:27
3 When The Angels Played 02:23
4 Tapping On The Line 03:27
5 Cumbia De Donde 03:07
6 Miles From The Sea 03:38
7 Coyoacán 03:00
8 Beneath The City Of Dreams 02:32
9 Woodshed Waltz 03:26
10 Moon Never Rises 03:25
11 World Undone 04:25
12 Follow The River 03:50
All Tracks By Calexico
Ryan Alfred/Bass (Electric), Bass (Upright), Guitar, Synthesizer, Vocals
Sam Beam/Vocals
Ben Bridwell/Vocals
Pieta Brown/Vocals
Joey Burns/Accordion, Banjo, Bass, Cello, Congas, Guitars, Harmonica, Organ, Shaker, Ukulele
Neko Case/Vocals
John Convertino/Drums, Percussion
Tom Hagerman/Strings
Steff Koeppen/Vocals
Thomas Konstantinou/Bouzouki, Lute
Greg Leisz/Guitar, Pedal Steel
Sergio Mendoza/Accordion, Guitar, Mellotron, Organ, Percussion, Piano, Ukulele, Vibraphone, Vihuela, Vocals (Background)
Gaby Moreno/Vocals
Carla Morrison/Vocals
Paul Niehaus/Pedal Steel
Adrian Perez/Harp
Antonio Pro/Guitarron
Isaac Rodriguez/Vocals
Amparo Sánchez/Vocals
Chris Schultz/Percussion, Vocals
Craig Schumacher/Moog Bass
Nick Urata/Vocals
Jacob Valenzuela/Trumpet
Martin Wenk/Synthesizer, Trumpet, Vibraphone
Jairo Zavala/Bass, Guitar
REVIEW/AMG
by Heather Phares
***1/2 Of *****
Calexico have had a chiaroscuro career: after each of the band's 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 Calexico's 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 Case's 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. It's almost as though these songs are so sunwashed that they just can't 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 Moreno's 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, it's hard to shake the feeling that this album is a little perfunctory compared to what came before it, and at times, it's 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. It's notable that Edge of the Sun's 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.
BIOGRAPHY/AMG
by Mark Deming
Calexico take their name from a town on the border of California and Mexico, and the title certainly fits the band, who've been mixing musical approaches and cultural perspectives with elan 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.
Calexico's 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 Gelb's 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 Sand's home base of Tucson, Arizona. During downtime from Giant Sand's 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. Calexico's reputation as a live act grew after opening for the likes of Lambchop, Pavement, and the Dirty Three, and the group's sound and membership grew with their third studio album, Hot Rail, as violins and horns were added to the arrangements; Calexico's 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 would make 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 2003's 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. 2004 saw Burns and Convertino record a tune with Nancy Sinatra for her self-titled comeback album. And after years of Calexico's 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 on 2006's Garden Ruin, which became their first album to crack the Billboard Top 200 albums chart, peaking 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 2008's 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 also Calexico's last album for Quarterstick Records; in 2009, the label scaled back their operations and ceased releasing new material, and for 2012's Algiers, Calexico partnered with Anti, an artist-friendly division of Epitaph Records. Calexico returned in 2015 with an especially ambitious new album, 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, Devotchka's Nick Urata, and members of the Greek ensemble Takim.
WEBSITE
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