CALEXICO
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It's hard to resist the temptation to begin by writing that Calexico were blown in to town on a hot and dry wind all the way from Tuscon, Arizona. Their music is wilfully and gleefully coloured with the magical sounds of the desert. Their sound is that of the bordertown station, the last outpost between the southern states and the wilds of Northern Mexico. Hence their name: CAL(ifornia)-M(exico).
There is no doubt that theirs is a dramatic depiction of a mythical lifestyle, rendered almost glamorous- in a perverse fashion- by the likes of Sam Peckinpah and Sergio Leone. But, like many of the filmed westerns of the 50s and 60s that were actually ciphers for more political and contemporary statements, Calexico's music offers far more than mere novelty of mariachi musicians.
Much of the reason for this is the history behind Calexico. Although it is important to highlight that Calexico is in no way a side project or a stop gap, it is important to understand that Joey Burns and John Convertino have been playing music of varying styles with different collaborators for years. Clearly, the experience of being journeymen musicians has enriched the duo and must be responsible for the wide array of flavours that their latest LP Hot Rails offers. Or, as Joey Burns himself puts it, "there's plenty of spices to choose from in the Calexico kitchen."

WEB LINK:
http://www.casadecalexico.com
http://www.sa-wa-ro2.freeserve.co.uk/Calexico-Pages/calexico-albums.htm