Wed Mar 15 2023
4
Somewhere between Wilco, a Mariachi Band, and a soundtrack to a western. I. Was. Here. For. It.
This is a Random Album Generator.
One album a day.
From the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.
Feast of Wire
Calexico
2003
- Album Summary
Feast of Wire is the fourth studio album by American indie rock band Calexico. The album was released on June 18, 2003, through Quarterstick Records. The album was included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. Joe Tangari of Pitchfork called Feast of Wire Calexico's "first genuinely masterful full-length, crammed with immediate songcraft, shifting moods and open-ended exploration," and "the album we always knew they had in them but feared they would never make."
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Sat Mar 18 2023
4
Calexico always made me wonder why there wasn't more mariachi-infused indie rock. But then if that were a subgenre, none of the other bands would have been as great as Calexico.
Tue Mar 14 2023
4
I love the mood this album sets, like an indie mariachi road trip.
Sat Apr 15 2023
4
This album is a very consistent and engaging mix of indie rock, mariachi, jazz, alt county, and just about everything else. The guitar work in particular stood out to me, especially the jazz guitar in the penultimate track. The album feels spacious and has enough room to let melodies linger and for musical ideas to slowly and fully develop. This music truly inhabits the feel of the southwest in a way that captures the expansiveness and occasional tumultuousness of that region.
Tue Mar 14 2023
3
Nice surprise. Very diverse and has some original sounds.
Sat Mar 25 2023
5
fajne
Wed Mar 29 2023
5
Me listening to Feast of Wire for the 5th time in a row: "God damn that is good. Shit, that's fresh." But in all seriousness, hadn't listened to this in many years and I'd forgotten how freaking good it is. Glad it made it onto the list too, most of the stuff I was obsessed with in 2005 did not lol. It has "filler", but even those are hella good tbh. A jewel of the 00s, straight back into the rotation. 5/5
Sat Apr 08 2023
5
Wow what an interesting album this was. Had a bit of everything! Felt like an indie rock band with a lot of mariachi flavour mixed in. Wikipedia has it listed under the genre "Tex-mex" and yeah, couldn't put it better myself. A bit of folk and country, a bit of mariachi, a bit of jazz - A highly interesting album. Some of the songs here were a little too slow for me to really get into, but I liked this album a lot regardless. Favourite: Quattro - World Drifts In
Fri Apr 14 2023
5
OMG thank you for reminding me of how awesome Calexico are.
Sat Apr 15 2023
5
Awesome
Sat Apr 29 2023
5
Highly surprised by this. Loved the Latino feel to it. Super interesting and unique!
Thu May 18 2023
5
What is this? Post-alt-country!? It's wonderful, I love it! đ» I'm a huge fan of albums that go out of their way to be cinematic, or dabble with multiple genres, and this album does both of those things well. I haven't really listened to Calexico before so this is a great discovery for me - that's what this project is all about! Fave track - "Black Heart" - those strings are positively trip-hop! "Close Behind" sounds like a spaghetti western soundtrack, "The Book and the Canal" sounds like a revisionist western soundtrack, "Attack el Robot! Attack" sounds like Tom Waits, and let's say "Corona" for that mariachi feel....
Sat May 27 2023
5
Never heard of them before. Will really enjoy listening to this multiple times I think, was just a very pleasant experience!
Thu Jun 01 2023
5
Un impresionante ĂĄlbum que combina lo mejor del country y la mĂșsica mexicana; en una fusiĂłn impresionante de estilos que funciona como reloj de precisiĂłn atĂłmica. IncreĂble, una verdadera experiencia sonora.
Fri Jun 02 2023
5
Never heard of Calexico before and was very impressed by this. Lots of fun, a great blend of genres that kept things interesting without seeming too scattered, and a well-paced mix of songs and instrumentals. Will definitely be revisiting this and checking out some of their other records. I feel like after a couple of listens this would probably drop to a 4 but just from a first impression Iâm going high
Tue Jun 06 2023
5
Wow this is fun and unique! I think my lips began to chap halfway through this album from the desert heat. I love the vivid landscapes this album paints in my mind. I love it!
Tue Jun 06 2023
5
Outstanding! Eclectic mix of great songs. I am quite well-taken with this one.
Tue Jun 06 2023
5
Well, okay, that was pretty great.
Tue Jun 27 2023
5
Really didn't know what to expect but enjoyed this a lot. Kind of a west coast Iron and Wine with some Latin flair in the instrumentation. Would absolutely put this on again and hope to see more from these guys.
Tue Jun 27 2023
5
Not sure why but I enjoyed the music today
Thu Jul 13 2023
5
Warm, lush
Mon Aug 14 2023
5
Very good album. A hidden gem for sure. Very eclectic
Sat Sep 02 2023
5
First track had me thinking, another dang country album, which really didn't fit the cover art. As the tracks progressed I was hooked. What is this album? I had no idea Indy rock Mariachi was a thing. I listened thrice and told a few people about the discovery. By my well defined scoring system, that's a five. Great find.
Fri Sep 22 2023
5
An unexpected treat. I was unfamiliar with Calexico and went into the album pretty blind. What a delight it turned out to be! The mariachi infused indie/jazz/folk offerings here are splendid. I found myself listening to not only this, but a whole number of Calexico albums as I got lost in their pretty unique sound. This album was awesome and has turned me onto a band that I apparently really love.
Sun Mar 19 2023
4
A mariachi infused American indie record. When it's good, it's great, but a few too many grout tracks and it tails off at the end. If it ended at track 11, Across the Wire, it would have been a 5/5. Rating: 4/5 Playlist track: Across the Wire Date listened: 18/03/23
Thu Mar 23 2023
4
Slightly uneven start but ends up being an incredible record overall. Loved it. 4.5 stars
Sat Mar 25 2023
4
This is really good. I'd not even heard of the band and expected to dislike but the variety and catchiness of the songs are undeniable. I found myself playing this through 3 times. There are a number of styles here but it's assured and professional. Impressive.
Wed Apr 05 2023
4
8/10 dang that was so cool and creative! super neat!
Mon Apr 10 2023
4
Such an interesting blend of different styles. Latin, rock, power pop and a little bit of hot jazz? Very cool, and will probably return to this record.
Mon Apr 10 2023
4
Pleasantly surprised with how much I liked this one.
Mon Apr 10 2023
4
It was unexpected and easy to enjoy. Didn't particularly like to barking dogs lol but the blend of instruments and styles really put a great spin on the album
Thu Apr 13 2023
4
The band name and cover for Feast of Wire belie Calexico's total vision of the project. That is, a listen makes it clear that something else is going on. But the base - cleanly-interluded and unique indie - is plenty strong itself. The album manages to sound completely of its era but also hard to make, then or now.
Mon Apr 17 2023
4
Nice diversity! A little confusing at times because of the sudden change in genre. But great talent. They would be good at writing movie music
Tue Apr 18 2023
4
Tex-Mex-inspired Americana country. Contrasting with the growing popularity of contemporary country, there was alternative country that was innovating on the genre. Feast of Wire conjures up images of the American southwest, now far removed from its cowboy days and finding it's foot in modern society and culture. I think the instrumental sections are some of the most interesting on the album, as they grab you and impress their influences the most out of any song here. However, Black Heart is easily the standout track.
Wed Apr 19 2023
4
I didn't know what to expect from this but I really enjoyed it! I really appreciated the variety of song styles, some instrumental. A mix of tempos. Kept me interested. Thought it straddled the range of music themes so well Would listen again to this
Wed Apr 19 2023
4
I have really enjoyed this album! There's a nice mix between traditional Latin sounds and then Americana country with some jazz and rock in there too. I love the variety in the different tracks, it keeps the entire album so interesting to listen to. This gorgeous instrumental track "Whipping the Horses Eyes" which is so emotional and harrowing blends beautifully into the bouncy jazzy almost black panther-esque bass which opens "Crumble", it's such a fun listening experience like listening to a really cool and edgy story. I wish this album was a film! I know it would be epic. Nice to be introduced to something so different from this list.
Sat Apr 22 2023
4
Great combination of alternative rock and Latin/mexican music, unique sounding
Wed May 03 2023
4
I haven't been able to give this album the attention it deserves today because I've been busy with work, but this feels like it could be a masterpiece. Such an interesting blend of music and very polished. I'm going with 4 stars for now but could turn into 5 on further listening.
Sat May 06 2023
4
Beautiful
Fri May 12 2023
4
If there was ever a band that sounded like where they were from, Calexico would be one of them. Combining a Tex-Mex/Americana sound, I would guess they hailed from the desert or more specifically Arizona. They may not be ground breaking, but they bring together different styles and sounds for a very satisfying mix and pleasant listening experience. This album is an excellent showcase and well worth the time. I saw the band opening for Arcade Fire years ago and they impressed me, but the boomy sound of the large venue definitely made it difficult to hear and didn't do the band justice. I would much prefer to see the band in an intimate-size bar room in the desert.
Thu May 18 2023
4
What a nice surprise. A journey indeed. Black Heart, total Portishead vibes. Close Behind, The Book and the Canal, Attack! El Robot Attack! are all great tracks.
Mon May 22 2023
4
A good comfort album. I think they successfully brought the genre into the new century.
Wed May 24 2023
4
I never heard of Calexico before, at least not directly. They may have been on a compilation or been on a soundtrack, but didn't jump out at me. That said, this is a good album. Its got great theming - This is an album of the American desert if I ever heard one - and a few tracks have replay-ability. 4/5
Wed May 31 2023
4
Yeah itâs cool certainly a kinda unique style but no individual tracks have really popped out so 4/5
Thu Jun 01 2023
4
4.0
Mon Jun 05 2023
4
The originality of this album was superb, and the mariachi-western vibe was interesting and made for a fun listen. Some songs took longer to get into than others, but they were all good across the board.
Tue Jun 06 2023
4
I very much enjoyed this charming, eclectic collection of songs.
Tue Jun 06 2023
4
This is pretty amazing. Richly crafted and awash in musical influences. Just levels upon levels of sound and mood, an incredible flow from track to track, and an almost cinematic quality to the sound. Fave Songs: Quattro (World Drifts In), Sunken Waltz, Across the Wire, Attack el Robot! Attack!, Woven Birds, No Doze, Dub Latina, Crumble
Sat Jun 10 2023
4
A capa Ă© feia hein. Eu estava pensando, talvez eu pudesse ir rankeando de mĂșsica em mĂșsica, mas talvez isso fizesse eu perder o interesse de ouvir de novo uma mĂșsica que eu nĂŁo gostei agora, mas acharia boa no futuro, entĂŁo vou continuar apenas dizendo se vale a pena reouvir o ĂĄlbum ou nĂŁo, ou talvez apenas citar as mĂșsicas que eu gostei agora. Black Heart: o som Ă© cabuloso, faz eu me sentir na foto do single de Gold on the Ceiling, brabo. Por favor Eu do futuro, escute esse ĂĄlbum de novo, ele Ă© diferente de tudo que eu jĂĄ ouvi, simplesmente a ambientação que ele passa, sei lĂĄ, Ă© pesada, muito bommm mesmo, poggers.
Mon Jun 12 2023
4
Such a WEIRD fucking album, but good weird. I canât even give this album a genre. I went into this with zero expectations because of the album cover, but I was very pleasantly surprised.
Tue Jun 13 2023
4
Enjoyed
Mon Jun 19 2023
4
Listening to this made me feel like I was listening to the soundtrack of Ted Lasso. I enjoyed this and would almost describe it as a modern twist on Yacht Rock if thatâs possible.
Mon Jun 19 2023
4
I'm not even sure what I listened to but this was an interesting and fun album. I'm usually turned off by albums that have too much variety but this one did it right. 3.5
Mon Jun 19 2023
4
I loved the blended of genres on this album - a great listen!
Wed Jun 28 2023
4
First I was struck by the instrumentals, less fussed on the vocals... but the instrumentals eventually became monumental and beyond beautiful. I thought this was a 3.5, a one and done. But now I think I'll put it in the listen again pile. Particularly towards the end
Fri Jun 30 2023
4
Calexcellent
Fri Jun 30 2023
4
Well that awesomeness came out of nowhere!
Fri Jun 30 2023
4
A lot going on and it sounds good.
Tue Jul 04 2023
4
I really enjoyed this album. Iâll check out more from this artist for sure. I like the folk rock and jazz vibes from this eclectic album.
Wed Jul 05 2023
4
It's one of my favorite episodes of The Sopranos. Tony murders his "nephew" Christopher, and then deals with his loss by flying off to Vegas to have sex with Christopher's ex-girlfriend and take peyote. While tripping in the desert, Tony believes he sees a vision that explains everything. And the episode ends with a beautiful instrumental piece that somehow sounds like the only song that could possibly play over the credits (no one did musical drops like The Sopranos, a show that famously had no score and chose to use other songs throughout the series instead). The song was Minas De Cobre (For Better Metal) by a band named Calexico. Immediately, I did a deep dive. I determined Calexico is the thinking person's Iron and Wine; the alternative Mariachi Steely Dan. They have an impressive catalog, are still releasing albums, and remain criminally underrated. This is probably their best album overall. I bet Tony Soprano would agree depending on the hallucinagens he was tripping on.
Wed Jul 05 2023
4
i just happened to be travelling through the desert while listening to this and it was good. wasnât crazy about every song but a great listening experience overall and one iâll probably return to.
Sun Jul 16 2023
4
Interesting mix of early indie rock and LatAm music. Whipping The Horse's Eyes is basically Pink Floyd with maracas and steel guitar.
Wed Jul 19 2023
4
Wow really surprised by this one. Super cool album. Lots of different stylistic elements including western, jazz, and latin.
Wed Jul 19 2023
4
Would summing up this pleasantly surprising, Sunday morning-worthy discovery as âMexiWilcoâ be clever or offensive (Iâll take my answer off air)?
Wed Jul 19 2023
4
What a wild blend of instrumentation and song arrangements! This album really grabs your attention from the first track, and continually takes you on unexpected routes as you breeze through it. I don't even know how to classify it; almost as if Beck and a Mariachi band had a baby and ran it through a sampler? Highly worth the listen if you want to expand your tastes a bit. Please check out the 20th anniversary edition if you can, and listen to at least the live version of Pepita for that slide guitar. OOFA DOOFA!
Mon Aug 07 2023
4
I really like this blend of jazz, western, mariachi, and folk rock. Would go perfectly with a sizzling plate of Tex-Mex.
Tue Aug 08 2023
4
Cool different sound. Kinda like Spaghetti Western soundtracks.
Sun Sep 03 2023
4
A nice surprise, it does have some country-ish elements to it, but it works very nicely as an indie rock album. Not too much country influence to put me off.. Gets a bit weaker later into the album though
Wed Sep 06 2023
4
Huge mix of sounds here, which is really cool. I wish the vocals were a little less stereotypically indie, but otherwise a very good listen
Sun Sep 10 2023
4
Saw their sound described as âDesert Noirâ and I canât think of a much better description than that. Calexico is a big band with lots going on and Iâm a fan of all of it. Really great driving record here, thereâs a lot of instrumentals and the break in vocals is fine by me bc the band brings it, great strings, horns, drawing Mexican band influences into their indie rock sound and it all works so well. This was a fun journey. 4 stars
Mon Sep 11 2023
4
I discovered Calexico late into their careers, it was the magnificent Edge of the Sun where I really was hooked. Booked tickets to see them in Berlin, where they put on a brilliant show. Feast of Wire is one of the finest records of theirs, it has a wonderful feel throughout the record.
Tue Sep 12 2023
4
Really good sound
Thu Sep 14 2023
4
"Feast of Wire" is the fourth album by American indie rock band Calexico. A good description of their musical style is a fusion of bluesy mariachi, desert-rock, jazz and experimentation. The two main members of Celexico are Joey Burns (vocals, guitar, bass, accordion, cello, mandolin and more) and John Convertino (drums, percussion and piano). Those two also produced the album with Craig Schumacher. The album begins with a waltz in "Sunken Waltz." Acoustic guitar, a drum beat and accordion. Trying to find space in the urbanization of their hometown Tucson. "Black Heart" has an eerie atmosphere and is very dramatic. A pedal steel guitar, mandolin and cello. It's a tale of the West..a criminal? An immigrant? I was wondering what a song titled "Not Even Stevie Nicks..." would be about and, well, not even listening to Stevie Nicks on the radio could stop him from jumping off that cliff. Compelling song. Burns with a tenor voice. They're covering some pretty heavy stuff so far lyrically. The second half lighten things up a bit lyrically and they cover different musical styles. "Across the Wire" has mariachi horns, an accordion and a steel pedal guitar. This is more country. About immigration. The next four songs are instrumentals which into Latin, Tex-Mex, blues and jazz category styles. The final song "No Doze" firmly put itself in the experimental category. Random drum beats and guitar strings. More steel pedal. Minimal lyrics which appear to indicate he's wandering in the desert. Appropriately, a long droning sound ends it. This album is dramatic, compelling and very good. It has a great flow, pace and mix of both instrumental and lyrical songs. It fits into many category from song to song...Tex-Mex, folk, blues, jazz, country and experimental. I'll be sure to check out more Calexico.
Wed Sep 20 2023
4
Calexico was a group I was only slightly familiar with and was not expecting what I ended up hearing. I really enjoyed how varied this is and was struck by how well written and recorded each song was with each track offering something special. I was also surprised by the amount of instrumentals ranging from really fun to really weird. I wouldn't mind going back to their previous albums to capture a bigger picture of this one.
Wed Sep 20 2023
4
Nice cinematic flow to the album with the mixture of sung and instrumental tracks.
Mon Sep 25 2023
4
Hieno levy ja tÀstÀ tulee aina hyvÀlle tuulelle. En olisi tosin odottanut, ettÀ on listalla, mukava yllÀtys.
Mon Sep 25 2023
4
Ensiks kelasin et voi ei taas tÀllÀnen huokailu-indielevy, mutta tÀÀhÀn osoittautui oikeesti aika kliffaksi. Hienot aika ennakkoluulottomat soundit, ja aika kivat stygetkin. 4/5
Tue Mar 14 2023
3
This oscillated between exciting and boring, but mostly positive
Tue Mar 14 2023
3
Not super excited about this but wasn't too bad
Wed Mar 15 2023
3
I like the Mex-influenced stuff more than the Tex, thanks
Wed Mar 15 2023
3
Such a mixed bag. There's some really cool, interesting stuff happening, but it happens in between a bunch of 2000s indie double tracked nonsense. My question for the editors: Why include all these bands that want to be Neutral Milk Hotel when you could have just included them instead? Best track: Close Behind
Wed Mar 15 2023
3
Jesus fuck, what the fuck is this album cover? Actually digging the album though. Chill and folky. Super cool production choices throughout.
Thu Mar 16 2023
3
Not what I expected in the first half, more what I expected (and like less) in the last half/third
Sat Mar 18 2023
3
On the fence about much of this kind of neo-roots music. I didn't dislike this, but I think I'd rather listen to actual old music or else something in a similar vein but more particular to its times.
Wed Mar 22 2023
3
Never heard of the band before, and it was nothing like I though tit would be. Enjoyable but likely not one I return to
Thu Mar 23 2023
3
There were some parts of this I really loved and others where I just stopped paying attention. Overall, not bad. It's good stuff.
Fri Mar 24 2023
3
I like this! There was some bloat as expected but it had some interesting sounds without being Avant Garde or over the top. Saved myself 45 minutes by not listening to the extended version too, win!
Fri Mar 24 2023
3
3.25/5 I was expecting some really intense Mariachi border music. This was a nice surprise. It had some pretty orchestration and kind of dark synth bits that I enjoyed. Not bad.
Mon Apr 03 2023
3
Liked it! The instrumentals were nice.
Tue Apr 04 2023
3
Not what I was expecting at all based on the album art, but didnât blow me away. Had some cool little tunes though
Fri Apr 07 2023
3
Bra. Dock för lÄng, sista halvan lite trÄkig
Mon Apr 10 2023
3
It's OK - has a certain vibe
Mon Apr 10 2023
3
3.5
Wed Apr 12 2023
3
Honestly, I am not in the mood today for music I don't recognize or know at all. I need some familiar favourites, some easy 5-star classics. I groaned, out loud and obnoxiously when I saw this album come up. I thought "Really? More unknown fucking crap that I don't give a shit about that I have to suffer through???" But I'm having a hard time right now, so I was being a judgemental bitch. I hate the band name, the album name, and the album cover. But, and it's a big BUT, the music was chill. It wasn't the awful ear assault I was expecting and I actually looped all the way through without batting an eye. I am pleased. Not impressed, but pleased for now.
Fri Apr 14 2023
3
Never heard of this band, also removed from the book so didn't read about the album. First impression was oh no, more mid 00s Americana. Ok so it's not just that, there is variety, but for whatever reason I don't care about any of the songs, it's just on in the background. It's not bad bad. Maybe it's because I went to see Yo La Tengo last night and this is bad by comparison. Speaking of which, why is there no Yo La Tengo in this book? There are 2x Ryan Adams albums and a fair bit of this sort of meh. There's room. Anyway near the end now and this band are pretty tight, particularly on some of the more jazzy numbers, I'm giving it a 3.
Tue Apr 18 2023
3
Interesting mix of light mariachi, world, jazz. Was alright, just a general weird fusion. 5/10.
Wed Apr 19 2023
3
When I saw the cover I thought, nice we're getting some punky mexican band. Was quite surprised by the sound but I did enjoy it a lot!
Sat Apr 22 2023
3
Nothing exceptional or spectacular, but if youâre driving or cooking and want to fill the silence, itâs a nice listen.
Sat Apr 22 2023
3
An interesting mix of genres, and the genres do vary to one extent or another as the album progresses. But as far as what this album has to offer, that is more or less it.
Sun Apr 23 2023
3
Was hoping for more, didn't really do it for me