Feast of Wire

Very interesting music, really into the instrumental stuff.

was skeptical when i started this album but it ended up pretty cool! jazzier than i was expecting which was nice

Never heard of this band before, but Morricone-meets-mariachi-indie-rock sounds about right. Cool stuff!

greit

This was better than expected. Especially enjoyed the tracks when the horns came. Had a mariachi type style in some songs. Lyrically I may have been lost or not paying attention but the instrumentals on some of these tracks are really good ear food. Feeling generous today and rounding up with love.

Just great, excellently lyrical in a range of tones – hauntingly sad, mellowly picking and eerie-weird. First several songs fully engage and then "Not Even Stevie Kicks" goes in a very different, but also most pleasing direction. Rest of the record feels moodier and not quite as finished-polished, but sill quality listening. Seems needles to say that it outdistances Giant Sand's best by some margin.

Es ist einfach schön richtige Gitarren zu hören. Bläsersatz und alles, und dann noch interessante Rhythmen. Gefällt mir gut.

great album, such a wide variety of music. Songs feel like they should be in different genres of movies. great bit of jazz at the end, wondeful journey

The start of every song sounded like it was from another band. Good stuff altogether

Loved the indie western mariachi etc blend. A unique find that I'll be listening to again.

Bluesy and Latin combination of sound. Rich in musicality starting out with 3/4 time AND accordion? Yes, please. Horns in the second! Diverse and not predictable, exactly what makes an intriguing listen.

Brilliant. Interesting. Creative. First listen was a total joy. Pleased to learn of this work.

pretty diverse record. also not super consistent. low 7/10

I knew very little about this one. I like that they call their music "Desert Noir." (BTW, if you are going to listen to this album, try to hear the 20th anniversary edition, it has a good cover of "Alone Again Or" stuck in the middle of the album. Why it's not at the end of the album I do not know.) I did like the instrumentals more than some of the vocal pieces, but the range of all of the songs was all over the place (sometimes that's a bad thing, this time it was a good thing). A band I may explore more of. Top tracks: "Crumble," "Sunken Waltz," "Dub Latina," "Not Even Stevie Nicks..."

This was very impressive and enjoyable for the first 3/4s, country-rock with a latino influence. The slower songs at the end were not that good, and the variety was slightly over-ambitious. Stand-out: Across the Wire, Quattro - World Drifts In

The singing parts were so good

Acoustic Queens of the Stone Age

Really loving the vibes on this one. Reminds me a bit of the Decemberists in the best way. This is the kind of music I was hoping to discover through this project.

I tend to dislike most indie music past the 2000s. However, I enjoyed this album quite a bit. I think the horns and strings really add a lot to my overall enjoyment. The instrumental songs are also really good and add a nice flow to the album. My favorite song is easily Black Heart because it just sounds like a Placebo song and I love Placebo. Also this album cover is butt ugly

Cool fusion album

8/10 This was a pleasent surprise. 4-30-2024

Nice songs good sound

Enjoyed the Latin inspiration but not something I'd come back to

Their first song is a lot like bob dylan if he were modern. Not bad!. solid 4. especially for some of the music it played afterwards.

This is a wonderful album. Now I need to go look at the rest of their catalog... 4 stars Funny thing ; after my review I always go look at other reviews. Overall it was rated an average of 3.3...but looking at the reviews, almost all recent reviews are 4 or 5. This service needs a .5 increment rating.

a pleasant surprise! a chill experience and the best out of the albums on the list so far. I would actually play this for enjoyment, not just because of the list

I’m really enjoying this. Maybe 70’s Neil Young meets Uncle Tupelo? With some Mariachi feel thrown in. Whatever, I dig it. This is the kind of album I came to this project to discover. I’m going to need to take some time to live with this before I can make a final judgement, but it is at least a 4/5

This was different in a good way. Glad I got to discover it here. 4.

I didn’t Crumble when this came Across the Wire.

Background vibes For my film

I’ve always been aware of their existence but wasn’t aware of how good they’re. This was excellent.

A nice surprise album.

Funny, the cover art suggests that this album would be different than it is - I was totally not expecting this sound but I loved it. Perfect album for the mood I’m in today.

Expected to hate this, but I actually liked it surprisingly much. Weird sound, but pretty good!

Great mix of Indie Rock, Tex-Mex, Jazz, and Latin folk rock.

Some of this really resonated with me. I like this kind of folksy Roma, vaguely zydeco indie rock.

Love this album. I have not listened to them before. It is a pleasure listening and to their music.

Liked this, I liked the horns and it had a good atmosphere

Неожиданно хорошо. Лучшая песня - Black Heart.

Oh, this was interesting - I really liked it! Some tracks weren’t as strong as others, but on the whole, I enjoyed the atmosphere it created. Love the mariachi flair. I can absolutely see myself listening to this again. This is exactly the kind of thing that makes the project worth doing - I had never heard of this band or album, and possibly never would’ve otherwise. Favorite tracks: Sunken Waltz, Black Heart, Pepita, No Doze

This is cool, a solid 4 stars. Exactly the kind of thing I’d hoped for when starting this project, new and interesting music. Not just a deep dive into some of the esoteric favourites of a bunch of boomers. There must be more albums like this out there, weird mixtures of genres, original approaches to production. Not another Byrds album. Sorry Calexico but this review is just slagging off the boring and repetitive choices on this list.

This was really cool. Latin and western infused indie rock with some dope instrumental passages. Reminded me a bit of Wilco.

heyy this was interesting, I usually skip over melancholic indie stuff like this but it held my attention. I'd say 4.5. it lost me a little here and there but made me want to listen to more. Pepita stuck with me the most.

This was better than expected. I think I heard this band once in the past (maybe in a bad mood) and wrote them off, but this album is interesting. Zuna loved "Attack! El Robot! Attack!" - her ears perked up and she stopped chewing on her foot.

I really liked what was going on in the album; the instrumentals were fantastic. There was a lot going on: Spaghetti western-type vibes, folk sounds, some outlaw-ish grit with steel guitar & bass, Spanish flamenco fusion, jazzy themes...this album has a lot of elements that I dig a lot. The only thing keeping me from giving this album a 5 is the vocals. I felt they were whiney and didn't really fit the music. Everything else was great, though.

I really enjoyed this album! Added a few songs to my playlists too.

I like the southern baja flavour

Interesting. Didn't like some but really surprised by how interesting it got in places!

Just like that, the lame streak is over in an instant. Never heard of this group or album, but damn it was a great ride. Great variety of sounds and styles, blending some indie rock instincts with more traditional Mexican instruments and styles as well, it's a really cool combination that I didn't know I needed. Saving almost half of this one to return to, these are the kind of albums that absolutely belong on a list like this. Bravo! Favorite tracks: Black Heart, Pepita, Close Behind, Attack El Robot, Guero Canelo, Crumble, No Doze. Album art: Feel like I've seen this one many times, but never close up. It looks different close up for some reason. Cool girl sitting on a skateboard, the style is very modern. Cool cover. 4.5/5

Will listen again.

Really good

Calexico is a vibe

Jazz, folk, latin, Mariachi and Indie rock all rolled up in one big warm tortilla.

Indie fusion? I don’t know what to call it but I like it.

Between a 3 and a 4. Wouldn't mind listening to it again.

I didn't know what to expect going into this one. Was pleasantly surprised. It was good, and I'll listen to it again.

Solid inclusion on the list. It has a distinct vibe throughout that I think several indie rock bands of the era would end up exploring, but overall enjoyed it.

A nice Americana album wit a twist of Tex Amex and film noir sounds.

I liked the sound, will listen again.

After processing my disappointment that this wasn't a Latin album sung by the woman on the cover, I realized I liked it regardless. It reminded me a little bit of Fountains of Wayne. It was consistent and maybe slightly repetitive, but the instrumental tracks were appreciated and enjoyable. I'm not totally sure I'd make a point to listen to this again, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. More of a 3.5 but I'm rounding up.

I listened to this walking to the store at 6am Feb 24 after my car broke down the week before. I'm not sure why but I bsolutely loved the vibe this album had on my walk this morning. I was surprised at how long it was but I'll definitely check it out again.

Cool, spicy and melodic songwriting. I like this a lot.

Californian surfer dad drinks wine in Napa Valley. Kids have flown the nest but are only a phone call away.

Pleasantly surprised! I think you’ll know from the first song whether this is your thing or not.

Very good

Pretty good album of folk-music-influenced indie rock, but not folk rock like The Byrds, more like traditional instruments, waltzes, and mariachi

These are the records I love to find. Really interesting blend of sounds i a way I haven’t really heard done before.

liked the vibes of this album a lot, cool instrumentation and fun genre mixing

Some very cool mix of genres. Running late to work I felt like I was a desperado -

some decently juicy earthy texy-mexy stuff. a lot of tracks are really really just... nice to listen to, humble, dainty and full of sounds straight from the edge of the border. some songs have lyrics but a big majority are instrumental.

Folksy jazzy

This album would be a solid 4/5, with just a little bit of editing. Pull out “Not even Stevie Nicks” and “Attack El Robot! Attack!” and it flows so much better. That said, I really enjoy this album and Calexico’s musical formula. Definitely a must hear artist, and this album is almost as good as any from this period. Alright, I’m rounding up.

Would have thought post rock indie music would have mixed with mariachi music like steak and ice cream…..Somehow it works though

Favorites: Sunken Waltz Black Heart is beautifully operatic. Like a southwestern Bond theme. Woven birds Guero Canelo Beautiful album.

feast of wire is definitely a unique album on this list. when you thought you could pin it down, it changed its focus. in general, that's a latinx presence and an indie/alternative genre on this album. but i was reminded of the band genesis' early progressive music sometimes? the trumpets and other orchestral instruments used weren't expected, either. i don't know where calexico came from but i enjoyed this album. a different kind of listen that i really enjoyed. a 3.5 i'm happy to round up.

This was a lot of fun. Mariachindie. 83/100

Suprised that Dimery's list doesn't contain Calexico's *The Black Light* or *Hot Rail* instead, but it is true that some of the gems found in *Feast Of Wire* also make the latter a very important release within the Tucsonian band's discography. In 2003, Calexico had already acquired a good reputation in French music buffs circles, thanks to their connection to relatively popular indie acts hailing from France (where I also come from). This might explain why *Feast Of Wire* feels like a "bigger" album statesides compared to France: because a lot of American people actually discovered the band because of *that* particular album. Truth be told, all three LPs from that trilogy of albums display the same assets, and also the same "endearing" flaws. The assets are that charming and well-crafted mix of indie-rock and tex-mex mariachi influences most of the other reviewers praised in this app. And the flaws are that the tracklisting of those records always seem a little topsy-turvy and disjointed to an extent, with a few instrumental interludes that don't necessarily go to any *precise* destination. Calexico's "pueblo" aesthetics imply that they rarely care about cohesiveness anyway, favoring loosely-shaped ephemeral pleasures instead. There's a French turn of phrase for said aesthetics, by the way: "auberge espagnole" ('Spanish inn'). You throw whatever you have in your hands onto the wall and then hope that the landing sticks somehow. In *Feast of Wire*, some of the things thrown onto the wall are worthy of a Michaelangelo fresco, fortunately. With its gripping and heartrending string section inspired by Arvo Pärt and Penderecki (!), "Black Heart" is one of those wonders, and it would be a crime not to listen to this song at least once in your life. The jury's still out as to whether the rest is "essential" within the confines of a 1001-best-albums-of-all-time list. But I do hope there will be room left for the album when I establish my own ranking at the end of this project. If only for that one jewel. 3.5/5 for the purposes of this list, rounded up to 4. Which translates to a 8.5/10 grade for more general purposes. Number of albums left to review: 298 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 309 Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 169 (including this one) Albums from the list I won't include in mine (many other records are more important to me): 227

Very Chill. did not mind it. wont go looking but i did enjoy it

this thing is all over the place, in a good way.

Really liked this one. There was an obvious cajun/jazz thing going on, but it was also very spaghetti western, 90s emo, and a few other familiar sounds at times. I guess what I'm saying is that it was a little bit of everything and I liked it. The instrumentation was beautiful as well.

This album transports you to movie land, as it feels more like a score. Definitely mood setting.

I thought it was decent when I first heard it, but as I became familiar with it, I really started liking it. Overall I am very favorable. I will listen again, I will include many tracks on playlists. 4/5

While I quite enjoyed this one - especially the wide variety across the album - I struggle to understand how its inclusion on this list is justified. But well, it sounds better than many of the other albums on here anyway.

Calexico has a unique sound. A fusion of folk, Latin, electronic, and jazz elements, Calexico has created a type of folk music that sounds like the American Southwest. This beautiful collection of songs is the work of an experienced band - this is their fourth studio album. Calexico remastered Feast of a Wire for its twentieth anniversary, and added a number of live track with the reissue. The band's skill as a live act is evident, and adds another interesting dimension to this fantastic album.

Prima Indie muziek, heel muzikaal, veel leuke instrumenten.

Southwestern Americana.

I quite liked this

Впечателения нереальные. 5 не поставлю, потому что есть просто "обычные" треки. Но атака роботов и черное сердце - вау!

Enjoyed the instrumental palette from this one!

This was a new genre of music- “FESTIVE INDIE” and I’m here for it. 8/10

Really fun album that changes the sound up so much that you have to double check if you're still listening to the same thing. Indie-Mexican-Jazz. Loved it. 8/10

Þrælgóð plata.

Sucha vibe

Ému par cette belle découverte

This is a great album. The ballads are sincere, the instrumentals interesting and worthy of multiple listens. The up tempo songs (never realy very up tempo), are melodic with tight, toe-tapping rhythms and the latin tinged songs also rhythmically interesting and tight. I don't know other albums by Calexico but this one is a home run. 4 stars

I started off very much not liking this, but as it goes on, I find myself warming to it considerably. I rather think that I'll have to come back to this again.

I really liked this album! Lots of variety, maybe a few too many instrumentals, but really catchy and clear music.

Started out really fun got a bit too mellow for my tastes. Still enjoyed it

Rating: 8/10 Best songs: Woven birds, Attack! El robot! Attack

Solid album with mostly heard of them before as setbreak music as it certainly is chill and works great in the background. Perfect music to cruise the desert southwest

An album I knew nothing about prior to the suggestion. A good find, some dark sounding tunes with a latin edge.

Wow this is fire, loving this album, listened to the deluxe version with a bunch of live tracks. Amazing musicians, sounds like superb ween

Heel chill album dit. Ik zag 'indie rock band' en dacht alweer dat het middelmatige shit zou zijn, zoals zo vaak in deze lijst. Maar dit was wel een fijne verrassing. Beetje folk meets mariachi meets jazz zelfs aan het eind.

Yeah, this is pretty good!

It's pleasantly folksy and jazzy but with the various strings, horns, and accordion felt very cinematic and worldly. Soothing to listen to while studying and felt very expressive, atmospheric, and dynamic. I have very little to complain about and think repeated listenings will only make me like it more. A strong blend of genre/instrumentation and well-composed ear candy made for a fun trip and my highest rating so far. 8.5/10

Good stuff! Never heard of the band, but this is incredibly varied and interesting. It's a mix of folk and alt rock/pop. Will listen to this again. 4/5

Первые треков 5 шел на пятерочку:)

hit me with a little groove a little shimmy. makes arizona sound like the place to be and not an oven inhabited by California republicans

Indie, mariachi, jazzy, folksy. Very interesting

Lovely album - eclectic, without trying too hard and all the while forming a cohesive whole. Love the Mexican / Latin tinge to the songs. One small fault is Side B, does meander a tiny bit compared to the compact directness of the first half, but it is pleasant nonetheless.

It seemed a bit all over the place at first but there are some really cool songs on here with a variety of genres

A nice little flair sprinkled throughout this.

Un mix de pleind e genre, mais c'est super entrainant, j'ai aimé l'album du début a ala fin. 4.25

When I hope for some more progressive country music it is something like this record I have in mind. While a bit too eclectic here and there I very much enjoyed it.

I'd listen to it again

this was fun! maybe fave new album of this experience so far

very nice

Love the instrumentation. Love the vibe. This is exactly the type album that keeps me coming back to this list…something unique, of high quality, and most importantly something I would not have otherwise been aware of.

Heel uniek geluid. Een soort popversie van een mariachi-band. Maar wel tof

This is a nice mix of acoustic indie, Tex-Mex, jazz and occasionally electronica. They explore different styles and it all comes together seamlessly, with no song sounding out of place. Joey Burns has a great voice that is easy to listen to over two CDs. I'm sure with another listen this would be a 5, but I'm off the a Jays game.

Calexico is such a unique band, I'm quite sure there isn't another band with this style/sound. I see that this album was released 20 years ago but it sounds like it could have been released yesterday, its truly timeless music. The song-craft and performances here are top shelf. I don't think their earlier 2005 album In the Reins is on this list, but it features my all-time favourite Calexico song - He Lays in the Reins, which is simply majestic. Please check it out if you're not familiar with it. However, this album is close in quality, really wonderful, lovely music.

Very funky. Absolutely amazing food for the brain

Evocative and enjoyable, without quite hitting the heights I would have hoped for. Fun though, and a band I would be happy to hear more from.

Ensiks kelasin et voi ei taas tällänen huokailu-indielevy, mutta täähän osoittautui oikeesti aika kliffaksi. Hienot aika ennakkoluulottomat soundit, ja aika kivat stygetkin. 4/5

Hieno levy ja tästä tulee aina hyvälle tuulelle. En olisi tosin odottanut, että on listalla, mukava yllätys.

Yllättäviä biisejä ja kivan monipuolinen kokoelma!

This music is probably the TexMex of Mexican style music but I don't care. There is a nice blend of Indie/Alternative and sounds that sound culturally Mexican too my untrained ear. I really enjoyed this and will probably return again at some point. Sunken Waltz, Quatro and Close Behind were probably my favorites.

"Desert noir" is the perfect description for this, and it was quite a tasty treat

Good 2000s Indie stuff, albeit a bit bloated.

Nice cinematic flow to the album with the mixture of sung and instrumental tracks.

HL: "Sunken Waltz", "Black Heart", "Close Behind", "Güero Canelo", "No Doze" holay, album of the week? (it's Monday today, just mean the last 7 days) What a trippy blend of genres & influences. Fits in with the notion that my favourite country albums are actually country fusion or country-adjacent. The cover of "Alone Again Or", which fits in perfectly with Calexico's eclectic sound, is a cherry on top. September 18, 2023 (later)

I saw Calexico and listened to a seven minute long double bass solo. I started laughing after 30 seconds in a totally silent auditorium, and I think I ruptured my gooch trying to hold in the sound for so long. Despite that, I still love Calexico and really enjoyed this album, and you can't say fairer than that.

"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.

Really good sound

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.

Saw their sound described as “Desert Noir” and I can’t think of a much better description than that. Calexico is a big band with lots going on and I’m a fan of all of it. Really great driving record here, there’s 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

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

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

Cool different sound. Kinda like Spaghetti Western soundtracks.

I really like this blend of jazz, western, mariachi, and folk rock. Would go perfectly with a sizzling plate of Tex-Mex.

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!

Would summing up this pleasantly surprising, Sunday morning-worthy discovery as “MexiWilco” be clever or offensive (I’ll take my answer off air)?

Wow really surprised by this one. Super cool album. Lots of different stylistic elements including western, jazz, and latin.

Interesting mix of early indie rock and LatAm music. Whipping The Horse's Eyes is basically Pink Floyd with maracas and steel guitar.

i just happened to be travelling through the desert while listening to this and it was good. wasn’t crazy about every song but a great listening experience overall and one i’ll probably return to.

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.

Really strange and enjoyable

I really enjoyed this album. I’ll check out more from this artist for sure. I like the folk rock and jazz vibes from this eclectic album.

A lot going on and it sounds good.

Well that awesomeness came out of nowhere!

Calexcellent

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

I loved the blended of genres on this album - a great listen!

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

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 that’s possible.

Enjoyed

Such a WEIRD fucking album, but good weird. I can’t even give this album a genre. I went into this with zero expectations because of the album cover, but I was very pleasantly surprised.

A capa é feia hein. Eu estava pensando, talvez eu pudesse ir rankeando de música em música, mas talvez isso fizesse eu perder o interesse de ouvir de novo uma música que eu não gostei agora, mas acharia boa no futuro, então vou continuar apenas dizendo se vale a pena reouvir o álbum ou não, ou talvez apenas citar as músicas que eu gostei agora. Black Heart: o som é cabuloso, faz eu me sentir na foto do single de Gold on the Ceiling, brabo. Por favor Eu do futuro, escute esse álbum de novo, ele é diferente de tudo que eu já ouvi, simplesmente a ambientação que ele passa, sei lá, é pesada, muito bommm mesmo, poggers.

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

I very much enjoyed this charming, eclectic collection of songs.

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.

Ik ken deze band van naam omdat dit de muzikanten waren die samen met een zanger Giant Sand waren, maar eigenlijk nooit de moeite genomen om goed te luisteren; ten onrechte, zo blijk! Prachtig plaatje.

4.0

Yeah it’s cool certainly a kinda unique style but no individual tracks have really popped out so 4/5

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

A good comfort album. I think they successfully brought the genre into the new century.

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.

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.

Beautiful

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.

Great combination of alternative rock and Latin/mexican music, unique sounding

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

Pleasantly surprised with how much I liked this one.

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.

Slightly uneven start but ends up being an incredible record overall. Loved it. 4.5 stars

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

Decent album. A little all over the place, but still an enjoyable listen. 3/5 Might listen again

Laid-back desert grooves, warm horns, folky at its core. But it gets messy in the experimental in-between tracks.

I used to enjoy Calexico when they were on mountain stage. Haven't listened to a full album though. I liked the horns in across the wire. I liked the album, not loved. I kind of lump it in with southern rock like Wilco and Drive by Truckers.

Pretty good vibes. Best when not singing.

Good. But not as good as some of their other work.

Mexican Countey with a CA sensibility

Not my era and hadn't heard of Calexico. I quite liked it, but it's a long way from excellence. Feels like any old band could make an album and expect to join this list. I'll be kind and go for a standard score of three.

not that i would put it on my daily playlist but i enjoyed it

De l'indé pas dégueu.

Good early 00's sound with Arizona flavor due to the band's origins. Some songs better than others.

One of the finest guitar riffs ive listen to but top many instrumental, song with vocals are pretty nice

This album does not appear in my version of the book, so was a bit of a surprise, not unpleaseantly so. I'd never heard of Calexico until today. Reminds me musically in parts of Zorn or maybe I'm misremembering. Not a huge fan of the Mariachi sound. Quattro (World Drifts In) Black Heart Pepita Woven Birds

This is like coffee-shop Tex-Mex and Americana. I kinda liked it. It was pleasant and relaxing, and it managed to paint a picture of the American desert all without making the listener leave the comfort of their living room. Key tracks: Black Heart Not Even Stevie Nicks...

Desert noir vibes too dark alt country for a Mexican restaurant but too Mariachi for dive bar.

Some really interesting stuff mixed with some okay stuff.

I'm not even sure where to start on this one, but I'm going to begin with the cover. You'd be fair in expecting a Sublime-esque experience but you're actually going to get something closer to Pedro the Lion. Though there are flashes of Mexican infused indie-folk, it's heartbeat is more akin to something readers of Pitchfork fawn over..indie for the sake of being indie. Add in quite a few musical interludes that don't really fit and Feast of Wire becomes a somewhat strange bird. You're already off balance and Calexico do little to help ground you. There are hints of greatness here but the effect they have is to shine a light on how frustrating the album is when consumed as a whole.

Cool album. Enjoyed first half more than second Standout songs: Quattro Black Heart Woven Birds

Album #94: Feast of Wire - Calexico Genre (W): Indie rock, americana, Tex-Mex, alternative country No singles. I have not listened to this album before. Thoughts?: My favorite parts of this album were the arrangements and genre-bending. I’ve never heard an album sound quite like this one, it reminded me a lot of Portishead if they did country music. Not all the songs stuck with me, but this is an interesting album regardless. Favorite songs: Sunken Waltz, Quattro (World Drifts In), Black Heart, Not Even Stevie Nicks…, Close Behind, Across the Wire, No Doze

Started strong with the waltz number. Some easy songs to listen to but never fully delivers.

Pretty good. A lot of it sounds like a soundtrack, but a pretty good soundtrack.

Nice amount of variety, grew on me

Another band that I have tried to get into during my indie phasE and the just never clicked. I like the Latin influence on a few songs but not too sure about the song writing

Feels like a bunch of unconnected sonic experiments. Some good, some not so good, but nothing that sticks with me

Like Calexico but this was not the best

Borderless indie rock and desert noir built from warm guitars, mariachi-inflected horns, brushed percussion, and hushed vocals feels like traveling through a sun-bleached border town at dusk where every street corner holds a different memory—cinematic, richly textured, and quietly hypnotic. The album weaves intimacy and sprawl together with remarkable ease, balancing storytelling detail with expansive atmosphere. Its slow-burning pace enhances its mood rather than dulling it.

Sunken Waltz - 3/5 Quattro (World Drifts In) - 4/5 Stucco - no rating Black Heart - 5/5 Pepita - 3/5 Not Even Stevie Nicks... - 3/5 Close Behind - 4/5 Woven Birds - 3/5 The Book and the Canal - no rating Attack El Robot! Attack! - 4/5 Across the Wire - 3/5 Dub Latina - 3/5 Güero Canelo - 4/5 Whipping the Horse's Eyes - no rating Crumble - 3/5 No Doze - 3/5 Average score: 3.5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ it was a fairly pleasant listen overall. i've heard alt-country before, but this group kind of a mariachi vibe to it that i haven't seen anywhere else before. wonder if they're gonna create an "alt-mariachi" genre for these guys and whoever else follows in their footsteps as nice as most of the tracks were, there weren't enough tracks that stuck with me to justify a higher rating this time. still, this was a fresh and interesting listen that I'm grateful to hear after a rather crummy album discovery week

3/5

Un peu chelou, un peu bien

No termine de entender bien que genero es. Como medio un country raro, pero después cambia de genero, se pone como más oscuro. Está piola, no me vuelve loco. Un par de temas me coparon bastante. 6/10

High quality but a bit on the country side for me.

Favorite Tracks: - Sunken Waltz - Quattro (World Drifts In) - Close Behind

The definition of indie.

Wow, a rare band from Tucson...and never heard of them. Sounded ok...can appreciate the Mexican influences.

I like this band a ton. For some reason I didn't know this one. Good stuff. Consistent with the rest of their output. I just wish it hit me harder.

Country, folklore, in een modern poppy jasje met best interessant, out of the box, instrument gebruik. Soms bijna soort filmmuziek. Leuk gedaan. Attack el robot attack is heel vet.

An interesting listen, on the cusp of a 4

An enjoyable album, tempted with a 4, but I think that would have been generous.

3.5/5 Interesting as background music but too much meh to warrant a 4

Its alr. 6.4/10

Gear: ZMF Bokeh Closed Artwork: 👩‍🦰😏🛹 Production (2023 Remaster): 😐👍🆗 Music: 🌟🌵🪗 Rating: 🛜🛜🛜(🛜)/5

Album was a mix. Enjoyed the indie sounding stuff.

It’s fine.

Not bad music by any means, they're clearly great musicians with an interesting mix of influences. That being said, this album is more indie pop than Latin influences, and they really lose me with their indie sound.

GOOD STUFF

Ok

Another album I’ve never heard of before! Yay! Sunken Waltz was a lovely start. As is typical with a waltz, it was very smooth. Quattro was an awesome, faster track. Stucco was a nice shorter one. Black heart was a beautiful ballad. I loved it a lot. Pepita was a very nice instrumental track! Not Even Stevie Nicks had some awesome guitar. Close Behind was another cool instrumental track. Woven Birds was also a very pretty track, slow, but packed full of juicy music. The Book and the Canal was some gorgeous piano. Attack el robot attack was another awesome instrumental track. The horns were really cool. Across the wire was super fun, followed by Dub Latina. Guero canelo was a super cool track. Whipping the horses eyes was good, and I liked the drums in crumble. No Doze was an apt closer. 3/5 ⭐️ 110/1089

I’ve always found Calexico pretty boring…

It was fine. I've got no arguments from it, although I prefer Mexican to Tex-Mex

Ok record but nothing really grabbed me? I did enjoy the jazzy bits.

Pretty good album, nice blend of indie/alternative and Latin feel. Songs are decent.

Good album, just not one ill be listening to for fun. 3

Mellow, listenable, but folky rock like this isn't for me. 3.

Good. 3.5

5/10 Medio aburrido, sirve para tener de fondo, los ritmos son buenos y suaves, pero bastante soso

Calexico är alldeles utmärkta, blandningen mellan nån form av country och det mexifärgade är kul och lyckad, lite Los Lobos fast i en annan skepnad. Ett trevligt band som alltid levererar utan att riktigt nå dom där höjderna. Jag har en väldig respekt för den typen av band. Väldigt trevliga live är dom också, har sett dom ett par gånger. Feast of wire är sympatisk, lite lång, får en på bra humör och har sina minnesvärda stunder, "Woven birds" är exempelvis ganska så underbar. Jag hittar egentligen inga väsentliga klagomål alls men heller ingen riktig x-faktor. Det är bra kort och gott

Caleixo kan göra bra ökenlåtar och är skickliga stämningsbyggare. Logiskt att de också gjort filmmusik. Men tyvärr är sånginsatsen från Joey Burns lite svag och anonym. Jämför med närbesläktade Giant sand, där Howe Gelb vid mikrofonen, låter som han tuggat sand i hela sitt liv. Bästa låtar: Black heart, Sunken waltz, Güero Canelo, Crumble.

The jazzy bits make it for me. The dark country elements are ok. 3/5

I really liked this, but it was too long. 3.5

I don't know what I was expecting from this album but it certainly wasn't this. I'm pleasantly surprised

Pleasant, inoffensive, borderline catchy. Fits in with a lot of indie from that era, most notably sounding like The Shins (also a subpop band). Maybe works against them, but i thought it was decent.

higher 3 nice change of pace

this was a cool medley of sounds, net album/artist for me

I rather enjoyed this, particularly how it incorporates Mexican influences into otherwise indie rock, and there was one track that had a definite jazz feel. I was very close to giving this 4 stars, and maybe I will after I return to it. Perhaps it felt a little meandering at times which is where my only hesitation comes from. I also learned one of the band are in Giant Sand which I had previously from the list, although it appears I preferred Calexico but I’ll have to reconsider them if this lands properly on future listens.

Not bad. I hated the jazz parts, but overall an interesting and eclectic mix of genres

Actually pretty cool offering from a band I'd never heard of. Like Ennio Moriconne produced an indie folk rock album.

Interesting, but forgettable.

6/10

It’s alright. A middle of the road, turn of the century Indie album in the vein of Margot And The Nuclear So & So’s or Neutral Milk Hotel. Artsy and a bit weird. Enjoyed the songs with the mariachi flavor more than the rest of the album, which wasn’t bad. 3.5⭐️

Interesting mix of genres on here but nothing mind-blowing here. 2.5

uma vibe meio wannabe latinidades legal e com bastante instrumental. salvei uma ou duas músicas. bacaninha.

Laid-back Mexican-influenced music with indie singer/songwriter vibes. So many styles in one album. I liked it more than I thought I would. But it does sound very white-guy-does-Mexican-music. Album 31, March 29, 2026

Chill, Mexi-influenced (?) singer/songwriter-type music.

I do love the sound that Calexico is able to build up, with their orchestra of acoustic strings, slide guitar, and tasteful percussion. But I found the album to be a bit tiresome and repetitive. I was probably most excited by the Pink Panther-esque “Crumble,” which was definitely an outlier.

Don’t judge a book by its cover…..cool folk rock and enjoyable song writing came out of an album which I thought was going to be some Chicano rap. Honestly I would’ve probably enjoyed that more. 3.5

Different sound. Has a chillaxed feel. I didn't hate it.

Going to give this 3 stars as there was some good stuff on here in and amongst the country vibes. There were even some slide guitar moments that weren't too bad. Definitely some tracks on here I'll check out again, overall 3 out of 5

Definitely a good album, good production quality too!

2026.0321-23

Interesting Americana album that covers Country, Western, Indie and pop tones. The vocals are similar to Bon Iver and there are even touches of Morricone and Mexican vibes. Worth the listen.

Just like Taco Bell It's very good, but isn't very authenticlly "Latin American" even if there are hints of it here and there

I always enjoyed Calexico more live that I did on record, though Feast of Wire isn’t too shoddy. The songs are for the most part quite concise, and there are some lovely musical moments, but unfortunately, Joey Burns vocals consistently get lost in the mix. My highlights are “Black Heart” – its cinematic arrangement is wonderfully evocative of small-town western drama - and the folky pop of “Not Even Stevie Nicks…” which reminds me of the much-missed Orange Humble Band. 6/10

Kinda forgettable but not irritating.

I'm giving this an extra star because of the instrumentals which are always appreciated (and this particular singer sucks on the singing songs). I guess mariachi shit is not for me.

This is pretty great! But I would have preferred it to end just before Across the Wire. It’s too long

its nice but the album is just not for me. horrible album art btw

I listened to 45 minutes ("Sunken Waltz" - "Convict Pool"). Idk if there's another disc but I'm happy with that. I digged this album; Latin American fusion? There were notes of jazz, indie, Latin music, and it was cool. I like crumble a lot; when the guitar solo comes in is super satisfying. Strong 6 to light 7

I tend to want variety in what I'm listening to day-to-day: changing up the genres and such. I'm getting tired of listening to white dudes. That being said, the second half of this album was refreshing thanks to the cumbia, dub, robots, etc. When the Mexican horns and accordion hit on "Across The Wire" . . . what a relief! I didn't care for the singing, but I enjoyed the percussion, strings, and that ever-welcome slide guitar.

the first and last songs are great but I forgot to keep listening in the in between. It’s both eclectic and boring somehow

Some cool moments, "Black Heart" was by far my favourite, along with "The Book and the Canal", and "Attack! El Robot! Attack". Other than that, it didnt really catch me.

75

Hard to know what I think about this eclectic mix of styles, even after two listens. Some tracks I really liked a lot, some I just wanted to FF through and didn't get at all. 3.0

Chill. 6/10

Took a look at the album cover. Figured I may have an idea, then dove in. I accidentally kinda liked it quite a bit. I couldn't tell you why or how, but I liked that album. I don't think anything stood out as specifically the most genius writing ever, but it's extremely cohesive. Arranging, honestly? Kinda stellar. Competent, emotional songwriting coupled with the band being alright makes for a good backdrop to put it all. The mariachi and other Tejano music influence is cool and works well. Some of it sounds like white guys from Tucson, but some of it sounds pretty good. Dunno, expected really nothing and found a little gem. I'd listen again.

Album #29, Calexico, Feast of Wire ⭐⭐⭐ This is pretty close to my kind of thing. I like indie and alternative country like this. Maybe not so much Tex Mex, but I’ve never really gotten into Calexico or Los Lobos properly. Every now and then a song of theirs comes on and I usually enjoy it. This is the first Calexico album I’ve listened to in full. I’ve seen them live as well, but I barely remember it, which probably says something. I’m sure I enjoyed it at the time. It’s a good album, but there are too many instrumentals for me. Having seen them live, I now remember there were loads of instrumental sections there too, so I get that it’s part of what they do. It just doesn’t do much for me. Some of them sound like film soundtrack pieces, and I don’t really reach for that kind of thing. A few are cool though. Some have a trip hop feel, heavy drums and strange strings, which I liked. Not exactly trip hop, but in that territory. The best thing about the band is Joey Burns’ voice. There’s something about it that I really like. It’s understated and vulnerable, and it suits the music perfectly. I just wish there was more of him singing on this record. Not all the songs are that memorable either. The opening two tracks are very strong and made me think the album was going to be excellent, but I lost interest as it went on. It gets three stars because there are some very good songs here. My favourite was “Not Even Stevie Nicks”, which honestly sounds like a Wilco song and is probably the biggest outlier on the album. Maybe that says something. I think what I’d actually prefer is a more stripped back version of Calexico, or even a Joey Burns solo acoustic album. So if any fans are reading this, point me in that direction. More of him, less of the instrumentals.

I was worried when this started with a folk-country opening, but it had a number of more interesting tracks incorporating different styles. The last track I feel like I’ve heard but I don’t know where. Some of this was in 4 territory, some of it 1. Landed on a 3 - would seek out and listen to some of these tracks again.

There were a few songs that I liked, but overall, the music really washed out his voice. I could barely hear him or the lyrics and it made for kind of an exhaustive listening experience. The music itself was very good, however.

Would not buy

Remix albums, not for me Nice sounds From country indie to smooth jazzesc Strangely varied

Gets better the weirder and bigger it goes - often expansive, sometimes epic. Somewhere between Tom Waits, Roy Hargrove and Mumford & Sons, no prizes for guessing which end of this album's diverse spectrum lands best with me... Long.

A little jazzy, a little salsa-y, a pretty fine album

Rv

An interesting album, just not my style

Já, þetta er einhvers konar indie-mariachi combó. Það fer ekkert í taugarnar á mér en gerir jafnframt ekkert fyrir mig, ég er bara ekki í mariachi-liðinu, þrátt fyrir Rex og pex í Mexíkó. Látum eina hlustun nægja og höldum áfram.

Wasn't familiar with Calexico - pretty much fine, won't seek it out but enjoyed listening to it

Some pretty fun stuff! Not overly unique but some elements that make it stand out in my opinion. 3/5

Pretty chill, but kind of mid. Ryan kind of likes it. Ryans him of Liam Gallagher.

What to say? Enjoyable. Good. But not great. 3 stars.

Kind of a random mix of genres but it works. Very elevator music vibes at times, but not in a bad way at all. Probably wouldn't listen to again

Wow, this was surprisingly cool. Never heard of these guys but I can see how their sound would blend into the crowd.

Mid. Rate 5/10

Very easy listening. I should look into this artist more

A latin alternative album that has a movie soundtrack like vibe to it. Highlights: “Quattro” and “Not Even Stevie Nicks…”

Güero Canelo was easily the best track, I wasn’t sure if those were didgeridoo noises in the background or some kind of vocal effect, but it really captured my attention. Aside from that, a decently listenable album all around.

Pretty cool.

I love this sound. Another artist that works very much within conventions but creates a sound that is both unique and timeless; this sounds like it could have come out of any decade from the 1970s to 2020s. A couple of ear worms. It definitely flags in places; the instrumentals don't hold up. A solid, if not brilliant, album that is gives a lot of joy.

The first song really made me feel like I was going to endure a really bad 47 minutes of music, thank god that changed by song 2. This album had a concoction of so many genres and sounds, some of which I loved some I didn’t so much. That being said the good did outweigh the bad for me. They were very experimental, and I did enjoy there more indie sounds. I really liked the song structures and the melodies on display. The vocals are brilliant. You can tell that they’re very absorbed in all that they take inspiration from here. There’s so many different sounds and styles to dissect, it definitely take more than just one listen to decipher this complex record. Favourite songs are: ‘Quattro - World Drifts In’, ‘Black Heart’, and ‘Not Even Stevie Knick’s’.

honestly if it were just instrumental it might have been 5 stars

Never before have I encountered an album cover that is less reflective of the music.

Nice to hear a return to the older style of an album composed of 14 two-and-a-half-minute songs. You don't see that all the time in the 21st century. The opener, Sunken Waltz, is a little lacklustre considering it's many people's introduction to Feast of Wire – but it's still passable. Nice, jaunty accordion and acoustic guitar playing. Quattro - World Drifts In is a much more viable pick for an album's opening track. It's hushed, fast-paced, mysterious. And surprisingly complex. Kind of Latin-American-sounding too. The intros and exits of horns and slide guitars throughout the song give it plenty of personality. Black Heart takes a much darker turn, featuring microtonal strings that verge on creepy. Reminds me a bit of the strings in Radiohead's Climbing Up The Walls. A cool track that starts off (seemingly) weak but really picks up steam throughout. Later in the album, Not Even Stevie Nicks feels like slightly lazy songwriting. Almost like this Calexico singer (Joey Burns) forgot to run the track past a test audience before forcibly etching it into the record. The melody is kind of lacking and there's nothing interesting going on sonically (save for a few drum beats). The instrumentals are cool, but sometimes a bit limp songwriting-wise, and/or kind of similar to other songs earlier in the album. Close Behind is really enjoyable until you realise it's a carbon copy of Sunken Waltz, only with strings instead of vocals. It's still enjoyable after that, but less so. Across the Wire is pretty similar to Sunken Waltz, too, though slightly happier (and the inferior waltz). The Book and the Canal is actually surprisingly great – but after less than two minutes, it suddenly tapers out. (What happened? Where did my beautiful soaring string masterpiece go?) The instrumental run of Whipping the Horse's Eye / Crumble / No Doze is a kind of limp way to end the record. Convict Pool should've been the closer. Güero Canelo is the best song on the record, barely edging out Quattro and Black Heart. It's the only one that pushes any kind of musical boundary, and the acoustic guitar melody is pretty great. Plus, there's electric keyboard – the best instrument texture in rock, no contest. 3/5 Key tracks: Quattro - World Drifts In, Black Heart, Güero Canelo