Reviews (page 4 of 8)
TexMex bluesy country acoustic indie referência - 4 estrelas
Interesting sound scapes in the first half of the album. Lost me in the second half..
I have never heard this band before. they weren't what I was expecting, in a good way.
This was my first time listening to Calexico, and while I don’t have strong feelings about it, I found myself enjoying the album more than I expected. It’s not necessarily a genre I seek out, but the mix of desert rock, Americana, and cinematic atmosphere worked well. From what I’ve read, Feast of Wire is considered the point where the band really came into their own, and I can see why, as it feels confident and cohesive. I might not go out of my way to revisit it, but if they were on the bill at a show I was at, I’d happily stick around to watch their set.
Not too bad
Didn’t mind this AT ALL. Might even re-listen. Yet, I’ll err on the side of three stars.
Nice enough
Probably makes a good film soundtrack,
I liked it but wasn't blown away. I thought I was going to like it a lot more than I did after a very strong opening. I liked the Latin-sounding ones... the rest weren't as engaging.
sent a shudder down my spine, didn't really listen
Best Track - "Sunken Waltz"
Never heard more about these guys than the name. Pleasantly surprised by the myriad influences on their sound. The wiki described it as "desert noir"? I guess so? Great music for a dusty cantina or a late night car ride in the middle of nowhere. Eminently listenable.
i really liked it!
A very cool album. Lots to get excited about, including some good instrumentals. I liked a lot of the non-standard instrumentation, too. I could see myself becoming a Calexico guy - very into this album.
So many styles yet so little substance. All over the place production wise. Not a good listen at all
I dig it. Lots of indie rock and Latin infusion.
A pleasant surprise. Very listenable. Some nice tracks, trumpet.
2003 was a year I was consuming a lot of new music, but somehow this band escaped my notice until 2025. I'm not sure if I would have liked it then, but I definitely do now. I'll definitely be exploring their discography further. The "sounds like a Western movie soundtrack" songs are what I'd like to hear more of. Favorites: anything with sounds from Mexican music Could do without: breathy indie stuff ⭐⭐⭐ for the music ⭐ For the freshness ⭐⭐⭐⭐
very smooth and atmospheric, but certainly meaty enough to make me stay interested. certainly sounds Southwestern. an album that only could have come from the arid hills of Southern Arizona deserves to be one of the 1001? iirc The Black Light is the most celebrated album of theirs, but i don't mind this one being the Calexico pick. they deserve a spot. sure
:)
J'ai écouté d'une oreille distraite mais il a tourné en boucle au moins 3 fois, j'ai entendu des trucs cools et des trucs bizarres, un mix un peu chelou mais pas désagréable dans l'ensemble
J’ai pas compris la DA… j’ai dû aller sur Wikipedia pour me confirmer ce que j’écoutais. C’est pas degueu mais cet album va dans tous les sens et c’est dommage.
Pas trop mal came, mais quelques sonorités sympa. 3/5
For some reason, I felt predisposed to dislike Feast of Wire. However, I kept listening to the album and, even though it might straddle the "soundtrack to a non-existent movie" fence, I could not find anything I actually disliked.
i'm going to be thinking about this album for weeks - it's the perfect blend of what i HATE... and LOVE... in this genre-scape. some of these songs i can't stand!! some of these songs i can't get enough of!! what's up with that??? the songs that really leaned into the country, acoustic, singer-songwriter bullshit were the ones i was ready to skip (for the most part, if the guy isn't singing, i'm enjoying myself). but the ones that leaned more into jazzy, experimental desert rock were TOTALLY up my alley - i could listen to these songs on repeat for days!! i need to study this album in a lab. i need to analyze it. this is crazy. i love music!! highlights - quattro - world drifts in, black heart, pepita, across the wire, guero canelo
Definitely an alternative mix.
Pretty unique production for a country album, especially on songs like Close Behind. Starts off pretty stardard but then it dives into Trip Hop, blues and also latin music? Very unique and they do it all with such finesse. Black Heart sounds like Portishead (one of my fav bands) doing an alt-country song and its cool af. I was intrigued all the way through.
Mexican inflected indie. Good shit.
This album is decent, not sure why it's on the list
Ganske kjedelig album, tamt.
Surprised how much I enjoyed this. Pretty sure I’ve never heard of this band. First half better than the second, but overall a solid record. 4/5
I truly have no comment lmao
This album surprised me. It had very little mariachi music and almost no horns, but instead was more indie . The Woven song sounded a bit like Sufjan Stevens and Guerro with its low grumbling voices and the heavy orchestration surprised me. Woven song Sufan Steven’s Thought it would be more Mexican Guerro great yelling voices, grumbling and low Close behind orchestral like what’s his name Book and canal the piano guy I like
Nice guitars.
yeah alriught
yeah ok
Feels like ten genres in one album, but still somehow comes together through brilliant instrumental work and interesting songwriting. The album starts with a country/folk introduction, followed by "Quattro" that seems more alternative, followed by "Black Heart" that moves towards a dark & moody ballad. The album continues like this leaving me feeling confused but somehow in a really good way.
I have heard their songs here and then on the radio but never listened to a whole album before. Quite o.k. but nothing that really hooks me. Expected much more mexicana. 2,5
Meh
Not sure what to make of this, honestly. Started off really promising and my ears perked up, then it went in to the mariachi stuff, then it felt like a film soundtrack. They were all interesting in their own way but it does not make for a cohesive album for me
Blew my expectations out of the water. I kinda wish there were more tracks with vocals on it though. Apart from that, no complaints.
Too bad I wasn't able to find the hidden track because this album is awesome! I guess I'll have to buy it! So many instruments played by one guy! I always admire a multi-instrumentalist!
It's okay in places but not very memorable
Their instrumental stuff is best.
I bought the prior album "Hot Rail" way back when and it never really clicked. Now I'm older/duller I really enjoyed the vibe - although the actual songs are a bit lacking. Notable that that I song I enjoyed most - Alone Again Or - was a Love cover (much better than the Love version). The album cover is truly shit which shades it down to a 3 for me.
Feast of Wire I absolutely LOVED this album when it came out, but I’m not sure I’ve really revisited it that much over the last 22 or so years. Listening now it very specifically takes me back to 2003, and I’m also glad to say, nostalgia aside, that I think it still holds up as a very fine album of Western-Americana-Indie-Folk-Rock-Pop. The country twangs, Tex Mex horns and overall deserty feel are all deployed skillfully, never feeling gimmicky and giving the whole thing a lovely, dusty, lived in ambience. The songs I remember most clearly are Sunken Waltz, Quattro, Black Heart and Not Even Stevie Nicks, and those still remain the stand outs, bearing lovely melodies and atmospherics, but there are other great tracks too, Across the Wire is lovely and of the many instrumentals Pepita and Close Behind are nicely evocative and Attack! El Robot! Attack! And Crumble add a great bit of jazziness. I’m glad I still liked this, and happy to give it a high 4. 🤠🤠🤠🤠 Playlist submission: Not Even Stevie Nicks
I actually saw these cats in Shoreditch about ten years ago. Mainly on the strength of the Love cover which they do jolly well - wish I'd appreciated them more then. A slow-burn album, but one that envelopes the listener in a sound that could only emanate from the southern lands of the US. Cowboy acoustic instrumentals, slide guitars and reverb create the desert heat of Arizona. 'Borderlands' folk, mixes TexMex mariachi horns and Latin rhythms. The seed of the brilliant Other Lives, War on Drugs, Phospherescence is all here. This is the band Gomez could've been. Grizzly Bear was outstanding and this almost puts it in the shade. A true masterpiece.
Easy going, back roundish music, inoffensive
jazzy
Yeah man, that hit the spot. Some great songs full of atmosphere, some nifty precise acoustic based arrangements, a touch of the exotic and likeable understated vocals. Now and again a superb album like this comes along and reminds me why I am doing this project.
Great company on the old twisted road.
A new and interesting listen for me, never heard before and mostly decent. Sits somewhere between a 3 and a 4 for me, the duff tracks and excessive length weren't enough to drag iit down to a 3 but it was a close call.
A very enjoyable mix of American borderland music. A bit hit and miss, but more hits than misses.
I was unfamiliar with Calexico, was pleasantly surprised with the album, enjoyed it very much. There are parts where I thought I was listening to Neil Finn/Crowded House, (which I love). Great blend of melancholy for a fine an autumn day.
A surprise (to me) band in the 1001 album challenge Nice to hear trumpets in the mix from time to time I do prefer the songs with lyrics to the instrumentals, and I can see a few of these making it into my collection
Not for me and too moody
A Nice one, but exactly up my alley.
I know the band but not this record. I heard an older one and I saw them at a festival (good band). I don't like the purist version of Americana, but they're definitely not purists. They throw in enough different influences to keep it interesting for me. Good record for the book, because I think they should have been bigger than they are. Lots of people who would like them probably never heard of them. Favorite song: attack! el robot! attack!
3.4 2x
I like the multiple instrumental tracks, especially. It feels like really soft pop, enjoyable but hard to pay attention to. A nice mix of genres. 3/5
wasn't expecting to like this as much as i did
Well, this looks to be another intriguing discovery. For those who don't know, Calexico is a long-running indie rock band from Tucson, Arizona, founded by drummer John Convertino and multi-instrumentalist Joey Burns. Their musical style is often considered as "desert noir"; a blend of traditional Latin sounds, country, and post-rock. After listening to their breakthrough record, Feast of Wire, the band fit that description to a T. There's a hypnotic feel to the group's ability to weave their influences with the elegant string and trumpet accompaniments, warm pedal steel, spacious guitar lines, the soft rhythm section, and Joey's cold, fried vocal delivery. Most of the songs offer rich, immediate compositions paired with lyrics that feel indebted to the Chicano culture and mysticism surrounding the desert iconography. From the gang life described in "Güero Canelo" to the decadent plaza on "Woven Birds", the imagery painted a striking scenery of hardship and toil for these lives, and I have to commend the group for the vividness in the songwriting. The only thing that holds me back from fully enjoying this record is the multiple short instrumental interludes. Most of them sounded pleasant and well-composed, to the point where some tracks like "Pepita" and "The Book and the Canal" could have been expanded into their own fully fleshed-out tunes. Instead, I'm left with the odd sentiment that the runtime had to be padded out with these interludes. Still, I overall enjoyed Feast of Wire, as Calexico managed to carve out their niche and deliver well on it.
This was excellent! Indie but a also bit country, and a bit of Mexico in there as well. Somehow it all works - songs are complex but short - they never overstay their welcome. I played this 4 times through, good mellow music for a rainy day.
ok
This is a vibe, and a fun discovery. Western vibes, indie, very enjoyable and entirely new to me (both the band and album). What a solid addition, very atmospheric. Feels like the best album you've never heard of. 5* Highlights: pepita, the book and the canal (lovely instrumentals), across the wire (the mariachi influence)
surprising
loved it, loved it. as i tweeted a few hours ago, considering i am not coming a family of music lovers, i crave finding new bands/artists every single day, and that's makes my life worth living.
Not bad in any way, all the songs are nice and pleasant, but a ton of them feel like half-realized ideas and end up just sounding like interludes. 6/10
Great Saturday afternoon album. Relaxed, mariachi/jazz/classical vibe.
A diverse southwestern delight marvelously executed and humanizing
3.5 - liked it then lost the mood
I enjoyed it.
Half knock-off Mount Eerie before Mount Eerie, half elevator music on steroids. Overall, could be worse
Did not listen
This band out of California is another one I’ve never heard of until now. The first half of the album seemed sluggish and forgettable, and could be used as a movie soundtrack. The energy picked up as the album got into the last half, but unfortunately reverted to being sluggish and forgettable towards the end. I did enjoy the mariachi style of “Across the Wire’.
Of all the 2000s indie bands....Calexico?! This is like the indie version of the Mars Volta, except I doubt they were on any* countdown ever (*I don't watch CMT so maybe they made it there, although this doesn't really seem that country to me). Might as well throw in another Beck album. This behemoth of an album isn't even all on Spotify. Hmph, harumph, etc. Ah well, the sound is fine. Not enough to make me want to listen again, but fine. I like the instrumentals more than the non-instrumentals, I think. No surprise they later go on to record with Iron & Wine, because this is very Iron & Wine-y. Not whine-y, although I wish it were, because then maybe I'd feel something!! I do like the sweeping theatrical turns in parts of the album, but they don't really lead anywhere. Shout out Payne County, though. Highlights: 'Close Behind', 'Attack el Robot! Attack!' (but not the name), 'Across the Wire' (approaching Bright Eyes territory with this one (positive?!)) No serious lowlights, so I guess it wasn't all that bad. Better than your average 3, OK? As an aside, I feel like we've already slogged through so many ho-hum albums that surely the next 800 are gonna be solid gold!! Ha ha...but seriously.
Really good instrumentals. Vocals are not for me.
A masterpiece that shifts moods, rhythms and worlds.
Genuinely have never heard of this band before, and this came out in 2003, wow. I looked them up and they're based in the Southwest, I haven't really been there outside of The Grand Canyon. I actually expected this to be in Spanish, but now it makes sense given their geographical origins. I'm definitely a fan of this album
nothing on the album was bad, i'm just not an instrumental lover. 7.81/10
é legal? mas ao mesmo tempo senti uma preguiça inimaginável em algumas músicas mas é legal!!!
primeiramente, vi a capa e torci pra que fosse pop punk. não era. mas não foi ruim não. achei divertidim demais. não voltaria a escutar, mas também nunca escutaria se não tivesse aqui. foi legal!!
I’m glad that I gave this one another shot, I think I was in the wrong mindset or something the first time listening to it. It didn’t grab me, I stopped, and now that I’m finally listening through for the review, I actually thoroughly enjoy it. It makes me want to go back at some point and listen to the albums that I gave lower ratings. I think it’s a solid three, so close to being a four.
I'm not sure how I didn't hear these guys already. They're similar to everything else from that time period that I was listening to. This was nice and easy. Almost an intro to Band of Horses.
Sounds like music from a computer game cutsceen
At times this was indistinguishable from the YouTube adverts between each track. It's fine as background music. Just a bit beige for me.
Kind of stuff you’d hear on Breaking Bad during an artsy scene. Cool album though. A little country slide, spaghetti western orchestration, and indie.
Haven't thought about this band in...probably 20 years? They never grabbed me originally because it was this kind of forlorn indie rock type thing that I simply wasn't interested in, so in they went into the stack with a bunch of medium-energy bands that played small venues in the cupboard of my mind. So now, having forgotten pretty much everything about them except that they exist, I get to listen to new ears: and guess what, it's pretty much the same thing. Plumbs a lot of different sounds but still orbits around that early 2000s indie, which makes me want to go explore the southwestern sound more than the indie. I'll admit I played it for my kids in the car because I thought it would be interesting for them, and they didn't hate it. I wouldn't mind listening to this with a beer on a hot day somewhere not the city, but that's not really my life so it'll go back into the stacks. So, y'know, it's good, but I'm docking it a point because I feel like it's at its best when it's country-cum-mexicana and at its worst when it's indie-rock-cum-mexicana, which is what it is most of the time.
Por fin un disco de americana o casi. Influencias mejicanas bien resueltas.
Wasn’t familiar with this band’s music. The first track was enjoyable, but things got a bit less rootsy and more cinematic towards the end, which I liked less. Another album that I would happily give 3.5 stars but can’t quite justify four.
Alright, a bit long
06/09/2025 It isn't what i expected and it's long, but it's good background music. Spotify listeners: 291k
Day609 - eclectic but no song stood out to me
It was okay, weirdly mystical and flamenco-y?
Really enjoyed this album and the band Calexico in general. They blend such a wide range of music in a way that doesn't feel forced. Their music feels like the score to a daydream or a movie playing in my head. This is the first time I've listened to this album in its entirety and I will definitely go back to it again.
This music wasn't really grabbing me on the first listen until we got to Attack! El Robot! Attack! Something about that song made everything click for me and I had to go back for a second listen. I really, really enjoyed it on the second listen; not sure what I was missing the first time through, but the fusion of indie rock / alt country with mariachi music and jazz is unexpected and amazing!
I dug the vibes of this album, and found it interesting and engaging for most of its duration. And while I won't give it an amazing review, I feel like this is pretty favorable considering I immediately rolled my eyes and groaned when I saw the total run time. Double albums are a real gamble. More often than not there is a bunch of fluff that isn't all worth it to hear. Case in point: one of my favorite bands, Wilco, nearly made me quit this website when I had to listen to their double album a.m.. Lije calexico, it's not that it was bad, it's that it was so much of the same, and I just got incredibly bored of it. This album is actually better than that one in that the sound is at least eclectic enough to keep me listening, and the 90 minutes pretty much flew by. I don't get all the five star reviews raving about how great this album is, but it's easily a 3.5 for me.
Woah. This was very cool. Extremely unique. Indie rock meets Mexican house meets flamenco meets pop? Who even thinks to put these things together? But boy, does it work. Another reminder of why I like doing this project. Fave songs: - Quattro - World Drifts In - Black Heart - Pepita - Not Even Stevie Nicks... - Close Behind - Attack El Robot! Attack! - Across The Wire - Dub Latina - Güero Canelo - Whipping the Horse's Eyes - Crumble - No Doze
stfu
Good. Lighter and nice songs.
Awesome, just awesome! I fucking loved this!
This is right up my alley. As someone from southwest USA, I loved the Latin flair to alt rock. This kind of stuff is what I’m looking for on this list.
This was different. I’d be more inclined to give a three but appreciated the variety and would likely enjoy it more if I return to this one for a replay. My non-musician scoring system. 5 - Love it. Would play anytime, buy, see live… 4 - Good music. 3 - Average playlist. Depends on time and setting. 2 - I can’t listen to whole songs. 1 - No.
Enjoyable listen
Unexpected
not really my vibe
Ik ken enkel Alone Again Or van Calexico, dus dit is interessant. En gelijk hebben ze, want cool album! Zou wat een country-achtige versie van Pavement. Fantastisch! 4.4
Genre appropriate for what I like. But no wow factor here. This was OK, and a worthy listen, but didn’t get me overly excited.
Pretty decent, but not quite 4 stars good.
Indie bands almost always have a unique sound, and this is one I wouldn’t mind listening to again.
A little something for everyone, which means no one feels like they got very much. A lot of the songs are interesting until I realize I’ve wandered to another topic, much like watching the majority of spaghetti westerns (which seem to be their inspiration).
Close Behind, Attack El Robot! Attack!, Guero Canelo were fun. And whatever other instrumentals I missed. Most of the rest of it is kinda wimpy, indie and boring. I like 'em when they don't sing, apparently. So that makes it tough to rate. 3.5*, rounding up to 4*, in the hopes that I come back to them and maybe find an instrumental only playlist somewhere.
There's quite a bit to like on this. The Latin and western influenced stuff was leaps and bounds better than the plodding downtempo dirges like "The Book and the Canal" or "Not Even Stevie Nicks..." which sounded to me like they were trying to hard to sound like Arcade Fire or some other generic 2000's alt-rock, and the singer's weak voice made me cringe a bit. The instrumentals were superb, however. A valiant effort overall, the vocals were not to my taste but some good musicianship and interesting genre-bending approach.
It's serviceable but not essential indie rock. The mariachi touches are the only distinctive nice bit.
Nice! It has one if the best opening tracks of any album 《sunken waltz》 So many beautiful tracks, like Quattro, Across the wire and more upbeat Latin fused tracks like Guero Canelo. Loved this album for years. The 20th anniversary edition has a lovely cover of 'Alone again or', which respects the original that Love created, without being a clone.
I like the idea of it, but ultimately found it dull- the songs never really go anywhere.
Liked this a lot. Lots of variety. One of my favorite discoveries from this list.
Eesh
Interesting sounds. Can't say I've heard anything like this. Gets better the more I listen.
Just a total nothingburger of an album. You shouldn’t listen to this album, this shouldn’t be on the list. The singing isn’t above average, the instrumentals could be lent to any other singer/songwriter to do a better job with, and nothing sticks. I will not remember one thing from this record. “Close Behind” is my pick, if I had to give one to listen to. I’m astounded by the number of rave reviews this thing has. The blending of genres isn’t impactful, it’s hazy and dull. It doesn’t do any one thing well, it tries to do many things and they all turn out meh at best. Just way too bland. Soft 2/5
Strange album, but I dug it. What starts as a macabre, dramatic, and aggressively depressing Americana and country album slowly transitions into a Latin-inspired jazz fest near the end, with some odd tracks in the mix here, especially 'Guero Canelo'. The opener, 'Sunken Waltz' was incredible, with an enigmatic yet easily digestible story driving the whole thing, and the following 'Quattro' was just as good. I love that reverby steel-pedal and that genuinely solid breakdown near the halfway mark. Everything that follows is a bit more hit-or-miss, especially since I wasn't too big a fan of the instrumental cuts here (say for maybe 'Pepita', which awoke a sense of longing within me that very few songs ever do). On the more "upbeat" side of this album, the tejano song 'Across the Wire' really stuck with me. A super unique and quirky album. Yeah, it's all over the place, but in a mostly charming way.
Musically competent mishmash of folky alt rock and various south of the (U.S.) border styles. A lot of care and craft was obviously put into the recording of this album, but the purpose of all of this isn't really evident in the grooves.
Wilco wannabes doing Mariachi music.
I did not like this, and I don't think I needed to hear this before I die. While I appreciated the Mexican inspiration in many of the songs, I didn't care for it from some random white dudes. Could we not have more Mexican/Latin bands on this list instead of white people inspired by them? We can't even throw some Mana on here? But I digress. In general this had that really boring 2000s indie sound, and I had to stop listening in the middle and didn't pick it up again for days because I didn't care. And sometimes that's worse than outright bad music. I believe this was removed from later editions of the book, and I understand why. I'll pass.
This album is just fine. Nothing really sticks out about this, but I do like the latin influence and guitar. Album cover is offensively bad. 5/10
First song slaps. I remember it from back in the day. Rest of the album falls short for me. Was nice to listen to something different. 3/5
I know calexico from a colaboration they did with Iron and Wine, didn't expect to see them today. A nice surprise. this is an interesting album. I like how the music style slowly drifts from a laid back iron and wine style music to a mexican style sound. Very cool. Overall, good but nothing for me to really grab on to.
u prvih 10ak sekundi dok ne pocne pjevati sam ocekivala nesto drugo i vise fire. ovo kaj je je okeeeeej, neke pjesme su bolje neke su losije kako to vec bude, ali sve u svemu nista osobito memorable. donekle podsjeca na ants from up there od black country new road. also sto album dalje ide to je losiji? idk uglavnom mid
I don't know. Meh? Why is this album on this list?
Surprised by this, for some reason I thought it'd be a rap album. Interesting album with a mix of genres, blending jazz, country, mariachi and indie rock. Some very nice instrumentals. Black Heart is a wonderful song in particular. Very pleasant surprise and will be on my rotation
Decent enough, though not standout to us.
This is #day370 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… this is a weird one. What started as an indie/alternative rock rolled out into some jazzy Mexican voodoo country shit with Latin undertones, of which "Attack! El Robot! Attack" and "Crumble" are my highlights. Interesting find overall, but I doubt I'd choose to hear this before I die. Let it be a low 3 out of 5. Looking forward to #day371.
The album art really threw me off, this is not the Latin Hip-Hop I was expecting. Sunken Waltz was a good opener but Quattro slides in and is an immediate hit. Black Heart keeps it that same level. Man I've been listening to so much Modest Mouse this is just like so tangentially great to that. Pepita is SO GOOD. This is a 5 already. Love everything through to Across the Wire which slips down in quality for me. Dub latina picks it back up thank god. It rides through. I love this album this is not at all what I expected when we rolled this. The instrumental tracks alone are a 5/5 but there's some good vocals on this thing. The only song that sticks out to me as not as strong as the rest is Across the Wire and even that is a good song, I just wish they had done something more interesting with the vocals. Again, I have been exclusively listening to Modest Mouse other than this list for like a week and this fits right in. You get Isaac Brock yelling over these it's a 6/5. Great job Calexico.
Started great, ended at good. I will revisit. Preliminary 4/5
Great mix of different styles
The sort of band which makes people think indie is all twee. Terrible.
Now I know the CD I’m popping into the player on my next camping trip to the deeert. Very evocative and incredibly well produced. I need to get deeper into their catalog
Feast of Wire – Calexico (2003) | Americana / Tex-Mex / Indie Rock | Avg: 7.43 | Favorite Song: “Sunken Waltz”* Feast of Wire is one of those albums that quietly opens up its world the deeper you go into it. Your ratings show a steady appreciation across the tracklist, with almost no major dips—just smooth, sun-drenched consistency. “Sunken Waltz” leads the pack as the clear favorite, and it makes sense: its sparse yet evocative arrangement captures the album’s desert mood perfectly. Songs like “Not Even Stevie Nicks…” and “Black Heart” reinforce that strength, blending spaghetti-western atmospheres with cinematic melancholy. What stands out most is how Calexico manages to balance subtle experimentation with grounded songwriting. Even the instrumental or interlude-like tracks seem to add texture rather than drag things down, which is rare for an album with such a broad sonic palette. It’s the kind of record that never shouts but still feels fully formed, layered, and immersive. Feast of Wire doesn’t rely on highs and lows—it flows like a slow-moving train across a beautiful landscape, always in motion, always deliberate.
It gets boring pretty soon! I can't even remember any song past 4th or 5th :-( Also, like the country albums I'm getting, I'm totally sure these are not for my taste
I first became aware of this band probably twenty years ago. I have a couple of their albums in my library (not this one, though). And to be honest, I usually forget they exist and then, once in a great while (like every couple years), I'll put on an album. And you know what— it's always a good listen when I do.
Lyttede til det sammen med Frede fordi jeg tænkte det ville være fedt pga blandingen af de mange genre og første gang jeg rigtig lytter til det på denne rejse. Det er post-rock americana som har rødder i amerikanske folkemusik altså country-folk, blues. Det har ofte en historiefortælling. Det er Tex-Mex/mariachi som er præget af blæsere, dansebare rytmer og sådan lidt spansk lyd? Ydermere er det præget af latin jazz hvor latinamerikanske rytmer er indeover. Slutteligt er det nærmest et filmisk lyd/album som jeg rigtig godt kan lide. Meget af albummet er stemningsfuldt og man føler næsten selv man er på grænsen mellem usa og mexico.
Initially this record was very off-putting. The vocals had a very gross cleaness that made me shiver a little bit. The instrumentals brought me back in much more that I thought it would. Nice little Latin rooted songs. Im still not very into the vocals but I ended up liking this pretty decently.
I was not previously familiar with the artist or album so I had no idea what to expect. This is a kind of acoustic indie/alternative. Pretty chill but atmospheric at the same time. I enjoyed it a lot and would listen again.
I really enjoyed this. It's like a dark, creepy take on alt country. They have a pretty wide diversity of instrumental sound too, lot of novel instrumentation. It's heavy on instrumentals and mood, but I like it. Listened to it a number of times.
me sangran los ojos, quien ha diseñado esa portada??! dios 💀 lo peor de todo es que el álbum no está tan mal album 2.5/5 portada -10282818/5
Muy chill la guitarrita en todas. Close behind suena a banda sonora guapa
I had not heard of this band before. However, they were a nice find. Vocals and instruments were pleasant with good variety of songs.
Shockingly good
It was interesting I guess but nothing really blew me away. Nice blend of different sounds and styles. Last half kinda drug on in parts.
not at all familiar w/them but this was the type of surprise I want by going thru this list. really enjoyed entire listen-suited to the gloomy, damp day. great variety on sounds, instruments, and vocals. the piano on Book & Canal is excellent.
no sé que chucha tiene que ver la carátula con este rock medio western mexicano, pero en fin. bueno 4/5
Cool for what it is. For the deaf dumb and blind.
This album sounds like the soundtrack to the coolest film ever. Like if Firefly got more continuation. Really interesting and thrilling melodies and sound palates. Really engaging and great track-to-track flow. Love love LOVE this album.
Wasn't sure at first, but the album grew on me as I listened. Americana-folk. Has shades of Nickelcreek, Modest Mouse, Iron & Wine, Bon Iver, etc.
Does playing the first bit of each track with a random drops of the needle count as listened. Its the only way to get through some offerings.
alright mexican jass
It's good, just not that remarkable.
Never heard of calexico and still really havent- dont really know what i was listening to
Never heard anything about these guys before but stunning album. The first hour is a 5, it got a little repetitive after that
What an excellent album. Each track has a unique feel, and the instrumentation is really outstanding. Strings, horns, slide guitar, what more could you want? Absolutely delightful. Somehow I missed this album in my teenage years. Glad I didn't miss out on it all together.
Eclectic. Sounds like a western movie soundtrack. Would love to listen to this in a bar with a cocktail. Transported to another world with this one. Really enjoyed!
Felt like the soundtrack to a Tarantino movie or Red Dead Redemption 2 in parts, then Mexican jazz in others. An eclectic blend of styles, but it's very smooth and easy to listen to. I like it! 4/5
Calexico are still mostly unheard of and underrated here. Great songs, great production, great ideas, great execution.
I love the tex mex asthetic to this great album
Sort of American indie folk, often with a Spanish sound that reminded of some Decemberist songs. Thought it was largely pretty good, songs were pretty intricate and interesting at times, some blander patches here and there but that's often the case with this sort of music. Would like to listen again, I suspect there'll be a few songs I really like to take from this.
Very much my thing. Reminded me of Wilco, but with a Latin twist. I greatly enjoyed the mix of jams (mood music) with the actual songs. Felt like I was in a border town. Sunken Waltz was probably my favourite track though, the jaunty intro and riffs were great. Close Behind, Attack! El Robot! Attack!, Dub Latina, and Guero Canelo were also brilliant.
Well that was interesting. Kinda indie but with some foreign influences. Not sure I've heard anything like it before. I thought "not even Stevie nicks" sounded like blind pilot. Some of the rest was reminiscent of Sufjan Stevens. I think a 3.5 although I wasn't convinced by all of it but was interesting enough
Reckon it's a well made album but not really my style of music
So, so impressed with this album!! From the first few notes on the opening track, I knew I’d like this album and it did not disappoint!! The Mexicana vibes, but with a bit of rock and funk combined, the every song has me liking it more than the last. Each song is so unique and interesting. Added it to my lineup! Listen again: absolutely Purchase for my collection: yes! Favourite Song: too hard to choose
This has a really cool sound. So many different influences. Album cover could have been better though.
Maybe it wasnt the day for it but I just didnt get it. Will relisten
I didn't quite realize how much I needed mariachi-infused indie rock in my life, but here we are! "Feast of Wire" is a really good album that delivers what it promises. My only complaint is that I felt it dragged a bit at the end, but I still really liked it.
Started off very very bad and I feared for how much I could handle... Actually picked up in places.
Favorite Track: Dub Latina
It was alright but felt like every "Indy" band out there currently.
I’m sure they’re great guys with really cool music taste but Feast of Wire does not leave an impression on me at all. It’s straight up opening-act-core.
Tex Mex Artex
had its moments, but some of them were the soundtrack to a pissed guest dancing and whooping to the house band in a nondescript Tex-Mex restaurant and telling the other patrons not so be so boring
Another band I had known by name but not really by music. And, this album doesn't seem important, in the grand scale of things but what it does, stylistically, is indeed something special and I am glad I have heard that today. It's a bit all over the place, so much so that I felt like skipping here and there, but I have no real complaints. Had a good time with it. Nice+.
It's not terrible music, but not what I would want to listen to. Kind of like a weird slow folk music but with a modern twist. This is the first album on the list I wanted to turn off before it finished.
Nice melodies. His singing isn't the best though. I can't say I would listen to this again.
I liked this waaaay more than I thought I would. Indie music gets such a bad wrap. And honestly, this shouldn't be lumped in with it. This blending of genres is exactly the kind of thing I like. This was great.
Enoooooorm saai. Heb het niet langer volgehouden dan 4 nummers. Geen spice, geen melodie, geen leuke stem, niks aan.
Es ist ein atmosphärisch dichtes Album mit vielfältigen Klängen zwischen Americana und Mariachi. Trotz spannender Ideen wirkt es manchmal überladen. Mutig, aber nicht ganz rund.
Great stuff. World music with lots of pop sensibilities. Great harmonies.
Pleasantly surprised to see Calexico on this list. This is the album I’d point everyone to when listening to them for the first time. Hard to imagine it’s been 22 years since this was released (as of the date of this post).
Strong and fun album. I'll probably give this a second listen to save my favorite songs. Strong 3.5 stars
This was a really nice listen.
I’ve never been to the American desert, but I feel like I have. In my mind’s eye, the Road Runner speeds through establishing shots from Breaking Bad while Carlos Castaneda converses with the talking dog from that episode of The Simpsons where Homer hits the habanero too hard. My hyperreal American desert didn’t have a soundtrack – until now, the “meep meep” was fated to echo through the canyons like the snap of a bullet from a Salamanca sidearm. Enter Calexico. I was quick to jump to comparing the indie elements of this record (“Not even Stevie Nicks…”) to Death Cab, Bright Eyes and the ilk … but even then I knew I was missing the point. That’s part of it, sure – but to let my summation of this record sit there would be the equivalent of spending a single night by the campfire and claiming to have tamed the wild west’s great outdoors. There’s just way more to this album: cinematic cuts (“Black Heart”, “No Doze”), songs that flicker with a delicate intensity (“Woven Birds”, “Pepita”), cantina jams (“Guero Canelo”, “Attack El Robot! Attack!”). It’s nothing short of a psychogeography – the sound of a desert overrunning; spilling beyond its physical bounds and into that unknowable space where only symbols survive. “Feast of Wire” – a curious record that, in turn, rewards a listener’s curiosity – is the sound of myth brought to life. Fantastic.
A smooth album that reminds me a lot of other contemporaries, dispatch, the bower birds, Andrew bird, devotchka. And by that metric should be right up my alley, but something falls short. I love the style, just not sure if the songwriting/compostion is where it’s at.
I’ve never heard of Calexico or this album before, and I have no idea what this album is going to sound like. The album cover is intriguing, and makes me think that this will have some Tejano or southwestern flare to it. I can’t wait to see what’s in store! I wasn’t wowed by Feast of Wire, but I thought it was a unique rock album, and it was pretty enjoyable to listen to. The sound was really varied, but the album still felt very cohesive, and it never once got to wrapped up in trying to sound like one particular genre more than another. The gentle vocals and solid musicianship helped this album to be enjoyable, and I liked that the music sounded open, which allowed these songs to develop and blossom. I was shocked to read that the guys in the band were once with Giant Sand, whose Chore of Enchantment I absolutely hated. I wouldn’t say that I had a favorite song on this album, but I did think that the songs that leaned more heavily on the mariachi sound, like “Close Behind” and “Across the Wire” sounded great, and they really stood out from the rest of the album. I don’t know that I would listen to this album again, but I appreciate the unique listening experience that it was.
I honestly didn't think Mariachi would blend with anything, but this was a lovely combination of indie, horns and bits of jazz. Left me feeling joyous, and with such a variety of songs all centred around a core idea. Absolutely revisiting this
I never gave this record a listen back in the early aughts because of the album cover. I think it’s a pretty bad cover. It’s not right, but it is what it is and I was wrong. This is a fantastic record that captures the wide open space of the American west and filters it through an experimental, alternative rock lens. I was foolish to judge it by its cover: Feast of Wires is a sprawling and often beautiful work of art.
Just an overall amazing record. Off the charts musicianship, great songwriting.
A double album? It came and went like a Texas wind. Blew by quickly, which means it didn’t really reach my ears. Started strongly, but with the exception of a couple of mid-record tracks it was a slow and meandering disappointment.
Suprisngly very good, well made, good sound, not my exact thing but really enjoyed it
3/5
It’s great! These guys are so neat. They seem like a band that would be subdued in studio and then go nuts live. I saw them once, and I guess they didn’t really do that. But it’s nice to imagine.
Not my usual choice of music but I actually enjoyed it
I enjoyed this. Not my usual listen at all, but a fun album.
i'd give this 3.5 if i could but with that option gone, i'm going to be brutal and stick to 3. it was a nice, enjoyable listen, just not particularly memorable
Enjoyed it but not enough to listen to it again
Incredible
ok ok
Felt unctuous. Dark maybe? Like a really good ramen broth.
Easy listening
Apparently I adore mariachi/mexican-flavoured indie rock. The vocals aren't the strongest in the game and the 'regular' indie rock tracks don't have as much personality as their trumpet-driven counterparts, but who cares, the atmosphere of this album draws you into its world like nothing else.
Pretty typical Calexico. I like most of their stuff, though I don't think this is their best album.
Didn’t particularly like it at first, but started to come around. I will listen to it again for sure. Maintains a consistent vibe throughout the album.
Not bad. Not something I would listen to regularly, but I enjoyed some of it.
Entdeckung für mich, gefällt von Anfang an. Manchmal tauchen in dieser komischen Liste ja Perlen auf...
Classic example of don’t judge an album by its cover. I didn’t look at the genre before diving in, and was expecting something much more upbeat. Was surprised to be met with Decemberist vibes and a little bit of Americana twang.
Mariachi Mystery Orchestra 🌵🏜️ I really like the way this album creates a world of its own and pulls you right in. When I was 13, I tried writing a coming-of-age thriller novel that took place in Flagstaff, Arizona. This would have been the perfect soundtrack to it: Desert Noir, starring Pedro Pascal.
Enjoyed the mix between folk and more traditional Latin sounds. Liked a couple songs at the end but not a fave
Didn’t match the album cover vibes which was a surprise. Liked it overall, more than I expected, but not a favorite.
Not bad. Was truthfully too stressed to listen to well lol
Thought this album ended in a very different place from where it started. Enjoyed a couple songs: Not Even Stevie Nicks, Güero Canelo. The mariachi was interesting but sometimes felt tacked on.
I love the hell out of this record. The production is crystalline and perfect, like the glass in a window of an abandoned house, letting the melancholy of the songs shine though like the morning sun. While it's not the strongest track on the album, their performance of "Not Even Stevie Nicks" at JazzFest one year made me a die-hard fan.
Joey Burns and John Convertino are incredibly talented musicians who soaked up inspiration from their many years living in Tucson, aka the Old Pueblo, forming the rhythm section for Giant Sand and later playing lounge music in the Hotel Congress lobby with the excellent Friends of Dean Martin (later Martinez). This is a good illustration of the dynamic range of their band, Calexico. Songs like “Black Heart” and “Close Behind” lend a dramatic, cinematic feel to the album — the latter is like the soundtrack to a Western call-to-arms sequence with its string-and-horn chorus refrain. There’s the jazz-inflected “Crumble” and the Mexican swing of “Guero Canelo.” My only real critique is that the album loses focus in its second half and could’ve benefited from editing.
Those was unfamiliar to me and I liked it. Not usually into Americana but these folks do it well.
And thus ends our run of great album cover art. This feels like someone just learned Photoshop 3.0 and picked up a copy of Raygun. Anyhow...the album cover is not indicative of the music...which is really well crafted. Seems to fit into that whole indie-alt-country-vibe of the era, albeit with some more interesting latin percussion going on here. And having a song referencing Stevie Nicks redeems the star they would have lost due to that album cover. I really like this one. 'Across the Wire' is a lot of fun. 'Dub Latina' is lovely. This was a fun new-to-me listen.
Nice surprise.
As I listened I kept trying to make reductive thoughts about who this band sounded like, or what two bands blended together to make an album. The longer the album went on, the more I realized that reductive thinking like that doesn’t do this album any justice. It’s a unique blend of rock, mariachi, jazz, samba, and other styles that really does feel like its own thing. I’m glad to have found another really interesting album from a band I’ve never even heard of.
Tunes for cruising the Mojave Desert, I like it!
It's got interesting sound but not enough to make up for it coming across as kind of a boring listen to me, nothing really keeping me Maybe this one's just about the experience, and at the end of the day, experience it I did
Iron and Wine/Trampled by Turtles vibes? Indie folksy guitar and singing but some Western themes with the trumpets. And then jazz?
This was great, somewhat hit or miss, but I think I'll come back to it. Really enjoyed the sound.
first listen i liked it but it sure was short
Fun listen. First track was super fun.
The cover of this album could have never clued me into how this was going to sound, I had seen it before and always thought it would be something tackier than what it turned out being: americana with a darker edge, like a detective's movie in some US-Mexico border town. It's just a perfect vibe and much like the Giant Sand record I had a while back I will probably revisit this one in the near future
First time listening to this album. Won’t be the last. Good ambiance.
middle of the road
i knew Crystal Frontier and maybe one other sing from this band. I generally like alt country though so was looking forward to this. It lived up to expectations, started off really strong and though it dipped a little in the latter half I still think it's a solid four.
I liked bits of this, and I admire when groups can take on different sounds, but as an album it was lacking the kind of consistency that would bring me back time and time again.
Rating: 7.5/10 Really cool album, nice mixture of styles from folk, Latin, rock, and jazz. A few boring moments but a great listen overall.
I knew of this band, but had never listened to them. I can’t believe how much an album I never heard could sound like an old friend. Sure, there were a lot of midtempo, Americana bands of this time, but unlike a lot of trend jumpers, Calexico avoids tropes and relies on solid songwriting that is too big for banjosploitation and decorative accordion. This is more in the realm of Bob Dylan, R.E.M., and Wilco than the depression-era reenactors who littered the early 2000s landscape.
Quite fun
iwie schlager, iwie country, iwie folk. meh
Oh man, this started off promising. I thought I was getting into this American Alt-Country record with mariachi influences and I was so in. Then the record turned into this mostly instrumental jig where some sounds turned me off and I lost interest. With the exception of a well-played jazz tune near the end, eh (5/10, 2/5 on this scale)
So Good! Weirdly reminded me of the Beatles but not really, I seriously love this.
Some cool stuff here, but not for me. Favorite track was Crumble and it had no vocals, so maybe its the lead singer i didn't enjoy. Original sound.
This was a gem. Dark, southwestern gothic indie rock? An unusual, slightly sinister mix I found compelling. The sonds are mostly within the same mode, but varied enough to feel interesting throughout. Something about that sinister Mexicana day of the dead vibe is always cool. I really liked the way they mic the drums to get a sort of sidewalk busker sound, but in a way that somehow felt natural and not affected. This was the kind of thing I was hoping for from this list - more hidden gems, less African slop rock please. The only thing this album is missing is a hit. One thing I will ding them for is an absolutely atrocious album cover. I’ve never really thought of album art as part of the album itself, but actually do think it detracts from the experience in this case. Every song and sound on this is so intricately deconstructed, and then the cover art looks like it was made by a 7th grader in graphic arts class.
I appreciated the instrumentation right off the bat of the album. Quattro sounds like it couldve been a Raggae/roots song to start with and it ended as a poppy amalgamation. Close Behind was probably my favorite track even though it is an instrumental. Nothing crazy good or bad. Id say 2.5 stars and rounding down
In one ear, out the other
Veldig spennende album. Stor variasjon, flotte lydbilder, mye krydder og velspilt.
Lorsque l'on évoque Calexico, ce groupe américain originaire de Tucson, Arizona, une imagerie bien particulière vient immédiatement à l'esprit : celle des vastes étendues désertiques du Sud-Ouest américain, des villes frontalières poussiéreuses, des histoires de personnages errants et des mélodies qui semblent flotter comme la chaleur sur l'asphalte. Et leur quatrième album studio, "Feast of Wire", sorti en 2003, ne fait pas seulement honneur à cette réputation ; il la cimente, l'approfondit et l'emmène vers des sommets de raffinement et d'émotion brute rarement égalés. Dès l'ouverture, "Sunken Waltz", nous plonge d'emblée dans une ambiance mélancolique et entraînante à la fois. Une valse désabusée, portée par la voix chaude et légèrement éraillée de Joey Burns, des guitares acoustiques délicates et des touches de cuivres qui évoquent un saloon perdu au milieu de nulle part. C'est une invitation à un monde où la beauté se niche souvent dans la tristesse et la solitude. Puis vient "Quattro (World Drifts In)" avec son introduction instrumentale digne d'une bande originale d'Ennio Morricone, ses trompettes majestueuses et mélancoliques, ses guitares twangy et sa montée en puissance progressive. Ses paroles, elliptiques et poétiques, parlent de frontières, de perte et d'un monde qui semble s'effriter. C'est le son du "desert noir" par excellence, une signature Calexico reconnaissable entre mille. Mais "Feast of Wire" ne se résume pas à cette seule facette. L'album explore avec une aisance déconcertante une myriade de territoires sonores. On y trouve des ballades folk poignantes comme "Close Behind", où la pedal steel pleure avec une grâce infinie, évoquant les grands espaces et les cœurs brisés. La voix de Joey Burns y est particulièrement touchante, empreinte d'une sincérité désarmante. L'influence mariachi, toujours présente chez Calexico, se fait entendre de manière éclatante sur des titres comme "Pepita", une pièce instrumentale joyeuse et enlevée, pleine de vie et de couleurs. Les trompettes y sont reines, virevoltantes et festives. On sent l'héritage culturel de la frontière mexicaine, non pas comme un simple gimmick, mais comme une partie intégrante de l'ADN musical du groupe. L'album sait aussi se faire plus sombre et introspectif. "Black Heart" en est un exemple frappant. Sur un rythme lancinant, presque hypnotique, la chanson déploie une atmosphère de film noir, tendue et mystérieuse. Les arrangements sont subtils, avec des cordes discrètes qui ajoutent à la tension dramatique. C'est une descente dans les ombres, une exploration des tourments intérieurs. La richesse instrumentale de "Feast of Wire" est l'un de ses atouts majeurs. Burns et Convertino, multi-instrumentistes talentueux, s'entourent ici d'une pléiade de musiciens qui apportent chacun leur pierre à l'édifice. On entend des guitares acoustiques et électriques, des basses profondes, une batterie d'une finesse et d'une inventivité remarquables (la signature de Convertino), mais aussi des trompettes, des trombones, des violons, des violoncelles, un accordéon, un vibraphone, un Wurlitzer, et même un güiro. Chaque instrument est à sa place, chaque note semble nécessaire. Les arrangements sont d'une intelligence rare, créant des textures sonores d'une grande profondeur. Les incursions jazz ne sont pas rares non plus. "Attack El Robot! Attack!" est un instrumental débridé et foisonnant, où les cuivres s'en donnent à cœur joie sur une rythmique complexe et inventive. Cela démontre la versatilité du groupe, capable de passer d'une ballade épurée à une explosion sonore jubilatoire sans jamais perdre sa cohérence. Ce qui frappe le plus à l'écoute de "Feast of Wire", c'est sa capacité à créer des images mentales puissantes. Chaque morceau est une petite scène, un fragment de film. On imagine des routes infinies, des ciels étoilés au-dessus du désert, des rencontres fugaces dans des bars enfumés, des histoires d'amour et de trahison. C'est une musique qui stimule l'imagination, qui invite au voyage, tant physique qu'intérieur. La production de l'album, assurée par le groupe lui-même avec l'aide de Craig Schumacher, est impeccable. Elle sert la musique à la perfection, donnant de l'ampleur aux passages orchestraux tout en préservant l'intimité des moments plus dépouillés. Le son est chaud, organique, analogique dans le meilleur sens du terme. Les thèmes abordés sont universels : l'amour, la perte, la quête d'identité, le sentiment d'être un étranger, la beauté fragile du monde. Il y a une humanité profonde qui se dégage de ces chansons, une empathie pour les personnages qu'elles dépeignent, qu'ils soient réels ou imaginaires. En conclusion, "Feast of Wire" est bien plus qu'un simple album de "Tex-Mex" ou d'"indie rock". C'est une œuvre d'art totale, un festin sonore qui nourrit l'esprit et l'âme. Calexico y atteint un sommet de créativité, offrant un panorama musical d'une richesse et d'une beauté époustouflantes. C'est un album essentiel pour quiconque s'intéresse à la musique américaine contemporaine dans ce qu'elle a de plus inventif et de plus émouvant. Un 4 sur 5
Interesting, quirky, not sure I really got into it but it floated along happily enough and could easily hear it in a hip coffee shop somewhere.
Great but most of the songs sound the same
Not my style.
Really really ended up liking this.
Ok sim I’ll get the negative stuff out of the way first. To start I think this might be one of the worst album covers I’ve ever seen. I just hate the cover it’s ugly and boring and doesn’t give you anything to be excited about or curious about. The other main problem I have is ai don’t love the singer. I appreciate his subtly delivery but his actual voice is underwhelming and not soft and powerful. Those things being said, this album is very inter and unique musically. There’s a lot of genre blending, like I loved and appreciated the instrumentals so much that I gave this album several “relistens”. There’s a lot of blues rock and a lot of Latin rock. I leaned towards liking the Latin sounding songs the most. I didn’t care for the first several songs, I was really turned off by the beginning of the album but then they really started to show their talent and more importantly there was more instrumentals which I personally liked way more than the songs with lyrics. As whole I can’t rate the album very highly but I can say that the three songs I saved from the album (close behind, attack el robot! Attack!, and güero canelo) I really loved. Like those three songs on a single would be a must have for me. But sadly the other songs really weighted down my opinion of the album as a whole.
Loved all of it. Great album with variety and keeps you listening. Love the ones that sound like the opening to a spaghetti western. That’s all I have time to write.
I've never heard any of these songs before but this album is neat. My favorite song has to be "The Book and the Canal". The rest of the songs were fine but nothing very remarkable to me.
Pleasantly surprised with this album/band. Good songs and Spanish vibe - good stuff.
Notes: Interesting and unheard until today.
This one grabbed me right away. Great arrangements, love the vibe on here. So musical, thoughtful lyrics. Across the Wire is pretty powerful.
Really enjoyed this record. Eclectic mix of indie folk, alt country, americana, Mexican folk music, and some folky jazz??? Got some good Walking Dead-core (music they'd 100% use in the show or Telltale games, similar to a Wye Oak, Sharon Van Etten, Alela Diane, Anadel), in here with Quattro (World Drifts In). I will say though, the record does feel a bit unfocused. First song (Sunken Waltz) is very Decemberists, then the aforementioned Walking Dead-core, then a very Chelsea Wolfe doomy folk song in Black Heart. Indie folk in Not Even Stevie Nicks, some old-scool western soundtrack stuff in Close Behind. Taquiera music in Across the Wire. Noir jazz country in Crumble. The individual tracks are good enough to avoid a 3, but most other bands I'd knock the score for it. Maybe could have used some structure and focus.
A mostly enjoyable record with some real 5-star highlights, including the moody James Bond stylings of standout track “Black Heart.” But the album ultimately trips over itself with its broad eclecticism - moving from Americana to Latin to Country. As a result it feels less coherent than it otherwise could have been.
I was torn between a 4 and 5 but I was really surprised by how much I enjoyed this. One of the few PLEASANT surprises on this list. Mostly I've been surprised at how bad some of these entries are.
It’s an enjoyable indie album for sure. It’s somewhat unique and well written and made. I’m not so sure I’ll remember any one song off of this album a few days from now.
Looking back, maybe there was too much indie folk rock in the 2010’s
Good indie album but probably wont return to it ever. 2.6/5 Favorites: Quattro - World Drifts In,
I found this hard work & pretty forgettable.
boring
It's excellent. A very rich mix of Latin vibes, Americana, country and cool jazz. Complex and accomplished.
Flippin wicked
I’d only heard one of Calexio’s later albums and based on that had no idea that they had this kind of multilayered and deep compositions in their pockets. The variety of instrumentation, from the sultry strings on Black Heart, to the robust country guitars that line most of this album, is impressive. They don’t sit still offering up wildly different versions of themselves from track to track. They can play it straight, they can play it experimental, but it’s all very accomplished. Not Even Stevie Nicks… shows they can easily offer up alt-country pop bangers if they want to, but they’re busy doing so many other things!
vier bis fünf
Like the cali connection
I now know not to judge an album by its cover! I loved the variety between tracks, how could I get bored with trip-hop, country, jazz and dub all on one album? I also love their version of Alone Again Or in the deluxe edition, a cover of my favourite band Love.
3.5 First time listening to this album? Bit Za fan of Calexico’s other work. Not my favourite of theirs, but still a great listen.
Some really good tracks mixed in with some forgettable/background tracks
A little bit "Something's Rattling (Cowpoke)" by Ben Gibbard, a little bit Wilco, a lotta bit fantastic. Right up my alley so far. Also partly River Whyless and maybe some LCD Soundsystem? I don't know exactly, but boy am I LOVING this. Feels like visiting Grandfather from New Mexico. Oh wow, I swear it just keeps getting better and better. I'm almost bitter at how long the album is, because it's so so many new fantastic songs that it's a lot to stomach all at once!! 5 stars for sure!! Not a single doubt in my mind.
Gut, aber komische Genre Mischung und das Cover auch voll unpassend
Eigentlich gar nicht sooo geil aber wie kann man so viele unterschiedliche Genre auf einem Album haben? Find ich schon beeindruckend 😅
This could have been from the 70s and it could have been from 3 years ago
They've definitely been lost in the rain in Juarez when it's Easter time too.
Got better and better the more I listened to it. Kind of surprised with 4 stars for this, as it felt like it should have been a 2 on paper.
Indie rock/alt-country. There's mellow vocals, an occassional Latino flavour to the music and waltzes abound. I get the feeling people who wear braces and checkered shirts would love this band. I saw them live and they were boring - this album does tend to drag as all the tracks are of a similar pace and tempo. Plus it could use some editing. Best Tracks: Sunken Waltz; Quattro - World Drifts In; Black Heart
Well, it’s perfectly pleasant, if a little bland. I suspect this may benefit from multiple listens, but unfortunately what I listened to isn’t making me want to rush back.
"i wish this list had more music incorporating rhythms and sounds you don't hear in typical anglosphere pop music" the monkey's paw's finger curls
I quite liked it. I didn't find it very memorable but I did enjoy it whilst listening to it. Not like anything I'd heard before so didn't know what to expect. I'm gonna give it a 4/5 because I liked it and probably would listen to it again
Didn't mind it. Listened to the Calexico + Iron and Wine album afterwards.
Ok. I like the Mexican influence and sound, but I'm good.
Pleasantly enjoyed. Other user said Wilco with mariachi and I can’t unhear it. Solid album.
This was pretty good. Pleasant mostly upbeat. Some variety. Maybe listen again.
This is wholly new to me, I only have the vaguest recollection of even hearing of Calexico. I really like the arrangement and instrumentation; lots of great lap/pedal/slide guitar, which I'm a sucker for.
First up, no disrespect to Victor Gastelum, but that cover art is horrid. The fonts, the white void, the clearly visible PhotoShop brushwork on that gold background stuff... yuk. Alternative, country, mariachi band, a jazzy 70s movie score, trip-hop, electronica - this album tries to be lots of things at once, and, all credit to Calexico, they seem like they know what they are doing. The problem I have is, I didn't come away feeling like I had gained any insight into WHY they are doing it. For all it's moody minor key musings, processed beats, and brassy Mexicana, it doesn't really do anything all that interesting. Feast Of Wire is confident and competent in it's shifts in style, but not without being strangely predictable both melodically and lyrically, to the point it borders on pointless pastiche (vultures, cacti, snakes? Ok, we get it). So, while it traverses unfamiliar territory within the alternative genre, it never really takes you anywhere unexpected or exciting. Might be more appealing to American audiences, but I won't be listening to this one again in a hurry, I'm afraid.
Surprisingly entertaining and unexpected mix between southern rock and almost proto-lofi? Took a little to get going, but a really well- rounded indie sound that's definitely worth a second listen. Top tracks: Black Heart; Close Behind; Attack El Robot! Attack!
Good
Started really good but second half it dropped off massively
I enjoyed this album and its mashup of genres and sounds. Possibly the worst album cover I have ever seen?
Ignore the shit cover - this is a great album! First listen of Calexico for me and I really enjoyed the fusion of genres! Heaps of influences which made for a interesting listen. Lots of the track listings are missing from the Australian Spotify album linked but inly 1 20 second track from the original album is missing and the rest are all disc 2 remixes (which I am MORE than happy to skip!) I would prefer if all the albums linked were just the original tracks only where possible. I'll be back to listen to this one again!
I was broke. Like 'broke.' Tho I had no money in 1998, these guys had a date at The Troubadour in West Hollywood and somehow, I went to see them. It was right after Black Light was released. I'd been in LA for a few years, but still hadn't found my groove, or my place. That night is memorable because I find a lot of loneliness in Calexico. The twang-y, western-y, voice heavy songs are slow, melodic and relaxing. It's not music that I naturally gravitate to. Instead, I think of Calexico as a suitable alternative to the world I inhabited. It's no worse than this one and might even be better... like, what if everything we know is wrong? This album has the same southwestern vibe, dripping with thoughts of independent film in a close but foreign world. One that I'll visit again.
Now that’s a more enchanting album! Joey Burns and John Convertino split off from Giant Sand to form Calexico, and far outshined their previous band. “Feast of Wire” creates an amazing atmosphere. “Quattro” and “Stucco” really seal the deal as the standout tracks. When we listened to Giant Sand, I predicted I’d give “Feast of Wire” a 5. However, the lack of vocals on the second half of the album are gonna drop it a bit for me, even though they keep the vibes going.
This gets better every time I listen to it, especially the front half. Such a great blend of styles.
The indie sound is intriguing with the lesser used instruments such as accordion, organ, and mandolin. Interesting enough to listen twice. However, it feels like there is a bit of organization or direction missing.
Definitely alternative. Quite a few different influences
Ik ken dit niet en ik moet zeggen dat ik dit één van de lelijkere hoezen vind die ik hier ooit heb gezien. Echt kutje lelijk. Ik ben dan ook een beetje bang voor wat ik aan zal treffen. Ik moet zeggen dat het me alles meevalt. Een sfeervol album. Een beetje Nick Cave achtig, maar dan met een subtiel Western-jasje, wat Mexicaans getoeter en met een zanger die op geen enkele manier op Nick Cave lijkt. Een beetje soundtrack-achtig ook. Ik vind dit eigenlijk wel prettige muziek om aan te hebben staan in de ochtend. Veel meer of minder wil ik er dan ook niet van maken. Dit haalt voor mij persoonlijk makkelijker de 4 sterren dan die Parliament of Marvin Gaye eerder deze week, daar moest ik er nog enigszins voor werken.
A singular, sunburnt experience, the instrumental atmospherics and borderland storytelling is hypnotic, especially on the album’s second half.