Feast of Wire

Didn’t care for it

Really not my speed, but something undeniably enchanting about the whole thing. Feel like I just spent a couple hours with a stranger I met at a gas station of the 210 divining insights from lines in the desert sand.

Was okay, but not really my type of music. Too jazzy

It’s a soothing listen.

It was fine, but I doubt I'll revisit.

4 - good, I think i prefer this to their later stuff

I'm familiar with Calexico from their Alone Again Or cover and the album Carried to Dust. I was surprised to see that they have quite an extensive back catalogue. I like that Calexico have quite a distinct sound. It sounds very true to their locale. At times I do find it a little boring though. The vocals have a nice timbre and at times some lush harmonies, but they can also feel like lacking a bit of character at times. Fave Tracks: Pepita, Not Even Stevie Nicks..., Guero Canelo 3.2/5

there's some really interesting and unique stuff here - indie rock with a bit of a south of the border flair, but unfortunately is it marred down by, quite frankly, a lot of kind of boring stuff. there's potential here, but i don't think it meets it.

not particularly memorable but more than tolerable

Gave this 2 listens and came away feeling really good about the album both times. I thought the first 2 tracks were really solid. It takes a drastic and dark turn at Black Heart, but in a great way that adds depth. I just love the way this album weaves between different styles of Western music, from your classic American influences to more Latin American stuff later that I found really cool. Attack El Robot was the highlight track of the album for me with its mix of instrumentals. Dub Latina or Quattro were up there too. Really unique album. I have not heard of these guys before so this was a really cool discovery. The last 3 songs of the album end it on a boring note, imo. I think it keeps it from reaching 5 status. Maybe I'll get there on more listens, but for now I'm giving it a High 4.

This was an interesting one for me. When it first kicked off I was a little underwhelmed and frankly disappointed. But as it played out I found myself getting deeper and deeper into the vibe of it. This is an interesting (if not entirely unique) fusion of genres that has an alt country soul with overt indie trappings, some Latin American influences, and some tasteful orchestral support. The end result is rather nice with plenty of internal variation to keep things moving forward. I really liked Black Heart. The uneasy tone of the intro reminds me a lot of the show Dexter -- I feel like they use a similar melody at various points of tension throughout. Also really enjoy Attack El Robot! Attack! Not specifically adventurous, but I enjoy the looseness of it and the horn usage. Interesting that the vocals dissipate following Across the Wire. No loss of quality however. Dub Latina > Guero Canelo do something for me. Just some solid vibing music. Crumble is delightfully jazzy -- really enjoyed it. And No Doze is a wonderfully sleepy way to close out. Yeah not a whole lot of specific points to make here, but I really enjoyed this album. High 4 for me.

This album went to a few interesting places while overall being a more laid-back a grooving album. I really liked Attack El Robot! Attack. Definitely want to revisit this one. It was fairly unique, chill, and great for a rainy work day.

Really lovely strings and acoustic guitar to start off. Not always the biggest fan of the quite whiny sounding singer but this works on here. Quattro is a very good song that I will have to revisit. The instrumentals on this are incredibly well done. I love me some strings and horns combo. String n' Horn > Drum n' Bass. That was such a cool album with all of the different instruments and Latin American influenced sounding songs. Had me jamming the whole time and will want to be listening to this again in the future. It also gets bonus points for being a refreshingly unique album which is always great to have come up on this list.

Couple songs in and this is a little too Americana for me. Crazy switchup here with Black Heart. This song is great and reminds me of Portishead for some reason. Also really liking Close Behind. The orchestra on this album is great. Plus you can hear the melodica all over it love that instrument. On Attack El Robot! Attack! and this sounds like a completely different band than the first 2 songs. Really vibing. More melodica on Dub Latina thank you. Overall the album is giving me a Beck vibe where it goes in a ton of different directions. After being whelmed by the first two songs this one really picked up and got weirdly fun.

This was 2 album with no direction

7.5/10

Good, lighthearted music for a warm day with friends.

Not for me

dusty, twangy, heat-baked gems

Starts off a bit weak, I was thinking this was going to be a 2 or 3, but that second half was really really good! Great instrumentals too

Whoa, this was amazing! Honestly I did not have a great first reaction to the cover art, but the music just blew me away. Spotify also has the 20th Anniversary Deluxe Edition, so I hopped over to listening to live recordings. Instantly I'm a fan.

This album feels like a desert road trip with the radio picking up ghost signals from every direction. It fuses alt-country, mariachi, jazz, and indie rock into something that’s cinematic without being showy. Two favourites are “Sunken Waltz” ; a dusty, accordion-laced opener that hits with quiet poetry, and “Black Heart” which crawls under your skin like a slow-burning western noir. The album is a slow-grower due to the blend of styles, but once it clicked, it’s marvellous.

Never heard of them and they were great. Exactly the kind of experience I was looking for by following this project

01) Sunken Waltz - 8,5 02) Quattro (World Drifts In) - 7,5 03) Stucco - / 04) Black Heart - 8,0 05) Pepita - 7,5 06) Not Even Stevie Nicks... - 8,0 07) Close Behind - 8,0 08) Woven Birds - 7,5 09) The Book and the Canal - 7,0 10) Attack el Robot! Attack! - 7,5 11) Across the Wire - 8,0 12) Dub Latina - 7,5 13) Güero Canelo - 8,0 14) Whipping the Horse's Eyes - 7,0 15) Crumble - 8,0 16) No Doze - 7,5 TOTAL: 7,70 (77/100) Current ranking: 213/521

After the last few terrible selections, this is pleasantly non-awful. Not great or anything, but at least listenable without Maalox.

has highs and lows but overall a good listen

Cool but won’t come back

It was ok not great but not bad. I debated between 2.5 and 3 stars but it made me want to listen to a Doug Sahm record so I'll throw in the extra half star

i know its good im just not smart enough to enjoy it a cool jazz rock fusion coffee shop vibe with mike meyers doing beat poetry in a north beach bar

I really enjoyed this!

3 -interesting, but not for me

Rich and warm like a dessert breeze. The first few cuts create a mood that is sustained throughout. Opener and "Stevie Nicks" and the thoughtful-haunting "Woven Birds" are the strongest cuts, but everything works well, both instrumentals and sung tracks. The last few cuts get a little woozy and off-kilter, perhaps slightly less strong than the first half of the record. Perfect audio complement when reading Cormac McCarthy's Border Trilogy.

Unknown band for me. Good music especially the instrumental. Overall a good album.

This was cool. The mix of southwest/latin sound with 2000s indie rock is an excellent blend that I want to hear more of. I just wish I had more to say about it than, "It's really neat." Not that I didn't like it in some way, but it kinda left me wanting more in other ways too. Still a very strong album.

Well assembled collection of songs. There was an interesting mix of songs which I appreciated. It was a little slow.

I always liked Calexico for their atmospheric songs. But I never listened to this album - it's great. One could say an eclectic mix of tex/mex/country/rock but it really works for me. The music is very filmic which I love, perfect for relaxing and dreaming away.

Bizarre title aside, Feast of Wire is most certainly an interesting album. I think that another name for this album could be "Sounds of a Mexican Restaurant" because a lot of these songs definitely sound like something you would hear from a Mexican restaurant which kinda does make sense seeing as this band is from Southern US. The album itself does sound pretty good, it mainly flip-flops between songs with vocals and solely instrumental songs. Most of these songs are handled well and do have their fair share of interesting elements beyond the Mexican sounding stuff but i don't really think are memorable enough to be elevated beyond the good status. Best Song: Black Heart Worst Song: Pepita

Really enjoyed the latin/americana folk vibe. Found it a little meandering towards the end but overall a very interesting and engaging listen. Would consider buying on vinyl

Correcto

Kinda groovy, kinda fun. I had no expectations and I found this to be an enjoyable (though forgetable) listen.

I loved the mix of Spanish music and rock. It was something different to hear and enjoyable. I never heard of anything like it.

really not bad, not for me

Very cool vibe. Bounces between 60s lounge jazz, instrumentals that could easily be used in film scores, and lite tejano . My favs here were black heart, across the wire, crumble, and guero canelo. I’ll definitely be coming back to this.

I had never even heard of this group before today, but I've listened to the album 3 times now and it's a masterpiece. Feast of Wire is a gorgeous fusion of latin instruments (classical guitar, trumpet, accordion) and musical figures with a variety of genres--indie rock ("Not Even Stevie Nicks"), jazz ("Crumble"), and country ("Sunken Waltz") to name a few. Each song on the album feels different, but they all come together to form a cohesive whole. Several instrumentals and short interludes break up the vocal tracks, giving the album a sense of different acts or chapters. I wholeheartedly recommend this album and I'm only sad that I didn't discover it sooner. Favorite track: Quattro - World Drifts In

I preferred the fully instrumental tracks to those with vocals. Overall a good album, and I love the mishmash of different genres the band employs throughout. After listening again, something seemed to be missing though. All the tracks sounded good and were interesting, but I didn't find myself wanting to come back to many songs on this album.

I really enjoyed this album, it reminded me of home and drinking tequila outside.

This is why I’m doing this list. I had never heard of Calexico, but this was a great listen. I was engaged the whole time, and I was a little sad when it was over. It might have four stars, but I’m giving it an extra star for being new and reinforcing why I am doing this.

The horrible album cover almost stopped me from giving this album a chance, but I really enjoyed it. Atmospheric indie rock with a little country/folk element to it. Good stuff.

A weird album I have a hard time classifying.

Calexico's "Feast of Wire" presents a captivating blend of indie rock, mariachi, jazz, Americana, and other country influences, all underpinned by a pop sensibility. Despite the diverse musical styles, the album showcases consistently well-crafted songwriting and maintains a cohesive atmosphere. The themes explored in the album include the divide between the affluent and the less fortunate, separation of people, societal evolution, and the effects of technology. While I appreciated all the tracks, including the instrumental interludes, "Black Heart" stands out as the highlight, rich with cinematic metaphors and featuring the strings of the Tucson Symphony Orchestra. Overall, it is a remarkably strong album from start to finish.

2.0 - Weak

Yeah, I guess that as one of my first attempts at listening to more Spanish-flavoured music, it's kind of good.

Wasn't sure what to expect but really enjoyed this album. Sometimes creepy vibes, sometimes jazzy - I added Crumble to my Liked Songs playlist.

A really great album, just a unique sound mixing different styles and genres perfectly.

Day 7 gives me my first new artist! This one is hard to rate after 2-3 listens through. I think if i spend some more time with it it may become a 4 but atm its a strong 3. I adore Not Even Stevie Nicks… ⭐️⭐️⭐️

I looked at the album cover sand said "this looks like something that'll suck. One track in and BOY was I wrong. Nothing but rave reviews on here. I'm sorry for judging so fast. This feels pretty dope! Wow - never judge a book by it's cover. That's grade school 101. This was so fuckin cool. This is what this project is all about. Discovering new music that you've never heard of. Need to buy this....

This was quite surprising. This kind of album and band, which I'd never heard of before, is why I appreciate this challenge

Really nice mix between different genres. 3.5/5

A jack of all trades and a master of none.

Really enjoyed this album. The one thing I would say is that their voices didn't really match the style of music in my mind. Felt a little like a boy band singing cowboy songs which seemed a little jarring. Loved the instrumental pieces.

I was not expecting this. Pretty interesting but not my favorite. I liked all the instrumental stuff but not much else. It was ok. Crumble and Pepita were my favorite. Would give it a solid 2.5

Disc two?!?! Naw man. If I’m gunna listen to some El Mexicano music, then the guy singing can’t sound like Great Value Ed Sheeran. Also the instrumentals felt tedious. Felt like they couldn’t decide if they wanted to be smooth jazz or bolero or ranchera or whatever. Not Mexican enough to be played at a Mexican restaurant, but not jazz enough to be played at a bar.

Really, really cool sounds. Feels like the desert. Completely new to me, but love it. I really like the format of a bunch of short songs with varied sounds, it was an exciting listen. Honestly think I prefer the songs without vocals. Might be the worst album cover I've ever seen though

A pretty good album, I liked Not Even Stevie Nicks and Across The Wire the most. Overall really good.

spannend, abwechslungsreich, melodiös. die zeit reichte leider nur für die hälfte des doppelalbums, aber das hole ich noch nach.

Ein nettes Album welches mir nicht in Erinnerung bleiben wird.

I was expecting not to like this but I was proven wrong. Yet another failure in my life.

I’ve heard of these and I think and even gave them a listen many years back. They are definitely a critics favourite and are pleasant enough to listen to but once again they don’t really grab me. The singer lacks a distinctive voice, like Stipe, as they remind me a bit of REM but without the bite! Background music for me, but good background music!

Reasons why I'm enjoying this app experience #43. I get exposed to cool records I could've and should've listened to ages ago that haven't grown stale in the intervening years. Dug this a couple times yesterday and enjoyed it thoroughly

Daydreaming about the family meeting up at Sunday dinner in grandma and grandpa's backyard -- Marty Robbins is the grandpa and Calexico is the dad (I guess I'm the kid? lol) but Calexico is on the grill, Marty is in his chair next to the picnic table, they're both enjoying Pacificos just shootin the breeze. The lineage feels so obvious and so right. Also I can't help but feel bad for bands like Lord Huron and Django Django. I don't mean to throw shade, no one asked, haha, but just by comparison Calexico just pulls it off. I guess when I say "it", it almost feels like this fiction, like a Cohen brothers movie about the grandson of a cowboy who lives in the desert. Or a white kid who grew up with Mexican ranch hands in arid south south California or Arizona. The same way Marty Robbins was a fiction about a gunslinger, the culture of Calexico feels like a caricature. In a great way. The way I used to daydream about train jumping.

production is nice, but i dont really like the vocalist and its a bit too experimental for me

A solidly good album. Loved the opening waltz, but it didn't pick up much traction with me after that until the second half. It didn't match up with my expectations going in, so I think it would be good to give it a second listen now knowing that it's such a genre-spanning album.

it's got a nice latin feel to it

Feeling like main character syndrome whilst listening to this on the train, i’m not really sure what i was expecting going into this album (especially seeing the album cover yikes) but i was pleasantly surprised. Its lost me a bit on some songs, but mainly just my personal preference of enjoying lyrics in songs. Sunken waltz was pretty good and i don’t think any of the songs are necessarily bad, but i wouldn’t go out of my way to listen to them. It would be cool to salsa well.

i started off thinking this album sounded like the kinda thing someone would show you saying “it’s the most influential album they’ve ever listened too” but they only felt that way because they listened to it while their life was already changing the way any life does, but i ended up enjoying parts of it. the first few songs didn’t really grab me and i started scrolling twitter halfway through the album but i ended up really enjoying it as a background to my doomscrolling, and there really is a variety of songs here, although sometimes to the detriment of my enjoyment, the transition from the book and the canal to attack el robot attack really threw me and i didn’t like it, but overall pretty enjoyable. wish i could do 3.5 but 4 seems like a stretch

This album has the perfect amount of variety, where it's same-y enough to have a cohesive mood but it's not boring or repetitive. I don't like a lot of early 00s albums so I was on the fence with this one (I hate those big-room echo-y drums that they all seem to use) but I didn't hate it as much as I thought I would. Definitely has movie soundtrack vibes which I like. But seriously, this is one of the ugliest album covers I've ever seen in my life. Who in their right mind pairs light grey with electric blue, pink and red?? I liked close behind, attack el robot! attack! and guero canelo

A smörgåsboard of sounds and genres that, like the chosen metaphoric image would suggest, does not necessary amount into a cohesive meal, though each one is good enough on its own.

Unique which is good but it falls short of great. Definitely listenable and Crumble is a very good song. Maybe the mix of mariachi trumpets and accordions kind of messes up my listening experience. Still, glad I was exposed to it.

the album fuses so many things together but it doesnt get boring! Had to look up and check a few times to make sure I was still listening to the same album

I didnt know this but from the first few bars i felt at home. Excellent alt indie with a breadth and scope that is justified by the music and the ideas. A bit ling to digest in one day but i will return to this.

There's a lot going on in this record, a blend of so much, at times there was Wilco vibes, other elements was like the soundtrack to a western, then there was the mariachi/Mexican influence, yet somehow it all works, so well put together and certainly they can't be accused of sounding repetitive

A fun mix of a variety of styles, but with a consistent theme and feeling throughout. It is an album that gets deeper and better with more listens.

S odmakom hype oko ovog benda s početka nultih mi nije baš jasan. Imali su jebenih trenutaka i puno praznog hoda. Ovaj album je možda najsimptomatičniji pokazatelj te tvrdnje

lite framtungt och lite för långt. men ganska intressant sound. mariachi indie

Great band, great disc. Not their best (that's Garden of Ruin, IMO), but Not Even Stevie Nicks is a great song.

Wished there were more vocals because I liked the voice, but this was still a solid, chill listen. Light 4.

Calexico is so hard to categorize. This album blends good indie rock with Mexican/latin sounds.

Interesting mix of sounds on this album. Would do a 3.5 for the ambition but I’m not sure it was super well executed.

good album with good interludes

Very fun, interesting sound. I think this group was very much overlooked at the time this was released.

Wildly inconsistent album. Some amazing experiments in combining genres but also some undercooked sketches and indie snore-fests. Sunken Waltz is like a more southern inflected Pogues. But also its like a more shit Pogues. I hate the Pogues. Calexico, I'll do you a deal, everytime your album reminds me of the Pogues it loses a star. Quattro gets a bit more interesting with the occasional horn blast and reverb drenched guitar floating over the top. Black Heart is the only thing I'd listen to again. A country-inflected noir number reminiscent of Glory Box by Portishead. A lot of the songs either feel like sketches (Pepita, The Book and the Canal, Dub Latina) Soemtimes the attempts to blend styles fail, Not Even Stevie Nicks can't really escape from the 2000s indie mire. Close Behind is one of the better tracks, with spaghetti western accordion and steel guitar and a 6:4 time signature. Woven Birds and Across the Wire are just re-hashes of Sunken Waltz. The better tracks are the ones that give the horns a bit of a spin. Attack! El Robot! Attack! is rescued from the indie mire by its sultry sax lines. Guero Canelo is a fun norteno tribute to a fast food restaurant in Tucson, with Burns rapping into a drive-through delivery box. Alone Again stays fun by leaning into the norteno side of things. Almost ready to forgive one of the Pogues songs. Crumble is a great tribute to Lalo Schifrin. No Doze is far more boring than a trip across the desert. The album is saved in the second half for sure, but I've already soured on it by then. Could have used a few more months in the oven.

not bad

Best Song: Quatro - World Drifts In. Fine indie rock. Worst Song: Attack! El Robot! Attack! Like a lot of the album, just meh. Overall: Sure, it's fine, but doesn't a title like "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die" imply some degree of elevated quality or uniqueness? The list needs to be at least an order of magnitude larger to warrant this altogether okay album's inclusion.

I was really vibing with this album. Loving the first 2 songs and then the third short song took me out of it. The start of Black heart didn't help at all. While the album tried to find itself again after that I couldn't. While later songs weren't bad at all I couldn't get back to that initial feeling I had from the first two songs.

Didn't expect this. Liked it, don't know if I'll ever remember to listen to it again though

Nice

interesting but doesn’t quite hit . 2

Huh

This album is an experience, an adventure. It's jazz, it's mariachi, it's Spanish style guitar, and it's fantastic. I can literally see myself one a journey and each song is another stop on the itinerary. It is so different and exactly the kind of thing I hoped to find!

Enjoyable listen without being memorable

FT

Comenzamos la última de febrero con una banda que me es completamente desconocida. Suena tranquila, con música que podría funcionar bien como banda sonora de una película de Wim Wenders (Quattro es un buen ejemplo) o para relajar (Black Heart), además de las canciones instrumentales que acompañan todo el mood. Hasta mañana.

Not good, and not worth listening to. It's like a bad version of Blind Pilot but they don't commit to an actual sound, and never really develop anything interesting. The best bit was the odd jazz song right in the middle of the album that didn't need to be there. Favorite Song(s): Crumble

Reminds me of Wilco a little bit, whilst bringing in Latin influences and little extras that add dynamics. The mariachi style comes through, for example, on Close Behind. They do also try out some different stuff as well, like Attack! El Robot! Attack! and Güero Canelo I like the open, big production style from the reverb on the drums and acoustic guitars. Crumble is cool, very noir and jazzy This is the kind of stuff I'm pleased to discover from the list as I've never heard of Calexico Highlights: Crumble, Attack! El Robot! Attack!

This seemed like a really bland version of all the genres that came together to create it. Boring as hell.

This was pretty good. Eclectic mix of styles.

564 albums and finally, FINALLY one that I'd never heard of and absolutely love. The latin influence, the country undertones, the surprising burst of Cumbia like the quenceñera you didn't know you were invited to?!?! 437 more like this, please!

no

This album kind of grew on me-liked all of the Mexican influences and horns. The lead singer sounds like a drip of a white wanky indie rock tool, but the instrumentals were pretty good. Glad I listened to the whole thing-not sure I’d revisit, but it wasn’t as bad as I was expecting. I’d give it 2.5 if I could.

Desert Spanish holiday soundscapes. Not super my cup of tea would work awesome in films and I can appreciate it.

Very much so enjoyed

a really odd mix with a country base and a kind of cinematic injection and an electronic interlude i found quite compelling

This started out with promise - the first song was a nice Radio 2 pop song. The album then devolved into b-side quality before settling on some jazz jams.

291/1001 🌕🌕🌕🌑🌑

t surprised me. was not what i expected. some cool instrumentals. would not listen again tho, boring most of the time

got more into it towards the end of the album

3.9 I gave this a couple runs through and glad I did. A ton of depth in all the tracks and quite varied. A lot more than an alt-country album

Dont remember it all that well tbh

Recognized one song from a Robert Plant/Allison Kraus record and got so excited!

Cool album with some good songs and intrumentals - latin/mexican jazz rock Favorite track: Quattro other picks: sunken waltz, black heart, guero canelo, crumble

Not for me

Started strong. Finished weakly. So much potential.

5/10. I'll be honest I'm a little confused as to why this was included on the list as I'd never heard of the band and they have very few listeners on Spotify. I thought maybe this was some diamond in the rough that the critics had uncovered. Granted it's not really my genre and nothing about it was bad as such but nothing apart from the occasional jazzy note stood out to me and I just ended up thinking it was quite middle-of-the-road, which in the context of this list probably warrants a two star score.

Liked this a lot! Did not know about Calexico and this left me hungry for more! Very good sound, lyrics are solid and it keeps getting better song after song

I know some Calexico tunes, and their collaboration with Iron & Wine, but I have never listened to a full album by them before. I had the Giant Sand album a couple of months ago, I didn't realize that the guys from Calexico started out in that group - it makes sense listening. I really enjoyed this album.

Y'know, right off the bat, let me be 100% with my problem with this album: it's indie rock. As much as I'd want my take on this album to be more complicated than that, it's really not. I mean, indie rock is— jus'... I'unno. It's not even the genre I have the most trouble with. Generally, I feel like I still have more problems with shoegaze and post-punk for how actively and purposefully unappealing they can try to be. But, goodness me, can this genre ever be the most boring whiff of nothing sometimes. Like, more often than not, I'm honestly not even sure what the appeal's supposed to be. I can't even fathom a guess at why people would go so hard for indie rock. And if listening to three Arcade Fire albums won't give me any clues, I don't know how anything can, let alone this album. I really do wish this album had leaned into its other genre way more: tejano (or "Tex-Mex," as the album's Wikipedia page called it). Heck, it's what I was hoping this album would be more, 'coz if I've learned anything from watching MACHETE, I really like this kind of music. Whenever this album goes all out with the horns and the accordion, that's when it's great. If the whole thing were like this, honestly, I'd hafta restrain myself from giving it a perfect 5. But I'unno. There was too much stuff on here that I could only think of as "just boring indie rock" that, frankly, it kind of spoiled the mood. I mean, heck, give one to the thought that I spent two paragraphs on indie rock before I even brought up tejano music. More than anything, I come out of this album a bit mixed and honestly disappointed. I was really looking forward to this being something like, I'unno, The Pogues, where it's this really rippin' national sound and it's absolutely **amazing**. Instead, even when I got what I was looking for, I was still a bit too busy groaning at the stuff I wasn't to fully enjoy it. So... A 3, I guess? This shoulda been way more my alley, goodness... And seriously, what is with this album cover? Lookin' like some kinda "recolored screenshot" deviantART OC. I swear.

I definitely hear what the Wikipedia page for this album means by "Tex-Mex". Solid 4 Stars.

I’m at a 4, and it’s a 4 that feels very relevant. It doesn’t become super apparent until “Across the Wire” hits you over the head with it, but this is an album centered around the process of immigrating from Mexico to the U.S., with the hopes of a greater & better life. It’s not always telling that story, but for the most part, looking back at the lyrics of the first 10 tracks makes it readily apparent (especially Sunken Waltz, which doesn’t click well as an opener, but makes a lot of sense going back to it). Given all of the current ongoings with the Trump administration, this feels like a story that needs to be told, even with the downer ending of our protagonist getting caught, jailed, & imprisoned in chains. This album doesn’t do a *great* job of telling the story, and I do wish the lyricism had more of a personalized feel as opposed to a broader “anyone can be this guy” sort of characterization, but I respect it for telling the story regardless. From a musical standpoint, while I do think the album is a bit scattered throughout the first 10 tracks as it tries to find its footing, the soundscapes are great – the mix of Afro-Latin instrumentation, Spanish guitar, blues, jazz, & electronica creates a super cool blend that I’m not sure has been captured very often in music. Albums like this are probably out there, but I’ve never really heard one that sounds like this, with a consistency in capturing the vibe, even if the tracks themselves can feel a little flatter or not as engaging. I thought it was a really enjoyable 48 minutes, even if the album had plenty of ups and downs along the way – the instrumentals clicked super well for me, but the tracks with vocals felt a little bit hit & miss, just for the lyricism thing I mentioned earlier. It’s far from a perfect album, but the story it tells & the pride it takes in showcasing its sound is so desperately needed in today’s climate – obviously, the downer ending feels harsh, and perhaps far too real in the face of everything currently going on, but its realism should act as a rallying cry to avoid these sorts of sad endings. I really liked it, and while it’s not at a 5, it feels like it should be no less than a 3 – I’m at a 4 because it just felt really fresh & really cool to me. It’s a highly recommended album.

I really enjoyed this album. Probably some influence from my maternal Hispanic heritage, but rock music with a Mexi drive to it reall huts my sweet spot (9.15) ★★★★½

A few really good tracks, bit too disjointed and too many instrumentals. 3 stars

I really love the sound of this album. The instrumentation and stylistic influences here isn't your normal alt-country/Americana sound, and it just has this cool southwestern vibe that is pretty unique. All the songs feel very cinematic, like I'm taking a road trip through the desert and meeting a bunch of seedy characters on the way. My favorites are "Sunken Waltz", "Quattro - World Drifts In", "Black Heart", and "Güero Canelo". It's a beauty. 4.5 stars

Real ho hum alt-country that leans too heavily into the mariachi and kinda unravels past the halfway stage. Does feature Black Heart which is a sterling, surreptitious string sloshed mega high point. Bit bonkers how no other track here comes slightly close to matching it for quality. Generally these are songs that are fit for making an OK soundtrack to Breaking Bland.

Better than I expected. Pretty enjoyable.

When I opened this album up straight after reviewing the last album, gotta be honest. was a little disappointed. The first track SUCKS. however as the album goes on... it does get better. I do love the completely different styles, showcased in songs like "Close Behind", which gives like Video Game music vibes, like something out of Xenoblade, which gave me a little shock. Oh and when "The Book and the Canal" came on, WOOOOOOOAHHHHHH did it give me chills, such a beautiful piano and string section melody, would fit right into WALL-E. Could they PLEASE change the album cover please, that sucks so much. Trumpets are very sick tho.

This album is interesting in a good way. Like the whole thing feels like a concept album with a plot line, or even a soundtrack for a Movie or Game at points. There are some beautiful songs that really captured my attention, so overall it's good. The cover made me think this was gonna be very diffrent lol. Fave Songs - Quattro, Black Heart, Not Even Stevie Nicks

A very experimental album, with a lot of American and Spanish influences that creates a different perspective on music then a lot of the music on this list. Some really good interesting parts of the album that showed brilliance like Crumble and Guero Canelo but there were some parts that just didn’t hit the mark. Favourite song - Crumble

Yeah i really like this. Ticks a lot of boxes of something that i wouldn't like, but good music is good music innit

Glad I finally gave them a chance

I'm honestly not sure if I've ever heard more range on a single album in my life

Entre 1998 y 2003 Calexico publicaron 3 discos extraordinarios. The Black Light (1998) Hot Rail (2000) Feast of Wire (2003 No es que lo que hicieran después tuviera menor calidad, pero es que esta trilogía tuvo un impacto inigualable. Sonaban diferentes, con referencias a muchas cosas, todas buenas, y sobre todo sonaban fenomenal. El adjetivo fronterizo o mestizaje son los mejores calificativos. Una obra imprescindible. A mi me gusta más Hot rail, pero es cuestión de matices, cualquiera de estos 3 justifica una trayectoria. Y no hemos mencionado a Giant Sand o Friends of Dean Martinez...

That was a tough experience

2.5

THIS is the type of thing that I thought there would be so much more of in this project, a very good and worthy band/album that I had never heard of. Unfortunately selections like this one are few and far between. My hopes weren't high looking at the HORRIBLE cover art which has nothing at all to do with the music contained therein. I loved the Latin flavors, the instrumentation, the stylistic variety, the cohesive vibe and the songs were interesting throughout. "Black Heart" sounds like it could easily have been a James Bond theme. This was a surprising and very enjoyable listen.

Mid to high twos. I think they have better albums.

Too much jazz

Wow. Loved this, it was so varied, but all of it works, and all of it works together

This was new and kinda fun?! Like mariachi-tinged rock which I was actually okay with! A really enjoyable listen!

Nicely arranged songs, instrumentals in particular are lush and easy to lose yourself in. Nice variety of influences and mixture of genres. Probably wouldn't listen to this again as it's a little passive but enjoyed my time with it

Most of the songs are first rate

pretty boring - maybe would've hit if heard it in high school during my emo phase

Not amazing, folk mostly instrumental

Een interessante vergaarbak aan leuke deuntjes, maar ik mis wel samenhang. Soms elektronisch, dan weer folky, dan is het weer latin à la Café del mar. Met een randje jazz. Een prettig geluid hoor, daar niet van, maar ik denk dat ik ze binnenkort alweer vergeten ben. Wat jammer is, gezien de wirwar aan stijlen die op zich allemaal in mijn straatje liggen.

Dit album begint met een rustig nummer met het bekenden Amerikaanse accent. Dat is niet mijn smaak, dus ik bereid mij voor. Het volgende nummer biedt een hele andere, maar ook rustige zang. Fijn dat er variatie is. Er wordt wat blaaswerk bij gehaald en het versnelde ritme breekt wel fijn met de rustige zang. Maar dan komt de klapper van het album. Black heart is een triphopnummer met een wat minder dominante beat. Het album heeft op zich het beste al wel gehad. Los van elkaar gezien, zijn de volgende nummers prima, maar vergeetbaar. In zijn totaal biedt het album een continue kwaliteit met veel afwisselingen. Met name door Black heart, zou ik het met een vergeetbare 3 te kort doen.

Met een legioen aan toeters en bellen kom je wel in de Latino sferen met deze muziek. Het zit alleen altijd op het randje van het potsierlijke vind ik. Ik zie een soort Looney tunes of Disney figuurtjes voor me, die natuurlijk ook karikaturen zijn, en dan midden in de woestenij van Arizona op een kruispunt staan te toeteren. Wiki omschrijft er ook Tex-Mex bij, waar ik dan weer eerder aan die pakjes en zakjes uit de supermarkt denk, waarmee je taco's en burrito's kan maken. Oftewel, ik neem het allemaal allesbehalve serieus. Terwijl de muzikanten en onze grote boze snobs het volgens mij juist wel serieus nemen. En daar wringt de schoen voor mij. Als je namelijk door die toeters lekkere vrolijke muziek wil maken en een feestje wil bouwen, helemaal top, vooral doen. Maar indie muziek maken, high brow. Meh, dat pakt me niet helemaal. Ik vind het niet slecht ofzo, maar dit is niet mijn smaak verder. Typische festivalmuziek voor in een kleine tent om 14.00 uur smiddags, waar je dan met een burrito in je bek naar kan zitten luisteren.

Relaxed, varied and straightforward songs.

I know this band for years but never actually listened to them. If have to say it’s Not my favourite kind of music but it’s really relaxed and well orchestrated. Well done Calexico.

3-4

Mit Feast of Wire liefern Calexico eine faszinierende Mischung aus Americana, Tex-Mex und einem Hauch von Indie-Chic. Die Songs, von der melancholischen Schönheit „Black Heart“ bis zum treibenden „Quattro (World Drifts In)“, ziehen einen in eine fast filmische Welt. Die Band schafft es, mit Mariachi-Trompeten, sanften Gitarren und atmosphärischen Klängen eine einzigartige Stimmung zu zaubern. Ein Album, das perfekt für eine lange Autofahrt oder einen entspannten Abend mit einem Glas Wein ist.

Huh.

Need more listens to really get it

Nortec did it better.

Truly one of the best albums I’ve ever listened to

Interesting mix of the styles, but it's not something that I can really connect with. The kind of album I'd put for background music while drinking whiskey and smoking cigars.

Not as bad as expected! A pretty decent record, but it still shouldn't be on this list.

Except for a few songs, nothing really stands out, but... It's great all the way through. Very pleasant and moody listen!

Impressive. New to me. Not sure how it compares to the rest of its genre, but a solid four from me.

Interesting at times but overall uneventful. The genre bending is here is nothing to be amazed by. Plus the album art is puzzling at best

Overall: 5/10 Well, that is easily the worst album cover I've come across so far, and it doesn't even fit the music. I was expecting some sort of hip hop project but this is more latin/country/indie rock. While I enjoy some of the songs, I don't really see a reason why this was included in the list. I ended up zoning out on multiple occasions which is rare for me with music. Unless you're hardcore taking this list seriously, I would recommend just skimming through this one. Fav Song: Black Heart Least Fav Song: Güero Canelo

Better than I expected - songs are better than the album cover, don’t worry.

I was expecting to be a woman idk why

Incredible first listen, stunning production.

This one kept me guessing throughout. There’s a bit of a mariachi-style thread running through much of it but it’s a hard album to pigeonhole, and that can only be a good thing. I found it pretty beguiling to be honest; there are some lovely instrumentals in there and a bit of mystery in many of the tracks.

I liked this quite a bit, and had no preconceived notions going in, other than the fact that this album appears on some editions of the 1001 and not others. Usually that's an indication that the album isn't all that great... but this is an interesting record. Well worth the listen!

Mega przyjemny album. Ogólnie nie wciąga mnie kultura latynoska, ale jak już słyszę jakąś muzykę opartą na tym środkowoamerykańskim czy południowoamerykańskim instrumentalu, to zawsze mnie to wciąga. Coś, do czego wrócę sobie na spokojnie w którymś momencie, ale tak na pierwsze dwa odsłuchy bardzo mi się podobało.

I felt like i watched 5 different movies while listening to one album. What a deal!

Fest of Wire perfekcyjnie łączy amerykański folk, alt-country i latynoskie inspiracje, tworząc niezwykle klimatyczną podróż przez pustynne krajobrazy. Fantastyczna płyta, jeden z moich top soundtracków do chodzenia po mieście. "Attack! El Robot! Attack!" Mocne 4

This is like an indie mariachi soundtrack machine. I've never heard of them but this is pretty skillfully put together. I found it an easy listen and did enjoy it. I'm not sure I could see me hunting it to put on again but if it was on I wouldn't mind at all. Probably could've give them a deeper listen but I lacked the time for more than one.

Never heard of this band. Right away this did a good job of making me pay attention. Very nice changes in style between songs while still keeping the same vibe. Solid song craft. Personally tho, as an album I would want it tightened up and maybe drop like 4 tracks.

Better than expected

Really, really love the folksy songs at the top. Will definitely devote some time to the rest of Calexico's oeuvre in the future.

Indiezinho legal

Was okay. Felt more folk than country (as it was labeled as alternative country), which made me like it more.

Interesting mix of a number of genres. Can hear Latin and Country in there against a backdrop of Indie Rock. 10/10 for trying something new but unfortunately did not tickle my fancy. 2/5 19/12/24

6/10 - I liked the beginning and then the middle was strange as the singing mostly stopped and then the end was even more weird when some of the singing returned. Idk it was just kind of strange as it evolved

Started out fine, got a bit boring and repetitive

Having listened to this album, I'm really not sure how to describe it. There's a bunch of different moods and styles here. It's pretty relaxed overall, but it keeps surprising you with how it changes from song to song. The instrumentals are a nice touch 4/5

Hab's beim Hanteltraining gehört - Nicht zu empfehlen, also fürs "Beim Training hören", sehe es eher im "Beim Putzen hören"-Segment. N paar gute Songs, n paar schlechte Songs = 3/5 Sterne

Eigentlich ganz angenehm zu hören. Herausgestochen ist aber auch kein Lied.

Ja, war okay, aber auch nichts was herausgestochen hat, wo ich dachte, okay das muss auf jeden Fall in die 1001 besten Alben. Songs der Playlist hinzugefügt: Keine

I like these guys. Good music, but waiting for an epic breakout. At this point, it will likely never come.

This is why a genre like 'indie music' exists. Allows for musicians to experiment, but not purely out of selfishness, but to showcase enjoyable song craftsmanship, that toys with improvisation, that has a purpose. So much to appreciate; felt like the soundtrack to a beautifully directed Mexican adventure film.

this was an awesome album. This is a perfect mix of latin music and indie rock.

Quattro - Good

A bit nothingy!

A wild album that I have never encountered before.. first of all, really cool cover. Some really interesting instrumental cuts, some jazzy, some straight out of a western score - honestly, in a much more modern/indie rock/Conor Oberst kinda context, this reminded me of that Byrds country album that came up on this list before, as a capsule of all things Americana. Weird but pretty enjoyable, I gotta say!

The variety of genres and the instrumentals were nice!

erm i did not get it really ... white indie rock dudes who make mexican music ?

fun

Kiva sekoitus vähän kaikenlaista folkkia ja indie rokkia. Hieno tunnelma. Mut miks kaikki parhaimman kuuloiset kappaleet on vaan välisoittoja?? Parhaat: Sunken Waltz, Crumble, No Doze

I still don't like country.

Feast of Wire feels like it knows what it is and what it isn't, providing a great experience of being *somewhere*. And that somewhere is probably close to Mexico, by the sound of it. Great album to put into background. I've listened to it a few times already, but I'm not sure if there was anything out there. It's not like The Car or Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino - great background music, but they snap out of it, to deliver you an extra hook, to grab the strings of your heart. Feast of Wire usually stays in the background, even if some tracks go for that extra epic feel. Very, very strong 4, and I'm risking willing to give it a 5 for being something else, something solid. It's held back only by the fact that I'm not sure if it has any hooks for me to return to it.

I’ve never listened to Calexico because they always struck me as a flash in the pan that a lot of people liked at the moment and quickly wrote off. I got this impression because in my record store’s indie section, there were always Calexico albums that NEVER sold. They were there forever. So to me? That said there was no point. Now. What is to be made of this album now that I’ve heard it? That feels about right to me. This doesn’t really do much. It doesn’t lean far enough into something interesting. Hey does anyone else like Murder by Death? They give me more of a weird desperate lost in a desert vibe. That’s not even fair.

интересная музыка, хороший микс из стилей. есть тут что то что можно изучать

Pleasant eclectic album with enough to maintain interest throughout.

Enjoyed this. Light but not fluffly.

This was surprisingly good!

Another cracking album. It was very understated and easy to listen to. Perfect for a warm night, a few beers and a bottle of rum.

The best from Calexico! Love the atmosphere.

I enjoyed the album. It definitely seems more up my alley in what I would typically listen to and was a nice, easy, vibe.

2.5

Based on their Spotify photo and this album cover, I thought these guys were going to be a techno or EDM band. Nope. Complete opposite. I’m having a hard time putting these guys into a specific musical class. It’s more of a Placebo grouping. Wherever they are placed on the musical genre scale. I’m pleasantly surprised with this one. I have an issue with the lack of passion in the singers voice but it does fit with the music. The music sort of sets one tone and rolls with it. You could put this one before going to bed and it would lullaby you as you needed it. Choice cut: Black Heart

Interesting, but too polished.

this was cool, didn't know what to expect and it delivered well but nothing crazy. 7/10

Positivt överraskad. Aldrig hört förut men det här var kul och bra.

Not the sound I was expecting from the band name and album artwork. Very innocuous sound, meh.

The only Calexico song I knew before was The Crystal Frontier which I thought was great so I was quite excited to hear this Have they made an album of songs as good as that? In short, no. But there’s still a lot to enjoy here The soundscape - widescreen indie TexMex - is fantastic but there’s no songs as immediate as the Crystal Frontier So call it a low 4 that frustratingly could have been a classic if the songs were a little stronger Edit - actually it’s a 3

I wish this was more mariachi and less Portlandia indie twee. Pepita and Dub Latina are pretty. But most of this is pretty boring. It’s like low energy Arcade Fire. Or, like, slow zydeco. It’s not bad, just not my thing. The instrumentals are the best parts.

Great indie album. Extremely varied tracks, but still a unique cohesive sound.

Kind of surprised to see this band on this list, but if they were going to be included, this is certainly the obvious album. I remember when this was released and never got in to it as a whole, though I thought Calexico had a great sound and I loved the first track "Sunken Waltz" a ton. It was cool to revisit this, because they do have a great sound and it's a lot more varied and interesting than I was expecting. Some great instrumentation. Really enjoyed this, who would have thought?

Nog een vraag toevoegen voor het eindejaarslijstje? 'Welke albumhoes komt het minst overeen met de muziek op datzelfde album?' Wat een monstrosity, en hij bereidt je - gelukkig - op geen enkele manier voor op wat er komen gaat. Ik kende de band niet, en ik associeerde de naam alleen met de ludieke twin cities aan de USA/Mexico border ''Calexico'' en ''Mexicali''. Ironisch, als je bedenkt hoe totaal niet grappig dat grensgebied is. Anyway, een klein vooronderzoekje en ik was best hyped. Indie rock met een latino flavor. En al snel tijdens de luisterbeurt kun je de band plaatsen in het indie hoekje van Wilco, Band of Horses en Midlake. Prima, maar ik miste die unieke draai tot het middenstuk van het album. In de eerste fase voegt de 'mariachi' twist weinig toe, en is het ronduit fletse folk rock. Maar dat verandert vanaf 'Black Heart', waar de balans tussen spaghetti-western en indie rock precies juist lijkt. Heel atmosferisch, en een beetje southern gothic in de stijl van The Handsome Family. Mij heb je. Vanaf dat moment begrijp ik de hype in de review-sectie wel, en is het op het eerste gehoor wel een unieke sound in de scene. Wat interessant is is dat de plaat dus echt wel heel rockerig begint, maar langzaamaan steeds meer latin wordt. Het evolueert echt, wat een leuke luisterervaring oplevert. Het is allemaal niet echt onvergetelijk, maar het is wel een band waar ik wat dieper in ga duiken. 7,5/10 Highlights: Black Heart Woven Birds Across the Wire (Lijkt enorm op 'Waves of Fear' van Lou Reed)

Wat een verschrikkelijke albumhoes. Maar wat een spannend en interessant album om naar te luisteren. Met terugwerkende kracht ontdek ik nog aardig wat zeroes-bands die zonder te horen bij een specifieke stroming of hype toch bijzonder mooie platen hebben gemaakt. Dan denk ik bijvoorbeeld ook aan Midlake. En ondanks nooit écht goed iets van Calexico te hebben gehoord, is dit er ook zo' plaat. De basis van de plaat is acoustic-folk, maar ze ontplooien prachtige arrangementen met blazers en strijkers, om dan weer terug te vallen op die basis. Bijvoorbeeld het intro nummer of op Not even Stevie Nicks. Zo'n slaggitaar doet altijd iets bij mij, en herken ik bijvoorbeeld van Neutral Milk Hotel. De plaat gaat daarna verder met nieuwe en compleet andere arrangementen. Met crumble zit er zelfs een volwaardige jazz track met James Bond spanning tussen. Mijn spanningsboog dipt net iets te veel in het middenstuk voor een perfecte score. En die hoes blijft ook echt een grote smet. Dus dan maar 8/10. Highlights Quattro - World drifts in Not Even Stevie Nicks

Engaged, doesn’t keep its promise.

4.25

normal 2,5

ta bien, es un 3,5. Es un lindo viaje pero tampoco me llamó muchísimo la atención

This was okay. Better than I expected but I didn’t love it.

Really good chill music

Nothing to hate and little to like. Weird genre mix.

Very James Bond feel about it

interesting. It wasn't all one thing, a bit all over the place. Almost like a movie soundtrack. Nothing memorable. 25 song double album is just too long.

... ???

I'm sure this band has their fans, but this album feels like an album that you're meant to like if you're cool. Wikipedia gives the genre as Indie Rock / Americana / Tex-Mex / Alternative Country which gives you some idea of the strange mixture of musical styles, especially as I'd also throw in Folk and Jazz as well.

I know Sam Beam hung with these guys back in the day, and you can kind of see the influence. It doesn't do a lot for me, but I appreciate it.

Holy shit this is what I'm hear for. I had to look up the genre and the best description I saw for it was tex mex. It's sort of lofi kinda jazz kinda light rock with mexican influences and it's fucking brilliant

really bad. Got boring quickly and sound quality wasn't maybe the best. Guero Canelo was my fave but would not listen again.

Not for me. Was expecting hip hop and got weird and boring ballads. Some of the instrumentals were ok.

This is a cool album. Definitely worth a revisit when the vibe is needed.

Completely new to me. Loved it.

apparently my taste has evolved as this indie rock album captured me pretty quick. They were times (opening few songs ) and the instrumentals around attack el robot which made me consider a high score here Unfortunately the vocals are ultimately underwhelming and some of the songs in the middle sound repetitive and lost my for a bit. I can see myself replaying this a few times but not ultimately a special one , landing at a 3

There’s a reason Coco is my favorite Disney movie. Loved this

Pepita and Black Heart were some faves. Great album

Different in all the right ways

Not for me

Really liked this. I had heard Calexico a bit before but not a whole album. Great instrumentation, good hooks, nice vocals.

Very cool, a diverse blend of cultural sounds layered through some indie pop kinda songs. Enjoyed it

At least it's something different than usual from this list (I don't know if I'm starting to hate this challenge). Although this album itself falls a bit in the second part. Still it's an album definitely worth listening to.

Boring

Ticklish to the ear

Didn’t leave an impression on me.

This was really good

Don't remember much of it and I listened to it yesterday.

I don't know where I sit with this album. I liked a lot of it, and I do feel like I'm likely to listen to more Calexico going forward (I'd never heard of them before today) but I think the album would be a lot stronger with a different vocalist. The melodies hit the right spot for me, and sometimes the vocals did as well, but more often than not I felt that the vocals detracted from the song

There's a lot I like about this record. It's moody, it's eerie, it's emotional (which I guess all kind of describes the same thing...) and because of that, to me it's what makes it interesting. When an artist can accomplish moody without it being cringe, I tend to bias towards it more. Black Heart captures that feeling perfectly with the violins. Loved that track. I think a lot of the instrumentation throughout the record is really good. The layers of guitars and strings are mixed really well and I would guess a lot of care was put into the sound of how those two are interacting with each other. 4/5

The country-rock fusion is quite a hard one to pull off, but this is a really solid attempt at it. Some of these songs have such amazing riffs with genuinely passionate and emotional vocals, while some can really drag on a bit. If you take out some of the less interesting filler tracks, this could be an all time classic.

I didn't finish it, there were a few tracks I enjoyed, but as a whole not my favorite.

A lot of fun, great vibe and energy, and great mix of styles throughout. Will listen again!

New to me and I like it!

Good find, I really liked this. Laid back mix of Mexican and American styles.

Too long but otherwise enjoyed it .

Feast of Wire offers immediate delights while holding up to repeat listens — always sparking my interest whenever it comes on. And yet, I'd long forgotten about Calexico. This album reminds me that is on me, not the material.

What an interesting, varied, exciting listen. Wasn't expecting texmex or folk music at all; it touches on a lot of different genres while still being cohesive and unpretentious. A hidden gem for me. Highlights: Black Heart, Not Even Stevie Nicks..., Across the Wire, Güero Canelo, Crumble

yeah slay

New to me, and thanks. All over the place, but in a fun, musical way.

Quite weird album but interesting sound - interesting blend of country and blues and Hispanic influences.

Chill and experimental at the same time. Lots of interesting stuff, balanced with a dose of boring

I was surprised by how much I liked this. Latin jazz-folk fusion with an indie inflection. Had some really nice moments. Particularly enjoyed Pepita and Close Behind

This really surprised me! The hideous cover design is deceiving

I liked some of the songs a lot, but a lot were just fine.

Wasn't a fan at the beginning but the last half was pretty good.

A lot of different genres on the album which is fun. Nothing that sticks out a ton though.

This is the first album in quite some time to really surprise me with a sound I haven’t heard before. Moody, atmospheric, and occasionally hopeful with looming dread, it comes off as a mood setter and something deeper than your average album. My closest frame of reference is a southwestern version of Low Roar’s flavor of folk. Something oddly ethereal and emotional but with a bit more roughage around the edges. The instrumentals make me want to go to the southwest and take a road trip through the middle of nowhere. If a handful of these songs haven’t already been used for soundtracks in television or film, those studios are missing out on some great stuff.

Excellent album but expected of course to see The Black Light, which was an instant hype upon its release. Feast of Wire contains some instrumental pieces that are a bit less strong than the other tracks. Having said this, Calexico live is one of the best concerts I ever went to (saw them in 2006). score in 2003: 8/10 score in 2024: 8/10 (close to 5* - just like that Giant Sand album that was generated around this time last year).

Very nice surprise to see this album on the list: it's gorgeous.

alright, some songs had a great sound, but felt a little all-over-the-place in general.

Großartig :-) Typischer Calexico-Sound, direkt beim ersten hören nimmt mich die Stimmung mit. 5/5

This was fairly interesting, I’d give it a 3.5

Album 548 of 1001 Calexico - Feast of Wire (2003) Rating : 2 / 5 Didn't do much for me. Could just be me.

Pues me ha encantau.

Attack! El Robot! Attack! and Black Heart were cool. Nice atmosphere

the b side clears the a side out the water but it still wasn't enough to carry it out of the sub average grade

Could see how people like this album, but it is just not my vibe

This album was actually pretty awesome. A pleasant surprise.

beetje los lobos light...instrumentals zijn beter dan de gezongen nummers...

Never heard of them before, the album wasn’t bad

After three consecutive days of terrible albums, my hopes were not high for something I'd never heard of by a band I didn't know. But this is so good. Other reviews have come close enough to describing the excellent range and quality of music, and I'm giving it 5 stars so I don't forget to come back to it down the road. It'd a 4.5 anyway.

3.5

3/5

I liked parts of Feast Of Wire, the first song sounded quite similar to some of the more recent Dropkick Murphys efforts to reinvent Woody Guthrie's music, there's some latin-adjacent stuff that leaps out of the speakers, and the other stuff is decent and tells a story even if they lose me a bit when it gets too dreamy. Nice 3.

Enjoyed this, even if it wasn't outstanding. Relatively easy listening, nice mix of Latin beats with American indie (the singer gives real Bright Eyes vibes in places). Could've done with a bit more bite and energy in places - it does that better in the more instrumental tracks, but needs a bit more oomph to elevate it above the 3/5 that I'm giving it.

dont let the horrible album cover fool you, this is worse than it looks!

Started out decent but then fell off. High 2

From the album cover thought this was going to be a completely different genre. Enjoyed it

I enjoyed it...I think.

Atmospheric and pleasant enough, but ultimately I was bored shitless by this.

Some nice folksy music. Nothing to write home about.

It was a very surreal experience

This was a new band for me, it was ok

Meh

A pretty interesting album that grew in uniqueness the longer it went on. A lot of different varied sounds. Sounded like Sufjan Stevens at some points and then totally different in others. Nothing to rave about but glad it was included here. 6/10 (3/5)

Good album