Reviews (page 6 of 7)
Fav: Black Heart Least Fav: Pepita
OK, but not fantastic
Nice, I liked it. Not sure why, but this western/mariachi style is really scratching an itch lately.
It was alright. Far too Americana for my tastes, but the instrumentals were nice and had real soul.
not a bad listen
good
Average, album was a bit too long, songs were ok but nothing outstanding.
un buon sottofondo
It's not bad. I like the laid back Mexican feel. It's good background music.
Decent listen.
Fun mix of genres but at the end of the day, not super my jam. Still it sounded unique which is so much better as I reach the end of this thing. 3.5/5
Was okay, nice mood but didn't do much for me.
I want to like this more than I did but the tracklist is bogged down by instrumental songs that can’t really stand on their own.
Wilco makes a western movie soundtrack.
That wasn’t what I was expecting. It was alright though, 3*
I enjoyed! Production is amazing.
Some acoustic folk, some rock, songs songs with a Sergio Leone influence and some Latin songs including one with mariachi horns. The jazzy funk of “Attack El Robot! Attack!” was the first track I genuinely vibed with rather than passively listening. Cool groove. “Dub Latina” and “Güero Canelo” were cool too. I like these instrumental grooves. And the jazz of “Crumble” is excellent! This album is full of surprises.
Not for me
Good band, interesting album with lot of Mexican influences. I liked the second half better, which was more experimental, the first half was less memorable. A strong 3 from me.
Good Band. Unremarkable Album.
This is not my vibe Sunken Waltz - 3.5/5 Quattro - World Drifts in - 2.9/5 Stucco - 2.5/5 Black Heart- 3.8/5 Pepita - 3.4/5 Not Even Stevie Nicks... - 3.6/5 Close Behind - 3/5 Woven Birds - 3.1/5 The Book and the Canal - 2/5 Attack El Robot! Attack! - 1.5/5 Across the Wire - 3.8/5 Dub Latina - 2.5/5 Güero Canelo - 3.6/5 Whipping the Horse's Eyes - 1/5 Crumble - 2.5/5 No Doze - 3/5 Total - 2.9/5
3 Indie folk with some south of the border flavor. I was hoping for skate punk based on the album cover, but I probably should've known better coming from a group named Calexico. Anyway, I’m not exactly sure how I feel about this one. I feel like there’s a subtle charm to be found here, and in some ways, it even kind of reminded me of my favorite group, Bright Eyes (Not Even Stevie Nicks in particular reminded me of Poison Oak), but at the same time, it’s really not overly interesting music - some might even say it’s borderline boring. Despite the unique, genre-fusing sound, a lot of this ended up sounding kind of the same. I saw a few people write off the instrumental tracks in particular, but I actually found those to be some of the more interesting and diverse tracks here, and I think the album actually largely benefitted from their inclusion. I went back and forth a few times with my rating on this one. At the end of the day, I think I would say I think I liked this more than I disliked it, so we’ll go with a 3, but I also wouldn’t call it particularly memorable or revisitable.
cool southwestern influenced rock album. Good indie aesthetic like wilco, DevotchKa and arcade fire with the grand instrumentation but distinctly in the flavor of a band like the Eagles or Love.
Great instrumental songs mixed with ok lyrics songs.
interesting indie/country/jazz/americana
It’s okay. I can understand a certain audience that would have ate this up - my biggest gripe it that I loved all the songs w/o lyrics far more than the ones that did and I’m fairly certain they were interludes.
Untitled (pregap hidden instrumental track) n/a Sunken Waltz 3 Quattro (World Drifts In) 3 Stucco 3 Black Heart 2.8 Pepita 2.5 Not Even Stevie Nicks.. 2.6 Close Behind 2.8 Woven Birds 2.8 The Book and the Canal 2.8 Attack el Robot! Attack! 3 Across the Wire 3.2 Dub Latina 3 Guero Canelo 3.3 Whipping the Horse's Eyes 2.9 Crumble 3.4 No Doze 3 Score: 2.94375
#234. Never heard of this band and have no idea what you would even call this genre of music. It was certainly interesting though. It definitely has a cool vibe. 3/5: decent
5/27/24. Really liked the Southwestern sound of this one! I was traveling while listenining to this, so perhaps I didn't give a fair listen, but rating is based on initial impression.
This was fine. Had it on in the background while sanding our front porch. It was music.
I only listened one time through. I think I should go back to this one to give it another try. The sound was intriguing -- some latino sounds, various strings, etc.
B- Sunken Waltz 3 Quattro (World Drifts In) 4 Stucco 3 Black Heart 4 Pepita 3 Not Even Stevie Nicks... 3 Close Behind 3 Woven Birds 3 The Book And The Canal 3 Attack El Robot! Attack! 3 Across The Wire 3 Dub Latina 3 Güero Canelo 3 Whipping The Horse's Eyes 3 Crumble 3 No Doze 3 ARGH maties...
This is pleasant enough. Americana Folk Indie with some Western twang and some cinematic bits. The mellower parts of Neil Young and Thin White Rope come to mind. 3.5/5 5/27/24
Liked. Will revisit.
You know, sometimes I come across albums on this list that really have no reason to be on the list. Some of them back this up by being garbage. Other lesser-known albums manage to be unique in some way and also not be terrible. Fortunately, Feast of Wire by Calexico is much closer to the latter than the former. While I have never heard of this and don't really think it needs to be on the list, I do respect this album for trying something kind of new. This album is a blend between indie rock and alternative country. While I have gotten plenty of albums that fit the former, I really can't say I've gotten to listen to much alternative country at all. I think it's a lot better than mainstream country, at least in the present day. I think modern country is terrible, but this is alright. The singing is solid and the writing fits the vibe. The sound is enjoyable. The instrumentals that are dispersed throughout really showcase this. Overall, I'm happy to say that this relatively unknown band has made a bit more money thanks to me, but I still don't really feel all that impressed and wouldn't really listen to this again any time soon. High 3/5.
This was a wild ride. It seemed like they changed genre every song, even sometimes mid song. I’ll never listen to them again, but I can’t say I didn’t enjoy the experience. Crumble was the standout track for me.
I really liked this one! Unexpected considering the genre but just a really cool vibe
Good album :) solid
The soundtrack to a movie based on a Steinbeck novel adopted to the new millennium.
Was cool, had never heard of this band before. Kinda folksy kinda Spanish, nice guitar playing.
It's a decent album, but I'm not quite sure I'll go back for more. It's not just alt-country, it has some eclectic elements blended in that give it its own spin on that Arizona alt-country sound - some horns (Close Behind and Across the Wire), some strings (mando on Pepita), some accordion (Sunken Waltz), some different steel guitar (Quattro), some trip hop sounds (Black Heart), some other stuff I can't place. I didn't love it all but I didn't mind it. And if this is part of a unique genre (I certainly haven't heard much like it) I don't mind having been introduced to it.
Some cool stuff here. I dont really care for all of it, but some moments are really cool.
She feastin on my wire till I pepita
New album to me. Couple of listens and it’s quite creative and has a nice overall vibe but nothing really stood out to me and I wont be adding it to my collection
It's an alright album
Interesting mix of styles and genres. I didn’t dig the slower numbers much. This is one of the rare occasions I prefer the instrumentals, especially the jazz track, Crumble. Also Attack El Robot! Attack!
Довольно приятная музыка, такая, испанская, с некоторыми грустными нотками, но в остальном не запоминается.
Indie folk with Latin vibes
Calexico’s music always feels pleasant but it’s a little more mellow than I like. I think there are some other indie folk-rock acts like The Decemberists which are more interesting, while there’s also Iron & Wine and Bon Iver who are even more mellow but I think do a little better with remaining interesting. Calexico is probably at their best when they really lean into the southwest/Tejano style like on “Close Behind” or “Güero Canelo”. The former is by far my favorite song on the album.
Tiene mejores en mi opinion
This was a very interesting listen. I enjoyed it. And I liked the folky jazzy stuff but wasn’t vibing the latin vibes. Also I want to give it a 4 but I need to take a star off because of the album cover. If I saw this for the first time I would have never listened which is a shame
In doing this 1001 exercise, I'm finding that I'm a harsher critic of music more similar to stuff I already like. Maybe because I wish any number of albums by Lambchop, Califone, Woods, or others might have shown up here in place of Calexico's "Feast of Wire"—an album I might have liked more if it was the first of its kind I had heard. But it is not. And there is not a lot here to help it rise above the rest. Although, I must say, the more instrumental and border-line jazzier numbers I found tasteful and easy to swallow. I quite liked the Love cover and the track "Not Even Stevie Nicks..." The rest I found aimless and meandering, even though and as it made the walk directly up my alley. I just have music like this already. Is this album more significant than what I've been introduced to in my life naturally? Possibly. Is it more enjoyable? Not today. But a solid effort. I find the album art this band used in its early days bewildering. A low 3/high 2.
I actually did not know what to expect especially because I wasn’t feeling the album cover and wasn’t sure what kind of sound they were. Their sound was pleasantly surprising and I’m wondering why I hadn’t heard more from them before or why I was ignoring it. The sound reminds me of albums to come in the 2010s while this was released in 2003. The Latin influence is very clear and makes it sound like it has a point of view without making it a caricature. Overall solid album but not blown away.
not sure what genre this would even fall under, there’s such a great blend of everything. a very solid album, but not a lot stood out to me individually.
Interesting blend of Latin and art rock sounds
Listened Before? N Cool album. It feels like something much older than it is. Very unique fusion of Latin and Euro-American styles. I enjoyed this one. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: Sunken Waltz
Didn't know this album by Calexico but have listened to other albums. I find this very similar to the other. There are a few magnificent songs (e.g. Across the wire) and then some songs which sound like a "filling" for the rest. For the best songs it would be a 5, for the filling it would be a 1 or 2.
Folky, indie rock with Mexican flavor. Arrangements and added strings almost give it a cinematic feel at times, somewhat reminiscent of music from a Spaghetti Western. Has some good moments but overall not findings songs that I find very memorable or impactful.
Favourite song crumble.
7/10
one of the most unique albums so far, very nice to listen to, lot of instrumental songs. absolutely worth a listen but not a lot that's particularly catchy
I thought the sound of this was pretty neat.
Is it OBJECTIVELY good? yes. Did I get bored? also yes. favourite: "Black Heart"
This is totally different from what I was expecting, and I honestly don't know if I liked it.
Interesting
Bit instrumental, first few tracks good. Back end felt like a jazz album
This felt like a Tex-Mex album with an emphasis on the Tex. It was listenable but I think it would have been better if it had leaned more into the rhythms of its Mex.
Thrilled to see something that isn't britpop i
I liked this album. Upbeat and fun
This album is far too hot and cold for me to really get into it. Its got a lot of neat moments that I quite enjoy, but its bogged down by instrumental tracks that not only pad out the run time, but bog down the theming of the album by dragging it into genres it really has little business attempting, even if said attempts are inoffensive. It does have stuff to enjoy, however, as I'd say some of the vocal tracks are pretty enough, and put a different enough spin on the alt-country tone for it to stand out in a crowd. It just feels very self-indulgent, as if at no point no one told the band "no." I could see another project by this band being better, but as it stands this one is an extremely mixed bag of good and "Eh? Eh..." to just be alright on a good day, with a tad nudge upwards for the originality.
J'ai bien aimé l'album au début, mais plus il avançait et plus j'avais l'impression que ça s'étirait. À aucun moment c'était particulièrement mauvais, mais très peu de pièces se sont démarquées. 5/10
Rien de vraiment intéressant sur le side A, parcontre le side B avec son mariachi revival est assez rafraîchissant, donnant une vibe western spaghetti à l’album
2.5/5. Meh, it has potential, but I found it pretty boring.
Deeply unremarkable.
This is pretty good. I like the Mexican style blended into the Indie sound.
This was a real fun album and cleansed my palate after yesterdays.
Pretty chill and a good change of pace. Didn't blow me away, but was nonetheless a nice listen
Probably the next best album i’ve rated on this site yet after Liquid Swords.
Wasn't expecting much when it popped up but this is a pretty unique album. Not sure I'll come back to it often, but very enjoyable listen.
Lekkere muziek. Klinkt een beetje pop-achtig, maar heeft ook iets zweverigs, some met wat leuke geluidjes. ***
Feast of Wire is a mix of indie an mariachi. Calexico is likely the only indie mariachi band in the world and they are surprisingly good. Side A is the more traditional side with folky indie and it’s very good. Sunken Waltz and Black Hearts are fantastic. Pepitas is more latin influenced. Side B is much more mariachi with contemporary influences. It’s good but goes on a little to long 7.7/20
I was nervous when I saw the low grade photoshop album cover with questionable font choices, but I'm glad I didn't judge the album by its cover because the smooth atmospheric acoustic songs were actually quite pleasing. Downright sophisticated acoustic artistry compared to the artwork. I enjoyed the nylon string guitars, the spacious stand up bass, and the generally clean sounding folk instrumentation. Pretty good album!
Enjoyed the two listens. Very folk and I enjoyed the layering of strings in the tracks. Not sure if I'll keep coming back to it, so 3/5 for now!
There are quite a few bangers in here, but as a whole I think it falls a bit short. Relaxing listen for sure.
its alright, nothing special. 2.7.
Nothing really stuck out to me, but consistently decent at least
Cute, I like it.
A cool Mexicali sound. for me it was again something nice to be exposed to but I didnt find it special.
It was not memorable.
These 2000s albums just get more and more inexplicable. However, I actually liked this one a decent amount! Definitely has appreciable moments
This was pretty good - I liked the instrumentation. Close Behind and other mostly instrumental tracks were my favorite. A high 3.
trippy, feels a bit all over the place but not in a bad way. Moods and tones shift alot through the album. Deserves a second listen 3.5
New to me, and I like the album. Some interesting things going on musically.
Some kind of interesting ideas popping up here and there, but mostly a forgettable but ok mix of songs. Bit indie, bit country, nothing special.
# 156 : Good album, I liked listening to this, I didn't recognise any of the tunes but it was a pleasant listen. I wouldn't part with my hard earned for this, but I might listen to it again. Fav Track : Black Heart
This was really surprising. Somewhere between indie and alternative country and Mexican. It felt incredibly unique; not something you hear every day. This eclectic mix kept things interesting from track to track, as I never quite knew where to expect things to go. For me, I think there is a sense of nostalgia mixed in with all of this, but even still, it's a nice listening experience!
Definitely a solid indie rock album. I enjoyed pretty well. I didn’t find it memorable but then again part of me feels like this one could grow on me just a tiny bit, perhaps. Lately I’ve been having a harder time being sure of my ratings lol I thought they did a nice job of incorporating several styles.
Önnur umferð. 3,5.
Beginning to question the proprietor of these 1,001 albums.
I only knew Calexico from XPN playing Alone Again Or… to death. They’re pretty decent. I dig the instrumentals the most. I may do a relisten on a nice hot summer day. It seems made for that. Songs added to Spotify: 1
Not all songs available on Spotify Wide range of styles - accordion was unexpected
Truly never heard of Calexico. More folk. this is another interesting artist. not one I would go out of my way to listen to but it's crazy but I can hear a lot of my favorite artists in some of these songs as if they were influenced by this artist. Not sure how much longer I will be able to listen to this.
Bastante agradável, especialmente as faixas instrumentais.
Good stuff, enjoyed the latin american sound. I liked the instrumental tracks better than the ones with vocals though. Later half of the album was my favorite for that reason.
This didn't do much for me on the first listen, but on the second I kinda warmed to it. Some of the songs are reminiscent of good western soundtracks, others just fade into the background. And there was one that sounded like a Bond song (Black Heart). Overall, an interesting mix of styles, but I wouldn't be rushing to listen to it again.
A cool blend of folk and Latin music. Not really my thing but well made.
I don't have a ton of hope judging by this cover. Let's see. It's better than its cover, I'll give it that. Didn't walk away with anything, but it went down smooth.
Yeah, you know at first I just thought this was a band that Ryan Adams was in that I didn't remember. The first couple songs definitely lean that way. But the run from "Black Heart" to "Woven Birds" went in very different directions and I went right along for the ride. The latin influences really added quite a bit, imo. I'd listen to more from these amigos.
good
3.5 - Indie southwest inspired folk rock. Quiet, sensitive white guy music. A few pretty songs and some dark, meandering instrumentals. About 10 minutes too long. Standouts: “Not Even Stevie Nicks…”, “Woven Birds.”
Not what I expected but was impressed by the music
Band bekannt von I'm not there. Toller Sound, nicht immer mein Stil.
Black Heart // Guéri Cabelo // 2.5/5
Based on album art and title alone, not what I expected to hear at all. I feel like this group inspired The Lumineers, they sound similar in my opinion and later into the album the title starts to be a little more central. Lotta familiar sounds, no familiar tracks to me though. In the album’s defense, half the tracks were greyed out on Spotify. Pleasant background noise to say the least. 3/5
Mariachi meets indie rock. A fairly unique listening experience.
Wish I could give half stars because this is a solid 3.5. Instrumentals were cool, better than the rest of the album.
Fresh sound that belongs in Robert Rodriguez films but don't love it for everyday listening
It’s country, mariachi, and indie rock. Good at setting a scene. I like the second half of the record more than the first.
Latin feel with a modern twist.
Just find this type of musing uninspiring, but given that it is this type of music quite listenable
This is not bad. I get a Built To Spill vibe. Another band that (by the book) I should love, but don't. It's just that there's not a whole lot here that grabs me. I'm always willing to give it another chance though.
Otro album para escuchar de fondo tranquilito, buenaaaa
Disquin del chill, como los primeros. Se agradece después de los últimos que me habían tocado.
i listened to this album a lot in the late 00s, and while the band's whole *thing* has not grown well with me, musically i still like the album a lot. i really love the instrumental tracks especially. rounding a 3.5 down to 3.
This was mid. It was kind of boring, and not really what I was expecting, but it wasn't horrible.
three stars only because I liked the songs without vocals
Decent alt-country. Feels very spaghetti western. Not going to go into regular rotation, but I can dig it.
I used to go and see a lot of this sort of stuff live - I think I saw Calexico. I like it, but it does tend to become a bit samey after a while. Each individual song is generally good or better, but after a while I want something different. Perhaps if this album was 15-20 minutes shorter?
Très chouette, comme tous les albums sortis après l'an 2000. Par opposition à tous les albums sortis avant, nettement moins bons.
Rien à signaler
Meh
honestly, I don’t know what I was expecting but this one is honestly kind of cool and I did enjoy it more than I thought I would. It was we different and diverse from itself too and I didn’t get bored of it.
There's something about this album that makes it all at once eminently listenable and yet utterly forgettable. There's far too much craftsmanship throughout this album to rank it lower than a 3 but weirdly it hits none of my musical buttons at all. Although I'll say these instrumental piece would be real nice in a movie. I'd compare it to Wilco in the way that I know these guys are "good" but I feel nothing, other than a little sleepy. 5/10 3 stars.
Enjoyable listen. Really enjoyed the Latin American sounds.
3.5/5
I don’t recognise the name Calexico, so today will be a listen with completely fresh ears as if the album was new. The album art shows someone on a skateboard, and Apple Music describes it as alternative. This bodes well! Songs I already knew: none Favourites: Close Behind, Güero Canelo I think I was expecting skater punk here, but it certainly isn’t that. To my ears, it sounds somewhere between the Pogues and the Gipsy Kings, with maybe a little dash of Dropkick Murphys at times. I found myself enjoying the instrumental parts much more than the singing parts - not to say the singing was bad, the music just shined more without the vocals distracting from it. It was a lovely album to have on in the background while studying, but I’m not sure I’ll be rushing back otherwise.
Rock alternativo.
A cool album with some good songs which I saved to lists.
Very pleasant, and some deep songwriting skills as well as the TexMex vibes, some bits recalling DJ Shadow as well as Los Lobos.
3.75
Some good instrumentals. Didn't really grab me
Nah. I didn't need this in my ears before I died. There's nothing exceptional here. There are a lot of interesting ideas on display but Calexico never seem to figure out what they're trying to do with any of these songs and, as such, they just feel half-baked and incomplete.
Loved the first half and was sure it was on pace for five stars, but the meandering instrumentals of the second half weren’t my thing.
Favourite songs: Sunken Waltz, Across the Wire Least favourite songs: No Doze, Whipping the Horse's Eyes, Guero Canelo 3/5
definitely some songs will be joining the playlist
Don’t know why everyone thinks this is the greatest album ever. It’s fine. Maybe I haven’t listened to it in the right mood
I think this is a contender for most average album on this list. Nothing that I like, but also nothing that I would dislike. Just few soft rock, indie, country even songs, with gentle melodies and some quirky (but not too much) moments. Okay singing voice, a bit dispassionate instruments and that's all.
-i have NEVER heard of this band -the album cover is so different from the sound of the band omg -REALLY like sunken waltz it was very nice -i like this persons voice a lot too -i love the vibe of these songs. its like dark and moody but also elegant -pepita is a nice instrumental track that gets you in the mood a bit -nice little piano track -i liked the latin influences in some of the songs -the beginning of the album was more my thing -overall none of the songs specifically stood out to me and but it was a good listen for sure
Interesting twist. Feels like country mixed with indie from time to time. Nothing really stands out to me but it's nice to have playing in the background
Previously only knew this band from their Iron & Wine collaboration "In the Reins," which had a couple great songs on it that I treasure. I kind of like the "desert noir" description for this band, especially since I seem to prefer the cinematic instrumental adventure tunes vs the more traditionally structured songs. Honestly this seems like a random pick for the list, I would appreciate some more context around why this band.
I knew of the name from Iron & Wine collab. It's fine? It's sorta there, doesn't move me. But for folk-ish rock I can see the appeal.
This album was interesting and adventurous. I particularly liked the Tex Mex style tunes but I wasn’t kept locked in.
Gotivno, gitarice su kul ali not really my cup of tea. Woven birds bas lepa pesma. Guero Canelo hard af latino benger. Nisam najveci fan instrumental traka ali El Robot je pretty cool. Not really my cup of tea ali interesantno je kinda
Indie rock, country alternativo. Ni fu ni fa.
I have desperately tried to get into Calexico over the past few years and it has never happened. I am not sure if it is the prevalence of instrumentals or what it may be, but I have struggled to dive deep and enjoy their music. This is a good album and I think it has an original sound. It's just music that fades into the background for me and so I can't give it five stars, but understand why others like what Calexico does.
Välgjort, dock en blend av genrer som inte direkt talar till mig. Lite uttråkande.
Love some mariachi trumpets with indie rock.
Early naughties soft boy indie
Had never heard their solo stuff...just to collab with Iron & Wine. Didn't hate, but it didn't really impress me much either...seemed just there. 3/5
Entertaining, and well-named. Felt exactly like spaghetti western/Mexican music with some good orchestration.
Nice walking vibes 2.5
Interesting album, appreciate the genre bending
This would all be great and original and fun, but it’s much too easy to tune out. The songs blend together and the soft, casual singing does nothing to lull you back in. The instrumentation is beautiful and I commend them for it, but that’s mainly it, unless we’re counting vibes which are wonderfully unique here in the best way. Nothing big to hate on either though so, all in all, a very average album. 3/5
alt country. not sure why it’s on this list, as there are better examples of this genre out there. also, many of the songs are instrumental.
I listened to this twice. I still don't remember it. It is apparently very good background music, but I really can't speak to more than that.
I dug this. Some of it was great.
Listening to this album made me think that, had Forever Changes lived out a life somewhere in the desert and spewed sprawling stories rooted in the Tex-Mex style, it would sound like Feast of Wire. While the instrumental portions of the album come and go without a footprint (which was probably the point), Feast of Wire finds Calexico at its best when they take the time to allow a song to settle in its environment and blossom. It may be unknown to most listeners, as it was for me, but there's plenty of gems to uncover here. Favorites: Sunken Waltz, Quattro - World Drifts In, Pepita, Not Even Stevie Nicks..., Close Behind, Woven Birds, Attack El Robot! Attack!, Across the Wire, Güero Canelo.
Actually alright
Opens great but sags in the middle. What they’re trying to do is great but doesn’t quite land or make for sustained interest.
pretty cool album. I like that Mexican influence mixed with jazz and alt-country. These are one of those bands I've heard of and probably heard on KEXP plenty of times but never actively listened to. Will have to check out more.
Not what I was expecting. But some good stuff on here
Some really good songs on here, and unique influences for mid-2000's indie rock, but largely this wasn't my cup of tea. I'd give it 3.5 stars if I could.
good
Sensible aux influences jazzée et aux différents instruments. Un album réfléchi et sensible
More enjoyable than I expected.
This is a great band. their version of Love's "Alone Again" is great!
Never heard of Calexico which is a nice change from my recent album choices. I don't mind this at all. I don't know if I'd give it a full repeat in future but as background music it's good.
Very good.
Good and interesting mix of Latin and modern and folk.
Nice album. Great mixer between Mexican, country and rock music.
Pretty good little americana music album. Looks like how country should have progressed.
Not unpleasant, but instantly forgettable vaguely Mexican music.
Initially really enjoyable but the extended instrumental sections started to wear after a while
A Mexican western-infused alt-country record with plenty of acoustics and mariachi. There are a lot of cool ideas, like the fusion of jam, jazz, and Latin in "Crumble" that gives off Santana vibes. I had low expectations going into the first song since it's the most popular, but I was pleasantly surprised. Some forgettable tracks, but I have a few standouts, and there's usually something interesting happening in many others. Favorites: Quattro, Black Heart, Close Behind, Guero Canelo
Varied jazz, chill, folk noise. Max says 4. I say 3.5 but that's not an option. Not super memorable, but not unenjoyable
Very western style
veeerry interesting. 3 stars.
Another album on this list that was perfectly fine but I definitely didn’t need to hear it before I die.
Goeie band, vooral live
6/10. I liked the instrumental parts, and the vocals weren't bad.
Fine. 6/10
Really great sound! 3.5
An interesting mix of modern alternative and salsa. Enjoyed this as a departure from the regular fare on the list, as it brought new ideas to the table and was well-executed instrumentally and production-wise. Don’t think this LP packed enough of an artistic, cohesive punch to land on my faves list, but I definitely see myself revisiting tracks here if I’m feeling stuck in a rock rut.
An interesting yet uneven blend of latin and indie rock.
Judging by that album cover, you would never guess that this is actually an indie country album with mariachi influences. Very unique. I don't think I've ever heard anything like this.
- Elements of indie, folk, Americana, and even some Mexican? - Makes you feel like you’re in the middle of nowhere Texas -2.5 but rounding up for its uniqueness
It’s a decent album but I don’t really get why it’s on this list.
Never heard of this before, but good. I enjoyed it. 3/5
Un àlbum original i creatiu amb barreja de géneres, instrumentals, sons fronterers, rock alternatiu dels 00's... Calexico mai van ser punta de llança de res, però són un dels segones divisions a disfrutar de tant en tant i aquí es troben en el seu millor moment
Sometimes I'd like some context for why an album is on this list. Because I'd like to see some Poi Dog or Reivers or the Origin. This is good music. I'm not sure what really sets it apart. Nothing too catchy. Maybe it's deeper than I can appreciate?
I enjoyed the alternative + latin mellow mariachi mixed in. Good mix of instrumental/vibe tracks and lyric tracks. Liked Close Behind the most and Sunken Waltz was a good intro. Enjoyed the experience.
Honest and straight
Was hoping for more, didn't really do it for me
An interesting mix of genres, and the genres do vary to one extent or another as the album progresses. But as far as what this album has to offer, that is more or less it.
Nothing exceptional or spectacular, but if you’re driving or cooking and want to fill the silence, it’s a nice listen.
When I saw the cover I thought, nice we're getting some punky mexican band. Was quite surprised by the sound but I did enjoy it a lot!
Interesting mix of light mariachi, world, jazz. Was alright, just a general weird fusion. 5/10.
Never heard of this band, also removed from the book so didn't read about the album. First impression was oh no, more mid 00s Americana. Ok so it's not just that, there is variety, but for whatever reason I don't care about any of the songs, it's just on in the background. It's not bad bad. Maybe it's because I went to see Yo La Tengo last night and this is bad by comparison. Speaking of which, why is there no Yo La Tengo in this book? There are 2x Ryan Adams albums and a fair bit of this sort of meh. There's room. Anyway near the end now and this band are pretty tight, particularly on some of the more jazzy numbers, I'm giving it a 3.
Honestly, I am not in the mood today for music I don't recognize or know at all. I need some familiar favourites, some easy 5-star classics. I groaned, out loud and obnoxiously when I saw this album come up. I thought "Really? More unknown fucking crap that I don't give a shit about that I have to suffer through???" But I'm having a hard time right now, so I was being a judgemental bitch. I hate the band name, the album name, and the album cover. But, and it's a big BUT, the music was chill. It wasn't the awful ear assault I was expecting and I actually looped all the way through without batting an eye. I am pleased. Not impressed, but pleased for now.
3.5
It's OK - has a certain vibe
Bra. Dock för lång, sista halvan lite tråkig
Not what I was expecting at all based on the album art, but didn’t blow me away. Had some cool little tunes though
Liked it! The instrumentals were nice.
3.25/5 I was expecting some really intense Mariachi border music. This was a nice surprise. It had some pretty orchestration and kind of dark synth bits that I enjoyed. Not bad.
I like this! There was some bloat as expected but it had some interesting sounds without being Avant Garde or over the top. Saved myself 45 minutes by not listening to the extended version too, win!
There were some parts of this I really loved and others where I just stopped paying attention. Overall, not bad. It's good stuff.
Never heard of the band before, and it was nothing like I though tit would be. Enjoyable but likely not one I return to
On the fence about much of this kind of neo-roots music. I didn't dislike this, but I think I'd rather listen to actual old music or else something in a similar vein but more particular to its times.
Not what I expected in the first half, more what I expected (and like less) in the last half/third
Jesus fuck, what the fuck is this album cover? Actually digging the album though. Chill and folky. Super cool production choices throughout.
Such a mixed bag. There's some really cool, interesting stuff happening, but it happens in between a bunch of 2000s indie double tracked nonsense. My question for the editors: Why include all these bands that want to be Neutral Milk Hotel when you could have just included them instead? Best track: Close Behind
I like the Mex-influenced stuff more than the Tex, thanks
Not super excited about this but wasn't too bad
This oscillated between exciting and boring, but mostly positive
This did very little for me. A pretty mediocre collection of soft pop-folk songs with a quasi-country-western and Mexican influence. I was teetering on a 3, but as the album went on, I found myself wanting it to be over, which pushed me down to a 2. The dreadful album art and title certainly didn't help either.
This really fits with it's American indie brethren of the era, but with a mariachi twist. It makes for nice enough background music, but lacks enough soul and conviction to be an album I could fall in love with.
171. ok
Somewhere between meh and okay.
Triple blind on this one. The music was good but honestly not memorable. I’m writing this after finishing the album less than 4 hours ago and I can’t really remember any songs or melodies. Pretty garden variety overall
Overall just not my type of music.
I did not care much for this - don't really know what it was trying to be
This album is all over the place. I can't place its style or themes. It's not intrinsically bad, but its pretty strange.
I'll give this album some credit for sounding different than a lot of indie rock, but overall, I wasn't a fan of this one. I was bored throughout the whole listen. This is the third 2 in a row that I am giving out this week, so now I'm starting to wonder if I'm the problem.
I don’t like this man’s singing. He sounds like he traveled from some 80s pop-rock duo.
I really wanted to like this album because it is so different. It's not that I don't like it but it's not blowing my mind. It feels way more like a movie score than a folk rock album. Nothing on it really stood out but I enjoyed the experience.
Ganska så intetsägande. Bäst när de lägger på mexikanska countryvibbar. Tråkigast när det är amerikansk indie. Sånginsatser kommer inte att gå till historien.
Anonymt och menlöst. Skitnödig musik som bara är upptagen av att vara autentisk. Som Ina Lundström uttryckte det i Snedtänkt: "fy fan vad jag hatar americana". De instrumentala spåren räddar albumet från bottenbetyget. De låtarna hade kunnat vara fina b-sidor till några singlar. Däremot finns det inga a-sidor här.
Not as bad as I thought it would be.
Ugh I hate early aughts indie rock. This sounds like background Starbucks music or a montage scene in a bad Netflix movie.
This one was different. It’s well produced and hard to categorize. Need to spend more time with it but I like it so far
Folk Rock, 2003 -> 2
moderne countryachtig, alles wat niet country is, is prima.
Easily forgettable
I didn’t enjoy this
Dull
Meh. Very forgettable album. Sounds nice enough I guess.
Ehh, this was kind of disappointing. I don't even know who the group is, and it is largely well done, but I feel like it was really missing the oomph of a good album. I think one sticking point for me to highlight this is they title a song "Attack El Robot! Attack!", and you'd imagine there should be a lot of frenetic energy or something but no, just a hushed latin alternative esque song with some beeps and boops. Sorry fellas you could've done something and you didn't
Early 2000's indie is annoying to me. Too long, too slow, too boring. Maybe I'm annoyed because a certain hipster subset of my friend group would only listen to/talk about this kind of stuff, and it just got overhyped for what it was. A neat song or two (El Robot) but the rest was mid. 2/5
Découverte de l'artiste. Album un peu plat. Pas convaincu par le style mi western mi jazz.. Peu de musiques se distinguent.
Pas mal. Quelques bons morceaux. Certains me plaisent moins. Ça m’a fait pensé à la B.O. de Far Cry 5. Ça mérite la moyenne. Mais vu que en fin de journée j’ai carrément oublié c’était quoi l’album, bah ce sera 2.
Who? This album got a 20 year remastering? What? Never heard of them and after listening to this, I know why. The theme this week must be "BORING", back to back to back albums with no muscle, no hits, nothing upbeat, nothing that differentiates them from an indie album you get for free at a concert in the local park. The second half is very instrumental, not a bad thing since he kinda sucks at singing. Nothing memorable. I've nearly lost all faith in this Top 1001 list. There's NOTHING that would justify this album being included. Dreary, boring, dark, generic, hitless, below average vocals, below average songs, etc, etc. Two stars for wasting 35 minutes of my time.
Flojo
Maudlin. id hoped for it to get better, its the hope that kills you.
I thought I was going to enjoy this after track 1, then it devolved into cacaphonous horns and I was done - downhill from there.
Interesting, if one-dimensional.
что ето опять нахуй блять зачем мне это слушать
Nicht schlecht, aber nicht meins
Some interesting tracks, but not enough to keep my attention.
Takie nooo :/ 2,5
I wish this had more of the mariachi sound that some of album had. It wasn't enough.
"Quattro - Worlds Drift In" was the only song that stuck out to me on an overall eclectic, but meh, album
Dull and boring.
innocuous enough, but as bland as a Dacio Sandera. Like being slowly beaten to death with a double glazing brochure.
3.5/10 elevator music of a wild western Mariachi band if it was in the movie Rango with a white voice over it, even though half the album had no words(and no Espanol) lol. Its folksy, country, jazzy latin infused indie rock that never quite reaches rock energy iykyk Highlights(if you held a gun to my head and said choose): Sunken Waltz, Black Heart, Pepita
The first song was pretty great
Favorite Track: Attack! El Robot! Attack!
2 stars It wasn’t offensively bad but it was forgettable and it didn’t inspire any desire to revisit or save anything.
- This album was, uh, pleasant and inoffensive, I guess. It's kind of lethargic with clean production. I would have liked more energy and grit. - That's especially in contrast to what I expected going in... I thought it was going to be metal because of the (terrible) cover and the title "Feast of Wire", but it ended up giving me a Matt Mays and Conor Oberst do Jazzy Americana + Mariachi, but without the great storytelling (I prefer each of those other artists to this). - To be honest, I wasn't interested/invested enough in the singing to pay attention to the lyrics because the voice was bland and quiet, so it got lost behind the louder instruments.
Eh, it was okay
Nothing wrong with this but I got about three fourths through the album before I found something that really resonated and then it was over. Interesting sound played well but kind of slight. Unfortunately I don't think I'll remember this in most contexts. Shame, since it seemed right in my zone. Could have used more variations, nothing here to hang my hat on like I can with Jim White Favorite Tracks: Across the Wire, Crumble
I mean it's alright.
Wasn't horrible but not my thing. I was expecting something a little more exciting because of the album cover.
Hated the album artwork so much. Threw off the whole album for me
Nah
- 0 nummers toegevoegd aan MMMM - 0 nummers al toegevoegd aan MMMM
2.07
Riascoltare
Best song: N/A Nice find: Not Even Stevie Nicks Worst song: No Doze Alternating lyric-less songs. Nothing stuck out as good.
1.9 / 5 This stuff sure has its' place somewhere and the artistic design is, uhm, interesting? I never knew I didn't need a mix of mexican mariachi music and bland californian art pop, but now I know. Definitely not the shittiest album on this list, but cmon man...
Music for straight millennial white men who prefer unseasoned food and IPAs
Para nada especial ni original lo sentí 4/10
3/10
The Good: We are in for a Feast! The Bad: I am not that much into Wire… The Ugly: The album cover… I mean, really? Don’t believe I had ever heard of these chaps before, and now that I have, don’t really believe I have a great wish to know these chaps anymore. I can understand that one would like to do a little fusion music, but I don’t understand how it is even attempted by blending the styles they are blending… it’s like watching a 7-year old having fun at the soda fountain, mixing all the drinks into one cup, proudly taking that first sip while keeping the positive look on his face while in reality the desire would’ve been for just a Coke… without all the other shit mixed into it. Calexico is just an odd duck that makes no sense in my world… 2*
Interesting sound. It didn’t necessarily blow me away or stick but definitely not horrible. Two stars.
Interesting
I don't feel like this band has reached their fullest potential here, I think they've displayed the possibility of it. In this project there's a few songs I could repeat, I could also easily never look them up again and not feel a thing about it. I'd rather see them produce somebody with a stronger sense of direction. 2.1/5
2,5
2.5 Idk, another case where I have no idea what this band actually is? It’s not enough to be two great musicians, which obviously these two guys are - but there’s no identity as a band here. Every song sounds wildly different. Jazz, pop, indie rock, Latin-infused funk. Being really good at music imo is not enough to make your album indispensable.
this listen just kind of happened
- mielenkiinto riitti kuunnella viis ekaa biisiä, teki mieli kuunnella vaan erilaista musiikkia nyt - ei ihan mun kuppi kuumaa, nelosraita oli kyllä ihan radiohead meets james bond meininkiä, ihan siisti biisi - albumitaiteesta vois kuvitella että tää on joku reggaeton albumi tjsp
White boy stuns waiter by speaking flawless Spanish
Name sounded familiar, but didn't know what to expect. And indeed, don't know what I got. It was a sort of half folky half I don't know what, mish mash. Bits were ok but that's all. Best track was the first and it was down hill all the way after that .only worth a 2.
It is fine but not engaging for me. Not too long which is nice. Some things had cool vibes.
Blei umiddelbart ganske skuffa, men kom seg bittelitt
Some gems hidden in a boring indie album
Black Heart
it's the first time i hear from these guys and they did not fail to dissapoint. i mean i know indie rock is supposed to be pretentious, but if you're going to do stuff that's new or you personally consider original at least do some better work on the mastering and the engineering. i dont think i will be coming back to that album. i consider myself a pretentious prick but that was just a bland try to do something that has actually already been done. i appreciate the use of different themes (the latin stuff was a nice pleasent surprise as a combination to the more indie sound) and not sticking to one style tho
Wasn't good, but I would feel bad giving them one star
2 - kinda cool but a bit boring