Reviews (page 6 of 8)
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.
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.
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
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.
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
Huh
FT
This was pretty good. Eclectic mix of styles.
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.
291/1001 🌕🌕🌕🌑🌑
got more into it towards the end of the 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
Started strong. Finished weakly. So much potential.
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.
A few really good tracks, bit too disjointed and too many instrumentals. 3 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.
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
Glad I finally gave them a chance
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
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.
3-4
Need more listens to really get it
Nortec did it better.
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!
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.
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.
Better than expected
Indiezinho legal
Was okay. Felt more folk than country (as it was labeled as alternative country), which made me like it more.
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
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.
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 ?
интересная музыка, хороший микс из стилей. есть тут что то что можно изучать
Pleasant eclectic album with enough to maintain interest throughout.
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
this was cool, didn't know what to expect and it delivered well but nothing crazy. 7/10
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.
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)
Engaged, doesn’t keep its promise.
normal 2,5
ta bien, es un 3,5. Es un lindo viaje pero tampoco me llamó muchísimo la atención
Nothing to hate and little to like. Weird genre mix.
... ???
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.
This is a cool album. Definitely worth a revisit when the vibe is needed.
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
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.
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
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.
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.
This was fairly interesting, I’d give it a 3.5
Attack! El Robot! Attack! and Black Heart were cool. Nice atmosphere
Never heard of them before, the album wasn’t bad
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.
From the album cover thought this was going to be a completely different genre. Enjoyed it
I enjoyed it...I think.
It was a very surreal experience
This was a new band for me, it was ok
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)
Never thought I’d find an Indie band that wasn’t complete crap, but the mix of Latin music, and a vocalist that doesn’t sound like he’s a boy or suicidal makes for some fine listening
Feast of Wire? I left hungry.
chillinkin ja waibailun min-maksimointia... east of ire..., hei olen alexi äxällä.... omankaltaisuuutta löyttyy jonkin verran tosiaan ihan kiinnostavaa kuunneltavaa tossaja hyvältonkin verran tosiaan ihan kiinnostavaa kuunneltavaa tossaja hyvältonkin verran tosiaan ihan kiinnostavaa kuunneltavaa tossaja hyvältonkin verran tosiaan ihan kiinnostavaa kuunneltavaa tossaja hyvältä kuulostaa jäpikät pojat. silti tarpeeksi poppipaskaa että porukka fiilaa... iilimatoi pilis... suhun ihastuin... pörriäisii korvis... kikkeleit... pippeleit... kullei... kyrpii... syylii jortikas.... crumble
Quite an enjoyable listen, and a band I wasn't previously familiar with. A little esoteric at times though.
Not at all what I expected, but was a pleasant album.
Solid music that was enjoyable to listen to. It did fade into the background at times and wasn't the most engaging at times. Not something I will be coming back to much but enjoyable enough to not want to avoid.
Creates a nice atmosphere.
Refreshing album in this sea of British nonsense. I liked the mix of musical styles and even the odd lyrics but the instrumentals are always a minus for me. Overall a decent album, probably deserves a second listen.
This was different in a good way
This was nice. My mind was a little distracted with other things at the time, but this wasn't bad.
Some parts were kinda cool, like a Southwestern version of Wilco. As a whole, it didn't really ever take off.
Indie rock, country alternativo. Ni fu ni fa.
More detached indie rock, I can dig it
This was nice enough, not something I’m likely to return to though.
Nice surprise! There are a lot of good songs on here, and it flows well as an album. After just one listen it's hard to say how good it really is and whether I'll revisit it often.
A little different, but actually quite good.
Decent and surprising
This is a decent album, well produced, easy listening, and nothing outstanding bad. I've seen their name before, but as they have a connection to Germany, that is no real surprise. But, alas, not really the music I fancy.
Star-crossed relationship with this band ever since their EP w/ Iron+Wine slid behind my built in record cabinet, sending it to the depths of Mordor before I even got to listen to it five times. They do a really good job of evoking the American southwest, from their name to the instrumentation to the lonesome sounds that remind me of epic drives across a desert landscape. I prefer their instrumentals to the vocal tunes as to me this is essentially mood music and the words get in the way, as Gloria Estefan once sang.
Good album, kind of see-sawed between being kind of basic and uninteresting, to being experimental and engaging. I liked the songs that were more unconventionally structured, not so much the more straightforward songs.
I felt like I was listening to the score for a Robert Rodriguez movie for most of this, though this gets long in the tooth sooner than any of his movies do
Was actually not bad, a bit repetitive though. So won't be listening to this again in the future and also won't be looking out for any other albums by Calexico.
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.