Customer Reviews

Carried to Dust [Vinyl]

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I'll admit I have been a huge Calexico fan for awhile, but each of their albums have had a few songs that just didn't do it for me. Not so with this album, which could alternately be titled "The Best Elements Of Calexico From Start To Finish." If you're looking for Calexico's trademark mariachi-style trumpets married to a modern techno beat, you'll find it in "Inspiracion" and the guitar-heavy "El Gatillo". "Two Silver Trees" is a superb effort that combines some seriously seductive hooks with the softer side of Joey Burns' amazing vocals. Like many people, I'm eagerly waiting for another Iron & Wine/Calexico collaboration, so I was delighted to listen to Sam Beam's guest contribution on the exquisitely gorgeous "House of Valparaiso". As a whole I think Calexico take a step or two toward the pop side of things, but let me stress that this is not a bad thing in the least. ALL of the classic elements of the band are here in spades - the creative instrumentation, thoughtful lyrics, and wonderful vocal arrangements. This makes for one heck of a fine album, and an extremely enjoyable one at that.

The heart of Calexico, Arizonians Joey Burns and John Convertino, have always played music which is difficult to nail down into one category or another. Like the border town from which their name originates, Calexico's music is a mish-mash blend of California and Mexico, Western and spaghetti western, good and evil, grounded and uprooted.

Some might get the idea that the "Mexican" influence means Calexico's music sounds like a failed Taco Bell ad campaign, colorful tacos and sombreros mandatory. They'd be dead wrong. It's more like the self-assured, world-wise output of Chile's storied and excellent Inti-Illimani---based upon certain elements, but ever steering the ship into uncharted waters---or the alternative soundtrack to Tarantino's awful Kill Bill movies (no offense to Morricone intended).

Perhaps the defining Calexican moment was singing and dancing along with their "Sunken Waltz" (from 2003's near-flawless Feast of Wire), a modern folk-pop fairytale about a maverick who builds a machine to sink California into the Pacific Ocean. Carried to Dust's opening cut, "Victor Jara's Hands," crackles with the same experimental folk energy. Expert Latin horns and drumwork infuse it with an elusive mystique uncommon to folk Americana. Elsewhere, slower cuts like "Falling From Sleeves" or the closing "Contention City" deliver more pastoral vibes.

The album is a "return to non-form" of sorts, as Feast of Wire was the biggest step outside of a comfort zone evident on other Calexico records, with tracks like the introductory subsonic rumbling of "Pepita," or the truly unique "Quattro (World Drifts In)." Nothing on Carried to Dust quite matches up to these moments in terms of strangeness, but it is certainly a more varied and gratifying effort than the lackluster Garden Ruin (2006).

Fans of this intoxicating blend of playing Frankenstein with American folk rock may also enjoy the oddity of Slim Cessna's Auto Club or Munly & The Lee Lewis Harlots, purveyors of a rollicking new "Denver sound"---a heady mixture of spooky Americana and psychopunk/rockabilly.

Easily in the top 10 of '08. Burns and Convertino are at the top of their collective game with this batch of tunes. As another reviewer stated- seeing this band perform live is quite the musical treat. Next to the word "eclectic" in the dictionary stands a picture of the band Calexico. You spaghetti western? You got it. You want southern rock? Sure. You want pop? No problem.

In their 6th CD Calexico does not disappoint. Joey Burns gets better and better, Jacob Valanzuila is an incredible talent, the band's performance as a whole is flawless. And they bring in the very best guest performers. This CS is second only to seeing them in live performance, an experience which is a must for any music lover. Great depth in this music.

Calexico = California + Mexico in case you didn't know. So, what is Calexico? I'd call them a roots group, but the duo of Arizonans Joey Burns and John Convertino has been dubbed folk, pop, and country. Their music has a feel of the West, an authentic blend of the Anglo and Hispanic music that formed it.

"Inspiracion" sung in Spanish is a heavy Latino beat with trumpets and drums.

"House of Valpraiso" makes me think of Dire Straits intense grooves with a Mexican trumpet backing.

Just listen to "Two Silver Trees." You'll see the imagery in the sound. "Fractured Air" is another song that conjures up the green skies and sharp winds of a plains cyclone.

If you want 'different', Calexico is definitely a group you are going to want to hear. I'd call them a blend of the best of both worlds and this CD is their finest so far.

Rebecca Kyle, October 2008

Let me state upfront that I am a late-comer to the Calexico fanfest. This is the 8th album in the band's rich history since 1997 but it's the first album I've discovered after hearing/reading so much critical acclaim on this that I just had to seek this out, and you can rest assured it won't be the last album I'll be listening to from these guys.

"Carried To Dust" (15 tracks; 45 min.) brings a mesmerizing mix of indie-folk-electric-country-Latin sounds, and even these descriptions don't do full justice to the band. The album consists of a slew of short (in the 3-4 min. range) songs (with 2 short instrumentals) that make their point, and then the band moves on. It all results in a dreamy state of affairs that I just can't put down. There are of course no 'hits' on here, but plenty of highlights: the opener "Victor Jara's Hands" sets the table; "Man Made Lake" ends in a searing electric guitar solo; "Inspiracion" is a Spanish-song little ditty with great Mexican horns; "House of Valparaiso" features Iron & Wine's Sam Beam on vocals; and so on. There are really no weak tracks on here, period.

In all this is a great album that deserves all the critical acclaim it has gotten. I can only hope to see these guys live at some point, what a show that I suspect it would be. Hopefully they'll be either at Coachella or Bonnaroo, both of which I'll be attending this year. Meanwhile, "Carried To Dust" is highly recommended!

Why I used a baseball analogy for the title is beyond me. I hate baseball! Enough of that. Calexico is from my hometown, Tucson. Why they are not bigger is beyond me. Joey Burns and John Convertino, and the revolving cast of characters around them, are local legends (Giand Sand) who CD after CD create some of the most awesome music around. Part folk, part rock, part psychedelia, part "musica de la frontera" (Spanish for " music from along the border"), these guys regularly craft eclectic classics. I've got every CD, plus if you go to their web site, you can download tour CDs (my favorite is, by far, 2001's Aerocalexico).

If you like music that is folk-mariachi-punk-rock-roots-psychedelia and, well, mature and well crafted, take the plunge and buy this. I guarantee (money back, no less...) that you'll be getting more Calexico. Spoke, their '97 debut, is soft, gentle folk that great to go to sleep to. I thought this might be, since their last outing was really a strong Americana-influenced CD, but the boys come back with the brass (just enough to not annoy), and one hell of an enjoyable CD.

Is it my favorite? No, but it's up there. Aerocalexico for some reason just has a hold on me -- 20 some-odd songs in 50 minutes! That was fun, spacey stuff. This is mature, intelligent, and very, very much worth the download. If you know Calexico, then don't hesitate. This will not disappoint you. If you don't know Calexico, still don't hesitate. This will not disappoint you.

This is just great, eclectic music from what I think is the best band out there. With the exception of Anita Street tortillas, Calexico is the greatest thing to come out of Tucson!

From the fertile cross-cultural soil of the American Southwest, John Convertino and Joey Burns have grown this smart, understated symphony, possibly their best album yet. Fifteen tracks, including three instrumentals, one Spanish-language song, and unbilled appearances by Sam Beam (of Iron & Wine) and Pieta Brown (Greg's daughter). It carries you like a river, and deposits you cleansed at the far end.

Though this album does little to surprise Calexico fans, the sound seems more spare and muscular than it has in the past. Most tracks have six to eight musicians and intricate arrangements, but Calexico's appropriation of Latino, rockabilly, and indie rock sound austere, like something heard from a great distance. I can't help remember all the prophets and artists who felt most at home in the desert.

The lyrics shuffle across images like a hungry kitten, not something to understand so much as to experience. Ironic juxtapositions and abstract images yield up their secrets only when you listen enough to spot patterns. "Cell phone trees" and "fractured air" resonate more with poets like Emily Dickinson and Wallace Stevens than conventional songwriters. Think of it as a singalong for smart people.

And the music dances across genres, from Sun Records blues to hot jazz jams to border ballads. This band refuses to be pinned down, outmaneuvering every attempt to fit them into easy categories. Sadly, this is probably what keeps them from the mainstream success they so richly deserve, but for listeners who prefer edginess to polish, authenticity to panache, this album feeds a need that pop artists overlook.

Time and again, I wonder why so few artists make music that challenges me, makes me think, and urges me to be a better, brighter person. I pull out my hair in frustration. Then, just as I prepare to give up hope, an album like this one jumps out and reminds me that true artists still cut albums full of vision and heart. Calexico redeems my hope in human art.

I made the mistake of judging Calexico on their Garden Ruin album which to me was dull and except for a few tunes like Roka, Lucky Dime and Nom de Plume, completely forgettable. But boredom and a trip to the library prompted me to give Carried to Dust a listen. Wow. I am buying this cd immediately! I wanted to hit repeat after every single track. Calexico blends a number of musical influences superbly on this cd- from latin sounds to country/blues to moody folk alternative vibes. It's the alternative feel that holds me as latin or country by themselves just don't do it for me. Normally I can pick a few favorites tunes to recommend but that's particularly tough here. I guess I'd say check out Victor Jara's Hands and Two Silver Trees if you want a good snapshot of what to expect on the album, but as to best cuts, it's a toss up! All I can say is if you're hungry for some killer tunes, BUY THIS ALBUM! You'll find an audio feast here!

Calexico returns with their strongest effort since "The Black Light." Joey Burns and John Convertino have recruited the same players from that album and the new record is a pleasure to hear. Exploring musical genres on both sides of the border has always been one of Calexico's strengths. On the album opener, "Victor Jara's Hands" mariachi horns accompany the tribute to the fallen Chilean activist.

Calexico also explores different elements of sound throughout the album. "House of Valparaiso" features Iron & Wine's Sam Beam singing backup in a Tex-Mex ballad. "Slowness" crosses the border to deliver a country duet. Mystery plays a key part to several of these tracks including, "Bend To The Road". "El Gatillo" sounds like it could be an Ennio Morricone outtake from some forgotten western. Considering the album's length, there is much to admire here from hushed pop songs to lush instrumentals. Bravo, Calexico!