Hot Rail

Calexico | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 9, 2000)
• Original Release Date: May 9, 2000
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Quarter Stick
• ASIN: B00004SQWM
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #62,950 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #4 in Music > Indie Music > Latin Music > Latin Pop

Track Listings

1. Picador

2. Ballad of Cable Hogue

3. Ritual Road Map

4. Fade

5. Sonic Wind

6. Muleta

7. Midtown

8. Service and Repair

9. Drenched

10. 16 Track Scratch

11. Tres Avisos

12. Hot Rail

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

John Convertino and Joey Burns spend a good portion of their time playing with their friend Howe Gelb in the once prolific Giant Sand. But as contractual obligations--or, perhaps, contractual constraints--forced the band to lay off from time to time, it gave the backing boys plenty of time to pursue their own interests as Calexico. Much like Giant Sand, Calexico play a loose game, as likely to pursue Tom Waitsesque instrumentals (lots of shiny metallic percussion everywhere) as an abstract, countrified songwriting muse. The addition of horns and violin for the opening instrumental, "El Picador," and the distorted Spanish guitar of "Muleta" suggest that they've spent time well below Calexico's border. Twangy guitar riffs abound, and when pressed into tunes they highlight the duo's capacity for understated songwriting ("Ballad of Cable Hogue," "Service and Repair") that not so surprisingly sounds much like Giant Sand themselves. --Rob O'Connor

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Soul Salsa, May 30, 2000

By 

B. Lane "baronl" (New York, New York USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Hot Rail (Audio CD)

Calexico is like some half-breed love child of a mariachi band and Morphine. Like a band in a saloon from the good, the bad and the ugly they are both intoxicatingly exotic and mildly menacing.

18 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars How to make Fusion work for you., September 25, 2000

By 

"abarcelo" (Bloomington, IN. USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hot Rail (Audio CD)

More than just a side project of Gian Sand's (and Friends of Dean Martinez's) John Convertino and Joey Burns, Calexico is one of the most original bands to emerge of the American alternative scene in a long time. Mixing indie-rock sensibility with the traditional sounds of Southern USA and Mexico, Calexico's dark and moody sound incorporates mariachi (#1, 7), french chanson (#2), jazz (#3!), spaghetti western soundtrack music, post-rock (#14), American folk and old time western into an unique style perfectly fitting to their name. This album is not as multi-layered as their previous `Black Light'; more of your basic bass-drums-guitar, but still features vibes, organ, accordion, cello, harmonica and mariachi horns. They came to visit Bloomington a couple of years ago, and they rocked! In CD, they are even better, so play this over and over. Tracks 1, 7, 8, 12, 13 and 14 are instrumental.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars is "Cactus Rock" a genre? If so, Calexico's the King, August 18, 2003

By 

Anonymous - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hot Rail (Audio CD)

This CD rocks. It opens up with a sweeping, cinematic trumpet that dumps you in the Sonoran Desert where it's 110 degrees and you're thirsty as hell, wearing a long-sleeved shirt and about to go hit the nearest hacienda for some watermelon cooler and tequila. Yeah, it's that vivid. Hot Rail continually pokes and prods the boundaries of indie-rock/alt-country, pulling in a healthy dose of mexican balladry, old-time GitAlong country and even French rap/spoken word to create what could be the perfect soundtrack for a Steven Soderbergh movie yet to be made. Listen to this Cd and see what movie plays in YOUR head!