Customer Reviews

Hot Rail

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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.

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!

While many reviewers will give comparisons of surf-music and Morricone influences, Burns and Convertino show greater depth and artistic push than was apparent when in Friends of Dean Martinez. I'm a fan of both and the divergence of style and musicianship is apparent on both bands' later works. The flavoring of the music and its divergent styles reminds me of both Sir Douglas Quintet and that of Los Lobos. Calexico has matured with each record pushing their sound further and defining a distinct sound that no longer relies on a "genre" but pushes instead the boundaries of border music and what it is. FODM have relied more heavily on the electronic influences creating a modern urban soundtrack. Calexico digs deeper and finds the dust on the small towns and back roads. Its like the difference between Santa Fe and Taos, NM. They have similar roots but the modern influences have been absorbed diffently creating unique interpretations of the Southwest and its parched landscapes. Calexico delivers on all fronts and as Burns and Convertino become more comfortable with their songwriting things can only get better.

Don't listen to "the music fan from Australia". To correct a few mistakes: Calexico is the name of a border town in southern California, not a twist on some geographical psyche. You would have to live near the border of the US and Mexico to understand it's entirely unique aura. Surely, this is what likely inspires the band and is quite appropriate, not "lame". Morricone was influential no doubt, but he falls short of the ground Calexico treads. They are a perfect hybrid of many schools with a penchant for beautiful soundscapes. It is hard to believe this reveiwer even heard the music...was the review meant to be misleading?...just listen to the samples for yourself and you decide. The music does speak for itself, though the short samples often don't disply the finer parts. For typical Calexico see the tracks: "Drenched", "Mid-town", "Sonic-Wind", "Service and Repair". The border is definitely a different world that Calexico has captured and rendered wholly visible.

As for longing without grasping, and intensity without aggitation, this music weaves through the desert of the sea and catches a glimpse of something singular and ancient, working up through the prosaic filters of the human mind- thoughts in the air, wires on the floor. Beautiful. More subdued than the previous two, but for me strikes deeper for not working as hard. Don't get me wrong though, I love everything these guys put out. Thanks be.

Every song is a vacation for your imagination to the American Southwest. From the short western tales (Track 2, Drenched) and instrumentals that spark your own imagination with influential titles (El Picador and Muleta, bullfighting terms, demonstrates the bittersweet drama of slaying the bull.) Calexico just make absolutely beautiful and emotional music. This Cd is especially great for desert road tripping or just relaxing.

A superb blending of instrument and voice, subtly rendered. This CD is honest and from the heart. It has passion and it has restraint. It's humor is soft, its artistry is seasoned. As for the rhythm? Irresistible! These guys have been around. Rock, how far you have come.

Calexico's mariachi-flavored instrumentals and rootsy romps contain a distinctly cinematic quality: Close your eyes, and watch the tumbleweed dance across the bleak desert terrain. This duo scored the art-house flick Committed, but Hot Rail is the soundtrack to a film that exists only within the minds of the musicians, and, subsequently, the listeners. Accordions, organs, vibes, and strings help establish the album's mysterious atmosphere, while the steady drums and bass keep the plot moving at a brisk pace.

I have had this CD for over a year, my daughter sent it for Christmas. At first I did think it a little gimmicky. I have listened several times and have changed my opinion. It is well paced and the numbers, while diverse, blend well. It is something I usually play at least twice when in a popular music listening mood. I like this CD well enough to look for more from these guys.