Calexico - Live From Austin, Texas DVD

They have been called the voice of the American southwest... but the fact of the matter is that musically Calexico is all over the map (they list as their influences Portuguese fado 50's jazz gypsy music 60's surf and spaghetti western epics among others). But when they made their debut on the Austin City Limits stage on September 13 2006 their latest record Garden Ruin had taken them in new directions that even founding members Joey Burns and John Convertino might not have imagined when they first started recording over 10 years ago. Maybe it has something to do with... Convertino's philosophy that a band has got to keep changing and moving or it will get boring and break up. While a departure from the atmospheric ambience of their earlier records Garden Ruin retains the energy and sincerity for which Calexico - named for the border town in California - is so well known. The result includes a healthy dose of major keys and more pop elements and the focus is on more of a song-oriented approach. Their songs have always brought up social and political issues but the new record confronted themes of political extremism head-on - everything from religious fundamentalism to environmental corruption. I think we are trying to do what we can in the music and lyrics to help people relate to the sense of frustration that's so prevalent Convertino notes. There's always been a special synergy between Calexico and Iron and Wine (a/k/a collaborator and friend Sam Beam). Sam and sister Sarah join the band on this show for a performance. After a decade of creating an eclectic sound that evokes images of sunscorched rocks and windswept deserts Calexico pulls a few surprises out of their musical bag to fill those dusty empty landscapes with a big big sound. Tracklisting: 1. Convict Pool 2. Across The Wire 3. Cruel 4 . El Picador 5. Sunken Waltz 6 . Not Even Stevie Nicks 7. Stray 8. All Systems Red 9. Sonic Wind 10. Alone Again Or 11. Roka (w/ Salvador Duran) 12. He Lays In Reins (w/ Salvador Duran Sam & Sarah Beam from Iron & Wine) 13. Guero Canelo w/ Salvador Duran 14. Letter To Bowie Knife 15. Crystal Frontier [show more]

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