Category: April 2018

Calexico – “The Thread That Keeps Us” (2-CD Deluxe Edition)

Today I am going to talk about Calexico‘s new album, The Thread That Keeps Us, which was released by ANTI- in North America and City Slang in Europe. And it is the European Deluxe Edition that I would like to consider for this review, as it features a bonus mini album/CD consisting of 7 additional tracks, totaling the offering found on this release to a whopping 22 songs.

Joey Burns and John Convertino’s ninth studio album under the Calexico guise maintains all of the trademark traits that we have so loved throughout the years that the Tucson, Arizona duo has graced us with its own unique, incredibly inspired blend of smoky Americana, noir-tinged desert folk-blues, (spaghetti) Southwestern moods, and mariachi influences.

However, what is apparent on this new work is Calexico’s embrace of new influences and styles that add extra flavoring to the quintessential formula and permeate the whole work’s general feel. End Of The World With You being the one benefiting the most from the new trajectory, in its bright ’90s indie rock style and light hearted chords, yet one of their most overtly political songs to date. Flores Y Tamales, Another Space, and Under The Wheels—the excellent second single)—all raise the tempo and add some groove and danceability to the mix. Thrown To The Wild and Eyes Wide Awake manageto relay some of the main sentiments expressed so far, while reassessing the journey in another unexpected direction, slowing the pace and rendering the tones darker, more evocative, and magnificent.

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The Bonus CD—a true gem—features a more free form and laid back version of Calexico; a time of reckoning after the places we have journeyed on to with The Tread That Keeps Us. Songs like Longboard, Luna Roja, Curse Of The Ride, and Dream On Mount Tam sound more cohesive than the main disk, and function as the soundtrack to an imaginary road movie. An incredibly nice addition to an already outstanding release.

The long and short: Do yourself a solid and grab this Calexico album; the mature, inspired songwriting and its rich, ultra-layered and textured sound attest to one of 2018’s best albums yet.

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Record Store Day bonanza.

IMG_2027.jpgRecord Store Day: what a wonderful time of year for nerding out! For the uninitiated, RSD is the day when music labels and record stores come together to celebrate the beauty of record collecting. On this fateful day many record stores worldwide come together to offer beautiful pieces of vinyl and special editions in limited quantities in hopes to harness music aficionados worldwide and get them to visit their local record store. It is an incredibly noble cause and I try to honor it every year. Well, this year was a damn bonanza! Here’s what I scored for myself:

Although I will discuss each release in separate posts, I can tell you guys getting up at 6:30am on a Saturday morning was well worth it. Some of these releases will just exist in their very limited run, some will be reissued, but what ultimately matters is being able to support the artists, labels, and record stores participating in this fun initiative.

The long and short…

Even if you weren’t able to cop any records on the day of, it’ll still be worth it to pay a visit to your local store and buy physical records and CDs; it will make listening to music an incredibly richer experience than streaming music or downloading files that will pile up in a big heap with a zillion other and will be just as easily forgotten.