Calexico previews El Mirador album with "Harness The Wind"

Calexico's El Mirador album is out April 8th. Pre-order it here. Check out "Harness The Wind" followed by the title track.

Calexico, Steve Wynn & pals salute Chris Cacavas on his 60th

The Chris Cacavas 60: Songs From The Fans tribute album is now available on Bandcamp – check the link below.

Here's the scoop...

Cinco de Mayo, May 5 Chris Cacavas was turning 60. For the occasion, to celebrate this wonderful musician, songwriter and dear friend I asked some music friends, awesome artists and bands if they wanted to record one song each from Chris´amazing catalogue. 

And here we have 18 tracks from Calexico, Chris Eckman, Howe Gelb, Steve Wynn, Stephen McCarthy, Russ Tolman, Pat Thomas (who released Chris´first solo album Chris Cacavas & Junkyard Love – produced by Steve Wynn – 1988 on his label Heyday Records), Edward Abbiati (Italy), Dustbowl (Athens, Greece), The ACC (Italy), J Shogren (Centennial, Wyoming), Jonathan Segel (Californian ex-pat living in Blackeberg, Stockholm), Lars Cleveman (world famous Swedish opera tenor), Pete Funk (Karlsruhe) and Stv Gar and Jane-e (Chris´ friends from Langesteinbach, Karlsruhe), The Plastic Pals, The Earthquake Serfers (Håkan ”Hawk” Soold + Jonathan Segel and Victor Krummenacher from Camper Van Beethoven) and Håkan ”Hawk” Soold.  

On April 8th I got the mastered tracks from Rainer Lolk (who engineered the 2013 Plastic Pals album Turn The Tide, produced by Cacavas) in Ludwigsburg, Germany. And I can´t stop listening to the songs. And I can´t stop crying when I listen to them. I can´t believe this is really happening. I can´t believe I am part of this. 

Now you can be part of it too by buying the CD or a digital download of the album right here. Welcome aboard and join in the Chris Cacavas 60 celebrations! Hope you´ll enjoy it! – Hawk (The Plastic Pals) 

Adds Steve Wynn...

The cat is out of the bag.  A bunch of us did covers of songs by our pal and musical cohort Chris Cacavas to time with his 60th birthday last Wednesday.   It was done in secret and Chris didn’t know until the day it was released.  It came out great and today would be a great day to pick it up since it’s the usual first Friday of the month where Bandcamp waives their fees and 100% of the proceeds on this record are going to Chris himself.  You’d be doing a serious solid for a great and very talented guy who hasn’t had the chance to ply his trade on the road for well over a year.   

That’s a good enough reason to buy it today but you’d also be doing yourself a favor because it’s some mighty fine listening—tracks by Calexico, Howe Gelb, Pat Thomas, Russ Tolman, Stephen McCarthy, one from me (with help from Linda Pitmon and Jason Victor) and many more.  Happy 6-0, CC!

Chris Cacavas 60: Songs From The Fans
1. Calexico – Just Do Something 
2. The Earthquake Serfers – California (Into The Ocean)
3. Steve Wynn – Drivin´ Misery 
4. Jonathan Segel – World’s A Mess 
5. Stephen McCarthy – E-Z Living 
6. The Plastic Pals – Truth 
7. Edward Abbiati – Dream Of Me 
8. Chris Eckman – Winter´s Fallin´
9. J Shogren – Who´s Your Whore 
10. Lars Cleveman – Tell Me Everything 
11. Håkan "Hawk" Soold – Song For The Fan 
12. The ACC – Disappear 
13. Pat Thomas – Wrecking Yard 
14. Dustbowl – Better Days
15. Russ Tolman – No Roses Red 
16. Stv Gar and Jane-e – Perfect Show
17. Pete Funk – I Like Lyle Lovett 
18. Howe Gelb – Pale Blonde Hell 

Watch an interview with Chris Cacavas for Later Days and his performance of "Pale Blonde Hell" below. 

Calexico with Iron & Wine @ Danforth Music Hall, Sunday

Here are clips of two recent Calexico and Iron & Wine collaborative performances. 

Hear "What Heaven's Left" off Calexico's new Iron & Wine collaboration

Sam Beam's song "What Heaven's Left" is the lead track on the new Years To Burn album out now on Sub Pop. 

Calexico releases The Thread That Keeps Us on January 26

Calexico on Tour
4/19 - El Paso, TX - Tricky Falls*
4/20 - Dale, TX - Old Settler's Music Festival
4/21 - Tulsa, OK - The Vanguard*
4/22 - St. Louis, MO - Blueberry Hill Duck Room*
4/23 - Minneapolis, MN - Fine Line Music Cafe*
4/25  - Chicago, IL - Thalia Hall*
4/26 - Cincinnati, OH - The Woodward Theater*
4/27 - Washington, DC - Lincoln Theatre*
4/28 - Brooklyn, NY - Music Hall of Williamsburg*
4/29 - New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom*
5/1 - Cambridge, MA - The Sinclair*
5/2 - Philadelphia, PA  - World Cafe Live*
5/3 - Charlottesville, VA - Jefferson Theater*
5/7 - Atlanta, GA - Terminal West*
5/8 -  Nashville, TN - Mercy Lounge*
* w/ Ryley Walker

A Christmas wish from Calexico

Here's Joey Burns performing Gift X-Change off Calexico's Aerocalexico tour CD from 2001.

Link Wray's 3-Track Shack sessions from early 70s reissued by Ace using original tapes

Ace UK's fab new two-disc set Link Wray's 3-Track Shack is due August 31. Read all about it.

As the 60s came to a close, Link Wray, his brother Vernon Wray and band decamped to his farm in Accokeek, Maryland where Vernon set up a three-track recorder in an outhouse – the eponymous three-track shack. Three albums resulted from the recording sessions: 1971’s “Link Wray” was originally mooted for release on the Apple label but eventually came out on Polydor, as did “Mordicai Jones” a pseudonymous title that featured pianist Bobby Howard on vocals. “Beans and Fatback” was released by UK Virgin in 1973.

The music was radically different to what Link had previously recorded – raw and basic, but with vocals and acoustic instruments. Many Swan-era fans hoping for yet more rockin' instros for which Link had become famous didn’t quite know what to make of the rootsy detour into gospel, blues and back-porch country. Consequently, sales weren't great at the time which resulted in all three LPs becoming sought-after collectibles that seemed to foreshadow the Americana scare of the early 90s. In recent years, Mark Lanegan covered the song Fire and Brimstone (from 71's Link Wray album) for Nick Cave's Lawless soundtrack of 2012 while Calexico revised the song Fallin' Rain for a bonus track accompanying the European release of 2003's Feast Of Wire album on City Slang.

These three albums have previously been reissued by Acadia/Evangeline via Universal as a 2 CD set dubbed from vinyl sources and the Beans and Fatback closer "Take My Hand (Precious Lord)" was oddly replaced by a cover of Tony Joe White's Backwoods Preacher Man off 1974's Link Wray's Rumble album. For the new Link Wray's 3-Track Shack compendium, Ace has corrected the track listing and returned to the original master tapes for all three albums to present these unjustly overlooked classics in the finest sound possible. Time to find out what you've been missing.

Calexico @ The Opera House, Tuesday

This nicely shot Brussels performance will give you an idea of what Calexico has in store Tuesday.

Calexico vs. Yeasayer

Calexico's new clip for Falling From The Sky oddly echoes Yeasayer's Madder Red video from 2010.

The Fleshtones return to The Horseshoe April 8

The Fleshtones' gig with Crummy Stuff tops the list of shows just announced by Collective Concerts. 

Calexico plans to issue RSD live album many fans already own

If you already believe that Record Store Day has devolved into nothing more than a cynical cash grab, ANTI-'s announcement that they'll be re-releasing Calexico's live album Spiritoso on April 20 should do nothing to convince you otherwise. As longtime fans of the desert-dwelling titans of twang are no doubt aware, the 12-track disc  – which the UK-based City Slang label issued last year – features songs spanning Calexico's 23-year career performed live in Germany backed by the Radio Symphonie Orchestre Wien. Those who own the City Slang version of Spiritoso which Calexico has been selling at shows, won't need this straight repressing that is said to be limited to 3000 copies.

Whether Calexico is creatively tapped of unique RSD release ideas or couldn't be bothered to come up with something new and exciting their most dedicated followers would appreciate, the decision to simply put out an album previously issued in another territory sets a new low bar for Record Store Day product previously set by labels pressing up limited vinyl versions of their CD-only titles.  

Considering how thoroughly Calexico documents just about every note they play, it doesn't seem like it would be too difficult for them to assemble a unique release for Record Store Day just out of leftover demos and live tracks. How much trouble would it have been to cobble together a few songs they've contributed to tribute albums and various collections over the years? 

Their inspired takes of Casey's Last Ride (off Nothing Left To Lose: A Tribute to Kris Kristofferson), Tulsa Telephone Book (from Real – The Tom T. Hall Project) and Will Oldham's I Send My Love To You (from I Am Cold Rock, I Am Dull Grass) would make one great side of a fantastic10" EP, with maybe John Fahey's Dance of Death (off I Am The Resurrection), Alejandro Escovedo's Wave (from Por Vida) and Arcade Fire's Ocean of Noise on the flip. Who knows, the covers concept record might even introduce the wonders of Calexico a whole new audience. Of course, it would require some effort and a little ingenuity so you may have to settle for the clip below. 



For the wineskin equipped interested in seeing Calexico in the great outdoors, the group will be appearing at the Bonnaroo Music Festival in Manchester, Tennessee as well as the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, Wakarusa Festival and the Nelsonville Music Festival in the coming months. They've also booked some club and soft-seater dates, most notably being a stop at the Mod Club in Toronto on June 12. Here's the complete tour itinerary so far...

Live Dates: 
Sun 4/28 New Orleans, LA New Orleans Jazz and Heritage
Thu 5/30 Ozark, AR Wakarusa Festival
Fri 5/3 Iowa City, IA The Englert Theatre
Sat 6/1 Nelsonville, OH Nelsonville Music Festival
Mon 6/3 Chicago, IL City Winery
Tue 6/4 Detroit, MI Magic Stick
Thu 6/6 Tarrytown, NY The Tarrytown Music Hall
Fri 6/7 Portland, ME Port City Music Hall
Sat 6/8 Pawtucket, RI The Met Café
Sun 6/9 Buffalo, NY Asbury Hall @ Babeville
Tue 6/11 Montreal, QC Corona Theatre

Wed 6/12 Toronto, ON Mod Club
Thu 6/13 Indianapolis, IN The Vogue
Fri 6/14 Manchester, TN Bonnaroo Music Festival

LINKS
Record Store Day site
Calexico HQ
ANTI- site

One For The Weekend: Calexico

A message from Calexico:
Our new album Algiers is out now (on Anti- in North America and City Slang in the UK).  It’s named after the neighborhood in New Orleans where the bulk of the music was recorded.  Our longtime friend and co-producer Craig Schumacher, along with the staff at The Living Room Studio, did an incredible job capturing the energy and ambiance of the new songs. Algiers is full of the variety and dynamics that have long been associated with our band’s sound, including the instrumentation that we take with us on tour: trumpets, keyboards, vibraphone, steel guitar, acoustic bass, nylon string guitars and John’s vintage drums.  We’re really proud of our new album.
You can order it directly from this site

The video for Splitter has premiered.  Check it out!

The Top 100 Reissues of 2011

1. Batsumi - Batsumi (Matsuli Music)

2. Those Shocking Shaking Days: Indonesian Hard, Psychedelic, Progressive Rock, 1970-78 (Now Again)

3. Follow Me Down: Vanguard’s Lost Psychedelic Era, 1966-1970 (Vanguard)

4. Rail Band - Buffet Hotel De La Gare (Superfly)

5. True Soul: Deep Sounds From The Land of Stax Volume 1, Volume 2 (Now Again)

6. Takeshi Terauchi - Nippon Guitars: Instrumental Surf, Eleki & Tsugaru Rock 1966-1974 (Big Beat)

7. T.K. Ramamoorthy - Fabulous Notes & Beats of the Indian Carnatic Jazz (EM Records)

8. Jef Gilson - The Best of Jef Gilson (Jazzman)

9. Svenska Löd Ab! - Svenska Löd Ab! [aka Hörselmat] (Figaro Music & Media Group)

10. Sun Ra - The Eternal Myth Revealed, Vol. 1 (Transparency)

11. Psychedelic Pernambuco (Mr. Bongo)

12. Darondo - Listen To My Song: The Music City Sessions (Omnivore)

13. AKA - Hard Beat (Strawberry Rain)

14. Stone Coal White - Stone Coal White (Cali-Tex)

15. Calexico - Road Atlas, 1998-2011 (Our Soil, Our Strength/Quarterstick)

16. Turkish Freakout 2: Psych Folk: 1970-78 (Bouzouki Joe)

17. L'Orchestre Kanaga De Mopti - L'Orchestre Kanaga De Mopti (Kindred Spirits)

18. The Hidden Tapes: A Compilation of Minimal Wave from Around the World ‘79-‘85 (Minimal Wave)

19. Kourosh Yaghmaei – Back From The Brink: Pre-Revolution Psychedelic Rock From Iran, 1973-1979 (Now Again)

20. Jukebox Jam – Blues and Rhythm Revue (Jazzman)

21. Kelenkye Band - Moving World (Superfly)

22. This May Be My Last Time Singing: Raw African-American Gospel on 45RPM, 1957-1982 (Tompkins Square)

23. Paul Ngozi - The Ghetto (Shadoks)

24. Cartagena! Curro Fuentes & The Big Band Cumbia And Descarga Sound Of Colombia, 1962-72 (Soundway)

25. Tino Contreras - El Jazz Mexicano De Tino Contreras (Jazzman)

26. Rev. Charlie Jackson - You Got to Move: Live Recordings, Vol. 1 (50 Miles Of Elbow Room)

27. Boddie Recording Company: Cleveland, Ohio (Numero Group)

28. Orchestre Poly-Rythmo De Cotonou Dahomey - The First Album, 1973 (Analog Africa)

29. Bobby Hamilton Quintet Unlimited - Dream Queen (Superfly)

30. Michigan Meltdown: Post-Garage Pandemonium and Pre-Punk Fuzz Freaks From The Mitten State's Miliken Era (Coney Dog)

31. Beautiful Rivers And Mountains: The Psychedelic Rock Sound Of South Korea's Shin Joong Hyun (Light In The Attic)

32. The Outsiders - CQ Mythology (Pseudonym)

33. Ongaku 70: Vintage Psychedelia in Japan (Hiruko)

34. Ebo Taylor - Life Stories (Strut)

35. Super Funk's Mission Impossible: Hard To Find & Unreleased Funk Masters (BGP)

37. Lloyd McNeill Quartet - Washington Suite (Soul Jazz)

38. Googoosh - Googoosh (Finders Keepers)

39. Sorry Bamba - Volume One 1970-1979 (Thrill Jockey)

40. Ongaku 80: Alternative Waves From Japan (Hiruko)

41. Mellow Candle - Swaddling Songs PLUS... (Rise Above Relics)

42. Les Goths - Rêve de Silence (Shadoks)

43. Peter Herbolzheimer – Soul Puppets: Unreleased Jazz Funk Library 1970-75 (Sonorama)

44. Bobby Charles - Bobby Charles (Rhino Handmade)

45. Orchestre Rail-Band De Bamako - Orchestre Rail-Band De Bamako (Mississippi)

46. Mickey Newbury - An American Trilogy (Drag City)

47. Battle of Rat Fink Hill: Crude Unissued Pittsburgh Instrumentals, 1961-63 (Norton)

48. Marijata - This Is Marijata (Academy LPs)

49. Istanbul 70: Psych, Disco, Folk Classics (nublu)

50. Soul Safari Presents Township Jive and Kwela Jazz, 1940-60 (Ubuntu Publishing)

51. Bambara Mystic Soul: The Raw Sound of Burkina Faso 1974-1979 (Analog Africa)

52. Mahmoud Ahmed – Jeguol Naw Betwa (Mississippi)

53. Jean-Claude Vannier - Electro Rapide (Finders Keepers)

54. John Fahey - The Past Comes Back To Haunt You: The Fonotone Years 1958-1965 (Dust To Digital)

55. Willie Wright - Telling The Truth (Numero Group)

56. These Trails - These Trails (Drag City)

57. Daphne Oram - The Oram Tapes: Volume One (Young Americans)

58. Vis-A-Vis - Obi Agye Me Dofo (Secret Stash)

59. Van Dyke Parks - Arrangements, Vol. 1 (Bananastan)

60. El Rego et Ses Commandos - El Rego (Daptone)

61. François de Roubaix - Courts Métrages (Wémè)

62. Gétatchèw Mèkurya – Ethiopian Urban Modern Music Vol. 5 (L'Arôme Productions)

63. K. Frimpong & His Cubano Fiestas – K. Frimpong & His Cubano Fiestas (Secret Stash)

64. Bollywood Bloodbath (Finders Keepers)

65. The Original Sound Of Cumbia: The History of Colombian Cumbia & Porro, 1948-79 (Soundway)

66. ¡Gózalo! Bugalú Tropical, Vol.4 (Vampi Soul)

67. Mississippi Fred McDowell - Amazing Grace (Sutro Park)

68. Ame Son - Primitive Expression (Wah Wah)

69. Brand New Wayo: Funk, Fast Times & Nigerian Boogie Badness 1979-83 (Comb & Razor Sound)

70. Erkin Koray - Meçhul: Singles & Rarities (Sublime Frequencies)

71. Opika Pende: Africa at 78 rpm (Dust To Digital)

72. Persian Funk (Secret Stash)

73. Nigeria 70 – Sweet Times: Afro-Funk, Highlife & Juju From 1970s Lagos (Strut)

74. The Fame Studios Story, 1961-73 (Kent)

75. Hans Kennel & Bruno Spoerri - Dusty Vibes: Unreleased Swiss Radio Jazz 1963-67 (Sonorama)

76. Kool & Together - Original Recordings 1970-77 (Heavy Light)

77. Peter Thomas Sound Orchestra - Orion 2000 (Omni)

78.Heikki Sarmanto Big Band – Everything Is It (Porter)

79. Junior Kimbrough - Do The Rump (Sutro Park)

80. Our Lives Are Shaped By What We Love: Motown's Mowest Story, 1971-1973 (Light In The Attic) 

81. "Blackman" Akeeb Kareem - Tomorrow (Hot Casa)

82. Raphaël - Stop, Look, Listen (Heavenly Sweetness)

83. Fred McDowell - The Alan Lomax Recordings (Mississippi)

84. Aqui Los Bravos! The Best of Michi Sarmiento y su Combo Bravo 1967-77 (Soundway)

85. Nouvelle Vague: Musiques Et Chansons De Films (Universal)

86. John Berberian - Expressions East (Mainstream)

87. Rob - Funky Rob Way (Analog Africa)

88. Sohail Rana - Khyber Mail (Finders Keepers)

89. Frankie Zhivago Young - The Age Of Flying High (Superfly)

90. Jim Ford - Demolition Expert (Bear Family)

91. La Sonora Ponceña – A Band And Their Music (Fania)

92. Lucho Bermudez Y Su Orchestra - Lucho Bermudez Y Su Orchestra (Soundway)

93. Ali Farka Touré - Ni Foli: Music From A Cassettte (Social Music)

94. Blind Willie McTell - Trying To Get Home (Sutro Park)

95. George Danquah - Hot & Jumpy (Secret Stash)

96. Nicola Conte Presents Viagem 3 (Far Out)

97. RL Burnside & Sound Machine - Sound Machine Groove (Sutro Park)

98. The Contours - Dance With The Contours (Kent)

99. Janko Nilovic - Funky Tramway (Vadim)

100. Charles "Packy" Axton - Late Late Party, 1965-67 (Light In The Attic)

Honourable Mention

Ali Farka Touré - Manakoidé EP (World Circuit), Cyril Diaz & His Orchestra - Voodoo EP (Soundway), Theo Parrish - uget (Sound Signature), Sun Ra - Space Probe (Art Yard), The Louvin Brothers - Handpicked Songs 1955-1962 (Light In The Attic), Faith - Subject To Change plus First Demo (Dischord), Vesa-Matti Loiri - 4+20 (Porter), Freddy Cole - The Cole Nobody Knows (First Shot/Sonorama), Virgo Four - Resurrection (Rush Hour), Genius/GZA - Liquid Swords (Get On Down), Lijadu Sisters - Danger (Knitting Factory), Marion Brown - Geechee Recollections / Sweet Earth Flying (Impulse!), Ol' Dirty Bastard - Return To The 36 Chambers (Get On Down), New World Generation - NWG (Now Again), MF Doom - Operation: Doomsday [Lunchbox Edition] (Metal Face), Satwa - Satwa (Mr. Bongo). Shattered Dreams: Funky Blues 1967-78 (Ace)

Calexico says "download this..."

Calexico just kicked off a new tour – which brings them through Toronto for a show with Elliott Brood at the Phoenix on Thursday (July 22) – and to celebrate, Tucson's finest have made available a high quality digital recording of their concert last year in Nuremberg which you can download for free right here or stream it here.
For those who can't get enough of Joey Burns, John Convertino and crew in action, they'll be selling CDs of their performance at Ancienne Belgique in Brussels from 2008 at the Phoenix gig. The video clip below of the song Inspiracion, beautifully sung by guest vocalist Amparo Sanchez, will give you an idea of what to expect.    

Calexico - Live In Nuremberg 2009

01. Roka

02. Bend To The Road

03. Inspiration

04. Crystal Frontier

05. Two Silver Trees

06. Red Blooms

07. Victor Jara's Hands

08. Man Made Lake

09. Fractured Air

10. All Systems Red

Credits:

Joey Burns: acoustic and electric guitar, vocals

John Convertino: drums

Paul Niehaus: pedal steel, electric guitar

Jacob Valenzuela: trumpet, keys, vibes, percussion

Volker Zander: upright and electric bass

Martin Wenk: trumpet, guitar, keys, vibes, accordion

Jairo Zavala: electric guitar, bouzouki

Inspiracion by Calexico live @ Ancienne Belgique Oct 13, 2008