[Today: Castles made of sand...]
From sea to shining sea, America is a vast tapestry of cultures and values. The four corners of this country often seem to have little in common besides the flag that flies overhead, but for my money it’s the breadth and difference of opinion that makes the United States so formidable. And America is only becoming more colorful – the US Census Bureau projects that by 2042, whites will no longer constitute a majority of the US population. This shifting demographic landscape invites speculation about what “American music” really sounds like, and a quick glance at the stats shows that by the middle of this century, it will probably sound a lot less like The Beach Boys and a lot more like Calexico.
This Tucson, AZ-based group is comprised of ex-Giant Sand members Jon Convertino and Joey Burns – along with an ever-rotating cast of musicians – and named for a border town that sits on the California side of Mexico. Through a hybrid of Mariachi trumpets and guitars, twangy rock, and found sounds, their music captures the great open spaces of the American southwest. Burns has playfully described Calexico’s sound as “Ambient Mariachi Death Rock”, and that joke probably gets closer to the crux of their sound than reams of critical analysis could. The history and mystery of Mexico runs deep within the grooves of The Black Light, and it’s an album of non-stop, shimmering motion.
From a lonely train whistle, ‘Minas de Cobre (For Better Metal)’ builds into a Mariachi foot-stomper that’s punctuated by a squadron of spicy trumpets. The instrumental ‘Gypsy’s Curse’ is as foreboding as its title implies, and ‘The Ride (Pt II)’ puts the top down for a spin through the “the neon hub of downtown.” These songs connect together into a loose concept album about being on the run in the Southwest, but what really ties this music together is an atmosphere of lovely, sprawling decay. The Black Light is a luxurious, multi-hued castle built from grains of desert sand – a structure that represents the future sound of America.
Listen: Minas de Cobre (For Better Metal)
Listen: Gypsy’s Curse
Listen: The Ride (Pt II)
