Has Calexico felt a halo effect from the streaming era Latin music explosion? Unlikely, but it hardly matters. The Tucson band continues to progress, with a fine new album and magnificent touring band. Besides, they created ‘desert noir’ - what a cool genre to have invented.
When your host put the above question to Calexico singer-songwriter Joey Burns, his response is suitably nonchalant:
“I do appreciate the openness and receptiveness of audiences to Latin music. It’s nice to know that audiences are curious. I’m not sure if we’re feeling a halo effect but I’m seeing our audiences appreciate the music we love. I’m very happy about it!”
Calexico are nothing if not grateful for the opportunity to play the music they love, the way they want to play it, even if to more modest audiences around the world than today’s Latin crossover superstars. That said, Joey does, however, lament the band’s limited live touring capacity in their native America. Calexico play bigger venues in Europe than they do on their home turf, despite inventing a sound that conveys that land so evocatively. Indeed, it was music journalist Fred Mills who captured the band’s sound so perfectly with just two words: “desert noir”.
What a cool subgenre to have invented. Since most music writers lazily throw in all the various tex mex music flavours in describing Calexico’s sound, Joey is happy to clarify:
“We are connected more with mariachi and cumbia than say tex mex or tejano or norteño which has a different connection to a different tradition. For the most part we are mariachi, cumbia. I’ve never felt like I’ve mastered anything, but I’m lucky enough to play with some of those that have”.
But nothing quite captures their sound like desert noir. The day after I spoke with Joey, my wife and I attended Calexico’s only UK show at The Forum, Kentish Town in North London. It was breathtaking. My test for any gig is whether it transcends – takes you to another place. From about a third of the way into the set, I realised it was happening. We were up in the seats but from all the way up there - and down on the floor especially - you could see the audience sensed they were witnessing something special. Not only that, but the set included no less than seven new songs, from the latest (13th) album El Mirador. No one went to the bar.
Calexico is touring as a septet, with Burns and partner/drummer John Convertino accompanied by Sergio Mendoza, MARIACHI LUZ DE LUNA, upright bass virtuoso Scott Colberg and the brilliant guitar player and singer Brian Lopez. The set combines magical mariachi of the highest possible standard, yet when the band chooses to (as on the thrilling Then You Might See) they jam out extended plays of true sonic power in the style of Radiohead or James. In combining those elements the band’s singularity is astonishing.
So my challenge is thus: to go to great lengths and stop at nothing until more of the world’s population listens to Calexico, goddammit.
If Mexico City is the biggest streaming city on the globe (as it seems to be if you follow Spotify’s rules) I can only suggest that the residents of Mexico city wake up and smell the horchata. Or perhaps if Spotify knew its audience beyond all those binary digits, it might serve up more Calexico en masse as editorial duty. As for radio, your guess is as good as mine as to when Calexico might next crop up alongside the ubiquitous Latin pop tunes. Probably never. With the gatekeepers in blissful ignorance it may well be down to us.
Of course Louis Fonsi was helped out on Despacito by the presence of Justin Bieber, and Beyonce did a similar favour for J Balvin. Perhaps a collaboration between Calexico and Harry Styles would boost the band’s profile? It’s not impossible and it would work creatively, of that I’m pretty sure.
However I’d be happier if it were Portishead. A trip hop spaghetti western would be a spliced genre of dreams, even if that meant Calexico’s cult status as purveyors of the finest desert noir was to be remodelled from sand to stone.