With MCA on the road to recovery, organizers of San Francisco’s Outside Land Festival have revealed that the acoustic-folk-metal act Tenacious D will replace the hip-hop trio as the festival’s
Thirty minutes is an eternity with some artists; with Joey Burns, one of two main members behind one of the more unique rock bands of the past two decades, it's a warm-up. Ever since their earliest days playing together in Giant Sand, Burns and John Convertino have found synergy in broad brushstrokes from all over the pop music palette and beyond: Americana, soul, alt-country, indie rock, and various flavors from Mexico, South America, Europe and parts unknown.
Carried to Dust, their fifth full length, serves as that picturesque medium, transforming the lonesome southwest landscape, creating the illusion of a lost highway nestling through cactus, ghost towns and the war between good/evil.
For the better part of ten years, Calexico has sounded like no other experimental rock outfit. Where else can you hear mariachi singers, marimbas and happy trumpets with shades of highway Americana? Recently reaching the Billboard 200 album chart with their 2005 In the Reins collaboration with Iron & Wine, Calexico
In the first of what we can only hope will become a series of collaborations between Calexico and Iron & Wine, this seven song effort features the minimalist Sam Beam approach floating on neo-folk and country-western waters.
In The Reins, the seven-song EP that resulted when Howard Greynolds encouraged the two bands to meet up, reads like a wedding invitation: this is what happens when like-minded souls merge brainpower, share a collective moment of romance and allow it to blossom into a deep and meaningful relationship.
The Queens of the Stone Age have nailed the sound of California groove with their cryptic metal boogie. Now frontman, Josh Homme, has struck out on a side project
Calexico manages to place their patented romantic gypsy artistry throughout most of this 6 song EP, featuring 3 distinct covers. With their hints towards jazz, world, experimental and rock, Calexico continues to earn their well due cult praises.
