The Black Light (CD)

Born out of the axis of Arizona bands that revolved around seminal desert-rock group Giant Sand, Calexico debuted in the mid-1990s with a unique sound that mixed mariachi horns, alt-country, spaghetti-western themes, and the wide-open-spaces vibe of their environs. Amid a revolving door of players, the core of the group is multi-instrumentalists/songwriters John Convertino and Joey Burns, who manage to make rootsy, organic music that's consistently inventive and forward-looking.

• Category:  Music  »  Rock & Pop  »  General Rock & Pop
• Format: CD   Learn more about the CD format using Tower WIKI.
• Release Date: May 19, 1998
• Label: Quarterstick
• UPC: 036172005222
• WAPI (Tower ID): 106028546
• Average Customer Review: There are no customer reviews yet. Be the first to write a review!
• Tower.com Sales Rank: #36461 in Music (See Top 100 Music Bestsellers)
• #12275 in Rock & Pop (See Top 100 Rock & Pop Bestsellers)
• #7806 in General Rock & Pop (See Top 100 General Rock & Pop Bestsellers)

Browse more products related to "The Black Light"

Browse more products related to "Calexico"

Calexico: Joey Burns (vocals, guitar, steel guitar, mandolin, cello, accordion, keyboards, double bass, percussion); John Convertino (accordion, vibraphone, marimba, drums, percussion).

Additonal personnel: Stephanie Nelson (vocals); Nick Luca (Spanish guitar, claves); Gabriel Landin (gitaron); Neil Harry (pedal steel guitar); Bridget Keating (violin); Rigo Pedroza, Fernando Sanchez, Al Tapatio (trumpet); Howe Gelb (piano, organ); Tasha Bundy (background vocals).

Principally recorded at Wavelab Studios, Tucson, Arizona in July, August & December, 1997.

When not serving as a rhythm section for such acts as Giant Sand, Barbara Manning, Richard Buckner and The Friends of Dean Martinez, multi-instrumentalists Joey Burns and John Convertino comprise Calexico, also featuring Convertino's wife Tasha Bundy on backing vocals. Based in Tuscon Arizona, Calexico makes the most of its proximity to the Mexican border--the music is dominated by Spanish rhythms, sounds, and textures.

THE BLACK LIGHT is mostly instrumental, with a few songs sung by Burns in a voice strangely reminiscent of The Eagles' Glenn Frey. The feel is always relaxed but intriguing, with a wide range of instrumentation (Burns & Convertino play bass, guitar, cello, mandolin, accordian, steel guitar, vibes, drums, marimba, and percussion, with guest musicians handling organ, piano, violin, and claves) very effectively conveying a dark, almost cinematic vision of desert-town nightlife. A horn section is brilliantly utilized on tracks like "Chach," "Minas De Cobre," and "Over Your Shoulder." The vocal songs deal with violence, dead ends both figurative and literal, booze and crime. "Margaritaville" it ain't, but THE BLACK LIGHT still makes for excellent summer listening either on the porch, fire escape, or hacienda.

There are no customer reviews yet. Be the first to write a review!

• Great Deals on CDs under $9.99

  New Releases, Bestsellers and Classic Albums all for under $10! Great Music for Everyone's Tastes!

• Great Deals on DVDs under $12.99

  New Releases, Bestsellers and Classic DVDs all for under $13! Great Movies, TV and DVD Specials for Everyone's Tastes!

• Great Deals on Books under $14.99

  New Releases, Bestsellers and Classic Books all for under $15! Great Reads for Everyone's Tastes!