Calexico

{John Peel 15 June 1999)

''And these days Lyn the office junior preparing considerable statements actually about our session bands and they have been most useful. So here is tonight's.''

''Calexico is John Convertino and Joey Burns, who live in Arizona, where they concoct ambient ramblings, scenic vista vignettes and a fantastic sonic stew. (I don't know whether that is Lyn's own opinion, but that is what she has said. Anyway... ) They met back in 1990 and have been building up a large arsenal of old instruments and whatnots ever since. The list includes a marimba, cello, upright base, glockenspiel, Casio accordion and a mangled answer machine. Calexico was born when the duo became flatmates in 1993, where within the 100-year-old adobe walls they could play as loudly as they wanted any time of day without disturbing their neighbours.''

''At first they started recording on the mangled answer machine but after a while decided they wanted to make songs longer than 30 seconds (I'm not sure that was a wise decision really, I mean, you know, but there you go. Ambition doth of us all. That's me by the way, not Lynn.) invested in a home recording studio after people complained that some of the Calexico tapes they'd bought were blank. Once the technology was sorted, the duo went on to produce some truly unique recordings such as their album The Black Light.''

Festive Fifty Entries
2000 Festive Fifty: Ballad Of Cable Hogue #22

Sessions

 * Four sessions. No known commercial release.

1. Recorded: 1997-10-19. First broadcast: 19 November 1997. Repeated: 11 February 1998 2. Recorded: 1999-04-27. First broadcast: 15 June 1999. Repeated: 02 December 1999 3. Live at Peel Acres 30 March 2000 4. Recorded: 2003-03-31. First broadcast: 30 April 2003. Repeated:
 * Paper Route (Rout) / Wash / Sanchez / Spokes / Drape
 * Glowing Heart Of The World / Stray / Frontera/Trigger / Jesus & Tequilla
 * Ballard Of Cable Hogue / Over Your Shoulder / Fade / The Crystal Frontier / Gillbert / Press Tour 2000
 * Not Even Stevie Nicks / Quattro / Alone Again Or

Live
12 April 2001 (from ULU, London, with Neko Case)

El Picador / The Ride (Part II) / Piker Sam / Ballad Of Cable Hogue / Stinging Velvet / Stray / Lost In Space / Minas De Cabre / Crystal Frontier

Other Shows Played

 * 23 March 2000: 'Ballad Of Cable Hogue (LP-Hot Rail)' (City Slang)
 * 23 January 2003: 'Close Behind (LP-Feast Of Wire)' (City Slang)
 * 20 March 2003: 'Not Even Stevie Nicks (LP- Feast Of Wire)' (City Slang)
 * 12 June 2003: 'Alone Again Or (CD Single)' (City Slang)
 * 26 June 2003: 'Alone Again Or (CD Single)' (City Slang)