Across The Crystal Frontier

My biggest prize from Record Store Day 2013 was a copy of the new Calexico 12" Spiritoso. I don't know if they intent to give this a wider release; I think the rules of Record Store Day say you are not supposed to.

The best way I can describe Calexico is to say they are what an indie band would sound like when hired to score a spaghetti western. Like the town they take their name from, there music is rich with their native Arizona. Acoustic/electric guitars mesh with strings and horns and a wide variety of percussive instruments. I've dug them since I read about them in the old No Depression magazine; I think the first CD of theirs I bought was the brilliant Hot Rail. It is still my favorite of theirs but the others are all wonderful.

Calexico is mainly the work of two fellows: Joey Burns and John Convertino. They played with one another in a couple other bands (Giant Sand being one) before finding their niche with Calexico. The music is well beyond what two fellows can do, at least when they do it live. It is really different from what's out there. Indie rock has a broad spectrum of acts and Calexico occupy their own place. The southwestern flavor has such a unique vibe. There are probably other bands that do something similar but I don't know who they are and I doubt they could do it any better. This kind of thing can easily fall into a rut or even into parody but each record moves forward from the last and is always interesting. Instead of aping the same themes or treading the same ground, they find a great balance of staying true to their roots while expanding on the scope. The music evolves from record to record but it stays grounded in where it came from.

Spiritoso is extra-special in that it was recorded live with big time assists from orchestras in Vienna and Potsdam. I hesitate to say they play their hits (there are none really) but if you're familiar with them you'll recognize these tracks. Through the headphones it's simply fantastic. The swells from the orchestra are exhilarating; the way the horns fill the bottom and the strings seem to soar above let the songs take on a life of their own. It is very cinematic music; one can easily see a rider crossing a dusty plain, a an old time locomotive chugging along a desert floor, a coyote silhouetted against the moon. It sounds cheesy here but the execution of the music is just brilliant. It is joyous and soothing all at once. It's great music to unwind to.

I haven't had a chance to see them live but I understand their shows are a real treat. There's a lot going on with it and I one day will get to see how they pull it off live. It will be an experience.

Here's a great tune called "Para." I hope you enjoy!

Record Store Day 2013

Saturday morning, much against my nature and the allergies I am suffering from, I arose at 5:30am so that I could drive over to a little record store and stand in line so that I had a chance to maybe buy some special records.

Record Store Day is an "event" that vinyl-nerds like me look forward to every year. Here's how it works: artists make available special releases in very limited quantities (usually 3000 to 5000) to independent record stores in support of these local shops that sell vinyl and keep up the spirit of indie music. Not every store gets any quantities of every release. You can view a list of what will be available but it's really a surprise as to what will be actually be there. Last year I went at 1pm, being the naive fool I am, and discovered there was nothing left.

So having learned my lesson I arrive in front of Record and Tape Exchange in Fairfax VA at 6am. There are already two guys out there. One kind in his early twenties is huddled under a blanket on a ratty old mattress. Another guy is sitting in only of those collapsable wing chairs. The kid says he has two buddies that ran off to get food. The other guy is there by his lonesome. Fifth in line, that's pretty good. We chit chat about what we want and we discover, happily, our lists do not collide. There are cool guys. The one kid is wearing a Mastodon sweatshirt so we talk about seeing them in concert. They offer us honey buns.

My list had two tiers: 1) really want; 2) intrigued. In the first category there were four things. I didn't know if there were any limitations or other rules on what to buy, so I wanted it tiered. The four things were: Big Star's Nothing Can Hurt Me double LP; Old 97s with Waylon Jennings on 7"; The Hold Steady Criminal Fingers 7"; and Calexico's Spiritoso 12". The Big Star vinyl is different mixes and alternate versions of their songs for an upcoming documentary. The Old 97s and Waylon thing was something the band did with him way back in 1996 and are finally releasing. The Hold Steady 7" includes the "Bear and the Maiden Fair" song used in Game of Thrones. And the Calexico LP is them doing songs with a couple orchestras in Europe.

Some of the stuff in the other category included The Band, Elliott Smith, Aloha, Gram Parsons, Brendan Benson, Cream. These were things that if I saw I would consider but wouldn't be sad if I couldn't find or got beaten to.

At around quarter-to-8 the owners showed up saying "Happy Record Store day!!" We replied in turn, though it had gotten pretty chilly and I was feeling close to miserable; but the thought of the gold mine that lay beyond the glass kept me warm inside. HA! We watched them inside busy making the final preparations. The kids in front of us had been there since the store closed the night before and they knew the folks who worked there. They mentioned seeing The Band's triple-LP of  The Last Waltz on the shelf so I knew I could get that at least.

At T-minus-five-minutes one of the workers opened the door and said the first 10 people in line would get 90s seconds of alone-time with the store. This was exciting because I was 5th and there are now 30 people behind me. Ninety seconds would be more than enough time to secure what I was hoping to get.

So the door swings open and we go in and the stuff is nicely organized and easy to find. Unfortunately for me they only had 1 of the things I really wanted (or at least that I could find) and that was the Calexico record. The other 3 were not to be found. I did manage to grab the The Last Waltz and another 3xLP of Cream's 2005 reunion shows at the Royal Albert Hall.

I was really happy with being able to get these special things, but all in all I was a bit disappointed in the overall selection. That's no knock on the store. As I understand it stores don't always get what they ordered. Part of the charm of the event is not knowing what is going to be there. So it's Christmas to vinyl-geeks. By the time I paid and left the RSD section was stripped bare. This was about 15 minutes after the doors opened.

So for next year, I think I will call up in advance and make sure the store at least orders what I am looking for. That way I can be more heartbroken when it doesn't show. HA!

The Last Waltz with retro label

Cream; dig the gorgeous white vinyl

Calexico's Spirtoso

Obligatory Buys

There are some bands that I will always buy their new record. As a fan I think it is important to continue showing support. Plus my music habit is close to a drug addiction, so it is a nice way of providing cover.

Some of the albums were really good...some were kind of meh.

Mirage Rock by Band Of Horses - I do not like their last two records as much as I liked their first two records. I sense a negative trend. The last two have been more by-the-numbers...less interesting.

The Sound Of The Life Of The Mind by Ben Folds Five - Ben Folds' solo stuff has always been sort of dull, especially when compared to his work with his eponymous band. The song writing here is not as great as the original three BFF records. Not a disappointment here; it is good to hear Ben playing with Darren Jesse and Robert Sledge again. They seem to bring out the best in Ben.

Algiers by Calexico - Best way to describe Calexico is if an alt-country band did the soundtrack for a spaghetti western. This one would probably have been in my top 20 if I thought that hard about it.

One Lovely Day by Citizen Cope - Clarence Greenwood writes great songs. This is another solid entry into his discography. Mellowish R&B-flavored singer-songwriter stuff.

Walking In The Green Corn by Grant Lee Phillips - Grant Lee Buffalo was an amazing band and their leader has turned in some greta solo records since he went solo. He is mellowing with age. Unfortunately it is not as interesting a sit used to be.

Love Is The Plan, The Plan Is Death by James Blackshaw - Young British 12-string acoustic player. Makes great instrumental albums with scary titles. Has experimented with more instrumentation, be it strings or keys or what. Still really pretty music.

Bringing In The Darlings by Josh Ritter - Great singer-songwriter with a new EP. This one is kind of meh.

The Dreamer by Rhett Miller - Kind of growing on me since I saw the Old 97s live.

Point Of Morrow by The Shins - I really liked this when it first came out. Still like it but it dropped out of the top 10.

Among The Leaves by Sun Kil Moon - Mark Kozelek's latest is sort of inert. I just don't dig this one.

Now For Plan A by The Tragically Hip - My second most favorite band on Earth and their latest is just sort of meh. I have thought that for the last couple of records but I eventually came around on them. Maybe I will here!

Tomorrow I will talk about my favorite metal albums of the year! YEAH!