American band from Tucson, Arizona that shares a sun-bleached border with many performers and musical styles. Comprised of two core members,
Joey Burns and
John Convertino, Calexico became its own entity in 1996 with the release of the [m=111064] LP. Although that record marked the band’s first official output, Joey and John had already been playing together as collaborating members of Arizona mainstays
Giant Sand. A wide variety of tours, performances (including the Montreux and North Sea Jazz Festivals) and recording sessions as Calexico and with other artists (
Neko Case,
Victoria Williams,
Richard Buckner), as well as their continuing relationship with Giant Sand, allowed the band the opportunity to develop as artists. Over time, Calexico has featured a revolving cast of musicians and instruments, and the bands sonic growth can be traced through its varied releases.
The band took their name from Calexico, California, a city on the boundary of California and Mexico.