Calexico had its origins in 1990 when Burns, who was studying music at the University of California, Irvine, met up with Convertino, who was playing drums with Howe Gelb in Giant Sand. Burns joined them, after first playing upright bass on a European tour.
Giant Sand moved to Tucson, Arizona in 1994. John and Joey formed the Friends of Dean Martin (later the Friends of Dean Martinez) which scored a record deal with Sub Pop. However, the pair split up with Bill Elm, the co-founder of The Friends of Dean Martinez in 1996. The band subsequently became a kind of indie rhythm section for hire, working with the likes of Victoria Williams, Barbara Manning and Richard Buckner before forming Calexico.
Calexico first recorded Spoke in 1995 for German independent label Hausmusik with a limited edition of 2,000 copies. At that point the band was still called Spoke and the album was technically self-titled. After the band signed with Quarterstick Records (a subsidiary of Touch and Go Records) and changed their name to Calexico, Spoke was reissued by that label in 1997. Burns and Convertino also collaborated with Gelb and Lisa Germano on the album Slush released under the name OP8 that same year.
Their second album The Black Light was released in 1998. This was a concept album about the desert of Arizona and northern Mexico and received excellent reviews, with the critic from the Wall Street Journal rating it as one of the best records of the year.
The band built their profile by touring as support acts for bands such as Pavement, the Dirty Three and Lambchop. Calexico has regularly played festivals such as the Bonnaroo Music Festival, the Hurricane Festival and All Tomorrow's Parties. The Road Map album was a limited recording released in 1999 for sale only at Calexico's live shows.
Calexico released its third album Hot Rail in May 2000 featuring the addition of horns and violin to their sound. The duo was busy in 2000 as they also appeared on a Giant Sand record called Chore of Enchantment as well as a tour only record Travelall.
At the end of 2000, Burns and Convertino joined with two French friends Naïm Amor and Thomas Belhôm to record "Tête A Tête" (Wabana Records, 2001) released under moniker ABBC (Amor/Belhom/Burns/Convertino). Calexico released two collections of rarities during 2001. Even My Sure Things Fall Through collected outtakes from previous albums, B-sides, remixes and material previously unreleased in the US. The album also featured Mariachi Luz de Luna who frequently played live with the duo. The Aerocalexico album was sold exclusively at their gigs in 2001.
The Scraping live album was released in 2002. Their next studio recording Feast of Wire was released in 2003 and made the charts for the first time appearing on Billboard's Heatseekers and Independent album chart. They made their first video for "Quattro (World Drifts In)" which was a single from Feast of Wire. They released a live DVD in 2004 called World Drifts In: Live at the Barbican. The song "Güero Canelo", from Feast of Wire, was featured in Michael Mann's Film, Collateral, starring Tom Cruise and Jamie Foxx, in which the band appears.
Calexico contributed the song "Burnin' Down the Spark" to Nancy Sinatra's self-titled album in late 2004. The album featured artists who cited Sinatra as a musical influence. The song was released in the UK as the second single from the album in early 2005.
In 2005, Calexico joined up with Miami-based band Iron & Wine. Howard Greynolds of Overcoat Records was responsible for bringing the two bands together having previously been responsible for Tortoise and Will Oldham recording together. The In the Reins EP was released in September 2005 and received a positive reception with an MSNBC review giving it honorable mention. It also made an appearance in the Billboard 200 album charts, becoming their first recording to make the album charts, and No. 12 on the independent charts. In October 2005, they commenced a US tour with Iron & Wine to promote the record.
Released in 2006, Garden Ruin is Calexico's fifth studio album and was produced by JD Foster. The sound strays slightly from earlier works, focusing less on the horn section, and placing more emphasis on guitar and vocal tracks, giving the whole album a more mainstream sound.
In 2007, Calexico was invited by Arcade Fire to record a cover of their "Ocean of Noise." This recording was used as the B-side for Arcade Fire's "Intervention" single, originally released on vinyl on May 21, 2007. Also in 2007, Calexico recorded a revamped version of the Bob Dylan song "Goin' to Acapulco" for the Dylan biopic "I'm Not There". The song featured Jim James of My Morning Jacket on vocals and was featured on the soundtrack of the film.
Several of Calexico's songs, usually their shorter instrumental pieces, have been used as interstitial and background music on Public Radio International's This American Life. Their songs "Ballad Of Cable Hogue" and "Service And Repair" were featured in the 2001 German comedy movie Lammbock.
Their sixth studio LP is called 'Carried to Dust', featuring Sam Beam of Iron & Wine, Douglas McCombs of Tortoise and Pieta Brown. It was released in the USA via Touch & Go Records on September 9, 2008. The album enjoyed solid reviews, with hometown paper the Arizona Daily Star praising the band's "ability to sweep you into its world, taking listeners to the American Southwest. This is one of the reasons Europeans love Calexico and others in this country are beginning to come around."
On October 16, 2008, a three-song live acoustic video performance premiered on LiveDaily Sessions, featuring Joey Burns performing the songs "Two Silver Trees," "Writer's Minor Holiday" and "Man Made Lake".
In 2009, the song Banderilla was featured in an episode of AMC's Breaking Bad.
In 2010, a new album of Calexico was released: the soundtrack of the documentary "Circo". The band also spent part of 2010 touring with Arcade Fire along the west US coast.
In May 2011, their song "Slowness" was dedicated by Gabrielle Giffords to her husband astronaut Mark Kelly as the wake up song aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour on its final flight.
Algiers was released 11 September 2012 on ANTI Records and CITY SLANG (Europe).
In April 2014, the band began referring to a new album on Twitter in posts from Mexico City, Coyoacan, Mexico, and Athens, Greece. Edge of the Sun was announced on 27 January 2015, and released on April 14, 2015. The album features guest appearances by various artists such as Sam Beam (Iron & Wine), Ben Bridwell (Band of Horses), Gaby Moreno, Carla Morrison and members of the Greek instrumental group Takim.
The current members of Calexico are:
Joey Burns – vocals, guitars, bass, cello, piano, keyboards, accordion, percussion, vibraphone
John Convertino – drums, percussion, piano, keyboards, vibraphone, marimba, accordion
Paul Niehaus – steel guitar, guitars
Jacob Valenzuela – trumpet, keyboards, vibraphone, vocals
Martin Wenk – trumpet, guitar, keyboards, accordion, glockenspiel, vibraphone, theremin (occasionally harmonica & French horn)
Volker Zander – standup bass, electric bass
Live tour 2013:
Joey Burns - vocals, guitars
John Convertino - drums, percussion
Sergio Mendoza - Keyboards
Jairo Zavala - bazouki, baritone guitar, vocals
Jacob Valenzuela – trumpet, keyboards, vibraphone, vocals
Martin Wenk – trumpet, guitar, keyboards, accordion, glockenspiel, vibraphone (occasionally harmonica & French horn)
Ryan Alfred - bass, vocals
Green Grows The Holly
Calexico Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And so does the ivy
Though winter blasts winds na'er so high
Green grows the holly
Gay are the flowers
Hedgerows and the ploughhands
The days grow long, longer in the sun
Mmm
Full gold the harvest
And grain for your labor
With God must work for daily bread
Or else, man, we'll starve
Fast fall the shed leaves
Russet and yellow
But resting buds are smug and safe
Where swung the dead leaves
Swung the dead leaves
Green grows the holly
And so does the ivy
The God of life can never die
And hope, says the holly
Green grows the holly
Oh
Green grows the holly
So does the ivy
The song "Green Grows The Holly" by Calexico is an emotive and reflective piece that draws subtle connections between the natural world and spiritual beliefs. The opening line, "Green grows the holly and so does the ivy," is symbolic of the endurance of life even in harsh seasons. The reference to winter blasts winds sets a somber tone, but the song's mood lifts as it progresses. There is joy in the return of spring and the growth it brings. The "hedgerows and the ploughhands" reference suggests that the song reflects the experience of the working class, their daily struggles and their hope for better times as the days grow longer.
The song goes on to speak of how life is sustained by hard work, represented by the harvest and grain. The line "with God must work for daily bread" suggests the spiritual value of working hard to provide for yourself and your family. The reference to resting buds being "smug and safe" is a reminder that in times of hardship, there is still hope for renewal and growth.
The last stanza of the song brings together the themes of faith and hope with the image of the holly, a symbol of everlasting life. The line "the God of life can never die, and hope, says the holly" reaffirms the belief in an eternal life, even as the seasons change.
Overall, the song is a beautiful reflection of the unity of nature, the human experience, and spiritual beliefs. It speaks to the resilience of life itself and the importance of finding hope in difficult times.
Line by Line Meaning
Green grows the holly
The holly plant continues to thrive and grow even in difficult winter conditions
And so does the ivy
Similarly, the ivy plant is also able to survive and grow in harsh winter conditions
Though winter blasts winds na'er so high
Despite the high winds and harsh conditions of winter, these plants are able to withstand them and continue growing
Gay are the flowers
The flowers are cheerful and bright, bringing joy to the surroundings
Hedgerows and the ploughhands
Even the hedges and workers in the fields are filled with life and energy
The days grow long, longer in the sun
As spring approaches and the sun shines more, the days seem to lengthen and bring more warmth and light
So soft fall the showers
The rain falls gently and provides essential nourishment for the plants to grow
Full gold the harvest
When the crops are finally harvested, they are bountiful and provide an abundance of food
And grain for your labor
Through hard work and dedication, the farmers are able to produce a successful harvest and provide for their families
With God must work for daily bread
Farmers rely on God's guidance and help to produce the food that sustains them and their families
Or else, man, we'll starve
Without the successful harvest, people will not have enough food to survive
Fast fall the shed leaves
As fall approaches, the leaves of the trees start falling at a quick pace
Russet and yellow
The leaves turn a variety of colors from red to yellow, signaling the end of summer and the start of fall
But resting buds are smug and safe
Although the trees lose their leaves, the buds that will become the future leaves are protected and safe during the winter months
Where swung the dead leaves
The leaves that have already fallen swing in the wind, being blown around until they eventually decay
The God of life can never die
God is the source of all life and will never truly die
And hope, says the holly
The holly plant is a symbol of hope, representing the idea that even in the harsh winter months, life will continue to thrive and grow
Green grows the holly
Reiteration of the idea that even in difficult times, the holly plant will continue to grow and thrive
Oh
Interjection indicating the emotional weight of the song
Green grows the holly
Final reiteration of the central idea of the song
So does the ivy
Relating the ivy plant back to the central metaphor of the holly plant growing in harsh winter conditions
Contributed by Zoe P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Randy Schwartz
Calexico always leaves you wanting more!
Stephanie Seitz
This song is incredibly beautiful. A song of hope for those struggling during this season.
Jef E
lyrics>>>
Green grows the holly
And so does the ivy
Though winter blasts winds na'er so high
Green grows the holly
Gay are the flowers
Hedgerows and the ploughhands
The days grow long, longer in the sun
So soft fall the showers
Mmm
Full gold the harvest
And grain for your labor
With God must work for daily bread
Or else, man, we'll starve
Fast fall the shed leaves
Russet and yellow
But resting buds are smug and safe
Where swung the dead leaves
Swung the dead leaves
Green grows the holly
And so does the ivy
The God of life can never die
And hope, says the holly
Green grows the holly
Oh
Green grows the holly
So does the ivy
Jef E
I'm glad you like this tune! Here are some others you may enjoy...
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLB6B32C04C47403D0
evie
great versión of a christmas carol from Henry VIII, amazing!
Nomen Nudum
the crown jewel of this collection "imo"
James Warnes
Written by KIng Henry VIII