Calexico (band)

Calexico
Calexico in a concert in 2007
Background information
Origin	Tucson, Arizona, USA
Genres	Americana, Indie rock, Alternative country, Indie folk, Tex-Mex, post-rock, Latin rock
Years active	1996–present
Labels	Quarterstick Our Soil, Our Strength EMI
Associated acts	Giant Sand, Friends of Dean Martinez, Howe Gelb, OP8, The Band of Blacky Ranchette, Iron & Wine, Neko Case, Los Super Seven, Amor Belhom Duo, Marianne Dissard, Victoria Williams, Barbara Manning, Richard Buckner, Naked Prey, Gotan Project, Nancy Sinatra, Lizz Wright, Depedro, Jim James
Website	Official website
Members	Joey Burns John Convertino Scott Colberg Jacob Valenzuela Martin Wenk Sergio Mendoza Jairo Zavala

Calexico is a Tucson, Arizona-based Americana, Tex-Mex, indie rock band. The band's two main members, Joey Burns and John Convertino, first played together in Los Angeles as part of the group Giant Sand. They have recorded a number of albums on Quarterstick Records, while their 2005 EP In the Reins recorded with Iron & Wine has reached the Billboard 200 album charts. Their musical style is influenced by traditional Latin sounds of mariachi, conjunto, cumbia, tejano, as well as country, jazz, and post-rock. The band has been described by some as "desert noir", and is named for the border town of Calexico, California.

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.