www !earshots.com
Calexico charts is own course
Calexico's Joey Burns talks about the bands new album, Carried to Dust
By Nick Pannu
Calexico draw more from the inspiration of various influences
than from specific techniques. The fusing of different styles, instruments and genres seldom creates a sound that is unpleasant to the ear. The mosaic of different musical genres for some reason is often enticing to the listener. Rising on the national charts, the band Calexico has an ensemble of many performers incorporating several musical styles. Calexico’s mixing of Folk, Spaghetti western, Portuguese Fado, 50’s jazz, Romany music and an offshoot of 60’s surf and twang is coaxing many DJs to repeatedly give their new disc a spin. Over the years, through extensive touring of North America, Europe and playing such events as the Sundance Film Festival Calexico has been able to nurture and evolve its vast repertoire of instrumentals and fused sub-genres.
Listening to Calexico's new CD, Carried to Dust is a unique experience. How often can one listen to an exclusive acoustic melody, switch to a salsa track and then mellow out to a fused jazz-pop sound? Thus, this aspect of Calexico's music - diversity and the fusion of different genres- was what I delved into immediately as soon I got the chance to interview lead vocals and guitar, Joey Burns.
Having musicians from so many different backgrounds allows you to tap into so many different influences both musically and culturally. Nick Pannu: “The band has not only a distinct, but also a very diverse sound. how did this style evolve?”
Joey Burns: “After playing together for a couple of years with drummer, John Convertino, we later started the band Calexico in 1996 in Tucsan, Arizona and involved a lot of different instrumentalization; not only had we started off in a rhythm sections for a lot of bands, but we also started collecting vibraphone, mandolin, cello and Rurymbo and started embodying all these instruments as well as a very wide electrical musical taste into the songwriting style. Calexico’s first album was released in 1998 and the core group of 6 band members have been together since that time touring. Having musicians from so many different backgrounds allows you to tap into so many different influences both musically and culturally. It's a lot of fun and there's a lot of fresh ideas that come to the table”
NP: “Was it still a challenge in the very beginning to fuse all these different genres?”
JB: “No, it wasn't really that difficult, we're not try to profess something that we’re not..we take influence from a lot of different styles of music and we're certainly not proficient and technically trained on the accordion, but sometimes a few notes can add a lot to the song. What we try to do is bring in minimal amount of these instruments and styles of music and really try and keep it true to our own sound and who we are as musicians. We're not trying to replicate anything note for note. We're really being more impressionistic in a way, drawing more from the inspiration more so then the technical descriptions of where some of these traditions come from.”
NP: “In one of the band's press releases it was stated that "the band is moving forward with its new album, Carried to Dust but not forgetting the past." Is that statement implying that you don't lose the basic foundation of your music as you incorporate these different elements?
JB: “Yeah..like most musicians you’re more apt to learn something new rather than repeat yourself endlessly, it’s kind of the basic ingredient and musicians are very open to playing with other musicians…at least a lot of the people I meet on the road, here in town or just in my neighborhood. It’s really kind of a natural inclination to want to play together and musicians do that. Collaboration has really made this new album, Carried to Dust different than a lot of the records that we have done in the past. We’ve invited a range of musicians and singers to join us-such as Amparo Sanchez from Barcelona-which has helped accentuate that diversity that is in the core of our sound.”
NP:” When people come to your shows there might have been the folk or acoustic sound that appealed to them. Have you ever had the chance to see fans evolve with you where they are exposed to different genres of music like jazz or salsa when they otherwise would not have listened to it too much; and they pick up on it and get interested in that kind of music?”
JB: “I think so. I can only hope. I’ve looked out, I’ve seen people and talked to people that come to shows here in North America or Europe. They’re really happy to get to see different musicians or guests that we have brought on tour, whether they are rock or folk etc. Then there are other times people will say they didn’t like so much that element to the music but appreciate that we took the chance and that we didn’t play it safe; that in essence says it all. You have to challenge yourself and doing that you are going to challenge the audience. It doesn’t mean that it’s going to always going to be about success. It’s more about the heart and passion that you pour into the music…and you know that it could be the last tour or last album; I’m not going to prevent myself from trying something that I’ve been dreaming about or something that is really special..or might be risky and it’s going away from what we normally do. We always kind of encompassed a lot diversity in our style and performing and I think people understand that when they pick up a Calexico record or go see a show of ours.”
Audience members will get the chance to engage and share that passion as Calexico kicks off its tour beginning in Europe and concluding with an extensive tour of North America, including dates in Canada. For information on Calexico’s tour dates and how to get a copy of their new cd, Carried to Dust visit these links:
http://www.myspace.com/casadecalexico;
http://www.casadecalexico.com/index.php
Nick Pannu hosts IndyArts Crossroads on CJSF 90.1FM, www.cjsf.ca
© copyright 1998-2008 !earshot/NCRA.
No reprint or redistribution without permission.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Shearwater
www !earshots.com
Birds of a Feather: Shearwater
Austin band is on the road supporting their fourth album Rook
By Nick Pannu
A quiet green moment for ShearwaterEver been a little nervous about approaching a band when you really like their music? It’s almost as if you want to reciprocate the envy that they have bestowed upon. You want to say the right things and do the right things so maybe they will think you’re alright..You’re cool. Walking with sweaty palms as I re- rehearsed my intro to the band inside my head, suddenly I spotted Shearwater unloading their equipment outside of Richards on Richards in Vancouver.
With a little bit of trepredation and foreboding I approached the band: “Hi I’m the guy the guy from !earshot who’s been sent to interview you.” Thor Harris and Kimberly Burke graciously told me to wait for Jonathan Meiburg (lead vocals) who would do the interview for the band. Equally as cordial, Jonathan Meiburg emerged from the club entrance and greeted me. Feeling a more comfortable and at ease, I proceeded down Vancouver’s Richards street with Jonathan Meiburg in search of a café. Eventually finding a comfortable inside a nook and cranny of a café we proceeded with the interview.
Nick Pannu: How are doing and thanks for taking the time to do this interview with !earshot
Jonathan Meiburg: Thanks very much it’s good to be here.
Nick Pannu: Shearwater’s new album, Rook premiered in the opening show in New York, and almost abruptly after the band headed off to Boston, Chicago, Montreal, Toronto and has made it’s way to Vancouver.
Jonathan Meiburg: Yeah, we’re really glad to be here. Since we left New York we have been on tour with clinic for the last week and we’ve had a great time touring with them and happy to be here in what seems a nice summers day in the middle of spring.
N: The touring aspect, yeah obviously artists pick up a different vibe from playing at different venues within the same city, the same town,..but travelling from these you can say distinct regions..performing in New York, going to Boston, to central Canada and then coming to the west coast of Canada..What vibe does the band pick up from the different crowds and how does that effect your playing or your style.”
J: It really does change a lot from place to place and it’s weird thing to drive from one ocean to the next in a week. I like to make records that are very welcoming and offer the listener a glimpse into this other world and let you come into it It puts a zap on your head and you become a little disorientated. Audiences-it’s funny we were just talking about this last night- vary in terms of the energy that you get back from them. And sometimes it’s the same so when you go to Chicago you know the audience will be like this, but sometimes in the same city but on different nights you’ll have different feelings. So it’s good for us to play in a lot of different settings, I think it makes us much stronger as a band and it’s fun to respond to the energy that you get from the audience in a different way and the way that you are playing.”
N: “Shearwater’s new album, Rook is just being released.. how long¦ was the whole process with respect to band members writing, and doing production in studio. Band members have obviously been anticipating the album’s release.”
J: “Yeah we are really glad that it’s finally coming out. We worked on the record from the first time I started writing to when we recorded which was about a year. The actual time spent recording was about a 1 ½ month.”
N: “Listening closely to the lyrics,.,. it’s really interesting the approach the band takes to song writing. There are issues being presented, but they are not necessarily coercive. It’s not like here this our position, and this is how it is. It’s like you’re just presenting it to the listener to think about; and the eloquent soothing nature of your music is able to put the listener in that mindset.”
J: I don't want to make art that grabs you by the lapels and yells at you. I like to make records that are very welcoming and offer the listener a glimpse into this other world and let you come into it. It’s one of the things that I like most about clinic..their music does that really wonderfully. They suggest this world of musical rules and aesthetic desions that is really unique.”
The release of Rook has been eagerly anticipated equally by the band. Jonathan Meiburg commented that the new record really reflects how much the band has evolved over four albums since forming in 1999. He feels it is the most complete and cohesive record that they have made. Shearwater is currently on full tour across the US and Canada and on to Europe. Check out Shearwater’s tour dates on their MySpace at www.myspace.com/shearwater.
© copyright 1998-2008 !earshot/NCRA.
No reprint or redistribution without permission.
Birds of a Feather: Shearwater
Austin band is on the road supporting their fourth album Rook
By Nick Pannu
A quiet green moment for ShearwaterEver been a little nervous about approaching a band when you really like their music? It’s almost as if you want to reciprocate the envy that they have bestowed upon. You want to say the right things and do the right things so maybe they will think you’re alright..You’re cool. Walking with sweaty palms as I re- rehearsed my intro to the band inside my head, suddenly I spotted Shearwater unloading their equipment outside of Richards on Richards in Vancouver.
With a little bit of trepredation and foreboding I approached the band: “Hi I’m the guy the guy from !earshot who’s been sent to interview you.” Thor Harris and Kimberly Burke graciously told me to wait for Jonathan Meiburg (lead vocals) who would do the interview for the band. Equally as cordial, Jonathan Meiburg emerged from the club entrance and greeted me. Feeling a more comfortable and at ease, I proceeded down Vancouver’s Richards street with Jonathan Meiburg in search of a café. Eventually finding a comfortable inside a nook and cranny of a café we proceeded with the interview.
Nick Pannu: How are doing and thanks for taking the time to do this interview with !earshot
Jonathan Meiburg: Thanks very much it’s good to be here.
Nick Pannu: Shearwater’s new album, Rook premiered in the opening show in New York, and almost abruptly after the band headed off to Boston, Chicago, Montreal, Toronto and has made it’s way to Vancouver.
Jonathan Meiburg: Yeah, we’re really glad to be here. Since we left New York we have been on tour with clinic for the last week and we’ve had a great time touring with them and happy to be here in what seems a nice summers day in the middle of spring.
N: The touring aspect, yeah obviously artists pick up a different vibe from playing at different venues within the same city, the same town,..but travelling from these you can say distinct regions..performing in New York, going to Boston, to central Canada and then coming to the west coast of Canada..What vibe does the band pick up from the different crowds and how does that effect your playing or your style.”
J: It really does change a lot from place to place and it’s weird thing to drive from one ocean to the next in a week. I like to make records that are very welcoming and offer the listener a glimpse into this other world and let you come into it It puts a zap on your head and you become a little disorientated. Audiences-it’s funny we were just talking about this last night- vary in terms of the energy that you get back from them. And sometimes it’s the same so when you go to Chicago you know the audience will be like this, but sometimes in the same city but on different nights you’ll have different feelings. So it’s good for us to play in a lot of different settings, I think it makes us much stronger as a band and it’s fun to respond to the energy that you get from the audience in a different way and the way that you are playing.”
N: “Shearwater’s new album, Rook is just being released.. how long¦ was the whole process with respect to band members writing, and doing production in studio. Band members have obviously been anticipating the album’s release.”
J: “Yeah we are really glad that it’s finally coming out. We worked on the record from the first time I started writing to when we recorded which was about a year. The actual time spent recording was about a 1 ½ month.”
N: “Listening closely to the lyrics,.,. it’s really interesting the approach the band takes to song writing. There are issues being presented, but they are not necessarily coercive. It’s not like here this our position, and this is how it is. It’s like you’re just presenting it to the listener to think about; and the eloquent soothing nature of your music is able to put the listener in that mindset.”
J: I don't want to make art that grabs you by the lapels and yells at you. I like to make records that are very welcoming and offer the listener a glimpse into this other world and let you come into it. It’s one of the things that I like most about clinic..their music does that really wonderfully. They suggest this world of musical rules and aesthetic desions that is really unique.”
The release of Rook has been eagerly anticipated equally by the band. Jonathan Meiburg commented that the new record really reflects how much the band has evolved over four albums since forming in 1999. He feels it is the most complete and cohesive record that they have made. Shearwater is currently on full tour across the US and Canada and on to Europe. Check out Shearwater’s tour dates on their MySpace at www.myspace.com/shearwater.
© copyright 1998-2008 !earshot/NCRA.
No reprint or redistribution without permission.
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