Calexico

From the mid-’90s on, the Arizona-based band Calexico made new inroads in the indie-rock realm by introducing elements of Tex-Mex music into their sound. The creative core of the group—singer/multi-instrumentalist Joey Burns and drummer John Convertino—worked together as the rhythm section in Giant Sand, soaking up some of that band’s desert-rock style. They also played in lounge-noir band Friends of Dean Martinez before founding Calexico (originally named Spoke) and releasing their first album in 1996. Over the years, the balance between their indie-rock leanings and Mexican influences has wavered; whereas the 2003 release Feast of Wire leans more toward the latter, 2018’s The Thread That Keeps Us spends more time on the rock side. But they’ve consistently created atmospheric, evocative records with plenty of hushed dynamics and wide-open spaces. At various points they’ve collaborated with indie heroes like Neko Case and members of Iron & Wine and Band of Horses, ultimately establishing themselves as an alternative institution in their own right.