Calexico

Released in 1998, The Black Light is Calexico’s breakthrough album—a cinematic, borderland journey blending dusty Americana, mariachi horns, desert noir, and instrumental storytelling. Rooted in the Sonoran landscape of Arizona, the album plays like a soundtrack to a southwestern gothic tale. Joey Burns and John Convertino weave together twangy guitars, marimba, and trumpet to evoke lost highways, border towns, and ghost stories. Songs like “Gypsy’s Curse,” “Minas de Cobre,” and “Stray” showcase Calexico’s unique fusion of indie rock with Latin and Southwestern influences. It’s haunting, atmospheric, and endlessly evocative.