Has it really been 20 years since we first bought Spoke, the first album by Calexico? Over the last two decades, we've seen Joey Burns and John Convertino form the spine of a band that has collaborated with half the musicians in this town and plenty of others around the globe. These guys are always finding ways to incorporate and innovate, whether they are playing in Cafe Passe, performing as the house band at a Carnegie Hall tribute to R.E.M. with the likes of Patti Smith and Bob Mould or wowing fans at Brussels' Ancienne Belgique. We're so excited that the new album, The Thread That Keeps Us, is coming out in January. We'll be resting on cactus and feasting on snakes until then.
Runners up:
2. Ryanhood
3. Orkesta Mendoza
