Calexico: Carried to Dust

How does a band continue to grow, yet not change so much that their audience becomes disgruntled? Calexico's previous album, 2006's Garden Ruin, took a slightly different path from their mariachi/indie beginnings and took a hit from critics and fans alike for doing so. Carried to Dust finds the boys back in more familiar territory, though still on a different tack. Many guests pepper the album (including Bo Ramsey - tracked by John Svek), making for a varied and enjoyable listen. Many tracking formats came into play here including: RADAR, Pro Tools LE on a Digi002 and 2" 24-track tape. Chris Schultz and Nick Luca at Wavelab Studio handled tracking in Calexico's hometown of Tucson. Bandleaders Joey Burns and John Convertino shared production duties with long-time collaborator (and Wavelab owner/Tape Op contributor) Craig Schumacher. Mixing was done via Pro Tools HD through a Trident 80B (with Uptown 990 Automation) down to 1/2" tape at 15 ips at Top Hat Studio, in Austin, TX. Craig mixed most of the album, though Chris mixed three songs at Wavelab with long distance guidance by Craig (I think he was at the New Orleans' Jazz Fest). Mastered by JJ Golden at Golden Mastering. A fine return to form for one of my favorite US bands. (www.casadecalexico.com, www.tgrec.com) -LC