KBwD is on the Air.

This is our 2nd installment of KBwD, a (hopefully) regular Friday feature to share some music with you all.

Ladies and Gentlemen: Calexico!

We stumbled on these guys quite by accident some 5-6 years ago when we were looking for something to do on a random Thursday night. They were playing at the Casbah and the local fishwrap gave them a nod so we went with it.

We’ve been to about 7 or 8 of their shows including at the wonderfully restored art-deco El Rey Theater in L.A. and up in Seattle (we happened to be there on business so the Calexico-head moniker does not apply) and outside of an oddly flat performance there in Seattle, their shows have all been spectacular. In addition to their core group they are often accompanied by Mariachi Luz de Luna.

They are fond of mixing the same mariachi with ranchera, country and western and Ennio Marcionne Spaghetti Western themes. When they venture beyond this, they are given to darker, moodier tones. We forget where we saw it but we read one reviewer likening their music to a soundtrack for a Cormac McCarthy story. Anyone who has read “The Crossing” or “All the Pretty Horses” and has listened to Calexico will know just how brilliant that analogy is.

OK, because it’s the Christmas season and we’re in a giving mood we went with 2 songs: “El Picador” and “Alone Again, or..”. “Alone..” was done originally by 60s L.A. icons, Love (said to be Jim Morrison’s favorite band) and was later covered by the Damned.

We hope everybody enjoys the weekend. Please be safe out there as everyone knows San Diegans can’t drive in the rain!