Calexico

Born out of the axis of Arizona bands that revolved around seminal desert-rock group Giant Sand, Calexico debuted in the mid-1990s with a unique sound that mixed mariachi horns, alt-country, spaghetti-western themes, and the wide-open-spaces vibe of their environs. Amid a revolving door of players, the core of the group is multi-instrumentalists/songwriters John Convertino and Joey Burns, who manage to make rootsy, organic music that's consistently inventive and forward-looking.

• rock