FOLLOWING on down that seductive, dusty road from their previous singles, September’s “Genesis of Gaea” and late October’s “May They Call Us Home”, Tucson’s TexMex rock fusioneers XIXA have dropped the video for “Eclipse”, another instalment from next month’s album, Genesis. You can watch below.
It’s a rousing tune, showcasing a poppier end to the band’s cross-border splicing and weaving of strands, and intentionally upbeat, as XIXA’s co-leader Brian Lopez explains: “The chorus is intentionally written in a chicha-inspired major key, to give a sense of lightness and hope: ‘… Eclipsed by the wounds on my brother, eclipsed by the love we must find.’”
“A far departure, lyrically, from some of the darker themes that populate our music; but a fitting song and message for the time.”
His counterpart in leadership Gabriel Sullivan adds: ‘”Eclipse’ explores what XIXA is about: dark and haunting landscapes as well as the uplifting and catchy melodies of chicha music.”
The tune comes with a video that focusses in on XIXA’s home neighbourhood, the Tucson district of Barrio Viejo. It’s a wholly intentional nod to their heritage and the Chicano culture they grew up with: lowriders, swap meets, taquerías, all set against the backdrop of the shrine of El Tiradito.
Brian says of the video: “It was important for us to visually tell a story of where we come from, where this music comes from.
“Given that the song is a cumbia, we wanted to showcase all these colorful mementos that make Chicano culture so vibrant and unique to this part of the world. We grew up with all of it.”
Genesis is the follow up to XIXA’s debut LP from 2016, Bloodline; and 2019 EP The Code.
The band – lead vocalists and guitarists Brian Lopez and Gabriel Sullivan, keyboard player Jason Urman, drummer Winston Watson, percussionist and timbales player Efrén Cruz Chávez and bassist Hikit Corbel – cast their net far and wide in finding guest artistes for an ambitious album; they’re joined by Sergio Mendoza of Orkestra Mendoza and Calexico; Tuareg desert rock quintet Imarhan, and the Uummannaq Children’s Choir, from northern Greenland. Expect and album that eclipses what they’ve done before.
XIXA’s Genesis will be released on Jullian Records/The Orchard on February 19th, 2021, and is available for pre-order now.
Follow Xixa at their website, on Instagram, on Facebook and on Twitter.
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