Calexico sets off on road for 'Ruin'

Alternative-pop collective Calexico has set sail on its 2006 summer tour, a 19-date outing that finds the group supporting its most recent release, "Garden Ruin."

The group--currently a six-piece, though founding duo Joey Burns (vocals/guitar) and John Convertino (drums) are a constant presence in the band's lineup--kicked off its current tour Monday (6/12) in Solana Beach, CA, and will next tackle a Thursday (6/15) date in Santa Cruz, CA.

The Arizona-based band will take a short break from its domestic tour schedule in early July to participate in a couple of European music festivals, before resuming its US outing July 5 in Detroit. The group is scheduled to return to Europe for a series of dates in August. Full details of the band's overseas itinerary can be found at Calexico's official website.

"Garden Ruin," the band's fifth studio release, was recorded in the group's hometown of Tucson, AZ, with producer JD Foster (Marc Ribot, Richmond Fontaine) behind the boards. The core duo of Burns and Convertino, who tended to dominate Calexico's earier studio recordings, sought more input from their touring lineup on "Garden Ruin," according to the band's online bio.

"This album was a conscious decision to try something new and tap into strains in our musical fabric that haven't been highlighted in the past," Burns said on the band's website. "Touring with bands like Wilco and Iron & Wine had some influence, but everyone was trying new instruments or techniques."

Calexico, whose previous album was 2003's "Feast of Wire," toured extensively with Iron & Wine's Sam Beam earlier this year and in late 2005, a collaboration which also produced this year's "In the Reigns" EP, featuring music recorded by both groups together in 2004.