The desert has a frequency, a sound you can hear in the wilds around. XIXA tunes in and warps it, in glittering, gritty psychedelic cumbia tracks on their debut album, Bloodline (Barbès Records/Glitterhouse Records, February 2016), an expansion on their recent EP Shift and Shadow.
An earlier incarnation of XIXA started by playing covers of notable 70s Peruvian chicha music, like their cover of famed Chacalon hit, “Como Un Ave.” The infusion of rock rhythms into chicha is reminiscent of waila music heard played by Native bands all over Southwestern Arizona, that many Tucson residents will recognize.
Led by Brian Lopez and Gabriel Sullivan, the band hails from the Tucson indie rock scene, but XIXA wanders far and wide, into the psychedelia of Amazon backwaters, the bumping grind of chicha, quirky electronics, loud indie-rock and desert blues, surrounded by the obscure side of the American Southwest.
With Tucson roots as deep as the Procession’s, XIXA is sure to provide a wonderful soundscape for this year’s All Souls Procession Finale.
Check out some of XIXA’s music and watch more video at their website, www.xixamusic.com.