Tucson’s mystical psychedelic-cumbia-rock band led by Giant Sand members Brian Lopez and Gabriel Sullivan debuts Friday November 13th with the EP Shift and Shadow on Glitterhouse Records. Their LP Bloodline is due early February 2016.
XIXA are psychedelic. XIXA are cumbia. But, most of all, XIXA are rock ‘n roll. Their music is rooted in a South American heritage, but is equally informed by their hometown of Tucson, Arizona’s vivid, legendary music scene. Their interpretation of chicha – Peruvian cumbia made popular in the Amazon and poor barrios of Lima during the 60s and 70s – surprisingly reveals a common thread within the music of Arizona’s desert: an obsession for hard-edge guitars and a strong taste for mixing rock and Latin flavours.
Brian Lopez and Gabriel Sullivan commenced their exploration of chicha and cumbia years ago after devouring Barbès Records’ cult-compilation ‘The Roots of Chicha’ circa 2011. Touring as part of ‘alt-americana’ legend Giant Sand’s most recent incarnation, they started incorporating chicha tunes like Los Hijos Del Sol’s Cariñito into their set. “When people would mob us after the shows, wanting to know the name of that one song, it was always the chicha cover. This was the case EVERYWHERE,” says Sullivan.
