I arrived at a sedate Pageant night club at around 7:40 p.m. on Thursday and comfortably found a spot on the floor in the front row right up against the railing. With 20 minutes to go before Calexico took the stage, I passed the time by counting instruments.

On Thursday night, the Pageant hosted a bill that featured two excellent bands whose styles and sounds cover a wide range.

The music of Calexico is too cinematic and moving to be reduced to any silly "mariachi rock" label. Even when pared down to an acoustic essence, the band contains elusive and evocative multitudes.

Inescapably cool, Calexico's approachable "Algiers" blurs the lines between Americana, rock and Tejano.