New York, NY—March 20, 2025—Tucson’s XIXA take their signature dark psychedelia and cumbia fusion into uncharted depths on their new concept album XOLO—out tomorrow via Jullian Records. The record pulls listeners into a vivid underworld journey, guided by the sacred protector El Xolo, weaving a narrative that blurs the lines between myth and reality. At the helm of this sonic odyssey are Gabriel Sullivan and Brian López, who together shape XIXA’s haunting, hypnotic sound—handling songwriting, lead vocals, and lead guitars. |
“To me…these guys are truly what I would call the astrophysicists of southwestern Latin sound. They’re like Hermanos Gutierrez somehow, kind of meets Son Rompe Pera, like they have this really cool guitar thing, but also like this psychedelic cumbia thing…” – NPR’s Alt.Latino (Anamarie Artemisa Sayre) |
Ahead of the album release, XIXA have unveiled the official music video for “Find You There”—a haunting and cinematic piece that expands the album’s mythos. Watch it HERE. |
“The concept for the album is just so rich and beautiful. It translated really nicely visually to tell this dreamlike story of a soul traversing the underworld. For the actual depiction of Mictlán, we locked in on an 80s narco/crime vibe with Aztec undertones and XIXA cast as the Xolo guide. The music already takes you to another world, so it made my job so much easier to create the visual element.” — Nickolas Duarte (Director) |
Click Screen Shot Above to watch “Find You There” |
“Find You There” follows “It Doesn’t Matter”—featuring post-punk legends Robbie Grey and Mick Conroy of Modern English—and lead single “Xolo de Galáxia,” a classic cumbia ballad with lead vocals from both Sullivan and López, plus guest vocals from Mona Chambers. Loosely telling the story of a young girl, Arcoiris, as she journeys through the nine levels of Mictlán, XOLO mirrors her odyssey with shifting moods and sonic textures. While still rooted in dark psychedelia and cumbia, the band stretches its musical boundaries, crafting intricate arrangements that carve the album into distinct chapters. This marks XIXA’s third full-length record, following Genesis (2021) and Bloodline (2016), as well as the EPs The Code (2019) and Shift and Shadow (2015). Listen or buy XOLO on March 21 HERE and XIXA will celebrate the release with two Arizona shows this Friday and Saturday. See confirmed dates below, and visit HERE for the most up-to-date tour information. |
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