Genre-hopping is second nature for these scrappy Californians.
About Camper Van Beethoven
Artist Biography
Camper Van Beethoven has always sounded like the band having the most fun, jumping between a variety of styles—jangle pop, ska punk, and Eastern European folk, to name a few—with a sense of humor and abandon. After forming in 1983, the California band became college-rock favorites with irreverent tracks like “Take the Skinheads Bowling” from their 1985 debut album, Telephone Free Landslide Victory. The satirical mix of continent-spanning sounds was just the tip of their ambitions, though. Over their next four albums, the band dabbled in psychedelia, bluegrass, acid rock, post-punk, raga, and more, highlighted by Jonathan Segel’s virtuosic violin jamming and frontman David Lowery’s wry irreverence. After a prolific '80s, the band broke up in 1990, and Lowery formed Cracker (who scored a hit with “Low” in 1994). But by the end of the decade, Camper Van Beethoven had reformed, coming back with a vengeance on 2004’s heavier, prog-leaning New Roman Times and later with a pair of concept albums dedicated to their home state: 2013’s La Costa Perdida, a loose, lively homage to Northern California, and 2014’s El Camino Real, a decidedly darker—but just as eclectic—ode to Southern California.
Hometown
Redlands, CA, United States
Genre
Alternative
Members of Camper Van Beethoven
Camper Van Beethoven was formed in 1983. Members of Camper Van Beethoven include, or have included, the following 6 members.