Camper Van Beethoven
This witty, often sarcastic garage rock band was formed in Redlands, California, USA in 1983 by schoolfriends, transferring to Santa Cruz when members attended college there. They were named by early member David McDaniels, although their line-ups were frequent and unstable. By 1987 the band solidified as David Lowery (vocals/guitar), Greg Lisher (guitar), Chris Pederson (guitar), Jonathan Segal (violin), Victor Krummenacher (bass) and Chris Molla (drums). Krummenacher was formerly a member of the jazz ensemble Wrestling Worms. Their debut TELEPHONE FREE LANDSLIDE VICTORY contained the amusing single Take The Skinheads Bowling. It was typical of an armoury of songs which included The Day Lassie Went To The Moon, Joe Stalin's Cadillac, and ZZ Top's Goes To Egypt. They played their UK debut in March 1987, after which a second album emerged on their own Pitch A Tent label in the US. Meanwhile Take The Skinheads Bowling had become a cult record in the UK, where the anagrammatical VAMPIRE CAN MATING OVEN wrapped up the last of their Rough Trade distributed tracks before a move to Virgin. A subsequent cover of Status Quo's Pictures Of Matchstick Men amplified the band's discordant eclecticism, while they have also left a wake of occasionally inspired albums.