| New Roman Times | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | October 12, 2004 | |||
| Genre | Alternative rock | |||
| Length | 67:22 | |||
| Label | Pitch-a-Tent/Vanguard | |||
| Producer | Camper Van Beethoven | |||
| Camper Van Beethoven chronology | ||||
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| Review scores | |
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| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |    link |
| Blender | link |
New Roman Times is an album by musical group Camper Van Beethoven, released October 12, 2004 on Pitch-A-Tent Records. It is the band's first studio album of new material since they released Key Lime Pie in 1989 before dissolving in 1990.
The core lineup on the album consists of David Lowery, Jonathan Segel, Victor Krummenacher, Greg Lisher, Chris Pedersen and David Immerglück, all of whom played in earlier lineups of the band. With former Camper member Chris Molla participating on a few songs as well, the album features many contributions from those involved in the band's late-1980s heyday. The album also features some songwriting and musical contributions by Johnny Hickman, the guitarist in Lowery's band Cracker, who was also a member of the Estonian Gauchos, an early-1980s precursor to CVB that had also featured Lowery and Molla. Cracker drummer Frank Funaro and accordionist/keyboardist Kenny Margolis, both of whom were featured in Camper's live shows prior to the album's release, are listed in the credits as "live band blood and guts."
The album is set in a surreal, alternative universe in which the United States is split up into separate, hostile countries. Texas is a right-wing, Christian country, while California is a left-wing utopian state, although in the story it is engulfed by civil war and occupied by right-wing security forces. This is a cryptic commentary on the red state/blue state political division that exists in the US.
The main character is a Texan around the age of 20 who enlists in the army after an event similar to 9/11 occurs. In the beginning of the story, he is very nationalistic and gung-ho about defending his country. He fights in the war and is wounded, losing a leg. He returns disabled and disillusioned with the fight. After an uprising in California, he joins the right-wing security force called "The Texas Bureau" that maintains peace there. After being disillusioned with that work as well, he joins the "rebels," who are portrayed as kind of hippie/skater/surfer eco-warriors who are allied with Mexico and with space aliens. At the end of the album, he prepares to be a suicide bomber, presumably for his new cause, although the album's deliberately obscure storytelling style makes the ending unclear. The album features other characters as well, including space aliens, right-wing militia members, a retired intelligence officer, and mentally disturbed homeless people.
The title, in addition to commenting on the theme of the album, is a play on the typeface Times New Roman. One of the songs, "That Gum You Like Is Back In Style" is derived from a line in David Lynch's cult TV show Twin Peaks . [1] Another, "Come Out", is a cover of a piece by minimalist composer Steve Reich. [2]
In 2018 a novel based on the album was released, called New Roman Times, authored by Evan Brown. [3] [4] Lowery and Segel had the following to say about the story:
"How did it come to all this anyway? It’s been a very confusing time, hasn’t it? Well, here’s one of the many complicated stories that should bring some understanding of the real players involved, to bring you up to speed on the events of today. So much of it rides on the tales of these characters.”
-Jonathan Segel
"New Roman Times was intended as a kind of commentary on the fakish red/blue narrative that emerged in the media in the lead up to the Iraq war. The crazy conspiratorial elements were thrown in because it’s a Camper Van Beethoven album. The fact our 2003 unreality better matches 2018’s reality should bother us all."
- David Lowery
Cracker is an American rock band, formed in 1990 by lead singer David Lowery and guitarist Johnny Hickman. The band's first album Cracker was released in 1992 on Virgin Records; it included the single "Teen Angst ", which went to #1 on the U.S. Modern Rock chart. The band's follow-up, the 1993 album Kerosene Hat included the hit songs "Low", "Get Off This", and "Euro-Trash Girl".
Camper Van Beethoven is an American rock band formed in Redlands, California in 1983, later based in Santa Cruz and San Francisco. Their style mixes elements of pop, ska, punk, folk, alternative, country, and world music, amongst other genres. The band initially polarized audiences within the hardcore punk scene of California's Inland Empire and then found wider acceptance and, eventually, an international audience. Their strong iconoclasm and emphasis on do-it-yourself values proved influential to the burgeoning indie rock movement.
Our Beloved Revolutionary Sweetheart is a 1988 album by Camper Van Beethoven, released on Virgin Records. It was the band's first major-label album, and was produced by Dennis Herring, the first time the band had used an outside producer.
Key Lime Pie is a 1989 album by Camper Van Beethoven (CVB). It was the band's final album before breaking up in 1990, although the band has reunited and released new material in recent years. It was produced by Dennis Herring, who had also produced the band's previous album, Our Beloved Revolutionary Sweetheart.
Telephone Free Landslide Victory is an album by musical group Camper Van Beethoven, released on Independent Project Records and released in June 1985. It featured the band's best known song, "Take the Skinheads Bowling". The album has sold over 60,000 copies.
II & III is a 1986 album by musical group Camper Van Beethoven, released on Pitch-a-Tent and Rough Trade. It was the band's second album.
Camper Van Beethoven is a 1986 album by musical group Camper Van Beethoven, released on Pitch-A-Tent. With the six then CVB members joined in the studio by acid-folk eccentric Eugene Chadbourne, the album is arguably the zenith of the band's musical experimentation, with surreal lyrics, backwards, sped-up and slowed down parts; a portion of the track "Stairway To Heavan" is itself a musical palindrome. A great number of ethnic instruments are used in addition to the usual violin parts played by member Jonathan Segel; the album also features pedal steel, banjo, tablas and sitar.
Camper Vantiquities is a 1993 rarities compilation album by musical group Camper Van Beethoven, released on I.R.S. It included the earlier EP Vampire Can Mating Oven and a number of other unreleased tracks, compiled by bassist Victor Krummenacher a few years after the band split up. The 2004 re-release added several more tracks, all demo versions of songs that appeared on the band's two Virgin Records albums.
Camper Van Beethoven Is Dead. Long Live Camper Van Beethoven is a 2000 rarities compilation album by Camper Van Beethoven, released on Pitch-A-Tent Records. The album stands as the first product of the members of CVB beginning to collaborate again. The songs here are taken from a collection of old live recordings from the 1980s retooled and remixed, combined with new songs, unreleased demo takes and more.
Kerosene Hat is the second studio album by American rock band Cracker, released on August 24, 1993. It reached number 1 on Billboard's Top Heatseekers chart, and number 59 on the Billboard 200 album chart. The singles from the album, "Low" and "Get Off This", helped Cracker gain widespread notice.
Jonathan Segel is an American composer and multi-instrumentalist. He has played with Camper Van Beethoven, Sparklehorse, Eugene Chadbourne, and Dieselhed.
David Charles Lowery is an American guitarist, vocalist, songwriter, mathematician, and activist. He is the founder of alternative rock band Camper Van Beethoven and co-founder of the more-traditional rock band Cracker. Lowery released his first solo album, The Palace Guards, in February 2011.
Cracker is the debut studio album by American rock band Cracker. It was released on March 10, 1992, by Virgin.
Greg Lisher is the lead guitar player for Camper Van Beethoven. He is also one of the founding members of the Camper Van Beethoven spin-off Indy prog rock group Monks of Doom.
Victor Krummenacher is an American bass guitarist and guitarist. He is a founding member of alternative rock band Camper Van Beethoven.
Chris Pedersen is an American-born musician, best known as the drummer of the groups Camper Van Beethoven and Monks of Doom. He currently resides in Australia.
The Monks of Doom is an American alternative rock band, formed in California in 1986. The band's music draws from post-punk, progressive rock, indie rock, psychedelic and folk rock traditions. The group is a side project of the band Camper Van Beethoven, with whom all Monks of Doom members have been involved.
Kevtone is an American musician, percussionist, and songwriter from Seattle, Washington. Performing live and in studio, his rhythm style may best be described as improvisational, melodic, progressive, and bluesy, over a wide variety of styles; reflecting influences from many genres of music.
La Costa Perdida is the 8th studio release by the American alternative-music band Camper Van Beethoven. It was released on January 22, 2013, and contains 10 tracks. The lead-off single from the album, "Northern California Girls", was released on January 1, 2013.
This article presents a discography of multi-instrumentalist Jonathan Segel.
