Cracker

Following the regrettable demise of Camper Van Beethoven, David Lowery formed Cracker, a more accessible but no less acerbic vehicle for his particular brand of skewed pop. The band started as a tribute to (and re-invention of) Little Feat, playing up a smart-ass college boy Boogie Rock angle. They've since refined their sound, adding strings and pedal steel to increasingly alternative, countrified songs. You'll find none of CVB's Slavic folk/Punk smirk in Cracker's songs, due in part to Lowery's steadfast refusal to repeat himself -- but you won't miss it. Cracker takes a country-rocking tack, shooting for straight-ahead, rootsy radio fare instead of the self-conscious goofing Camper trapped itself with. With Lowery's twin strengths of wry songwriting skills and deceptively simple guitar playing, Cracker often hit the mark with holler-inducing accuracy.