La Costa Perdida

Camper Van Beethoven

429 Records

In the recent movie This Is 40, actor Paul Rudd rocks a vintage Camper Van Beethoven shirt he dug up from his own collection. For CVB, this is actually 30, and Rudd is one of many Generation Xers giving the indie rockers their due on their 30th anniversary. The pioneering Northern California group recently released its first new album in nine years, La Costa Perdida, and the name certainly fits. The album conjures up images of a hippie Brian Wilson trying to make a Pet Sounds-sized leap with Hunter S. Thompson producing. The harmony-packed “Northern California Girls” is the lead single, but “Too High For the Love-In” is arguably the best song with a psychedelia-teased riff and crazy-ass lyrics, including a “make me a sandwich” chant. The title track also stands out with a quirky, upbeat folk narrative that epitomizes CBV’s trademark depth and diversity.