Califone is a critically-acclaimed experimental folk band from Chicago. The band is named after Califone International, a long-standing manufacturer of audio equipment commonly found in schools, libraries and businesses. Califone is the musical project of former Red Red Meat frontman Tim Rutili. Its regular and rotating contributors include many former members of Red Red Meat and some members of other Chicago bands, such as Tortoise.
1. Palace is one of the many names used at one point or another by Will Oldham. Palace came after he named himself Palace Brothers for the first LP, before Palace Music, and a few years before the world knew him as Bonnie 'Prince' Billy. According to Oldham, records released under the "Palace" moniker were usually recorded in the winter time, and feature some of his darkest, most challenging songs. See http://users.bart.nl/%7Eljmeijer/oldham/ for bio, discog, and news.
Camper Van Beethoven is an alternative rock band that was founded in 1983 in Redlands, California, though the band soon moved to Santa Cruz, California. Camper Van Beethoven mixed elements of pop, ska, punk rock, folk, country, and acid rock into an eclectic, catchy and sometimes mysterious ensemble, years before the so-called alternative rock moniker came to mainstream attention. The group's trademark violin-coated melodies and their ironic take on American culture put them one step away from being a novelty act in the eyes of many critics.