David Lowery preps solo CD ‘Palace Guards,’ plays Camper Van Beethoven’s ‘Key Lime Pie’

After nearly 30 years as a bandleader — first fronting Camper Van Beethoven, then Cracker, and, more recently, both — David Lowery next month will release his first-ever solo album, The Palace Guards, billed as a “batch of songs that didn’t quite fit the vibe of Cracker or Camper Van Beethoven.”

But Lowery’s not done with those bands, either: At three shows this weekend — tonight in New York City, Saturday in Toronto and Sunday in Cambridge, Mass. — he’ll lead Camper Van Beethoven through a performance of 1989’s Key Lime Pie in its entirety, followed by Cracker running through 1993’s Kerosene Hat in full.

As for The Palace Guards, which is due out Feb. 1, Lowery enlisted Miguel Urbiztondo on drums, David Immergluck on guitars and bass, Craig Harmon on organ and Ferd Moyse on upright bass and fiddle. Also appearing on the nine-track record (see full tracklist below): Johnny Hickman and Sal Maida, both of Cracker, plus the late Mark Linkous, better known as Sparklehorse, who contributes keyboards to “Big Life.”

On his website, Lowery notes:

“One of the reasons the album sounds the way it does is that I have pretty strong personalities playing with me, guys who I’ve worked with for years, who have done engineering or playing on Camper and Cracker albums. There’s that instant easy rapport that shines through. Working with them brought out the more extreme edges in these songs and amplified them.”

You can get an advance taste of The Palace Guards via two preview songs: a free download of the title track, available on Lowery’s site in exchange for an e-mail address, and the video, seen below, of album opener “Raise ‘Em Up Honey.”

See tracklist and video for David Lowery’s ‘The Palace Guards’ after the jump…

Tracklist: David Lowery, The Palace Guards

1. “Raise ‘Em Up on Honey”
2. “The Palace Guards”
3. “Deep Oblivion”
4. “Ah, You Left Me”
5. ” Baby, All Those Girls Meant Nothing to Me”
6. “I Sold the Arabs the Moon”
7. “Marigold”
8. “Big Life”
9. “Submarines”

Tourdates: Camper Van Beethoven and Cracker

Jan. 14: Highline Ballroom, New York, NY
Jan. 15: Lee’s Palace, Toronto, ON
Jan. 16: Middle East Downstairs, Cambridge, MA