My Top 2000 Songs #1046: She Divines Water

Here's our second visit to Camper Van Beethoven's shoulda-made-them-stars major label debut, 1988's Our Beloved Revolutionary Sweetheart. And on "She Divines Water," you can practically feel the transition from their earlier, lo-fi, oddly-ethnic-sounding indie experiments into a more mainstream-ready Americana-tinged alternative rock. The fiddle gives the casual waltz a nice country vibe, still powered by a catchy jangle-pop melody. But what makes it an all-timer for me is the crazy breakdown near the end, after the song hits a screechy crescendo and then slides into a spin through random radio transmissions before the coda puts it all to rest.

Live 2012:

Cover by indie artist Tony Molina: