Beck

Beck (born Beck Hansen July 8, 1970) is an American indie rock musician and songwriter. He first became known with the 1994 release of "Loser[?]", a club hit that quickly spread to alternative radio and, eventually, the mainstream.

After the success of "Loser", Beck became the subject of a bidding war among various major labels. He had released his first album Golden Feelings[?] in 1992 but it wasn't until after he signed to DGC Records in 1993 that he released his full-length debut, Mellow Gold in 1994. With his contract granting him an unusual amount of artistic license, Beck released two albums soon after Mellow Gold: the experimental Stereopathic Soul Manure[?], released on Flipside Records[?], and the folky One Foot in the Grave, released on K Records[?].

After touring with Lollapalooza[?] in 1995, Beck released his second major-label album, Odelay, which was produced by and shows heavy influence from the Dust Brothers. Critics loved the album, and its fanbase spread quickly; Odelay was nominated for several Grammy Awards. Mutations (album), the follow-up, was released in 1998 (on DGC, even though it was originally going to be on the indie label Bong Load). In 1999, Midnite Vultures was released before a three-year break between albums. In 2002, Beck released Sea Change, receiving generally positive reviews and brisk sales.

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A beck is also a name applied to small rivers.