The Musical Life with Guests from Camper van Beethoven

Why write songs? What is it to have "integrity" as a musician? To be "authentic?" Is there anything wrong with playing pure pop songs, or aping styles created by those now dead? Our guests Victor Krummenacher and Jonathan Segel (of the famed indie band Camper van Beethoven) have a beef with the Internet society where music and other trappings of identity are now available without effort and often without cost. Your favored music speaks for you, and you in turn mirror it, but how can this work if the music is somehow fake, or if you are? Or is this concern with authenticity misguided?

Mark and Wes pioneer a new PEL era in interviewing rock stars without a text. However, look here for our agreed-up on list of topics and links to songs/videos/blog posts we all looked at before the discussion.

End song: ""The Bastards Never Show Themselves"" by the Monks of Doom from their upcoming album The Bronte Pin. Written by Immerglück/Krummenacher/Lisher/Pedersen, published by Bumps of Goose (BMI).

Opening instrumental (under the announcements): "Balalaika Gap" from Camper van Beethoven's first album, Telephone Free Landslide Victory (1985). #music #krummenacher #segel #beethoven #authenticity Go to the blog: http://www.partiallyexaminedlife.com/2015/06/29/ep118-music-camper-van-beethoven/