Episode 118: The Musical Life with Guests from Camper van Beethoven

Summary: <br> 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 <a href="http://www.victorkrummenacher.com/" target="_blank">Victor Krummenacher</a> and <a href="http://www.jonathansegel.com/" target="_blank">Jonathan Segel</a> (of the famed indie band <a href="http://campervanbeethoven.com/" target="_blank">Camper van Beethoven</a>) 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?<br> Mark and Wes pioneer a new PEL era in interviewing rock stars without a text. However, <a href="http://partiallyexaminedlife.com/2015/06/19/topic-118-music-camper-van-beethoven/" target="_blank">look here</a> for our agreed-up on list of topics and links to songs/videos/blog posts we all looked at before the discussion.<br> <a href="http://partiallyexaminedlife.com/2015/07/04/ep118-aftershow-songwriting/" target="_blank">Listen to the Aftershow</a> featuring more musician voices including ex-Camper Chris Molla. Not a PEL Citizen? <a href="https://youtu.be/AfID9FdISKw" target="_blank">Watch it on YouTube!</a><br> Note that <a href="http://partiallyexaminedlife.com/2015/06/28/ep118-music-camper-van-beethoven-citizen/" target="_blank">Citizens can also get a slightly extended version of this episode</a>, and being a Citizen (for a mere $5/month) is a great way to support PEL and get future episodes ad-free, so <a href="http://partiallyexaminedlife.com/membership-options/" target="_blank">you might want to look into that</a>. <a href="http://partiallyexaminedlife.com/donate" target="_blank">We also accept donations</a> and have some new T-shirts and many other things at <a href="http://partiallyexaminedlife.com/store" target="_blank">our store page</a>.<br> End song: "The Bastards Never Show Themselves" by <a href="http://www.monksofdoom.com/" target="_blank">the Monks of Doom</a> from their upcoming album The Bronte Pin. Written by Immerglück/Krummenacher/Lisher/Pedersen, published by Bumps of Goose (BMI).<br> Opening instrumental (under the announcements): "Balalaika Gap" from Camper van Beethoven's first album, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000A2GAAM/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=B000A2GAAM&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=theparexalif-20&amp;linkId=4CMJEQHLPZGTN7JP" target="_blank">Telephone Free Landslide Victory</a> (1985).<br> Please <a href="http://www.podsurvey.com/partially-examined-life" target="_blank">fill out this short, anonymous demographic survey</a>, and you might win a $100 Amazon gift card.<br> Musicians! Share your online music with us: send your links to <a href="mailto:mark@partiallyexaminedlife.com">mark@partiallyexaminedlife.com</a>.<br>