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From The Desk Of Camper Van Beethoven’s Jonathan Segel: “Forbrydelsen”

CamperVanBeethovenLogoLa Costa Perdida (429) kicks off Camper Van Beethoven’s 30th-anniversary year amidst an orchestrated (if deserving) surge in recognition for the group—everything from Paul Rudd donning a vintage Camper concert tee in the film This Is 40 to glowing quotes from members of R.E.M. and the Meat Puppets. The LP is CVB’s first album since 2004’s New Roman Times and was mostly recorded at multi-instrumentalist Jonathan Segel’s Oakland home studio a year prior to his move to Sweden. “The process was similar, perhaps, to the recording of Camper’s third album, in that we could experiment and had time to work on things,” says Segel. “The first two CVB albums were recorded in a weekend.” Segel will be guest editing magnetmagazine.com all week. Read our brand new feature on the band.

Forbrydelsen

Segel: Yes, we also watch TV. Lest you think that I’m trying to snob y’all out by bragging about how much Camper Van Beethoven reads books and shit and how we’re all kinds of awesome, I have to say that we all watch a bunch of TV, too. Not so many movies, though, but I think this may simply be more due to lifestyle. (Who can get to the theatre and make it back before the show?) We spend a great deal of touring time traveling by day, then playing the shit outta our instruments and then going to some weird hotel, where we don’t have much brain power left to concentrate on anything. Except TV.

However, TV is getting complicated, too. (So some of us only ever watch Nick At Night.) We had a bus on tour a few years back, and Frank Funaro bought the DVD set of The Wire. We met after every show to watch an episode.

And while there are numerous other shows that people like to watch, for me the only thing that has come close to being as intense as The Wire is Forbrydelsen. (And maybe Inspector George Gently, but that’s just because I dig ’60s period pieces. And it’s BBC, so it’s different anyway.) Forbrydelsen is a Danish crime series that’s incredibly convoluted and character driven, with amazing acting and writing throughout, blending the effects of crime on the families involved, the politicians and police who are there to solve it or obscure it and the social context of the crime itself. I know they now have a U.S. remake, The Killing, but I don’t think I could even try. I tried to watch the U.S. remake of Life On Mars after watching the original U.K. series and couldn’t make it through the first episode.

However, you are going to have to take this advice knowing that it comes from a person who loves his Dr. Who.

Video after the jump.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wU1_xAO8LuQ

2 replies on “From The Desk Of Camper Van Beethoven’s Jonathan Segel: “Forbrydelsen””

I haven’t seen THE KILLING but I’m intrigued. I’m going to look it up. I’ve discovered a new show, Braquo. Only 2 episodes have broadcast on HULU but so far its pretty cool. You might wanna check it out if you get the chance. While I’m on the subject, another cop-type show (only 5-episodes) LINE OF DUTY was/is pretty awesome too. Luv ya!

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