Ben Folds Five Digest
Issue #73 - April 25, 1996
Ben Folds Five Digest, Issue #73
Topics for Today:
NMTH
Re: ben folds
BF5 Modern Rock Sony Giveaway Thingy
Philosophy
Re: Ben Folds Five Digest, Issue #71
Re: Uncle Walter, Issue #72
Names for BFF mailling list
[BFF] Re: european tour
Re: Ben Folds Five Digest, Issue #72
BF5- Exposed?!?!
Uncle Walter single clarification
Re: Ben Folds Five Digest, Issue #72
Triangle music
Ben Folds Five alternative?
"Alternativeness"(the last post i promise), oddzanens
Atlanta Journal-Constitution Article, 4/19
name that mailing list
Re: Ben Folds Five Digest, Issue #72
Re: uncle walter
Re: a token of kindness
Re: uncle walter, metalheads, and movie parts
Re: Ben Folds Five Digest, Issue #71
A New place to hang out
From Japan
BFF on SXSW Sampler
==============================================================================
Date: Mon, 22 Apr 1996 12:12:17 -0400 (EDT)
From: Jenn Halter <jlh4935@email.unc.edu>
Subject: NMTH
> PS: Nikki rules!
Ha! i just realized that there is a Nikki on this list- hey, you rule
too! But what i meant was Nikki Meets the Hibachi :) whoever knows what
i am talking about gets 10 points!
jenn
==============================================================================
Date: Mon, 22 Apr 1996 11:58:17 GMT
From: Mark Piper <MFP540@novell3.bham.ac.uk>
Subject: Re: ben folds
Hi Frank,
I'm back in the sunny climes of Birmingham now, so I would be
grateful if you could add me to the list once more. Is there any word
on the UK tour dates yet?
BF5 have been receiving very favourable coverage over here in
the past few days. They were last week's Record Of The Week on the
Radio 1 Chris Evans Breakfast Show, which is, I imagine, by far the
most listened to show in the UK. They have also been featured on the
Mark Radcliffe show on Radio 1, and, if it hasn't already been
mentioned on the mailing list, they are set to play a session for
Mark Radcliffe on Monday April 29th. For anyone interested who doesn't know,
Mark Radcliffe is on Radio 1, 10pm-midnight, Monday-Thursday. I
wouldn't be surprised if they popped up on John Peel's show too.
Anyhow, they have also received the accolade of Single Of The Week
('Underground') in the NME. Can't get much better than that.
Thanks again
Mark, The Reverend Bingo
mfp540@bham.ac.uk
'I remember when misery thrilled me much more.....'
"I have been given the freedom, to do as I see fit" - R.E.M. "World Leader
Pretend"
[Mark: May 1st and 10th, I think, plus a couple dates in between over
on the Continent. Check the web pages. -fjm]
==============================================================================
Date: Mon, 22 Apr 1996 13:42:35 -0400
From: Opus <opusmo@tiac.net>
Subject: BF5 Modern Rock Sony Giveaway Thingy
heya,
I saw somebody respond to a post in Issue #69 about free discs
given away with Sony discmen, which included Ben Folds Five live. Can
somebody give me more information about this? I tried to find that old
issue to see what the original post was, but I must have thrown in out in a
hard-drive cleaning frenzy, and I can't seem to locate any info on Sony's
web site. Thanks
opus (opusmo@tiac.net)
==============================================================================
Date: Mon, 22 Apr 1996 14:05:44 -0400 (EDT)
From: Peter Seth Sommers <psommer@emory.edu>
Subject: Philosophy
I don't know much about mythology, but I do know that at the concert last
night (YES I SAW BEN FOLD LAST NIGHT!!!) he said it was about "dancin'
and sex" so for those of you who are discruntled by the "little ben" theory
how do you feel about lambada?
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
"Guess she don't like the cornbread either."
psommer@emory.edu
==============================================================================
Date: Mon, 22 Apr 1996 14:07:51 -0400 (EDT)
From: "JOHN Z. MULL" <jzmull@hamlet.uncg.edu>
Subject: Re: Ben Folds Five Digest, Issue #71
Archers are moving to Washington State, not DC. And it's just Eric
Bachmann not the rest of the boys. Sorry, my goof.
zach.
==============================================================================
Date: Mon, 22 Apr 1996 13:18:38 +0000
From: Rob Carpenter <fishcarp@soltec.com>
Subject: Re: Uncle Walter, Issue #72
From godboy:
"p.s. why does everyone hate uncle walter??"
I noticed a lot of "Walt" bashing as well. I totally dig that tune.
Great lyrics, it rocks, and the bass line rules, especially the lead
at the end. Don't know if I could pick a "worst song on the album",
but uncle walt sure ain't it! Later---FISH
p.s. - This is pretty obvious, but for those of you who might not have
noticed, there's a cleverly placed gurgling bong sound, followed by a
little lung hacking after "and all the kids are smoking pot"
==============================================================================
Date: Mon, 22 Apr 1996 14:27:53 -0400 (EDT)
From: eric t beteille <beteille@mary.iia.org>
Subject: Names for BFF mailling list
- Ben Mails Five - Jackson Mailery
- Hardback Cafe - Bus Stop
- 88 Keys - Uncle Ben's Mailbox
- Magical Armchair - Flying Spit
- List for the Dumped - The Future
- The Customers (haha!) - Mortor, Block and Glass
- This Is Your Life - The Underground
- The Mosh Pit - Looks, Brains and Everything
- Ben Good To You - Millionaires and Mill Rats
- Bag of Trash - The Pit Fantastic
- Mail Order Scheme - Sore Tooth
- Pivot and Slip
well, it's a start!
--
Eric
==============================================================================
Date: Mon, 22 Apr 1996 13:58:44 -0500 (CDT)
From: Richard John Fuss <rfuss@coewl.cen.uiuc.edu>
Subject: [BFF] Re: european tour
Ed Zeitz <ez@en.com> wrote:
> Just read in "Dancing About Architecture" at the Austin Chronicle Website
> that the BFF European tour is a Caroline Records "showcase" and they will
> be playing with, gulp, Sincola, that faux-angst, boring Austin band that
> played before them at SXSW. What a horrible pairing. The third band on
> the bill is Engine 88, of whom I have no knowledge.
Engine 88 hails from Berkeley and the bay area. I would classify
their sound as power-pop or pop-punk. They have an album out, called
"Clean Your Room", as well as three 7 inches. They are currently in
Boston recording their next album which is due out this summer.
Engine 88 used to be known as Engine, but they changed their name
when an Atlanta band claimed that they had the name first.
"Clean Your Room" was my favorite album of '95. If anyone wants
to know more info about the band let me know.
later...
--Rick
| Richard J Fuss | "Somebody please tell this machine, |
| Mechanical Engineering | I'm not a machine" --The Flaming Lips |
| University of Illinois | Rick's Low-Fi Hompage: |
| rfuss@coewl.cen.uiuc.edu | http://www.cen.uiuc.edu/~rfuss/ |
==============================================================================
Date: Mon, 22 Apr 1996 15:13:28 -0400
From: "John W. Fail" <fail@llama.com>
Subject: Re: Ben Folds Five Digest, Issue #72
Someone said ...
$ p.s. why does everyone hate uncle walter?? granted its not the best song
$ on the album and it may even be the worst but i just really dont mind it
$ and i would listen to it at any opportunity
$ oh well...
I like 'Uncle Walter' a lot. I think the worst is either 'Alice
Childress' (I know I'll get flamed for that) or 'Video'.
Anyone ever heard a band called Zumpano? They have a CD out on Sub Pop
that's QUITE inspiring. I think they have a very similar sound to BF5,
I highly recommend checking them out.
-john
==============================================================================
Date: Mon, 22 Apr 1996 15:14:48 -0400 (EDT)
From: Jason Martin <un036034@WVNVAXA.WVNET.EDU>
Subject: BF5- Exposed?!?!
I just finished reading the SPIN article of BF5 (one dinky little page)
when I can't help but think how many more people DON'T know about BF5 or
have any idea of the quality of music they play. I know the only way I
found out was watching them on Conan O'Brien. It would be great if BF5
could get on one of those ensemble summer tours--- e.g. Lollapalooza or
HORDE--- things that spawned Dave Matthews Band, Blues Traveler, etc. to
commericial success, notoriety, and critical acclaim. What does everyone
else think?
Jason Martin
un036034@wvnvaxa.wvnet.edu
(Yes, we've even heard of the great Ben Folds Five in West Virginia.)
"I think of my friends, but they wouldn't dig this town."
==============================================================================
Date: Mon, 22 Apr 1996 14:42:35 -0700 (PDT)
From: Marc Nathan <mdnathan@netcom.com>
Subject: Uncle Walter single clarification
This is absolutely official...I promise :)
There is no on sale single of Uncle Walter.
The single is actually just the latest "emphasis track" to be released to
rario off the album. A remastered version is pressed on a promo CD that
is serviced to radio. That's it. Swear!
Marc
==============================================================================
Date: Mon, 22 Apr 1996 18:08:59 -1000
From: boxes aplenty <galileo@mindspring.com>
Subject: Re: Ben Folds Five Digest, Issue #72
Saw the Atlanta show last night and was able to meet the band. They are
really just three guys like any other guys you might meet, except for the
fact that they have the best album in recent memory. Nothing pretentious,
no stage facade, they were onstage who you met at the backstage door. And
the show was too much fun.
Ben apparently cracked a rib during the filming of the Uncle Walter video
(and what's so bad about this song?)... apparently he fell off a bike and
into Robert's knee. However, he was a robust blast during the show, and
nobody in the audience had a bad time. Robert also said they would
probably not start recording the new album for Sony until the fall,
otherwise it would be "an album full of riding-in-a-truck songs." And he
was unaware of the D-Tox single running out.
As or the title of the group, "Sports and Whine" might be more suitable
at times...
Pat and Caroline Mrizek (né pucktyr@aol.com and the quiet one)
Quotable Quote: "The world is not made for lefties or Mac Users."
Unquotable Quote: "The people who are most right are usually left out."
==============================================================================
Date: Tue, 20 Nov 1956 19:31:12 +0000
From: pinworm@email.unc.edu
Subject: Triangle music
Thanks to Jen Halter for supporting for the hundreds of bands in the
triangle who aren't Ben Folds or Archers of Loaf. I know it's sad when
the Archers leave and Ben gets the chance to make some money, but the
scene probably won't die.
Check out Zen Frisbee, Squirell Nut Zippers or somebody you've never heard
of next time you get the chance.
-Mitch Bennett
http://www.unc.edu/~pinworm
==============================================================================
Date: Mon, 22 Apr 1996 21:20:19 EDT
From: MR MARC FACTOR <RFAA93A@prodigy.com>
Subject: Ben Folds Five alternative?
alternative= no such thing... once upon a time there was such a thing
called alternative music but just in case you havent heard,
everything sounds the same in 1996. if there is alternative music
bff is right there, they are different.
alternative=different,
==============================================================================
Date: Mon, 22 Apr 1996 18:40:27 -0700
From: Reid Davis <reid2@ix.netcom.com>
Subject: "Alternativeness"(the last post i promise), oddzanens
Andrea wrote:
> P.S. who the hell cares weather [sic] Bf5 iz alternative or not?! , i
think >it has just as much bearing (on their music) as their sexuality
does!
Um, in case it wasn't obvious, I DO agree - but I still think it's a
fun subject to discuss - especially since in the world of REAL art
(y'know, the stuff in galleries), postmodernism is the big deal. I
just enjoy seeing the artistic parallel in the pop music world.
and "godboy" (who needs to take a few sedatives) chipped in...
> hey this is in response to the gentlemen who were arguing about
whether
> or not ben folds is indeed alternative and i would just like to say
to
> each of you: do you like ben folds five?
Um...yeah...(is this a trick question?) If you were in front of me at
the show last night you would've gone deaf from me singing all the
words in your ear at top volume.
cause if you do then who gives
> a rats ass what kind of music they are?
oooh, the animosity! What side of the bed did you wake up on?
>are we really that bored or do we
> actually just like to get into dumb arguments?
I enjoy the intellectual nature of a good discussion of ideas...any
discussion of "alternativeness" or postmodernism falls into that
category. Geez, if I can't discuss whether BFF are "alternative" on
the BFF mailing list, where can I discuss it? If you don't want to
read it, skip it, ok? Some people (GASP!) may like different things
than you do.
and someone (I'm sorry - I erased your name!) asked...
>* in reading this wonderful journal that i get every day, i often
>think of who exactly ben folds five fans are. the varying views on a
>number of issues of debate lead me to believe that bf5 fans are
>somewhere between lite fm radio and the alternative scene. (no
>metal-heads, i'm pretty sure.)
hoo - I don't know if I'm typical, but I'm a fan of 4AD (Cocteaus, Dead
Can Dance, HNIA, This Mortal Coil), loud indie rock (Girls Against
Boys, Shudder To Think, Fugazi), folky stuff (Vigilantes Of Love,
Pierce Pettis, David Wilcox), shoegazer (Ride, My Bloody Valentine),
radio-ish stuff (Radiohead, Oasis, Cracker), and big pop (Eric
Matthews, Big Star, Jellyfish, Matthew Sweet, AND Ben Folds Five).
Anyone else share this eclectic mix?
==============================================================================
Date: Mon, 22 Apr 1996 18:53:26 -0700
From: Reid Davis <reid2@ix.netcom.com>
Subject: Atlanta Journal-Constitution Article, 4/19
for the list...here's a transcription of the article the Atlanta
Journal-Constitution ran to "preview" the BFF show this weekend...
PIANO-TOTING TARHEEL NEEDS ROOM TO BOOGIE
by Richard L. Eldredge
for the Journal-Constitution
Ben Folds, the 29-year old leader of the Chapel Hill, NC, rock trio Ben
Folds Five, looks like the boy next door.
Fortunately, Folds *acts* more like the boy next door in "Toy Story."
On the band's debut release on Passenger/Caroline Records, the
singer-songwriter tosses in riffs from George Gershwin's "An American
In Paris" one second, then utilizes a trash bag full of bottles and
cans as a percussion instrument the next. On stage, Folds is prone to
leaping over his bench and smashing his forearm into the keys of his
Baldwin acoustic piano and, later, doing a soft-shoe on top of it while
singing a cappella.
Why a piano?
"The wooden, organic feel of the instrument is really what makes the
band rock," Folds explains. "Why does the world need another lame
guitar band?"
Lugging a piano cross-country with bassist Robert Sledge and drummer
Darren Jessee is beginning to pay off.
The band's current single, "Underground" (which mocks most pit dwelling
Gen Xers), is starting to get commercial airplay. And in February,
Sony Music signed the act to its 550 label.
"We're in this for the long haul," Folds says. "We just bought a
15-foot Ryder truck. And we don't plan on using it for the purposes of
evil."
==============================================================================
Date: Mon, 22 Apr 1996 22:32:48 -0700
From: "John A." <jha@famedent.com>
Subject: name that mailing list
I think we should name the list
The Magical Armchair.
Now let's get some more suggestions, and get this thing named.
John Anderson
"I'm Crazy, but I get the job done" BF5
==============================================================================
Date: Tue, 23 Apr 1996 08:25:27 -0400 (EDT)
From: "Donna L. Hokanson" <hokansod@goldey.gbc.edu>
Subject: Re: Ben Folds Five Digest, Issue #72
> -godboy
>
> p.s. why does everyone hate uncle walter?? granted its not the best song
> on the album and it may even be the worst but i just really dont mind it
> and i would listen to it at any opportunity
> oh well...
Well I don't hate Uncle Walter -- in fact I love it, I think it is a
riot. I love everything on the album. It is different from the other
stuff out there and I can listen over and over again and not get bored.
I want to see videos on MTV. Is the only time to catch them on 120
minutes? Can't wait to they come back to Philly area again.
Donna
==============================================================================
Date: Tue, 23 Apr 1996 18:52:17 -0500
From: "J.J. Engel" <JJEngel@mail.utexas.edu>
Subject: Re: uncle walter
> p.s. why does everyone hate uncle walter?? granted its not the best song
> on the album and it may even be the worst but i just really dont mind it
> and i would listen to it at any opportunity
> oh well...
>
I don't hate Uncle Walter. I think it's a great song. Candy coated sarcasm.
-nikki
==============================================================================
Date: Tue, 23 Apr 1996 18:59:10 -0500
From: "J.J. Engel" <JJEngel@mail.utexas.edu>
Subject: Re: a token of kindness
>
> PS: Nikki rules!
>
Wow!! Thanks Jenn!! :)
-Nikki
==============================================================================
Date: Wed, 24 Apr 1996 12:41:54 -0400
From: Alessandra Elizabeth Geboff <aegeboff@eos.ncsu.edu>
Subject: Re: uncle walter, metalheads, and movie parts
> p.s. why does everyone hate uncle walter?? granted its not the best song
> on the album and it may even be the worst but i just really dont mind it
> and i would listen to it at any opportunity
> oh well...
just my two cents: i love uncle walter. in no other song do you get to
hear such incredible solos by BOTH folds AND sledge!!! c'mon, how many of
you have EVER heard a bass played the way robert does in that song???
whenever i get a bass player to listen to the cd, i make sure they listen
to uncle walter first, and i just watch their eyes grow twice as big as
robert is doing his thing there in the end...it ROCKS!! in fact, it took
me a while to figure out why they chose underground as their first
single--i never played it because the beginning takes too long. when i
listen to it i can't imagine it on the radio because it takes so long to
pick up. i reviewed the cd for our station and uncle walter was really
high on my "best" list whereas underground was really low, simply because
of how well the songs would flow in a given shift. uncle walter is full on
rock from beginning to end---IMHO i can't wait to hear the "buzz" after
this song gets some airplay just based on how nuts people went on
underground.
> (no metal-heads, i'm pretty sure.)
>
> I love Marilyn Manson, Kyuss, Deftones, etc.
okay, here we go... kyuss, yuck!! (sorry)
i work at basically the only "heavy metal" station in the triangle
area--hell, in the state!!! nobody does metal like wknc does metal :)
i've been a "pure rock" dj for over 2 years and i love marilyn manson,
stuck mojo, fear factory, therapy?, sepultura, monster magnet, but i also
love bad religion, tori amos, archers of loaf, small, okay--bush (yes, i
said it). i am also the one who brought bff to fame on my pure rock
shift---i'd play them between prong and iron maiden---who gives a f?$#.
it's all good music. i've dragged dozens of my metalhead friends to bff
shows, and every single one of them has said---they rock, they're awesome,
and have bought t-shirts and worn them proudly to some of our local metal
bands' shows. it's happy music, and you can jump around and be silly to
it and people love that. it doesn't matter what other kinds of music
people like as long as they like ben folds five---then they're cool :)
--alessa
once again i ask the question, if there were to be a movie, who would play
ben, robert and darren ?????---ooh, and summer, too.
==============================================================================
Date: Wed, 24 Apr 1996 13:15:13 -0400
From: Dolemite80@aol.com
Subject: Re: Ben Folds Five Digest, Issue #71
when are the boys coming to the ny/nj area?
==============================================================================
Date: Wed, 24 Apr 1996 21:09:09 PST
From: Chris A Ruffner <cadcr@juno.com>
Subject: A New place to hang out
While surfing around the Sony Web site recently, I ended up on the
Epic/550 Music site. On a whim I decided to see is there was Ben Folds
Five page yet. And lo and behold there was a very under construction
site. So under development it isn't even listed in the index yet. What
is there is a BBS and a place to sign up for a Fan Club mailing list.
(don't know what that will produce)
So point your browsers to http://www.sony.dreammedia.com. Select Artist
Info and then do a search on Ben Folds Five and there you are. See Ya on
the board.
Chris Ruffner
==============================================================================
Date: Thu, 25 Apr 1996 19:16:32 +0900
From: Motohasi Adusa <st31285@srv.cc.hit-u.ac.jp>
Subject: From Japan
Your Ben Folds Five mailing list gave me a lot of friends.
Not only many American but also German(who lives in England),
Japanese contacted with me.My Ben Folds Five world has been getting
bigger and bigger.One of American friends sent me a vedeo tape
Ben , Darren and Robert are moving!!! I always watch them in pictures,
excepting during their arrival at Japan.
In the video, Ben put together Ben's piano.I was surprised the scene.
Because they were VIP everwhere in Japan,so I couldn't imagine
that they prepared the setting themselves.
And other program is Ben's interview (he wanders around pianos).
Ben are very cute (Is it true that he is 29 yeras old?) and comical.
I want to meet them again.I read their interviews that said after
America tour they will begin to record for NEW album .
And they don't intend to record "Video kills the radio star",
" Cross town traffic" and so on.These songs are played only
at the shows. Going there to go their shows in this summer
is under contemplation. But I don't know whether they will play
shows or not. Please tell me how to get the tickets .
In fact, I can't understand all topics evertime. Some of them
is difficult for me.But I enjoy reading Digests and touching
with Ben Folds Five fan's voices. I think your work is very hard.
But we are taking pleasure in your site and mailing list.
Thank you!!!
Your Japanese friend,
Azusa Motohashi
st31285@srv.cc.hit-u.ac.jp
==============================================================================
Date: Thu, 25 Apr 1996 11:48:50 -0500
From: carlson@math.umn.edu
Subject: BFF on SXSW Sampler
I picked up a disc last week. It is the Sony Music Publishing/ATV
SXSW 96 sampler. It has tracks from band published by SMP, which were
(presumably) at SXSW (was Oasis really there?). The copy I found was in a
black and orange cardboard sleeve, and was a promo. Anyway, it has a live
version of "Tom & Mary" that 'must' have been recorded at SXSW. Did BFF
actually perform this song there?
Scott Carlson
carlson@math.umn.edu
==============================================================================
[Two suggestions for "The Magical Armchair". That sounds pretty
good... Any discussion pro or con? Other suggestions? -fjm]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ben Folds Five Mailing List http://oeonline.com/~maynard/bff/
Submit to: maynard@oeonline.com Admin. to: maynard@oeonline.com
Some men never found out what it takes to be a dude