Ben Folds Five Digest
Issue #114 - July 8, 1996
Ben Folds Five Digest, Issue #114
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Topics for Today:
BF5 as an inspiration
More Australian BF5 reviews ... (+ Underground clip)
BF5 Long shot
Re: Ben in Philly
new guy here
read Q magazine
BF5 Store Displays
BFF on a Chicago Listening Station
BFF on Space Ghost
Re: No BF5 in Australia
mystery instrument
off the beaten track
==============================================================================
Date: Sun, 07 Jul 1996 23:43:28 -0700
From: Eric Matsuda <matsuda1@ix.netcom.com>
Subject: BF5 as an inspiration
I'm new to this list. I play the piano, and ever since I heard the BF5
CD back in October I wanted to play like Ben Folds. No other pianist has
had quite the affect that he had on me other than, like, Axl Rose or
something (GNR was the first band I ever listened to, and "Estranged"
still gets to me). Anyone know what his background is, did he take
lessons for very long, etc.? I'll never become the next Ben Folds, but
I'd be very proud to call him an influence. I'm going to college in the
fall, and I recently quit lessons after 10 years. Listening to BF5 is
enough to make me keep it up on my own. I also like the fact that all 3
members are excellent musicians that would shine in almost any band they
play in.
With all the improvisation taht goes with their music, I suppose it would
be pointless to ask if there is any BF5 sheet music available??
Eric Matsuda
matsuda1@ix.netcom.com
==============================================================================
Date: Mon, 08 Jul 96 19:14:39 -0700
From: Stuart Willes <rosterers/SLSA@dino.slsa.sa.gov.au>
Subject: More Australian BF5 reviews ... (+ Underground clip)
The following album reviews are from the Adelaide (South Australia) music
press:
By now you'd probably know that no guitars were hurt in the making of
this album. So, how to react to a Supertramp/Elton John/Gilbert
O'Sullivan/Leo Sayer/Queen-esque style, that is the question? It's great
for about 15 minutes (especially the bottle clanging in Julianne) but
then a mild depression sets in. It's almost like hearing the same song
repeated, only using slightly different rhythms - much like the approach
on the new Soundgarden album, only with prettier flowers on the
wallpaper. 6/10
(For some reason, this review wasn't credited to anyone. Hmmm.....)
Rip It Up
27 June - 3 July 1996
The last couple of years have seen a number of bands who have made their
music with new textures and different sounds, mostly inspired by slightly
different instrumentation. For example, bands without guitars, like
Morphine, use saxophone as a lead; Primus use bass as the lead; Bush use
viola and cello to underpin their songs and Ben Folds Five use piano and
no guitar.
Lead by the jaunty piano of Ben Folds, the Ben Folds Five album (there's
three of 'em) is a joyous little document from start to finish. Yet this
debut album could cause concern among casual listeners; it contains bits
and pieces of all manner of music in here to capture the unwary. Ben
Folds calls it 'punk rock for sissies'. I call it catchy. Harmonies and
manner may give the idea of a band such as Jellyfish, but other aspects
may remind the listener of more seventies fare. In any case, for each
song and every listener, there's something different to be gleaned : A
snippet of Queen, a touch of vaudeville and barrelhouse, pure sixties
rock-pop and little polka signatures.
Ben Folds Five hail from Chapel Hill, North Carolina (home of Superchunk,
Polvo, Archers of Loaf), and I urge you to check out this CD immediately.
Far too weird. In the words of Daniel Kearney, "it must be something
they put in the water over there".
Alex Wheaton, db Magazine
3-16 July 1996
And, of interest to fellow Antipodean list memebers, keep your eye on
Rage. I've seen the clip for Underground TWICE in the last two weeks!
Stuart
==============================================================================
Date: Mon, 8 Jul 1996 12:40:21 +0000
From: Matthew Trigg <mat@gmtnet.co.uk>
Subject: BF5 Long shot
Dear all,
Now, I may be way off the mark here, but I was watching TV here in the UK
last night and an ad for the Nissan Micra came on. It's part of a "Ask
before you borrow it" campaign that is rather funny in general though the
car is, I suspect, not enormously popular over here.
Thing is, I could swear that the "boyfriend" character driving the car and
whooping along to the radio is that man Jessee! Strange? Well, I'm
prepared to be wrong, since the only time I've seen him was at the Splash
Club gig in London in May. But you never know (Hey, that's "Jo-incidence"
with a C!)
Come on guys - tell me it isn't so (cos if it is, then why the hell aren't
they playing BF5 on the ad??)
Perplexed of Nottingham
==============================================================================
Date: Mon, 8 Jul 1996 08:43:05 -0400 (EDT)
From: "Donna L. Hokanson" <hokansod@goldey.gbc.edu>
Subject: Re: Ben in Philly
The Philadelphia weekly had a listing for the concert in August with BFF
and Neil Young and Gin Blossoms. It read something like this ...
Great sets by Neil Young and Ben Folds Five will be interuppted by the
tiresome sound of the Gin Blossoms.
I'd like to go but know that it will be tough to get good seats because
tickets have been on sale. I don't know when they went on sale. Plus I
really only care to see Ben. The other bands are not really on my "gotta
see list."
Donna
==============================================================================
Date: Mon, 8 Jul 1996 11:02:49 -0400
From: Shaun Gilmour <sgilmour@pgh.net>
Subject: new guy here
I know from being on other mailing lists that I should introduce myself to
you all. My name is Shaun Gilmour and I live in Pittsburgh, PA where I work
as an associate producer for a public tv station and also as a freelance
Camera Assistant for commercials and feature films. I am also really into
BFF. My first show was last month here in town and I was thoroughly
impressed. I never owned the album, but I knew about it and had listened to
a few cuts at blockbuster music. So I kind of knew what to expect. What a
show it was. There's actually a great little story here. My friend Paul and
I had been talking about the show for weeks and were really excited to go.
While waiting for the doors to open we were sitting at the outer bar at
this club and this girl came up and sat kind of near to us. We struck up a
conversation with her and found out that she had an extra ticket to the
show that she had won from a radio station and wanted to know if one of us
wanted the ticket. Paul accepted the ticket and asked if she wanted to hang
with us since she was alone. To make an already long story short, she ended
up hanging out with us and is now dating my friend Paul.
Question to the group. I know that BFF allows audio taping at their shows
because I asked Darren and he said it was cool. Now, does anyone have any
shows to trade? I have no BFF tapes and really want to get some. If you
have any please E-mail me directly and I'll send you my list privately so
we don't clutter the list.
Later,
Shaun
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Shaun Gilmour
sgilmour@pgh.net
Quote of the week
"It was all liquid for about 4 or 5 days"
Voigt
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
==============================================================================
Date: Mon, 8 Jul 1996 11:35:15 -0400
From: Cynthia Wang <cynthia@people.timeinc.com>
Subject: read Q magazine
Hi y'all. I'm new to the list, but very happy to be ensconced with
other BF5 fans!
Apparently, BF5 is absolutely huge in Great Britain right now. I
know they've been written up in the New Music Express and in Melody Maker
recently. But there's a really good one-page article about them in the July
1996 issue of Q, a Brit publication that's a lot like Rolling Stone, but
much better. Q actually gives BF5 a four out-of-five-star review in the
June 1996 issue, that reads like this:
"Despite their lank-haired appearance, and roots in the grunged-out
milieu of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, Ben Folds Five (who are-save our
sides-a trio) are anything but archetypal yankee college rockers. Forsaking
the guitar completely, they opt instead for a skewed combination of drums,
grand piano and fuzzed-up bass, and come out sounding like the very essence
of blue-eyed Americana. Jackson Cannery, the delirious Where's Summer B.?,
and Best Immitation of Myself suggest no one so much as Todd Rundgren circa
Something/Anything, although a liking for Californian pastichers Jellyfish
is also a distinct possibility. All that aside, this album-described by the
band, in an act of unnecessary self-debunkage, as 'music for sissies,'-is
gorgeous." -John Harris
Also, anyone who picks up radio in New Jersey can hear BF5 on WHTG,
106.3 in Eatontown. They've been spinning "Underground" since December!
-------------------
"Dark is not one of my favorite colors."
-Ralph, the All-Purpose Animal in Twice Upon a Time
==============================================================================
Date: Mon, 08 Jul 1996 12:15:27 -0500 (EST)
From: jpinkos@lakers.lssu.edu
Subject: BF5 Store Displays
I saw that display you were talking about at Repeat The Beat,
Frank, it was pretty cool(I thought about trying to nab it from the
store, but decided not to). Just a little ways down the road(Woodward
actually) at Blockbuster Music, they had the same disply and a listening
station set up for BF5. They had about a dozen copies in stock. The
other Blockbuster Music in Rochester had the "Underground" CD single, but
no display or listening station. Looks like right now, Blockbuster is
the best bet to find BF5 stuff in the Detroit area. (Keep in mind
though, that I was there about a month ago. Things change.) As for the
Sault Ste. Marie count, we started the year with three copies in the
entire town, now there's two. Someone else in this town must have one!
If your on the list from SSM, MI, let me know! -Jared Pinkos
Sorry if this reply is dated, but I only get email access about once a
week now!
==============================================================================
Date: Mon, 08 Jul 1996 16:21:25 -0500
From: Kimberley Dilley <k-dilley@nwu.edu>
Subject: BFF on a Chicago Listening Station
Don't think I've posted yet, so allow me to extend greetings!
Just wanted to contribute my 2 cents about BFF on listening stations. I
heard a lot of talk about BFF on the BNL mailing list for some time, but the
first opportunity I had to hear BFF was on a listening station at Hear
Music, here in Chicago. It's a very cool store with stations set up for a
variety of different styles of music. The same day I bought BFF I also
purchased music from the genres of flamenco, Celtic, and acid jazz. Anyway,
that's it. Later!
-Kim
==============================================================================
Date: Mon, 8 Jul 1996 17:30:02 -0400 (EDT)
From: "DAVID A. MEYERSON" <davidmey@welchlink.welch.jhu.edu>
Subject: BFF on Space Ghost
basically the premise of the show was this. Space Ghost left and Zorak
was left being the host. Zorak goes through 1 guest every 5 seconds or so
and he keeps zapping them. i think it went like this:
Ben: am i gone?
Zorak: yeah, you're gone.
ZAP!!!
if you have no idea what i'm talking about, watch Cartoon Planet on the
Cartoon Network everyday at 6pm (if you can pull yourself away from the
Simpsons). it's funny enough to choke a camel.
may the force be with you
daniel
==============================================================================
Date: Tue, 9 Jul 1996 09:40:34 +1000 (EST)
From: Damian Child <travesty@axis.jeack.com.au>
Subject: Re: No BF5 in Australia
> Date: Sun, 7 Jul 1996 16:46:21 +1000 (EST)
> From: Leigh Wardle <mincad@ozemail.com.au>
> Subject: No BFF in Australia
>
> Hi I live in Australia and I heard the BFF's single Underground a couple of
> weeks ago and just fell in love with the band straight away. So I went out
> to my local CD store to buy the albulm and they didn't have it. So I looked
> around and I couldn't find it anywhere! None of the record stores were
> getting it in coz they didn't think it would be big! I've ordered it and it
> is coming next week!
>
Where are you? In Melbourne the CD is everywhere! I don't know if this is
a good thing - maybe it's not selling!
Frank, d'ya think they're going to tour in Australia?
[Yes, next summer, most likely...summer being January-March
sometime... after the new album is out. -fjm]
==============================================================================
Date: Mon, 8 Jul 1996 19:07:57 -0500
From: "J.J. Engel" <JJEngel@mail.utexas.edu>
Subject: mystery instrument
Okay... One more time.
The strange little instument that seeems to be confusing everyone is called
a MELODICA. ....Not a calliope.... that's a huge organ like instrument.
Just thought I would ease the minds of people that keep asking.
Nikki
==============================================================================
Date: Mon, 8 Jul 1996 20:16:45 -0400
From: PhairTwo@aol.com
Subject: off the beaten track
okay, sunday night i was listening to off the beaten track, a radio show on
kiss 107 in kansas city, and i heard a song that almost sounded like ben
folds five. as i continued listening to it, i wondered if it could be this
jellyfish i've heard so much about. turned out it was. so i guess i was just
writing to say that yes, i see the resemblence and to encourage those in the
kc area to check out off the beaten track sunday nights at 10 or 10:30.
that's all. i'm sorry i missed bf5 when they were here, but i wasn't going to
pay 40 bucks.
-bess
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Enough's enough. I'm leaving this factory