THE MAGICAL ARMCHAIR
The Ben Folds Five Digest
Issue #297 - May 12, 1997
Magical Armchair Digest Monday, May 12 1997 Volume 01 : Number 297
THE MAGICAL ARMCHAIR
The Ben Folds Five Mailing List
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Date: Sat, 10 May 97 22:41:33 -0500
From: Michael Bluejay <bluejay@pobox.com>
Subject: BF5 in Austin paper
Here's some press that BF5 got in the Austin Chronicle when they played
here last month.
- -----------
BEN FOLDS FIVE, Whatever & Ever Amen, three stars [not sure whether scale
is 4 or 5]
by Michael Bertin (3-28-97 issue)
Whoa! deja vu. This Ben Folds Five album sounds really familiar. It
sounds like... It sounds like... It sounds like... Wait, got it, it
sounds like the last Ben Folds five album. Sure, you expect bands to
sound similar from album to album, but listening to Whatever & Ever Amen
feels just like listening to the band's self-titled debut. It's even
sequenced similarly. The downside to this is that it will probably land
the band a few more of the inexplicable Billy Joel comparisons; for the
unfamiliar Ben Folds Five is a deceptively-named piano, bass, and drum
trio. Within the context of a pop song, the sonic capabilities of a
piano may be limited compared to the guitar, but likening Ben Folds ti
Billy Joel baesd on a musical instrument is a little like saying Fred
Barnes and Rosie O'Donnell make similar contributions to social discourse
because they both appear on a talk show. The upside is that the first
album was a brilliant collage of giddy and witty pop songs without the
requisite guitar, drums, and angst formula, that a credible knock-off of
it is still mostly original relative to standard radio fare. As long as
you were good the first time out, you could do worse.
- -----------
Remember my comment a while back about how bands are screwed by reviewers
either way on successive albums? If it's similar to the first, the
reviewer complains that the band isn't doing anything original. If the
album is different, the reviewer whines that the band should have stuck
with what they knew how to do and what their fans knew and loved, and
what's all this new crap? Well, at least he understood that just because
they use a piano doesn't mean they're Billy Joel.
- -- Michael Bluejay
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http://pobox.com/bluejay | Home of AUSTIN MUSIC, KING CHEESE,
| BIKING IN AUSTIN, VEGETARIAN pages, & more
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Date: Sun, 11 May 1997 00:24:17 -0400 (EDT)
From: Folds5@aol.com
Subject: Dwarves
I'm gonna have agree with the Angry Dwarves for a nickname. Everyone I've
asked thinks it's the best, if we are going to insist on calling ourselves
something. Just my opinion, for what it's worth. Be careful crossing the
road.
B
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Date: Sun, 11 May 1997 04:59:24 -0400 (EDT)
From: Autumn Patterson <apatte2@gl.umbc.edu>
Subject: DC show?
On their web site it says that they will be playing the 9:30 Club in
Washington, DC on the 31st...HOWEVER the 9:30 club is apparently not aware
of this. Does anyone know if this show has been finalized and if not if
perhaps they will play somewhere else in Baltimore or DC? And if so, will
tickets be available soon b/c it's getting pretty dern close to may
31st... Just wondering...
Also, someone wrote...
Just wondering how many of you people have groovy Ben Folds Five
beanies...
I love the little gold piano on them!!! YES!!!
Where'd you get a beanie?!? I want one! *whine* Oki, thank you all for
your time and have a pleasant day (c=
oOo
oOoOo ...
OOO (^^^)
| \./ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
|<> | Goddess of the Lick
<>| | | ~*.*`&`*.*~ |
\\|//|\\\|/// Official Woobie Hunter
~A~u~t~u~m~n~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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Date: Sun, 11 May 1997 09:02:01 -0400 (EDT)
From: Jfishhead@aol.com
Subject: Re: Magical Armchair Digest V1 #296
In a message dated 5/11/97 12:45:21 AM, you wrote:
>When are bff playing Central Park? I missed the Irving Show (I am an idiot,
>I am a loser) and can't screw up again.
>
>Sharyn
June 25th, I believe.
Dustin
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Date: Sun, 11 May 1997 10:49:39 -0400 (EDT)
From: Enloejr@aol.com
Subject: Ebonics
In a message dated 97-05-11 00:59:59 EDT, you write:
<< Wots all da Fivers, Bennies, Fiends, Freaks names on? Definately not a
ragga
tip with SL2. Wicked. I can quote phat lyrical juice, but "She's a brick
and
I'm drowning
slowly" Whooooa slow down, it's not got da vibes. Ok mon, tell ya wot i
do,
OK
cheeky song by N-Trance, "Guy meets girl, girl meets guy, guy says girl is
looking
fly" Now thats ruuuuude in'it. So Ben mon, delve into some gangsta, dah
boyz
gotit
going on.
One cool song by Ben though, Smoke. Why? Cos it 'bout taking the herb and
chillin'.
Nice.
Respect and big up to all the Fly people out d'air. Phat. >>
What's this guy talking about? I can't understand him. Since when have us
"Armchair-Lovers" been talking Ebonics?!?
By the way, if there's anyone planning on going to the Providence, RI show at
Lupo's and has any info. about it, E-mail me.
Darrell
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Date: Sun, 11 May 1997 13:22:57 -0400 (EDT)
From: StarbabyM@aol.com
Subject: Beannies?
In a message dated 97-05-10 21:26:07 EDT, you write:
<< Just wondering how many of you people have groovy Ben Folds Five
beanies...
I love the little gold piano on them!!! YES!!!
>>
no. How do we get them??
Nancy
"I pushed you cause I loved
you guys, I didn't realize
you weren't having fun!"
- --BFF
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Date: Sun, 11 May 1997 18:22:52 -0400
From: Darryn Fessel <dfessel@one.net>
Subject: BFF in Cincy!!!
Hey everyone! I just got my event update from Bogart's. BFF will be
here in Cincinnati Monday, June 2nd, 8:00pm!!! Tickets are ten bucks
(or two fivers). Oh well, the humor's getting bad, I'll stop now. SEE
YA' there!
- --
THE ROSWELL INCIDENT
*Joel,Guitar * Darryn,Bass * Crandall,Guitar * Ben,Sax * Dave,Drums *
Phone: (513) 662-6223
Mail: 4375 Airymont Ct. Cincinnati, OH 45211
FAX: (513) 863-6677
E-Mail: dfessel@one.net
WWW: http://www.roswell.base.org
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Date: Sun, 11 May 1997 18:48:12 -0400 (EDT)
From: "JOHN B. WELLS" <jbwell01@morehead-st.edu>
Subject: farewell
Just wanted to say goodbye to you guys. I'm off to grad school, and will
try to reconnect when I'm set up there, but for the interim, I must leave
the list. Keep it positive, keep it happy, but most of all, just keep it
going. Hopefully there will be a few fans in Mississippi. Ah, anyway,
I'm getting all teary-eyed, so I'd better be off. Take care armchairities...
JBW
"Well I've seen some old friends sort of die or just turn into whatever
must have been inside them..."--BFF
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Date: Sun, 11 May 1997 23:05:55 GMT
From: Ross Smith <rossmegs@powerup.com.au>
Subject: Re: Magical Armchair Digest V1 #296
unsubscribe !!!!!!
take me off this list PLEASE !!!!
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End of Magical Armchair Digest V1 #297
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