THE MAGICAL ARMCHAIR
The Ben Folds Five Digest
Issue #880 - March 13, 1998
Magical Armchair Digest Friday, March 13 1998 Volume 01 : Number 880
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TOPICS IN THIS DIGEST:
Re: My final Opinion
For Those Of Ya'll...
(no subject)
Who's selling out?
Dawson
reaffirming my bff love
Random BFF Mention in EW
Dawson's Creek
B Bands
Symantics...
She's a "Brick...Head!"
HEY KATE WATKINS
Re: killer b's
Upon Drifting Off To Slumberland...
All is forgiven -Dave-O
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Thu, 12 Mar 1998 01:08:16 -0500 (EST)
From: "Christina M. Scarmeas" <15SCARMEAS@cua.edu>
Subject: Re: My final Opinion
Hey guys-
I totally agree with Ben Shapiro's philosophy on the band getting
popular. I think the same thing will happen to BF5 as what happened to
Sebadoh. I have loved Sebadoh for a really long time. Remember when
"Willing to Wait" was played like every five minutes last year? It's just
like "Brick" I think. All of us who love the Sebadohs and the Ben Folds
Fives will still go on loving them when they slip from the radio airplay
and go underground again.
Peace
Tina
******************************************************************************
Christina Scarmeas
Catholic University
Washington, DC
"I'm crazy, but I get the job done" Ben Folds Five
"Screw you guys, I'm going home...talking poo is where I draw the line" Cartman
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 12 Mar 1998 01:35:14 EST
From: FieryLox <FieryLox@aol.com>
Subject: For Those Of Ya'll...
Please, everyone go check out the lyrics for the song on this site! OH MY
GOSH! Too funny. "Facing your face"? Where on earth? Am I the only one who
thinks that Darren is saying "CEC" after Alan Wolmark? I think it's "CEC".
Not "See the CD's." Maybe.
"You may be right...I may be crazy. Hey! But it just may be a lunatic you're
looking for!"
Toodles!
Sara
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 12 Mar 1998 00:32:20 -0800
From: andy <thoma@unt.edu>
Subject: (no subject)
so, do we have any Dawson's Creek fans in here?
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 12 Mar 1998 00:53:12 -0800
From: andy <thoma@unt.edu>
Subject: Who's selling out?
I think if anyone is selling out, it's Godzilla himself. That ugly
bastard has been in so many movies that I don't think he really even
thought were that good.
I mean that guy, Godzilla, had some real integrity in the early days.
And the fans really seemed to love him for his sincerity. But after all
those movies...I just dont know. I truly believe that Godzilla should
have stayed underground with his previous career doing his little known
Japenese porn movies.
Thank you,
andy
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 12 Mar 1998 02:15:30 -0500 (EST)
From: Uncle Walter <sfrumkin@wam.umd.edu>
Subject: Dawson
That show Dawson's Creek has gone up in my book so much. I mean it's a
great show to begin with, but playing a song by bff. Wow. Also if
anybody else cares, earlier in the season they played a song by Barenaked
Ladies.
seth
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Money talks. I hate to listen. But lately it's been screaming in
my ear.
-Emaline (BF5)
Satan is my master. He has always been. He tells me what to do.
He buys my Metallica records for me. And sometimes I think...Thank you
very much. Satan is my master.
-Satan is my master (BF5)
Seth Frumkin sfrumkin@wam.umd.edu
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 11 Mar 1998 23:29:22 PST
From: "cynthia wang" <lemur2000@hotmail.com>
Subject: reaffirming my bff love
Hi y'all,
Haven't posted in eons, I know, but for some reason, I felt the need to
sort of articulate or hash out why I enjoy this band so much. (Warning:
medium long post)
>From the first time I caught "Underground" on the radio, BFF albums and
singles have given me nothing but utter, delirious happiness, even when
I'm listening to their more wistful tunes, such as "Boxing" or
"Cigarette." I think it's a combination of their musical craftsmanship,
evident joy in playing together and smart-as-all-hell lyrics, added with
the X factor that makes you totally crazy for a band. You'll have to
forgive me; this comes from a gal who hasn't gone so nuts for a group
since first hearing Crowded House.
But it's the little things, too, that make BFF special to me:
1. The drawn-out "Whoa-oh" before "It's four in the morning" in "Jackson
Cannery."
2. The mini piano-solo in "Where's Summer B.?" where Ben plays a little,
then sighs "Ahhhh", plays a little more, then kinda goes "hee-hee," then
before the "Ah-ah-ah-ah..." part, you can actually hear him sniff on the
CD, like he has a cold or something...that's great!!
3. The talking between stuff on both albums
4. The exuberance of "Kate" and acknowledgement of mix tapes as a
quality in a person
5. Being able to write a song like "Brick" from the male point of view
(like Squeeze's "Can of Worms," a song about a woman with kids after a
divorce, from the point of view of the new man in her life)
I got on the Armchair almost a year or more ago now, and no matter what
anyone says, it's always been kind of a hoot, even if I don't agree with
people or don't like the threads [as someone once pointed out, you can
just scroll by 'em]. As a relatively "old" person, I enjoy hearing about
Armchairites going through angst about not being able to go to a concert
because of a physics test or something -- it reminds me of when I was 13
and a fan of Duran Duran and tore my heart out over them (OK, laugh if
ya want).
Maybe because of my age I can say it would be OK, though unfortunate, if
I never catch BFF live again; I have at least once before, and I'll
always cherish the memory. To me, loving a band isn't how many times you
see them, how close you are to the stage or how many singles and
bootlegs you collect (though, of course, there's nothing wrong with
those things), it's how the music affects your life, and your ears, when
you hear it. Everyone enjoys music differently.
For that reason, I will still be excited to hear "Brick" on the radio
when it comes on for the umpteenth time, and I will still be excited to
hear a passer-by drop the group's name. By the same token, I encourage
parodies such as the "Godzilla" one, or "negative" talk, because it's
someone expressing how passionately BFF makes them feel, one way or the
other.
It's funny. I always thought "selling out" was not a matter of money or
popularity but of a group or singer setting aside their creativity or
mission just to make-do. Kinda like Rod Stewart when he started singing
all the ballady "Forever Young" stuff. In that sense, I don't think BFF
has "sold out." Not when they still write stuff like "Emaline"!
OK. I'm done now. I'll go back to lurking. Thanks for listening, and
thanks, Frank, for the Armchair.
Cynthia
______________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 12 Mar 1998 02:53:04 -0500 (EST)
From: cheesy poof <KDEMCAK@WELLESLEY.EDU>
Subject: Random BFF Mention in EW
The cover story in Entertainment Weekly this week is Celine Dion's Titanic
song, and in the middle of the article, there's this interesting paragraph.
"Even at the Libertyville,
Ill.-based Dog Ear Records, which
specializes in alt-rock, Titanic is outselling
Pearl Jam and Ben Folds Five by a margin
of four to one."
Any writer who seems surprised that Celine can outsell BFF is wonderful in
my eyes.
They also mentioned that Sony offered Beck $500,000 to do a song for the
Godzilla soundtrack but he refused. Interesting information.
Also, the concert board here told me that they contacted BFF's agent about
performing, but that they wouldn't be starting touring until May 7. So
there's the date the spring tour will probably begin.
__________________
Katy Demcak
kdemcak@wellesley.edu http://wilbur.wellesley.edu/a-m/kdemcak/kdemcak.html
"And as I'm growing older I'm bored/I remember when misery thrilled me much
more" -- Video, BFF
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 12 Mar 1998 17:58:02 +1000
From: "Grover" <grover@powerup.com.au>
Subject: Dawson's Creek
Hey Happy Seaters!
I just thought I'd express my amusement at the number of posts regarding
the "EVAPORATED WAS PLAYING AT THE END OF DAWSON"S CREEK!", partly because
I have no idea what on earth Dawson's Creek is... apart from a TV show, but
being far far away from the rest of the BFF world I guess it's not very
surprising.
I simply have one question, is this show any good? If yes, I'm glad BFF is
being played on something where people generally have good taste, & if no,
I'm a little worried at the number of people who were watching it closely
enough to notice the background music
bibi
Erin
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 11 Mar 1998 21:52:01 -0500
From: phaedonely@juno.com (J. M Donely)
Subject: B Bands
Best Kissers In The World (the name kicks ass)
Big Bad Voodoo Daddy
Boy Wonder
and the one, the only...
BEASTIE BOYS!!!!!
Im ALWAYS looking in either B or P for cds. P is for Portishead and Liz
Phair.
~Elisabeth
"All Liz Phair, all Liz Phair in love....."
_____________________________________________________________________
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Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com
Or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866]
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 12 Mar 1998 10:00:46 -0500 (EST)
From: marc s kaplan <mkap@wam.umd.edu>
Subject: Symantics...
You write:
>They have to do with a subject that has been
>very much talked about on the Armchair lately (see Subject). I think that
>selling out is making music for the money. That's my personal definition
>of it. And I DON'T think that Ben Folds Five is doing so.
I disagree with your definition of selling out. If a band is just making
music for the fun of it, you would never hear of them, because they would
have no shows, albums, t-shirts,etc. I think that when a band JUST makes
music for the money that could be a definition of selling out!
In my opnion, a better definition of selling out, is doing somthing which
you don't belive in (not being true to your self) for some kind of
reward (i.e money).
I do agree with you that BFF has not sold out. They are 3 guys trying to
make a living! Don't expect them to not take money that is being flashed
in their faces!! Ask your self what would you do, if you were given the
same opportunity???
I think that making/playing music for the enjoyment of it, and making
music for money are NOT mutually exclusive!!
By the way, .02 cents is not 2cents it is 2/100's of a cent.
I love symantics!!!
Peace (")
-/\/\arc
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 12 Mar 1998 08:05:18 -0800
From: Susan Park <susan@jetcity.com>
Subject: She's a "Brick...Head!"
Zoop Soul <ZoopSoul@aol.com> wrote:
> ... No,I'm Not A Brickhead...I'm A Battle Of
> Who Could Carelesshead.
Back to the "what should we call ourselves" question that came up several weeks ago. I
noticed that "brickhead" seems to be sticking.
Maybe BF5 should do a cover of "Brick House." That would be just too cute!
Personally, I'm disappointed "Fellow Folders" wasn't adopted, although I guess it does
sound a bit cult-ish! I'm just tired of all the names consisting of
"fill-in-the-blank"-heads.
Any other ideas?
Susan
Seattle
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 12 Mar 98 11:00:46 EST
From: "Emily Durand" <edurand@nunet.neu.edu>
Subject: HEY KATE WATKINS
Kate Watkins, I tried to send you the ROBERT SLEDGE INTERVIEW and your email
address just won't work. EMail me privately and I'll try to send it again.
IF ANYONE ELSE WANTS THE HILARIOUS ROBERT SLEDGE INTERVIEW:
email me for a transcript, or we can trade for a hard copy of the lame college
mag that carried this Pulitzer-winner.
Emily "You're Abe Froman? The sausage king of Chicago?"
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 12 Mar 1998 11:22:31 EST
From: Pianogtar <Pianogtar@aol.com>
Subject: Re: killer b's
In a message dated 98-03-11 22:57:24 EST, you write:
<< >Subject: The BEES ness
>>>Ben Folds Five
>>>Ben Harper
>>>Bogmen
>>>Built to Spill
>>>Buckley, Jeff
>>>Blues Traveler
>>>Beck
>Boo Radleys(one of the best bands EVER)
>Beautiful South(a little past their prime but genius just the same)
>Brendan Benson
>Belle And Sebastian
what, are the _beatles_ just too obvious to mention or something? and a
bunch of others (i'm guessing some might not go over well with this
audoience, but oh well) (my favorites have been _underscored_): black
crowes, _big black_, birthday party, bb king, belly, _breeders_, beastie
boys, _mission_of_burma_, _david_bowie_, bluetip, _bad_brains_, 3rd bass,
boogie down productions, blake babies, _blues_explosion_, the bad seeds,
bad company, frank black, bob marley, black 47, bone dry system, billy
joel, ...uhh, back, brahms, & _beethoven_. and of course billy idol.
can't forget billy idol. hehe...
there's one for you- how about some bff billy idol covers?
hehe... let's hear "rebel yell" on a piano...
...that would crack me up...
ok i'm done.
>>
don't forget the barenaked ladies, canada's finest rock group, dave-o I
forgive you, I undrestand how bad the pop culture sucks these days, too many
good bands that I hate right now are hated by me for no other reason than
radio plans to run them into the ground without realizing they are playing
them 10-20 times a day.
I hope that the airplay on brick will go down just a little bit so they can
release another single and it have some some decent airplay to it without
going overboard.
gdt
p.s. I never bomb anyone's mailbox, the idea of it is childish
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 12 Mar 1998 10:39:24 -0600 (CST)
From: Chris Larkin <clarkin@dante.creighton.edu>
Subject: Upon Drifting Off To Slumberland...
Last night, before my finals, I was desperately trying to get some sleep
when I popped in WEAE to sleep to. (Excellent Choice...)
And, as usually happens with me, when the CD stops, so do I. I woke up
right around the part where the guy, whoever he may be, says:
"I've got yer hidden track right here, pal. Listen, Ben Folds is a
F*ckin' Assh*l*."
Now, us of the devoted variety have all heard this before. (If you
haven't, it's right after "Evaporated" about a minute later...)
I've always wondered, who is this guy? What relation does this guy have
to.... anything?
Just another fine mess by:
Chris
\\|//
(o o) clarkin@dante.creighton.edu
- ------------oOOo-(_)-oOOo--------------------------------------------
"Seen it all, done it all, can't remember most of it."
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------
"But you just smile like a bank teller, blankly telling me
'Have a nice life.'"
-"Selfless, Cold, and Composed", Ben Folds Five
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 12 Mar 1998 14:13:45 -0000
From: "Ayel" <ayel@erols.com>
Subject: All is forgiven -Dave-O
Dave-O,
That was very big of you to publicly apologize like that. I have taken a =
vote and everyone here forgives you! Ben called and says he forgives you =
too! Now, everyone on this list needs to kiss and make-up.=20
Ayel the Dwarf=20
------------------------------
End of Magical Armchair Digest V1 #880
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