From: owner-ammf-digest@smoe.org (alt.music.moxy-fruvous digest) To: ammf-digest@smoe.org Subject: alt.music.moxy-fruvous digest V1 #298 Reply-To: ammf@smoe.org Sender: owner-ammf-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-ammf-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk alt.music.moxy-fruvous digest Friday, August 14 1998 Volume 01 : Number 298 Today's Subjects: ----------------- RE: Drinking Song (was Re: FAQ) ["Nowik, George" ] Re: Fruvous License Plates [jenncyn@aol.com (JennCyn)] Re: SneakPeek summary for alt.music.moxy-fruvous for 8/14/1998 [Marty Bla] Re: Books for Frutripping? [ceelove@ibm.net (Colleen Campbell)] Frequently Asked Questions (version 3, 8/13/98) [ceelove@ibm.net (Colleen] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 14 Aug 1998 16:26:29 GMT From: "Nowik, George" Subject: RE: Drinking Song (was Re: FAQ) > ---------- > From: Chad Schrock[SMTP:chad@radix.net] > Subject: Re: Drinking Song (was Re: FAQ) > > I haven't been luck enough to see them perform this in concert > (darn it!), but, depending on my mood, I get teary when listening > to it on Live Noise. > > (And, sometimes, to the "Gulf War Song" from Bargainville too.) > > i know that feeling, chad. all too well. although i find myself too busy singing along to gulf war song and drinking song to actually get teary eyed. however, if anyone puts 'fly' on for any reason, i start to choke up. i cannot listen to that song all the way through without having "that feeling" in my throat... it just hits too hard i guess.. -= norg =- ------------------------------ Date: 14 Aug 1998 16:32:09 GMT From: jenncyn@aol.com (JennCyn) Subject: Re: Fruvous License Plates > Well, I don't know if that'd be *more* accurate...*cough* > Or, you could get "ALT0252" because that's how you type one on the puter. Or the much easier to type "OPTIONU." - - jenn, apparently the token Mac user in this thread :) (...of course, you'd actually have to hit the U key twice, but the license plate limit is seven letters, so what the hell.) ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 14 Aug 1998 11:35:55 -0500 From: Marty Blase Subject: Re: SneakPeek summary for alt.music.moxy-fruvous for 8/14/1998 Fred the Eternal Snail wrote: > > sneakpeek@talkway.com dazzled us with the following: > : This message summarizes the most popular threads in this newsgroup. > > Um, okay. This is kinda neat, but what the f**d is happening? And, > just out of curiosity, did we somehow sign up for this service that > makes it possible to read parts of postings we've already read? It's advertising for some sort of service -- I saw it on another rec.arts.* newsgroup just today, too. As near as I can tell, it's just accurate enough to be completely useless to a group like this one. - - Blaze: fillin' in the details ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 14 Aug 1998 17:05:21 GMT From: ceelove@ibm.net (Colleen Campbell) Subject: Re: Books for Frutripping? On 14 Aug 1998 12:19:28 GMT, Revell Sara E <4ser4@qlink.queensu.ca> wrote: >aeves@alpha.confederationc.on.ca wrote: >: Any other suggestions? :) >: Drea > >Well, it seems a little obvious, but how bout following the list of >authors in MBLABA? Has anyone ever attempted it (on purpose, not just >having read the books before) - come on admit it.... A while back--maybe a year ago--a guy posted saying he had given his girlfriend one book by each author, or perhaps that he hadn't been able to find anything by some of the authors and was looking for help. I think he was stuck on Burton (which is misspelled, it's "Berton" I believe), whose work I've never been able to locate either. I haven't deliberately read one book of each, but MBLABOA did turn me on to Jane Rule (in the indie tape version of the song) (ironic, given my, um, proclivities, that Fruvous had to point her out to me), Robertson Davies, bell hooks (read an essay, actually), Solzhenitzyn, Michael Ondaatje (*loved* The English Patient, both book, movie, & soundtrack), and Love in the Time of Cholera, though I didn't like 100 Years of Solitude so well, by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Almost anything by Margaret Atwood will be good. I'd already read Doris Lessing, and for any that attempt her, I'd suggest The Golden Notebook--if for nothing else, than the STUNNINGLY brilliant introduction to the later editions. There's a paragraph there about indoctrination that I used to quote wholesale about higher education. Anyway, unsurprisingly, I'm a voracious reader but I can rarely dredge up to mind more than the last two or three "absolutely loved" books, as I'm always in a dilemma over which of the next 83 on my "gimme gimme" list to tackle next. Long-term loves would be Aldous Huxley (Brave New World being my all-time favorite book), John Steinbeck, Tom Robbins, Jane Austen, Virginia Woolf, Toni Morrison, a slew of old, nostalgic sf/fantasy writers (Orson Scott Card, Stephen R. Donaldson, and Robin McKinley would top that list, though of course Douglas Adams, Tolkien, and C.S. Lewis are the classics to me), John Irving, Roddy Doyle (a Dubliner--grab The Barrytown Trilogy for an embarrassingly hearty laugh), and Ferrol Sams (a Southern writer; c'mon, I *was* brought up in Alabama). I still love my children's lit (just read The Black Cauldron yesterday for the first time); Meredith Ann Pierce, Michael Ende (Neverending Story), Peter S. Beagle (The Last Unicorn), and Madeleine L'Engle. For poetry, my favorites are Sharon Olds and Robert Frost. And I admit to loving graphic novels and comic books: Strangers in Paradise, Transmetropolitan, The Preacher, The Books of Magic, Tank Girl, The Maxx, Sandman, and of course The Watchmen. Recent recommendations? I just finished She's Come Undone, by Wally Lamb, and I can hardly load it down with enough superlatives to do it justice. What a witty, sensitive, human, flesh-and-blood book! Dangerous Liasons (however it's spelled in the original French) is just as satisfying as the movie, though of course more "preachy," given that it was written last century. I really enjoyed Russell Banks's The Sweet Hereafter, much more than I did the movie. A. S. Byatt's novella Angels and Insects blew me away with its imagery and sardonic symbolism. Thomas Wolfe's You Can't Go Home Again amazed me with how well it transcended time and place--it was just as relevant today as when it was written half a century ago. And, not for the faint of heart, I found Neale Donald Walsh's Conversations With God intriguing, challenging, and compelling. I've also just read some history, psychology, and physics, but I won't even go there. . . And yes, I never go *anywhere* without at least one piece of reading material; usually two and occasionally three. ceecee (traisping off to the library now, no surprise there), who clearly has more free time than anyone else she's ever met. .. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 13 Aug 1998 02:50:07 GMT From: ceelove@ibm.net (Colleen Campbell) Subject: Frequently Asked Questions (version 3, 8/13/98) Okee, guys. Here it is, the long-promised, brand-spanking-new FAQ. Please keep in mind that this is the product of one person's labor and therefore one person's opinions, biases, errors, and omissions (as well as one person's procrastinations). If you find mistakes in here, they're mine; if you think this thing is too representative of one particular mindset and it's not addressing the kind of questions *you* have, that's why. That's also a reason to recommend new questions for the next reposting. Now that I've completed it (difficult this first time, as my own work was wiped out when the computer was swiped), it should be easier to update and repost, and hopefully we won't have a slew of the same questions again, the way we've had in the last couple of months. Upshot is, you're welcome to poke me to update and repost this thing more regularly. Thanks for any input. ceecee - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Frequently Asked Questions Updates for August 1998: Many answers were altered slightly to reflect changes in the webpages, but if you've read the FAQ before and frequently read alt.music.moxy-fruvous, I wouldn't recommend skimming the old text for the changes. Questions #4, #9, #12, #15, #17, #19, and #21 were significantly altered. Questions #26-31 were added. Questions in this FAQ: 1. Who is Moxy Fruvous? 2. What does "Moxy Fruvous" mean? 3. What albums does Moxy Fruvous have out? 4.* Why aren't all the albums in stores? Where are they available? 5. What if I can't get any of the albums at stores? 6. Where can I get a copy of "Green Eggs and Ham"? 7. Where can I find the lyrics to "Johnny Saucep'n," "Your New Boyfriend," etc? 8. Where can I get translations of the French songs? 9.* I'm trying to figure out the notation for vocal parts or tablatures for Fruvous songs. Can anyone help me? What about sound samples? 10. What's the song that they perform with the refrain, "Hey little bird, fly away home"? 11. Who is Larry Boniface Clebdon? Who is Barry? 12.* Who is Lazlo? What's a Laika? 13. What happened to Jean? Who's this "Jian" guy who seems to have joined the band? How do you pronounce that? 14. Is Dave gay? bisexual? Is Jian? 15.* What is the "Fruhead Card"? What's the "Frumiles Card"? 16. What's this "moxychat"/IRC/#MoxyFruvous that people rave about? How do I join? 17.* Why do I only get a portion of posts to the group? How do I get what's missing? Is there a mailing list digest of the posts to the group? 18. Why is alt.fan.moxy.fruvous so little in use? Why can't I get alt.music.moxy-fruvous? 19.* What is the "newsgroup pin"? 20. Where is the band currently touring? 21.* What other bands might a fan of Fruvous be interested in? 22. There seems to be frequent mention of taping at Fruvous shows. What's the band's policy on that? 23. Is it a female voice or Mike's voice during the intro to the studio version of "Green Eggs and Ham"? Who says "Swing it" on the studio version of "Gotta Get a Message to You'"? 24. What happened to Josh Cragun's and Bill Bowen's webpages? 25. Why does the band tour more in the United States than in Canada lately? 26.* Is there any connection between Moxy Fruvous and the soft drink Moxie? 27.* Is there any connection between _You Will Go to the Moon_ and the children's book of the same name? 28.* Is the "lowest highest point" really in Delaware? 29.* I ordered my merchandise four weeks ago from Fruvous and I haven't received it yet. What gives? 30.* Which of the band members writes which song? Do they collaborate? 31.* Do the band members read the newsgroup? *significantly changed or a new question 1. Who is Moxy Fruvous? "Coming from Canada," a Toronto-based quartet of singer-songwriters who double as political satirists, comedians, social commentators, etc. The band includes Mike Ford--guitar, harmonica, and vocals; Murray Foster--bass and vocals; Jian Ghomeshi--drums, percussion, and vocals; and Dave Matheson--guitar, accordian, banjo, keyboards, and vocals. They've been playing together as a group since about 1990 and are known for their experimentation, dabbling in genres from barbershop quartet to grunge, retro rock to rap, ballads to Saturday morning cartoons. 2. What does "Moxy Fruvous" mean? Nothing. Nada. Zilch. Anything you want it to. "What is the sound of one hand clapping?" It's a couple of nonsense words, two great tastes that taste great together, a happy coincidence, a fun sound, and--to fans' everlasting delight--some gibberish that lends itself imminently to wordplay. If you ask Fruvous what their name means, you're likely to get a strange look (or several) or a cryptic reply. 3. What albums does Moxy Fruvous have out? The indie tape, eponymously named, 1992; _Bargainville_, 1993 (Atlantic 82563-2); _Wood_, 1995 (WEA CD 10616); _The B Album_ (EP length), 1996 (WEA CD 14187); _You Will Go to the Moon_, 1997 (Bottom Line Records VEL 7301-2); _Live Noise_, 1998 (Bottom Line Records 63440-47304-2). 4.* Why aren't all the albums in stores? Where are they available? The indie tape is no longer in production; there were a limited number produced (something over 50,000), and you'll be lucky to get your mitts on a copy. Grubbing around in used music stores in Canada is your best bet. Begging and offering large amounts of money might work, but it's doubtful. You're more likely to find someone to copy the album for you, if you offer your firstborn child in return-or just ask nicely. A mint condition copy is also currently a prize offered for 2500 Frumiles (i.e., 25 stamps from Fruvous shows). _Bargainville_, released by Warner, is widely available in Canada; in America, it was released in 1994 by Atlantic and is carried by many major music chains. _Wood_ was released by Warner in Canada but has never been released in America. Some music chains do carry it; ask about specific cities, to find if anyone in your area has located it or from whom you can order it. Bottom Line Records is planning to release it in America soon, so it should be more readily available. _The B Album_ was originally self-promoted, but Warner has picked it up in Canada. It also has never been released in America, but sightings have been made in American stores. Bottom Line Records also has it on the books for release in America. _You Will Go to the Moon_ was released by Warner in Canada. In America, it is the first release of fledgling independent label Bottom Line Records. _Live Noise_, just out this past May, is another album released by Warner in Canada and Bottom Line Records in America. It is distributed by BMG and therefore is available in most major music chains. 5. What if I can't get any of the albums at stores? If you can't find their albums in your area and Fruvous doesn't tour where you live, you can contact Moxy Fruvous Headquarters at moxy@passport.ca or write them at 1488 Queen Street West P.O. Box 90005 Toronto, Ontario Canada M6K 1M2 6. Where can I get a copy of "Green Eggs and Ham"? A studio recording of "Green Eggs and Ham" is no longer available. It was the one of the six tracks on the indie tape that was not re-recorded for _Bargainville_. It was also included as a hidden track on a three-song "sampler" tape Fruvous offered after Bargainville was released. They will probably never record it again, though: hearsay is that some of the Dr. Seuss's muck-de-muck lawyers had problems with it. Odds being against your finding the indie or sampler tape, your best bet is to ask someone to copy it for you. Fruvous generally performs it at almost every show, though, sometimes segueing into a short version from "King of Spain" and sometimes performing the full version, complete with costumes and props. 7. Where can I find the lyrics to "Johnny Saucep'n," "Your New Boyfriend," etc? Johnny Saucep'n being the most-requested song lyrics on this newsgroup, here they are in full: Well, he was just some Johnny Saucep'n When he walked into that kitchen And the chef picked up the odor And put down his Solzhenitsyn He said, "Make yourself at home, boy, I just prewarmed all the griddles You got twenty minutes, starting now, To make some gourmet victuals." Basil endive parmesan shrimp Live lobster hamster Worcester Muenster Caviar radicchio snow pea scampi Roquefort meat squirt blue beef red alert Pork hocs side flanks canteloupe sheep shanks Provolone flat bread goat's head soup Gruyere cheese angel hair please And a vichyssoise and a cabbage and a crawfish claws Sure he was just some Johnny Saucep'n When he walked into that kitchen But his genius with the foodstuffs Got the old chef's taste buds itchin' Johnny Saucep'n bought the restaurant And the chef came all unglued But there'll always be a lineup For that strange and wonderful food For other lyrics, try FDC, the webpage maintained by Chris O'Malley and the virtual treasure trove of All Things Fruvous. He's got all the lyrics, insofar as he and others have been able to decipher them, typed in and attributed to the appropriate singer. He's also got lyrics to songs Fruvous has covered in the past (things like "The Mary Ellen Carter" and "Oliver's Army"), early Fruvous songs (such as "The Ballad of Marion Fruvous"), and even lyrics to the songs they put into medleys ("Signed, Sealed, Delivered"). The address, simply enough, is http://www.fruvous.com 8. Where can I get English translations of the French songs? These pop up from time to time: several people have tried their hand and put the results on alt.music.moxy-fruvous. Chris has collected a couple of "Morphee" on FDC, and at least one of "Nuits de Reve." 9.* I'm trying to figure out the notation for vocal parts or tablatures for Fruvous songs. Can anyone help me? What about sound samples? Yep. FDC has guitar tabs, sheet music, etc, compiled under "Moxy's Music." Be aware that for the most part, these are people's individual interpretations, not from published music. "The Greatest Man in America" did appear in Sing Out! magazine in the fall of '96, though. One of the prizes for the current Frumiles card is also a "campfire songbook," promising a collection of songs with complete lyrics and chords. Once you hit 1500 Frumiles, you can tell all the rest of us what the lyrics and chords *really* are. FDC has sounds samples under "Multi-Media." For links to other soundbytes, check out http://www.cdnow.com/ http://www.musicblvd.com/ http://www.columbiahousecanada.com 10. What's the song that they perform with the refrain, "Hey little bird, fly away home"? Tom Waits' "Jockey Full of Bourbon." The original lyrics are on FDC. There's now a version on _Live Noise_. 11. Who is Larry Boniface Clebdon? Who is Barry? LBC, as he is sometimes known, is the "budgie dog" who appears on the front of _Bargainville_, among other places. Barry is the yellow budgie-dog-like creature on the back of _The B Album_, among other places. They and their siblings are drawn by Mike and tend to appear randomly on albums and merchandise. 12.* Who is Lazlo? What's a Laika? Lazlo is John Shotwell, Fruvous' old soundman, with them through the end of 1996 and rejoining them briefly in the summer of '97. "Lazlo" is said to be either a nickname Fruvous gave him or his professional name. They've also been heard to say that the name refers to a sprite. After John, Trevor joined the band for a few months in the spring and summer of '97, and Cal, who predates John, rejoined them after John's summer stint. Laika was a stray dog sent up in a Russian space-flight experiment--one of many, actually. She did indeed "burn up on re-entry," as the shuttle wasn't equipped to land again. 13. What happened to Jean? Who's this "Jian" guy who seems to have joined the band? How do you pronounce that? Jian Ghomeshi's name was originally spelled this way. When his family moved to Canada in his youth, his mother changed it to "Jean," perhaps because it seemed easier to pronounce that way; but it's always been, officially, "Jian" (including on his driver's license), his friends have always known him as "Jian," and he's been spelling it "Jian" across the board for about three years now. Jian's heritage is Persian (Iranian). It's not possibly to exactly reproduce the phonetic sound of his name in English letters, but "ZHEE-on" comes closest. 14. Is Dave gay? bisexual? Is Jian? None of your business. :) Fruvous has, it seems, increasingly engaged in "homosexual" banter at shows, such as Dave offering to take off his pants for Jian after a show. The other members of Moxy Fruvous frequently tease Dave onstage about proclivities other than strictly heterosexual. "Lee," from _You Will Go to the Moon_, is sung by Dave and can be interpreted to be voiced by a gay man to a lover dying of AIDS. Jian frequently dons a bright orange shirt proclaiming "I dig your boyfriend" for shows; he also alters lyrics, such as saying "I was looking straight" instead of "straight ahead" in "My Baby Loves a Bunch of Authors." However, Fruvous is known to be supportive of many liberal causes, and their references to alternative sexual orientations could just as well be considered to indicate comfort with their own heterosexuality. As Dave's and Jian's sexual preferences are not something either has ever publicly and officially declared, they are not something we care to hazard or state for them. 15.* What is the "Fruhead Card"? What's the "Frumiles Card"? Fruvous is aware of and frequently acknowledges their follow-band status. In the Fruvous Quill #9 (their mailing list fan club newsletter, also on file on FDC), they instituted the Fruhead Card, a means of keeping track of the number of shows a fan has attended. It ran through December 1997 and was stamped and dated at the merchandise table at a show. After three stamps, the fan received a pin; at six, a t-shirt signed by Fruvous (not available for purchase); at twelve, a compilation of their videos (including "King of Spain," "My Baby Loves a Bunch of Authors," "Stuck in the Nineties," "Fell in Love," "Down >From Above," "Fly," and "Get in the Car"); at eighteen, a song composed, recorded, and mailed to him or her by the band; at twenty-four, an all-expense-paid bowling trip with Fruvous; at thirty, a dinner-and-dancing date with Dave; at thirty-six, dinner and dancing with Mike, Jian, or Murray; and at fifty, theoretically, a Fruvous ass-brand administered by the band. None of the songs have yet reached the fans-about forty-who obtained eighteen stamps (though several people have been told that their songs are completed). About twenty people reached the twenty-four stamp mark and many of them went on a bowling trip with Fruvous during the First Annual Fruhead Convention (FruCon) held in Toronto this past February. The dinner dates haven't materialized and seem to be in permanent rain check mode (no figures available on how many people reached each of those marks). Two people, though, reached the fifty-stamp mark; one of them declined the fleshly acknowledgement of his accomplishment, but the other, Chris O'Malley, received a tattoo of the budgie dog (paid for by Fruvous), on camera (and broadcast on Canadian television), right where it was stipulated. The Frumiles Card is the current reincarnation, instituted in Fruvous Quill #12. The system of rewards is similar, but one must accumulate Frumiles and "spend" them, instead of simply receiving the prize after X number of shows. The prizes this time are a Fruvous key fob at 300 miles, pin at 500, racing cap at 1000, campfire songbook at 1500, mint condition indie cassette at 2500, and bowling with the band and "treats" at 3000. 16. What's this "moxychat"/IRC/#MoxyFruvous that people rave about? How do I join? An IRC channel exists for discussion about Fruvous and interaction of their fans. Find it on fine Undernet servers everywhere, channel name #moxyfruvous. The official meeting time is at Wednesday at 8 p.m. EST (and these sessions often last several hours, up until after 1 a.m.), but fans can often be found there at almost any time now. For more information, check FDC: http://www.fruvous.com/irc.html 17.* Why do I only get a portion of posts to the group? How do I get what's missing? Is there a mailing list digest of the posts to the group? Your server probably doesn't have a stable newsfeed, and there's simply nothing you can do about that. Tough. ;) And no, there isn't a Santa Claus, Virginia But, lucky you, the mailing list is indeed up and running. Many thanks to Ofer Inbar, Jason Reiser, Rob Johnson, and others for their work in creating and setting it up. It became operational in June. To quote Ofer, In order to subscribe, just send a message with a blank subject and the single word "subscribe" (without quotes) in the body to ammf-request@fruvous.com. The list processer will pick up your email address from the From: line and send you a confirmation request. You must reply to the confirmation request in order to be added to the list. When you are added to the list, you will receive additional information about it by email. You can either subscribe in normal form, which was detailed above, or digest form, which will send you one message a day containing all the posts to a.m.m-f for the day. To do this, place "subscribe ammf-digest" in the body of the message, instead of "subscribe." For more information, check out http://www.smoe.org/lists/ammf.info You can also seek the posts elsewhere on the net. DejaNews is an excellent source, often getting the posts within several hours of posting time. It allows users to post from DejaNews as well. Find it at http://www.dejanews.com NewsGuy costs $19 a year to join up, but it's reliable and filters out spam for you; the specific address you want for this group is http://www.newsguy.com Other possible URLs where you can look for the posts to this group are http://www.billyboard.com/Newsreading/NewsGroupPages/news.billyboard.com/alt.music.moxy-fruvous http://cgi.feedme.org/cgi-bin/feedme/subjects?alt.music.moxy-fruvous http://www.UsenetChannel.com/usenet/alt.music.moxy-fruvous/ 18. Why is alt.fan.moxy.fruvous so little in use? Why can't I get alt.music.moxy-fruvous? Few people's servers carry a.f.m.f., but it's a group in the alt.hierarchy, so it can't be removed--just hangs around like leftovers in your fridge. Those in a.m.m-f frequently encourage people who post in a.f.m.f to come over, because the vast majority of the activity occurs on a.m.m-f. If you aren't getting a.m.m-f, try requesting that your server add it on. Badger them mercilessly. It's worth it. ;) 19.* What is the "newsgroup pin"? Alt.music.moxy-fruvous is a pretty cohesive fan group and many of us have developed a taste for meeting up with each other at Fruvous shows. To identify each other, we came up with the a.m.m-f pin, distributed by Vicky Brasseur to those who send her an SASE. There are a limited quantity out there, though, so speak up if you want one. If you can't get one in time for a show (or at all), look for Fruheads wearing a 2" white pin with black lettering, "alt.music.moxy-fruvous" on the top, "have modem - will travel" on the bottom, with the "Barry" creature (from the back of _The B Album_) in the center in full color. As a bit of an addendum, the newsgroup pin seems to be in less use than it was during '97. Many of the newsgroup regulars became very familiar with each other in that period and identification pins became rather extraneous. There are a *lot* of new a.m.m-f'ers out there, though, and it would probably help us all meet each other if we kept the pin in common use. There's also been a recent proposal on #MoxyFruvous that we renew the pin but include IRC'ers as well. Adam Hartfield has volunteered to spearhead making a new pin; contact him at adam.hartfield@dev.artioslink.com to show support, ask questions, or help in the development of the pin. 20. Where is the band currently touring? This FAQ wasn't designed to be updated frequently, but FDC is up-to-the-day, normally, with information about dates, venues, phone numbers, and occasionally even directions to the shows: look under "Tour Dates." Fruvous has played in England, Scotland, and Denmark in the past, and they have made trips to California, Texas, and Colorado, but for the most part, they play closer to their home base in Toronto. They tour across Canada and have a fairly well-established following throughout the northeastern and midwestern U.S. 21.* What other bands might a fan of Fruvous be interested in? Early in their career, Fruvous was frequently compared with fellow Canadian indie band Barenaked Ladies: both are famed for excellent concerts, both topped the indie charts and then went on to sign large record deals, and both have varied and "quirky" musical styles. The two have diverged largely in the last few years, and few people think them very similar anymore; but many followers of one band enjoy music by the other. They Might Be Giants fans also have quite a bit of reciprocity with Fruvous fans. The question frequently comes up of whether Fruvous are TMBG fans; the answer is clearly "yes," as members of the band have been known to spout random TMBG lines and make up songs from TMBG tunes (particularly "Particle Man"). They joined forces with Da Vinci's Notebook (http://www.davincisnotebook.com) to cover "Shoehorn With Teeth" on DVN's album _Bendy's Law_. Fruheads tend to have diverse tastes, not easily pigeonholed; you'll catch a mention of Bela Fleck in one thread, XTC in another, Salamander Crossing here and Beethoven there. Other artists you might now and again hear discussion of on this newsgroup include-but obviously aren't limited to- Eddie From Ohio, a female-fronted quartet from Virginia, intelligent and unusual themes, strong harmonies, good use of harmonica and bass; http://www.efohio.com/ Ben Folds Five, a piano/bass/percussion alterna-rock trio, a favorite of Murray and Jian; http://www.epiccenter.com/EpicCenter/Benfoldsite/index.qry?artistid=274 Dan Bern, a powerful, sardonic, no-holds-barred folk-punk artist, mutually admired by Fruvous and frequently called the "Bob Dylan of the nineties"; http://www.eskimo.com/~wyiwndr/dan_bern.html yeP!, a Massachusetts-based funk-rock/bluegrass/jazz band who have played with Fruvous frequently, now on extended hiatus; http://www.cs.umass.edu/~jg/yep.html The Nields, a Western Massachusetts alterna-folk-rock group, fronted by Katryna Nields, who toured with Fruvous during the spring of '97 and who share the stage with Fruvous this coming October; http://www.ntplx.net/~senft/nields/nwhomepa.html Jim's Big Ego, a Boston punk-rap-acoustic-folk-satire caffeine-laced trio fronted by Jim Infantino; http://www.bigego.com Arrogant Worms, a popular Canadian acoustic humor band, very silly; http://www.cyberus.ca/~jeffmay/worms/worms.htm Great Big Sea, a Canadian pop-Celtic group, now breaking into the U.S. market and admired for their energy and Maritime themes; http://www.greatbigsea.com Tory Cassis, friend/co-writer with the band, a Canadian acoustic/blues artist whose debut album is long-awaited. The band admires the Beatles, Stevie Wonder and Elvis Costello; Jian has been known to plug the Talking Heads; Mike admires the Rheostatics; and Dave--well, Dave knows everything by everyone. 22. There seems to be frequent mention of taping at Fruvous shows. What's the band's policy on that? Well, obviously, we respect Fruvous's right to their own music and performances, and we would not tape against their wishes. One should ask the band about taping. Asking the soundman or Dave Tobey (the road manager) is also acceptable and often easier than locating one of Fruvous before a show. Cal, the current soundman, has been known to be very helpful in getting soundboard feeds. There are currently two "tape tree" recordings in existence. The first, disseminating a show from the Iron Horse in Northampton, August of 1995, was run by John Greene. The second, taped in New York City in December of 1996, was run by Jason Reiser. Both shows are widely available; ask for them, and you'll likely get a friendly Fruhead to tape one for you. There are, of course, many other bootlegs available, and many people are eager to trade or acquire them, so keep your eyes open and feel free to ask if you're looking for a particular show for your own, personal, use. 23. Is it a female voice or Mike's voice during the intro to the studio version of "Green Eggs and Ham"? Who says "Swing it" on the studio version of "Gotta Get a Message to You'"? Jian has let slip that it is not a male voice singing the scat intro to "Green Eggs and Ham," so we can rule out Mike as a possibility (unless there's been some significant surgery that we haven't been told about), but we don't know who does sing it. The voice saying "Swing it" is that of Mike's wife, Terri. 24. What happened to Josh Cragun's and Bill Bowen's webpages? Bill Bowen's, known also as the "Fruvous Supplement," lost webspace quite a while ago. He has since allowed Chris O'Malley to include his webpage on FDC. Josh Cragun's, which was originally the "official" Fruvous homepage but hadn't been updated in over a year, disappeared over a year ago. The jcragun account was removed from the server, possibly because Josh is no longer at school. Chris has, however, moved some of the articles, lyrics, etc from those pages to FDC. 25. Why does the band tour more in the United States than in Canada lately? Whooboy. Touchy question, but one that deserves at least an attempt at an answer on a FAQ, as it's been a frequently-asked-and-endlessly-discussed question on the newsgroup. Thus, a caveat: the writer of this FAQ, like the people reading it, is a person with an opinion which is informed by the facts she has gathered (definitely not all the facts on the matter which exist) and which does not necessarily represent the only answer or even the correct answer, if there is one. If you find this answer demeaning, offensive, or incorrect, please remember that it is not intended to be so and may not address your personal experience or beliefs in the matter. Given that, then: Fruvous is a band which had what Murray has called "meteoric" popularity in Canada with their indie tape and Bargainville: the former went gold and the latter went platinum. They covered Canada thoroughly on their "Bargainville" tour, but barely dipped into their southern neighbor, even in 1994, when the album was released in the States. Their following at the time, though, wasn't one known for longevity of interest or loyalty, consisting at least in part of "teenyboppers" who were more attracted to Fruvous' novelty work. Songs like "King of Spain" received a lot more attention than songs like "Fell in Love" did. In the States, though, there was little media attention to or radio play from Bargainville, so when the album was heard, it was probably taken more as a whole, novelty and serious songs both. When Wood came out, the media machine didn't go into play as it had before in Canada, nor was audience response the same: the album hit only #35, Fruvous was playing to much smaller crowds, and there was little notice of it by critics, as there had been for Bargainville. In short, Fruvous probably felt like Canadian audiences had rejected it. In the States, although the album wasn't released, the songs from it were received as "another side of Fruvous" during concerts: audiences tended to have fewer expectations about Fruvous' "novelty" work than in Canada. So Fruvous built up a stronger base of support while touring to promote Wood in America. Canadian media and audiences don't seem to be as aware that Fruvous is group of evolution and experimentation, that they are not just "the band who went platinum back in '94"; meanwhile, in the States, the response to and coverage of Fruvous has been increasing since then. And America is a relatively new and fertile ground to till, for them: a place where they're still forging a name for themselves and can attract a new following, which is important for a band of their stature to do. They have been well-received at even the largest folk festivals in America, selling out of albums at both Falcon Ridge Folk Festival and Philly Folk Festival. This is not to say that they aren't appreciated in Canada (Dave reports that both nations are "duly impressed" with the latest album), or that this trend of fewer concerts there will continue indefinitely: just that Fruvous seems to be responding to their increasing popularity in the States by "giving the people what they ask for." 26.* Is there any connection between Moxy Fruvous and the soft drink Moxie? Nope. In fact, the guys have made derogatory remarks about the drink. Don't expect any cross-over advertising campaigns any time soon. Nor is there any connection between the '70's group Moxie, the 90's group Moxy, or the (new to this writer) group Mox. 27.* Is there any connection between _You Will Go to the Moon_ and the children's book of the same name? Yah. Dave has said that he wrote the song as a bit of homage to the book. We don't know if it's still in print, though. 28.* Is the "lowest highest point" really in Delaware? No, it turns out that even Fruvous is capable of spreading misinformation. Gordon Elgart provides the correct statistics and the explanation for us: The lowest highest point is Florida, 345 feet in Walton County. The lowest *mean* elevation is Delaware at 60 feet The trivial pursuit card places Delaware at the lowest highest elevation of 60 feet. That is the mean elevation, thus the obvious error on the Trivial Pursuit card. The question should have said "Which U.S. state has the lowest mean elevation of 60 feet?" Horn Abbot was not famous for its editing ability. 29.* I haven't or ordered my merchandise four weeks ago from Fruvous and I haven't received it yet. What gives? Welcome to the world of shipping. Most ordering services stipulate that you'll receive your order within six to eight weeks, and Fruvous is no different. It'll take up to a week to receive your order, a few more weeks to get it processed and shipped back, and then a week or two more to receive your package. If you're concerned, though, that your merchandise seems to be taking an abnormally long time, you'd do well to contact Jude at MFHQ and ask her yourself. She's very busy, so if you need a quick reply, a call to (416) 368-5599 will probably yield better results than attempting to resolve the situation via email. 30.* Which of the band members writes which song? Do they collaborate? Each of the band members is a songwriter in his own right, and some of the songs are collaborations. It would take too long to list which songs were the product of whose minds, nor are all of the songs' authors known, and the band seems to like to keep that, among many other things, in doubt. A few examples, though, are that "Greatest Man in America" is a collaboration, "Fly" is Jian's, "Love Set Fire" is Murray's, "Down From Above" is Mike's, and "The Drinking Song," contrary to expectations, is Dave's. 31.* Do the band members read the newsgroup? Okay, technically this hasn't been a frequently asked question; but it's been a frequently voiced reminder, and it needs to be reinforced. Jian reads this newsgroup frequently and Mike and Murray have been known to skim it. When you post, please remember that the band themselves are present and have some consideration for them; at the very least, we suggest that you self-police your discussion of their private lives and offer any criticism in a constructive manner. This FAQ does not claim or attempt to address anything but the most basic of questions which you might have about Moxy Fruvous and the alt.music.moxy-fruvous newsgroup. There are also possibly errors contained herein: if you know, or even suspect, that an answer given is wrong, please feel free to followup this post or to write the author. There are many excellent websites out there, FDC being only one, and we encourage you to read there the history of the group; personal reviews of the concerts; articles on and interpretations of Fruvous's music, albums, and career; introductions and stories from other fans, and so on. We welcome questions, encourage posting, and hope to meet up with you at a show in the near future! ------------------------------ End of alt.music.moxy-fruvous digest V1 #298 ********************************************