From: owner-ammf-digest@smoe.org (alt.music.moxy-fruvous digest) To: ammf-digest@smoe.org Subject: alt.music.moxy-fruvous digest V3 #1043 Reply-To: ammf@fruvous.com Sender: owner-ammf-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-ammf-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk alt.music.moxy-fruvous digest Monday, January 3 2000 Volume 03 : Number 1043 Today's Subjects: ----------------- [FAQ] alt.music.moxy-fruvous Frequently Asked Questions list (2/4) [Chad ] Sorry [Melanie ] [FAQ] alt.music.moxy-fruvous Frequently Asked Questions list (3/4) [Chad ] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 03 Jan 2000 14:27:00 -0500 From: Chad Maloney Subject: [FAQ] alt.music.moxy-fruvous Frequently Asked Questions list (2/4) (begin part 2/4) Section: Basic Moxy Fruvous Information 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, bongos, keyboard, occasional drum kit and vocals), Murray Foster (bass, occasional drum kit, percussion, occasional guitar, and vocals), Jian Ghomeshi (drums, percussion, occasional guitar, and vocals), and Dave Matheson (guitar, accordion, 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. See http://www.fruvous.com/band.html for the Fruvous Dot Com band bios. 2) What does "Moxy Fruvous" mean? Mike: Many, many people come up to us after shows and ask us "where'd you get your name"? Jian: Or sometimes, or more usually, it's "where'd you get your stupid name." 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 is a Fruhead? How can I become a Fruhead? Fruvous is aware of and frequently acknowledges their follow-band status. Some fans of the band consider themselves "Fruheads" (which is a derivation of word Deadhead used to describe specific fans of the band The Grateful Dead, who followed them around creating a whole new social atmosphere around Dead shows in addition to the actual show itself). At its most basic, a Fruhead is usually a fan of the band who goes a bit beyond what normally comes with being a fan. Many Fruheads not only attend shows in their town, but travel to nearby or even faraway towns to see shows or attend multiple shows in a row on a tour. They support the band, buying albums and other merchandise, and usually recommend the band vehemently to their friends. The band likes to describe the Fruheads as the people who "get" their music and what they are doing and support it. Many times, the word Fruhead is used interchangeably with fan, though to some, "Fruhead" has more connotations than just a fan. There is no ritual, rite of passage, or letter of recommendation needed to become a Fruhead. Despite the description given for the six-stamp mark on the old Fruhead card, there is no prerequisite number of shows you need to attend before becoming a Fruhead. You simply need to consider yourself a member of the Fruhead community and be willing to accept that label upon yourself, knowing full well it means a boatload of things to different people. People who do not travel, but see each and every show in their city and support the band by buying albums are just as important as the crazy who drives to who-knows-where to see a show. The status of Fruhead does not raise someone into the inner circle of Frudom. If you consider yourself a Fruhead, congratulations. You are. 4) What is the "Fruhead Card"? In the Fruvous Quill #9 (their mailing list fan club newsletter, also on file on FDC at http://www.fruvous.com/quill.html ), they instituted the Fruhead Card, a means of keeping track of the number of shows a fan had attended. It ran through December 1997 and was stamped and dated at the merchandise table at each show. After 3 stamps, the fan received a pin; at 6, a t-shirt signed by Fruvous (not available for purchase); at 12, 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 18, a song composed, recorded, and mailed to them by the band; at 24, an all-expense-paid bowling trip with Fruvous; at 30, a dinner-and-dancing date with Dave; at 36, dinner and dancing with Mike, Jian, or Murray; and at 50, theoretically, a Fruvous ass-brand administered by the band. None of the songs have yet reached the fans - about forty obtained 18 stamps (though several people have been told that their songs are completed). About 20 people reached the 24 stamp mark, and many of them went on a bowling trip with Fruvous during the weekend of the First Annual Fruhead Convention (FruCon) held in Toronto in February 1998. The dinner dates haven't yet materialized and seem to be in rain check mode (no figures available on how many people reached each of those marks). Two people, though, reached the fifty-stamp mark; Dan "the Shadow" Jablonski respectfully declined the fleshly acknowledgment 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. 5) What is the "Frumiles Card"? The Frumiles Card is the current reincarnation of the original Fruhead Card. It began in Fruvous Quill #12, and every subscriber to the Quill received a card. 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 for 300 miles, pin for 500, racing cap for 1000, campfire songbook for 1500, mint condition indie cassette for 2500, and bowling with the band and "treats" for 3000. Note that these theoretical miles have nothing to do with actual miles, and driving from Vancouver to a Boston show will likely net you one stamp on your card, worth 100 miles. A picture of the front of the Frumiles Card is available at http://www.fruvous.com/miscpics/milefron.jpg 6) My Frumiles Card expires at the "end of the millennium." Is that December 31st, 1999, or 2000? While Quill #12 states that "Stamps will be awarded for the duration of this millenium," the front of the Frumiles card clearly states 98/99 and members of the band and crew have said that the Frumiles Card ends its run at the end of 1999. 7) Where is the band currently touring? Tour information is included in each issue of the Fruvous Quill. Simply sign up on the band's mailing list and you will get the Quill twice a year. To get on the mailing list, check at the merch table at a show or email Jude at moxy@passport.ca and ask to be placed on the mailing list. If you are on the mailing list, the band will occasionally send postcards to certain areas or all over to announce a stint of dates, usually as an addendum to the latest Quill. Fruvous Dot Com is also kept up-to-date with the latest tour info including additions and changes since the Quill went out. It also has venue information and links to venue web sites. The FDC Tour Page is found by following the Tour Dates link on the main page http://www.fruvous.com. The final say in tour date information comes from Jude Coombe, who holds down Moxy Fruvous Headquarters in Toronto ON. To get clarification on tour dates beyond what is listed on FDC, contact Jude at moxy@passport.ca or call her using the phone number listed on FDC in the Contacting Fruvous section at http://www.fruvous.com/contact.html. Fruvous has played in England, Scotland, and Denmark in the past, and recently have been touring more in Western Canada and the Western United States than in the past. Tour dates are usually more concentrated in the areas around Toronto ON, and in the Midwest and Northeast United States. 8) Why has the band toured more in the United States than in Canada lately? [Maintainer's Note: This question is a really an opinion question. I personally wasn't there when all this happened, though I have talked with some people about it. Colleen was not there either. Both our takes come from secondhand (or more) observations and shouldn't be taken as gospel. I left Colleen's answer in as well as adding my own to this so you can see both our opinions.] This is a tough question really. As of late, there has still been a bias towards the US, even though there have been tours including Western Canada for the first time in years. Jack Ross, the band's manager, said that with the release of _Thornhill_, he thought that the Canadian music industry may again be ready for Moxy Fruvous, and the touring schedule would reflect that thought for the _Thornhill_ tour. The bottom line is that touring is how the band makes money, and with the media reversal post-_Bargainville_ in Canada, the United States brought in crowds and the money it takes to keep them on the road. With the grassroots success they were seeing, they also found a growing fanbase that was very dedicated, in addition to some already dedicated Canadian fans. With _Thornhill_, it seems the band has branched out to a much larger area. Where they used to play 2 or 3 (and sometimes 4) times in some of their favorite cities, they now cover more area. They have toured in 98 and 99 in Western Canada and down the West Coast of the United States, including dates in Colorado. [Colleen Campbell's answer circa early-1998, from the original FAQ] 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 a 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 [You Will Go To The Moon] 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." 9) Why does the band frequently play at restricted venues that don't allow underage people in? They do not play age-restricted venues because the band hates all underage fans. That's simply not true. Moxy Fruvous, in addition to being an incredible band and 4 wonderful people, is a business and the livelihood of those 4 members (and other people who work with the band). They need to make money, and they do mainly by playing a lot of gigs across this continent. They, like many bands, have a booking agent that gets them gigs so that, in addition to writing wonderful music and thinking up silly characters, the band doesn't have to worry about calling clubs, arranging contracts, and making sure they are getting paid what they should. Many times, due to the economy of the live music industry, the only place to play in a given town on a given night is a bar. And, due to local, state or provincial, or national laws, there are just some rules that need to be obeyed. Age restriction is a big one. If this is still worrying you, or you want information about the above, read Appendix A right now. It's a detailed account from a different perspective of why age-restricted shows happen. All that said, what can you, the underage fan, do about it? Please do your research. Find some other venues in your area that regularly play all-ages shows and get that information to the band (most likely through Jude - moxy@passport.ca - at MFHQ). She will get that info to the right people, and it may work. It also may not. Just please keep in mind that when there is an age-restricted show, it isn't to spite you in particular or underage fans in general. It's usually because the club wants it that way and in order to play the club, the band abides by their rules. If you haven't read Appendix A yet, go do it. 10) There seems to be frequent mention of taping at Fruvous shows and trading of those tapes. What's the band's policy on that? Well, obviously, the newsgroup respects Fruvous's right to their own music and performances, and fans would not tape against their wishes. Those interested should first look around at a show. If there are any other tapers there setting up, strike up a conversation and get to know them and what rules they abide by. If no one is visibly taping there, asking Cal Stanutz (the front of house sound engineer) or Dave Tobey (the road manager) is often easier than locating one of Fruvous before a show. The band currently allows and appreciates taping for non-commercial use on a personal level. The best way to get into taping Fruvous is to talk to other tapers at a show. Many of them know the band's position on things and may have tips and tricks on levels, show length, and board feeds. Most Fruvous tapers are very friendly beasts that would love someone to talk to about their myriad of gear. In dissemination of taped live shows, Fruvous prefers one-on-one trades. No profit is to be made of the privilege of taping their shows. Personal trading encourages a bit of accountability and it is recommended that you have purchased all the commercially available albums before getting into tape trading. There have been two Moxy Fruvous tape trees in the past. 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 live shows 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. FHDC ( http://www.fruhead.com ) has a section set up for finding tape traders. It provides quick info on people who collect shows and are willing to trade with new people. It also has a quick search engine that will search lists for specific shows. Please don't offer to pay someone (in money, extra tapes, or anything else) in return for copies of Fruvous live shows. This hurts the band and threatens the privilege tapers have to tape the shows. Fruvous allows taping for personal use only, and no one should be profiting off the tapes made with their permission. 11) 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 '70s group Moxie, the '90s group Moxy, or the group Mox. 12) I 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. When customs is involved, other delays are likely as well. 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. 13) What's the best thing I can do to help support the band? The absolute best thing you can do to help support the band is to tell all your friends about them. If you feel that Moxy Fruvous is the best thing since sliced bread, tell your friends. Sit them down and ask them to take a listen to a song you think they'll like. Take them to a live show and let Fruvous do the selling for you. You can do the normal fan things. Go to Fruvous shows (and don't forget to invite friends). Buy Fruvous albums for yourself. You can also do the abnormal fan things that many Fruvous fans and Fruheads do. Drive to see that show in the next town over. Drive to see that show in the next Province over. Arrange your work flights so that you have a convenient stop-over in a city where Fruvous is playing that night. Please request Moxy Fruvous at your favorite (and least favorite) radio stations. If you are familiar with radio formats, AAA stations would probably be best. Call them up and request your favorite song or the current single off the newest album. If they give you the line about not having the album, email Jude ( moxy@passport.ca ) and give her the information about the station you called. She can make sure that a promo copy of some Fruvous stuff has been sent or will be sent there. Make the radio stations know that people out there want to hear Moxy Fruvous. When you go into a record store, check for Fruvous albums. Some people even go so far as to helpfully rearrange the albums so that the more important bands (i.e. Moxy Fruvous) are up front. We here at the FAQ don't condone this behavior, but do what you like! If you don't see any Moxy Fruvous CDs there at the store, ask them to order some for you. It'll give them an idea that people want to buy Fruvous albums. If you already own the disc, just tell them you found it at their competitor's store already in stock and bought it there, but thank them for ordering it for you and reassure them you'll check there next for other Moxy Fruvous albums now that they've gotten their act together. Also, you can forward record store info to Jude ( moxy@passport.ca ) and she can get that info to the record label so they can use that information to get the album well distributed. Each person's work in helping and supporting the band is important. Moxy Fruvous was built upon grassroots efforts and friendly word of mouth and that comes from you. Keep up the good work! 14) What's the story behind "The Troc"? What happened? The Troc, or the Trocadero, is a club in downtown Philadelphia. Philly is a very Fruvous-friendly town and the home of WXPN. Fruvous plays many large sold out shows in Philly and it's one of their biggest markets, largely thanks to the support WXPN gives them through airplay and promotion. The band has played in the area for years. FDC tracks shows back to 1994 at the Tin Angel. In 1996, they started playing in Philly at the TLA, the Theatre of Living Arts, a much larger venue than the Tin Angel and a symbol of their success in the Philadelphia area. After 3 gigs in the next year at the TLA (including one of the shows recorded for the _Live Noise_ album), the band had outgrown even that venue. The next choice of venues was the Trocadero. It was significantly larger than the TLA, but still the show was sold out even before the day of the show. Yet another statement of the Philly area's love for Fruvous. That Trocadero show on February 6th, 1999 is a show that will live in infamy in many Frufan minds. The show itself was a very good show. The larger venues carry better lighting and sound equiptment allowing for the band to rock out a bit. But the place was packed solid for the most part and there were long waits while your elbows jabbed your neighbor and the person behind you breathed down your neck. The opener, the Butch Ross Band, started playing before even half the line had come in yet there was an interminable wait between sets stirring the crowd up. But still, Fruvous pulled everyone together with an incredible set. After the show was a different story. The club, well within it's rights but entirely against the spirit of a Moxy Fruvous show, proceeded to quickly and forcefully push the entire crowd out the doors. People trying to get Frumiles stamps from Tobey were hurried. People trying to purchase Fruvous CDs or shirts were hurried. People waiting patiently to get autographs because they knew the band was coming out to give them were hurried, various members of the club's security staff yelling the entire time. It is understandable that the staff wants to go home after a show, but the way the fans were treated was unacceptable. Many fans ended up out on the sidewalks on a February night waiting (some vocally), while the security staff attempted to even force them off the sidewalk in front of the building. One by one, as each band member realized what had happened, they came out to the front of the venue to sign autographs and chat with fans. The band apologized for the actions of the venue and cheerfully talked and signed, even after a long show after a long day. But, when the band wanted to go back inside, the security had locked them out as well! Once someone came out, someone else caught the door and held it open so the band could get back inside when needed and eventually everyone went home with a sour taste in their mouths thanks to the security staff and policies of the Trocadero. The next day, the newsgroup began to fill with discussions of the show and disgust at how paying customers of the venue were treated. Many called for boycotts of the Trocadero and expressed wishes that Moxy Fruvous never play there again. The show reviews on FDC represent a taste of the discussions ( http://www.fruvous.com/99rev/990206.html ). After a day full of complaints on the newsgroup, Jian posted an official apology from the band, management, and crew for the staff at the Trocadero and promised that the band will not play the Trocadero in Philadelphia ever again (instead he offered the idea of playing multiple TLA shows even though the venue is much smaller). The incident received press in the Philly area ( http://www.fruvous.com/news/990211nw.html ). With no suitable venue in Philadelphia itself, the next Philly area show came in November 1999 - a sold-out show at the Keswick Theater about 20 minutes outside Philly. Section: Mike, Murray, Jian, and Dave 1) On stage, who is who? In standard position, the lads on stage are (from left to right): Murray, Jian, Mike, Dave. Murray wears the stylish shirts and usually is found playing the bass. Jian is the self-proclaimed (and born that way) "brown guy" with black curls usually behind the stand-up drum kit. Mike is the crazy Kirk Cameron looking guy usually found with a guitar. Lastly, Dave is the bald one with the accordion, banjo, or guitar. From their standard positions on stage, stage left (or left when you are standing on stage looking at the audience) has been deemed "Stage Dave" while stage right has been called "Stage Murray." People standing towards the middle can be "Stage Jian" and "Stage Mike." 2) Why is Jian's name written as Jean in liner notes and older articles? "Jian Ghomeshi" is the original spelling of his name. 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 a good while now. 3) How do you pronounce Jian Ghomeshi? Jian's heritage is Persian (Iranian). It's not possible to exactly reproduce the phonetic sound of his name in English letters, but "ZHEE-on" comes closest (where that ZH is kinda like the Z sound from Zsa Zsa Gabor). Ghomeshi is pronounced like it's spelled - "go-MESH-ee." 4) Is Dave gay? bisexual? How about Murray? Jian? Mike? The matters of the band members' personal lives are NOT something for this FAQ to discuss. The band, being open-minded individuals, do bring up sexual preference occasionally on stage, usually through jokes that may be unsettling to members of the audience that aren't so comfortable with it. 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. Dave is usually nodded at by Jian during the word "gays" from the line "paranoid minorities, and gays" from "Greatest Man in America." 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." Mike, during a break in "the Kid's Song" where he says "my sister has 3 gender biases" on _the B album_, sometimes says "she's trisexual" live. But the bottom line here is that it is none of your business. If you feel it is your business, take it up with the band members themselves and see what they have to say. It is inappropriate for the newsgroup to discuss such things. (end part 2/4) ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 03 Jan 2000 20:16:49 GMT From: Melanie Subject: Sorry I know that some people can't read my emails easily because the text doesn't wrap around. Usually, I put in hard returns after each line to take care of the problem. As near as I can tell, it is not possible to reset my line length; I've checked. Anyway, I just posted a long message and forgot to put in the returns, so I'm sorry if it was annoying to anyone. melanie ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 03 Jan 2000 14:27:11 -0500 From: Chad Maloney Subject: [FAQ] alt.music.moxy-fruvous Frequently Asked Questions list (3/4) (begin part 3/4) Section: The Albums 1) What albums does Moxy Fruvous have out? Fruvous has 4 studio albums, 1 live album, an EP, and their self-produced cassette tape. o The indie tape, 1992 o _Bargainville_, 1993 (WEA CD 93134, Atlantic 82563-2) o _Wood_, 1995 (WEA CD 10616, BMG/VelVel/Bottom Line #47306) o _The B Album_, 1996 (WEA CD 14187, BMG/VelVel/Bottom Line #47307) o _You Will Go to the Moon_, 1997 (Bottom Line Records VEL 7301-2) o _Live Noise_, 1998 (BMG/VelVel/Bottom Line #47304, WEA CD23269) o _Thornhill_, 1999 (BMG/Razor & Tie #82849/Bottom Line) See the Moxy Fruvous discography on Fruvous Dot Com at http://www.fruvous.com/discog.html 2) 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. _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 and has been rereleased in the States by Bottom Line/VelVel/BMG. It is distributed by BMG, a major distributor, so any self-respecting CD store should be able to order it. _The B Album_ was originally self-promoted, but it was picked up by Warner in Canada and has been rereleased by Bottom Line/VelVel/BMG in the States. It is also distributed by BMG, so you should be able to get a copy in most any CD store. _You Will Go to the Moon_ was released by Warner in Canada. In America, it is the first release of fledgling independent label the Bottom Line Record Co. _Live Noise_, is the final Moxy Fruvous release on Warner Canada and released by Bottom Line in the Unites States. It is distributed by BMG and therefore is available in most major music chains. _Thornhill_ was released in the United States on August 10th, 1999 on Bottom Line/Razor & Tie/BMG. It was released in Canada on August 24th on True North Records, where the boys signed after their Warner Canada deal was up post-_Live Noise_. It is distributed by BMG, so it should be available or orderable anywhere you go. 3) What if I can't get any of the albums at stores? Rule number one of "I can't find Fruvous records at my local record shop" is to ask at the desk. If they don't have the album you are looking for, ask them if they can order it. In the States, the Bottom Line-released albums are distributed by BMG, a major distributor. Because of this, they should be easily orderable by any music shop in the country. _Bargainville_ was released on Atlantic, so it had decent distribution, but it is rather old and may be a bit harder to order. In Canada, the Warner Canada albums should be easily orderable. Please, even if you don't want to buy the album because you'd rather get it another way, ask the stores to order Fruvous albums if they don't carry them. This will get the band noticed by the store and by distributors as well and get more copies of the CD into the stores where impulse buying may make new fans. If you cannot get the CDs the above way, you can order them off the Internet. Please use the links provided on FDC at http://www.fruvous.com/merchan.html to get to Amazon.com, CDnow.com, or any of the other various links to get to the internet chains. When you use these links, Fruvous Dot Com gets a small kickback from the chain which goes toward its operating expenses. CDs are also available at Fruvous live shows from the Merchandise table. 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 4) Does the band ever put out singles? Yes, the band has released singles for 8 different Fruvous songs. Most of these singles were promotional singles ( CDs with one track made for radio stations). They are sent out by the publicity people for the band to stations in the hopes of getting some airplay. Sometimes the stations give them away to employees who may give them to fans or sell them to used CD stores, so check around. Two singles from _Bargainville_, "My Baby Loves a Bunch of Authors" and "Stuck in the '90s", contained more than just the single track. They had additional bonus tracks that contained other material. The singles released by the band are: - - "King of Spain " - - "Stuck in the 90's" - - "My Baby Loves a Bunch of Authors" - - "Fell in Love" - - "Down From Above" - - "Fly" - - "Get in the Car" - - "I Will Hold On" Singles are hard to find and it is suggested that you snatch them right up if you see them. The band has also released 2 "sampler" tapes. After Bargainville, they had a Bargainville 3-song sampler tape that was used for promotion at shows. Before Wood was released, the band had a fan contest to "name the new album." All the people who submitted a response received a Wood Sampler tape. These 2 tapes are also very rare. 5) Does the band ever make videos? Yes, the band has made videos for 8 different Fruvous songs, the most recent being a video for the first single in Canada off of _Thornhill_, "I Will Hold On." Some of the early videos got good amounts of airplay on MuchMusic in Canada during the early-mid '90s, and "I Will Hold On" is getting airplay on Muchmore Music. A list of the videos that are out there: - - "King of Spain" - - "Stuck in the 90's" - - "My Baby Loves a Bunch of Authors" - - "Fell in Love" - - "Down From Above" - - "Fly" - - "Get in the Car" - - "I Will Hold On" A "Moxy Fruvous Video Collection" was the prize when you obtained 12 stamps on the old Fruhead Card (NOTE: Not the current Frumiles card). This collection was a tape containing all the above videos that were available at the time. There are two versions of the video collection. The most complete version contains all videos up to "Get in the Car", but for those fans who received their video collection before "Get in the Car" was released, their video collections have the videos up to "Fly." 6) Is there any connection between _You Will Go to the Moon_ and the children's book of the same name? Yes. Dave has said that he wrote the song as a bit of an homage to the book. It is not known if it's still in print, though. 7) What is the Indie Cassette I keep hearing about? Released in 1992, the indie cassette was the band's first released studio recording. As its name implies, it was independently made and sold at the band's show. The band sold out of the first run of tapes and had more printed up. Eventually the indie cassette, containing 6 songs from the days of Fruvous busking on the street: "BJ Don't Cry", "The Drinking Song", "King of Spain", "Gulf War Song", "Spiderman", and the only studio recording of "Green Eggs and Ham" ever to be released, went gold in Canada. 5 of the 6 songs from the indie cassette were rerecorded for the band's first major label full-studio album, _Bargainville_. 8) Where can I get the Indie Cassette? The indie cassette was a limited printing run and is no longer available. Many people have gotten indie tapes from browsing used record stores all across Canada, combined with extreme luck. A mint condition, unopened copy of the indie cassette is currently the prize for 2500 Frumiles. There have been people who attempt to sell indie cassettes (and sometimes even copies of the indie cassette) on the internet auctions sites like eBay. These auctions sometime fetch enormous amounts of money. At FruCon II, Jian stated that the band doesn't really like this reselling of original indie cassettes for very high prices. Reselling copies of the indie cassette is illegal and immoral. Please do not buy duplicates of the indie cassette and when considering purchasing an original indie cassette, realize the band gets no money from your sale, while all you get is a momento tape containing 6 songs that you can hear elsewhere for no money at all. There exist a couple copies of the indie cassette pressed onto CD (originals - not CDRs made from cassettes). A CD version of the indie cassette was the prize given for being the first to complete the Fruvous Crossword puzzle, and a couple of copies were raffled at Fruhead Conventions past. Many people who have opened originals are willing to duplicate their indie cassette to get it to fans who want to hear it. This is, of course, on the condition that no profit is made from the recording, and it is merely for the enjoyment of the fan. Section: Songs and Lyrics 1) 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 only one of the six tracks on the indie tape that was not rerecorded 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 Dr. Seuss' will states that his material can only be used and licensed for educational purposes. Odds being against your finding the indie or sampler tape, your best bet is to ask someone to copy it for you. Fruvous frequently performs this at their live shows, usually segued from King of Spain into a shortened version of the song with the additional perk of Murray's bass line. The long version of the song is a special treat live, and usually includes some of the old costumes and banter from the original version of the song. 2) Where can I find the lyrics to "Johnny Saucep'n," "Your New Boyfriend," etc? http://www.fruvous.com/lyric.html is Fruvous Dot Com's lyrics section. It archives all the lyrics from all the albums, lyrics from many of the unreleased songs, and several versions of lyrics as they changed over time. FDC's lyrics are usually annotated with who is singing when, which comes in very handy sometimes. 3) Where can I get 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. Fruvous Dot Com archives these with the other lyrics at http://www.fruvous.com/lyric.html. 4) Where can I find tabulature for Fruvous songs? Tab (usually guitar tab) for Moxy Fruvous songs is also kept on Fruvous Dot Com under the "Moxy's Music" section - - http://www.fruvous.com/music.html. Be aware that for the most part, these are people's individual interpretations, not from published music. This tab is available for not-for-profit uses and all song rights are owned by Moxy Fruvous. One of the prizes for the Frumiles card is 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. 5) Where can I find vocal sheet music for Fruvous songs? Fruvous Dot Com also has some vocal music and written out MIDI for some songs at http://www.fruvous.com/music.html. Sing Out! magazine also published the sheet music for Greatest Man in America in Fall of 1996. This is also available on FDC. 6) Where can I find sound files of Fruvous songs? FDC has sound samples under "Multi-Media." For links to other sound bytes, check out http://www.cdnow.com http://www.columbiahousecanada.com 7) Which band member wrote which songs? 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. Many times it is assumed that the Frulad singing lead vocals is the primary writer of the song, but there are contradictions to this (for example the aforementioned Drinking Song). 8) 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 released version on _Live Noise_. Tom Waits original version is available on _Rain Dogs_. 9) Is it a female voice or Mike's voice during the intro to the studio version of "Green Eggs and Ham"? Prior to the second Fruhead Convention in Toronto ON in 1999, the band led on that it was not a male voice singing the intro scat to the indie cassette version of Green Eggs and Ham. During FruCon II, it was let slip that the voice on the recording was actually Mike Ford singing in a high voice, and the tape was sped up a bit to get the odd sound. 10) Who says "Swing it" on the studio version of "Gotta Get a Message to You"? Mike Ford's wife, Terri. 11) 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." See the Trivial Pursuit card that started the madness and judge for yourself: Front: http://www.fruvous.com/miscpics/trivial1.gif Back: http://www.fruvous.com/miscpics/trivial2.gif 12)* In "King of Spain," the King plays crokinole. What IS crokinole? Crokinole is a shuffleboard-style parlor game that was very popular around the turn of the 20th Century and still has a following in Canada today. For more information on Crokinole, see these pages: http://www.frontier.net/~crokinol http://www.crokinole.com Section: Fruvous Characters 1) 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_, and elsewhere. They and their siblings are drawn by Mike and tend to appear randomly on albums and merchandise. 2) Who is Lazlo? 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. 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. Lazlo the Soundman is said NOT to be the Lazlo from "Lazlo's Career", and that that Lazlo is a sprite that follows the Frubus around. 3) What's a Laika? Laika was a dog that participated in the Soviet Space Program. Here's what Rodney Elin had to say about it: "The Laika of the song was the first dog in space. She was also the first animal in space. Laika's flight on Sputnik II, 3 Nov 1957, was primarily to see if animals would stay alive in space, or in Soviet space capsules, and to see if telemetry (remote monitoring of stuff like heartrate) worked after launch. Laika was 'left in space', to burn up in the atmosphere. There was never any plan or controversy in 1957: she was going up and she was going to burn up and die on reentry (6 days later). Once launched, there was not really a controversy. There was no return capability on Sputnik or any space vehicle. A picture, not for the squirmish, is available at http://starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/StarChild/space_level2/laika.html As far as the song goes, Laika is held as one of the symbols ushering in the space age. (As are Sputnik, Yuri Gagarin, John Glenn and Neil Armstrong.)" 4) Who is Dusty Fosterbourd? Dusty Fosterbourd appears in the Fruvous Song "That's Any Good." He's a British Invasion Hero, who had one huge hit, "That's Any Good." He, along with the Dustettes - Skeet, Reg, and Stig - come out to sing their hit when they make their comebacks. He looks an awful lot like Murray Foster in real life. 5) Who is Grandpa Fruvous? Grandpa Fruvous is a rancid-smelling ancient being from before the dawn of time. He's had some great fun with many famous people (including many old US presidents, actors, and celebrities) usually driving around in all sorts of old-school cars like the Lincoln Biscayne or a Mercury trying to hit things with them. Grandpa wears a stylish hat and loves old-fashioned sing alongs. He performs "Minnie the Moocher" on stage with Fruvous, usually coming out for outdoor shows or special shows. If you can stand the smell long enough to get a good look at him, Grandpa Fruvous looks an awful lot like Mike Ford. 6) Who is Lou? Usually with his sleeves rolled up and his trusty blublockers on, Lou Reed sings with Moxy Fruvous on the Dancing Queen Medley. Introduced as the poet of New York and former leader of the Velvet Underground, Lou usually enters the stage to chants of "Lou." He also normally has some poetry prepared for the event. Under the blublockers, Lou has a striking resemblance to Mike Ford. 7) Who is Marion Fruvous Toronto's first environmental crusader, Marion Fruvous is a modern day folk hero. She pops up on stage with Moxy Fruvous, who may have in fact gotten their name from the environmental crusader, when they perform the "Ballad of Marion Fruvous." Marion's message encourages not only recycling, which many times simply fills landfills, but also encourages reducing the amount of waste you generate. Incredibly beautiful, Marion used to look a whole lot like David Hyde Pierce, but must have shaved her head at some point. She also seems to have grown some facial hair and has never appeared on stage at the same time as Dave Matheson for some odd reason. Section: Fruvous-Related Links and Information 1)* 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, and all out fun folk music; http://www.efohio.com Ben Folds Five, a piano/bass/percussion alterna-rock trio, a favorite of Murray and Jian; http://www.benfoldsfive.com Dan Bern, an incredible song-writer and an extremely wide-ranged, say what he's thinking folk artist; http://www.dbhq.com yeP!, a Massachusetts-based funk-rock/bluegrass/jazz band who have played with Fruvous before, now on extended hiatus; http://www.cs.umass.edu/~jg/yep.html The Nields, a Western Massachusetts five-piece band - due to new relations between members of the band, the previous clever comment here has been removed, but that doesn't change the great music this band puts out; http://www.nields.com 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, silly and fun; 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/swing artist whose debut album is released in Canada on True North; http://www.marykrause.com/tory Guster, 3 guys with a lot of pop talent, have played with Fruvous before; http://www.guster.com Susan Werner, a labelmate of Fruvous in the United States, plays a very rich folk sound; http://www.susanwerner.com Johny Vegas, a Syracuse NY-based, very solid pop group has played with Fruvous many times; http://www.johnyvegas.com Sarah Slean, a Toronto artist that has travelled with Fruvous a bit, plays mellow, beautiful, piano-based music sometimes with string backing; http://www.sarahslean.com 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. 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 possible errors contained herein: if you know, or even suspect, that an answer given is wrong, please feel free to followup this post or email ammf-faq@fruvous.com. There are many excellent websites out there, FDC being only one, and you are encouraged 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. Questions are welcome, posting is encouraged, and get out there and meet people at shows! (end part 3/4) ------------------------------ End of alt.music.moxy-fruvous digest V3 #1043 *********************************************