The New York Times has a story about how Spotify’s data show that our musical preferences set in as teenagers. For boys, it will most likely be when you are 14 years old.

And what do you know? I’m 39 as I write this. And 25 years ago, today, Ben Folds Five released Whatever and Ever Amen. That puts me at exactly — yep — 14 years old when it came out. They became my favorite band, and I wear that album out to this day.

I talked about the band, and Ben Folds’s solo career, on Political Beats a few years ago — including the story about how they may have helped me get married. I don’t want to spoil it.

It won’t embed here on the Corner, but click here to see them from around this time performing on a Chicago-based show Sessions at the West 54th. I’ve never seen a tighter rock band since. Robert Sledge’s work on the bass in that show is face-meltingly good.