Tag Archives: Ben Folds

by

Song of the Day #711: ‘Give Judy My Notice’ – Ben Folds

After seeing Ben Folds in concert last year, my sister made a comment that I think sums him up pretty well. She said he’s split down the middle between a very sincere and sensitive soul on the one hand and an obnoxious frat boy on the other.

The former is responsible for such achingly profound songs as ‘Alice Childress,’ ‘Gracie,’ ‘Missing the War,’ and ‘Jesusland’ (among many many others). The latter plays to the drunk idiots with songs such as ‘Bitch Went Nuts,’ ‘Bitches Ain’t Shit,’ and ‘Errant Dog.’ He brings the same level of outstanding musicianship to all of the above, but you have to wonder why he’s reluctant to grow up. Or why he doesn’t trust his audience to grow up with him.

Continue reading →

by

Song of the Day #652: ‘Landed (a cappella version)’ – The Yale Spizzwinks(?)

One of the things I love about Ben Folds is how fully he embraces new ideas in his music. While Ben Folds Five was still together, he put out his first solo album under the moniker Fear of Pop. The album, Volume One, relied heavily on samples, electronica, spoken word pieces and ambient noise. The first single featured a deadpan William Shatner opining on the battle of the sexes.

He’s also taken in stride the Internet’s encroachment on the recording industry, releasing a series of EPs through his Web site between albums and adopting Twitter when it was first catching on. Recently he worked a Chat Roulette feature into his concert, improvising songs for a random string of chatters.

Continue reading →

by

Song of the Day #546: ‘Fair’ – Ben Folds Five

If I had to name a modern heir to Randy Newman, I’d go with Ben Folds. Folds has a similar gift for storytelling, irony and humor and he’s able to pull off the smart-ass and the sincere with pretty much equal success. He’s not quite up to Newman’s caliber as a satirist — yet — but he’s in the same ballpark.

Musically, Folds is even more adventurous than Newman, finding inventive ways to make familiar instruments sound brand new. Ben Folds Five used a simple lineup of piano, bass and drums to produce some of the most exciting pop music of the 90s without ever really getting the credit they deserved.

Continue reading →

by

Song of the Day #219: ‘The Frown Song’ – Ben Folds

Because I’ve left just one Ben Folds studio album uncovered, I’m adding a bonus day in order to cover all the bases.

Folds’ third solo offering, 2008’s Way to Normal, was a big step down for the man responsible for the albums I’ve covered over the past five days. While I found myself frustrated that I could pick only one song from each of the others CDs, in this case it was a struggle to pick one I like enough to feature.

Continue reading →

by

Song of the Day #218: ‘Late’ – Ben Folds

silvermanFolds’ second solo album, Songs for Silverman, contained his most mature and sublime work yet… almost on par with the first two Ben Folds Five albums.

I remember reading a lot of “fan” criticism that the album lacked the gutter humor and anarchic style of some of Folds’ earlier work and his live shows. As if the gorgeous ‘Jesusland‘ or achingly sweet ‘Gracie’ were somehow lacking. Give me a break! I love that Folds is able to excel in multiple styles.

Continue reading →