We’re big fans of this generation’s Randy Newman; the sultan of song, proud Nashvillian, friend to the shat: Mr. Ben Folds, so imagine our glee when these detail showed up in our inbox this morning after waiting three years for a follow-up to his last full-length solo LP (of new material). The album is called Way To Normal, it was recorded in Nashville by Dennis Herring (Elvis Costello, Modest Mouse) and Regina Spektor sings on a track.
Folds says the record is “like a bottle of champagne shaken up for six months” and “has so much energy,” and while that may be a bit hyperbolic for our tastes, it sure sounds promising! We also learn that in his off-time Folds produced a solo LP from The Dresden Dolls Amanda Palmer (wha?) and that he will open up the Nashville Symphony’s 2008-2009 season with a full-orchestra performance at our newly completed 30,000 square foot symphony center (YES!). No new tunes to share yet other than some youtube action, but enjoy an old one nonetheless
[mp3] Ben Folds – Jesusland
[mp3] Ben Folds Five – Battle of Who Could Care Less
Hard to Find a Friend - A Music Blog 
July 22, 2008 at 5:02 am |
actually, a bunch of tracks leaked on a blog last week. some of them are really bizarre.
July 22, 2008 at 5:41 am |
right….not tracks i can share without an riaa takedown notice and possile dreamhost suspension 🙂
July 22, 2008 at 8:24 pm |
Uh, the Schermerhorn isn’t exactly new… it’s been open for two years.
July 22, 2008 at 8:39 pm |
Also, it’s pretty widely believed that the ‘album’ leak was a fakery perpetrated by Folds himself. Bizarre mixes of the actual songs, etc.
July 23, 2008 at 8:40 pm |
I have the leak and it sounds like a bit of a rough mix, but the songs are there intact. I’ve seen where people are claiming that all the songs are fakes, which isn’t the case.
Stuff is pretty good, but its been a long time since Ben did anything surprising.
August 3, 2008 at 10:10 am |
Comments
NoPride at 2008-08-02 09:54 CET:
Awsome release James I cant wait for the full album release.
THANKS!!!
NoPride at 2008-08-03 02:39 CET:
This torrent is a “leaked” version of the album which appears to have songs with the same titles but the music is complete crap. It appears Ben has recorded fake versions of tracks in his studio and released them onto the internet to fool his fans
August 13, 2008 at 6:30 am |
I can’t wait for this “Way To Normal”- it’s been way too long since “Songs for Silverman”. I love pretty much every Ben Folds songs. I loved him with Ben Folds Five, but his solo work is just so different. I’m glad, though, that the classic Ben Folds sound has come back with the work he did on his last album.
I hope the album does well and that Ben will come out with an album more than once every three years!
~Jim
The Laptop Sessions Cover Songs
August 14, 2008 at 12:12 pm |
Some of the tracks from the new album are streamed on Folds’ MySpace:
http://www.myspace.com/benfolds
Including the track with Spektor. I feel like a kid in November looking forward to Christmas.