1. Ben Folds Presents University A Cappella Zipper

UNIVERSITY A CAPPELLA! TO BE RELEASED APRIL 28Ben FoldsAmazed to discover the large amount of colleges that have very active a cappella groups on campus across the country (1,200 in the U.S. Alone), and, on top of this, how many of them love to cover his songs, decided to arrange, record and produce a record gathering the best of these performances.

Ben Folds Presents: University A Cappella arrives on April 28, 2009.When word got out, the response was tremendous and resulted in 250 videos on YouTube. Folds would come off stage every night and spend hours pouring over these entries, ultimately choosing 15 groups to record. Folds, his wife Fleur and his engineer Joe Costa packed up their equipment, and hopped on planes, trains and automobiles to record these groups.

Over two months, they set up camp in dorm lounges, lecture halls and campus television studios. They even recorded in a Synagogue. Also wanting to involve students from other areas of campus life in these sessions, at each one Folds invited a student photographer and videographer to document the recording. After reviewing the footage captured, Folds then invited one of the student videographers – Jason Harper from Princeton University – to compile each school’s footage into one documentary of the entire project.No matter where the recordings took place, the makeshift studio was simple – six area mics. In recent years, tools like Auto-Tune and overdub have become as prevalent in collegiate a cappella recording as on major label albums.

But Folds wanted to capture what these groups actually sounded like in performance. The team allotted four hours for each session. Most groups nailed the recording in two.Not to be outdone by the undergraduates, Folds recorded two of his own a cappella tracks: instrument-free versions of “Effington” (from his 2008 album Way to Normal) and “Boxing,” which originally appeared on the 1995 self-titled Ben Folds Five album. About recording his own a cappella songs, Folds says, “It took fucking longer than four hours.

I can tell you that much. I have a greater appreciation now for the university groups.”“This is not a novelty. I consider this my new record. I’m incredibly proud of this. If this were Ben World, this would be my greatest hits album. I’d rather this be my greatest hits record than someone collecting my masters and slapping on a photo of me leaning against a piano.

Ben Folds Presents University A Cappella Zipper

This is a better way,” says Folds. “I’m a songwriter, and these are my songs.”Look for many of the a cappella groups to open up for Folds on many of his upcoming tour dates.Ben Folds tour dates available.

. Snuzz.WebsiteBenjamin Scott Folds (born September 12, 1966) is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. From 1995 to 2000, Folds was the and pianist of the band. After the group temporarily disbanded, Folds performed as a solo artist and has toured all over the world. The group reunited in 2011. He has also collaborated with musicians such as, and and undertaken experimental songwriting projects with authors such as. In addition to contributing music to the soundtracks of the animated films, and, Folds produced 's first solo album and was a judge on the singing contest from 2009 to 2013.

Since May 2017 he has been serving as the first artistic advisor to the at the in. Main article:In 1995, released their self-titled. The debut was followed by in 1997, and the odds-and-ends compilation was released in early 1998. Whatever and Ever Amen spawned many singles such as ', 'Song for the Dumped', and 'Battle of Who Could Care Less'. In 1999, the band released what was to be their final album for over a decade, which included the hit '.Folds has described this band as ' for sissies', and his lyrics often contain nuances of melancholy, self conflict, and humorous sarcasm, often punctuated by profanity. They gained a strong following in the United Kingdom and Australia early in their career, and like many other ' American acts this was largely thanks to consistent support from national broadcasters in those countries, the in Britain and the youth radio network in Australia (and ABC-TV's music video show ).The group's first chart breakthrough came in the UK, when 'Underground' made the lower reaches of the Top 40, peaking at no.

Britain was the Five's strongest territory in terms of chart success, with five singles making the national Top 40 there – 'Underground', 'Battle of Who Could Care Less', 'Kate', 'Brick' and 'Army' – although none managed to crack the UK Top 20.In Australia 'Underground' likewise broke the band locally and while it did not make the ARIA chart, it came in at no. 3 the 1996 Triple J Hottest 100 poll (broadcast on 26 January 1997). The 1998 single 'Brick' became the group's only major chart placing in Australia, reaching no.

13; it also came in at no. 53 in the Australian Top 100 for that year and earned a Gold Record award while its parent album peaked at no. 9 and charted for 32 weeks.Folds and his bandmates have sold many albums since 2001. He said, 'The songs have been getting a great reaction, it makes me look forward to having a new album out there because it's been a while. This feels like a really free period in my life and I'm really enjoying it.' Ben Folds Five reunited to perform its first concert appearance in nearly 10 years on September 18, 2008 at the 's Memorial Hall.

The one-off gig was part of 's 'Front to Back' series, in which artists play an entire album live. The band played its final album before their split, The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner. All proceeds from ticket sales benefited the charity, of which Folds' uncle, Jim Folds, is on the board of directors for the North Carolina Chapter. The band reunited once again in 2011 with a subsequent release of the album, leading to a 2012 promotion of their new work.Solo career. Folds performing in, 2006As of 2008, Folds had released six, including an experimental side project called, which was released while was still together.Folds made a guest appearance on a 1996 episode, Surprise, on, where he says that he's.Folds's first solo release after the breakup of the band was in 2001. He played nearly all the instruments, notably guitar (an instrument seldom used during the Ben Folds Five days). The Luckiest was written for the Amy Heckerling movie, but the scene it was meant for was deleted., and joined him on the promotional tour of the album.

Directed and appeared in Folds' video for '. Folds' friend and fellow musician, lead singer of the band, contributed vocals to Folds' song 'Fred Jones, Part 2'.In 2001, Folds was an inaugural member of the Independent Music Awards' judging panel to support independent artists.A year later, he released, a collection of live solo recordings.

In late 2003, two solo, and, were released. The last EP, was released in mid-2004.was released in the United States on April 26, 2005. The album returned to the trio format, featuring Jared Reynolds on bass and Lindsay Jamieson on drums. This album includes the track 'Late', a tribute to the late singer-songwriter, and also features from on 'Time' (Folds had played piano for Yankovic's song 'Why Does This Always Happen to Me?' On his album).Folds acted as producer, arranger, musician, and to 's album,.

Shatner was also involved in Folds' Fear of Pop project, contributing vocals to a number of songs on the album, most notably the song 'In Love.' The for the 2006 animated film featured 'Red is Blue,' performed by Folds.In May 2006, Folds contributed three original songs to the soundtrack of, titled 'Heist', 'Family of Me', and 'Still'. Included with them was a cover of song 'Lost in the Supermarket' and a recording of 'Rockin' the Suburbs' featuring new lyrics written to complement the plot of the film.On October 24, 2006, Folds released, a compilation of songs that were originally released on the EPs Sunny 16, Speed Graphic, and Super D. He announced on his MySpace blog that he planned to work on his next studio album in October 2006 (although recording did not actually start until 2007). On that same day, Folds became the first person to webcast a live-by-request concert over MySpace. The concert was complete with pranks staged ahead of time by Folds, including a drunk man falling over the balcony during 'Jesusland' and a suicide attempt at the end. The concert is also notable for featuring a 'guitorchestra', a group of acoustic guitarists from Nashville who accompanied Folds on some songs, as well as an impromptu ringtone orchestra made up of audience members playing their cellphone's ringtones in unison.

A DVD of the performance, ',' was released on February 20, 2007.In March 2007, Folds went on a headlining tour, which opened on March 24 at in, Massachusetts. In the summer of 2007, he performed as the primary opener for during his Continuum 38-day summer tour.Folds produced ' 's first solo album, which was released September 16, 2008. He also performs on the album.During a concert at the National in Richmond, Virginia on April 11, 2008, Folds announced that he had completed his newest album, and played four tracks from it. He played the first track, 'Hiroshima', at the same show in Richmond on April 11. He also debuted new music at an impromptu gig at the on December 19, 2007 and at the Ann Arbor Folk Festival on January 25, 2008. Other new songs include 'Errant Dog', 'Effington', 'Bitch Went Nuts', 'Free Coffee', and 'Kylie From Connecticut'.

Folds played The 6th annual Langerado on March 8, 2008 and was a part of the lineup for the 2008.On July 16, 2008, an anonymous user posted what they claimed was a 'leak' of Folds' latest album on a fan site (eventually called ). The file contained nine tracks along with a of supposed cover art, and was a mix of what appeared to be legitimate songs from Way to Normal, pastiches of dry humor and melodramatic pop interwoven with bright, energetic melodies. Folds explained on Triple J radio a few weeks later that in one overnight session in Dublin he and the band had recorded 'fake' versions of songs from the new album. His sources had then leaked them to the public as a light-hearted joke on his fans.was released on September 30, 2008 in the United States and on September 29, 2008 in the United Kingdom. It became Folds' highest-charting album ever in the US, debuting at no.

11 on the.Soon before Way to Normal was released, Folds announced that he planned to record an album with English author, with Hornby writing the lyrics and Folds writing the music. The idea of the collaboration came out of the 'fake' leak of the album Way to Normal released in July 2008. Ben Folds in 2009After Ben Folds Five split, Folds' first tour with a full band was to support the album Rockin' The Suburbs.

He was accompanied by on guitar and electronic keyboard, on bass and keys, and on drums. Powers and Bogios later went on to join.On a tour of Australia, Folds joined with solo artists and to travel the country as, at the suggestion of a fan on Kweller's official website.

The trio also went on to record a together.In the summer of 2004, Folds co-headlined an American tour with fellow singer-songwriters. Folds again performed with Wainwright and Lee in the summer of 2005 as part of the 'Odd Men Out' tour.

In addition, Folds has performed with many other notable musical names, including. After seeing perform with Weezer, Folds asked the band to join him for twelve performances in 2005.Folds also performed with the (WASO) in March 2005, the (BSO) in November 2005, the at the, and during an Australian tour in 2006. Folds performed with the in March 2010, and the in July 2010. A DVD of Folds playing with the West Australian Symphony Orchestra was released in December 2005.On May 9, 2007, Folds performed with the. The orchestra's performance was marred when a fight broke out between two audience members in the balcony, though Folds had not yet taken the stage.After his MySpace performance on October 24, 2006, Folds's tour performances began to feature a synthesizer, which he uses in many of the songs when played live. The synthesizer is a red. During his concerts, Folds performs two of his concert traditions: palm-smashing and throwing his stool at the piano.Folds toured with as an opening act (though his set typically lasted an hour) in the summer of 2007.

During this tour, Mayer sometimes joined Folds on the song 'Narcolepsy', playing synth. At various concerts throughout the tour, parents of young children going to see Mayer would file complaints about Folds' lyrics. Folds responded by posting on his website, 'We have kids too, but we don't take them out to rock shows that last until 11 pm.' On March 29, 2008, Folds played the Cage Center Arena at Berry College in. During contract negotiations, he was asked by the administration to not play one of his songs due to its explicit lyrics. Folds refused, citing artistic freedom.On May 9, 2008, Folds played his first completely solo show in years at due to the fact that his bassist Jared Reynolds was with his wife who had just given birth to their first son.Folds made a brief solo tour of Australia during August 2009; at one of his sold out concerts he was joined onstage for several songs by, who was also touring Australia at the time. At the Palais theatre in Melbourne joined him for ', a single from Way to Normal that Folds originally sang with.In 2010, Folds went on a brief tour of North America called 'Ben Folds and a Piano' where he played solo other than with Zach Williams or and her husband Keir Nuttall as supporting musicians.

A small number of copies that were pre-ordered also included signed manuscripts by Folds and Hornby.In April 2011, Folds collaborated with, and as 8in8 to write, record, and produce eight songs in eight hours which were then available online within 24 hours, as well as being performed once on its world tour, as part of the ReThink Music conference.Folds reunited with Ben Folds Five to play the on June 2, 2012. This was the first time the band had played together since 2008.Ben Folds performed at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. For the 2012 Presidential Scholar in the Arts ceremony with several of YoungArts best alumni.As part of their 2013 'Last Summer on Earth' Tour, joined the along with for 30 dates across North America, beginning June 17 at the in Dallas, Texas and ending at the 2013 festival.In 2018, Folds performed in Petoskey, MI at the John M Hall Auditorium as part of his solo 'Ben Folds and a Piano' tour. Mid-show, a bat flew in an open window and inspired the lyrics to Ben's 'Rock This B.h' segment.Personal life Folds' personal life has inspired several of his songs; the hit single 'Brick', co-written with Darren Jessee, was based on the experience of Folds' girlfriend having an abortion while they were in high school. Folds initially refused to discuss the story behind 'Brick,' thinking it was too serious for a pop song, but he eventually confirmed the inspiration for the song during a show on his Ben Folds Live tour. His telling of the story is included on the 'Brick' track on the album.Folds has been married four times.

He met his first wife, in first grade at Moore Elementary School, Winston-Salem and was married to her from 1987 to 1992. She co-wrote several Ben Folds Five songs: 'Alice Childress', 'The Last Polka', 'Smoke', 'Kate' and 'Lullabye'.Folds was then briefly married to Kate Rosen in 1996.Folds met Frally Hynes, an Australian, in January 1998 and they were married in May 1999 in, South Australia, making their home there and later releasing a song about the city titled '.

Two months after their wedding, Frally gave birth to twins, Louis Francis (July 22, 1999) and Gracie Scott (July 23, 1999), the former inspiring his song 'Still Fighting It' and the latter inspiring his song 'Gracie.' Hynes also sang lead on 'Root To This' on 's 1998 album. Folds filed for divorce in November 2006.

Folds shares custody of his twins with Hynes.Folds married Fleur Stanbrook on November 17, 2007 at the in. They were based in Nashville, along with Julia-Rose, Stanbrook's daughter. Folds and Stanbrook ended their marriage sometime in 2011. Folds stated that 'As much as I love the idea of being married, it's not for me.'

Folds started dating actress and singer in 2012.Folds leased in beginning in 2002 and was pivotal to the preservation of the historic building during its developer controversy in 2014. His efforts, along with others, led to the creation of the.Folds supports the in the.Folds supported for president in the.As of 2016, Folds lives in,. Awards and recognition Folds received a 2002 Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) Gold Record award for Ben Folds Five's 'Whatever and Ever Amen' (1998).He was inducted into the in 2011.October 29, 2015, Folds was initiated as an honorary brother of the men's music fraternity at the.On August 21, 2018 Folds received a star on the Music City Walk of Fame in. Discography.

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