Folds Back in Spotlight With 'Silverman'

[KingLouieLouie]

http://music.yahoo.com/read/news/19023726

Folds Back in Spotlight With 'Silverman'

05/06/2005 11:05 AM, AP
Michael Felberbaum

After years of self-imposed obscurity, Ben Folds hoped to score a commercial hit with "Rockin' the Suburbs." It debuted on Sept. 11, 2001.

The timing on Folds' new album, "Songs for Silverman," is much better for the 38-year-old singer-pianist and former frontman for the confusingly named trio Ben Folds Five.

The band emerged from Chapel Hill's music scene a decade ago, scoring a hit with the song "Brick." They broke up in October 2000.

"I had to step out of the business for a bit," Folds told The Associated Press during a recent trip back to Chapel Hill. "I felt like I put my best sort of pop music business foot forward with 'Rockin' the Suburbs.' ... In the end it just ended up being a disappointment commercially and critically. When I go back and listen to it I think it's a really good, well-crafted record that shouldn't be taken for granted but it did get that way, so stepping into the studio again it's like, 'What's your next move?'

"I didn't want a next move, I just wanted to make music."

Folds' music is bubble-gum pop for the intelligentsia, with a trademark blend of sardonic humor and wistful sadness. Since 2000, Folds has released two studio albums, three EPs, a live album, and a one-time collaboration with Ben Kweller and Ben Lee, called, "The Bens."

He also rereleased Ben Folds Five's biggest hit album, "Whatever and Ever Amen," with seven bonus tracks, including a cover of "Video Killed the Radio Star."

As evidenced by that cover and others, including remakes of The Cure's "In Between Days" and Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre's "B------ Ain't S---," Folds has a gift for mining the beauty out of what many regard as disposable pop culture trash.

"The lyrics are so crude, I could barely do it," he said of the Dr. Dre cover. "But I made a really pretty melody and it actually makes the song kind of sad. ... It's gonna freak a few people out because it's actually about as foul as you can get."

Equally freaky, perhaps, is the notion of Folds working as producer of William Shatner's recent album, "Has Been." The former "Star Trek" and "T.J. Hooker" star is best known musically for his famously awful cover of "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds."

"He's a total creative maven," Shatner said of Folds. "He's got this wonderful gift to allow his creative thoughts to flow unimpeded to his fingers. The definition of music has been stretched by Ben Folds."

Folds and Shatner decided to work together after years of friendship and earlier collaboration.

"(He's) not a rapper, and he's not a poet," Folds said. "He's an actor and as a good actor he should transcend the acting themes. So putting his voice to music couldn't be a literal thing."

Folds' varied interests have also taken him deep into photography and prompted him to try to develop a Broadway musical, perhaps the perfect venue for the life-story-in-three-minute songs in which he specializes.

"There are quite a few Broadway producers who seem to be really keen about the idea," he said. "I always thought I wouldn't do that because I wanted to bring that element to pop music rather than be all literal and at home with it, but now I feel like I would like to bring it to a musical. ... I think we'll have a show out in New York within two years."

The Internet has helped keep Folds' musical career alive even as he has shied away from the pop limelight and increasingly television-centric music industry.

"The old music business withered," he said. "'The Ashlee Simpson Show' and Nick and Jessica. That's what the music business turned into, which is fine, but it's not what I'm comfortable with."

"Everything I release goes to at least No. 1 or No. 2 in Internet sales," he added. "Attendance at shows is way better than when we had a hit, so I think business is great."

At the same time, he has delved deeper into photography. He spends many hours in the darkroom getting images just right, and his gave his recent EPs photography terms for titles: "Sunny 16"; Speed Graphic"; and "Super D."

Folds left Chapel Hill years ago — he now splits time between homes in Nashville, Tenn., and Adelaide, Australia — but during his recent visit back he went to the street where he once lived. Squinting his eyes as he looked through the viewfinder of his classic Leica camera, he took his time framing a shot of a dilapidated garden — he can't help but laugh at a dead tree in winter.

As with his music, Folds' viewfinder captures a physical truth, but its the artist's interpretation that brings the picture alive.

"My gig as a photographer is to capture my kids growing up in a real way," said Folds, who has twin 5-year-olds, Gracie and Louis. "It's a damn shock to everyone around them when they bloody their nose and everyone else is helping them out and cleaning them up and I'm there taking a picture of it. But in 10 years they will thank me for it."

___

On the Net:

http://www.benfolds.com

 

[O]

I am actually doing lights for Ben Folds tonight in LA. A benefit for the ALS foundation.

 

[KingofCards]

that dude is weird.

 

[KingLouieLouie]

I am actually doing lights for Ben Folds tonight in LA. A benefit for the ALS foundation.

How was lastnite's concert? Did you have a chance to interact w/him (or did his crew just give you all the specific instructions/details themselves)?

 

[O]

It wasn't actually a concert it was a benefit honoring Ben Stiller for his involvement with ALS, Lou Gehrig's disease. Ben Folds was just a portion of the entertainment, lots of other entertainers, Jack Black, Luke Wilson, Gary Shandling, Amanda Peet, Marisa Tomei and others. Along with an audience full of stars. Very hollywood.
As far as interaction with Ben Folds, not really. Shows like this are pretty cut and dry as far as lighting goes. Kind of like a television shoot, it's all about how it looks on camera.

HIGHLIGHT OF THE EVENING:
I had the opportunity, by chance, to meet Marisa Tomei. I think she may be the most beautiful woman I have ever seen, truly breathtaking.

 

[KingLouieLouie]

It wasn't actually a concert it was a benefit honoring Ben Stiller for his involvement with ALS, Lou Gehrig's disease. Ben Folds was just a portion of the entertainment, lots of other entertainers, Jack Black, Luke Wilson, Gary Shandling, Amanda Peet, Marisa Tomei and others. Along with an audience full of stars. Very hollywood.
As far as interaction with Ben Folds, not really. Shows like this are pretty cut and dry as far as lighting goes. Kind of like a television shoot, it's all about how it looks on camera.

HIGHLIGHT OF THE EVENING:
I had the opportunity, by chance, to meet Marisa Tomei. I think she may be the most beautiful woman I have ever seen, truly breathtaking.

There are several threads for some odd reason I never responded back and this is certainly one that is long overdue..... I guess it's always "better late than never".....

You met Marisa Tomei? Should have gotten her #!...... Did you happen to ask her what a "yute" is? Okay.. we'll save that for another forum...

Do you know if that special was televised or recorded for DVD?

Have you been on any more assignments of note recently?

 

[O]

I wish Marisa had been interested in getting my #.
I don't think there are any plans for releasing the contents of the event other then promotional.
I finally got a few pics, so here you go.

 

[KingLouieLouie]

Thanks for sharing those photos.... What really does stand-out in those pictures is the lighting (and I really mean that)....

What type of lighting configuration was used?

Edit: I just noticed the "irony" of the thread title... the word "spotlight"....