Ben Folds Goes To College For A Cappella LP
A cappella's been creeping further and further into the indie rock realm: Not necessarily bands who sing without instrumentation behind them, but straight-up college a cappella groups covering Animal Collective and Vampire Weekend, backing Rivers Cuomo. It's like a sickness! Just kidding (sort of). One-upping these dabblings, Ben Folds has created a new album, Ben Folds Presents: University A Cappella, a collection of the US of A's best a cappella groups covering his songs. Over two months, he, his wife Fleur, and engineer Joe Costa recorded the tracks themselves. The sounds were all captured with six area mics. Each session got four hours. This is raw a cappella, people. And, as Folds says, "This is not a novelty .. I consider this my new record...I'm incredibly proud of this." We have the artwork, the track list, and most importantly, sounds.
The Spartones From The University of North Carolina Greensboro - "Not The Same" (Ben Folds Cover) (MP3)
That was The Spartones from the University of North Carolina, Greensboro doing "Not the Same." Ben also sang a couple of his own a cappella takes on Way To Normal's "Effington" and the elder Ben Folds Five track, "Boxing." Continuing the give/take, some of the groups will accompany Folds on his upcoming tour dates. Let's hope they keep it real like the University of Rochester Midnight Ramblers doing "Army."
Ben is clearly stoked:
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. This is a better way. I'm a songwriter, and these are my songs.The songs:
01 "Not The Same" - The Spartones from Greensboro, NC.
02 "Jesusland" - The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's Loreleis
03 "Brick" - The Ohio University Leading Tones
04 "You Don't Know Me" - The University Of Georgia's With Someone Else's Money
05 "Still Fighting It" - Washington University in St. Louis's Mosaic Whispers
06 "Boxing" - Ben Folds
07 "Selfless, Cold, and Compose" - The Sacramento State Jazz Singers
08 "Magic" - The University of Chicago's Voices In Your Head
09 "Landed" - The University of Colorado Buffoons
10 "Time" - The Princeton Nassoons
11 "Effington" - Ben Folds
12 "Evaporated" - The Newtones from Newton, MA
13 "Fred Jones Part 2" - The West Chester University of Pennsylvania Gracenotes
14 "Army" - The University of Rochester Midnight Ramblers
15 "Fair" - University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire's Fifth Element
16 "The Luckiest" - The Washington University in St. Louis Amateurs
Ben Folds Presents: University A Capella! is out 4/28 via Epic.
Posted at 10:52 AM by brandon in Album Art, MP3, Video
Tags: Ben Folds | Ben Folds Five
Sometimes I really just hate myself for having been in an a cappella group in college.
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SAC STATE LOVE!!
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I visited this site for the first time to hear a black rock band from the 70's called Death and found my way to Doo Wop versions of songs by a geeky white guy. Does anyone see the weird juxtaposition?
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Wow so the groups are doing his songs! I thought it was Ben doing other ppl's songs!
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thanks
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Why? Why? Why???
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first dr. dog and now this! a proud golden ram i am i am!!!!!!
the gracenotes
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WoGInPgTWc4
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Where are the Tone Rangers???
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These college a capella groups seem to be a phenomenon of the US. I can't imagine seeing anything like this in UK universities.
At any rate, can't wait to hear the album. I can't help but view it as a novelty, though.
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This reeks of a "contractual obligation album".
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Smart idea of Ben to leave out covering "Rockin' The Suburbs", or we all would have been cracking on that one.
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Oh my gosh, I hate this so much.
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http://tinyurl.com/d3v72k?
Hell, I think this a great idea. Ben's fans would have bought anything, even a 'best of' so this is a brilliant way to recycle old tracks.
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seriously. and speaking of a best of ben folds- japan just released one a CD/DVD set. how long til it hits the states?
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does anyone else think that Folds is not only a brilliant songwriter, but a brilliant composer as well?
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the guy in the sling is killing me. hahaha.everyone in that group needs to stop dressing alike and get laid.
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Trust me dear...good singers always get laid.
Besides, acapella is pretty much the most fun thing to do in college. Way better than getting so drunk you can't remember your name, or that of the person you wake up with. Though singers do that too...
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Um, sorry to get all TMZ up in this piece, but... Fleur? Ben's not married to Frally anymore? How many wives had dude had now, like, seven? Sheesh. No coincidence that the dudes who worship him are so often douchebags.
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Did anybody actually make it to the end of that?
Guy throws in 'Real American Hero' from the GIJoe theme song. How's THAT for your ironic pop culture reference?
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Wow...people are a bit harsh around here. ;-)
I think a cappella music is music in it's purest form...and can be very entertaining if sung right. Give this guy some love...it takes guts to do what he does.
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Not one of those guys could sing better than that lead baritone?
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He missed some fantastic versions of his song by Virginia Tech's Juxtaposition. www.vtjuxta.com i think a better and more involved arrangement than the youtube above.
Def going to check out the album though.
Cheers.
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Loving this - BBC Radio 1 played Ben's version of Effington last night. Check out the clip of You Don't Know Me by Nonsequitur
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