Ben Folds is one of my favourite musicans – and I’m really looking forward to seeing him on tour in June this year. Ben Folds became famous in the band Ben Folds Five, who were active from 1993 to 2000. They were different to a lot of bands from that time because they featured a piano and called themselves “punk rock for sissies”. The group released songs such as Brick, Army and Underground – a mix of comedy tunes and serious tracks. Ben Folds released Rockin’ The Suburbs in 2001 – an album where he played all the instruments. In 2003 he released three EPs – Speed Graphic, Sunny 16 and Super D, a mix of original tracks and cover versions. The three Eps were merged into one album, Supersunnyspeedgraphic in 2006. Songs for Silverman was released in 2005 – which included a tribute song about Elliot Smith and backing vocals from “Weird Al” Yankovic. Ben Folds is also a producer, and contributed to Has Been, William Shatner’s most recent album. He is also producing an album for Amanda Palmer from the Dresden Dolls. Ben Folds Five have released the following albums: Ben Folds Five (1995), Whatever and Ever Amen (1997), Naked Baby Photos (1998) and The Unauthorised Biography of Reinhold Messner (1999). Ben Folds has had three albums as a solo artist: Rockin’ The Suburbs (2001), Songs for Silverman (2005) and Supersunnyspeedgraphic (2006).
