Ben To Release 3 New EPs!!!

I'm unclear about this part -- will the Epic release in early 2004 be comprised of songs from the EPs or will that be something entirely different? Anyone have thoughts/insight on this?

It's unclear.

Folds hints that this could be his future modus operandi: recording a track, offering it on the Web and eventually piecing an album together as a "matter of formality." However, the North Carolina native and current Australian resident (he also lives in Nashville) hasn't completely shut the door on creative marketing. He discloses that the new track "Give Judy My Notice," which appears on "Speed Graphic" sans the string section in which it was originally recorded, could turn up in its original form on a future album.

"When it comes time to fulfill my contractual obligation, and put things into an album and put them out, then what the record company does for me is makes me look important," says Folds. "Probably get on MTV a couple of times, [in a] couple of major publications and people who come to the show will think I'm famous. And it works. But I think the institution of the album may be going away. That's my gut feeling. I feel that it is more about songs and the album is a formality that packages things so that you can hype them real big and I'm just not very hype-able. We've tried that a couple of times and it is just not very effective."


Future modis operandi, or effective now? It does sound like the album could be pieced from the EPs... but we'll have to wait and hear more.  It seems like some of the stuff that's gonna be on the EPs is not stuff he would put on an album.  At this point my best guess is that the whole album will not be repeats, nor will it be completely new. Maybe we need a new over-under game.

and people who come to the show will think I'm famous
Ben doesn't think he's famous? Damn i'd give anything to be as famous as he is.

I get the impression from that, that if he really likes any of the songs he does from the EPs, they will make it to the album. I'm with jane, there will be some new stuff and some old stuff on it. We'll just have to wait.

By the way, i'd like to be first in with the new "over-under" number, my guess is 2.

Let's not be all vague like last time.  2 what?

I reckon there will be 2 songs on the next album that have been taken straight from one of these coming EPs.

Hey all...
long time no post, but I just wanted to let everyone know that there is now an official announcement at http://www.benfolds.com apparently written by ben explaining the EPs.

And for the record, I am super excited about this  

Mr Cell, you rock my world. Thanks for that.

Ok, Judy rocks, we know that.  And Protection and My Dog, yes way cool, I knew that.

BUT... WANDERING!!!!! f'in wandering, the song fragment from 100 Girls...

I should really read the whole message before I hit "Post" lest I find myself shocked again.

I'm am wondering if "you've got to learn to live with what you are" represents new lyrics for "you've got to give the people what they want."  Hmmmmmnnnn.  

Ok, I was excited before, but... shit, just go read the message.

~JBJ, all  

i'm a little bit curious as to what these songs are going to sound like.  have you guys heard them yet?  this whole william shatner deal...does that mean the new EPs are gonna be ahem like Fear of Pop, or is Shatner's thing his own?   i'm totally psyked Ben is puttin out a few EPs, i mean its new music!   and by the way, to all of you guys who don't like the EP thing, can you please appreciate that Ben is one of less than a few musicians who really and truly care more about the music and fans than about anything else?  

an extremely stoked, Christina    

i'm a little bit curious as to what these songs are going to sound like.  have you guys heard them yet?  this whole william shatner deal...does that mean the new EPs are gonna be ahem like Fear of Pop, or is Shatner's thing his own?  

I guess you could say many of us have heard many of them?  On the first EP, one is a cover of a song by The Cure, two - Protection and Dog - are newly recorded versions of old songs from Ben's 1990 demo (I think they were old songs then!).  Great songs that I'm excited to hear again, especially since the quality of the tape -> digital is not that great.  (Do I sound like I know what I'm talking about? I don't.)  "Give Judy My Notice" is a new song that Ben played live recently... and there's a live version online.  (See General board.)  It's very, very pretty.  "Wandering" is a newly recorded, full version of the snippet of a song from the movie 100 Girls (Darren wrote the chorus, which is the part in the movie).  There's a bootlegged copy from the movie with all 10 seconds of music with cheesy dialog.  Personally, I'm very excited to hear this whole song.

As for the second EP, it seems like the three songs he played this spring (I think it was the WPI show?) are on it.  He only played a verse or two of each, and one didn't have any words.  (Gotta love how Ben actually sings, "Aint got no words, y'all.")  One is the song he had the crowd do background vocals for in Austin (before it was a song)... I don't know if you ever heard that?

The Shatner thing is Shatner's own thing, and it doesn't seem like the EPs will show any signs of FOP-ness.

I gotta say it, I CAN'T WAIT.  Can you tell?

Christina, if you go to the General board and click on the Newport show thread... that show has Dog and Judy.  The same site also has the old versions of Protection and "My Dog."  

"Wandering" is a newly recorded, full version of the snippet of a song from the movie 100 Girls (Darren wrote the chorus, which is the part in the movie).  There's a bootlegged copy from the movie with all 10 seconds of music with cheesy dialog.

"Cheesy"?!  I, for one, think that this song will be the worse for missing the charming dialogue about "danglers" overliad.

This is a tragedy.

I'm confused as to whether or not "New Song Sing Along" (did I make up that title or is that how it's listed on a playlist somewhere?) from La Zona Rosa is one of these songs for sure. Anyone know, or know what the real name of that song will be?

Protection and Dog - are newly recorded versions of old songs from Ben's 1990 demo (I think they were old songs then!).  Great songs that I'm excited to hear again, especially since the quality of the tape -> digital is not that great.  (Do I sound like I know what I'm talking about? I don't.)  "Give Judy My Notice" is a new song that Ben played live recently... and there's a live version online

woohooo....those are great.  ok NOW i'm stoked   thanks JBJ

You're all so knowledgable! Thanks for clearig a few things up! *excited* In NO WAY did I arrange my driving lesson for Wednesday so we have to come back off holiday on Tuesday rather than staying an extra night thus allowing me to buy the new ep on the day of release... it's not like that at all... Heehee

I'm confused as to whether or not "New Song Sing Along" (did I make up that title or is that how it's listed on a playlist somewhere?) from La Zona Rosa is one of these songs for sure. Anyone know, or know what the real name of that song will be?

I don't think we know for sure, but there is speculation.  Let me state the case:

- Ben played one verse of the song from La Zona Rosa at the WPI show this spring.  We know it's the same song because he had the crowd do the same background lyrics. The lyrics (for the most part, I'm not listening at the moment):

If you want to be free then I want you to be
You're not mine anymore, you're public property
You're a slave to these people that don't even know you
They (You?) think they adore you
They do, but they throw you away
You're... (Something I can't quite understand.. a star?)
Give the people what they want
You've got to give the people what they want (chorus)

- On the 2nd EP, there is a song called: You've Got to Learn to Live with what you are.  The syllables match up perfectly, so it's probably the same song.  Either the chorus varies or he changed the lyrics?  There's also one called Rockstar, which would fit with the apparent theme, but I'm leaning towards the syllabic thing.
- Also on the 2nd EP is another song he played at the WPI show (They Give No f*ck), which makes it even more likely that one of the other songs is the La Zona Rosa song.