Ben Folds

The most comprehensive and definitive Ben Folds collection ever assembled, and first-ever domestic overview of Fold's music, The Best Imitation of Myself: A Retrospective is remastered from the original master tapes, bringing together his biggest hits, deep catalog fan favorites, hidden treasures, and collectible rarities while premiering the first newly recorded Ben Folds Five tracks in 11 years.

A perfect point of entry for newcomers as well as a treasure trove for the initiated, the carefully curated 18-track set covers two decades of Ben Folds music, from the break-out hits Underground and Brick with Ben Folds Five through solo work and unexpected collaborations ranging from You Don't Know Me with Regina Spektor to From Above (with lyrics by Nick Hornby, author of High Fidelity). The collection closes with House, one of three new Ben Folds Five songs recorded especially for the retrospective.

The First Live Album From The "Vintage" Years Of Ben Folds Five

In 1997, PBS began airing
Sessions at West 54th, a program
far removed from the live music
fare aimed at the older set that
one usually finds on the network.
Instead, Sessions at West 54th
brought the hottest and hippest
acts to New York to perform
live in front of a studio audience.
And one of the first acts asked
to appear was Ben Folds Five. Which was a very big deal to the
leader of the band. "I viewed it as an equal to a classic BBC live music
television show," says Ben Folds. "I walked into it thinking, 'This is the
one I leave [behind],' because it felt like some kind of a time capsule
gig."

Now, we at Real Gone Music are thrilled to present the complete
performance by Ben Folds Five as recorded at Sony Music Studios.
This 2-LP release represents the first live album to be released
in either format from the "vintage" years of the trio (consisting of
Folds, drummer Darren Jessee and bassist Robert Sledge). Among
the 15 tunes are three from the group's self-titled debut, nine from
their then-current release Whatever and Ever Amen featuring their hit
"Battle of Who Could Care Less," and three songs that had not been
released at the time ("Emaline," "Theme from 'Dr. Pyser'," and their
radically reimagined cover of Flaming Lips' "She Don't Use Jelly"). Folds
and crew were always a great live band-they even recorded their
studio albums in a largely live setting-but this performance crackles
with palpable
intensity, brought
home by this
recording's
flawless fidelity.
But don't take
our word for
it-as Folds says
in Bill Kopp's
liner notes that
accompany
the release,
"That gig was
pretty special."
Available in a gatefold
blue vinyl
double-LP limited
to 1000 copies!

For longtime fans of Ben Folds' biting, piano-based power-pop songs, the
past two years have been full of excitement. In 2011, Folds reunited with
bassist Robert Sledge and drummer Darren Jessee to record the rst new
Ben Folds Five songs since 1999 for the career-spanning compilation The
Best Imitation Of Myself: A Retrospective. Inspired by the collaborative spark
after so many years apart, the trio reconvened in Folds' Nashville studio to
record their fourth studio album, The Sound Of The Life Of The Mind. The
album was an immediate hit, peaking within Billboard's Top 10 - the band's
highest-charting release.

Ben Folds Five consistently thrills audiences with their high energy performances, and Ben Folds Five Live captures the band in top form across four
continents through 2012 and 2013. The band deliver powerful renditions of
their most beloved classics like "Jackson Cannery," "Brick" and "Song For The
Dumped" as well as new hits from The Sound Of The Life Of The Mind, including "Do It Anyway," "Draw A Crowd" and "Sky High."

Rockin' the Suburbs is Ben Folds' first solo album after leaving Ben Folds Five. The album was well received by fans and critics alike. This 15th anniversary pressing brings the album back to vinyl for the first time since its 2001 release. Like the original pressing, the album contains the bonus track Hiro's Song, only available on the Japanese CD and US vinyl releases. This reissue was pressed on two 180gram LPs.

Multi-platinum selling singer/songwriter/producer Ben Folds first found mainstream success as the leader of the critically acclaimed Ben Folds Five. He has gone on to have a very successful solo career, recording multiple studio albums, a pair of records documenting his renowned live performances, a remix record, music for film and TV, as well as numerous collaborations with artists from Sara Bareilles to William Shatner.

In 2013, he composed Concerto for Piano and Orchestra to critical acclaim. Since then, Ben has continued his global symphony performance quest, recently recording a new album that features the concerto along with a host of new songs that overlap pop and classical worlds with a fresh, exciting sound he has dubbed chamber rock.

Executive produced by The Roots' Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson and Tarik "Black Thought" Trotter, The Hamilton Mixtape sees songs from the Pulitzer Prize-winning musical covered and remixed by a remarkable cast of contemporary artists. Superstars contributing to the one of its kind collection include Sia, Usher, Kelly Clarkson, The Roots, Alicia Keys, Nas, Wiz Khalifa, Chance The Rapper, John Legend, Regina Spektor, Ashanti, Ja Rule, Miguel, Queen Latifah, Common, Ben Folds, Andra Day, Jill Scott, Jimmy Fallon & more. The Hamilton Mixtape also includes three previously unreleased HAMILTON demos.

Previously Out Of Press On Vinyl For Over 15 Years

Whatever and Ever Amen is Ben Folds Five's second studio album, and was released March 18, 1997. It has been certified Platinum in the U.S., Japan and Australia, and Gold in Canada. On the U.S. Billboard 200 chart, it peaked at No. 42.

The album has been out of press for over 15 years. Now it's been remastered and brought back with a 180 gram vinyl pressing.

It's been 10 years since the little project that could from Seattelite Ben Gibbard (aka Death Cab For Cutie's frontman) and Angeleno Jimmy Tamborello (Dntel, Figurine) emerged from seemingly nowhere and began to burrow into the ears of anyone who came into contact with the band's infectious electro-pop. To celebrate, Sub Pop is reissuing The Postal Service's sole album, and including in the multi-LP set 15 bonus tracks, including two brand new songs, "A Tattered Line of String" and "Turn Around." On top of that, the band is back together: The Postal Service will hit the road for a long-overdue victory lap, giving most fans their first (and last-seriously, don't ask) chance to see the group in person.

Of course, the band's music was more than just electro-pop, and the force with which Jimmy and Ben captured the indie-rock zeitgeist of the early aughts made them more of a phenomenon than just a regular old band. That such artists as Ben Folds, Amanda Palmer, Streetlight Manifesto, and Confide have covered "Such Great Heights" is a testament to both the song's magical spark and its melodic inclusivity. The band's sound is such a touchstone that "Postal Service-esque" has become a generally accepted musical adjective. And it goes way beyond Owl City.

While it was impossible to anticipate how massive Give Up would become, it was obvious in 2003 that these guys had made something special. Ten years on it's amazing to know that so many people have come to agree.

...these are all truly classic Verve titles that you simply don't want to miss...most importantly, the sound of these reissues is nothing short of astounding. Particularly the early Billie and Ella mono records are incredible treasures of sonic beauty. I'd definitely ask Santa for the whole set, or, if you want to cherry pick, the most classic titles. Whatever you decide, you owe yourself at least a half dozen! Winner of a 2012 Positive Feedback Online Writers' Choice Award - Danny Kaey, Positive Feedback Online, November/December 2011

When Norman Granz signed Johnny Hodges to a recording contract in 1951, it was a prelude to Hodges' leaving the Duke Ellington orchestra to lead his own small band. Four years later Hodges was back in the Ellington fold, but he continued to record for Granz under his own name. Side By Side, recorded in 1958 and 1959, is a throwback to the small-group sessions Ellington recorded with Hodges and other members of his orchestra in the Thirties, but with a couple of important differences: the absence of Ellington himself on several cuts (with Billy Strayhorn taking over on piano), and the presence of such notable non-Ellingtonians as drummer Jo Jones and trumpeters Roy Eldridge and Harry Sweets Edison.

Originally released in 1959.

Duke Ellington, piano

Johnny Hodges, alto saxophone

Lawrence Brown, trombone

Harry Sweets Edison, trumpet

Roy Eldridge, trumpet

Al Hall, bass

Johnny Hodges, alto saxophone

Jo Jones, drums

Wendell Marshall, bass

Les Spann, flute, guitar

Billy Strayhorn, piano

Ben Webster, tenor saxophone

This title is not eligible for discount.

In 2011, the original three members of Ben Folds Five came together to record three new studio tracks for The Best Imitation Of Myself: A Retrospective, a
career-spanning Ben Folds anthology. With the band's magic rekindled while making the new tracks, Ben Folds Five gave its rst concert in more than a decade to a spellbound audience at New York's Mountain Jam Festival on June 2, 2012. Now, Ben Folds Five return with The Sound Of The Life Of The Mind, the group's rst album of new music in 13 years.

Mastered for vinyl by multi-GRAMMY® winner Doug Sax (The Who, Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd)

Black Beauty, the never-before-released masterpiece by Arthur Lee's legendary psychedelic rock band Love, is available on 180-gram vinyl LP. Recorded in 1973 for the ambitious new label Buffalo Records,
the album remained unreleased when the company folded. Finally, after 39 years High Moon Records is honored to fulfill Arthur Lee's wish that Black Beauty be heard by music fans worldwide. Black Beauty is making its first-ever official release
in any format, anywhere! With unparalelled sound and state-of-the-art packaging, critics are hailing Black Beauty as an instant classic. Black Beauty is that rarest of rock artifacts: an unreleased,
full-length studio album, from an undisputed musical
genius. Black Beauty is the missing link in a catalog that includes Forever Changes, the classic 1967 Love album the New York Times called "one of the most affecting and beguiling albums of all time. With Black Beauty, Arthur Lee manages to combine searing 70's-rock with gorgeous melodies and stellar songwriting - topped off by his most distinctive, snarling, soulful vocals ever. With its wonderfully eclectic collection of songs, the
album offers Love fans a rare glimpse into a previously undocumented phase of Arthur Lee's fabled career, while shining a light for new fans to discover the unique genius that is the music of Arthur Lee and Love.

It's tempting to play what-if with Love's lost labor, Black Beauty, which was recorded in 1973 but shelved for nearly four decades. What if Buffalo Records hadn't gone out of business just prior to the album's release? What if Black Beauty had actually hit stores? What if it hadn't languished in limbo until years after Arthur Lee's death? Would it have stopped Love's slide into obscurity? Would it have signaled a comeback for the man who masterminded Forever Changes, still one of the most complex and compelling artifacts of 1960s Los Angeles? Would his life and career have played out any differently? Would we think of him today as something other than a cult artist, inspired as well as damned by his era?

It's difficult to imagine any answers to those questions, but it says a lot about Lee that the album even raises these what-ifs and coulda-beens. The very qualities that made him such a fascinating voice-- restlessness, excitability, paranoia, perfectionism, single-mindedness-- may have doomed any commercial prospects more than his notorious fear of travel ever did. After recording Forever Changes, he fired the band and hired new musicians to take their places. Every subsequent album featured a different line-up, although the changes seem based more on personality than on musical direction or ability. Never stagnant, Love was in constant flux, always in a state of development but never quite arriving. So the operative question becomes: Was this the version of Love that Lee had been working toward?

For Black Beauty-- which is finally seeing release via High Moon Records, although the reissue has been delayed for two years-- Lee assembled guitarist Melvan Whittington, bass player Robert Rozelle, and drummer Joe Blocker. This may be the hardiest and most muscular of Love's post-Changes rosters, with remarkable force and range. With crisp production by Paul Rothchild, best known for his work with the Doors, Love build from a potent blues rock foundation not dissimilar to that of Jimi Hendrix, but without the distracting shamanistic persona and guitar pyrotechnics. "Walk Right In" struts into country rock territory, rewriting Cannon's Jug Stompers 1929 hit into a plea for empathy, and "Beep Beep" attempts a sort of pop reggae, albeit not entirely convincingly.

On the whole, this particular line-up sounds perfectly rough and unrehearsed, generating a tense energy on "Skid" and "Stay Away" even as they suggest a band still figuring out exactly what they can do together. It's a strong album, but it's not another Forever Changes, whose accomplishments in retrospect were unrepeatable, or even another Four Sail. On the other hand, Lee wasn't aiming to craft something in that vein. Still, especially considering the professional setbacks he had faced in the years leading up to Black Beauty-- which includes being dropped by Elektra and shuffling through a series of independent labels-- Lee sounds engaged and invigorated, forgoing the bitterness that had rankled the band for a slightly more hopeful outlook. On stand-out "Can't Find It", he sings, "Every time I cry my heart out, and every time I play the fool, but there's gotta be something in this lonely world for me." The confession is all the more bittersweet for being capped with the line, "but I can't find it without you." It's ostensibly a love song, but could just as easily be addressed to his audience. His creative satisfaction relies on having a listener to complete the circuit, which makes this album's long shelf life all the sadder.

-Stephen M. Deusner (Pitchfork, May 15, 2013)

this effort from 2000 shows Jones conjuring such magic with the material that she deserves as much attention for reworking standards as do Carly Simon or Linda Ronstadt. Kicking off with Steely Dan's 'Show Biz Kids,' and with appearances by Joe Jackson and Ben Folds, among the highpoints is the Beatles' 'For No One' that ranks as among the finest Beatles cover ever. And considering that they number in the tens of thousands, that's about as high as praise gets. Recording = 5/5; Performances = 5/5 Album of the Month Ken Kessler, Hi-Fi News, April 2008

The Rickie Lee Jones 45rpm is AWESOME UNREAL AMAZING!!! I have to get a backup copy. I'll play this one to death. Danny Kaey, Positive-Feedback Online

Not since Billie Holiday has there been a vocalist who so completely transforms a song into her own. On It's Like This, eclectic folkie Rickie Lee Jones envelops standards, showtunes, '70s soul, and even slick jazz-rock, interpreting them with her familiar childlike, breathy shouts. In a very similar vein as 1991's Pop Pop, Jones pulls together a collection of diverse songs from throughout the 20th century and gives them a sparse, fragile spin, kind of like Diana Krall and Bjork sharing coffee at an all-night diner. Produced by Bruce Brody (who has also worked with Maria McKee and Bette Midler), this album is really a showcase for the dynamic vocalist - her voice pitching and yawing like a sloop far out at sea. Several notable artists scatter themselves unobtrusively throughout the album like Joe Jackson, Ben Folds, John Pizzarelli, and Taj Mahal; each lend a subtle bass line or harmony vocal, cautiously not stepping on any of Jones' delicate lines.

This title is not eligible for discount.

Four-Panel Printed Fold-Out Poster

I am proud to announce that my new solo album Fever Dream - the follow-up to Hendra - will be released globally on my label Unmade Road through Caroline International.

Fever Dream was self-produced at London's famous RAK Studio 2, and mastered by the legendary Bob Ludwig in Maine. We kept Hendra's sonic template of open-tuned folk-jazz and distorted string-bent rock, and went for a new grainy intensity. Bernard Butler joins me again. Bruno Ellingham engineered and mixed. We just did most of it live. Small room, small band. A harder edge. Instruments spilling into each other. Martin Ditcham on drums. New recruit Rex Horan on double bass. And I've sprinkled guest vocal cameos from Boston's dream-folk singer-songwriter Marissa Nadler and Hiss Golden Messenger's M.C. Taylor.

Have fun.

-Ben Watt

The two groups will come together live again at a series of special shows at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis on December 1 and 2, and they also will perform on public radio's A Prairie Home Companion on December 16. The Way Is Read is available to pre-order now from iTunes and the Nonesuch Store, along with an instant download of the album track Trouble on My Mind, which can be heard on Spotify. You can watch a video for that song, directed by yMusic flautist Alex Sopp, here:

Emily Staveley-Taylor says of the collaboration, Our aim from the outset was to truly collaborate with yMusic. We wanted to feel like instruments and join in with some of yMusic's existing work, using our voices in ways we hadn't previously explored. We chopped up compositions and put them together again in new ways. We took old folk songs and made them abstract. The idea of forming an orchestra with these incredible musicians was fascinating. What we have ended up with is everything we'd hoped, more than we dreamed, and hopefully the tip of the iceberg.

Rob Moose of yMusic adds, When Justin raised the possibility of our groups collaborating, we immediately upped the stakes by focusing on a combination of new Staves songs and transformations of yMusic's composed works. It was as much a thrill to hear songs emerge organically over sections of intricate chamber music as it was satisfying to strip songs of the instrument that created them, whether guitar or piano, in order to craft new connective tissue. This project was born of voice memos sent back and forth across the seas, two frenetic days in a Manhattan rehearsal space, a festival set, and a single day of recording in the woods outside of Eau Claire.

The Staves, also known as Jessica, Camilla and Emily Staveley-Taylor, moved to Minneapolis from London in the summer of 2016, where they lived for a year in order to be closer to Eau Claire, Wisconsin, friend and collaborator Justin Vernon's hometown, which has become a creative hub and second home to them. The sisters have worked with Stones and Who producer Glyn Johns, as well as Laura Marling and Ryan Adams producer Ethan Johns. In addition to their three albums and several EPs, The Staves have headlined tours across North America and Europe and performed on tours with Bon Iver, Florence and the Machine, Angus and Julia Stone, and The Civil Wars. The New York Times said of their 2015 Vernon-produced Nonesuch debut, If I Was, the songs are illuminated from within, and Magnet said, The perfection just goes on and on until you start to wonder: Are they human?

Hailed by Performance Today's Fred Child as one of the groups that has really helped to shape the future of classical music, yMusic comprises six New York City instrumentalists-violinist Rob Moose, violist Nadia Sirota, cellist Gabriel Cabezas, clarinettist Hideki Aomori, flutist Alex Sopp, and trumpeter CJ Camerieri-flourishing in the overlap between the pop and classical worlds. Their virtuosic execution and unique configuration has attracted the attention of high profile collaborators-from Paul Simon to Ben Folds to JosÉ González-and inspired an expanding repertoire of original works by some of today's foremost composers, including Nico Muhly and Andrew Norman.

"A clever mix of electronically influenced genres that's as current as it is addictive." - Interview

Electronic pop trio Icky Blossoms release their second album, Mask. Three years on from their Dave Sitek (TV on the Radio) produced debut, their singular brand of 
mesmerizingly contradictory dance music has evolved. Blending avant-garde elements with catchy and danceable
pop, threaded within dark, bass-heavy atmospheres, their songs nod to great music of the past, whilst rmly 
propelling them into the future. 

Hailing from Omaha, Nebraska, the three members of Icky Blossoms-Sarah Bohling (vocals/synth), Nik Fackler (lead
guitar/vocals) and Derek Pressnall (guitar/vocals-also of Tilly and the Wall)-wrote independently and then ltered
songs back and forth through each other, creating a collage of tastes, genres and energies within each track. The
band experimented with making electronics sound organic and organic instruments feel electronic. Song skeletons
were embellished with tuned 808s, hyper-e ected mouth noises, screams as instruments, and guitars run through
synthesizers.

With the talent of longtime friend and collaborator Mike Mogis (Bright Eyes, Julian Casablancas, Man Man,
First Aid Kit) at ARC Studios in Omaha, Nebraska, these songs became fully realized. Along with Mogis, the 
contributions of assistant engineer Ben Brodin (Conor Oberst band), bassist Graham Ulicny (Reptar), drummer Daniel
Ocanto (Big Harp) and Todd Fink (The Faint) helped the vision come into focus.  

Mask  nds the band capitalizing on the spontaneity of their live experience and the ambitions of their writing and 
recording process, while not losing their sense of self. Their in uences range from Fad Gadget to Beyonce and the 
subject matter varies from wrestling with the isolation of existence to the emotional spectrum of love. The album
pulses with a vibrant sound that's electric, con dent, and new.

Jerry draws comparisons between Detroit's mishmash of music scenes and what he's found in Lisbon. He says: Detroit wound up a city with so much contamination between styles, from Motown to garage rock and then the birth of techno. Lisbon felt like that when I moved here too, I was going out to a techno club at the weekend but going to see a garage rock show or some free jazz band in the week. The post-Millennium Lisbon has been very fertile musically speaking. His bandmate Nelson Gomes also operates Príncipe, the label that brought DJ Marfox and his cohort to the world.

- Matt McDermott (Resident Advisor)