Ben Folds

Sun Ghost's Glitter, Guns, & Gold: Indie Piano Pop With a Touch of Sondheim

Give a little taste of a great product and people are naturally going to want more. That's the solid logic of drug dealers, soft pretzel peddlers at the mall and Sun Ghost. Failed Kickstarter campaigns be damned: The Valley pop rockers took a new approach to crowd sourcing the funding for their ne ... More >>

Ween Is Over, But We Still Have These Five Dork Rock Groups to Love

It's not usually a happy ending for a band when only some of their members are informed that they're breaking up. Aaron Freeman, a.k.a. Gene Ween, said earlier this week that it's time for him to put Ween to rest. "It's been a long time -- 25 years," Freeman said in an interview with Rolling Stone. ... More >>

Throwback Thursday: Harvey Danger

Welcome to Throwback Thursday, where we revisit the overplayed, over (and under)rated, and the one-hit and multi-hit wonders of yesteryear. Today's tidbit of information that will make you feel old: Harvey Danger's "Flagpole Sitta" is 15-years-old. Even if the title doesn't ring a bell, it's choru ... More >>

Ash Avenue Comics Staff on Galapagos, Faces, and Drainbow

Welcome to the latest installment of our weekly feature, Sound Off, in which Jason P. Woodbury is joined by a different guest each week to listen to and discuss three tracks from local Phoenix artists. If you would like your songs to be considered for future Sound Off columns, please email music@new ... More >>

10 Favorite Shows of 2011: Melissa Fossum

Melissa FossumM83 wasn't #1, but I like this picture a lot.​ I went to a lot of shows this year. Thanks to last.fm, I can conform that I went to at least 56 concerts, not counting the numerous times I swung by Yucca Tap Room or Crescent Ballroom just for fun. That's one show every six and a h ... More >>

Cake at the Marquee Theatre, 12/10/11

Robert McKnight​CakeMarquee TheatreSaturday, December 10, 2011Cake can be great for a lot of things, including eating, smashing, and celebrating. Thanks to John McCrea and the gang, last night's Cake show left an equally sweet taste in my mouth. An absolutely packed house at the Marquee was treat ... More >>

William Shatner is Coming to Phoenix Comicon 2012

"Beam me up, Scotty." "There's...somethingonthewing. Some...thing!" "Rock-it-man." Get your best/worst Shatner impression ready, because Phoenix Comicon announced today that none other than Captain James T. Kirk himself, William Shatner, will be the esteemed guest at the convention on Saturday, M ... More >>

Tim Minchin Talks Gingers, Religion, Ben Folds, Sperm Banks, Flight of the Concords, and More

Tim Minchin is a rather humble lad. Despite having millions of fans in his homeland of the UK, Australia, and here in the states (not to mention awards up the ying-yang) the 35-year-old piano-playing comedian and musician remains pretty modest about his success."I'm lucky to be doing what I'm doing, ... More >>

Ari Herstand on Looping, Gay Rights, and Living Room Concerts

​ Ari Herstand puts a new twist on the singer songwriter aesthetic by playing keyboard, guitar, singing, and beatboxing all at once. He makes all sorts of interesting videos chronicling his songwriting, teaching fans how to play his music, and performing covers of his favorite artists. Her ... More >>

Pauly D to Join Britney Spears on Tour

​DJ Pauly D will be spinning on Britney Spears' tour, according to the Fab Life.The Jersey Shore star will be opening for Britney for six dates during her fall tour."Britney is one of my favorite performers and certainly one of this generation's most influential artists," he said. "It's an amazing ... More >>

Ben Folds at Marquee Theatre, 7/18/11

Kholood Eid​ Ben Folds Marquee Theatre Monday, July 18, 2011 Ben Folds has been writing piano rock oscillating between sardonic humor and commentary on the human condition since his beginnings with Ben Folds Five. Along the way, he's been cast as many things -- a father, a joker, a pis ... More >>

Ben Folds Is No Misogynist

William Fitzsimmons

William Fitzsimmons @ Martini Ranch

Lollapalooza Unveils Lineup: Eminem, Foo Fighters, Coldplay, Muse

​Lollapalooza has revealed an absolutely killer lineup for its 20th-anniversary show, according to Consequence of Sound.Eminem, Foo Fighters, Coldplay, and Muse are at the top of this summer's impressive bill. Other big names scheduled to perform include My Morning Jacket, Deadmau5, A Perfect Circ ... More >>

Beastie Boys to Release Star-Studded Short Film 'Fight For Your Right Revisited'

​In addition to releasing their highly anticipated upcoming album, Hot Sauce Committee Part Two, on May 3, the Beastie Boys will be releasing a short film in a few weeks, according to Pitchfork.Fight For Your Right Revisited is the Beastie Boys' new star-studded 22-minute short film directed by th ... More >>

Shapiro: It's Nice to See Virginia's Best-Kept Secret on the Road

Lady Gaga Bruce Springsteen Elton John = Journey Cover Last Night

Photo from Kane/Wireimage.​So last night, Carnegie Hall was the place to be. Rolling Stone wrote a review of a star-studded benefit for the Rainforest Fund that included Sting performing a Fine Young Cannibals cover, Elton John doing an over-the-top rendition of Madonna's Like a Virgin, and the fi ... More >>

Brendan Benson Coming To Rhythm Room

Autumn De Wilde​You may know him as Raconteur #2, but Brendan Benson's best work has been as a solo artist, not in one of Jack White's many projects. The Michigander comes to the Rhythm Room on February 22 bringing a band that includes drummer Brad Pemberton (Ryan Adams), bassist Jared Reynolds (B ... More >>

Miniature Tigers To Tour With Fun,

fun.'s second tour won't come to Phoenix, but there is a little local flavor to be had when the new project by former Format mamber Nate Ruess hits the road later this month. Phoenix indie act Miniature Tigers, who recently opened for Ben Folds on his East Coast tour, has been tabbed to open (date ... More >>

Miniature Tigers: Almost Everyone Loves Charlie Brand

Miniature Tigers Yucca Gig a Nice Send-Off for Big Tour

With their star swiftly rising thanks to a slate of dates opening for Ben Folds and a showcase at SxSW, a lot of us showing up at Miniature Tigers' show at Yucca Tap Room last night kind of thought this could be one the last times we'd see the band for free. If that's the case, we got a great show t ... More >>

Kinch Clinches SxSW Birth, Tour With Dear and the Headlights

We've got a couple big pieces of news involving Kinch, who recorded what we said was the best album in Arizona last year. First comes news that they've been selected for SxSW, joining several other Phoenix bands at indie rock's biggest showcase. They've also got new tracks from their The Economic C ... More >>

Eric Wareheim: Awesome Videos, Great Job!

In anticipation of the upcoming live comedy show this Sunday at the Marquee Theatre featuring Adult Swim goofballs Tim & Eric, I feel I must bring to light the magnificent music video directing skills of Eric Wareheim (the nice young fellow on the right).  Wareheim is the more musically inc ... More >>

Ben Folds Recruits Miniature Tigers for Upcoming Tour

It seems like everyone is becoming enamored of local indie rock outfit Miniature Tigers and their catchy songs these days, including Ben Folds. The Sony power pop pianist is reportedly a fan of the band and decided to tap them as an opening act for an upcoming tour of of the eastern United States ... More >>

Jan. 14 In Blogs: RZA, MCSO and Hot Wings

We understand that in the 24-hour news cycle it can be difficult to keep up. Worry not! We have the solution. Check back on Valley Fever every evening for highlights from each of New Times' blogs. Today's entries: Valley Fever: Photo Enforcement Ban Proposed by State Lawmakers Arizona Republic and ... More >>

The Free Way

Kinch Makes Advances by Giving Their First Album Away

Kinch Makes Advances by Giving Their First Album Away

Concert Review: Ben Folds Loses a Bandaid at Gammage, November 11

Define at your own risk

Geek God

Ben Folds' jive is better than ever

Amanda Palmer

Who Killed Amanda Palmer?
(Roadrunner Records)

Ben Folds, Mickey Avalon and Bryan Adams Shows Announced

Ben Folds

Way to Normal
(Sony BMG)

Southbyscurvy: The Best of SxSW

Relient K

Five Score and Seven Years Ago
(Capitol)

Top 10 selling CDs at Hoodlums Music in the ASU Memorial Union building in Tempe

Chart-busters for the week

Ben Folds

Supersunnyspeedgraphic: The LP
(Sony)

Copeland

Define at your own risk

Anathallo

What a concept

Jack's Mannequin

Dressing it up

Shell Game

What's it selling? Everything

Chill Like That

The Neo and Trinity of the PHX kick it with the boho urban artistes of Paint at Paper Heart.

Piebald, and Jealous Sound

Emo alert: Piebald plays the Mason Jar on Saturday

Ben Folds

Rockin' The Suburbs (Epic)

Recordings

Calendar for the week

Recordings

Calendar for the week

Vox Force Five

Geek rocker Ben Folds has a piano-based, rock 'n' pop sound that's no joke