Ben Folds Live + Neutral Milk Hotel News

Singer/pianist Ben Folds is best-known as the leader of the power pop trio Ben Folds Five, but has also struck out on his own as a solo artist. Last Year Folds co-headlined an American tour with fellow rockers Rufus Wainwright and Guster. His most recent solo album, entitled Songs for Silverman, was released in the U.S. on April 26, 2005, featuring Jared Reynolds on bass, and Lindsay Jamieson on the drums, thus returning to the trio format, which originally started his success, in earnest. This album includes the track "Late," a tribute to the late singer-songwriter Elliott Smith, and also features "Weird Al" Yankovic on "Time." Folds performed with Rufus Wainwright and Ben Lee in the summer of 2005 as part of the "Odd Men Out" tour. In addition, Folds has performed with many other famous musical names, including Weezer. Folds has also shown the complexity behind his authentic sound by performing with the West Australian Symphony Orchestra, in March 2005, and the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, in November 2005. A DVD recording of Folds playing with the West Australian Symphony Orchestra is set to release in December, 2005. Folds supports the independent music scene, creating his own record label (Attacked By Plastic) and doing promotional work for independent record stores across the country.

Ben Folds - Live @ Enmore
Ben Folds - Live @ Beacon

It's kind of exciting - there are new Neutral Milk Hotel rare demos surfaced on-line. It's a collection of tape-recorded songs, some of them previously unheard. The collection is from a lady called Shannon Palmer, who occupied the same Louisiana house as Neutral Milk Hotel's Jeff Mangum (as well as Olivia Tremor Control’s John Fernandes). The tape was given to her 11 years ago by Fernandes. The compilation is titled Neutral Milk Hotel Shanons Monroe House Rare Demos and is 69 minutes long featuring 30 tracks. Some of the songs are available for download at NeutralMilkHotel.org, from Shanon's blog, You Ain't No Picasso and My Old Kentucky Blog.

Bonus:
The Go! Team - Thunder Lightning Strike
The Postal Service - Give Up
[CODE]http://antisocial.lolerskates.com/
David Bowie - Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust
[CODE]http://www.contradictator.com/snuh/ziggy/
Rammstein - Rosenrot
Roy Orbison - The Best Of
[CODE]http://www.silkasoft.com/music/
Garbage - Bleed Like Me
Fiona Apple - Extraordinary Machine
Ashlee Simpson - I Am Me
[CODE]http://www.red-mercury.net/stuff/
Reggae Albums: Capleton, Black Uhuru, Steel Pulse
[CODE]http://pastrami.free.fr/mp3/
Talk Talk Remixed
[CODE]http://real.jebaoui.free.fr/TALK%20TALK%20-%20Remixed/