Len Righi

The Morning Call

(MCT)

   Ben Folds is between records, and that, says the pop-rock singer-songwriter-pianist, means his concerts are likely to be one of two things, "a greatest hits show or something really bizarre."

   "Usually what happens in these interim periods, it ends up being a free-for-all," he says over the phone from his Nashville, Tenn., home, after being asked what to expect at his new show. "There's no real agenda - no promo, no pressure."

   But will he perform his hilarious, deadpan-geek cover of Dr. Dre's gangsta rap track "Bitches Ain't Sh-t" that made it onto the Hot 100 as well as the Hot Digital Tracks chart?

   "Of course," he says of the song, which in his hands becomes a swipe at suburban hip-hop culture. "That (tune) breaks my rule for covers - I use a song one, two tours at most. I feel I helped write it, that it's my hit, too."

   And does he feel uncomfortable using the n-word?

   "When we were in the studio doing it, people were stopping by saying, `Have you lost your mind?' I knew we had a hit then," says Folds.

   "Of course, there is some discomfort level (about using the n-word). But I talked to (bassist) Willie Weeks, a black man who played on Randy Newman's (song) `Rednecks' (which also used the n-word) and he said, `That Randy's crazy.' He told me not to worry about it. Of course, Randy Newman had an awesome point in `Rednecks.' I have no point in my song."

   Folds' most recent studio album, "Songs for Silverman," a ballad-heavy disc about growing older, came out in April 2005.

   However, last October, he released the compilation disc "Supersunnyspeedgraphic," a collection of previously released material from three EPs released in 2003 and 2004, the Internet and a movie soundtrack.

   While "Supersunnyspeedgraphic" smartly showcases Folds' edgier songwriting and impressive array of musical influences, Folds is somewhat self-conscious in discussing it, perhaps because in some quarters it was slammed as a marketing ploy.

   "All I can really do, months after having released something, is just criticize it," he offers. "My attitude is, `Let's just get the next record out."

   "A lot of the songs were Internet-only releases that I decided needed to be on a real piece of plastic. They were very successful on the Internet, but I didn't think they would last. I was surprised how well they held together."

   Folds, 40, a Winston-Salem, N.C., native, came to national attention in the early 1990s as front man for Ben Folds Five. The guitarless alt-rock act released a self-titled debut disc in 1995, but broke through with 1997's "Whatever and Ever Amen," which included the hits "Brick," a ballad about abortion, "Song for the Dumped" and "Battle of Who Could Care Less." Folds went solo with 2001's widely praised "Rockin' the Suburbs," playing nearly all of the instruments himself.

   These days, his name is almost invariably invoked whenever a writer needs a handy point of comparison to describe a new piano-playing pop-rock artist. And how does Folds feel about that?

   "That's as flattering as it gets," he replies, "but I take it with a grain of salt. When I was starting out, it was very, very frustrating hearing (himself compared to) Billy Joel over and over again. It was insulting because people making the comparison didn't mean it in a nice way. And that was doubly insulting for Billy Joel, implying that he was washed up in some kind of way."