NBC Television reportedly has ordered a second season of The Sing-Off, which featured top a cappella groups in competition, judged by Ben Folds and others. No official deal has been sealed yet to return Ben to the judges’ box, but I’ll bet he’s definitely interested.
Shatner in new TV series
Not exactly Ben Folds news, but: William Shatner, who has collaborated with Ben on many an occasion, is set to star as the dad who speaks his mind in the pilot episode of a sitcom based on the Twitter postings of Justin Halpern under his $#*! My Dad Says account (caution: crude language on this site). This, according to a post on mashable.com. The Archie-Bunker-esque postings from Halpern’s dad read like a sitcom in and of themselves. Any speculation as to whether Ben will provide the soundtrack?
Update: The show has been picked up by CBS Television and will be part of the fall 2010 schedule.
Folds to keynote Nashville recording expo
Ben has been engaged to deliver the keynote address at the 2010 Nashville Recording Workshop + Expo, an important recording and music industry conference in his adopted hometown. The event, to be held March 5 and 6 at Belmont University, is co-sponsored by the Mike Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business and the Audio Engineering Society, Nashville Section. The conference will feature sessions on instrument miking, arrangement and recording, producing demos, acoustics, and roundtable discussions, as well as equipment manufacturer and industry exhibits.
Folds music in Apple iPad video
Apple Computer, which today confirmed its long-suspected intentions of making a tablet device, now known as the iPad, is using Ben’s cover of the Cure’s Inbetween Days in the promotional video for the new product. Ben is a faithful Mac user himself. His music has been used previously in Apple promotions, and he has made his celebrity playlists and exclusive tracks and interviews available on Apple’s iTunes music service.
Haiti aid album
Paste Magazine has organized a collection of downloadable songs available for donations to Haiti Relief. The effort is called Songs for Haiti. Included in the collection is Bitch Went Nutz, along with tracks from over 200 artists.
