Ben Folds On World Cafe

XPN

Published November 25, 2011 at 12:51 PM MST

The Best Imitation of Myself: A Retrospective compiles unreleased tracks, demos, live recordings and new material from World Cafe favorite Ben Folds.

At three discs long, the new collection takes an expansive look at Folds' career, including remastered hits and remixes, with plenty of Folds' wry humor throughout. For a musician who never lacks for material, the release comes at a time when Folds is back in the public eye as a celebrity judge on the a cappella vocal competition The Sing-Off. In his conversation with World Cafe host David Dye, Folds speaks passionately and knowledgeably about the history and current resurgence of a cappella, as well as its place in American culture.

Also in this session, Folds plays a set of enduring favorites: "Zak and Sara," from Rockin' the Suburbs, "The Best Imitation of Myself" from Ben Folds Five, and a special, annotated rendition of Whatever and Ever Amen's anthemic "Song for the Dumped."