The Dresden Dolls
The Dresden Dolls are a two-piece band from
Boston, Massachusetts, formed mid-2000 and made up of singer/pianist
Amanda Palmer and drummer/occasional guitarist and vocalist
Brian Viglione. They describe their style as "
Brechtian punk cabaret", and have exposed an underground
dark cabaret movement that started gaining momentum in the early 90's with artists like
Salon Betty and
Gavin Friday.
The band formed shortly after Brian Viglione witnessed Amanda Palmer performing a solo set at a Halloween party. They found a cult following through the efforts of their dramatic live performances. During these performances the two band members often wear make-up and clothing which push their
cabaret/theater aesthetic. They encourage fans to become involved at their shows.
The name, according to Palmer, was "inspired by a combination of things", including the
firebombing of Dresden, Germany and the porcelain dolls which were a hallmark of prewar Dresden industry; an early song of the same name by
The Fall; and a reference to the
V.C. Andrews novel
Flowers in the Attic where the classically blond and blue-eyed protagonists are called "the Dresden dolls." The name also evokes
Weimar Germany and its cabaret culture. Additionally, she "liked the parallel between Dresden (destruction) and Dolls (innocence, delicacy), because it is very much in keeping with the dynamics of the music, which sometimes goes from a childlike whisper to a banshee scream within a few seconds."
The band was featured in a webcast performance at the 2002
Ig Nobel Prize ceremony in Cambridge, Massachusetts. After a self-produced demo, their first release was the mostly live compilation
A Is for Accident, followed in 2004 by a self-titled debut produced by
Martin Bisi (
Swans,
Sonic Youth). Two songs off the album ranked in the
Triple J Hottest 100, 2004, "
Girl Anachronism at #30 and "
Coin-Operated Boy" at #12.
On October 6, 2005 The Dresden Dolls were interviewed by the subject of one of their songs,
Christopher Lydon, on the radio show
Open Source[
1].
In March 2005, they supported
Nine Inch Nails on tour. On June 5, 2005, The Dresden Dolls hosted a free concert at the Paradise Rock Club in Boston. When a power outage unexpectedly delayed their performance, city streets became a temporary stage for some of the many performers (living statues, stilt-walkers, and fire-breathers) who had come from across the world to entertain audiences. The entire event was filmed and the resulting DVD,
Paradise, was released on November 22, 2005.[
2]
The Dresden Dolls latest album,
Yes, Virginia, less critically acclaimed than its predecessor, was released on April 18, 2006.[
3]. In 2006, the band performed at
South by Southwest and at
Bonnaroo, and are to play at Britain's
Reading and Leeds Festivals. They have just finished opening for
Panic! At The Disco, but according to Palmer's own blog, the reception was less than laudatory.
In December 2006, The Dresden Dolls will be featured in an original production,
The Onion Cellar, at a suitably obscure venue. [
4].
Albums
Image:dre702.jpg|A Is for Accident
(2003)
Important RecordsImage:The Dresden Dolls - The Dresden Dolls.jpg|The Dresden Dolls
(2003)
8ft RecordsImage:The Dresden Dolls - The Dresden Dolls.jpg|The Dresden Dolls (Reissue)
(2004)
Roadrunner RecordsImage:Yesvirginia.jpg|Yes, Virginia
(2006)
Roadrunner Records#42 US, #41 Austria, #138 FranceEPs
*"The Dresden Dolls" (Self Released CD-R, 2001)
Singles
*"
Good Day" (7" Vinyl) (Important, 2003)
*"
Girl Anachronism" (Roadrunner, 2004)
*"
Coin-Operated Boy" (Roadrunner, 2004)
*"
Sing" (Roadrunner, 2006)
Compilations
*"
Coin-Operated Boy" on album
A Dark Cabaret (Projekt, 2005)
*"
Coin-Operated Boy" on album
Triple J Hottest 100, Volume 12 (2005)
*"Pretty in Pink" (cover) on album
High School Reunion (American Laundromat Records and Face Down Records, 2005)
*"Life on Mars" (cover) on album
2. CONTAMINATION: A Tribute to David Bowie (FTC Records, 2006)
DVDs
*''
The Dresden Dolls: Live in Paradise (DVD) (Roadrunner Records/8ft Records 2005)
*
Klaus Nomi*
Salon Betty*
Gavin Friday*
Nina Hagen*In July of 2005, the Internet Sketch Comedy Show
Moron Life released their parody of
Coin Operated Boy entitled
Beer Activated Girl to the delight of both
Amanda Palmer and
Brian Viglione.
*
Official website*
The Dresden Dolls Diary*
The Shadowbox - Official Dresden Dolls Community Forum*
Automatic Joy - Dresden Dolls Mp3 downloading site, including unreleased songs and live shows*
Kopydlow - Discography, including pictures*
Burlesque Breakthrough*
Ten Questions with Amanda Palmer*
First interview with Aural Minority*
Second interview with Aural Minority*
Punk Cabaret*
The Dirty Business Brigade*
AllMusic.com info on Dresden Dolls*
The Dresden Dolls : Das Punk Cabaret*
The Dresden Dolls Lyrics*
Dresden Dolls Photos*
Live Photos*
Dresden Dolls Album Reviews*
The Dresden Dolls Livejournal Fan Community*
Yahoo Sheet Music Group
