The Dresden Dolls

Encyclopedia : T : TH : THE : 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 gained momentum in 2005.

Contents

1 History
2 Discography

2.1 Albums
2.2 EP's
2.3 Singles
2.4 Compilations
2.5 DVDs

3 See also
4 External links

History

The band formed shortly after Brian Viglione witnessed Amanda Palmer performing a solo set at a Halloween party. They found a loyal cult following through the efforts of their dramatic live performances. During these performances the two band members wear make-up and clothing that combines a cabaret, goth, mime look. They encourage fans to become involved at their shows through "The Brigade", a loose group of performance artists who attend Dresden Dolls shows, mingle with the audience, and generally encourage participation in the experience.

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[link].

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 -- both concert and street performances -- was filmed and the resulting DVD, Paradise, was released on November 22, 2005.[link]

The Dresden Dolls latest album, Yes, Virginia, was released on April 18, 2006.[link]. In 2006, the band performed at South by Southwest and at Bonnaroo, and at Britain's Reading and Leeds Festivals. They are currently opening for Panic! At The Disco.

In December 2006, the Dresden Dolls will be featured in The Onion Cellar, a musical theater production at the Zero Arrow Theater in Boston, with music composed by Palmer [link].

Discography

Albums

Image:dre702.jpg|A Is for Accident
(2003)
Important Records Image:The Dresden Dolls - The Dresden Dolls.jpg|The Dresden Dolls
(2003)
8ft Records Image:The Dresden Dolls - The Dresden Dolls.jpg|The Dresden Dolls (Reissue)
(2004)
Roadrunner Records Image:Yesvirginia.jpg|Yes, Virginia
(2006)
Roadrunner Records#42 US, #41 Austria, #138 France

EP's

"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)
"Backstabber" on album "Yes, Virginia..." (Roadrunner Records, 2006)

DVDs

'' (DVD) (Roadrunner Records/8ft Records 2005)

External links

From Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Original article here. Support Wikipedia by contributing or donating.
All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License See Wikipedia Copyrights for details.