The Dresden Dolls

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This article is about the American alternative band. For the song by The Fall, see Live at the Witch Trials.


The Dresden Dolls
The Dresden Dolls: Amanda Palmer (left) and Brian Viglione (right)
The Dresden Dolls: Amanda Palmer (left) and Brian Viglione (right)
Background information
Origin Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Genre(s) Alternative rock
Punk rock
Dark Cabaret
Punk Cabaret
Years active 2001–present
Website Official website
Members
Amanda Palmer
Brian Viglione

The Dresden Dolls are an American musical duo from Boston, Massachusetts. Formed in 2001, the group consists of Amanda Palmer (vocals, piano) and Brian Viglione (drums, guitar, back-up vocals). They describe their style as "Brechtian punk cabaret", a phrase invented by Palmer because she was "terrified" that the press would invent a name that "would involve the word gothic,"[1] and are part of an underground dark cabaret movement that started gaining momentum in the early 1990s.

Contents

[edit] Career

The duo formed shortly after Brian Viglione witnessed Amanda Palmer performing a solo at a Halloween party. Their live performances soon gained them a cult following. During these performances the two band members often wear dramatic make-up and fancy clothing which push their cabaret/theater aesthetic. They encourage fans to become involved at their shows, with the fan's own performance art, varying from stilt walking, living statues, fire breathers, et al. The Dirty Business Brigade coordinates the fan's performances.[2] The duo has secured a loyal fanbase.

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 pre-war 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."[3]

The duo was featured in a webcast performance at the 2002 Ig Nobel Prize ceremony in Cambridge, Massachusetts. After a self-promoted demo, their first release was the mostly live compilation A Is for Accident (Important Records), followed in 2004 by a self-titled debut produced and recorded by Martin Bisi (Swans, Sonic Youth) at The Old American Can Factory in Gowanus, Brooklyn. Two songs off the album ranked in the Triple J Hottest 100, 2004, "Girl Anachronism" at #30 and "Coin-Operated Boy" at #12. In 2003 they were crowned the winners of Boston's long-running WBCN Rock & Roll Rumble.

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.[4]

In March 2005, the duo supported Nine Inch Nails on tour. On June 5, 2005, The Dresden Dolls hosted a free concert at the Paradise 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.[5]

The Dresden Dolls latest album, Yes, Virginia, was released on April 18, 2006.[6] Over the summer, the duo performed at South by Southwest, Bonnaroo, Britain's Reading and Leeds Festivals, Lollapalooza, in addition to touring with the rock band Panic! at the Disco.

On August 17, 2006, the East Providence Community Theatre in East Providence, Rhode Island premiered a full-length fan-written musical titled The Clockwork Waltz, featuring songs from the Dresden Dolls' three albums. The show was encouraged by the band and their management.

In December 2006 and January 2007, the music of The Dresden Dolls was featured in an original production, The Onion Cellar, at the American Repertory Theatre's Zero Arrow Theatre in Cambridge, Massachusetts.[7][8] The play is co-authored by duo member Amanda Palmer, from her original concept.

As of January 14, 2007, the duo is on a temporary hiatus. In this time Amanda Palmer plans to work on a solo album, and Brian Viglione will be touring with Boston-based HUMANWINE.[9] They project that they will tour again in the late spring or early summer, making reference to True Colors Tour 2007.

[edit] Discography

[edit] Albums

A Is for Accident
(2003)
Important Records
The Dresden Dolls
(2003)
8ft Records
The Dresden Dolls (Reissue)
(2004)
Roadrunner Records
Yes, Virginia
(2006)
Roadrunner Records
#42 US, #41 Austria, #138 France

[edit] Singles

[edit] Compilations

  • "Coin-Operated Boy" on album A Dark Cabaret (Projekt Records, 2005)
  • "Coin-Operated Boy" on album Triple J Hottest 100, Volume 12 (2005)
  • "Coin-Operated Boy" on album Krock2, (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)
  • "A Night At The Roses" on album A Users Guide To The First 100 Important Records Releases (Important Records, 2006)

[edit] DVDs

[edit] See also

[edit] Trivia

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Deborah Speer (2006-04-03). The Dresden Dolls. Pollstar. Retrieved on 2006-08-21.
  2. ^ http://www.thedirtybusinessbrigade.net/
  3. ^ Peck, Stacey (n.d.). Undressing The Dresden Dolls. Newbury Comics. Retrieved on 2006-09-12.
  4. ^ Open Source » Blog Archive » The Dresden Dolls. Open Source Media, Inc. (2005-10-06). Retrieved on 2006-08-21.
  5. ^ BillH (2005-09-25). Update on The Dresden Dolls "Paradise" DVD Pre-Ord. Retrieved on 2006-08-21.
  6. ^ Amanda Palmer (2005-09-08). Out of the Closet and into the Studio.
  7. ^ http://amrep.org/onion/
  8. ^ Dresden Dolls take the ART. The Phoenix Media/Communications Group (2005-04-20). Retrieved on 2006-08-21.
  9. ^ http://www.humanwine.org/

[edit] External links

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