The Dresden Dolls

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Listening now: kattlachan

punk cabaret, alternative, female vocalists, cabaret, indie… see all

Boston, United States (2001 – present)

The Dresden Dolls are an American musical duo from Boston, Massachusetts. Formed in 2001, the group consists of Amanda Palmer (vocals, piano, harmonica, ukulele) and Brian Viglione (drums, percussion, guitar, vocals). They describe their heavily art-damaged and theatrical 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’,” and are part of an underground dark cabaret movement that started gaining momentum in the early 1990s. Palmer accompanies her confessional story-songs with a thunderous and shimmering piano style that rests on the shoulders of Jerry Lee Lewis and Nina Simone. Viglione’s jazz and hardcore-influenced drumming and creative percussion are the perfect foil, providing in turns a delicate cradle of rhythm and a piercing bed of nails onto which Palmer lays her raw, tragicomic lyrics.

They parted ways professionally at the end of summer 2008, officially going on record they were taking an indefinite break from performing and recording together.

The release of their debut album The Dresden Dolls, produced by Martin Bisi (Swans, Sonic Youth), has won the band accolades from both mainstream and underground media, and it appears that the Dolls are poised to transcend cult status and smash all commonly held ideas about what a rock band is supposed to be. Their awe-striking live energy and singular look has earned them opening slots for Nine Inch Nails, Beck, the The B-52’s, Jane’s Addiction, OK Go and Panic! At the Disco, a tour with the The Legendary Pink Dots, and a victory in the 2003 WBCN Rock and Roll Rumble.

The Dresden Dolls
The Dresden Dolls
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Yes, Virginia...
The Dresden Dolls
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A Is for Accident
The Dresden Dolls
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Yes, Virginia
The Dresden Dolls
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Xporcelain1690X wrote:
Wednesday evening

delilah is one of my favorite songs everrr

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DownRemedyLane wrote:
Wednesday afternoon

Check http://blog.amandapalmer.net/ for more info about their break up! She posts almost everyday, and she's lovely *-*

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SirAlecHendrix wrote:
Tuesday evening

The Dresden Dolls are featured artist on the brandnew Mothership of Rock !

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Bonzo18 wrote:
Tuesday morning

http://dresdendollsdiary.blogspot.com/ Amanda wrote that they didn't really break up.

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OctopusGirl wrote:
Sunday evening

RIP ....for now! <3

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Polytechnic wrote:
Sunday morning

There's now a Dresden Dolls google theme! http://awesomestart.com/dresdendolls It's just like google.com, but it's got the Dresden Dolls on it and you can customize all the links and stuff.

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corneaboreils wrote:
last week

they re sex <3

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Jessie_Rolim wrote:
last week

:D

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Werterka6 wrote:
last week

they're great! nice but original.

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Music_Fan456 wrote:
last week

http://www.last.fm/group/henriette+bordvik

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Splang wrote:
last week

I don't think this is such a surprise, really. They've both both been taking part in other things for a while; I've never got the impression that it was a full-time job for either of them. Every time one of them artistically wandered off to do something else (something else excellent, I'd add, in most cases) they were, by default, on hiatus until such a time as they finished that, the other was also not doing something else and they decided to wander back. Brian is seemingly feeling like going on quite a substantial stroll with World/Inferno, and even if Amanda is still keen on the Dolls she is a little busy with her solo project right now (with tour dates going all the way 'til mid December). Sure, it's sad that they don't seem to want/be able to play together at the moment, but I don't see this as a "break up" any more than I saw them as being steel-cable tied to perform with each other and no one else before I read it. Though I was looking forward to a European tour soon...

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Herie wrote:
last week

if it turns out they broke up (cuz lets face it, split happens, and sometimes "giving each other time" is a polite way to say its over) then I have seen their last show together. at the Lowlands festival in the Netherlands, it was amazing! but I hope I will see them more often in the future

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ashweee wrote:
last month

they were amazing live.

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elusivelaj wrote:
last month

This is an adorable picture

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trollcollins wrote:
last month

Indefinite means, by definition, not defined. It could be 6 months or 6 years or never, Amanda's new solo album is tops and not that drastically different from the Dolls' material, which, after all, she also wrote herself. I'll be sad if they never play together again (although I think that's unlikely from what both of them have said), but it's not the end of the world.

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WingsOfSeraphim wrote:
last month

Nooooooo, this is not happening! right? ...wow, i can´t take this. why can´t they just get along anymore? it seems that all of my favourite bands are splitting up before i get the chance of seeing them live. this is just NOT fair ;[ Amanda and Brian, i still love you. your songs are part of the soundtrack of my life. Thanks.

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Schfifteh wrote:
last month

I love this picture.

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AshesOfTomorrow wrote:
last month

when is "Who gave birth to Brian Viglione" gonna come out? :D

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tokso wrote:
last month

so theyre on an "indefinite" hiatus"...and I've still not had the live experience...?! That blows. How long is indefinite anyway?

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LifeInMono wrote:
last month

long live. and so on. and if anyone should ever, EVER, chance the active years as suggested, I shall start sobbing uncontrollably. so better don't. for my sake. xD

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Recent Activity

LyliRose tagged The Dresden Dolls with ‘indie’. 46 minutes ago
blood_butch tagged The Dresden Dolls with ‘dark cabaret’. 49 minutes ago
zippystardust, Vaklam23, Cinnamon- and 6 other people added The Dresden Dolls to their libraries. 1 hour ago
Bone317 tagged The Dresden Dolls with ‘punk cabaret’ and ‘alternative’. 8 hours ago
WillemdeGelder tagged The Dresden Dolls with ‘comedy’. 8 hours ago
elisexenigma, four55, dominika66 and 1 other person added The Dresden Dolls to their libraries. 10 hours ago
chainsaw_tmstms tagged The Dresden Dolls with ‘dark cabaret’. Friday morning
outofdoors tagged The Dresden Dolls with ‘indie’ and ‘punk caberet’. Friday morning
mal12 added The Dresden Dolls to mal12’s library. Friday morning
jesscadz tagged The Dresden Dolls with ‘piano’, ‘cabaret’ and ‘female vocalist’. Friday morning