Yes means No - The Dresden Dolls

[Chantel]

Amanda Palmer of The Dresden Dolls is a self confessed email junkie. Between writing their self-proclaimed punk-cabaret anthems, touring, and working on her own solo album (Who Killed Amanda Palmer?, to be released Autumn this year), it has become the most practical mode of communication.

It’s a good thing to be an email junkie this week because right now Amanda has no voice. Coincidently, neither do I thanks to the invasion of an evil little bunch of flu bugs invoking a rather annoying respiratory tract infection. Amanda though, has been suffering from some lovely laryngitis and has recently had surgery to remove some vocal nodes. We embrace technology and I shoot off my inquisitions through cyberspace and wait for her reply. Thank you email. You have our joint appreciation.

Let’s rewind back two years to 2006 when The Dresden Dolls released their sophomore album, Yes, Virginia. Locking themselves away for several weeks in a converted turn-of-the-century mansion in New York, the Dolls recorded the 13 track album which boasted their road-sharpened musical prowess, winning copious amounts of critical acclaim and stealing the hearts of music fans the world over. Thirteen tracks recorded, toured extensively, and gobbled up by the masses. But wait, there’s more.

It turns out that there were a few more than 13 tracks recorded during the Yes, Virginia sessions and another few more that had been pounding through The Dresden Dolls’ minimal instrumentation for quite some time that had not yet made it to tape. What became of these little gems? In short, they were told “No, you can’t be on this record”, until now.

Here steps in The Dresden Dolls’ latest release, aptly titled No, Virginia. A collection of works thrown together showing that there’s much more to the Dolls than pancake makeup and vampy lingerie.

“I really liked not having to care too much about this record, since we weren't treating it as an official release. We threw it together, and that felt very liberating.”

So what exactly did they throw together? Amanda explains the recipe:

“Ingredients for a No, Virginia: 1) one b-side from our last record, 2) four unreleased recordings, 3) one old demo, 4) one 80s cover tune (of course) and 5) five brand-new recordings of older tunes we've never laid to tape. Sprinkle on some Sean Slade producer-action and viola…instant record!”

Releasing this album, was a major catharsis. A means for cleansing the writing and recording platform in order for both Amanda Palmer and Brian Viglione to move forward together after both having pursued outside ventures – Brian joining long time New York friends, World/Inferno Friendship Society, as well as recoding drums for two tracks on Nine Inch Nails’ Ghosts I-IV and Amanda concentrating on her solo project.

The making of No, Virginia also gave Amanda a chance to listen to the ‘left-over’ songs – her “favorite bastard children” objectively. Surprisingly, the album has a much more pop feel to it than the previous two albums and Amanda conceded that maybe she should not have shied away from The Dresden Dolls’ pop inclinations when they were making the initial song selections for Yes, Virginia and their self-titled debut.

“I've learned to be less precious about things. The recording was a great lesson in letting things happen impulsively and letting go of my preconceptions. I find myself much more flexible when it comes to things that aren't essential. And unrelenting when it comes to the things that are.”

No, Virginia is out now through Roadrunner Records.

-Chantel Bann, The Brag Mag 10 June 08

[Hitman]

Nice!

[depressed goth]

Yes,Did you ask her the most important question.When is the band coming to Australia again?

[Chantel]

Nah...

But I dare say, it won't be too long...