Monday, November 06, 2006

A Thought

One of my favorite bands, right now, is (are?) The Dresden Dolls.

When I lived in Cowcity, I remember hearing their song "Coin Operated Boy" (low-res video) (which many of you have probably heard) and thinking it was clever and funny, but not much more. About a week before I moved one of the two radio stations I listened to, that weren't NPR based, played some snippets from a concert The Dresden Dolls had performed a month or so earlier and that's when I heard the song "Girl Anachronism" (the mp3) and I knew that this was an album I had to have. I didn't buy it, though. I was about to move and I didn't have the income to justify buying a CD.

About a year ago, I finally bought it. It was better than I expected. Odd and twisted (the song "Missed Me" (its mp3) is my favorite example of that) and wonderful. The piano isn't always used as an instrument, but as something for Amanda Palmer to take her anger and other emotions out on while playing the melody.

I don't know what it is, but there's something in their music that's haunting and lovely and frightening all at the same time and I can't seem to get enough of it.

I just got their new album, Yes, Virginia, but haven't been able to absorb it yet. This writing thing has pushed my musical appreciation off until the end of the month because I don't write so well while listening to music I've never heard before, but I'm looking forward to the time that I can sit back and really listen to it.

But that's not my thought.

My thought is that I want The Dresden Dolls to be huge. I want everyone to have experienced their music, even if they don't like it, because I enjoy it so much. If they become really popular and other bands start cloning their sound, will they be as interesting? Is it better for me, as a fan, to have them stay as they are, less known than they could be, because that keeps them more free to do as they please in their music?

I'm not sure.

7 comments:

choochoo said...

definitly seems like a better option than having the teletubbies stuck in your head. They went away for awhile, but then they came back again this morning... I hate them

ticknart said...

But there's something about that smiling baby in the sun. When it makes that laughing sound I can't help but smile myself.

choochoo said...

Yeah, that's cute. The themesong is haunting my dreams in a very disturbing way, though.

Jazz said...

Are the teletubbies the ones that are all the same with different colours one of whom was accused of being gay?

I hate the barney theme song. And it's in my head now because of your talk of teletubbies.

Arrrrgghhhh

ticknart said...

Yeah, that's who the Teletubbies.

Although I'm still trying to figure out how creatures with no genitals can be gay. It just doesn't make sense.

Alliya said...

This album still frightens the hell out of me. She is amazing, talented and raw. I love it, because it makes me so uncomfortable, like she is peeling back the skin...This is how I want to feel sometimes, but frankly, I'm not brave enough.

ticknart said...

Alliya, that is exactly true about her music.