“The Dolls’ music…is as gripping as ever…”

– Alternative Press, May 2006

“Americans, alas, are doomed to see things in the flattest of blacks and whites, while the Dresden Dolls swim in a sea of glorious grey.”

– Soma, March 2006

A band that blurs the lines between spectator and sport, hunter and prey, the real and the imagined, Boston’s The Dresden Dolls are an all-encompassing machine, which is somewhat of a feat considering the band is only two people strong. Vocalist/keyboardist Amanda Palmer and drummer Brian Viglione create a world entirely of their own, full of dress-up, independence, confused sexual orientations, loneliness, camaraderie and a bursting, uncontainable amount of heart all pounded effortlessly into the piano and the drums. It’s a world whose doors are open to everyone: if you’re a performance artist, you’ve possibly contributed your gifts to a Dresden Dolls live show; if you’re a painter or photographer, you’ve potentially lent your artwork to the album art for a Dresden Dolls record; if you’re anyone who feels misunderstood or lost inside of yourself, you are, perhaps, the subject of a Dresden Dolls song. And it’s this all-encompassing quality that has provided The Dresden Dolls with a devoted following, critically-acclaimed albums (2006’s Yes, Virginia won more accolades than we can count) and sold out tours across America and Europe.

Having spent nearly two years solid on the road since the release of Yes, Virginia, including tours with Panic! at the Disco, the True Colors tour with Cyndi Lauper and The Gossip, and their own sold-out headlining shows across the country, The Dresden Dolls are proud to put their newest collection of songs into your hands very soon. Due for release on Roadrunner Records on May 20th, 2008, the band’s new album, entitled No, Virginia, is made up of new songs, old demos and b-sides from the Yes, Virginia sessions. A startling companion album to an old fan favorite, No, Virginia is ripe with the incredible songwriting by which the Dolls are defined, and presents some of their best playing yet: Amanda’s piano may literally be turning to dust from the strength she’s using to bang on it, while Brian’s drums carry every melody on their sturdy snare snaps and chaotic cymbal crashes. Topped by Amanda’s uncontainable, multi-dimensional voice, No, Virginia contains some of the best songs in their repertoire.

Every song on No, Virginia stings (sometimes with laughter, sometimes with pain), from the strains of “The Kill,” to the band’s cheeky cover of the Psychedelic Furs’ “Pretty in Pink,” to the sing-song melody of “Lonesome Organist Rapes Page Turner” to the sinister bass notes and half-whispered verse of “Gardener.” Opener “Dear Jenny” marches and slides with tales of the disaffected and a chorus of “oooh’s” that lead it into the magical bounce of “Night Reconnaissance,” detailing the boredom of growing up in a small town, the evening alive with possibility. Rolling drums fill the choruses of “MouseAndTheModel,” the only song written when the Dolls were briefly a four-piece that included a guitarist and bassist, while “The Sheep Song,” a dark lullaby of sorts, features what may be one of Amanda Palmer’s most innocent vocal performances put to tape. Closer “Boston” caps this collection off perfectly – a seven minute laundry list of places mixed with regret, want, solitude and loss as told by a heart-wounded, sleep-weary protagonist, “Boston” shows us the Dolls at their most exposed, the emotion of the song palpable and richly felt with each listen.

The Dresden Dolls will be playing select shows in support of No, Virginia later this year. In the meantime, Amanda will be playing a special solo show in her hometown of Boston with The Boston Pops in early June. Additionally, Brian recently contributed his rhythmic talents to two songs on the recently released Nine Inch Nails album, Ghosts I-IV. Both are continuing to work on on-going side projects, collaborations and more while not on the road, most of which can be read about on the band’s diary -- http://dresdendollsdiary.blogspot.com

The tracklisting for No, Virginia…
1. Dear Jenny (new song)
2. Night Reconnaissance (new song)
3. MouseAndTheModel (old demo)
4. Ultima Esperanza (new song)
5. Gardener (unreleased sessions from Yes, Virginia)
6. Lonesome Organist Rapes Page Turner (Yes, Virginia b-side)
7. Sorry Bunch (new song)
8. Pretty in Pink (previously released on Conbination compilation)
9. The Kill (unreleased sessions from Yes, Virginia)
10. The Sheep Song (new song)
11. Boston (unreleased sessions from Yes, Virginia)

http://www.dresdendolls.com
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