Dolls use sex as selling point

A very dynamic duo, The Dresden Dolls has hit new sexually-charged heights with its recent release, "Yes, Virginia …" out now on Roadrunner Records.

Comprised of members Amanda Palmer and Brian Viglione, the combo combines haunting melodies with overt feminine sexuality that makes you feel like you're seeing a old fashioned cabaret show in the Addams Family mansion. The music forces you feel the cobwebs as you gaze at classy starlets shrieking their hearts out, garter belts and all.

While the feel is easily described, the sound is hard to name. Most songs on this current disc involve pounding keyboards and smooth rhythmic drumbeats topped off with the sulky and borderline pornographic vocals of Palmer. Her voice truly is the best part of this album. Her lyrics are thought provoking and insightful, ranging from powerful sexuality to critiques of modern day political culture, with a deviously sensual delivery that would give most 80-year-old perverts a heart attack. She truly does shine on this disk.

The disadvantage to their minimalist approach is that most of the extremely talented musicianship on this album will inevitably fall upon deaf ears. The bouncy piano lines, combined with highly syncopated drum beats, create a rather rare type of music that could only be described as gothic jazz mixed with a tiny piece of late 1950s rock 'n' roll. Very honky, and even awkward at times, it still remains extraordinarily atmospheric and as precise as a sniper's bullet.

This minimalist style has most recently been made popular by bands such as The White Stripes and The Strokes, and The Dresden Dolls could easily go toe-to-toe with anyone of the modern day "garage" greats. The sound of it new music could fill halls with booming sounds and emotive lines. That truly is the goal of minimalist music: to create a monstrous sound using only the bare basics of songwriting, and letting the passion of the music speak more than a stage full of musicians ever could.

This is about as close to the peak of the minimalist mountain that you can get. With songs such as "Backstabber" and "Shores of California," this album is a great fit for anyone who believes in passionate people doing something they love, feminists bound on women being the sexually-dominate gender or anyone who is in love with basic, bare-bones heartfelt music.

"Yes, Virginia …" is worth at least a listen. It's a rare feat for two people to take nothingness to the heights of passionate ecstasy, and this new musical piece is most definitely a rare feat.

By: Stan Schulte