So i was in Boston this weekend and heard this song "Coin-operated Boy" by some locals called the Dresden dolls.

Anyone know anything about these kids? the song is still in my head.

Really liked them live...they did a killer cover of Black Sabbath's War Pigs.

Their debut is excellent. If you liked them live, that's pretty much what you get on the disc.

they are very popular here.

yeah, i was trapped in my friends apt while she was at work listening to FNX for 2 days, heard it so many times, but never really got tired of it.

really impressed with that radio station btw, great mix of cool shat

that's a new thing. FNX used to completely suck until about a year or so ago. they changed their format so they're better. There are so many great college stations around here though too...

Dresden Dolls aren't really my taste but I like the Weimar cabaret concept behind them.

nice folks. they get shit on a lot in the local scene for being pretentious, arrogant, and "arty," but i think they're pretty alright.

the Bon Savs are the proud owners of their old van.

KPH

I caught them opening for Mission Of Burma and was really impressed.

They both have great stage presence and a flair for the dramatic. Plus the hot singer seems to like to have people looking up her skirt for some reason...I caught a bunch of guys staring, and then I caught myself staring, then I burned myself to teach me a lesson for thinking such dirty thoughts.

FNX changed their MD and overall appeal a little over a year ago. the guy in charge actually comes out to local shows, is a regular at the Pill and the Plan, and puts together monthly shows featuring pairing up-and-coming local bands with national touring acts.

what i find most hilarious about that is that you have to *beg* college radio kids here to give a shit about local music. i can't tell you how much shit we all run into with the various school-related stations, but a commercial, 800-lb gorilla like FNX goes out of its way to get in touch with local acts and help define trends, etc.

KPH

i also listened to a bit of emerson radio on sunday night, very good.

i'm thinking of moving up there, and coming from the ny metro area where all radio blows, i'm very excited to be somewher that cares about whats new and interesting and not what mtv thinks is cool

i heard that song on whatever 96.1 the x station we've got. the funny part was that you could almost HEAR the guy getting fired when it was over and someone screamed "get some nu-metal on here, STAT", and lo and behold that's what came on. i don't know how they're marketing that band but it's one stop on the OC and then greatest hits time for them.

It should be pointed out that FNX used to be really awesome until around 1998, then sucked for about 4 years before improving. In my opinion, they're still nowhere near where they were when I got up here in 1995. Yeah, they play the new "indie" stuff, but I used to hear great classic stuff as well. More than just "Love Will Tear Us Apart" and "Here Comes Your Man".

Dresden Dolls is making my year end list. They are fantastic. I don't just <3 Amanda Palmer, I want to be her. She plays the kind of music that I would like to believe I would make in some sort of alternate universe. "Half Jack" is a pretty good example -- it starts out all slow and brooding, but by the time they're climaxing (erm...um), it's a practically breathless cacophany of beauty.

They make a lot of noise for just two people (her == vox/piano; him == drums), and Brian Viglione ain't no slouch neither. He really captured the Bill Ward spirit during "War Pigs", and he goes from suffering every individual cymbal hit to totally going apeshit.

I get the distinct impression he used to be in a metal band.

"Coin-Operated Boy" is quite definitively them. Quirky stilted rhythms, catchy catchy catchy song, clever sarcastic lyrics. Tight. Did I mention there's only two of them?

Highly recommended seeing them live. I had front-row at their last show, and I think it's the last time that'll be the case.

Can't say enough about 'em.

That's kind of an odd sentence with which to end, innit?

agreed. their s/t cd is incredible. definitely one of the best cds i've heard in months. but i think it was a 2003 release, at least that's what it says on my cd.

i thought their debut was just ok. they had trouble keeping my attention for the whole album, since i think theyre much better balls to the wall than more subdued. i can see how they would be good live though, since they probably do put the hammer down live and play louder and faster.

i liked their "a is for accident" better than the album itself for the live stuff.

Also, I forgot to mention -- I really like their use of dynamics. It's almost unheard of, in this day and age. Listen, especially, to the intro and outro of coin-operated boy. Not only do they make things softer, they do something with the frequency response, so that during the intro, for example, things sound like they "kick in" at one point.You can't rely on that -- that's just when the songs were copyrighted. According to AMG, it was released April 27, 2004.