Top 10 Songs by the Dresden Dolls

The Dresden Dolls might not be one of the best known bands in my musical collection, but the Boston duo is, by far, my favorite. Few bands can produce such energy using just a keyboard and drums, but this pair provides energy and spunk in great supply. This is my take on their ten greatest songs.

10. "Good Day," from The Dresden Dolls. "Good Day" makes the list because of the attitude. Many of the songs, written primarily by pianist and vocalist Amanda Palmer contain a healthy dose of attitude, but "Good Day" opens the album as the first track, and the attitude is abundantly clear. In The Dresden Dolls Companion, Amanda Palmer writes that "I was writing my own, updated, non-disco version of Gloria Gaynor's "I will survive"

9. "Dirty Business," from Yes, Virginia. This song provides energy from head to toe. In The Virginia Companion, Amanda Palmer writes, "White Suburban Girl Guilt dies hard" about this particular song. Even if the meaning is, to some extent, unreachable, it becomes one of those songs that can be adapted to any person. That is why it is such a fantastic and energetic song.

8. "The Kill," from No, Virginia. This song begins softly, and soon builds up to the key-pounding intensity that Amanda Palmer does spectacularly. It is stated, in The Virginia Companion, that she thinks the song is about "lying while admitting it".

7. "Mrs. O," from Yes, Virginia. This song is a favorite by fans. Just watch them at a concert, and you will know. A bit slower than some of the other material, but the song still contains power.

6. "Dear Jenny," from No, Virginia. Dear Jenny is an older song on a new album. Amanda Palmer claims that she was thinking of "Dear Prudence" when she wrote the song, but that it became "Dear Prudence" "through the psych ward looking-glass."

5. "Backstabber," from Yes, Virginia. This particular song has a strange but wonderful video, and I imagine developing the idea was quite fun. Amanda Palmer claims that she does not want to pin the inspiration for this song on one person, but she does say that a conversation about "making it" in the music business inspired this catchy and energetic tune.

4. "Half-Jack," from The Dresden Dolls. The song deals with Amanda Palmer's parental situation (specifically, her father). Wonderfully, this song can adapt itself to be understood and applicable to nearly any situation. That is why it is such a fantastic song.

3. "The Perfect Fit," from The Dresden Dolls. This song, according to Amanda Palmer, was written about a time when she wondered if she was being a productive member of society as an artist. However, like most of the songs by The Dresden Dolls, the meaning is fairly flexible. It applies to so much more than artists.

2. "Coin-Operated Boy," from The Dresden Dolls. This is perhaps the most well-known song by The Dresden Dolls. It is almost unfortunately catchy, and the tune is beyond fun. The song was written about how convenient it would be to have a coin-operated boy, instead of the shakier real versions.

1. "Girl Anachronism," from The Dresden Dolls. To some extent, this song brought light to The Dresden Dolls. The song is meant as a "joke-apology" to the world for all of Amanda Palmer's shortcomings. Her excuse is that she was brought into this world by caesarian, so she obviously was not ready to come out. This song is one of the most energetic songs by The Dresden Dolls, and it is even enjoyable for people that were not removed from mother by caesarian.

There you have it- my top 10 songs by The Dresden Dolls. This is a fantastic band, and I encourage all music-lovers to explore the Boston-based duo.