Pop Song of the Week: "Mandy Goes to Med School"

It's surprising how few pop songs there are to be found involving such a controversial subject. And quite frankly, as melodramatic as Amanda Palmer's song is, I can't help but admit that I prefer it to those tunes that have been written by people who seem to believe that the ideal viewpoint on this subject is best expressed by the type of people who will never be in any danger of passing the Blade Runner turtle test. At least she dares to provoke a reaction.

Pop Song of the Week: "My Alcoholic Friends"

Hey, it's Friday the 13th and I haven't posted a music video in a long while. So let's start with an oldie but a goodie.

After all, it is the start of the weekend.

Pop Song of the Week: “Coin-Operated Boy”

Someone's been watching May a lot.

Songs I've Been Listening to Way Too Often

1. “Gravity” -- The Dresden Dolls. My favorite cut off their first album.
2. “If Your Kisses Can't Hold The Man You Love” -- Rasputina. Cover of an old Sophie Tucker tune.
3. “Because of You” -- Kelly Clarkson. Yes, that tune surprised me too.
4. “Words” -- Missing Persons. The new American anthem...
5. “Tomorrow, Wendy” -- Concrete Blonde. Because I can't listen to Kelly Clarkson all the time...
6. “Past, Present And Future” -- The Shangri-Las. Because I'm all about the happy tunes...
7. “Take the L” -- The Motels. An oldie but a goodie.
8. “I'll Be Your San Antone Rose” -- Dotsy and the Lea Jane Singers. One of those country songs you know you shouldn't listen to but do so anyway.
9. “I May Never Get to Heaven” -- Wanda Jackson. Another country song I'm mighty fond of.
10. “Hands Tied” -- Scandal. Just because...

Dresden Dolls Redux

I wish I could say that the new Dresden Dolls album, Yes, Virginia, is as good as their first album. But alas, it's not.

It's not a bad record per se. Some songs like “Modern Moonlight” and “Sex Changes” have a nice ring to them. And the abortion song “Mandy Goes to Med School” certainly stands out as the most memorable song I've heard thus far this year. (Though whether it's memorable in a good way is another matter.)

As a whole, though, I prefer the first album to the second. As much as I like “Modern Moonlight” and other tunes on the album, they're just not as memorable as such first album tunes as “Girl Anachronism,” “Gravity” or even “Coin-Operated Boy.”

Maybe in a year or two, I'll believe differently, but for now, I don't.

I did like the recent Dresden Dolls Paradise DVD though. It's mostly composed of live performances, and those alone are pretty entertaining. However, the two bonus videos on the DVD are very well done. And the ambiguous end of the “Coin-Operated Boy” (a homage to the horror film May, perhaps?) is very good. And not just because lead singer Amanda Palmer looks so good in a corset...

Come To The Punk Cabaret, Old Chum

I've been listening to the self-titled album by the Dresden Dolls a lot lately. Not exactly an album I'd recommend for family listening, but close enough to my current mood to be suitable to me. The group specializes in a brand of eclectic music that has been characterized as “punk cabaret” -- plenty of frenzied piano-playing and some sweet melodies on the most unlikely subjects.

I first got hooked on the group when I heard the song “Coin-Operated Boy” on the PA at a local record store. It was a simple novelty tune and yet more than a novelty tune. I'm tempted to call it the “Imaginary Lover” of the 21st Century because it covers similar subject matter. A girl -- who is lonely -- purchases a -- well -- a coin-operated boy. You can guess the rest of the story from there.

There was a time when I turned up my nose at this type of melodrama, but lately I've acquired a taste for it. It might not help me understand the world but it can help me tolerate it.