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49-533: The Legendary Pink Dots (aka LPD ) are an Anglo-Dutch experimental rock band formed in London in August 1980. In 1984, the band moved to Amsterdam , playing with rotating musicians and having, as core members, singer/songwriter/keyboardist Edward Ka-Spel and keyboardist Phil Knight. In 2022, founding member and synthesist Philip Knight retired from touring, and Randall Frazier (Orbit Service, A Star Too Far) joined

98-682: A self-titled debut produced and recorded by Martin Bisi ( Swans , Sonic Youth ) at The Old American Can Factory in Gowanus, Brooklyn after being signed to Roadrunner Records by David Bason . The album features fellow Boston-area musicians Ad Frank (guitar on " Good Day ") and Shawn Setaro (bass on "Good Day", "Gravity", and "Jeep Song"). Two songs from the album ranked in the Triple J Hottest 100, 2004 : " Girl Anachronism " at number 30 and " Coin-Operated Boy " at number 12. In 2003 they were crowned

147-486: A "groundbreaking group in experimental rock", according to Rosenberg, "even further out of step with popular culture than the early recordings of the Mothers of Invention". The band were playing experimental rock in 1965 before other significant countercultural rock scenes had developed, pioneering avant-rock through their integration of minimalist rock and avant-garde ideas. The Beatles' album Sgt. Pepper's inspired

196-564: A 20-minute interview with Palmer about the origins of the band and the first LP. The interview was conducted by a friend while Palmer compiled the artwork for the first LP. On August 16, 2006, the East Providence Community Theatre in East Providence, Rhode Island , premiered a full-length, fan-written jukebox musical , The Clockwork Waltz , featuring songs from The Dresden Dolls' three albums. The show

245-509: A concise style or genre. The group's overall sound combined with Ka-Spel's distinct lyrics and singing have earned comparisons to Pink Floyd and Syd Barrett ; the group also has links to the sounds of krautrock bands such as Can , Faust , Brainticket and Neu! (whose "Super" they covered on the 1999 tribute album "A Homage to NEU!"), as well as the music of Magma . The Pink Dots frequently collaborated with Skinny Puppy 's cEvin Key , forming

294-808: A new album in 2020. This was later put on hold, however, due to the COVID-19 pandemic . Viglione played drums on four tracks of a charity album released by Palmer in February 2020. In a newsletter, they announced 3 shows in Woodstock , and that they "are working, slowly, on a new album and a new world tour." Palmer and Vigilone have been working on new songs in a rehearsal space near Palmer's Woodstock home. In Fall 2022, The Dresden Dolls reunited for three shows in Woodstock, NY & A New Years Eve show. They started writing songs for their new album and working

343-559: A new consideration for experimental rock as commercially viable music. Once the group released their December 1967 film Magical Mystery Tour , author Barry Faulk writes, "pop music and experimental rock were [briefly] synonymous, and the Beatles stood at the apex of a progressive movement in musical capitalism". The musical passage recorded by the Doors in 1968, " Not to Touch the Earth ",

392-561: A phrase invented by Palmer because she was "terrified" that the press would invent a name that "would involve the word gothic ". The Dresden Dolls aesthetic exemplifies dark cabaret . The duo formed a week after Brian Viglione witnessed Amanda Palmer perform solo at a Halloween party in 2000. Their live performances soon gained them a cult following. During these performances the two band members often wore dramatic make-up and fancy clothing that pushed their cabaret /theater aesthetic. They encourage fans to become involved at their shows, with

441-858: A reunion tour to selected venues in the United States occurred. It started on Halloween in New York City and ended in San Francisco on New Year's Eve. On December 9, 2011, The Dresden Dolls played a show in Mexico City. They had a tour of New Zealand and Australia in January 2012, supported by The Jane Austen Argument in Australia, and Hera, House of Mountain and Princess Chelsea in New Zealand. On April 15, 2015, they had

490-597: A rock concert. According to author Kelly Fisher Lowe, Zappa "set the tone" for experimental rock with the way he incorporated "countertextural aspects ... calling attention to the very recordedness of the album". This was reflected in other contemporary experimental rock LPs, such as the Beach Boys' Pet Sounds and Smile , the Who 's The Who Sell Out (1967) and Tommy (1969), and the Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967). The Velvet Underground were

539-417: A rumor began to spread that the band was "reuniting for performances in 2010" but Palmer clarified in her blog on August 7: "There's been a ton of press lately re-printing an old quote from an old interview that's now blown up into a full-fledged press rumour that Brian and I have planned Dresden Dolls' shows for 2010. Not true. We aren't planning any shows. Sorry about that, blame the gossip whores." In 2010,

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588-792: A show in New York to celebrate Record Store Day and promote the release of The Virginia Monologues . In 2018, they played three nights at the Paradise Rock Club, as part of the Club's 40th anniversary celebration. On October 27 (The Dome, Tuffnel Park), 30 & 31 (The Troxy ), 2018, they played three shows in London (their first shows in Europe in 12 years). On her There Will Be No Intermission tour in 2019, Amanda Palmer announced that The Dresden Dolls would be recording and releasing

637-606: A side project named The Tear Garden . Key played drums on several tracks of the 1994 LPD album 9 Lives to Wonder . Ryan Moore , who drummed on studio and live performances for the Legendary Pink Dots, left to work on his own musical outlet, the Twilight Circus Dub Sound System . He wrote and produced albums for Michael Rose of Black Uhuru , and has worked with other reggae figures such as Sly Dunbar . The Pink Dots have influenced

686-401: A solo show by Palmer who performed mostly cover songs inspired from film soundtracks. In June 2006, The Dresden Dolls Companion was released by Amanda Palmer. The book contains a history of the band and their first album— The Dresden Dolls —as well as a partial autobiography. The book also contains the lyrics, sheet music , and notes on each song on the album, as well as a DVD featuring

735-518: A temporary stage for some of the many performers (living statues, stilt-walkers, and fire-breathers) who had come from across the world to entertain audiences. The entire event—concert and street performances—was filmed and the resulting DVD , Live: In Paradise , was released in Europe on October 10, 2005, and in North America on November 22, shortly after the band's fall 2005 tour. The Dresden Dolls' second studio album, Yes, Virginia... ,

784-618: A wide range of bands, such as The Dresden Dolls , MGMT , Orbit Service, and Skinny Puppy. In 2017, Edward Ka-Spel released "I Can Spin A Rainbow" with The Dresden Dolls front-woman Amanda Palmer, and former Legendary Pink Dot Patrick Q. Wright. The release was followed by US and European tours; on the US tour, Randall Frazier was sound engineer, and on the European tour, Joep Hendrikx was sound engineer, both members of The Legendary Pink Dots. Experimental rock From its inception, rock music

833-552: Is a follow-up to the Dresden Dolls Companion , featuring the music and lyrics from the Yes, Virginia... and No, Virginia... albums. In September 2008, rumors began to circulate about the future of the band. Viglione confirmed that the band was on hiatus but emphasized that he and Palmer are on good terms and that they will get together again when it felt right for both of them. In late July and early August 2009,

882-494: Is very much in keeping with the dynamics of the music, which sometimes goes from a childlike whisper to a banshee scream within a few seconds". The duo was featured in a webcast performance at the 2002 Ig Nobel Prize ceremony in Cambridge, Massachusetts . After a self-promoted demo recorded and released in 2001, their first release was the mostly live compilation A Is for Accident (Important Records), followed in 2003 by

931-412: Is what critic Mick Wall described as "nearly four minutes of avant-rock." As progressive rock developed, experimental rock acquired notoriety alongside art rock . By 1970, most of the musicians which had been at the forefront of experimental rock had incapacitated themselves. From then on, the ideas and work of British artist and former Roxy Music member Brian Eno —which suggested that ideas from

980-861: The True Colors Tour 2007 , including their debut in New York City's Radio City Music Hall and their first review in The New York Times . On July 10, 2007, the DVD Live at the Roundhouse was released in the U.S. From December 27, 2007, to January 13, 2008, their Winter Tour started at the Sixth & I Historic Synagogue in Washington, D.C., and ending at The Norva in Norfolk, Virginia . On January 15, 2008, they entered

1029-422: The 1970s, significant musical crossbreeding took place in tandem with the developments of punk and new wave , DIY experimentation, and electronic music . Funk , jazz-rock , and fusion rhythms also became integrated into experimental rock music. Early 1980s experimental rock groups had few direct precedents for their sound. Later in the decade, avant-rock pursued a psychedelic aesthetic that differed from

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1078-732: The Beatles as the most avant-garde [rock] composers of the postwar era". Aside from the Beatles, author Doyle Greene identifies Frank Zappa , the Velvet Underground , Plastic Ono Band , Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band , Pink Floyd , the Soft Machine and Nico as "pioneers of avant-rock". In addition, The Quietus ' Ben Graham described duos the Silver Apples and Suicide as antecedents of avant-rock. Pitchfork cited Red Krayola as being "likely

1127-516: The Fugs , the Monks , Red Krayola , Soft Machine , Pink Floyd and the Beatles began incorporating elements of avant-garde music , sound collage , and poetry in their work. Historian David Simonelli writes that, further to the Beatles' " Tomorrow Never Knows " ( Revolver , 1966), the band's February 1967 double A-side single, pairing " Strawberry Fields Forever " with " Penny Lane ", "establish[ed]

1176-846: The Jesus and Mary Chain as "avant-rock icons." According to Paul Hegarty and Martin Halliwell, some 1980s and early 1990s avant-rock acts such as the British musicians David Sylvian and Talk Talk returned to the ideas of progressive rock, which they call " post-progressive ". During the 1990s, a loose movement known as post-rock became the dominant form of experimental rock. In a reaction against traditional rock music formula, post-rock artists combined standard rock instrumentation with electronics and influences from styles such as ambient music , IDM , krautrock, minimalism , and jazz. In 2015, The Quietus ' Bryan Brussee noted uncertainty with

1225-452: The advancing technology of multitrack recording and mixing boards were more influential to experimental rock than electronic instruments such as the synthesizer , allowing the Beatles and the Beach Boys to become the first crop of non- classically trained musicians to create extended and complex compositions. Drawing from the influence of George Martin , the Beatles' producer, and the Beach Boys' Brian Wilson , music producers after

1274-408: The album The Whispering Wall was released. Their music touches on elements of neo-psychedelia , ambient music , electronic music , tape music , psychedelic folk , synthpop , post-punk , progressive , jazz , noise , pop , and goth rock , with a distinctly experimental / avant-garde bent; their sound has evolved over time and remains distinctive, making it difficult to place the group into

1323-898: The art world, including those of experimental music and the avant-garde, should be deployed in the context of experimental rock—were a key innovation throughout the decade. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Germany's " krautrock " scene (also referred to as kosmische or elektronische musik) saw bands develop a form of experimental rock that drew on rock sources, such as the Velvet Underground and Frank Zappa, as well as wider avant-garde influences. Groups such as Can , Faust , Neu! , Amon Düül II , Ash Ra Tempel , Kraftwerk , Tangerine Dream , and Popol Vuh merged elements of psychedelic rock with electronic music , funk rhythms, jazz improvisation , and avant-garde and contemporary classical compositions, as well as new electronic instrumentation . The ideas of minimalism and composers such as Stockhausen would be particularly influential. The movement

1372-614: The band on synths , samples and electronics . While no official announcement has been made, Phil Knight is not included in post-2022 recording liner notes. As of 2022, the group is composed of Edward Ka-Spel (vocals, keyboards, songwriter), Randall Frazier (keyboards, electronics), Erik Drost (guitars) and Joep Hendrikx (live sound engineer). Their music has incorporated elements from neo-psychedelia , ambient music , electronic music , tape music , psychedelic folk , synthpop , post-punk , progressive jazz , noise music , pop music , goth rock and alternative rock . Although outside

1421-417: The fans' own stilt walking , living statues , fire breathers , and other performance art becoming an integral part of the show. The Dirty Business Brigade coordinated the fans' performances. The band's first name was Out of Arms. At some point, the name became The Dresden Dolls. The name, according to Palmer, was "inspired by a combination of things", including the firebombing of Dresden, Germany , and

1470-533: The first wave of 1980s experimental rock groups, including acts such as Material , the Work , This Heat, Ornette Coleman 's Prime Time, James Blood Ulmer , Last Exit , and Massacre , had few direct precedents for their sound. Steve Redhead noted the resuscitation of New York's avant-rock scene, including artists such as Sonic Youth and John Zorn , in the 1980s. According to journalist David Stubbs , "no other major rock group [...] has done as much to try to bridge

1519-484: The gap between rock and the avant garde" as Sonic Youth, who drew on improvisation and noise as well as the Velvet Underground. In the late 1980s, avant-rock pursued a "frazzled, psychedelia -tinged, 'blissed out'" aesthetic that differed from the self-consciousness and vigilance of earlier post-punk. The UK shoegaze scene was seen by some as a continuation of an experimental rock tradition. Pitchfork described contemporary acts My Bloody Valentine , Spacemen 3 , and

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1568-517: The latter case was that technical skill was getting in the way of, or replacing, significance. — Bill Martin writing in his book Avant Rock (2002) Although experimentation had always existed in rock music, it was not until the late 1960s that new openings were created from the aesthetic intersecting with the social. In 1966, the boundaries between pop music and the avant-garde began to blur as rock albums were conceived and executed as distinct, extended statements. Self-taught rock musicians in

1617-456: The mainstream (in terms of their avant-garde music and non-mainstream career path), LPD have released more than forty albums, have a devoted worldwide following, and tour frequently. The band was originally called One Day... but subsequently changed the name to The Legendary Pink Dots. In the 1980s, the band released albums on Mirrordot and InPhaze; in 1985 they signed with Play It Again Sam for

1666-414: The mid-1960s began to view the recording studio as an instrument used to aid the process of composition. When the Beach Boys' Pet Sounds (1966) was released to a four-month chart stay in the British top 10, many British groups responded to the album by making more experimental use of recording studio techniques. In the late 1960s, groups such as the Mothers of Invention , the Velvet Underground ,

1715-425: The middle and late 1960s drew from the work of composers such as John Cage , Karlheinz Stockhausen , and Luciano Berio . Academic Bill Martin writes: "in the case of imitative painters, what came out was almost always merely derivative, whereas in the case of rock music, the result could be quite original, because assimilation, synthesis, and imitation are integral parts of the language of rock." Martin says that

1764-410: The most experimental band of the 1960s". In the opinion of Stuart Rosenberg, the first "noteworthy" experimental rock group was the Mothers of Invention, led by composer Frank Zappa. Greene recognises the group's debut album, Freak Out! , as marking the "emergence of the 'avant-rock' studio album" at a time when Warhol's presentation of the Velvet Underground's shows was redefining the parameters of

1813-524: The new songs into live sets. In 2023, they toured in the US. In September 2023, they also performed at Riot Fest in Chicago, IL. Studio albums The Dresden Dolls are a dark cabaret band. Their piano- and drum-driven rock music, incorporated into alternative rock song structures with piano replacing the rhythm guitar, has seen them fall into the piano rock genre. In her influences, Palmer named Cyndi Lauper , Laurie Anderson and Kate Bush . She

1862-565: The porcelain dolls that were a hallmark of pre-war Dresden industry; an early song of the same name by The Fall ; and a reference to the V. C. Andrews novel Flowers in the Attic , where the classically blond-haired and blue-eyed protagonists are called "the Dresden dolls". The name also evokes Weimar Germany and its cabaret culture. Additionally, Palmer "liked the parallel between Dresden (destruction) and Dolls (innocence, delicacy), because it

1911-468: The power and mystique of a rock vanguard by depriving it of a tradition to react against." Anderson claims that the no wave scene represented "New York's last stylistically cohesive avant-rock movement." The early 1980s would see avant-rock develop significantly following the punk and new wave , DIY experimentation, electronic music, and musical cross-breeding of the previous decade, according to Pitchfork . Dominique Leone of Pitchfork claims that

1960-544: The production methods of dub and disco . During this era, funk , jazz-rock , and fusion rhythms became integrated into experimental rock music. Some groups who were categorized as "post-punk" considered themselves part of an experimental rock trajectory, with This Heat as one of the prominent players. The late 1970s no wave scene consisted of New York experimental rock bands that aimed to break with new wave , and who, according to Village Voice writer Steve Anderson, pursued an abrasive reductionism which "undermined

2009-550: The release of The Lovers . The line-up became stable by 1988, with Niels van Hoornblower (horns) and Bob Pistoor (guitar) joining for the band's 1988 US tour. Pistoor died of cancer and his place was filled by Martijn de Kleer; drummer Ryan Moore completed the line-up live and in the studio. Their appeal has always been relatively small—a 1995 show in Mexico in front of 2,500 fans was described as "massive (by Dots' standards)". In 2004, Erik Drost replaced Martijn de Kleer on guitar, and

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2058-645: The self-consciousness and vigilance of earlier post-punk . During the 1990s, a loose movement known as post-rock became the dominant form of experimental rock. As of the 2010s, the term "experimental rock" has fallen to indiscriminate use, with many modern rock bands being categorized under prefixes such as "post-", "kraut-", "psych-", "art-", "prog-", "avant-" and "noise-". In the late 1960s and early 1970s, as Lou Reed put it, there were those were trying to become much better musicians, or much better players of their instruments at any rate, and those who were trying to forget what little they already knew. The presumption in

2107-481: The studio to record new material for their third studio album, No, Virginia... Released on May 20, 2008, it is a collection of B-sides and rarities, along with new recordings of old favorites and cover songs that were previously only available as live versions. The album spawned the single " Night Reconnaissance ". July 2008 saw the release of the second Dresden Dolls book, the Virginia Companion . It

2156-529: The term "experimental rock", and that "it seems like every rock band today has some kind of post-, kraut-, psych-, or noise- prefixed to their genre." The Dresden Dolls The Dresden Dolls are an American musical duo from Boston, Massachusetts . Formed in 2000, the group consists of Amanda Palmer (lead vocals and piano; additional: keyboards, harmonica, ukulele) and Brian Viglione (drums and backing vocals; additional: guitar, bass guitar). The two describe their style as " Brechtian punk cabaret ",

2205-575: The winners of Boston's long-running WBCN Rock & Roll Rumble . On October 6, 2005, The Dresden Dolls were interviewed by the subject of one of their songs, Christopher Lydon , on the radio show Open Source . In March 2005, the duo supported Nine Inch Nails on tour. On June 5, The Dresden Dolls hosted a free concert at the Paradise Rock Club in Boston. When a power outage unexpectedly delayed their performance, city streets became

2254-774: Was encouraged by the band and their management. In December 2006 and January 2007, the music of The Dresden Dolls was featured in an original production— The Onion Cellar —at the American Repertory Theatre 's Zero Arrow Theatre in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The play is co-authored by Amanda Palmer, from her original concept. On January 14, 2007, the duo took a temporary hiatus. Palmer worked on her solo album , Who Killed Amanda Palmer , while Brian Viglione toured with Boston-based HUMANWINE and other local Boston acts, along with touring with Jesse Malin and offering drum clinics. In June 2007, they joined

2303-491: Was experimental, but it was not until the late 1960s that rock artists began creating extended and complex compositions through advancements in multitrack recording . In 1967, the genre was as commercially viable as pop music , but by 1970, most of its leading players had incapacitated themselves in some form. In Germany, the krautrock subgenre merged elements of improvisation and psychedelic rock with electronic music , avant-garde and contemporary classical pieces. Later in

2352-408: Was partly born out of the student movements of 1968 , as German youth sought a unique countercultural identity and wanted to develop a form of German music that was distinct from the mainstream music of the period. The late 1970s post-punk movement was devised as a break with rock tradition, exploring new possibilities by embracing electronics, noise , jazz and the classical avant-garde, and

2401-570: Was released on April 18, 2006. Over the summer of that year, the duo performed at South by Southwest , Bonnaroo , Britain's Reading and Leeds Festivals , and Lollapalooza , in addition to touring with Panic! at the Disco as their opening act . During the support tour, the band presented "Fuck the Back Row—A Night of Celluloid Vaudeville". The events consisted of screenings of short films from friends and fans, performances by local artists, and

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