Since Iceberg Ink is your one stop shop for all things cool, I thought I'd take this opportunity to introduce you to...Amanda Palmer.
If this is a new name to you I'm jealous of all the joy that is about to come into your life.
Amanda Palmer is a singer\performance artists, formerly of the Dresden Dolls but now winging her way through the musical ether as a solo act. I was lucky enough to see her open for Nine Inch Nails six years ago and I walked away from the experience having enjoyed the opening band more than I did the main show.
She is the queen of punk cabaret, a rarefied musical genre with few players in it.
But the term punk cabaret doesn't do enough justice in describing what this talented artist is capable of producing. Her musical stylings alternate between deeply soulful. cheekily irreverent and refreshingly honest. She's a sort of musical bohemian who can't be confined to any one sound or one taste.
Her most recent album, AMANDA PALMER GOES DOWN UNDER, dropped on Friday and I'm still in the early stages of courtship with it. Expect a proper review of the album soon, after I've had more time to digest it. The video above, Map of Tasmania, is the first single from the album, but a very poor example of what she's capable of creating. (I'd be really bad at marketing wouldn't I? Trying to turn people on to an artist by showing off her less powerful creations)
For a definitive AP album, I recommend her first solo endeavour, WHO KILLED AMANDA PALMER? It's a powerful, soulful disc that ensnares you with its rich musical melodies, naked lyrics and captivating arrangements.
If you're looking for something that's a little off the beaten path but still refreshing and charismatic, welcome home.
Here's a link to Astronaut, my fave song from her first album.
