Who Killed Amanda Palmer

Infobox Album
Name = Who Killed Amanda Palmer
Type = Album
Artist = Amanda Palmer

---

Released = Startdate|2008|09|16
Recorded = 2007-2008 in Nashville, TN, Seattle, WA, Cotati, CA, San Francisco, CA, and Edinburgh, Scotland
Genre = Dark cabaret
Alternative
Length = 53:12
Label = Roadrunner Records
Producer = Ben Folds & Amanda Palmer Arranger = Paul Buckmaster
Reviews =
*AbsolutePunk.net (89%) [http://absolutepunk.net/showthread.php?p=21436161 link]
*Alternative Press Rating|4|5
*Drowned In Sound (7/10) [http://www.drownedinsound.com/release/view/13683 link]
*MusicOMH Rating|4.5|5 [http://www.musicomh.com/albums/amanda-palmer_0908.htm link]
*Pitchfork Media (7.4/10) [http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/145614-amanda-palmer-who-killed-amanda-palmer]
*Spin Magazine Rating|3.5|5 [http://www.spin.com/reviews/amanda-palmer-who-killed-amanda-palmer-roadrunner]
*Metacritic (79/100) [http://www.metacritic.com/music/artists/palmeramanda/whokilledamandapalmer?part=rss]
*The Guardian Rating|4|5 [http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2008/sep/12/popreview.amandapalmer]
*PopMatters (7/10) [http://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/63435/amanda-palmer-who-killed-amanda-palmer/]
Last album = "Amanda Palmer"
(1997)
This album = "Who Killed Amanda Palmer"
(2008)
Misc = Singles
Name = Who Killed Amanda Palmer
Type = studio
single 1 = Leeds United
single 1 date = 2008 Extra album cover 2
Upper caption = Alternate Covers
Type = Album


Lower caption = Digital Only "Special Edition" Extra album cover 2
Type = Album


Lower caption = Pre-Order (Digital Version) Bonus Songs

Who Killed Amanda Palmer is the debut solo effort by Amanda Palmer, lead singer, pianist, and lyricist/composer of the "Brechtian punk cabaret" duo The Dresden Dolls.

The album was mostly recorded in Nashville, TN with collaborator Ben Folds [ [http://www.thesuburbs.org.uk/news/Ben_Folds_working_on_Amanda_Palmer_s_solo_album "Ben Folds working on Amanda Palmer's solo album"] in theSuburbs.org] and was released on Roadrunner Records (also home to The Dresden Dolls). The name of the album is a reference to the series "Twin Peaks", which revolves around events surrounding the death of Laura Palmer.

Background

Certain tracks will also feature Folds on percussion and keyboards and former Rasputina member Zoë Keating on cello.cite web
url = http://www.spin.com/features/news/2007/04/070425_apalmer
title = Dresden Doll Preps Solo Debut
accessdaymonth = 8 December
accessyear = 2007
date = April 25, 2007
work = spin.com music for life
publisher = spin.com
quote = The Dresden Dolls' Amanda Palmer chats with SPIN.com about her forthcoming solo effort.]

In 2007, Palmer self-released the song "I Will Follow You Into the Dark," a cover of the Death Cab for Cutie song, on her MySpace. The ID3 tags listed the source album as "Nashville". Fans began discussing the possibility of the solo album being named such, but Palmer dispelled rumors on the Dresden Dolls' forum, The Shadowbox, stating:

"that was titled 'nashville' because that is the location that i am recording the solo album....in nashville, at ben folds' studio, with ben, who is producing the record and playing on it. [...] it will not be the album title unless i decide to confuse everybody and come up with an album title that will throw EVERYBODY....ie 'nashville blues'in which case shoot me [ [http://theshadowbox.net/ddbb/viewtopic.php?p=356594#356594 Amanda Palmer on theshadowbox.net] , the Dresden Doll's forum]

As a side note: The song will not be on the album, but has been released on the "Peace (for Mom)" compilation released by Brainwashed Recordings.

Palmer confirmed to the Boston Phoenix in April 2007 that the album was indeed titled "Who Killed Amanda Palmer", although another working title was "That's Amanda Fucking Palmer to You." She joked that the latter was unlikely to encourage being stocked at notably conservative media chain WalMart. [http://thephoenix.com/article_ektid37103.aspx Amanda Palmer declares title to Boston Phoenix] ]

On the overall feel of the record, Palmer said,

"A lot of the songs are piano ballads that never found a home on a Dolls' record, because I hadn't wanted to overload the record with slow material. But there's a really intense, exciting energy to the tracks at the same time. It definitely won't drag."

Additionally, she has said,

"We've been adding everything from organs and Leslie cabinets [keyboard speaker] to strings, horns, and tympani. The final result should be biblical."

In November 2007, members of Estradasphere started touring with Palmer, [ [http://threeimaginarygirls.com/liveshowreview/2007nov/amandapalmerwithestradasphere Live show review of Amanda Palmer with Estradasphere @ 608 Club in Ballard by Three Imaginary Girls] ] as well as helping to produce this album. [ [http://www.estradasphere.com/news.php Estradasphere touring with Amanda Palmer] ]

The magazine "Alternative Press" named this album one of the "Most Anticipated Albums of 2008". [ [http://www.altpress.com/apmag/234.htm In The Rag] ]

On April 20, 2008, Amanda confirmed in an interview with Penguins in the Desert on WHRW, Binghamton University's radio station, that the release date would be September 16, 2008. She also mentioned that the album would be remastered on April 25 because Ben was not happy with the original mastering job. (A later blog post by Amanda indicated that the album has been remastered at least three times.cite web
url = http://dresdendollsdiary.blogspot.com/2008/06/celtic-scramble-brain-pudding.html
title = celtic scramble brain pudding
accessdate = 2008-06-28
author = Amanda Palmer] ) A companion book created in conjunction with Neil Gaiman was also mentioned, but very few details have come out since. [http://myspace.com/WHRWpenguins Amanda Palmer radio interview with Penguins in the Desert on WHRW] ] Roadrunner Records has since confirmed that the book will be a book of photography.cite web
url = http://www.blurt-online.com/news/view/227/
title = WKAP press release
accessdate = 2008-06-28
author = Roadrunner Records] Photographer Kyle Cassidy confirmed on June 30 that the book would be written by Neil, with Kyle laying out, designing and supplying photography for the book.cite web
url = http://kylecassidy.livejournal.com/428892.html
title = If you need me, me & Neil will be hanging out with the Dream King ... Neil says "Hi" by the way.
accessdate = 2008-06-30
author = Kyle Cassidy]

Videos have been shot for "Astronaut", "Ampersand," "Runs in the Family", "The Point of It All", "Strength Through Music" and "Guitar Hero" for a WKAP video series. So far, an intro piece, "Astronaut", "Ampersand," "Runs in the Family","The Point of It All", and "Guitar Hero" have been released. However, two more "pieces" are expected in coming weeks as at the special two-night screening of the "entire" WKAP film was shown July 25 and 26 at The Brattle Theatre in Harvard Square, Boston, MA the show ended with "Another Year" (credits) and "Everybody's Gotta Live" (an "epilogue" of sorts). A similar WKAP video series screening will be shown on the North American album release date, September 16th, at Joe's Pub in New York City, NY. Unrelated to the WKAP series, a music video for "Leeds United" was shot in London at the end of August.

Late in the evening on September 5, 2008 Amanda Palmer revealed pre-orders for the album would begin on Monday September 8, 2008 via her new website, whokilledamandapalmer.com

The album will be offered at three price points -- $14.99, $34.99, and $100. Each package has varied contents, but all will include a physical copy of the album (on CD), and two exclusive downloads ["I Google You" (the live debut of a song written by Neil Gaiman), and "Straight" (with strings; unlike the AmazonMP3/iTunes exclusive version which is solo piano)] .

The $34.99 price point also includes an "I Killed Amanda Palmer" shirt, as well as an "alternate" digital download featuring many demos and unreleased tracks from the record. The first 250 copies of the CD sold between this package (and the $100 one) will be signed by Ben Folds. The first 5,000 copies will be signed by Amanda Palmer.

Lastly, the $100 package will include all of the above plus a copy of The Big Book of Who Killed Amanda Palmer (featuring writings by Neil Gaiman and photos by Kyle Cassidy amongst many others), a limited edition lithograph signed and numbered by Amanda, a vinyl copy of "Who Killed Amanda Palmer", and unique crime scene photo packets (with one of a kind "trinkets").

Track listing

On June 6, 2008, in a preview for an interview with e-zine "TheMagazine", Amanda confirmed the tracklist for the album, [http://www.wearethemagazine.com TheMagazine interview] ] stating that advance copies of the album had been sent out to reviewers in Europe.tracklist
headline = "Who Killed Amanda Palmer"
title1 = Astronaut: A Short History of Nearly Nothing
note1 = feat. Zoë Keating & Ben Folds
length1 = 4:37
title2 = Runs in the Family
note2 = feat. Ben Folds
length2 = 2:59
title3 = Ampersand
length3 = 5:59
title4 = Leeds United
note4 = feat. The Born Again Horny Men of Edinburgh
length4 = 4:55
title5 = Blake Says
note5 = feat. Zoë Keating & Ben Folds
length5 = 4:43
title6 = Strength Through Music
note6 = feat. [http://strindbergandhelium.com/iron.html Strindberg] & Ben Folds
length6 = 3:29
title7 = Guitar Hero
note7 = feat. East Bay Ray of Dead Kennedys & Ben Folds
length7 = 4:48
title8 = Have to Drive
note8 = feat. The Via Interficere Choir of Nashville & Jack Palmer
length8 = 5:50
title9 = What's the Use of Wond'rin'?
note9 = feat. Annie Clark of St. Vincent
length9 = 2:50
title10 = Oasis
note10 = feat. Ben Folds & Jared Reynolds
length10 = 2:57
title11 = The Point of It All
length11 = 5:35
title12 = Another Year: A Short History of Almost Something
length12 = 6:03
title13 = Straight
note13 = Amazon MP3/iTunes Exclusive
length13 = 5:13
title14 = Leeds United [Lounge Version]
note14 = Amazon MP3/iTunes Exclusive
length14 = 4:33
title15 = Guitar Hero [Alternate Version]
note15 = Amazon MP3/iTunes Exclusive
length15 = 5:22

ong history

* "Ampersand" began popping up during Dresden Dolls concerts shortly after their album "Yes, Virginia..." was released.
* "The Point of It All" was performed numerous times during Palmer's solo sets during the Dresden Dolls' film festival project "Fuck the Back Row," in 2007. She also performed "Night Reconnaissance," during these concerts, leading to fans expecting it as a solo Amanda Palmer track only. However that song was eventually released on the Dolls collection "No, Virginia..."
* "Blake Says" has been shared online for many years; the version that has circulated is from a performance in Cambridge, MA in 2004. It has been a staple in Amanda Palmer's solo shows.
* "Straight," which was recorded during the sessions but not actually on the album, has also circulated under the working title "Hey Bitch."
* As visible on Palmer's MySpace, her set lists show that she had performed "Another Year," "Runs in the Family," "Guitar Hero," "Blake Says," "Ampersand," "Astronaut," and "Leeds United," during her summer 2007 summer concerts.
* "Have to Drive" has been performed sporadically during Dresden Dolls concerts, but not since 2005.

Release history

WKAPFM

As a promotional game for the release of Who Killed Amanda Palmer a fake radio site, [http://WKAPFM.COM WKAP] has been set up with clues to her alleged disappearance.

References

External links

* [http://www.whokilledamandapalmer.com/ Who Killed Amanda Palmer] web site
*MySpace|id=whokilledamandapalmer
*Amanda Palmer's [http://www.dresdendolls.com/bio/bio_amanda.htm autobiography] and [http://www.dresdendolls.com/diary/ blog] on the [http://www.dresdendolls.com Dresden Dolls website]
*YouTube user|amandapalmer|Amanda Palmer's