I'll Never Love You

To mark the release tomorrow of the Dresden Dolls' third full-length Yes, Virginia [which you can stream here] we thought we'd dredge up our favorite Dolls track, the live version of "Coin-Operated Boy" from the band's debut, the live set A Is For Accident. We've expounded at length on this track previously for Junkmedia back in 2003, so we'll reiterate that the song "mashes together a nursery-rhymed verse and an anthemic bridge [and] offers a case study of the key components of the Dolls' work: clever wordplay, alternately clobbered and caressed 88s and jerky drums. The number also features an intelligent, pulsing 5/4 section that suggests a skipping record. And its melodic and forlorn bridge alone (which asks "will you persist even after I bet you a million dollars that I'll never love you?") is worth the price of mail-ordering the record."

To re-reiterate, the bridge to this song is the kind of thing that will stick with you. Permanently. We weren't as fond of the studio version found on the self-titled joint, and in fact that record probably ranks last in our ranking of the duo's three records. On the other hand, Yes, Virginia at first listen is clearly strong enough to vie for first place. Anyway, here's the download.

The Dresden Dolls -- "Coin-Operated Boy (Live)" -- A Is For Accident
[Buy A Is For Accident from the band here]