A friend recently introduced me to Bible Fight on Adult Swim online where you can pit bible characters against each other in bible settings in a sort-of IMMortal Kombat. A leaf-clad Eve mopped the deck with the baby-toting Virgin Mary on Noah’s Ark in my first battle and now I’m hooked.

In that sort of one-versus-the-other vein, a couple of proficient piano princesses have been sparring for my attention this week.

Ms. Regina Spektor released her FOURTH album, “Far”, this past Tuesday. The more I listen, the more I forget the overall album. Unlike “Begin to Hope” which I turned to over and over without a second thought, I’ve had to force myself to queue up this album, but I think it’s finally caught on after I gave it a fourth chance. The album shines the most in her slower, more somber efforts like “Eet”. My biggest problem with these tracks is that I doubt any singles from “Far” would be more memorable that the singles from “Begin To Hope”. They don’t stand out on their own. The album reads almost like a full set of material that wasn’t good enough to make it on to the 2006 outing. That being said, I don’t dislike it, I’m just not addicted to it like I have been to her past stuff.

Amanda Palmer is playing the Troubadour tonight (with previously discussed opener, Jenny Owens Young). It’s hard not to draw comparisons to Regina Spektor for this 1/2 of the Dresden Dolls. Although, Palmer shrugs-off pop in favor of punk, and embraces the darker material Regina shied away from this time. In fact, Palmer has caused a bit of a stir with the happy and carefree bent “Oasis” takes on date rape and abortion. A very smart discussion of the ramifications of such a take on such content was published in the L.A. Times Culture Monster earlier this year, but I tend to disagree with them that she goes too far. I think Palmer has shoved something in your face and is forcing you to take something you’ve only ever seen from one angle, and look at it from two or three new perspectives all at once. You’ll see what I mean… Her album, “Who Killed Amanda Palmer” shows range and versatility and potential to be much bigger very soon. Influences seem to range from Ben Folds to Queen to Pet Shop Boys. She’s all over the place… In good ways. You can listen to the whole thing on her website. Check out “Leeds United” and “Ampersand” after hearing the tracks below.

Regina Spektor – “Eet”
Amanda Palmer – “Oasis”
Amanda Palmer – “On the Radio” (Regina Spektor Cover)

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