For her second solo album,
the Dresden Dolls’
Amanda Palmer slapped together an album-full of songs about Australia and New Zealand to coincide with her 2011 tour of the Australian continent. Half of the recordings on
Amanda Palmer Goes Down Under are taken from live performances and find her comfortably singing in her signature smoky cabaret style. The others run the gamut, from “Map of Tanmania,” a silly, beat-heavy ukulele-pop collaboration with DJ Hal Ritson (
the Young Punx!) which features lyrics about pubic grooming, to a beautiful piano ballad cover of “On an Unknown Beach” by
Peter Jefferies of New Zealand post-punk band
Nocturnal Projections.
Nick Cave's “The Ship Song” is covered as well, him being from Australia and all.