Amanda Palmer, 'Who Killed Amanda Palmer?'

Backstory: With punk cabaret upstarts Dresden Dolls, Amanda Palmer revealed her gift for poetry, drama and the dark sonics that both sometimes demand. On her own, she's collaborated with the Boston Pops, Aberdeen City and Ben Folds, who produced and contributed to "Who Killed Amanda Palmer?"

Why you should care: Palmer is committed to language, art and music in a cosmopolitan way few other artists are these days. And she proudly wears her forebears on her sleeve, from her band's bow to Bertolt Brecht to the nod given by her solo album’s title to David Lynch and "Twin Peaks."

Verdict: Like Tori Amos, Palmer shines in her piano-led element, but she really hits a groove when the instrumentation surpasses her handy ebonies and ivories. Comparatively alone with her piano, her unfurling splendor in "Ampersand" is a wonder, but it can't hold a candle to the jazzed stomp of "Leeds United," where pounding drums and blaring horns really bring her point home. When she slows the tempo to a grind on the ethereal "Blake Says," the taste is sweet sadness indeed. But when the doo-wop pop of "Oasis" kicks in, Palmer hits the next level.

X-Factor: In 2006, the Boston Globe nominated Palmer as the most stylish woman in Beantown.

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