Dandy Warhols - Thirteen Tales From Urban Bohemia
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Free Music Notes for Thirteen Tales From Urban Bohemia
Free Music Review: I got lucky
Hit: 5 Stars
This seems like the type of music I should hate. Indie-type cool kids putting together a bunch of very retro-influenced songs. But I can't deny that its a great album, especially the first 3 songs. If the whole album would have been of their caliber, I can't even imagine how great this album would be, it makes my head spin. They have this super future modern production that reminds me of The Globe Sessions by Sheryl Crow, one of my favorite albums. I actually bought this album on a whim when I walked into a record store and heard Sleep playing over the intercom. It sounded like someone took the acoustic interlude from Bullet With Butterfly Wings and made a slow, sad ballad out of it. I hate talking to people I don't know, but it was so good I went up and asked the clerk what CD it was and bought it anyhow. In no way did I expect anything like the first 3 tracks on here, which are pure genius. The opening song Godless works despite the inclusion of brass horns, and then right after it the music segways perfectly into the next song, maybe the best on the album with its haunting lead guitar work. And the 3rd track is equally epic, you simply have to hear it.As for the rest of the album, things take a big dive with the 4th track, a tossed-off country-ish piece of junk. I'm don't usually like songs with lots of humor in them, and there's at least a couple of them on this album. There's a few bright spots later on in the album, such as the afore mentioned Sleep and the "hit" single off this album, Bohemian Like You. I never saw the video for it if there was one, but everytime I hear the song I just imagine a bunch of kids partying and riding on a rollercoaster.
Otherwise, if I were the Dandy Warhols I'd toss all the indie-retro filler and make an album full of nothing but epic songs like Sleep, Bohemian Like You, and the first 3 tracks here. Then maybe they'd have one of the greatest albums ever written, no kidding. As it is, the album is good but you're not really going to care much about most of the songs here, just the ones that I said are good and maybe one or two others at the most.
Free Music Review: I got lucky
Hit: 5 Stars
This seems like the type of music I should hate. Indie-type cool kids putting together a bunch of very retro-influenced songs. But I can't deny that its a great album, especially the first 3 songs. If the whole album would have been of their caliber, I can't even imagine how great this album would be, it makes my head spin. They have this super future modern production that reminds me of The Globe Sessions by Sheryl Crow, one of my favorite albums. I actually bought this album on a whim when I walked into a record store and heard Sleep playing over the intercom. It sounded like someone took the acoustic interlude from Bullet With Butterfly Wings and made a slow, sad ballad out of it. I hate talking to people I don't know, but it was so good I went up and asked the clerk what CD it was and bought it anyhow. In no way did I expect anything like the first 3 tracks on here, which are pure genius. The opening song Godless works despite the inclusion of brass horns, and then right after it the music segways perfectly into the next song, maybe the best on the album with its haunting lead guitar work. And the 3rd track is equally epic, you simply have to hear it.As for the rest of the album, things take a big dive with the 4th track, a tossed-off country-ish piece of junk. I'm don't usually like songs with lots of humor in them, and there's at least a couple of them on this album. There's a few bright spots later on in the album, such as the afore mentioned Sleep and the "hit" single off this album, Bohemian Like You. I never saw the video for it if there was one, but everytime I hear the song I just imagine a bunch of kids partying and riding on a rollercoaster.
Otherwise, if I were the Dandy Warhols I'd toss all the indie-retro filler and make an album full of nothing but epic songs like Sleep, Bohemian Like You, and the first 3 tracks here. Then maybe they'd have one of the greatest albums ever written, no kidding. As it is, the album is good but you're not really going to care much about most of the songs here, just the ones that I said are good and maybe one or two others at the most.
Free Music Review: Long Playing Maxigroove, Indeed
Hit: 5 Stars
I don't have a mind-blowing number of CDs, about 180. Like everyone, I've borrowned plenty more from friends. But never, on any of them, can I remember a 3 song introduction that just floors you like the Dandys do on "Bohemia." With no time for so much as a breath, the back-to-back-to-back combo of "Godless," "Mohammed" and"Nietzsche" is jaw-dropping. There are not many lyrics on the first three, primarily incredible grooves with layers and layers of music. A trumpet in the first song, Middle-Eastern feel in the second, and a "When the Levee Breaks" caliber drum sound in the third. It's the kind of music that is really done justice on a big system. Alone. In the dark. Lying down. In an altered state of mind.And that's just the beginning.
For the rest of the album, the Dandys change styles frequently. "Country Leaver" is a brand new sound from them, with a country-hillbilly feel, complete with slide guitar and banjos. Courtney Taylor really sounds like Lou Reed in several other songs. "Horse Pills" has some entertaining lyrics. "Bohemian Like You" and "Shakin'" are great groove songs, with some record scratching in the latter. And "Sleep" and "Gospel" provide the drifting-into-space type, beautiful ballads.
For the new listener wondering who they sound like, it's tough to describe. I get images of Jesus and Mary Chain, Spiritualized, the Cure, the Velvet Underground, any great DJ, any great rock band, and any 70s band. Sometimes all in one song. Without sounding cliche, the Dandys really just sound like themselves.
For the listener familiar with them, this is their best album. "Dandys Rule OK" has more of a pop, hook-laden feel. "Dandy Warhols Come Down" has a darker, beat-driven groove to it. "Bohemia" seems to tie the two together, combining the great riffs and melodies of the first album with the chest-thumping, head-nodding feel of the second.
Music still is alive and well in America.
Free Music Review: Groovinessness
Hit: 5 Stars
Sometime 2 years ago I remember seeing the video for "Bohemian Like You" on MTV2 and falling in love with the song. Shortly after, I ended up staying up all night online listening to the song over and over and over and...well, you get it. Then I forgot about it. Around Christmas last year I made a list of cds I was gonna get and put 13 Tales on the list. I'm so glad I did. I don't think I'll ever forget the first time I listened to this album. The first 3 songs ("Godless", "Mohammed" and "Nietzsche") were what I was expecting--slow, moody, slightly retro rock. Then "Country Leaver" came on and knocked out of my head the idea that the cd would be a certain style all the way through. Unfortunately, I can't find their previous 2 releases (I live in Oklahoma, what do you expect?) and I'm far too lazy to order them online :^)Oke, back on the album. Definitely one of the most versatile, eclectic albums I own, as most others have already said. From the above mentioned moody retro rock, to industrial, to country, to poppy goodness and back again, all these songs are great. The more noteworthy ones, though, are "Nietzsche", "Horse Pills", "Get Off", and "Big Indian", the latter definitely having the most emotion of the 13 songs. The lyrics on "Horse Pills" are humorous in a rather dry way. The distorted guitars on "Nietzsche" give the song a wonderful electro-rock feel. The vocal harmonies on "Sleep" are absolutely gorgeous. "Get Off" is just plain fun. The songs blend into each other in a way that still amazes me. This is one that will appeal to everyone, and is definitely one of my current favorites, though that could change in a matter of days. Either way, I suggest you get it. Have fun!
Free Music Review: How good IS this band?
Hit: 5 Stars
Good enough so that I'm not longer bothered by Love & Rockets being broken up (although it must be said that Love & Rockets hadn't really recorded anything worth owning since the '80's) or by Primal Scream's descent into House/Dance Hell (say what you will about "XTRMNTR", it can't touch either "Screamadelica" OR "Vanishing Point"). This album is a bit more coherent, in terms of being able to understand the vocals, than "...Come Down", and there a more defined edge to the lyrics this time around. The instrumentation remains the same, with the art of rhythym guitar being well-displayed ("Bohemian Like You" confirms that the best Rolling Stones records of today are indeed being made by American acts other than Sheryl Crow), and the drums sound just as huge as they did on "Not if You Were the Last Junkie On Earth", also from the previous release. SPEAKING OF WHICH: DO YOURSELF A FAVOR and make all attempts to find the limited edition of this CD which also includes a 4-song EP which includes "Phone Call", a trippy dirge involving dueling answering machine messages, and absolute drop-dead cool live versions of "Not If You Were the Last Junkie..." and "I Love You". Each totally blows the studio version out of the water (in fact I heard the live version of "I Love You" before I owned "...Come Down", so hearing the studio version on there was a bit of a let down). This is at least the best recording of the year 2000, so do yourself a favor and buy it.