Thirteen Tales From Urban Bohemia - Dandy Warhols

Most people listening to the Dandy Warhols probably would have heard 'Come Down'. Therefore, this is likely to turn into a comparison study. A lot of the songs are at least vaguely reminiscent of 'Come Down'. 'Thirteen Tales...' begins with an acoustic guitar wall of sound, characteristic of the Dandy Warhols, and their habits of using the same chords throughout a song, and similarly through the album. However, 'Godless', the first track, is very strong, with Courtney's relatively quiet voice and a catchy melody. At some points a trumpet takes over, reminding me of background music in Mc Donalds! Yet it is bold enough to be ...  Read the complete review

You might not know the name 'The Dandy Warhols', and the album 'Thirteen Tales from urban Bohemia' might not mean much to you either, but probably heard one of the singles from the album, namely 'Bohemian Like You'. It's the one that beginning 'You've got a great car?' and was used earlier this year for an advert for something or other that always seemed to be on TV. The Dandy Warhols are an American quartet who hail from Portland, Oregon, and were formed in 1994. Their first album was 'Dandy's Rule OK', their second 'The Dandy Warhols Come on Down', from which came the single 'Not if You Were the ...  Read the complete review

If you haven't heard THAT song then you must have spent the last six months on Mars. You either love "Bohemian like you" to bits (like me) and start dancing around like a drugged chimp (this is the best way of describing my lack of dancing skills) whenever it comes on, or you bury your head under a pile of pillows/cushions/dead leaves/whatever's handy when you hear it. But, as they say, don't judge a book by its cover and don't judge an album by its biggest selling single (actually I made the last part up- like you didn't notice). "13 Tales" escapes the usual stoned slacker psychedelia sound that the Dandies usually wear ...  Read the complete review

Quite how Courtney Taylor and his ragged bunch of mates motivated themselves to deliver this album is one of life's sweet mysteries. I guess the potential highlighted by 'Everyday Is A Holiday' and 'Not If You Were The Last Junkie On Earth' was enough to prove that something big was on the way. And TTFUB is music given a big canvas. Intense melody, intricate invention and a joyful plundering of the past come together to reward anybody willing to lend an ear. The Dandy Warhols are from Portland, Oregon and this their third album was released back in the summer of 2000. Like Moby's 'Play' the album lay unnoticed until ...  Read the complete review

The latest offering from the Dandy Warhols is undoubtedly better than anything they have done before, but it does seem to follow the pattern of the other albums in that it has several stand-out tracks surrounded by pleasant rather than awe-inspiring material. It is no surprise to learn that 'Bohemian like you' is scheduled to be the second release after 'Get Off' - both these tracks match the heights achieved by 'Every day should be a holiday, 'Boys Better' and the sublime 'Not if you were the last junkie on earth'. However do not expect to be blown away by the rest, although it is certainly worth adding to your collection. ...  Read the complete review