OT: The RR Monthly Music Review - Vol. I - '...Earth to the Dandy Warhols'

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Advance downloads of The Dandy Warhols  '...Earth to the Dandy Warhols' became available today, to subscription holders ($34.99 a year). The album has not hit store shelves, yet, so this is most likely one of the first reviews available on the web.

For those of you familiar with the Dandy Warhols, this portion may be a bit of review. The Dandy Warhols hail from Portland, Oregon , a beautiful shining city of bridges and water, sitting abreast the Columbia River across from Vancouver, Washington. Started in the mid ninties, the Dandy Warhols are Courtney Taylor-Taylor  (Vocals/Guitar), Pete Holmstom (Guitar), Zia McCabe (Keyboards/Synthesizer), and Brent DeBoer (Percussion).

Previous albums include 'Dandy's Rule, OK?', 'The Dandy Warhols Come Down...', 'Thirteen Tales from Urban Bohemia', 'Welcome to the Monkey House', 'Odditorium or the Warlords of Mars', and finally the newest release '...Earth to the Dandy Warhols'.

The Dandy Warhols reside somewhere just outside of the mainstream, and have for the past 13 years, in the United States. Easily half the songs on an album are capable of being hits if vibe would just match up with the social ear of Americans at any given moment. Layered with sounds uncommon to more commercialized music, the Dandy Warhols listener may be aided by herbal  or hallucenigenic treats to connect with the music on all levels, depending on personal preference.

'...Earth to the Dandy Warhols' is no different; The 13 track album kicks off with what has become a trademark - a bizarre little diddy/intro that features a Taylor-Taylor falsetto that creams over the top of a driving poppy beat complete with triangles, step-ladder bass beat, and trippin' guitar.

Mission Control represents what I feel to be a return to some roots for the Dandy's with a very heavy pop synthesized sound, complete with deep voiced lyrics for a good time feel of lifting off into the album. The journey truly begins.

Next up is the gem of the album - Welcome to the Third World. Enter an infectious disco inspired track - The Dandy's perform a track that should be in any 70's movie soundtrack, complete with references to the honey, the honey's, and rollin up some big ones. With the track time reaching 5:50 seconds, this has got to be some of the most groovy shit I have heard since I was wearing a powder blue tuxedo (yeah, it looked just like that, but shorter) to my parents wedding in 1979. This is the star track of the album, if you enjoy wide varieties of music.

Wasp In The Lotus/And Then I Drempt of Yes/Talk Radio is quite possibly the best three song combo the band has put out since Godless/Mohammed/Nietsche on 'Thirteen Tales...', with a very laid back rhythym to the entire ensemble, it's the perfect backdrop to roll one up, fire it up, and discuss anything --- The distored under currents, constant simplified drumming, exploration of the guitar and bass scales, and witty banter regarding everything from raw sex to the spinning heads of TV/Radio, these songs definately don't dissapoint.

 Love Song is track 7, sporting the likes of Mark Knopfler (Dire Straits) and Mike Campbell (Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers) contributing their stringed influence on guitars and banjos. A real down southern blend on the Dandy's patented stoner rock sound, and definately a keeper.

Mis Amigos is an interesting track, providing a bit of lyrical content about spending time with your friends and family, having fun, and trying to take things a little less seriously. The backbeat reminds me of an updated surf style song - a modern day 'take it to Zuma Beach and play it on the back of a flatbead truck' tune. Very fun, very experimental, and a fine push from their genre to incorporate the sounds of another.

My personal favorite on the album is 'The Legend of the Outlaw Truckers AKA The Ballad of Sherriff Shorty', which chronicles the adventures of an Outlaw trucker who is just jacked up on more illegal, OTC, and prescription medications than you can possibly imagine --- The sound is gritty, something out of a Johnny Cash tale - upbeat country rhythym, rythymic singing, and the overall feeling that this Outlaw Trucker is a bad dude, cumlminating in the killing of Sherriff Shorty while the Trucker is high on Methamphetamines. Drummer Brent DeBoer gets his voice in here quite prolifically with some background 'Hey! Hey!' action. What a hot song ---

From here, the album very much tones down into the typical Dandy's ending, with some nice intense jams in longer, slower songs, tied up nicely by the 14 minute epic, 'Musee D'Nougat'.

I highly recommend '...Earth to the Dandy Warhols', especially if you have been a fan before this point. Unfortunately, it is not our in stores, yet, but will be within the next month or so, from what I understand. Enjoy the music!

via image.listen.com

Well, first, I'd like to make a series of these music reviews if everyone doesn't mind. There is a poll -- feel free to tell me if you'd like me to keep doing this, or not.

Also, if you want an album reviewed, please feel free to suggest it --- I'll certainly consider it.