Dandy in the Underworld
July 23rd, 2003
As far as this geeks knows, Portland, Oregon has never really been considered a hotbed for cool. But if anyone stands a chance at turning that unfortunate truism around, it’s the Dandy Warhols. This rock band from the Pacific Northwest is a satisfying blend of rock, pop, harmony, and hypnotic haziness. In form (and as their name implies) they’re quite reminiscent of the usual art-fag suspects—i.e. the Velvet Underground, David Bowie, early 60’s Psychedelic and Pop Art.
But they’re more interesting than retro fashion. They’re also about the original idea of having a good time. Nothing says “party band” quite like the sight of keyboardist Zia’s bare tits springing up and down to the tambourine rhythm of Boys Better. Similarly raunchy videos may also explain why the band has achieved something of a cult following in the UK and remained relatively unnoticed in the states (with the exception of the occassional use of their music in certain car and fashion commercials).
Their newest release, Welcome to the Monkey House, is only available to American audiences as an import. But as Capitol Records gets ready to release their third major album in the U.S., I’m told through one of their sources that they’re “big time mac users” and that it may be popping up on the iTunes Music Store sometime soon.
Very cool.