Louis, if you'd used that mental long name in the first place the BAN meme wd never have taken off.
― The blue-green world is drenched with horse gore, Sunday, 23 December 2007 18:11 (sixteen years ago) link
I only used my real name for something like 3 days (which is about how long it took for me to get off my 'emulate Ned Raggett' fixation), but the damage was done. Your first mistakes are always your worst.
― Just got offed, Sunday, 23 December 2007 18:22 (sixteen years ago) link
Funnily enough that's what my first wife says.
― The blue-green world is drenched with horse gore, Sunday, 23 December 2007 18:23 (sixteen years ago) link
looool
you could make a case for subsequent mistakes, but they'd have never been mistakes if i was incognito
― Just got offed, Sunday, 23 December 2007 18:25 (sixteen years ago) link
aw, <3 NV
Anyway. "A Loan Tonight". I don't know if I'm crazy, or stupid, or both, but to these ears, this song would seem to be absolutely wonderful. And yet, the vitriol thrown at it by virtually every critic is surely of sufficient valency to dismiss my claims as utterly fantastical? I barely trust myself.
Its parent album is, as far as I can verify, pretty damn wonderful as well, despite barely containing an ounce of songwriting. I just love the sounds. The spiralling melancholia. The fizz and weightless sexy cool. The bleeping, blooping layers. I mean, the first two actual songs spend 17 minutes going nowhere fast, but given space to swell and pulse, they're totally damn wonderful (and catchy!) hi-tech drug-rock jams. The rest follows close suit, and "A Loan Tonight" is up there with "Love Is The New Feel Awful" in the "holy christ this is some kickass aural narcotic" stakes.
And yeah, those first two records (plus the first 3 tracks of 13 Songs) were great as well. They really nail this grand, slightly ridiculous sadness, this awareness of mortality that can only be conveyed through massive guitar drones and keening pop glaze.
― sorry for british (country matters), Sunday, 10 May 2009 23:34 (fifteen years ago) link
Talk normal
― Niles Caulder, Monday, 11 May 2009 04:58 (fifteen years ago) link
man i fucking totally adore Odditorium, give or take the (deliberately offputting) minute-long brainfarts
― the unfished business of display names only (country matters), Saturday, 13 June 2009 21:15 (fourteen years ago) link
however catchy it may be, if it's not "Sad-eyed Lady of the Lowlands," keep it at four minutes, please
god, Popmatters sucked ass
― gosh I actually dig this shit (country matters), Sunday, 14 June 2009 11:09 (fourteen years ago) link
There was a time when I thought they were really great, but with precious few exceptions, i don't think I could hum a tune of theirs if you paid me to.
It was oh so true in `05, and it's only more true now.
― Alex in NYC, Sunday, 14 June 2009 11:17 (fourteen years ago) link
You know what they need? They need an Aeroplane remix. Then I'd bother with them again.
― Violent In Design (Masonic Boom), Sunday, 14 June 2009 12:32 (fourteen years ago) link
(You Come In) Burned completely fits my mood tonight, these guys really were so elegant and sad when they wanted to be
― They Mounta1n G0ats (country matters), Tuesday, 4 August 2009 01:15 (fourteen years ago) link
Not a huge fan but damn if they weren't fantastic when I saw them live a couple years ago. Plus I sort of love CTT.
― MY NAME IS ERICA AND I AM FUNKY (& eclectic) (ENBB), Tuesday, 4 August 2009 01:29 (fourteen years ago) link
This is probably the worst band I truly love, and the worst music which achieves greatness. That isn't faint praise. It's fucking high.
As it were. ;-)
― (country matters) (country matters) (country matters) (country matters), Tuesday, 4 August 2009 01:31 (fourteen years ago) link
Seriously, though, they're a fantastic argument that sometimes chemistry and attitude can often count for as much as talent and songwriting genius when it comes to making truly stimulating music
― the hubby space veggiescope (country matters), Tuesday, 4 August 2009 01:34 (fourteen years ago) link
Anyway, they just re-released Monkey House with a different mix. It's on Spotify. Not sure which version of Burned is better (although it's now the opening track, which is nice) but by all accounts the new album is an improvement overall.
― the hubby space veggiescope (country matters), Tuesday, 4 August 2009 01:55 (fourteen years ago) link
Just saw the movie Dig! a few weeks back. Hadn't seen a documentary where everyone was dumb and/or annoying since sitting through 2/3 of Faith in the White House.
― free jazz and mumia (sarahel), Tuesday, 4 August 2009 02:02 (fourteen years ago) link
Aw Dig! is great if only because of the scene where Harry Dean Stanton shows up playing the bongos at some random party.
― MY NAME IS ERICA AND I AM FUNKY (& eclectic) (ENBB), Tuesday, 4 August 2009 02:04 (fourteen years ago) link
yeah, Harry Dean Stanton was great. It wasn't a bad movie ... it's just that almost everyone in it was annoying.
― free jazz and mumia (sarahel), Tuesday, 4 August 2009 02:11 (fourteen years ago) link
Everyone Is Totally Infuriating
― the hubby space veggiescope (country matters), Tuesday, 4 August 2009 02:18 (fourteen years ago) link
Ah, I've had the alt Monkey House mix for years. It's so so much better.
― "lol" as frivolity (Stevie D), Tuesday, 4 August 2009 04:27 (fourteen years ago) link
Am thinking I marginally prefer the original Burned, although the other songs seem to have been improved.
― the hubby space veggiescope (country matters), Tuesday, 4 August 2009 04:30 (fourteen years ago) link
I don't want to know about the alternate Monkey House mix. It's still my favourite album of theirs, in retrospect, and I have no desire to hear it turned into stoner rock bollocks. SAY NO TO COURTNEY TAYLOR TAYLOR'S EGO.
― seni seviyorum / senden nefret ediyorum (Masonic Boom), Tuesday, 4 August 2009 08:33 (fourteen years ago) link
every time a track by them comes on ipod shuffle i cannot skip anymore. it's liker my fingers are paralysed or something. btw it's the same with the american analog set. and brian jonestown massacre as well.
― alex in mainhattan, Tuesday, 4 August 2009 12:26 (fourteen years ago) link
Wow, that alternate Monkey House is just further proof that the Dandys have/had absolutely no clue w/r/t their strengths (moderately catchy pop songs, moderately clever lyrics, moderately attractive breasts) and weaknesses (everything else). They should send all the royalties from this thing to the guy who turned it into the rather good album that was originally released.
― dlp9001, Tuesday, 4 August 2009 17:31 (fourteen years ago) link
This is cute:
Q: What's the most insane thing you did for Jane?
A: I went on a blind date with the lead singer of the Dandy Warhols that was pretty horrifying. We decided I should do a blind date because I made my readers go on blind dates. I had no idea who Courtney was and he didn't know who I was. We went to dinner and then we staged 'makeout in the limo' photos, where I took my shoes off and put my feet in the air...I'll do anything for that magazine.
― dlp9001, Tuesday, 4 August 2009 17:51 (fourteen years ago) link
Am listening to Are Sound more than any other album released this year, it's fantastic! Can't get Burned, We Used To Be Friends and Plan A out of my head, and the rest (the rather terrible Scientist which should have been omitted aside) is just behind. Truly underrated band. Much like Pulp, their 'best' album is *nowhere near* their finest hour, and in fact contains the least of what made them great.
― kell surprise (country matters), Sunday, 4 October 2009 00:06 (fourteen years ago) link
Haha, I sound like Geir there
― kell surprise (country matters), Sunday, 4 October 2009 00:08 (fourteen years ago) link
yup
― autogoon delight (J0rdan S.), Sunday, 4 October 2009 00:09 (fourteen years ago) link
Don't really dig 13 Tales, just sayin'...it's not quite ethereal or melancholy enough, too upbeat, altho the first 3 trax are of course fab
― kell surprise (country matters), Sunday, 4 October 2009 00:12 (fourteen years ago) link
Kinda like the fact that they're still chugging along. New album to be called The Pastor of Muppets.
― Ned Raggett, Wednesday, 16 February 2011 03:48 (thirteen years ago) link
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/7b/This_Machine_Dandy_Warhols.jpg
This Machine is the ninth studio album by American alternative rock band The Dandy Warhols. It is due for release on 24 April 2012 on The End Records.
Track listing
No. Title Writer(s) 1. "Sad Vacation" 2. "The Autumn Carnival" 3. "Enjoy Yourself" 4. "Alternative Power to the People" 5. "Well They're Gone" 6. "Rest Your Head" 7. "16 Tons" 8. "I Am Free" 9. "Seti vs. the Wow! Signal" 10. "Don't Shoot She Cried" 11. "Slide"
― Bee OK, Tuesday, 10 April 2012 04:09 (twelve years ago) link
i saw the Dandy Warhols open for the Charlantans UK in San Francisco back in the late 90's at the gorgeous Warfield. the girl keyboard player went topless the whole night, good times...
― Bee OK, Tuesday, 10 April 2012 04:12 (twelve years ago) link
If they've gone Fleet Foxes on us then I will kill.
― Ned Raggett, Tuesday, 10 April 2012 04:24 (twelve years ago) link
I was a total indie rock nurd in the early to mid 90s, but there was something trying way to hard about this group to really even give them a shot.
― earlnash, Tuesday, 10 April 2012 04:28 (twelve years ago) link
At least two good songs on this, neither one ground-breaking. "Enjoy Yourself" is like teenagers trying to do Bowie-era Iggy, and then suddenly Girls At Their Best take over for the chorus. "Seti vs. the Wow! Signal" is the goofy crunchy pop that they should really have stuck to all along. Nothing on the album sucks, nothing is great. One of those bands that (these days) make me very glad to have Spotify. I still wish a producer would lock them in a room and kick their asses daily and force them to write and record something solid, but at this point I guess the whole point of the band is to live up to the lyrics of "Genius."
― dlp9001, Thursday, 29 November 2012 19:25 (eleven years ago) link
And that should be Girls at Our Best...
― dlp9001, Thursday, 29 November 2012 19:26 (eleven years ago) link
Hey, so, I interviewed Peter. The band seems to have settled into this steady groove of touring, recording and enjoying life.
http://www.sfweekly.com/shookdown/2015/11/27/qanda-with-the-dandy-warhols-about-the-touring-life-and-getting-older
― Ned Raggett, Monday, 30 November 2015 19:45 (eight years ago) link
Last night was great, and I really needed it.
http://nedraggett.tumblr.com/post/134466453527/so-some-shows-you-dont-realize-you-needed-fully
― Ned Raggett, Thursday, 3 December 2015 17:27 (eight years ago) link
enjoyed reading those.i too have never seen them live, but would love to.not sure they have the commercial pull in the uk these days to do a proper tour anymore, meaning they may do the odd london show and thats about it.
― mark e, Thursday, 3 December 2015 17:50 (eight years ago) link
According to this year's gigography on their page, they did a big tour of Europe in March/April but not the UK -- hey, go to where the fans are, I suppose. They swung back in summer for festival dates and did three UK shows:
July 30, 2015 – The Leadmill – Sheffield, UKJuly 31, 2015 – The Ritz – Manchester, UKAugust 1, 2015 – Standon Calling Festival, UK
― Ned Raggett, Thursday, 3 December 2015 17:55 (eight years ago) link
Saw them live days after moving to Portland, OR in 1997. Good show. Very loud. Had no idea they were still together.
― Darin, Thursday, 3 December 2015 18:30 (eight years ago) link
ahh .. standon calling.the rich toff back garden party that expanded into a proper festival.the toff then got put in jail as he was funding the festival off his work based credit card, but hey, daddy paid up the bill.me and the crew once went to it .. was the most surreal festival experience ever.never have i seen a festival bar (a permanent structure built around a tree in the main field no less), stacked so high with bottles of champagne.i was the only person ordering beer.
― mark e, Thursday, 3 December 2015 18:39 (eight years ago) link
saw them in 01, front row, great great great live band. and they played every song i wanted to hear!
also, instead of doing an encore, Courtney just said something along the lines of "everybody: pretend we've left the stage, cheer, pretend we've come back to the stage, cheer some more".
they then proceeded to sail into outer space w/an epic "fast driving rave up".
― brimstead, Thursday, 3 December 2015 19:12 (eight years ago) link
Just learned that they have a song on one the albums I didn't pay attention to featuring Mark Knopfler and Mike Campbell.
― JoeStork, Thursday, 3 December 2015 20:01 (eight years ago) link
they’re able to so easily fuse and carry out everything from sixties garage/frug to clipped new wave dance to zoned out shoegaze and back again and keep everything centered around all the hooks they have
i understand the hate that this band attracts, however, the fact is, they make records i really enjoy, and this sentence totally summises their range and appeal for me.
― mark e, Thursday, 3 December 2015 20:08 (eight years ago) link
Unfortunately, the new album isn't very good IMO. There's nothing really there until 'Doves', the penultimate track, which is a worthy follow-up to 'Ride', lol
...but yeah, the rest...I don't really understand what they're going for
― And the cry rang out all o'er the town / Good Heavens! Tay is down (imago), Thursday, 21 April 2016 07:27 (eight years ago) link
Haven't heard it yet. Saw someone raving about the greatness of a recent live show
― curmudgeon, Thursday, 21 April 2016 14:21 (eight years ago) link
Agreed, not very good. I'll have to listen to "Doves" again -- by the time it gets to that track I've pretty much tuned out so can't call that one up from memory. Actually thinking about it now I don't think I can call any of it up from memory other than "You Are Killing Me" after at least half a dozen plays. Sort of expected after four years they'd feel like they needed to prove something and would've done something more interesting. But maybe they're all living comfortably now and don't feel the need to prove anything? I don't know. Still would've been happy to see them last week if I could've made it to the show.
― early rejecter, Thursday, 21 April 2016 14:37 (eight years ago) link
They were great live a few months back but this new album is very 'uh?' up there with the new Primal Scream. Essentially both are: "Well...you could do this, and you went ahead and did it, but why did you do it again?"
― Ned Raggett, Thursday, 21 April 2016 14:44 (eight years ago) link
Oh yeah, that Primal Scream is a dud too.
― early rejecter, Thursday, 21 April 2016 15:20 (eight years ago) link