Promotional photo of band

(4) DANDY WARHOLS – BOHEMIAN LIKE YOU (2000)

B-side: We Used to Be Friends (2003)

“Cause I like you,

Yeah, I like you,

And I’m feelin’ so bohemian like you,

Yeah, I like you,

Yeah, I like you,

And I feel, whoa whoo!”

The Dandy Warhols are an American four-piece band, formed in Portland, Oregon in 1994. They are usually styled as ‘alternative rock’ but in the words of TV Tropes – “they’ve run the gamut from psychedelic rock to power pop, with the occasional rockabilly tune thrown in”. Wikipedia also throws in such genres as neo-psychedelia, garage rock, synthpop, shoegaze (?!) and dream pop.

In 2000, the band achieved more widespread popular success with their third studio album, Thirteen Tales from Urban Bohemia. While the album is a personal favorite of mine and I have a soft spot for the opening trio of songs (Godless, Mohammed and Nietzsche – hmm, something of a theme going on there), the standout (and breakout) single was this power pop entry, which also featured in other media (including Buffy the Vampire Slayer). The video was a playful spoof of karaoke music videos (complete with lyrics shown on-screen), as well as some more controversial pixelated nudity.

As for my B-side, I can’t go past the power pop of “We Used to Be Friends”, lead single from their next album, colorfully titled “Welcome to the Monkey House” (courtesy of Kurt Vonnegut)

RATING: 

A-TIER (TOP TIER)