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I know I have been slack in posting, but there are semi-legitimate reasons, like how hard it is to type with a lapful of kittens. Yes, I got new kitties! They are adorable and keeping me busy. They have each other to tear around the house with all day while I'm at work, and they still have plenty of energy at night to terrorize me. Also it's summer and I find it hard to post while trying to enjoy the elusive warmth. Friday started off with crazy monsoons, then warmed up, and went out with a bang. Literally. Freak thunderstorms! So strange.
Enough excuses! Post!
So yesterday I was at work and feeling the summer Friday afternoon doldrums, which are, naturally, much worse than the normal afternoon doldrums. And I was not even feeling very into my music... Just sitting there trying to work on things and feeling meh. Then this song came on, and I was like, YES. YES. YES.
Which song? Surprisingly, it was "Sleep" - The Dandy Warhols, which I have not heard in agggggeeesss. I like them, but not religiously. They have a pretty fair representation in my standard shuffle playlists and my generic party one. So this is gonna be a long post. Be warned.
Have you seen "Dig!"? It is a rather interesting documentary chronicling the relationship/rivalry between The Dandy Warhols and The Brian Jonestown Massacre. It's weirdly fascinating. The narration from Courtney Taylor-Taylor (The Dandy Warhols) comes off as kind of... you know... dickish? But not totally, you can see they are friends, but there's so much swagger involved there has to be conflict? You can see the talents of everyone involved. It's dark and troubling in a lot of ways also. It kind of made me want to listen to more BJM, even though Dandy Warhols is more my style of music.
And of course I, like every '90s teen, totally loves "Bohemian Like You" (who doesn't?). And, well, actually I really like a lot of their songs... the more I thought about it... So I dug through my iPod to listen to what I had and it was actually quite perfect for that afternoon, just what I needed. They have that slick jaded too much on purpose posturing thing down cold (which invites both love and hate).
Charming points? A) They were hipsters mocking hipsters before it was cool. That alone should win them a lot of gold stars. B) Veronica Mars theme song is their "We Used To Be Friends"... and he shows up in one ep, soooo there's that. C) They have some really stellar songs.
Not so charming points? Hipsters mocking hipsters = Smug. Trying too hard. Abovementioned dickish sort of rivalry. There is A LOT of vitriol floating around out there directed towards them. Lots of internet hate.Watching Dig! is amazing but also kind of off-putting... there are valid points to be made against them.
Looking for music videos of their stuff, one can see lots of fanvids, LOL, which I think speaks to how much people must secretly/not-so-secretly love them. Also, let's be real, a lot of their work does have that "chill" & cinematic quality that occasionally shines through. If I ever make my own twee mumblecore movie (you know that'd be my niche), I am totes putting in stuff like Sleep. But then again, if you read the comments you see both the love and the hate, people picking their sides. Is it cool, not cool, so not cool that it's cool again... etc. They have a major cred issue... But that shouldn't really matter... As long as the songs are good? Or at least some of them are? Why do we demand so much from a bunch of musicians? They are in interesting case.
"Sleep" - The Dandy Warhols are sometimes (often) compared to The Velvet Underground in style/sound/etc. It definitely comes out in certain songs (the aptly titled "(Tony This Song is Called) Lou Weed") I think on "Sleep" they also really bring it - it gives me almost the same feeling as VU's "Sunday Morning", that soft sound, that perfect sleepy/sleepless-warm-fuzzy music-to-kill-yourself-by vibe. Let's all go to sleep in your dirty dirty distressed arms, Courtney Taylor-Taylor....
Sadly, no brooding official video to go with this. (Confession, were I making this I would shoot this vampire-y, even though that, like heroin, is so passé.)
"You Were The Last High" - As featured in the movie, 9 Songs. Track co-written by Evan Dando, if that helps some of you (huzzah; I should really do a Lemonheads post!). I have not seen the movie. But the song is quite nice. No good video.
Ok, on to actual videos - warning, some of these are almost unwatchably terrible/cringe-inducing... the outfits, the mugging... Yet, at least mostly interesting? Amusing. Trainwrecky.
"Not If You Were The Last Junkie On Earth" - an amusing confection in which I cry for the years of my life I spent wearing those babydoll tshirts, ill-fitting pants and chokers (only half kidding). And if you saw Dig! you know the drama about this song (and check out the BJM reply "Not If You Were The Last Dandy On Earth". Both rather delicious in their own ways.)
"Every Day Should Be A Holiday" - I hate videos that tie into the movie they are featured in. Gross. But I do like claymation, and the riffs in this song burrow into your brain.
"Get Off" - hmmmm, where should a video for a song with this theme be shot? Western brothel!
(Between the standing in-front of the flag and his face, it reminds me a little of One Headlight, even though they are wildly different songs featuring wildly different singers. I dunno, they have similar eyebrows? The pouty lips, stick out your jaw thing? Jakob Dylan is like 100x hotter. Sorry. Random face digression.)
"Godless" - Sharing mainly because: hula hooping dude. The video is quietly cinematic (but ultimately dull) and the song, very very smooth. (Note: As it's a song with the word god in the title, I recommend you avoid the YT comments on this at all costs.)
"Ride" - motorcycles.
"Good Morning" - in case you needed your dose of late '90s posturing! I know I sometimes do. My favorite YT comment on this is:
"I'd start with the keyboard cutie and work my way from there. -10 points for not knowing her name. To use West Coast dialect, she's hella wicked rad."LOLwut?
"Plan A" - A newer offering. Still just as much face-making. Never change. Please, never change.
"We Used To Be Friends" - familiar to all the VM fans out there. His faces are so ridiculous, but I appreciate his armpit hair.
"Bohemian Like You" - the ultimate song of trying-too-hard. And their most famous. It's perfection. The video is spot-on. Exactly the kind of thing you would imagine for such a song. (Confession: I would probably stab someone in the face to be able to say I was in a video/song this hilarious. Any of you creative types out there, call me when you shoot anything so sublime/dorky.) And more hula hoop!
Random tidbits -
1) Also, well, ummm, they covered "Blackbird" after Michael Jackson died. Because they said they would in an earlier song? Yeah. I don't really like it, LOL. Decide for yourself.
2) ANDDDD apparently Courtney Taylor-Taylor has written a graphic novel? About a fantasy krautrock band? Ohhh the things I am learning today! I love this idea. ENJOY.
"Transmission" - One Model Nation
3) Somebody used "Love Is The New Feel Awful" (how can you resist such a great title) and put it with Midsummers Night Dream old footage? It's weird and delightful.
4) You. Have. To. Read. This. Blog. Post. Wherein, some guys discuss Dandys album "Thirteen Tales From Urban Bohemia" and say things like:
"because portland is to new york exactly what the dandy warhols are to the velvet underground"It is not to be missed. I just laughed hysterically for like 10 minutes straight. Genius.
And most importantly,
5) Open referendum on his face & swagger in the comments! GO! (Also, you know, their talent, pop v. indie v. sellout v. Dig! struggles! And Trying too hard! v. Trying too hard to try too hard v. Trying too hard to try too hard! ad infinitum. And whether or not this is all smug or there's a sense of humor underlying? (Yes?) And Zia!)
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