Grid Magazines Dandys Rule OK review

Grid Magazine #11
Dandys Rule O.K.
by CMC
December 1995

The pictures inside the insert of The Dandy Warhols' debut album say it all. There are quite a few in there, but one page in particular is most descriptive. Beatnik impersonator Eric Hedford is drinking cappuccino at his drums, guitarist Peter Holmstrom is sitting on the floor with his guitar and about a dozen effects petals, and bassist Zia McAbe, well, she's rather nude. Most telling, thought, is the one taken by vocalist/guitarist-/songwriter Courtney Taylor of himself in a mirror, completely naked, with the words "Kings of Pop" scrawled on his chest. That's right, "Kings of Pop."

I like lots of fuzz and lots of wah. The Dandys use lots of fuzz and lots of wah, so it's game over for me. The beauty of Dandys Rule OK lies in its familiarity, or rather the impressions of familiarity it leaves with the listener. My brother had this playing, an I walked in saying, "Oh, this is...ummm...hmm, who is this?" Now I know. It's 60's garage rock and psychedlia played pop style. "Kings of Pop," remember?

At first listen, I only lied the first two songs. Second listen, the first four; third listen, the first six; fourth listen, the whole damn thing. Lemme tell you why: "The Dandy Warhol's TV Theme Song" is a delicious intro, full of guitars, and whiny ya ya's instead of poppy la la's. The following "Ride" owes to the band Ride only what Ride owes in turn to the same 60's bands (Small Faces, The Who, The Kinks) that the Dandys no doubt revere. It could also be Fermentera Catherine Wheel actually enjoying themselves. And with the title "Lou Weed," the fifth song thanks the Dandy's two biggest influences, Lou Reed, and yes, weed. "The Coffee and Tea Wrecks" could almost be Thurston Moore doing one of his better solo songs, while the laments of "Genius" ("I'm not as smart as I seem to be/ and I'm not as bright as I used to be") are comforted by twangy guitars.

And now we come to the monolith: the driving, wha-drenched thunderings of "It's a fast driving Rave-Up with the Dandy Warhols' sixteen Minutes" (16 not 15, "Dandy" Warhols, get it?). Actually clocking in at over twenty minutes when the three tracks it covers are added together, the "Rave-up" lives up to it title. The fuzzed-out bass drives it along, the wah solos are not solos but pervasive melodies, and the Acetone-like vocal harmonies are smooth even when surrounded by feedback, alarm clocks, sirens, other weird sounds, and that dirty bass. And despite being repetitive, the "Rave-Up" seems to last no longer then a few minutes. "Kings of Pop," indeed.(CMC)

In a Nutshell: Enter the Modern Kings of POP.