Hip Online's Thirteen Tales From Urban Bohemia review (8 out of 10)

hiponline.com
Thirteen Tales From Urban bohemia
by rae gun
August 1, 2000

The Dandy Warhols are a bit of an enigma. Just when you think you have them figured out, they drop an album like Thirteen Tales From Urban Bohemia. It's Pavement without the bread and Radiohead without the Swiss cheese. It has the meat but seems to be jumbled up into a music salad.

I can't quite wrap my head around why the first three songs were smooshed together. I went three songs deep and I still thought I was sitting within the first track, "Godless". It was much to my surprise when the finger lickin' good "Country Leaver" popped up and I looked down to find I was already at track four.

Thirteen Tales From Urban Bohemia gets much less psychedelic from track four on. "Solid" is Blur-like in its silliness, yet it's got the bitter bite that only The Dandy Warhols could bring. "Get Off" has a funky little march to it. Then there is the strikingly familiar "Sleep". Maybe it's the licks, maybe it's the aftertaste, but the song stays with you.

Now I can really get into "Bohemian Like You". It has no reason for being. It just goes on its clunky, happy way. I'm glad to report that the album picks up steam from the middle on. Odd, I know, but it actually gets better and better. The last two tracks, "Big Indian" and "The Gospel", are two of their best. A lot of argument there, but hey, I have an opinion, don't I? Quickly you'll find that Thirteen Tales From Urban Bohemia grows on you with each listen. I've had it playing for days and still haven't taken it out.