The Dandy Warhols Come To Canberra

BMA
by Cecilia Pattison-Levi
October 13, 2000


'The Dandy Warhols' (Courtney Taylor, Zia McCabe, Peter Holmstrom and Eric Hedford) are a band that come from Oregon in the USA. They rose to national prominence here with their last album "The Dandy Warhols' Come Down" and their hit /Not If You Were The Last Junkie On Earth'. They are about to start a national tour of Australia starting with the Livid Festival and arriving here in Canberra on the 25th of October to play at the ANU. They have just released their third album "Thirteen Tales From Urban Bohemian" to critical acclaim around the world and have been courted by music legends like David Bowie who shared his stage at Glastonbury with the Dandy's.

Courntey Taylor (the pincer-cheekboned singer) was suffering severe sleep deprivation after a nights gig in Portland to his next days work in Atlanta. He was enthusiastic about his coming visit to Australia. "Yeah - we are really looking forward to it. I want to meet George Miller - Yeah Mad Max and Babe, right!" says Courtney. Although tired,he knew an awful lot about Australia films and John Cusack.

"The album really surprised me. It sounds so good. I just listened to it for the first time in ages last night," says Courtney. He has every right to be happy with an album that is more mature in sound and considered "a quantum leap in The Dandy Warhols' songwriting skills" - Q magazine. "Yeah - I don't know. I haven't much in the way of songs before the band. I was a drummer but I want to mix it up subtle and strong. We have written some fuckin' great soft pieces," says Courtney.

"Thirteen Tales From Urban Bohemia" is an impressive album. It mixes classic rock with foxy glam and West Coast (USA) psychedelia. "I am really happy with our sound. I think I am singing really well. You know I am really understanding vocal delivery and its process," says Courtney. This shows through the album wehre Taylor's voice is just in superb form as he delivers on "making good music and rockin' out".