Talking to Courtney Taylor-Taylor of the Dandy Warhols tends to lead one into a pipeline of what’s wrong with today’s music scene, the major record labels, all of mainstream radio, and even most people in general. It becomes quite evident early on that really, pretty much anything, more or less pisses him off. Equal part control-freak, over-indulged rock star, hedonist, smart-ass, and genius, he has strong opinions and he’s always right. Even his home-town of Portland, Oregon, a city viewed by most as relatively progressive and liberal falls victim to his scrutiny. “It used to be cool, it’s not really cool anymore. It’s fucking Dorksville,” Taylor says in disgust from his city’s Northwest section apartment. “[It used to be] so heavy, all those Vietnam vets, people had wine stores and book stores, living in the dregs of Portland, Oregon. [Now] everywhere here is poser central. Buddy Holly glasses, Converse high top Chuck Taylors. Are people embarrassed with their tattoos yet? They should be.” Cleary the epitome of the tortured soul, Taylor thinks deep, but is a far cry from modest.
Looking out his window, he peers down to see his drummer’s car on top a tow truck, and expresses his obvious disdain before boasting that his band, simply put – is damn good. The following day, the lead singer/guitarist and main brain behind the Dandy Warhols, will be leaving on a jet plane, as his band will be opening close to two months worth of shows in Europe for David Bowie – an obvious influence in their recent swing at new-wave found in their new release Welcome to the Monkey House.
he Dandys’ sound and style is derived from a wide array of music’s past – the junk-culture references of Lou Reed and the Velvet Underground, the glamour/flamboyance of Duran Duran, and the seductive swagger of the Rolling Stones. Quite incidentally, the cover of Monkey House composites a little of the Velvet Underground & Nico’s famous Andy Warhol banana cover and the front fly of the Stone’s Sticky Fingers classic, into a striking yellow on black illustration. With its sequenced bass lines, bouncy synthesizers and suave vocals, this album proves that it’s ok to acknowledge the return of the sounds of those outrageous 80’s to our contemporary ears. It may be deemed by some yet another retro attempt, but the Dandy Warhols are a rock band first and foremost, and far from some novelty act playing tribute to the Human League and Bananarama, whom most identify the tunes in the decade of excess with. Taylor, like his commentary on the world around him, takes his music seriously, and his game plan involves speculating what’s actually hip, in his eyes, before it becomes blasé.
“You have to be cooler than everybody else, and that sort of chic Nick Rhodes, David Bowie, and just that glamorous cosmopolitan sound, Roxy Music, and Sade, it just didn’t exist, so we thought we’d be the first to do it. So everybody is kind of tired of all the trendy shit.” However, is going over to Europe, where many stand a trendy step ahead, going to be more open to an album that features a fashion-consciousness merger of new wave and rock? “I really have no idea, and I don’t give a shit.” Taylor adamantly replies. “At this point for us, it’s just a matter of going, showing up, and making music and we’re just unusually good at our job. We make very, very good records. But there are a lot of style issues involved, and trends you have to deal with, and we kind of got fucked by our record label. Now we just have to play as much as we can to as many people who normally wouldn’t see us. To go run with Bowie and play for thousands of people who are music fans. Basically, if you are a music fan person, you’ll like bands that are good at their job. We make very good music and it makes perfect sense, if you’re a person who feels the same way about the world as we do, you’ll like this.” And apparently, with their recent major success, many people actually do.
It comes as no surprise that former Duran Duran keyboard wiz Nick Rhodes had a large part in the shaping of Monkey House, and co-produced the record along with Taylor, but it also features none other than Simon Le Bon on background vocals. The former Duran Duran lead singer lays the falsetto background vocals on “Plan A,” a tune that echoes in the Madness classic “Our House.” Though surprisingly, the feel Monkey House had taken, grabbed most of its shape prior to receiving help from anybody outside the band’s circle. So, how do the Dandy Warhols, whose previous release, Thirteen Tales from Urban Bohemia, which thrilled music fans with it’s mix of layered guitars, droning bass and beat lyrics transform their efforts from one of the smartest rock albums of 2000 to perhaps the best new-wave album of 2003? “I started chopping up the bass, and leaning heavily on the 80’s David Bowie – “Ashes to Ashes” late 70’s early 80’s,” Taylor explains, “but left more space and melody so it was a little more Bowie-ish. And then once we got rolling, and started coming up with really cool bass-lines. Make it really slick, you want it to reflect an image of a yacht in some tropical place. “Plan A,” “Wonderful You,” and “The Last High” are so genius and so much further than anyone would dare go.”
Still, in addition to the 80’s references, there is much more woven within the depths of their eccentric sound. They are a band that garnered their artistic freedom upon the success of the hit “Bohemian Like You.” A song that builds its strength from an opening Keith Richard’s “Brown Sugar” riff, giving the rock-rhythm an immediate familiarity, whether you’re conscious of it or not. And with such expression abounding, they have created the artistic freedom that accompanies a distinct niche of fans, one that numbers near a half million worldwide, giving them the possibility to do things on their own – and as a result of years of touring and making solid records, that is more inviting than any of the pleasures of rock-stardom.
The band, which also features guitarist Peter Holmstrom, bassist Zia McCabe, and drummer Brent DeBoer, is more of a multi-dimensional independent think tank, than a signified leader. With hopes of making trippy soundtracks, movies and more frequent albums, the band hopes to market their artistic endeavors via the internet rather via major record labels. “For us to make music to reach a quarter of a million people in a year over the internet would be ideal, you might as well sit in the studio and make your own lo-fi records” analyzes Taylor. Quite a paradox to the hi-fi polishes of Welcome to the Monkey House.
Not only known for being notable recording artists, yet another odd drawl to the enigma of the Dandy Warhols is their three-hour plus live shows – something that’s seldom the case with many of today’s rock acts, and Taylor answers in signature eloquence. “I don’t know, it really doesn’t feel like we’re done until we [play for three hours]. What would you want? What would we want? You want to have an epic experience. We’re an epic band. If we’re going to fucking go to this city, and that city, with all that equipment and set it up, what else are you going to do, go and play an hour and have dinner?” When asked if that marathon set entails the possibility of hearing the band play a full album, Taylor retorts, “no, we can play three albums.”
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Whether it’s three hours, an opening set for Bowie, or an offbeat soundtrack – one thing is for sure, The Dandy Warhols will always find a way to keep things interesting and shocking, even within the limits of Portland, Oregon, quickly running thin on Taylor’s delicate patience. “I like the working class cities that I grew up in, and it just feels like Southern California here now. There’s so many fucking idiots around here,” Taylor concludes, before leaving to address the vehicle in tow.
It’s refreshing to see there’s one star not drooling for the Hollywood fast lane. Amongst their cutting edge and adventurous sounds, the Dandy Warhols have a unique respect for their devoted fans, and will continue to maintain their dignity, while persistently adding to their ever-expanding list of rock and roll indulgences.
