Fire On The Mountain

After the outstandingly terrible 2005 release of Odditorium Or Warlords of Mars, The Dandy Warhols have stepped up, re-energized, and now have a new album available entitled …Earth To The Dandy Warhols… (stream the entire album here). This time, the Portland, OR based band have abandoned the dilapidated subterranean haze their sound recently encompassed, and reconfigured themselves once again for the best album they’ve put out since 2000’s amazing Thirteen Tales From Urban Bohemia. This is the first release with their new label Beat The World Records, and I really think this one will take off. Maybe it’s just the brazen attitude and androgyny of lead singer Courtney Taylor-Taylor, but when I listen to the Dandys I get a strange yet comfortable sense of being groped. That, in tandem with the large soundscapes their albums cover (Dandys Rule and Thirteen Tales, specifically), make for totally pleasurable listening experiences.

In a post-In Rainbows world of LP releases, The Dandy’s have devised an intriguing scheme to push this particular record. As I said above, the entire album is available to listen for free online, starting this past Sunday. And while …Earth To The Dandy Warhols… will not be available for purchase in shops until 19 July of this year, the band are offering a ’subscription service’ unique to the album for $34.99. The subscription nets you a digital download of the entire album immediately, a copy of the compact disc mailed to you before it’s general release, a silkscreen poster of artwork from the album, 10 per cent off future merchandise from the website with access to pre-order tickets for live shows, and–the kicker–”B-sides, Live tracks and videos from …Earth to the Dandy Warhols… posted throughout the year for you to download and keep.” It’s a somewhat compelling venture, mixing a Dave Matthews Warehouse-style community with a more digital perks tie-in.  The b-sides and live tracks are tempting, and I would certainly pay for those individually as they’re released, but I’m not willing right now to shell out money for them upfront right now.  Had they devised a tired scheme with different prices (say, $10-15 charge to get the immediate digital album and the artwork, and a separate $35 optional membership for all the bells and whistles), I might be compelled to join. I’ll stick with the free streaming version for now.

The album opener, ‘The World The People (Come On)’ (free mp3 download here) is a great upbeat way to kick things off. ‘Welcome To The Third World’ channels all the best parts of a great Rolling Stones song  (just try not to think of ‘Miss You’ while you’re listening), and I’ve been letting it loop pretty much all day today.  There’s a definite swagger to Taylor-Taylor’s delivery, and I love it.  Very Sting dahling, very Sting.  Other knockout tracks are ‘Love Song’, which features former Dire Straits front man Mark Knopfler fingerpicking alongside the ironic jingle.  ‘Mis Amigos’ is just a fun, bouncy summer song about drinking and smoking with your buddies; I can’t wait to put that one on while sitting by our fire pit shooting the shit with friends.  The album’s closer, ‘Musee D’Nougat’, reminded me of the Velvet’s ‘The Gift’ at first (without the churning, mutant beats), because of the voice over in the background, but at nearly 15 minutes long, what gives this song form is how well it dissipates.  I kept drifting as I listened, closer into the music and farther into space.  Crazy like Kubrick, imaginative like Sagan, and completely camp like the Pet Shop Boys.  Bless the Dandys.

Overall, …Earth To The Dandy Warhols… brings to mind the best sprawling psychedelic aspects of Pink Floyd’s Atom Heart Mother through a much more commercial (and Mick Jagger-esque) format.  I recommend giving the album a good run-through online some afternoon.

And, of course, the Dandys are playing in Amsterdam the 14 of July, as opposed to after I get there.  Dammit.