The Dandy Warhols - Thirteen Tales From Urban Bohemia

I only previously knew The Dandy Warhols through "Bohemian Like You", a fairly catchy single that got a lot of play in commercials. If the name isn't familiar to you, then if you watched a fair amount of TV a few years ago then a snippet of the song probably would be. I wasn't sure what to expect, but Thirteen Tales is a surprisingly good rock album. They like to create interesting melodies or just sounds and let them ride out for a while, making the thing nearly an hour in length without too many songs or really being too complex in their structures. There are plenty of average length songs, but several are over five minutes and are generally my favorites, with some really enjoyable textures and mellow vocals. The singer's voice isn't very distinctive but uses it to his advantage, as it would be hard for anyone to find it annoying, unlike many vocalists. There are different instruments and styles sprinkled in here and there, not much of it really transcends but it's all a really solidly put-together set of songs.

"Godless" begins with the feedback from a guitar that builds into a continuous note leading to acoustic strumming and then drums and some nice horns. It segues into "Mohammed", which is more foreign musically, with a wailing guitar and minimal vocals. "Nietzche" is one of the most serenely enjoyable songs I've heard, with pleasant singing and a main hard guitar part I could listen to for much longer than the 5:40 runtime. "Country Leaver" shows some diversity, as the singer takes on a southern twang along with the whole feel of the song. "Get Off" is a more upbeat sounding song, one of many with uniquely infectious vocals. "Cool Scene" has a nice groove, and goes right into the aforementioned "Bohemian Like You", which is fine, and does stick out a bit as far as general appeal, but it's not one of the better songs on the album. There are a couple more nice songs before "The Gospel" wraps things up in the traditional, softer way. There's a whole lot to like about this band, even if they'll never be as widely known as a clip from one of their songs.