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Jonestown boys make heroin passé, while the Dandys make music cliché
In My Opinion
by Conner Jay | Photo Editor
Good music is like a drug. Or, at least it always makes me want more. When it peaks its inebriation, you want to start a fight, steal someone's girl and slam another drink. You want to rage your own way into infamy with a bad-ass soundtrack. Good music does this, but good music will not be found tonight at the McDonald Theatre, when the Dandy Warhols come into town.
You see, this alternative rock band from Portland is actually a pop group from Europe, the only place they have enjoyed success. Lead singer Courtney Taylor claims "I sneeze and hits come out." And true enough, he has written at least one hit. Take for example "Bohemian Like You," a song made wildly popular by the cellular phone company Vodafone in its commercial. It talks about eating vegan food or something like that, I don't really remember. My cell phone is T-mobile.
Strangely enough, the Dandy Warhols' career has paralleled a good band called The Brian Jonestown Massacre. The two started as fans of each other's early work and collaborated, pushing their creative styles. But, the Jonestown boys simply are on a plateau far beyond anything the Dandys will reach. Look at their names: one choosing to play off pop icon Andy Warhol, the other combing its name with original Rolling Stones guitarist Brian Jones and the notorious mass-cult suicide in Jonestown, Guyana. We could leave it at that, but let's not.
The Dandys produced an early hit titled "Not if you were the last junky on earth," which claims "heroine is so passé." At this time, BJM was actually doing the drugs the Dandys were singing about, yet they were also creating ripping rock songs. I'm not saying that heroine should be considered an illicit creative injection, but it worked for them like Jimi. In response, BJM hammered out "Give it back!," an album which they responded to the Dandys with "Not if you were the last Dandy on earth." Comparing the two songs is like caffeine to cocaine. The latter is just heavier.
Deep rifts and wild energy power through the Jonestown albums, while the lyrics of BJM frontman Anton Newcombie resound classic hits. He puts the tattered band within the talents of Bob Dylan and the Rolling Stones. Yet I'm sure many of you are still wondering who the hell is the Brian Jonestown Massacre? Why haven't I heard of them?
You see, this alternative rock band from Portland is actually a pop group from Europe, the only place they have enjoyed success. Lead singer Courtney Taylor claims "I sneeze and hits come out." And true enough, he has written at least one hit. Take for example "Bohemian Like You," a song made wildly popular by the cellular phone company Vodafone in its commercial. It talks about eating vegan food or something like that, I don't really remember. My cell phone is T-mobile.
Strangely enough, the Dandy Warhols' career has paralleled a good band called The Brian Jonestown Massacre. The two started as fans of each other's early work and collaborated, pushing their creative styles. But, the Jonestown boys simply are on a plateau far beyond anything the Dandys will reach. Look at their names: one choosing to play off pop icon Andy Warhol, the other combing its name with original Rolling Stones guitarist Brian Jones and the notorious mass-cult suicide in Jonestown, Guyana. We could leave it at that, but let's not.
The Dandys produced an early hit titled "Not if you were the last junky on earth," which claims "heroine is so passé." At this time, BJM was actually doing the drugs the Dandys were singing about, yet they were also creating ripping rock songs. I'm not saying that heroine should be considered an illicit creative injection, but it worked for them like Jimi. In response, BJM hammered out "Give it back!," an album which they responded to the Dandys with "Not if you were the last Dandy on earth." Comparing the two songs is like caffeine to cocaine. The latter is just heavier.
Deep rifts and wild energy power through the Jonestown albums, while the lyrics of BJM frontman Anton Newcombie resound classic hits. He puts the tattered band within the talents of Bob Dylan and the Rolling Stones. Yet I'm sure many of you are still wondering who the hell is the Brian Jonestown Massacre? Why haven't I heard of them?
Viewing Comments 1 - 3 of 3
tbrekke
Thom B.
posted 3/01/07 @ 3:08 PM PST
...and if you don't feel like shelling out your hard earned dollars to support the Brian Jonestown Massacre's self-destructive lifestyle, they'll let you download quite a few of their albums in their entirety for free from their website. (Continued…)
Corpsegoddess
posted 3/02/07 @ 9:54 AM PST
Guess you just don't "get it". BJM's music is shite, but it's highminded and arty, so it MUST be good, right? The Dandys craft perfect nuggets of pop goodness. (Continued…)
Katie Fidler
posted 3/02/07 @ 10:20 AM PST
If Conner Jay had ever actually known anyone with a severe hard drug habit, he would not find it so commendable that BJM was doing hard drugs, while the Dandies were just singing about heroin. (Continued…)
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