The Dandy Warhols-Thirteen Tales From Urban Bohemia

The Dandy Warhols have a huge following in Britain, and it’s no surprise. They look British, sound British and even act British. But are they any good? Can they back their snotty attitude, and cooler-than-thou image with great rock and roll songs, like those reliable Brit-Pop acts that have come before them? As a matter of fact, they can, and do it quite well.

It comes as no surprise then, that the first three tunes of their latest effort, Thirteen Tales From Urban Bohemia, sound like so many of the legendary British bands that have influenced the Dandy Warhols. “Godless,” “Mohammed” and “Nietzsche” sound so much like the shoegazer kings Ride and Slowdive, we check to make sure we haven’t slipped the wrong disc into the player. Comparisons aside, the songs are beautifully scorching and ultimately rocking. In fact, “Godless” could be compared to Placebo’s “Pure Morning” in that the song is so strong; it threatens to topple over the rest of the album. Thankfully, the Dandys don’t let that happen. As “Bohemian Like You” explodes out of the speakers the initial reaction is to get up and dance. The song is as vital as Primal Scream’s “Medication,” or “Brown Sugar” by the Rolling Stones. It becomes obvious after listening to “Shakin’,” which sounds like the song Iggy Pop never recorded, that this is the best record the Dandy Warhols have done. After considering their previous efforts, The Dandy Warhols Come Down, and Dandys Rule OK, we realize how great this actually is. In fact, if Thirteen Tales isn’t in your record collection within two weeks of reading this review, don’t ever claim to know anything about rock’n’roll. A

Joe Jackson-Night and Day II

Let’s cut to the chase. Joe Jackson has lost it. It had to happen. Unless your name is David Bowie, Neil Young, Iggy Pop or Paul Weller, all great rock and pop legends come to a point where they aren’t able to recapture that vitality they once had. Aerosmith officially lost it when they released the Get A Grip record. Alice Cooper lost it when he started playing golf. Run-DMC lost it when they started collaborating with Fred Durst. But Joe Jackson’s demise is apparently much worse.

Joe Jackson once recorded classic albums like I’m the Man, Look Sharp and Jump’N’Jive. He lived in the shadow of Elvis Costello, but survived because of his great jazz-pop and new wave sensibilities. Remember, “Is She Really Going Out With Him?” That was Joe Jackson before he lost it. Night and Day II is some sort of sequel to his classic 1982 record Night and Day, but that really doesn’t matter. It features special guests like Marianne Faithfull, but that doesn’t matter either because Night and Day II is the kind of masturbatory, self-indulgent nonsense that will be in the bargain bins come next year. It sounds like Mannheim Steamroller collaborating with Billy Ocean for an after-school special soundtrack. The album is plagued by a monotonous use of symbols and drum loops that will make hair fall out after about the fifth song. It’s not worth talking about any of the songs because none of them are any good. Nobody should ever listen to this record, unless Hall and Oates dominate their record collection. D-

Broadcast-Extended Play Two

There are four things to notice about Broadcast: the synthesizer, Trish Keenan’s gorgeous vocal, their resemblance to Stereolab and Mazzy Star, and how good they are.

Originally from Birmingham, England, they have released their new EP, Extended Play Two, fresh off a championed second album, The Noise Made By People, and anticipated U.S. tour supporting The Sea and Cake. Broadcast sound like Portishead covering “San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Some Flowers In Your Hair).” The band has never strayed far from the sleepy, space-age pop that they are famous for, and Extended Play Two is no different. “Illumination,” based on a hypnotic vocal by Keenan, features keyboardist Roj Stephens providing more bleeps and squeaks than a Chipmunks record. A-