Portland, Oregon's Dandy Warhols know a thing or two about the bohemian lifestyle. Having lived a true rock star existence since day one, the Dandys have become troubadours for trash, and don't give a rat's ass what anyone else has to say about it. Attitude? You bet. Oasis's Gallagher brothers have nothing on singer Courtney Taylor. Perhaps that's why they seem to fare much better in the UK than in their native America.
However, with the release of their latest, 13 Tales From Urban Bohemia, this is all about to change. An epic blend of dirty country rock and spaced-out glam, this is what the Dandy Warhols do best. But are they really bohemians, or just poster-child poseurs? A true bohemian disregards conventional modes of conduct. Speaking with Taylor from his home in Portland, he is happy to prove his case.
"I'm looking around my bedroom right now, and it's as fuckin hippied out as it gets. There's antiques around - it isn't a part of the commercial reality. I don't have magazines in my house, no TV, no radio, you know? I really hate the media. I fuckin hate it. I can walk across the hall to my friend Matt's house, and it's pretty much the same. If we want to listen to a record, he puts the needle on the vinyl. We don't know what movies are playing, and we don't give a fuck. I'm not talking about a fuckin commune where we grow our own food. We are part of the real world. Some of us have cars, some of us don't. We just work for ourselves, and we take care of ourselves. We like to fix up cars, motorbikes, you know. I drive a VW bus. It's me. It's part of my blood. Urban bohemia? If you're a part of it, you get it. If you're not, ignore it."
Is Courtney Taylor the new bohemian? "That's why I throw around names like Nietzsche, and Mohammed and shit. I don't care. I studied enough Wittgenstein, Heidegger, and Sartre, and it's really about where the fuck did I park my car."
However, with the release of their latest, 13 Tales From Urban Bohemia, this is all about to change. An epic blend of dirty country rock and spaced-out glam, this is what the Dandy Warhols do best. But are they really bohemians, or just poster-child poseurs? A true bohemian disregards conventional modes of conduct. Speaking with Taylor from his home in Portland, he is happy to prove his case.
"I'm looking around my bedroom right now, and it's as fuckin hippied out as it gets. There's antiques around - it isn't a part of the commercial reality. I don't have magazines in my house, no TV, no radio, you know? I really hate the media. I fuckin hate it. I can walk across the hall to my friend Matt's house, and it's pretty much the same. If we want to listen to a record, he puts the needle on the vinyl. We don't know what movies are playing, and we don't give a fuck. I'm not talking about a fuckin commune where we grow our own food. We are part of the real world. Some of us have cars, some of us don't. We just work for ourselves, and we take care of ourselves. We like to fix up cars, motorbikes, you know. I drive a VW bus. It's me. It's part of my blood. Urban bohemia? If you're a part of it, you get it. If you're not, ignore it."
Is Courtney Taylor the new bohemian? "That's why I throw around names like Nietzsche, and Mohammed and shit. I don't care. I studied enough Wittgenstein, Heidegger, and Sartre, and it's really about where the fuck did I park my car."
