In their first six years as a band,The Dandy Warhols quickly established themselves as outliers in the rock and roll scene. Tinkering with garage, psych-rock, electronica, glam, shoegaze, and classic rock sounds throughout their first two albums meant the band was quite hard to define. As a result, there was a shift in focus away from their music and towards their attitude; blissed out and purposefully nonchalant.

The bands unconventional approach to genre was never more outstanding than it was in August 2000, when the Portland-based group released its third album.Thirteen Tales From Urban Bohemiais undoubtedly The Dandy Warhols best work;a bakers dozen of infectious rock tracks that exude the bands playful character and a distinct sense of melancholy. It was through this album that the Dandy Warhols helped kick-start the naughties rock revival, paving the way for garage and alternative superstars for years to come.

Frontman Courtney Taylor-Taylor had a vision for Thirteen Tales From Urban Bohemia,and in order to achieve it, the band started cultivating a far more specific sound compared to previous releases.

In contrast to dabbling in a whole universe of genres, Taylor-Taylor took a deep dive into the world of classic rock, allowing some of the rock scenes most significant figures, fromGeorge HarrisontoThe Grateful Dead,to inspire his sound:

We felt like we needed to make the last classic rock album. A record that would be, sonically, shaped somewhere in-betweenAll Things Must PassandWorkingmans Dead.

In 1999 the thought of reviving the classic 1970s rock and roll sound was uncool to the bone, but distancing themselves from the current trends was quite the deliberate act. Already knowing their album would be unique, The Dandies rented out what was once a gay mens gym in Portland to record their album.

This unexpected setting became the bands creative haven. Zia McCabe, the bands keyboardist, said at the time:

We recorded the album in this old gay mens gym. We took it cause we were so desperate for a place. The sauna became the drum room, there were lots of shower rooms to record in and one little office that we made the control room.

The end result ofThirteen Tales From Urban Bohemiais messy musical perfection. Opening track Godlesspulls you into its sprawling atmosphere and immediately declares its darkness. OnCountry Leaver Taylor-Taylor drawls his way through a twangy backdrop, reintroducing the confident swagger and self-assurance that the band and especially its frontman was known for. Solidis rocky bliss-out, whileHorse Pillsshowcases a sharp lyrical wit.

Get Off sits pretty in the middle of the album a short-lived song about the lavish life of a star, filled with sex, drugs, and rocknroll.

The Dandies also gave us a taste of a much more sombre style throughoutThirteen Tales From Urban Bohemia,especially in tracks likeBig IndianandThe Gospel,arguably one of the most stunning conclusions to a rock album.

Of course, the albums most famous track isBohemian Like You,which has also been acknowledged as the bands most influential creation.Dropping a few subtle nods to The Rolling Stones,with itsshambling percussion and catchy chorus, its impossible not to like. After the track was featured in a big-time Vodafone campaign, an interest in the bands style grew.

Soon enough, everyone wanted a piece of the new-old sound, and groups like The White StripesandThe Strokeswere taken far more seriously.

When looking back onThirteen Tales From Urban Bohemia, what stands out is how The Dandy Warhols probed their hedonism as a sonic inspiration. Unhappy with the music the world had on offer, Taylor-Taylor and his band were determined to bring a bit of old school style back for good.

And thats exactly what they did.

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The Dandy Warhols Thirteen Tales From Urban Bohemia: Why It Mattered - Happy