“Legend,” the first single from the Dandy Warhols’ soon-to-be-tangibly-released sixth album (and first on their new imprint Beat The World), was apparently the most-added song for American radio play-lists this week. For modern rock, anyway; title aside, there’s too much pharmaceutical arcana for the country charts. Local roots mainstay Paul Brainard does lend pedal steel, Courtney’s deeeep vocal—the west coast Iggy Pop timbre generally reserved for album tracks—gallops through gun-fight skipping rhymes, but there’s no roots showing. Or, more precisely, there’s no hint of Americana. The effect’s more Britpop wunderkinds’ note-perfect piss-take or aliens soundtracking a spaghetti western without ever seeing a horse. It’s the Dandy’s, in other words. The band’s hits aren’t similar but eerily distinct: tweaked drone writ infectious through fractured chic, pop sensibilities unbound, and charisma to blot out the sun. Giddy up.

Download audio file (lastoutlawtruckers.mp3)

*All music industry numbers are suspect and easily debated, yes. How many angels can dance on the head of a pin? What’s the cover?

Links:
DandySpace

Photo courtesy of the band.