Description
The Dandy Warhols – This Machine – Compact Disc
When The Dandy Warhols released This Machine in 2012, the album arrived at a moment when the band seemed more interested in refining their identity than chasing the kind of chart success that had defined parts of their earlier career. By that point the Portland group had already traveled a long road—from the slacker psychedelia of the 1990s to the glossy, hook-driven rock that produced hits like “Bohemian Like You.” This Machine feels like a band settling comfortably into its own strange orbit.
The record carries a relaxed, slightly hazy atmosphere from the very beginning. Guitars drift in and out of the mix, keyboards hover in the background, and the rhythms often move with a steady, hypnotic pulse rather than explosive energy. The Dandy Warhols have always had a talent for making rock music sound slightly detached and dreamlike, and that quality runs through the entire album.
Much of that mood comes from the songwriting of frontman Courtney Taylor-Taylor, whose vocals maintain the cool, understated tone that has long been part of the band’s appeal. Rather than pushing dramatic emotional performances, he delivers the lyrics with a kind of laid-back confidence, letting the melodies and textures carry the atmosphere. The songs often feel as if they’re floating along on a wave of psychedelic pop and indie rock influences.
This Machine blends several sides of the band’s personality. Some tracks lean into distorted guitar riffs and driving rhythms that recall their garage rock roots, while others drift toward electronic textures and softer psychedelic arrangements. There are hints of classic rock swagger, flashes of shoegaze-style guitar layering, and moments where the music slips into a dreamy pop groove.
The album continues Taylor-Taylor’s fascination with modern culture, fame, technology, and the strange ways people interact in an increasingly digital world. The title itself nods to Woody Guthrie’s famous slogan “This machine kills fascists,” suggesting a tongue-in-cheek commentary on how music and art still function as a kind of cultural weapon—even in a world dominated by screens and algorithms.
This Machine may not aim for the instant hooks of the band’s biggest hits, but that’s part of its charm. It’s an album that unfolds slowly, rewarding listeners who settle into its groove and let the songs reveal their textures over time. In many ways, it captures The Dandy Warhols exactly as they’ve always been at their best: slightly mysterious, effortlessly cool, and happily drifting just outside the center of the rock mainstream.
Brand new, never played and still sealed in the factory plastic
Track Listing
Sad Vacation
The Autumn Carnival
Enjoy Yourself
Alternative Power To The People
Well They’re Gone
Rest Your Head
16 Tons
I Am Free
SETI Vs. The Wow! Signal
Don’t Shoot She Cried
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