With their boho-Stones swagger, psychedelic drone, and tongue-in-cheek lyrics -- not to mention the sexiest cover ever made of AC/DC's "Hell's Bells" -- the Dandy Warhols struck ironic musical poses before irony became hipster camouflage. Remember that, when you listen to the electronica-fried
Welcome To The Monkey House, co-produced by vocalist Courtney Taylor-Taylor and Duran Duran keyboardist Nick Rhodes.
House naturally absorbs the slick disco of New Wave's Fab Five, especially on the stuttering strobe-light burst "I Am a Scientist" and checkered bass swirl of "Plan A" (which features a cameo by Duran figurehead Simon LeBon).
Still, House isn't a faithful rehash of cheesy kitsch, but a sly, knowing integration of retro influences. Standout "You Were the Last High" winks with the debonair glam of Roxy Music amid the jaded decadence of modern life; "Heavenly" crunches with a towering chorus of Bowie-esque proportions. House never takes itself too seriously, but it's not a neon-hued joke -- just a solid, entertaining disc.
