The Dandy Warhols Share 'Musta Always Been A Thing' Short Film

10-31-2024

(Reybee) Consistently iconoclastic and forever changing the script, The Dandy Warhols debut the video for their subtly-named single "Alcohol and Cocainemarijuananicotine" from their latest album ROCKMAKER which was released earlier this year via Sunset Blvd. Alternately titled "Musta Always Been A Thing," the mini-film was directed by NYC-based writer/ director/producer Elizabeth S. Acevedo (whose short film Mirage was nominated for Cinematography at HollyShorts) and features a very atypical musical narrative of sex and futuristic drugs.

"I'm consistently blown away by Elizabeth Acevedo," says vocalist/guitarist Courtney Taylor-Taylor about the viscerally gutsy video's direction. "Great, heavy-handed style... It's gritty human surrealism. I am so stoked that we got her to make the film for this single."

Utilizing disorienting angles, accelerated camera work, and a semi-dystopian setting within a church/bar hybrid, the video conveys a hazy, hypnagogic atmosphere that harmonizes seamlessly with the song's infectious midnight rhythms and trippy chorus.

Released earlier this year and featuring guests Frank Black of the Pixies, Slash of Guns N' Roses, and Debbie Harry of Blondie, ROCKMAKER found itself adored by both critics and audiences alike, making it one of their best-reviewed albums to date. The Arts STL describes the album as "a kaleidoscope of sound and style as only The Dandy Warhols can bring with their infectious and psychedelic vibes that can't be pigeonholed into a single genre, so don't even try." The Spill Magazine lauds, "ROCKMAKER embodies a sonic evolution for The Dandy Warhols, characterized by a deliberate emphasis on guitar riffs over chords and melodies." Vanyaland adds, "The Dandy Warhols have never been ones to fall in step, so it's little surprise that their new LP ROCKMAKER doesn't necessarily meet or exceed expectations as much as set its own bar." Downtown Los Angeles praised, "Combining psych-rock, shoegaze, power pop, synth pop, and more with the cheeky detachment of their pop-art namesake, the Dandy Warhols are equally skilled at heady reveries and satirical pop."

Currently celebrating 30 years as a band, the band has previously announced a string of live shows in December in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Portland, and Tacoma, a fan party in their home studio in Portland, and a co-hosting engagement in which they will co-host as master of ceremonies for the Little Clouds Records showcase (who were responsible for the recent re-pressing of the band's catalog)! "They tell me it's been 30 years, but it feels like about six... Maybe seven," laughs Courtney. "Well, I guess we've had a pretty long run."