Fri. June 1

Where do the Dandy Warhols stand in today’s alt-rock realm?
    Probably in an interzone. The quartet, fronted by singer-songwriter-guitarist Courtney Taylor-Taylor,  played nearly two hours before 600-plus people at Royale when I saw them last, late 2010. The’re not in their twenties. As such, they may lack the hip, cutting-edge cachet they had when they were that age, kicking up a storm in Portland, Ore. during the mid-late ‘90s.
    That was when they rose up from the Velvet-inspired underground and scored with skewed, semi-snarling, psychedelic pop songs such as “Bohemian Like You,” “Not If You Were the Last Junkie on Earth” and “It’s a Fast-Driving Rave-Up With the Dandy Warhols Sixteen Minutes.” (Great song titles, all.)
    Those splendiferous songs were among the high points of their set. They all had strong hooks, swirling guitar/keyboard meshes, and an arch attitude. And they were the tip of the iceberg that is the Dandy Warhols. The concert made plain they’re a band with a substantial body of work, as well as a depth of sound and vision.
   The Dandy Warhols were touring on catalog, supporting their compilation CD, “The Capitol Years: 1995-2007.”  Now, they’ve finally got a new one – “This Machine,” which came out in April. Click here to listen to “Well They’re Gone,” from that disc. http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/exclusive-download-dandy-warhols-latest-single-well-theyre-gone-20120301 - and a gig at Royale again Friday June 1.
    Some folks may know the Dandys as warring cousins to the Brian Jonestown Massacre, the San Francisco band they were paired with in the 2004 documentary, “Dig!” But Taylor-Taylor isn’t the nasty madcap the BJM’s Anton Newcombe is. He’s actually focused and as such the Dandy Warhols are less likely to implode in front of you.
    Sure, they’re psychedelic. They’re just not drug addled. Taylor-Taylor saluted the aroma of “the doobies” being smoked prior to playing “Good Morning” and asked if someone might hurl one to him - but only “if you have an accurate throwing arm.”
   Musically, the Dandys conveyed drugginess and darkness, without slipping into the abyss. That is, in songs like “Horse Pills” and “Junkie” they considered decadence, and did it with Stones-y swagger, but in doing so more strongly, and wryly, argued against the wasted life.
   In the gorgeous, melancholic “We Used to Be Friends,” they hit the mark by conjuring up painful memories of relationships past. The Dandys are all about creating mood and evoking emotions across the spectrum.

With Psychic Ills and 1776. At 7 p.m. Tickets: $25 advance/$27 day of.

279 Tremont St. 617-866-8933  www.royaleboston.com