Dandelion coffee In 1919, dandelion root was noted as a source of cheap 'coffee'. It has also been part of edible plant classes dating back at least to the 1970s. Harvesting dandelion roots requires differentiating 'true' dandelions ("Taraxacum" spp.) from other yellow daisy-like flowers such as catsear and hawksbeard. True dandelions have a ground-level rosette of deep-toothed leaves and hollow straw-like stems. Large plants that are 3–4 years old, with taproots approximately 0.5 inch (13 mm) in diameter, are harvested for dandelion coffee. These taproots are similar in appearance to pale carrots. After harvesting, the dandelion roots are dried, chopped, and roasted.
The Dandelion War described the band as "sounding like what would happen if someone melted Explosions In The Sky, Radiohead and The Antlers’ Hospice together." The Dandelion War has also been compared to Sigur Ros and My Morning Jacket. The band reached critical acclaim with the release of "We Were Always Loyal to Lost Causes" in 2012. The album was listed as one of the year's top release by The Alternative Tone (#13), Team Reasonable (#10), and PopBlerd (#10). The Dandelion War has toured up and down the west coast since 2010 and has become a mainstay of the San Francisco Bay Area