Austin, TX produces bands like TMT news writers produce crap opening sentences (well, this one at least). Stark and convoluted, cold and sexy, embryonic and futuristic, incongruous and rational (is that enough?), The Weird Weeds are the latest great band to turn heads as they straddle that tricky conventional/experimental divide. Strange newfound sounds are discovered, even after tons o' listens. I'm guessing I'm wrong, but I swear I heard a sound not unlike that of a tiny bat squealing the last few times I've listened to the band's Weird Feelings album. I should know – I caught one flying around my apartment last month, and while most bats don't give off sounds when they echolocate through the air, they make very distinct and eerie sounds when caught with a stove pot and a Sabbath record cover. I invited the bat back recently to visit and listen to the latest Weird Weeds album to see if he could shed any light onto his vocal behaviors and possible similarities to snippets of Weird Weeds songs. After downing the better half of a 60-pounder of whiskey together, bat got a little strange and I got a little hungry:
Bat: Weird Weeds are from Austin? I spent a week there one night. Boo-doom pissh!
Me: What a poorly done cymbal. Allllllright...? Yeah, Austin.
Bat: I was up for the role of comedy sound voice double for Cadet Jones in the first Police Academy, but I've got flat feet.
Me: What?
Bat: There's too much blood in my alcohol system stream...
Me: You're drunk. This is getting shitty.
Bat: I had amnesia once... maybe twice.
Me: Okay, enough of this nonsense. You've been here long enough.
Bat: How long a minute is depends what side of the bathroom door you're on.
Me (grabbing bat off the couch): Alright...
Bat: ...if #2 pencils are the most popular pencils, why are they still #2...
Recipe for Bat Soup:
- 1 bat (young, preferably)
- A suspicion of grated ginger
- A soupçon of coconut milk
- 1/2 can Guinness, 1/2 can chicken stock
- Chopped scallions
- Dash of secret "Seoul Spice"
We love Weird Weeds at TMTHQ, and we can't wait to see 'em on tour and show them how guests should act after consuming copious quantities of whiskey. The tour starts tonight in (where else) Austin! Look for a split single with Shapes and Sizes to be released this month on Asthmatic Kitty and a November/December tour to be confirmed very shortly. We'll let you know about that in our next Weird Weeds installment.
Go to these or go back to the hinterland, assbats:
09.06.06 - Austin, TX - Emo's
09.07.06 - Baton Rouge, LA - Red Star Bar
09.08.06 - Nashville, TN - Ruby Green #
09.09.06 - Knoxville, TN - The Pilot Light #
09.10.06 - Raleigh, NC - Bickett Gallery
09.11.06 - Baltimore, MD - Floristree Space
09.12.06 - Kutztown, PA - Good Vibes
09.13.06 - Gettyburg, PA - Emmaus
09.14.06 - Brooklyn, NY - Uncle Paulie's
09.15.06 - Manhattan, NY - The Cake Shop $
09.16.06 - Portland, ME - Space Gallery
09.17.06 - Amherst, MA - Hampshire College Dining Commons
09.18.06 - Cambridge, MA - Zeitgeist Gallery
09.19.06 - Rochester, NY - The Bug Jar
09.20.06 - Toronto, Ontario - Cameron House%
09.21.06 - Oberlin, OH - Cat in the Cream
09.22.06 - Chicago, IL - The Note
09.23.06 - Urbana, IL - Pygmalion Music Festival
10.25.06 - Austin, TX - Red's Scoot Inn ^
# w/ Peter and the Wolf
$ w/ The Dirty Projectors
% w/ Eric Chenaux & Alex Lukashevsky
^ w/ Wooden Wand
