THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “At the very beginning of the pandemic, Weak Signal — the New York rock trio led by Mike Bones — released an unmastered version of their album Bianca on Bandcamp, uncertain of when they would play live again or properly release the album. Iggy Pop caught wind of the album and featured he song Drugs In My System on his BBC radio show, declaring that the band “has something special going on.”
“I was early to practice and wrote Drugs In My System in two minutes in an attempt to get a few laughs out of Tran and Sasha,” Bones recounted. “They loved it and it became an actual Weak Signal song. There’s not a lot to say about it; it’s a song about living the roach life, the street life. I hope you can’t relate. I think we have a weird sense of humor about that life, all three of us worked at night, we saw a lot of things. Jonathan (Kreinik) made it sound like a some apochryphal Columbus metal band’s demo tape from 1987.”
Bones has made deep and deeply loved solo albums as a singer and guitarist, and with ad hoc supergroup Soldiers of Fortune. The versatile instrumentalist has also played on albums by Cass McCombs, Endless Boogie and Run the Jewels. Weak Signal, the band he’s put together with Sasha Vine and Tran, is his hardest and leanest group to date. The quality of the songs on this album is matched by the supreme style of the band members.
Weak Signal represent a constant on the N.Y.C. underground. The trio’s dark cinematic pop evokes late summer nights, apathy and urgency, buzz guitars over garbage trucks. The range of Bones’ guitar suggests he’s been lured by the sweet tone of Peter Green as well as the metallic attack of Paul Reynolds. The rhythm section of bassist Sasha and drummer Tran is the sound of summer thunder.
On this sophomore LP, Weak Signal have amplified every aspect of their magnetism. The pop is lusher, the drums more bludgeoning and the guitar tone is nastier than ever. They’ve created a thick sonic morass that’s simultaneously tranquil and exhilarating. Weak Signal have truly found their stride with Bianca, and it’s a full-blown gallop.”
