As Showtime's Weeds was only halfway through its debut season when this soundtrack appeared, it's likely the set's release coincides with the start of the 2005-2006 television season and, more specifically, its network television familiar Desperate Housewives. Both shows use dark humor to needle at the front-lawn complacency and closed-door turmoil of American suburban culture, but Weeds' premium-channel status lets it get away with more. Like having its widowed main character sell marijuana in order to feed her family, for example. The Weeds soundtrack is also more adventurous in its music licensing. While the
Desperate Housewives set features a somewhat predictable blend of AAA divas, Weeds has incidental music scored by
the Pixies' Joey Santiago, cheeky musical allusions to its root subject (
NRBQ's "Wacky Tobacky," "Ganja Babe" from
Michael Franti & Spearhead), and selections from critical darlings like
Nellie McKay ("David") and
Sufjan Stevens ("All the Trees of the Field Will Clap Their Hands"). There's also vintage soul from Marion Black ("Who Knows," from the incredible 2004 collection
Eccentric Soul, Vol. 1: The Capsoul Label) and off-the-beaten-path stuff from
the Mountain Goats and Vancouver, B.C.'s
Be Good Tanyas. Weeds also ends with a quirky classic from L.A. terror folk duo
Hill of Beans. With its devil's deal premise and air of crazed sarcasm, "Satan Lend Me a Dollar" embodies not only the show's theme but the half-smile and perpetually raised eyebrow of Mary-Louise Parker. ~ Johnny Loftus