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WEEN have been messing with music and minds like two demented juveniles fiddling with a Mr. Potato Head since their mid-eighties inception. It all began when New Hope, PA future geniuses Aaron Freeman and Mickey Melchiondo met in typing class back in eighth grade. Visited by the demon-god BOOGNISH, the two assumed the monikers Dean and Gene Ween, and began their bizarre musical adventures in home taping.

The insanity grew with WEEN's first indie releases, GodWeenSatan: The Oneness (Twin/Tone, 1990) and The Pod (Shimmy Disc, 1991), both produced by friend and ex-Rollins Band bassist Andrew Weiss. After playing Trenton, NJ's City Gardens and other PA/NJ-area clubs, the band soon signed to Elektra. Their major label debut, the brilliantly absurd Pure Guava was not much of a departure from their first two albums, as it only served to further highlight their random, drug-induced musings. But the strangest event yet (besides getting signed to a major label) came in the form of the Pure Guava track "Push The Little Daisies" making its way onto MTV's Beavis and Butthead. The weird little eclectic band from New Hope, PA suddenly found a bit of mainstream notoriety.

Blending several decades and genres' worth of music, WEEN regurgitate elements of it all into a curious-smelling concoction. Songs like the demented "Spinal Meningitis" from Chocolate and Cheese (Elektra, 1994) and the over the top "You Fucked Up" from GodWeenSatan never fail to stretch a twisted smirk across the listener's face. To further their baffling reputation, 1996's hilarious 12 Golden Country Greats featured twelve of Nashville's best living authentic session players. In true WEEN style, Greats features inane and profane lyrics such as "on yr knees you big-booty bitch" on "Piss Up A Rope," set to a laid-back, traditional country/western backdrop. Only WEEN could get away with such a silly yet genuine feat while roping in more followers.

Although it takes a certain appreciation for sophomoric humor and mind-altering substances to fathom their satiric, crude lyrics and mind bending musicality, Dean and Gene Ween have won respect in the music community for their seamless genre-jumping and impressive playing ability. The WEEN virtuosity is best experienced at their shows. Known for playing three-hour-plus sets, the band keeps you on your feet, as you never know what they'll play next; anything from unreleased songs to covers to almost anything from their irreverent catalog. Gene (vocals) and Dean (guitar) smirk from the stage with their band as their followers yell out requests for favorites such as the '80s metal parody "Dr. Rock" and the goofy "Big Jilm" among so many other songs from their seven studio albums.

On the band's latest release, White Pepper, Dean and Gene demonstrate a bit of, well, maturity; much of the customary profanity is absent but their mutated musical antics, complete with twisted sense of humor and impressive musicianship, are taken to new, more produced heights. "Bananas and Blow," a Jimmy Buffet-style number about living off of fruit and cocaine, actually paints a clear musical picture with its theme and back-up singers. Before you can finish the banana or a line you'll get sucked into the pit with the punk/metal thrash blast of "Stroker Ace." Next comes the muffled funeral dirge of "Ice Castles." A bit uneven, you say?

Now you're beginning to get the idea, my friend.