Buzz bands

Sales growing like weeds

The debut album by local yokel Weedpatch, “Maybe the Brakes Will Fail,” recently entered the charts at No. 3 at alt-country e-tailer Miles of Music (www.milesofmusic.com).

The fact that the site is run by the older brother of Neal Weiss, the Studio City-based freelance journalist who records as Weedpatch, has very little to do with it. No, really! The CD’s confessional brand of indie rock is flying off the virtual shelves, and brother Jeff Weiss says it merits the ranking.

Recorded with members of Minibar and Gingersol, Weedpatch’s album (at No. 6 on the site’s latest sales ranking) includes such rockers as “Sandy Koufax” and the countrified tell-all “Codeine,” making it sound like the missing link between early R.E.M. and Wilco. Neal Weiss was thrilled to be on the charts behind his hero Wilco’s “I’m Trying to Break Your Heart” DVD, and one slot ahead of “Palace 1919” by ex-Wilco member Jay Bennett (with Edward Burch).

“It’s a total I’m-not-worthy type of thing. I guess I’m one better than Jay Bennett,” he quips. Jeff Weiss says it’s not all that unusual for an indie record to show up on the M.O.M. chart next to a bigger name or a major-label artist.

“We really struggled to be as fair as possible,” Jeff says. “We all agreed that it was a very good record.”

Fast forward

Why oh why hasn’t someone hired singer-songwriter Gus Black to write a soundtrack? Black is bringing his traveling, cine-folky sound to the House of Blues Sunset Strip tonight and to Largo on Tuesday. He released his aching one-man 2002 UK effort, “Uncivilized Love,” which comes out in the U.S. on May 20.... The O.C. Register just tagged Stairwell as a “band to watch” to break out nationally in 2003, and the Huntington Beach rock group deserves it. “The Sounds of Change,” released in March, has more than a couple of potential singles, especially in the nice harmonies on “Disaster”.... Emo fans are probably already digging “Now I Know Forever,” the debut from Waiting for Autumn, which used to be known as Rhema on the O.C.-San Diego scene. The album came out late last year and tracks have recently started to appear on MP3.com’s emo charts.... MC Honky is said to be a Silver Lake native in his 50s who used his massive vinyl collection to make a freaky debut album, “I Am the Messiah,” out Tuesday, produced by E from the Eels and featuring R.E.M. drummer Joey Waronker and other notables of the hip-oisie. Who the heck is he?

-- Dean Kuipers, Craig Rosen

E-mail us at buzzbands@latimes.com.