SXSW 2009: Crocodiles Eat Good in the Neighborhood

Crocodiles' guitarist Charles Rowell and vocalist Brandon Welchez have played in bands together in San Diego for nearly a decade, but only started working on this current crop of jagged, psychedelic pop collages as a duo last May. Summer of Hate, due April 28 on Fat Possum, scoops up JAMC fuzz for "I Wanna Kill," but is closer to puttin' on the retro ritz for "Flash of Light." "Songs are super important to us," Welchez explains. "I would never play something onstage in this band that I wouldn't feel comfortable playing on acoustic guitar." After a convincing first of five South by Southwest performances loaded with searing feedback and strutting with their vintage Epiphones, the guys grabbed pepperoni slices at the Stony's Pizza truck across the street from Emo's in downtown Austin and talked with their mouths open.

SXSW reportage can't help but place a heightened importance on the local grub when bands must eat whenever they're not onstage to avoid anemic collapse. Neither Crocodile bared claws or gnashed teeth once during this consumption inquisition, though Welchez did show off the half-chewed goods in his mouth (see above).  

Charles: "Last night we ate chocolate-covered mushrooms and I puked all over the car. That's a local tie-in."

Brandon: "Our new booking agent lives here and gave us psychedelic mushrooms. Crazy to take mushrooms at one in the morning. We tripped the fuck out."

Charles: "This pizza is so fucking good."

Paste: Is Stony's the best pizza you've had in Austin?

Brandon: "Well, it's the only pizza I've had in Austin, so I've got nothing to compare it to."