Engine

Back in the dark days of the early-/mid-90s I came across the hand scrawled list above and felt like I had struck gold. I printed it out and carried it with me during long hunts for new music. Most of what I remember about those days are independent record stores, smoke-filled dorm rooms, and run-down apartments containing nothing but a couch, an ashtray, and a stereo. That’s mostly because those are the only places I frequented. It’s also because I was into anything that felt experimental and the Louisville underground music scene certainly fit the bill.

As you can see, Squirrel Bait is at the center of the creation myth that surrounds the music that we now call experimental indie rock, post rock, and math rock, along with a bunch of other forgotten tags like jazz rock and the uglier ones like slow-core and crescendo-core. The point was that this music was different and hard to describe. Best of all; it was good.

In this thread I will review albums made by bands that are in the Squirrel Bait family. This will require some limitations because if I were to consider all the bands that employed certain family members like David Grubbs, John McEntyre, Jim O’Rourke, and David Pajo, then the genealogy grows to include huge portions of the Drag City, Touch & Go, Quarterstick, and Thrill Jockey labels among others. Fun as that sounds it’s just too much. So I will try to keep it as close to direct connections with Squirrel Bait as I can but may also include some reviews of bands that contain only cousins of the band. In any case, there is plenty to discuss.

The first three albums to be reviewed are:

Skag Heaven (1987) by Squirrel Bait
Diablo Guapo (1989) by Bastro
Umber [+ Star Booty EP] (1989) by Bitch Magnet

Terrible Lizard

Interesting, I'm aware of these artists yet have nothing from any of them. I'm awaiting your word.

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Engine

Tracklist:
1. Kid Dynamite
2. Virgil's Return
3. Black Light Poster Child
4. Choose Your Posoin
5. Short Straw Wins
6. Kick The Cat
7. Too Close To The Fire
8. Slake Train Coming
9. Rose Island Road
10. Tape From California

The players:

David Grubbs - guitar


Left to right: Clark Johnson - bass, Peter Searcy - vocals, Brian McMahan - guitar


Ben Daughtry - drums

There is something about Louisville, Kentucky. I have personally never been there (save driving through on the interstate) but I have met several people who have spent time there and romanticize it as a place where urban East Coast mentality meets the Appalachian country way. If that’s true it would explain why the underground bands that came out of there in the 80s and 90s were literate, talented, and serious with a touch of backwoods folksiness.

Squirrel Bait sounds that way to me. In fact, if Skag Heaven had been released on Dischord records I’m convinced that it would be considered a modern classic instead of simply that band of high school kids that led to the formation of Slint. But that’s what they are – and it works in their favor. This is bar-none the most talented group of teenage punk rockers that I have heard and I mean that. Here’s why:

The album starts with 'Kid Dynamite'. It breaks out of the gates sounding like classic post-hardcore with a slight metallic edge. The song is fast, deliberate, and melodic. Skill is present and obvious from the get-go and it doesn’t take long for Peter Searcy to display his vocals which quickly become the focal point. And they deserve it. This guy has that elusive quality that can make a band famous. It’s an energetic, screamy rasp that remains controlled and melodic. Others who use(d) it include: John Lennon, Kurt Cobain, Rick Froberg (Drive Like Jehu, Hot Snakes, Obits), and Ben Nichols (Lucero). I love that shit. If you do too then Peter Searcy’s work here will appeal to you. He will make you feel angry and loved.

This album is pretty straightforward verse-chorus-verse structures but it does have accents that hint at the Slint to come. 'Choose Your Poison' has Sonic Youth-ish intro that evolves into a combo of pop-punk and metal riffing. There are vocals that are strong enough to carry the song if it needed it. It doesn’t; the band is more than capable. 'Short Straw Wins' continues to go in that direction. The timing loosens up enough for the band to spread out. This is not post-rock but you can hear the wheels churning in the minds of these guys. 'Kick the Cat' goes hardcore with fast yet nuanced drums backing up the speedy guitar. This song also has the first appearance of the spoken vocals by McMahan that you heard on Spiderland. 'Too Close to the Fire' reminds me of the Misfits somehow and 'Slake Train Coming' goes classic punk complete with a punk-anthem chorus shouted/sung in unison. The closer is a cover: 'Tape from California', the title track from Phil Ochs’ 1968 album proving these kids are smarter than your average punks.

Despite how good it is, this album is a footnote. Even as much as I like it myself, I view it that way. It’s too bad that the bands these guys played in later in life were so original and great that they overshadow this band. But that’s the way it is. I love this album but I don’t listen to it regularly. It’s mostly a showcase of the raw talent behind the associated bands that came later. But if you like those bands, and you like melody too then Squirrel Bait is for you. Sometimes you will just want to give Slint the middle finger for being so boldly groundbreaking and cerebral. When that happens you can find peace by listening to Skag Heaven while you sit on the porch drinking lemonade.

8.5/10

Bulldog

Always good to see a bunch of obscure artists getting a shout on these boards. I haven't heard of many of them myself, so this is gonna be interesting.

lucifer_sam

you missed Rodan:
Jason Noble
Jeff Mueller
Tara Jane O'Neil
Kevin Coultas

i wouldn't suggest it but their LP Rusty is far and above my favorite record that this entire clan has produced, you should look into it. this is also the same band that went on to form Shipping News, Rachel's and June of 44.

otherwise a fantastic idea for a thread and one i shall certainly be revisiting. i have heard/heard of all of the connected artists so it should as least refresh me on what keeps bringing me back to them.

EDIT: shit, Will Oldham is connected to this group? i am officially confused.

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first.am

Engine

I'm acquainted. Actually, I am in the middle of trying to figure out how to include all of those bands in this thread since they don't technically relate to Squirrel Bait other than being in the same scene in the same city at the same time. I'm sure a connection through members can be found but it won't be very direct.

Exciting, eh? Oldham/Palace/Bonnie 'Prince' Billy is one of my all time favorites and yes he was there. In fact members of Squirrel Bait and Slint have been playing on Oldham albums from the early-90s to at least the early 00s. I plan on entering an entire section of 3 reviews here devoted to Will Oldham.

lucifer_sam

yeah, it just seems a bit empty if you leave out a huge centerpiece like June of 44, but then you have a whole mess of other bands to consider: Rodan, Lungfish, Codeine, Hoover, Reptile House, etc. and by that point you might as well review the entirety of Touch and Go's back library. hehe.

maybe it's better if you just leave it as is. =)

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first.am

Engine

Well, I do have a couple tricks to get those bands in: David Grubbs played briefly on Codeine's 'The White Birch' which gives me Doug Sharin on drums which gives me June of 44. Also, one of my favorite post-rock albums that I would love to review is 'Directions In Music' starring Bundy K. Brown (last incarnation of Bastro) and Doug Sharin on drums again. Actually I think of Sharin as a true master so we'll get there.

Engine

Released by Homestead Records

Tracklist:
1. Tallow Waters
2. Filthy Five Filthy Ten
3. Guapo
4. Flesh Colored House
5. Short Haired Robot
6. Can of Whoopass
7. Decent Skin
8. Enagaging in the Reverend
9. Wurlitzer
10. Hoosier Logic
11. Shoot Me a Deer

Lineup:
David Grubbs – vocals, guitar
Clark Johnson – bass
John McEntyre – drums

If you hear somebody say, “I like ‘those’ bands but only stuff like Big Black, not the quiet instrumental bands” they are talking about Bastro. This band is the result of our hero, David Grubbs, beginning to come of age. He left Squirrel Bait for college but apparently never stopped making music. This time around he is the front man, responsible for both guitar and vocals. Presumably he wrote most of this too.

Bastro started out as Clark Johnson (also Squirrel Bait) and Grubbs playing alongside a drum machine. Before long they recruited the drum wunderkind himself, John McEntyre. This man has the Midas touch; every drum set he touches turns somebody’s album to gold. Well, nobody moved a million units but you get the idea. Diablo Guapo is Bastro as a three piece making smart, brutal music. It is the bespectacled nerd who will kick your ass when pushed.

The opener, ‘Tallow Waters’, displays what you are in for: chaotic punk rock held together with a great rhythm section and pushed forward by Grubbs’ aggressive guitar and varied vocal delivery. Like many of their songs, it almost degenerates into noise but ends before that can happen. Next up is ‘Filthy Five Filthy Ten’ that features an angular guitar riff and a big indication of what you will hear come out of the Louisville underground for years. This song is post-rock and math rock before either existed. On top of repetitive heavy riffing, Grubbs seems to vocalize whatever comes to mind. ‘Guapo’ is controlled noise that vaguely resembles a punk song with vocals again yelped at will. The end of the song breaks down with a flurry of brass instruments playing freely over the established rhythm. This is perhaps the first moment that associated the Louisville punks with Jazz. The album contains others bits such as the song ‘Wurlitzer’, an instrumental piece with a freely swinging piano in the lead.

The album goes on like this for eleven songs. The main difference among them is whether the vocals go wild and loud or mumbled and quiet. I hate describing bands with comparisons to other bands but in this case I can hardly help it; Bastro sounds like a combination of Slint and Big Black. They also set the bar really high for avant-garde rock bands in the 90s and Diablo Guapo is another album made by the Squirrel Bait family that seems to me like it should show up on more ‘best’ lists and generally get more respect. It gives you something to think about and still rocks hard – what more do you need? If it’s more intellectualization of rock music then just move on to Gastr Del Sol or Brise-Glase. For now just rock out to this handsome devil of an album.

8.7/10

Urban Hat€monger ?

I'm gonna have to check some of these out.


I have albums by a handful of these bands. Others I remember reading about in my old Melody Maker reading days but never getting around to checking out for one reason or another (usually either no money and the lack of a good import shop where I live).
I do like Slint, but I wouldn't say I rate them as highly as others seem to around here. I did go through a phase of Tortoise loving however, it's ages since I gave them a listen.

I already have Umber & Star Booty so i'll be trying to get hold of the other two in the near future.

Slow-core, God i've not heard that term used in years, that takes me back.

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