Sewer Trout: Songs About Drinking (1987)

 

Sewer Trout, with the late Jim MacLean, bass, vocals Hal MacLean, drums Keith Lehtinen, guitar Erik Benson were a huge part of the scene centered around the Gilman Street Project. Not only did the band play there regularly, appear on the project's benefit compilation, Turn It Around but they were also an early signee to Lookout Records (which chronicled most of the Gilman bands) putting out this single (Lookout 8) and appearing on the label's ground-breaking compilation, The Thing That Ate Floyd. (More Lookout Records posts HERE)





Sewer Trout hailed from Sacramento and used bratty humour (take that title, Big Black), hooky, almost folky tunes and plinky bass lines to create their Trout-rock sound. The band offer further proof that there never was an exact Gilman St. sound just an attitude.






According to my old Lookout catalog this single, Songs About Drinking,contained a vitally important document called "Is Sewer Trout Really the Word of God?" but I still await someone with a copy and a scanner to prove it's existence to me. Some consider this single their best work, though I say it's the Flawless 10" (see HERE). Regardless of  rankings, these seven songs are catchy and clever, especially the Dead Milkmen-like cow-punker, "President of the Anarchist Club". 








Please render your verdict on Sewer Trout in the comments section (where you'll find the Songs About Drinking 7" link).



Sewer Trout for President, their other 7", is available at the consistently excellent good bad music so go get it.