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.

Sewer Trout: Songs About Drinking

Sewer Trout, with the late Jim MacLean, bass, vocals Hal MacLean, drums Keith Lehtinen, guitar Erik Benson, were an early (circa 1985-1990) Gilman Street punk band.

The band hailed from Sacramento and used sarcasm, hooky, almost folky tunes and plinky bass lines to create a peculiarly original sound.


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 that may be another li'l in-joke, These seven songs are catchy and clever, especially the Dead Milkmen-like cow-punker, "President of the Anarchist Club".




{MRML Readers: Please render your verdict on Sewer Trout in the comments section!}

Download Songs About Drinking 7"

The awful ending occurred in 2005, when Jim Maclean committed suicide


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

P.S. Thanks to knuckles for the images.














Next: Flawless

Sewer Trout: Flawless

Sewer Trout's (see here) 1990 10' e.p, Flawless, is pretty aptly named. Unlike the band's early work, which sometimes suffers from too many simple songs and sub-cultural in-jokes, like another funny-punk band touched by suicide, the Dead Milkmen, this one nails what it sets out to do.



Like it's predecessor, Songs About Drinking, this record's first note is a peal of laughter but from then on it's whole a different bag of milk.




These final songs still cover ludicrous subject matter from psychopathic cats named after Frida Kahlo ("...but spelled differently") to conspicuous consumption vs. Communism to K-tel punk rock nostalgia to post-millennial dispensationalism but the band bristles with a new-found confidence. The music follows suit, with harmonica breaks, country beats and strong melodies - it's all still punk rock but somehow much more too. Some of the witty, catchy highlights include the Dead-Kennedy's referencing cow-punk of "Holiday in Romania", The Frank Zappa referencing speed-folk of "Frieda Ripped my Flesh", the Jesus referencing ecumenical-rock of "God's Got Balls" and, for the final notes of their career, a straight but moving take on Patsy Cline's (via Harlan Howard) country classic "Foolin' Around".





{MRML Readers: Sewer Trout's Flawless: Yes or No? Leave us a comment!}

Download Flawless 10"



Next: Forgotten Memories