''Squirrel Bait'' is the first EP by the American
punk rock band
Squirrel Bait, released in 1985 through
Homestead Records.
The band had recorded its second demo in 1984 while its members were still in high school. Originally slated for release on the local label Upstart Records,
Peter Searcy sang,
David Grubbs played guitar, Clark Johnson was on bass guitar, and
Britt Walford on drums. Over the next several months, Upstart Records folded, Ben Daughtry replaced Walford on drums, Brian McMahan joined on second guitar, and the band began touring to other
Midwest
The Midwestern United States, also referred to as the Midwest or the American Midwest, is one of four Census Bureau Region, census regions of the United States Census Bureau (also known as "Region 2"). It occupies the northern central part of ...
ern cities opening for prominent regional
indie bands like
Hüsker Dü,
Big Black
Big Black was an American punk rock band from Evanston, Illinois, active from 1981 to 1987. Founded by singer and guitarist Steve Albini, the band's initial lineup also included guitarist Santiago Durango and bassist Jeff Pezzati, both of Nake ...
and
Naked Raygun.
Bob Mould wanted Squirrel Bait to sign to the Hüsker's imprint
Reflex Records
Reflex Records was an American independent record label formed by the members of hardcore punk band Hüsker Dü and Terry Katzman. It was formed to help promote independent bands, after Twin/Tone Records rejected Hüsker Dü's first single in 1 ...
, but the band pursued and landed a deal with
Homestead Records.
The group returned to the studio in April 1985 with engineer
Howie Gano
Howie is a Scottish locational surname derived from a medieval estate in Ayrshire, southwest Scotland. While its ancient name is known as "The lands of How", its exact location is lost to time. The word "How", predating written history, appears ...
and recorded six songs. Two songs from the previous year's demo sessions were added to comprise Squirrel Bait's
eponymous 8-song EP, originally released on Homestead with cover design by
Steve Albini. The record and its follow-up, ''
Skag Heaven'', were reissued a decade later by
Drag City.
The cover of Squirrel Bait was recreated by
The Shins in the music video of their song "
New Slang".
Reception
John Leland at ''
Spin
Spin or spinning most often refers to:
* Spinning (textiles), the creation of yarn or thread by twisting fibers together, traditionally by hand spinning
* Spin, the rotation of an object around a central axis
* Spin (propaganda), an intentionally b ...
'' said, "It doesn’t just assault you. It consumes you. It penetrates you. It runs all of its power and anger and violence right through your defenseless spinal chord. It raises your blood pressure and paints your room a revolting color. You won't be able to taste your food while listening to this record. Spin this disc and it won't be the music that’s loud — it'll be you."
Track listing
Personnel
;Squirrel Bait
*
David Grubbs – guitar
*Clark Johnson – bass guitar
*
Brian McMahan – guitar
*
Peter Searcy – vocals
*
Ben Daughtry – drums
*
Britt Walford – drums on "When I Fall" and "Disguise"
;Additional musicians and production
*
Steve Albini – front design
*Craig Brown –
photography
*Howie Gano –
engineering
References
1985 EPs
Squirrel Bait albums
Homestead Records EPs
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