Squirrel Bait: Skag Heaven

Squirrel Bait is a fondly remembered band of Louisville teens who made two appropriately brief recordings before flaming out in late 1986. The group's urgent, abrasive-yet-melodic, post-Husker Du punk was refreshingly brash and smart, and though its recordings are each more than 10 years old, in many ways their reissues still sound fresh and contemporary. Squirrel Bait's eight-song, self-titled 1985 debut is particularly revved-up and powerful; 1986's Skag Heaven is spottier, with scattered moments of brilliance like the unstoppable "Slake Train Coming" making it almost as essential. Both recordings illustrate the band members' ability to musically transcend their status as nerdy teenagers, playing strangely mature-sounding punk that proved influential as well. The one gripe with these two sets is based on economy: The 17-minute Squirrel Bait and 25-minute Skag Heaven could have fit on one CD with room to spare.