Fecal Matter was a short-lived punk rock band from Aberdeen, Washington. The group was formed in 1985 by Kurt Cobain, the future frontman of Nirvana, along with Dale Crover of the Melvins and drummer Greg Hokanson. Hokanson was removed from the band over his penchant for Schmidt beer (otherwise known as Animal beer) and mini thins or "witch speed", and his ensuing negative attitude. Melvins members Buzz Osborne (also known as "King Buzzo") and Mike Dillard appeared in a later version of the band during rehearsals the following year.
Songs from the group's sole recording session were issued as the Illiteracy Will Prevail demo tape. With the exception of the song "Spank Thru", the tracks from this session remain unreleased officially. A re-recording of "Downer" was also released on the first Nirvana album, Bleach. Illiteracy Will Prevail is the earliest documentation of Cobain's songwriting in circulation, and helped Cobain to establish himself as a composer and performer among his peers in the underground rock scene in Washington state.