by Brian Furman
photo by Levi Walton
Dinosaur Jr. needs no introduction. But here’s one anyway. The legendary Massachusetts band comprised of guitarist/vocalist J Mascis, bassist/vocalist Lou Barlow, and drummer Murph take screeching feedback and noise and stuff them into spiky, bite-size, pop record croissants. Dinosaur Jr. helped fuel the change in the mainstream rock sound during the late ‘80s and early ‘90s with now-classic albums You’re Living All Over Me, Green Mind, and Where You Been. They transcended to mainstream success during the rise of the Seattle bands, of which many cited Dino Jr. as a juggernaut of inspiration. Mascis’s distinct gravel growl and curdling falsetto is as pungent and oily as his wailing guitar, paired perfectly with Barlow’s slinking bass lines and arsenic wit. The band went on hiatus in 1997 only to reform in 2005 with the original members in tow, releasing four critically acclaimed records with plenty of mind-blowing reunion shows peppered in along the way.
