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Singer/guitarist J Mascis formed Dinosaur Jr. in 1984 and enlisted bassist Lou Barlow and drummer Emmett Murphy III – aka Murph – to be in the band. J Mascis had previously known Lou Barlow from being in the hardcore punk band Deep Wound that they formed when they were in high school. The members of Dinosaur Jr. grew up listening to an eclectic style of music such as Black Sabbath, the Replacements, and Neil Young , which would have a huge impact on the band’s sound.
In 1985 Dinosaur Jr. released their debut album “Dinosaur” through Homestead Records. Although the album was not a commercial success, it conveyed the beginning of the band’s unique sound, which featured extreme use of distortion run through guitar and bass that were played at maximum volume. Their sound also combined the country-garage rock style of Neil Young with the sound of hardcore punk and sludge metal. After playing club shows in New York City to promote their debut album, the band caught the attention of Sonic Youth, who asked Dinosaur Jr. to join them on their tour.
In 1987 the band released their second album “You’re Living All Over Me”, which was recorded in New York with the help of Sonic Youth’s engineer Wharton Tiers. The album was released through SST Records, which was a record label founded by one of the band’s heroes, Greg Ginn from Black Flag. The album was mostly written by J Mascis and featured the signature sound of his distorted guitar shredding melodic riffs and solos. The album also contained the songs “Lose” and “Poledo”, which were written by Lou Barlow and were very similar to the style of music Barlow would write for his band Sebadoh. The album has been critically praised and is looked at by many publications as one of the most influential indie rock albums of all times.
Dinosaur Jr. released their third album “Bug” in 1988. The album contained the hit single “Freak Scene”, which was a major breakthrough for the band in the UK. The single reached the No. 4 position on the UK independent chart and the album reached the No. 1 position on the UK independent chart. “Freak Scene” has been looked at as milestone for indie rock and the music publication Pitchfork has called the song “indie rocks greatest guitar performance”. After the band toured for the “Bug” album, Barlow would part ways with the band and work full time on his band Sebadoh.
For the band’s fourth album they signed with the major label, Sire Records, and released their album “Green Mind” in 1991. “Green Mind” was basically a solo album by J Mascis, who recorded nearly every part of the album himself. The album conveyed a more polished sound as opposed to the band’s other albums and it contained the hit songs “The Wagon” and “Thumb”. In 1993 Dinosaur Jr. recorded their next album “Where You Been” as full band with Mike Johnson filling in on bass and Murph back on drums. The album was a success, charting on The Billboard 200 chart and containing the hit single “Start Choppin”. After “Where You Been” Murph would depart from the band, leaving J Mascis as the only original member. During this time J Mascis would release two more albums under the Dinosaur Jr. name. The 1994 album “Without a Sound” and the 1997 album “Hand It Over” both received commercial success. After the release of “Hand it Over” J Mascis retired the Dinosaur Jr. name and began touring and releasing albums under J Mascis + The Fog.
In 2005 all original members reformed Dinosaur Jr. and began playing live shows at festivals as well as making late night television show appearances. In 2007 the band released the album “Beyond”, which was Dinosaur Jr.’s first album since 1997 and the band’s first album with the original lineup since 1988. The band would continue to release albums after their reformation. In 2009 they released the album “Farm” and in 2012 they released “I Bet on Sky”, which were both received with critical praise.
The band is known for their intense performances that include heavy distortion and incredibly loud volumes. They have played numerous festivals as well as headlining shows. They have also toured with many notable bands like The Jesus and Mary Chain, My Bloody Valentine, Blur, and Nirvana. In fact Nirvana had once asked J Mascis to join their band as a guitarist.
Formed out of the ashes of former band Carissa's Wierd, Ben Bridwell led other former members in forming Band Of Horses in 2004. Like every band in Seattle they dreamed of signing to legendary label Sub Pop, former home of Nirvana and one of the most prestigious indie labels in the world. After opening for label act ‘Iron & Wine’, Sub Pop’s attention was captured and when it came to releasing their Debut EP in 2005 it was sold at shows and on Sub Pop’s website.
This was the start of a fruitful partnership and in 2006 Sub Pop’s released ‘Everything All the Time’, the band’s debut album. The album was critically acclaimed and spawned a surprising anthem in ‘The Funeral’. The song has been synced with a number of TV shows, adverts and games and the band were able to reach a wider audience than ever before when they played the ‘Late Show with David Letterman’.
Their second album ‘Cease To Begin’ showed signs of this new found success when it reached 35 on the Billboard album charts and appeared in numerous ‘best of year’ lists.
The success continued for the band as they began to play huge festival stages and even got major label distribution for their next two albums. They accomplished all this while staying true to Ben’s vision for the band and it’s that artistic integrity that really resonates with their fan base and will make sure they remain a rock and roll staple for years to come.
Dinosaur Jr. is an indie rock band from Amherst, MA. Even though they are a well-established band, playing on and off for almost 30 years, they have consistently remained underground and out of the mainstream press, never compromising their ideals. As former punk kids who were vastly influential on the grunge scene, Dinosaur Jr. has always embraced DIY ethics and this is reflected in their stripped-down, straightforward stage show, which emphasizes volume and dynamics while eschewing fancy showmanship that detracts from the music.
They are known for performing interesting covers during their set, often covering artists as diverse as The Cure, Peter Frampton, and Deep Wound, the hardcore band the band’s two core members played in while in their teens. They play songs from throughout their career, often playing selections from fan favorite You’re Living All Over Me.
Their sound involves large shifts in dynamics, extended guitar jams, and somewhat cryptic lyrics delivered in a nasally tone, all elements that often cause the band to be compared to Neil Young’s electric Crazy Horse band. Dinosaur Jr. is one of the longest-running and most critically acclaimed American underground bands. Anyone with any interest in American post-punk, indie, and alternative music should see Dinosaur Jr. at least once. They might be older, but have not lost any of their power or drive.
I saw the southern/Indie, country rock band Band of Horses live at the Lincoln Theatre, a huge concert venue in Washington, D.C., in February 2014. I've been a fan of Band of Horses ever since they first hit the music scene in Seattle a good decade ago, so I suspected it would be a good show. The four person band, led by singer Ben Bridwell, sure knows how to entertain an audience. Short on talk and long on music, the show was enjoyed by me and everyone I could see in the distance.
They began by singing "Is There a Ghost" and that made the audience go crazy. After that, they did songs from each of their albums, including Cease to Begin, which is my favorite. The best song, in my opinion, was "Heartbreak On The 101," a soulful and dramatic song that tells a heart-wrenching story. The show concluded with "No One's Gonna Love You," which probably would have resulted in a standing ovation if everyone wasn't already on their feet.
It's not hard to understand why Band Of Horses has such a huge fan base and worldwide recognition. Quite simply, they're good, and so was their show. If you have the chance to see them perform, do it because it's pure, soulful entertainment.
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