Dinosaur Jr.

Dinosaur Jr is an American indie rock band.

Related Topics:
American - Indie rock

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They were formed as Dinosaur in 1983 in Amherst, Massachusetts by J Mascis (guitar and vocals) and his high school classmate Lou Barlow (bass guitar), following the break-up of their hardcore punk band, Deep Wound. Shortly afterwards, Murph (Emmett Patrick Murphy, drums) joined them. They changed their name following the release of their debut, Dinosaur (1985), when another band called The Dinosaurs, featuring ex-members of Country Joe and the Fish and Jefferson Airplane, sued them.

Related Topics:
1983 - Amherst, Massachusetts - J Mascis - Guitar - Lou Barlow - Bass guitar - Hardcore punk - Deep Wound - Drums - 1985 - The Dinosaurs - Country Joe and the Fish - Jefferson Airplane

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In 1987, they signed to SST Records and with them they released what is often considered their best album, You're Living All Over Me (1987), as well as Bug (1988). They never had much commercial success, but gained something of a cult following and became known for their very loud concerts. They were championed by Sonic Youth, who helped them get signed to SST. Dinosaur's songs were melodic, fairly simply structured and covered in guitar noise. These first albums were a major influence on the up and coming band Nirvana, and were equally on par with Dinosaur Jr's contemporaries the Pixies.

Related Topics:
1987 - SST Records - You're Living All Over Me - Bug - 1988 - Cult following - Sonic Youth - Nirvana - Pixies

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Tensions ran high between Mascis and Barlow, and in 1989 Barlow was kicked out of the band, continuing to work with his own band Sebadoh. Dinosaur Jr subsequently became little more than a pseudonym for Mascis. He switched labels to Blanco y Negro, Green Mind (1991) being his first release there. Through the 1990s, Mascis sometimes explored quieter and more tranquil shores than Dinosaur Jr had in the 1980s. On the 1993 release, Where You Been, the opening track (Out There) had an accompanying video and was aired on MTV for a short time, as the show 120 Minutes was still popular as a late-night "alternative" video show.

Related Topics:
Sebadoh - Blanco y Negro - 1991 - 1990s - 1980s - 1993 - Where You Been

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Mascis continues to release albums under his new band J Mascis and the Fog.

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In 2004, Mascis regained the master rights to the first three Dinosaur Jr. albums from SST, and arranged for their reissue on the Merge label in early 2005. The reissues coincided with the announcement that the original lineup of Mascis, Barlow and Murph was reuniting for a summer tour.

Related Topics:
2004 - Merge - 2005

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Dinosaur Jr's career is chronicled in Our Band Could Be Your Life, a study of several important American underground rock groups.

Related Topics:
Our Band Could Be Your Life - Underground rock

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In late summer 2005, Mascis helped Danish band Mew by adding vocals to the song "Why Are You Looking Grave?" and backing vocals on "An Envoy to the Open Fields". Both songs can be found on Mew's newest album And the Glass Handed Kites.

Related Topics:
Danish - Mew

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