Dinosaur Jr.

This week’s band of the week is one of my favorite bands of all time and one of my biggest influences. They also inspired me to slap down $80 for a Big Muff guitar pedal last year because I noticed how it filled out their sound. They’ve been around in one shape or another since the 80’s and in 2007 they released a comeback album that stands proudly not only alongside their best work, but even above much of it. The band of the week is…

 

DINOSAUR JR.!!!

 

Led by J. Mascis, Dinosaur Jr. have released classic albums like Living All Over Me and Bug and produced classic songs like “Freak Scene”, “Feel The Pain” and “Start Chopin”, all spearheaded by Mascis’ Neil Young-like falsetto vocals and his blistering (a word always used in conjunction with the band) guitar playing. The band’s signature sound is notable for combining all of the aggression and speed of hardcore with a strong melodic pop sense.

 

What I love about Dinosaur Jr. is that they sound like I feel: on one hand they sound like they’re spinning out of control and about to explode; on the other hand, there’s also this sort of humanism and sensitivity to it all. These two opposing mentalities meshed into one produces some kind of crazy fusion that sounds unbelievable, particularly on their best songs such as the aforementioned classics.

 

Dinosaur Jr. has influenced scores of bands (My Bloody Valentine, Sonic Youth, Broken Social Scene) over the last two decades, and while the right circles will acknowledge the band’s legendary status, Dinosaur Jr. remain largely unknown by today’s hipsters. And that’s just a fucking tragedy because Mascis and his crew (including prolific songwriter and Sebadoh frontman Lou Barlow) tapped into something incredible and should be appreciated for such. Check out Dinosaur Jr., or like that lawyer in Jurassic Park, you will be eaten by a T. Rex while you poop.

 

I’ve seen it happen.

 

www.myspace.com/dinosaurjr

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