Dinosaur Jr 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 in 1985, when another band called The Dinosaurs, featuring ex-members of Country Joe and the Fish and Jefferson Airplane, threatened them with legal action. In 1987, they signed to SST Records on the recommendation of Sonic Youth, and with them released what is often considered their best album, You're Living All Over Me (1987). Bug followed the next year (1988). In the UK Bug was released by Paul Smith's Blast First Records, home to Sonic Youth, Big Black and the Butthole Surfers. During this period they became known for their very loud concerts. They never had much commercial success, but gained something of a cult following. The success of the Freak Scene and Just Like Heaven singles, alongside namedrops from Sonic Youth (again) and Nirvana saw them signed by Warner Brothers. Their songs have always been melodic, simply structured and covered in guitar noise. They were a major influence on the up-and-coming band Nirvana, along with contemporaries such as Pixies. Read more at: http://www.last.fm/music/Dinosaur+Jr./+wiki. |