Dinosaur Jr. formed in Amherst, Massachusetts in 1984 — J Mascis, Lou Barlow, and Murph — and wrote the blueprint for guitar-heavy American indie rock. You're Living All Over Me (1987) and Bug (1988) are foundational, and the reunited trio has been on a roll since 2005. Explore Dinosaur Jr. vinyl, CDs, and reissues at Wax Trax Records.
Dinosaur Jr. formed in Amherst, Massachusetts in 1984 around J Mascis, Lou Barlow, and Murph (Patrick Murphy). They were originally called Dinosaur until a legal dispute with another band of the same name forced the addition of Jr. in 1988. Their first three albums (Dinosaur 1985, You're Living All Over Me 1987, Bug 1988) are widely regarded as foundational documents of American indie and alternative rock, bridging hardcore-influenced underground rock with melodic songwriting and Mascis's distinctive guitar work. Lou Barlow departed in 1989 amid creative tensions with Mascis (forming Sebadoh and later Folk Implosion); Mascis continued with various lineups through the 1990s. The classic Mascis/Barlow/Murph trio reunited in 2005 and has remained together since, releasing six further studio albums.
Dinosaur Jr.'s sound combines indie rock, alternative rock, noise rock, and slacker rock with Mascis's extended guitar solos (drawing on classic rock and hardcore traditions in equal measure) and his distinctive nasal vocal delivery. Their work is widely cited as foundational to American indie rock alongside contemporaries like Sonic Youth, Hüsker Dü, and the Replacements.
Original Homestead and SST pressings of the early Dinosaur Jr. catalog are foundational items in indie rock collecting. Multiple anniversary editions of You're Living All Over Me and Bug have been issued, alongside Jagjaguwar's vinyl pressings of the reunion-era catalog.
Listeners new to Dinosaur Jr. typically start with You're Living All Over Me (1987) or Bug (1988).
