SST was the big indie label before punk broke with Nirvana in the ealry 90s and Dinosaur Jr. was one of the most influential bands on that label. They didn't last as long as some of their label mates. I they have reunited for a tour and The Onion AV Club has an interview with them:
It's safe to assume that if the Pixies hadn't gotten back together last year, the re-forming of the original Dinosaur lineup (which was forced to add the Jr. after the release of its second album) would be the most unexpected band reunion in the history of underground rock. Though the group—singer-guitarist J Mascis, bassist Lou Barlow, and drummer Murph—recorded a handful of influential albums in the second half of the '80s, and played ear-shattering shows that were burned into the memory of devoted listeners, the initial trio was just as well known for the way Barlow was kicked out of the band (Mascis and Murph told him the band was breaking up, even though they'd already replaced him and booked an Australian tour) and his subsequent public anger. In addition to suing Mascis for back royalties and keeping the acrimony alive in interviews, Barlow wrote some pointed songs about his ex-bandmate, recording them with his side-project-turned-main-project Sebadoh. But time reportedly heals all wounds, and after Merge agreed to reissue the band's first three records—1985's Dinosaur Jr., 1987's You're Living All Over Me, and 1988's Bug—Mascis' management jumped at the chance to get the original trio back on the road. That became easier after some recent pleasant encounters between Mascis and Barlow, including a one-song reunion of their pre-Dinosaur band Deep Wound at a benefit show last year. Nearly 16 years after Barlow was given the boot—and more than a decade after Murph left Mascis following Lollapalooza '93—the '80s version of Dinosaur Jr. is playing its back catalog for intrigued audiences all over the world. The A.V. Club spoke separately with all three members between the band's first 10 shows and its current North American jaunt, which includes an appearance at Lollapalooza in Chicago this weekend.
Click here to read the interview.
Comments