Train - Calling All Angels
I need a sign, to that blonde girl from Bleecker Street, Red Lion Sat 12:34 we had a moment...
Out to LA
Radiohead - High and Dry
💙 For That Someone Who'll Know It's for Them “I'm not putting their name here because they'll know exactly who they are when they hear it!!!
Michelle
Foo Fighters - Times Like These
🖤 For Anyone Having a Rough Week “To anybody who's had one of those weeks where nothing seems to go right...
Dinosaur Jr. paired deafening guitar solos with melancholy melodies and helped shape the sound of 1990s alternative rock. Formed in Amherst, Massachusetts, in 1984 by J Mascis, Lou Barlow and Murph, the trio broke through on the independent label SST and reunited in 2005. They are an alternative rock and indie rock band, with noise rock and hardcore punk roots.
| Formed | 1984, Amherst, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Members | J Mascis (guitar, vocals), Lou Barlow (bass, vocals), Murph (drums) |
| Genres | Alternative rock, indie rock, noise rock |
| Labels | Homestead, SST, Sire, Jagjaguwar |
| Reunion | Original lineup reunited in 2005 |
J Mascis and Lou Barlow came out of the western Massachusetts hardcore scene and formed the band with drummer Murph in 1984. After their 1985 debut, they moved to SST Records for You’re Living All Over Me (1987).
Dinosaur Jr. are loud, very loud: Mascis’s fuzzed-out, soaring guitar solos sit against his laid-back, drawling vocals and catchy, bittersweet songs. That mix of noise and melody became a blueprint for much of the alternative rock that followed.
Tensions between Mascis and Barlow led to Barlow leaving in 1989. He went on to form Sebadoh, while Mascis led Dinosaur Jr. on a major label in the early 1990s. The original trio reunited in 2005 and have released several albums since, most recently Sweep It Into Space (2021).
Dinosaur Jr. were key figures in the American underground of the 1980s, alongside Sonic Youth and Pixies, and their sound helped pave the way for grunge and Nirvana.
The noisy early records, with “Little Fury Things”.
Their best-known album with the original lineup, featuring “Freak Scene”.
The major-label era, with “The Wagon” and “Start Choppin”.
With the hit “Feel the Pain”.
The reunion albums, including Farm (2009) and I Bet on Sky (2012).
These Dinosaur Jr. songs are on our charts and lists:
Sonic Youth, Pixies, Nirvana, Pavement, The Replacements and Modest Mouse.
Dinosaur Jr. are an alternative rock and indie rock band, with noise rock and hardcore punk roots.
Amherst, Massachusetts. The band formed there in 1984.
“Freak Scene” (1988) and “Feel the Pain” (1994).
Yes. He left in 1989 and formed Sebadoh, then rejoined when the original lineup reunited in 2005.
Yes. Their most recent album is Sweep It Into Space (2021).
Dinosaur Jr. bring the loudest guitars of ’80s and ’90s indie to our playlist. Catch it on The Modern Rock Radio Show, check the radio show schedule, or press play on the live stream. Want a specific song? Send a request or dedication.
About this article: Written and fact-checked by The Alternative One editorial team. Last reviewed November 4, 2026. Read our editorial standards or tell us about a correction.
From modern rock and indie rock to post-punk, grunge, shoegaze, synth-pop, electronic rock, and sounds that refuse to fit neatly into any category, we're searching beyond the mainstream for fresh music with something different to say.
closeWe are “The Alternative One!” – your go-to modern rock radio station streaming the best in grunge, modern rock and underground tracks from the 1990s to today, on air since 2022! Modern alternative rock combines rock, grunge, Alt pop, and electronic elements to deliver a unique, catchy, and introspective sound. #modernrockradio #alternativerock #grunge
