They may have been a band for over 30 years now, but in many ways Dinosaur Jr. are just getting started.
There are very few bands you can describe as revolutionary and mean it; but Dinosaur Jr. is one of them. Emerging in the late 80s, they almost single-handedly reshaped the sound of American indie rock, injecting caterwauling, psychedelic-leaning guitars and inspiring almost every significant alternative band of the last 20 years, from Nirvana and the Deftones to Pavement and My Bloody Valentine.
When Dinosaur Jr. first crawled out of the ether back in 1987, their sound was like a bolt from a clear blue sky. Their first release on SST landed at a time when the American rock scene was at its most polarized state; the fiercely independent hardcore scene that had fuelled the beginning of the decade was beginning to run out of steam, and mainstream ‘new wave’ was becoming more disconnected from reality. Hell, even Talking Heads had gone ‘pop’. Into this miasma landed a sound that was both trippy and instantly accessible, slapping experimental noise on top of dreamy, almost Byrds-esque vocal arrangements. It was like being dragged across a concrete floor while staring at a glorious sunrise in the distance.
However the wheels of history are unforgiving, and almost two decades of imitators and followers have lessened the band’s reputation as innovators. By the time the millennium rolled around, Dinosaur Jr seemed to have fractured. The original bassist Lou Barlow had been unceremoniously dumped out of the band in 1989 to form Sebadoh, and after a decade of using stand-in bass players, the band itself seemed to have hit a wall, with J Masics channeling more and more of his energy into making light hearted Brian Wilson-style jams.
That should of been that, but then as if out of nowhere the band reconciled and reformed in 2005 with the original three-piece line up. Originally dismissed as nothing more than a cash-in tour with a series of re-issues, Dinosaur Jr defied the naysayers and actually started to record music again. While 2007’s ‘Beyond’ was bold and self-assured, last year’s ‘I Bet on Sky’ feels like a real lurch forward for a band that has stagnated for so long. Yeah, the cacophonous guitars and hypnotic vocals are still there, but piano lines and haunting synth lines have been added to mix. It’s a record that sees Dinosaur Jr. punch as hard as they always have, but also recapture that spirit of adventure that had been missing for so long.
A couple of weeks ago, they were over in the UK to play a date at the Electric Ballroom. I managed to collar drummer Murph afterwards for a few words.
Dinosaur Jr. - "Watch the Corners" by Jagjaguwar
‘I bet on Sky’ is your ninth studio album. Does it get any easier to record albums the ninth time around? Has it ever been a struggle coming up with new songs?
Murph: Yes recording over the years has gotten easier, and yes sometimes it can be a struggle.
This new record seems to break quite a lot of new ground - was that intentional?
Most of the records we do just seem to come out sounding the way they sound. We don't ever sit down and intentionally try and plan an album really. If anything, J spent a little more time on vocals which made a difference on this album.
Some would say the album is also a lot quieter than your usual stuff. Is Dinosaur Jr. in danger of chilling out?
I think it could be argued that the latest record is a little more pop orientated, but no we are definitely not mellowing out!
You've been a band on and off for 30 odd years now. Is it weird when you come across a band that cite you as a direct influence?
I’m not really aware of being an “influence” on anyone in the music scene right now. There’s just so much stuff out there at the moment.
Don’t you feel kind of institutionalised after being in a band that long? I mean if it all ended tomorrow, could you go back to a life of photocopying forms and getting coffee?
Yes we are a bit institutionalised, and yes it would be hard to go back to the real world. I mean this is pretty much all I’ve done for the best part of my life, what else could I do?
What's Dinosaur Jr. got planned for this year? Can we expect anymore releases?
Our plan is to tour this new record and see what happens after, same as before.
'I Bet on Sky' is out now on PIAS Records. You can have a listen on Spotify.
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