Category Archives: dinosaur jr

I Just Got Out From A Minor Operation

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Yuck.

Yuck is what you get when you take two dudes from London band Cajun Dance Party, add your sister for supporting female vocals, and then throw in a Japanese female bassist and a drummer from New Jersey.

Daniel Blumberg and Max Bloom, the aforementioned two dudes, met in Israel although both are from London. They connected over an Animal Collective t-shirt. They later found their drummer in Israel, as well, although at the time he was still a college student in New Jersey. They all decided to give up any other plans they may have had to join the London music scene. And they were soon labeled “Revival Grunge.”

“It’s weird that there’s a certain label of bands called ‘grunge revival’ when there’s been guitar bands consistently making amazing music. There hasn’t been a stop or start or anything. There’s just been more attention given to it” explained Max Bloom.

I wanna be well designed
I wanna be well designed
Cause you talk and I just feel so
Cause you talk and I just feel so

Revival grunge? Meaning this is what grunge is now? Hmm. Paul Lester from the Guardian calls it more like a “shoegazey Sonic Youth.” YES. That’s it. Shoegazey Sonic Youth. Or Dinosaur Jr. Or Teenage Fanclub. There you go.

I try to think but I just don’t fuckin’ know

Quite honestly, I think their best track is “Rubber”, which closes out the album and lasts 7 minutes and 14 seconds. Mogwai remixed it and managed to stretch it out to 8 minutes. The self-titled album is interspersed with slow and brooding tracks like “Rubber”, a few faster but oddball love songs, and a few good ones that mix the two, like “The Wall” and “Operation.”

Click to Enjoy Yuck – The Wall

Click to Enjoy Yuck – Operation

Slottsfjel Festival in Norway today, can I get a shout out?! 😉 OK, how about Pitchfork in Chicago on Sunday. Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Seattle, check your venues, because Yuck will be there soon. Full tour list on their MySpace – and yes, they update it!

Hell May Not Dwell on the Dead

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J Mascis of Dinosaur Jr has released his first solo studio record. The record is almost entirely acoustic and is beautifully designed. To me, it’s the album that had been kept inside since 1994’s “Feel the Pain.” It’s more raw sharing, but this time, in a bit of peace and quiet. Or if you never realized how much pain and heartache was in all those Dino albums, this one can retrospectively shine a light for you.

Several Shades of Why is a collection of ten fragile, contemplative tracks that serve as reminders of the unknown we face on all fronts in life and love.

I know my soul is battered
I know my mind is gone
I been waiting for an answer
But the question takes too long
I need guidance on the river
I need everything I’ve done
So familiar’s coming at me
Don’t wanna blow it all at once

Track five cheats and sneaks in a bit of electric guitar.

Click to Enjoy J Mascis – Is It Done

The backup vocals on this track are supplied by Ben Bridwell of Band of Horses. Other contributers to the album include Kurt Vile, Paul Jenkins, Kevin Drew, Suzanne Thorpe, Sophie Trudeau, and two other guitarists.

As for his intuitive and self-aware lyrics, he says he sometimes writes from the other person’s point of view. “People’s frustrations with me. I know why they’re frustrated with me, but there’s not much I can do about it.” I like to think the title track is a distorted, disembodied mix between a two-way conversation, an inner monologue, and the perceived inner monologue of another.

Click to Enjoy J Mascis – Several Shades of Why

The best soundtrack EVAR!

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I needed to do that dumb intentional misspelling. Just to be oddly poignant. Because let’s be honest, spelling words “EVAR” of “TEH FUNNAY” could be one of the dumbest things ever. If you do it? You should be locked up in a room with Robert Downey, Jr., and have a bag of coke thrown on you. Good luck surviving that.

But that’s a total sidetrack. Here I just wanted to discuss the best soundtrack ever. No, it doesn’t feature anything by Bette Midler. I know you’re disappointed. In all honesty, if you’re a fan of Bette Midler, I’d have to question your overall character. Hey, to each their own, I guess. Sorry. The sarcasm is flowing like PBR off tap into my mouth today.


So for the honors of best soundtrack? No offense to Trainspotting‘s wonderful soundtrack, but this flick holds it down. Which movie? Why, it’s one of the more underrated ones, in my opinion. Judgment Night features Denis Leary and his band of merry thugsters. They chase Emilio Estevez, Cuba Gooding, Jr., and Jeremy Piven through the rough streets of a full on ghetto and it makes for a pretty good flick.

The best part is the soundtrack. It features hip-hop artists – circa 1993 – with alt-rock and metal bands. The listing of tracks is as follows:

1. Just Another Victim – Helmet/House Of Pain
2. Fallin’ – Teenage Fanclub/ De La Soul
3. Me, Myself & My Microphone – Living Colour/Run D.M.C.
4. Judgment Night – Biohazard/Onyx
5. Disorder – Slayer/Ice-T
6. Another Body Murdered – Faith No More/Boo-Yaa T.R.I.B.E.
7. I Love You Mary Jane – Sonic Youth/Cypress Hill
8. Freak Momma – Mudhoney/Sir Mix-A-Lot
9. Missing Link – Dinoasur Jr./Del Tha Funky Homosapien
10. Come And Die – Therapy?/Fatal
11. Real Thing – Pearl Jam/Cypress Hill

So now I guess I should give you the best part – the music! So here are two tracks from the movie. “Disorder” – by Ice-T and Slayer – is one incredibly angry tune! But if this doesn’t make you get fired up and breaking stuff, then you need a therapist. Because all of that pent up anger inside just does you no good. For real. The other one I’ve chosen is on the other side of the emotional spectrum. Del Tha Funkee Homosapien is part of the Hieroglyphics crew. It consists of other hip-hop artists from the Bay Area such as Souls of Mischief and Casual. He’s teamed up here with Lou Barlow’s Dinosaur, Jr. for a really mellow jam called “Missing Link”. Well, in comparison to “Disorder”, that is.

And again, please buy it if you like it! In this case, either the movie or soundtrack will do. They’re both worth it!