OBCBYL: Dinosaur Jr

We're approaching the end of the Things that Are Square celebration of the 10th anniversary of Our Band Could Be Your Life. Up next: Dinoaur Jr This is one of the bands from OBCBYL that I feel deeply indebted to for establishing a style of music that has enriched my life incredibly. J Mascis of Dinosaur Jr made it OK to have indie rock guitar gods. Slackers, rocking out. A mix of classic rock fandom with indie sensibilities, giving birth to Built to Spill, Pavement, etc. But Dinoaur Jr did it first. Just slump your shoulders and pay homage to all the music you grew up on, creating a big stew of sound and making it your own. Honestly, I don't have a ton to say about this band. They're just really quality guitar rock with strong songwriting sensibility (Dinosaur Jr are probably the most melodic band in the whole book, short of the Replacements), but with a healthy nod to Led Zeppelin and maybe even the Grateful Dead. When indie music was all punk/hardcore/"fuck hippies"/art rock, Dinosaur Jr was like "Nah, we like Led Zeppelin, so fuck you." Gotta admire that.