Lou Barlow

Born Louis Knox Barlow in Dayton, Ohio, he was raised in Jackson, Michigan before relocating to Westfield, Massachusetts. There, he found solace from the grind of high school in music and in particular hardcore punk rock. The music of the Dead Kennedys and other aggressive, politically charged outfits prompted Barlow to try his hand at the guitar. He found a willing accomplice in classmate Scott Helland, and placed an ad in a local record store to recruit a drummer for their group. Amherst native Joseph Mascis, a bona fide eccentric and powerhouse musician, joined the group, which they dubbed Deep Wound, and brought along his friend Charlie Nakajima to provide vocals. They made the rounds in the small but vital Boston punk scene before Barlow and Mascis dissolved the band in 1984. Both had grown disillusioned by the limitations of hardcore punk, and began experimenting with other sounds. Mascis was listening to alternative rock, pop and classic rock, while Barlow was fascinated by speed metal. Somehow, both elements became the backbone of their new group, a trio called Dinosaur that included drummer Emmett Jefferson "Murph" Murphy III. The band became notorious for ear-splitting live performances that showcased Mascis' astonishing guitar skills and knack for melodic original songs. Homestead Records owner Gerard Cosloy released their first self-titled album in 1985, while Sonic Youth introduced them to a wider audience by taking them on tour the following year. By 1988, Dinosaur Jr. (which adopted the generational suffix to ward off a lawsuit from a little-known psychedelic band) was one of the early favorites of the alternative music scene, celebrated for their ferocious performances and memorable singles like "Freak Scene" from their third album, 1989's "Bug." But as their profile rose, tensions in the group were reaching a critical point. Barlow felt stifled by Mascis' creative control over the group; his contributions to Dinosaur Jr. catalog were largely summed up by the song "Poledo," a home recording made on a portable recorder that gave a hint of his future endeavors. By 1989, the members were barely on speaking terms, and an onstage brawl that year led to Barlow's dismissal from the band. Dinosaur Jr. would soldier on for another decade with Mascis at the helm, while Barlow turned his attention to a side project called Sebadoh, which took its name from a nonsense word he used during the recording process. Sebadoh, which began in 1986 as a series of home recordings with Massachusetts musician Eric Gaffney, released its first cassette-only album, Weed Forestin', in 1987 while Barlow was still in Dinosaur Jr. Gerard Cosloy released the songs as a full-length album on Homestead in 1989, which won critical praise for its stripped-down sound and Barlow's thoughtful, emotionally bare lyrics, much of which focused on his frustration and disappointment over his dismissal from Dinosaur Jr. By 1991, the band had expanded its sound, adding drummer Jason Loewenstein and moving into the studio to release a string of well-received albums for Sub Pop, including Bubble and Scrape (1993) and Harmacy (1996). Barlow also kept a hand in home recordings with a second side project, Sentridoh, which issued a string of cassette-only recordings in the early '90s that were compiled by Sonic Youth's Steve Shelley for his Smells Like Records label. Both acts were credited as providing the foundation for the "lo-fi" movement, which set itself apart from the more polished studio efforts from the independent music scene through inexpensive recording processes and emphasis on raw, immediate songwriting and performing. Bands such as Guided By Voices, Pavement, Modest Mouse, and artists like Will Oldham all drew from Barlow's efforts to craft their own lo-fi work. In the midst of this prolific recording and touring schedule, Barlow found time to form another group, the Folk Implosion, which merged his bedroom recording sensibilities with elements of blues and funk for a slew of EPs and singles. The Folk Implosion recorded several tracks for Larry Clark's acclaimed feature "Kids" (1995), including the danceable "Natural One," which became Barlow's sole Top 40 single to date. The success had little impact on Barlow's relentless recording schedule, though some changes were wrought as he moved into the new millennium. Sebadoh went on an extended hiatus following the release of their eight album, The Sebadoh, in 1999, which was followed by a break with the Folk Implosion the following year. In 2005, he surprised many by burying the hatchet with Mascis to reform Dinosaur Jr., which toured soon resumed a regular scheduling of recording new material. Barlow then reteamed with Gaffney and Loewenstein in 2006 to relaunch Sebadoh, which like Dinosaur Jr. began producing new albums in 2013. He also maintained a critically acclaimed solo career during this period, issuing Emoh, his first album under his own name in 2005. Its follow-up, Goodnight Unknown, was released in 2009, and featured many of his longtime collaborators, including Murphy and Imaad Wasif, who performed with him in the short-lived New Folk Implosion. Sentridoh also resurfaced, this time backed by legendary Minuteman bassist Mike Watt's band missingmen.