Amherst / Western Mass

Western Massachusetts college-town underground. Dinosaur Jr out of Amherst, three guys who played way too loud for what the songs ostensibly were. Not noise rock in the Jesus Lizard sense — indie rock / alternative with the volume knob welded open — but absolutely on the loud-guitar lineage the dataset traces. J Mascis turning his amp up next door to the English department. Pre-grunge, pre-Pavement, pre-a-lot-of-things. Five colleges, cheap beer, and a thousand kids who wanted to play loud.