Lou Barlow

A founding member of the indie rock power trio Dinosaur Jr., Lou Barlow later forged a successful and incredibly prolific career as the creative force behind a slew of groups, including Sebadoh and the Folk Implosion, whose rough technical sound was one of the progenitors of the "lo-fi" movement in independent rock. The Ohio native formed Dinosaur Jr. with J. Mascis and drummer Murph in the mid-1980s and served as bassist for its early, thunderous recordings before tensions with Mascis led to his ouster in 1989. Barlow then focused on a series of stripped-down, deeply emotional material he had recorded under the name Sebadoh. The group was one three such acts shepherded by Barlow in the '90s and early 2000s, including the rough-hewn Sentridoh and the Folk Implosion, which produced a Top 40 single in the funky "Natural One" for the "Kids" (1995) soundtrack. In 2005, Barlow reunited with Mascis and Murph to revive Dinosaur Jr. while still keeping a hand in Sebadoh and also launching a solo career. Barlow's commitment to the tenets of punk's DIY origins, and his massive body of work, made him one of independent rock's most productive and committed figures.