Pop Music Reviews : Ear-Splitting Dinosaur Jr.: Loud, Lackadaisical

In the already unusual world of alternative rock, Dinosaur Jr. manages to stand out. Its psychotic, psychedelic sound is driven by massive guitar noise and a pulsating rhythm section. In the middle of the mayhem, the trio will toss off an appealing melody, almost as if it’s beside the point. No wonder they played to a full house at the Roxy on Monday.

There were some problems. The recorded mumbling that filled the spaces between tunes was just plain annoying. Once or twice it was a striking effect, but not before every song. Even though LOUDNESS is at the essence of the band’s being, the ear-splitting volume was downright painful. And while the music was loaded with dynamics, the three longhairs from Massachusetts displayed no personality as performers.

Nevertheless, the musicianship shone brightly (if rather noisily), especially J Mascis’ versatile guitar work. He soared sonically one moment, then dove into some jangling riffs, then explored pure, discordant noise. At times the music almost overcame the band’s lackadaisical attitude, but staying home and listening to its current release, “Bug” (on SST Records), would have been as satisfying.

The second-billed Lazy Cowgirls were as wild a presence as Dinosaur Jr. was dull. The frenzied playing and brash sarcasm made for a warped, powerful set from the four L.A. rockers. Don’t Mean Maybe, which opened, is a forgettable, punkish trio that showed its Minutemen influence too strongly.