SLCene Suggests: Sebadoh at The Urban Lounge

SEBADOH, THE URBAN LOUNGE, Monday, Aug. 5, 9 p.m., $14

The reunion of the old Dinosaur Jr. lineup featuring long-time rivals J Mascis and Lou Barlow was one of the more unlikely musical miracles of the past few years. As happy as I am about that, though, I’m even happier that it hasn’t kept Barlow from touring with Sebadoh, the band he focused on most after leaving Dinosaur Jr all those years ago. Sebadoh always seemed like the ideal outlet for all of Barlow’s songwriting skills, from the heart-rending ballads to the full-on punk screamers, more so than his work with Folk Implosion or even his own solo albums. Fellow songwriter Jason Loewenstein is no slouch himself, writing some of Sebadoh’s best tunes through the years. Now the band is not only back on the road, but prepping for the release of a new album, Defend Yourself, in September, their first in 14 years. And we can expect to hear some rough stuff due to Barlow’s divorce from his wife and partner of 25 years. No doubt it will still sound beautiful, though.