Back to rockin’ the beats

Nothing’s ever quite as it appears with Dinosaur Jr.

For one thing, J. Mascis’ drawling vocals belie his emotional lyrics. And then there’s the unusual combination of Black Sabbath, Velvet Underground, Crazy Horse-style Neil Young and the Beatles in the music. They often sound like Sonic Youth with Angus Young on lead guitar.

But nothing was more unexpected than the band’s reunion a few years ago. In the annals of epic band meltdowns, Dinosaur Jr.’s was notable for its acrimony. It was every bit as nasty and public as the spats between Paul McCartney and John Lennon, Axl Rose and Slash, Ice Cube and Dr. Dre.

After the band’s third album “Bug,” tension reached critical mass and Mascis and drummer Murph kicked bassist Lou Barlow out of the band by telling him they were going to break up. Mascis and Murph continued on though, putting out the band’s major-label debut “Green Mind,” which nudged Dinosaur from a popular, college-radio favorite closer to mainstream success just as Nirvana ushered in the grunge era. Barlow, who went on to his own success with his band Sebadoh, was furious and made no secret of it over the years. Murph eventually left the band in 1993 at the height of its success after the Lollapalooza tour. He had griped for years that Mascis was so controlling that he would write the drum parts and force Murph to play them exactly his way.

But Mascis, Murph and Barlow appeared to mellow with age and a chance meeting onstage to jam with the original Stooges dissolved the barriers.

This week Murph flew in from Amherst, Mass., (where Mascis also lives) to Southern California, where Barlow lives, to get in a little extra rehearsal with Barlow before their show at Detroit Bar on Saturday.

“Lou and I are getting together first just like the old days to solidify the bass and drums,” Murph said. “And just like the old days, J will come in and be the sprinkler, the glaze on top. It’s pretty much the same. Nothing’s changed except the bad stuff, like the tension, the attitude. We dropped the attitude, but the good stuff, the foundation we’ve kept.”

The band’s new album, “Farm,” which is due next week, recalls the bigger-sounding, post-“Green Mind,” Dinosaur Jr. It’s chock full of the gynormous power ballads Mascis has favored in recent years. It’s an interesting evolution from the reunified band’s 2007 record, “Beyond,” which recalled more of Dinosaur Jr.’s earliest records.

“Personally, I think it’s very reminiscent of ‘Where You Been.’ Unfortunately, Lou wasn’t a part of the band at that time, but we’re really together and really tight now. We’ve been doing this for years now and we’re at the same place, really solid,” Murph said. “It’s a big record with a lot of ballads, big-sounding songs. I’ve always thought we’re a cross between Sabbath and Neil Young and that comes across on this record. I’m really excited about it.”

In the past, Murph has tended to drift away from a record after it’s been released, but “Farm” is different, he said.

“This record I’ve been listening to a lot. That’s really unusual for me. I don’t listen to my own work that much. I just think, ‘Yeah, it is what it is,’ ” he said.

And when the band is recording these days, it’s a lot more harmonious. Mascis still tends to write most of the songs, but he’ll defer to his bandmates more.

“J’s more open to interpretation,” Murph said. “He still does the demos for guitar and drums, but we work closely. If I can do something better or if I don’t feel I can pull off something, he’ll be a lot cooler about it. In the past if I couldn’t do something he’d just say, ‘Nah, then we can’t do that song.’ But he’s really loosened up a lot and he’s encouraged Lou to come in with new ideas.”

The band is also more relaxed about new technology. They all prefer a more analog-sounding record but have found they can achieve those “warmer sounds,” with Pro Tools. Still, when you see them you can still expect to see Mascis’ signature, custom-made, pedal-board effects.

And if you get “Farm,” you can still expect that huge, ear-rattling sound.

“It’s a very loud record, really loud and it doesn’t sound as good on low volume,” Murph said. “The louder you turn it up, the clearer everything comes through.”

Some things never change.

If You Go

WHAT: Dinosaur Jr.

WHERE: Detroit Bar, 843 W. 19th St., Costa Mesa.

WHEN: 9 p.m. Saturday

COST: $25

INFO: detroitbar.com