Lou Barlow

Arguably the most prolific songwriter of his generation, Lou Barlow was also the one of the most influential; thanks to his lo-fi legacy, any geek with a guitar, a four-track machine and an unrequited crush on a girl could become an underground pop star. Although born in Dayton, Ohio on July 17, 1966, Barlow was raised primarily in Amherst, Massachusetts, where during high school he joined forces with fellow introverted outsider J Mascis in the hardcore band Deep Wound. After the group's break-up in 1983, Barlow and Mascis reunited in Dinosaur (later Dinosaur Jr.), one of the most acclaimed indie-bands of the era.