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{{Short description|American indie rock band}}
{{About|the band|the studio album|The Sebadoh}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2021}}
{{More citations needed|date=July 2019}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Sebadoh
| image = Sebadoh_star_background_webster_hall_spot_lights.JPG
| caption = Sebadoh performing live in July 2007
| image_upright = 1.2
| discography = [[Sebadoh discography]]
| background = group_or_band
| origin = [[Northampton, Massachusetts]], U.S.
| genre = {{flatlist|
*[[Indie rock]]
*[[slacker rock]]
}}
| years_active = 1986–present
| label = {{flat list|
* [[Joyful Noise Recordings|Joyful Noise]]
* [[Dangerbird Records|Dangerbird]]
* [[Domino Recording Company|Domino]]
* [[Sub Pop]]
* [[Homestead Records|Homestead]]
* [[City Slang]]
* [[Siltbreeze]]
* [[Vertical Records|Vertical]]
}}
| associated_acts = {{flat list|
* [[Dinosaur Jr.]]
* [[The Folk Implosion]]
* [[Sentridoh]]
* [[The Fiery Furnaces]]
}}
| website = {{URL|sebadoh.com}}
| current_members = 
* [[Lou Barlow]]
* [[Jason Loewenstein]]
* [[Bob D'Amico]]
| past_members = 
* [[Eric Gaffney]]
* Bob Fay
* [[Russell Pollard]]
}}

'''Sebadoh''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|s|ɛ|b|ə|d|oʊ}}) is an American [[indie rock]] band formed in 1986 in [[Northampton, Massachusetts]], by [[Eric Gaffney]] and [[Lou Barlow]], with multi-instrumentalist [[Jason Loewenstein]] completing the line-up in 1989. Barlow co-created Sebadoh as an outlet for his songwriting when [[J. Mascis]] gradually took over creative control of [[Dinosaur Jr.]], in which Barlow plays bass guitar.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2014-09-25 |title=Lou Barlow and an oddball life in music |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/ct-sebadoh-lou-barlow-lincoln-hall-20140925-story.html |access-date=2023-11-08 |website=Chicago Tribune}}</ref>

Along with such bands as [[Pavement (band)|Pavement]], [[Beat Happening]] and [[Guided by Voices]], Sebadoh helped pioneer a [[lo-fi music|lo-fi]] style of [[indie rock]] characterized by low-fidelity recording techniques that employed [[Multitrack recording|four-track]] [[cassette tape]] machines.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Sebadoh: Act Surprised |url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/sebadoh-act-surprised/ |access-date=2023-11-08 |website=Pitchfork |language=en-US}}</ref> The band's early output, such as ''[[The Freed Man]]'' and ''[[Weed Forestin']]'' (both released 1990), as well as ''[[Sebadoh III]]'' (1991), was typical of this style.  Following the release of ''[[Bubble & Scrape]]'' in 1993, Gaffney left the band. His replacement and erstwhile stand-in, Bob Fay, appeared on ''[[Bakesale]]'' (1994) and ''[[Harmacy]]'' (1996), but was fired before the sessions for the band's major label release ''[[The Sebadoh ]]'' (1999), featuring drummer [[Russ Pollard]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Levin |first=Darren |date=2011-09-15 |title=Yearning for the simpler times |url=https://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/music/yearning-for-the-simpler-times-20110915-1ka5c.html |access-date=2023-11-08 |website=The Sydney Morning Herald |language=en}}</ref>

The band then went on a 14-year recording hiatus, during which time members pursued other projects while occasionally touring as Sebadoh. The group, fronted by Barlow and now featuring drummer [[Bob D'Amico]], returned in 2012 with the ''[[Secret (EP)|Secret EP]]'' and, in 2013, a full-length album titled ''[[Defend Yourself]]'', which were both self-recorded. The album ''[[Act Surprised]]'' followed in 2019.<ref name=":0" />

==History==
Lou Barlow was the bass player for alternative rock band Dinosaur Jr. (originally Dinosaur) in the 1980s. While both Barlow and leader [[J Mascis]] wrote songs, Mascis' material dominated the group's output because Barlow was intimidated by the guitarist's songwriting efforts.<ref>Azerrad, 2001. p 357</ref> Barlow spent progressively more time recording his own songs at home. Barlow and [[Eric Gaffney]] released the ''[[Weed Forestin']]'' cassette in 1987 on [[Homestead Records]] under the name Sebadoh, which was a [[nonsense word]] Barlow often muttered in his recordings.<ref>Azerrad, 2001. p. 359</ref> Both Barlow and Gaffney contributed songs to ''[[The Freed Man]]'' (1988) cassette. Homestead Records head [[Gerard Cosloy]] heard the cassette release of ''The Freed Man'' and released it as a full-length album on Homestead in 1989. Soon after the cassette's release Barlow was kicked out of Dinosaur Jr. Over time Sebadoh's releases became a way for Barlow to address the issues of control that manifested as the tension in and his ejection from Dinosaur Jr; Barlow said "I got a lot of hatred out just by writing those songs."<ref>Azerrad, 2001. p. 373</ref> [[Jason Loewenstein]] joined in summer 1989, the first release that he played on being the "Gimme Indie Rock" single in 1991.<ref name="Larkin">{{cite book|title=[[Encyclopedia of Popular Music|The Virgin Encyclopedia of Popular Music]]|editor=Colin Larkin|editor-link=Colin Larkin (writer)|publisher=[[Virgin Books]]|date=1997|edition=Concise|isbn=1-85227-745-9|pages=1065/6}}</ref> Only ten 'band' shows were performed throughout Western Massachusetts, Boston, and New York over the period 1989–1990 before the third album, ''[[Sebadoh III]]'', was released.<ref name="Larkin"/>

After touring with [[Firehose (band)|Firehose]] in 1991, they signed to [[Sub Pop]] ([[Domino Recording Company|Domino]] in the UK and [[City Slang Records|City Slang]] in Germany) in 1992, and released the two EPs ''[[Rocking the Forest]]'' and ''[[Sebadoh vs. Helmet]]'' just two months apart. These EPs had their track listings truncated and shuffled around and made into the American full-length release ''[[Smash Your Head on the Punk Rock]]''.<ref name="Larkin"/> Their fourth album ''[[Bubble & Scrape]]'' was released in April 1993.  The same year, the band's "Soul and Fire" EP humorously described the band's musical goal as "driving dozens of college-age lemmings off the cliff of limited imagination."<ref>''[[Mojo (magazine)|Mojo]]'', September 1996, p. 28</ref>

Following ''[[Bubble & Scrape]]'' (1993) Gaffney left the band. Gaffney has stated that he left Sebadoh "because I felt like it" and went on to explain that: "I wanted to start a band where I was the songwriter/guitar player and so I did. I also had the garage practice space and booked all our early shows. This was summer 1989, when The Freed Man LP was released on Homestead was when I called those guys on the phone to ask if they wanted to start a band, met with dead silence. Me on the other end saying, “Are you still there?” I only started playing drums when the other guys wanted to play their songs because I didn’t want to learn bass lines, and drums are my first instrument. Four years later I let the whole thing walk away from me. It was like The Blob—you want to just run out of the theater! (lest you be consumed by “The Blob.”)."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Cohan |first=Brad |date=2014-03-18 |title=Ex-Sebadoh Co-Founder Eric Gaffney Is Now Jesus Christ, Kind Of |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/eric-gaffney-sebadoh-interview/ |access-date=2024-10-30 |website=VICE |language=en-US}}</ref>

Barlow has stated that the mood in the band upon Gaffney's departure was "euphoric," explaining that: "Eric was a difficult guy. He was really struggling with the band becoming more popular; he was really struggling with sharing the spotlight with me. He’s an absolute leader, and deserves a spotlight of his own, but I had kind of forced him into this band where he and I were going to be trading off, thinking that was a really great idea. Eric Gaffney did not want to be doing that. Eric Gaffney wanted to be front and center—which is great, I mean, I believed in him. I’m an Eric Gaffney fan, that’s why I was playing in a band with him, but Eric Gaffney was not a Lou Barlow fan. So him leaving the band was awesome. All of this resistance just disappeared for a while, and it was really nice."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sigler |first=Gabriel |date=2015-05-26 |title=Interview: Sebadoh's Lou Barlow on 'Defend Yourself,' Rush, and being the hipsters of their time - Page 2 of 2 |url=https://badfeelingmag.com/2015/05/26/interview-sebadohs-lou-barlow/2/ |access-date=2024-10-30 |website=Bad Feeling Magazine |language=en-CA}}</ref>

Gaffney's replacement, Bob Fay, appeared on ''[[Bakesale]]'' (1994) and the follow-up ''[[Harmacy]]'' in 1996.<ref name="The Great Rock Discography">{{cite book
| first= Martin C.
| last= Strong
| year= 2000
| title= The Great Rock Discography
| edition= 5th
| publisher= Mojo Books
| location= Edinburgh
| pages= 856–857
| isbn= 1-84195-017-3}}</ref> 
Gaffney had quit the band three times between 1990 and 1993, being replaced each time by Fay.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/sebadoh|title=Sebadoh|website=Encyclopedia.com|access-date=April 26, 2025}}</ref> Fay recorded and toured with the band during those years, performing on half the tracks of ''[[Rocking the Forest]]'', including the Fay composition "Mind Meld,"<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/release/14139983-Sebadoh-Rocking-The-Forest|title=Sebadoh - Rocking The Forest|date=April 26, 1992|access-date=April 26, 2025|website=Discogs.com}}</ref> and two tracks on ''[[Sebadoh vs. Helmet]]'', whose cover image is a photograph of Fay.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/release/1710146-Sebadoh-Sebadoh-Vs-Helmet|title=Sebadoh - Sebadoh Vs Helmet|date=April 26, 1992|access-date=April 26, 2025|website=Discogs.com}}</ref>
Fay was fired before the sessions for ''[[The Sebadoh]]'' (1999) and replaced by [[Russell Pollard|Russ Pollard]], a friend of Loewenstein's from Louisville. The band went on a tour to promote this album, including a stop in [[Toronto]] in March.<ref>{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20000203094029/http://chartattack.com:80/road/reviews/1999/19990307-sebadoh.html "Live Reviews: Sebadoh March 7, 1999 The Opera House, Toronto, ON"]}}. ''Chart Attack'', review by Daniel Smallegange</ref>  The band then went on hiatus, with Barlow concentrating on his other project, the [[Folk Implosion]],<ref name="Larkin" /> and Loewenstein working on material for his debut solo album ''At Sixes and Sevens'', released in 2002. The two reunited to play concerts in late 2003 and early 2004.

In March 2007, the "Sebadoh Classic" lineup of Barlow, Gaffney and Loewenstein went on tour together for the first time in fourteen years.<ref>{{Cite web |author=Billboard Staff |date=2006-12-21 |title=Classic Sebadoh Lineup Reuniting For 2007 Tour |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/classic-sebadoh-lineup-reuniting-for-2007-tour-56387/ |access-date=2024-04-20 |website=Billboard |language=en-US}}</ref> This coincided with a new series of reissues which repackaged some of the early albums with extra discs of unreleased tracks. First came a reissue of ''[[Sebadoh III]]'', then ''[[The Freed Man]]'', and ''[[Bubble & Scrape]]''.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Benson |first=John |date=2007-01-12 |title=Sebadoh Springs Back To Action For 2007 Tour |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/sebadoh-springs-back-to-action-for-2007-tour-1063265/ |access-date=2024-04-20 |website=Billboard |language=en-US}}</ref>

The reunion tour continued into 2008, and in May included a live performance of ''[[Bubble & Scrape]]'' (1993) in its entirety as part of the [[All Tomorrow's Parties (music festival)|All Tomorrow's Parties]] curated [[Don't Look Back (concert series)|Don't Look Back]] series at London's Koko venue.

In 2011, Sebadoh toured in support of reissues for their ''Bakesale'' and ''Harmacy'' albums.  Though ''Bakesale'' was reissued on time, as of June 2015, ''Harmacy'' has still not been reissued.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.loobiecore.com/loobienews.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20060518054925/http://www.loobiecore.com/loobienews.html|url-status=usurped|archive-date=May 18, 2006|title=Eating grapefruit, leaving on 3/21|website=Loobiecore.com|access-date=May 30, 2019}}</ref>  Taking the place of Gaffney on drums was [[Bob D'Amico]], who plays with Loewenstein in both Circle of Buzzards and [[the Fiery Furnaces]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sandiego.com/music/interview-sebadoh |title=Interview: Sebadoh |publisher=SanDiego.com |access-date=April 2, 2012}}</ref>

In March 2012, Lou Barlow reissued the early recordings of ''Weed Forrestin''' on the Sebadoh bandcamp, available in a digital download, double cd, vinyl, and deluxe edition with the ''Child of the Apocalypse'' sessions as a cassette tape. Fifty copies of "Weed Forrestin" came as a surprise bonus with purchases of the limited edition re-release of Dinosaur Jr.'s first three albums in a cassette boxed set released by Joyful Noise in 2012.<ref>{{cite web|title=Announcing the Dinosaur Jr. Cassette Trilogy|url=http://www.joyfulnoiserecordings.com/announcing...-the-dinosaur-jr.-cassette-trilogy.html|publisher=Joyful Noise Recordings|access-date=May 22, 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130917003534/http://www.joyfulnoiserecordings.com/announcing...-the-dinosaur-jr.-cassette-trilogy.html|archive-date=September 17, 2013}}</ref>

They were chosen by [[Jeff Mangum]] of [[Neutral Milk Hotel]] to perform at the [[All Tomorrow's Parties (music festival)|All Tomorrow's Parties]] festival that he curated in March 2012 in Minehead, England.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.atpfestival.com/events/jeffmangum|title=ATP curated by Jeff Mangum (Neutral Milk Hotel)|website=All Tomorrow's Parties|access-date=May 30, 2019}}</ref>

In July 2012, Sebadoh released ''[[Secret (EP)|Secret EP]]'' on the Sebadoh bandcamp, available in a digital download. CD copies were only available at the shows of their 2012 tour. In June 2013, [[Joyful Noise Recordings|Joyful Noise]] released it on vinyl.

Their eighth studio album, ''[[Defend Yourself]]'', came out on Joyful Noise Recordings on September 17, 2013.  It debuted at No. 1 on the "New Alternative Artists" Billboard chart, since the band had been together for roughly 27 years at that point in time.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sebadoh {{!}} Biography, Music & News |url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/sebadoh/ |access-date=2023-11-08 |website=Billboard |language=en-US}}</ref>

On March 1, 2019, the band announced that their ninth studio album ''Act Surprised'' will be released on May 24, 2019, via [[Dangerbird Records]]. 
The same day the first single off the album, "Celebrate the Void" was released.<ref name="acts">{{cite web |last1=Minsker |first1=Evan |title=Sebadoh Announce New Album Act Surprised, Share Song: Listen |url=https://pitchfork.com/news/sebadoh-announce-new-album-act-surprised-share-song-listen/ |website=[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]] |access-date=March 2, 2019 |date=March 1, 2019}}</ref>

== Style ==
According to Stephen Thomas Erlewine of ''[[AllMusic]]'', "Sebadoh embraced intentionally raw and unsophisticated home recording as the element that tied together their self-conscious sentimental pop with their noisy experimentalism." Lou Barlow's vocals have been described as "gloomy but tuneful."<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sebadoh Songs, Albums, Reviews, Bio & More {{!}} A... |url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/sebadoh-mn0000840523#biography |access-date=2025-03-24 |website=AllMusic |language=en}}</ref>

== Members ==
=== Current members ===
* [[Lou Barlow]] – vocals, guitar, bass (1986–present)
* [[Jason Loewenstein]] – vocals, bass, drums, guitar (1989–present)
* [[Bob D'Amico]] – drums, percussion (2011–present)

=== Former members ===
* [[Eric Gaffney]] – vocals, drums, guitar (1986–1994, 2007–2011)
* Bob Fay – drums, vocals (1994–1998)
* [[Russell Pollard]] – drums (1998–2000)

==== Timeline ====
{{#tag:timeline|
ImageSize  = width:790 height:auto barincrement:20
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Alignbars  = justify
DateFormat = mm/dd/yyyy
Period     = from:01/01/1986 till:01/01/2026
TimeAxis   = orientation:horizontal format:yyyy
Legend     = orientation:horizontal position:bottom 
ScaleMajor = increment:3 start:1986
ScaleMinor = increment:1 start:1986

Colors =
  id:Vocals    value:red         legend:Vocals
  id:Guitar    value:green       legend:Guitar
  id:Bass      value:blue        legend:Bass
  id:Drums     value:orange      legend:Drums
  id:Studio    value:black       legend:Studio_album
  id:bars      value:gray(0.95)

BackgroundColors = bars:bars

LineData =
  layer:back
  color:Studio
  at:09/01/1989 color:black layer:back
  at:07/01/1990 color:black layer:back
  at:08/16/1991 color:black layer:back
  at:04/26/1993 color:black layer:back
  at:08/23/1994 color:black layer:back
  at:08/20/1996 color:black layer:back
  at:02/23/1999 color:black layer:back
  at:09/16/2011 color:black layer:back
  at:05/24/2019 color:black layer:back

BarData =
  bar:Lou      text:"Lou Barlow"
  bar:Jason    text:"Jason Loewenstein"
  bar:Eric     text:"Eric Gaffney"
  bar:BobF     text:"Bob Fay"
  bar:Russell  text:"Russell Pollard"
  bar:BobD     text:"Bob D'Amico"

PlotData=
  width:13
  bar:Lou       from:start      till:end        color:Guitar
  bar:Lou       from:start      till:end        color:Bass   width:7
  bar:Lou       from:start      till:end        color:Vocals width:3
  bar:Jason     from:07/01/1989 till:end        color:Bass
  bar:Jason     from:07/01/1989 till:end        color:Drums  width:9
  bar:Jason     from:07/01/1989 till:end        color:Guitar width:7
  bar:Jason     from:07/01/1989 till:end        color:Vocals width:3
  bar:Eric      from:start      till:03/01/1994 color:Drums
  bar:Eric      from:start      till:03/01/1994 color:Guitar width:7
  bar:Eric      from:start      till:03/01/1994 color:Vocals width:3
  bar:Eric      from:start      till:03/01/1994 color:Drums
  bar:Eric      from:start      till:03/01/1994 color:Guitar width:7
  bar:Eric      from:start      till:03/01/1994 color:Vocals width:3
  bar:Eric      from:03/01/2007 till:01/01/2011 color:Drums
  bar:Eric      from:03/01/2007 till:01/01/2011 color:Guitar width:7
  bar:Eric      from:03/01/2007 till:01/01/2011 color:Vocals width:3
  bar:BobF      from:03/01/1994 till:01/01/1998 color:Drums
  bar:BobF      from:03/01/1994 till:01/01/1998 color:Vocals width:3
  bar:Russell   from:01/01/1998 till:04/01/2000 color:Drums
  bar:BobD      from:01/01/2011 till:end        color:Drums

}}

==Discography==
{{main article|Sebadoh discography}}

===Studio albums===
*''[[The Freed Man]]'' (1989)
*''[[Weed Forestin']]'' (1990)
*''[[Sebadoh III]]'' (1991)
*''[[Bubble & Scrape]]'' (1993)
*''[[Bakesale]]'' (1994)
*''[[Harmacy]]'' (1996)
*''[[The Sebadoh]]'' (1999)
* ''[[Defend Yourself]]'' (2013)
* ''[[Act Surprised]]'' (2019)

===Compilation albums===
*''[[The Freed Weed]]'' (1990)
*''[[Smash Your Head on the Punk Rock]]'' (1992)
*''[[Wade Through the Boggs]]'' (2007)

==Bibliography==
* Azerrad, Michael. ''[[Our Band Could Be Your Life]]''. New York: Little, Brown, 2001. {{ISBN|0-316-78753-1}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category}}
{{External links|date=May 2019}}
*[http://sebadoh.com/ Sebadoh website]
*{{discogs artist}}
*{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20010331065629/http://www.loobiecore.com/ Lou Barlow website]}}
*[http://www.jakerock.com Jason Loewenstein website]
*[http://joyfulnoiserecordings.com/ Joyful Noise Recordings]
*[http://russellbates.com/work/sebadoh-skull/ "Skull" music video (from ''Bakesale'')]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20081206090853/http://www.zpop.co.uk/reviews/sebadoh.htm Review of Sebadoh @ Manchester Academy 3, April 2008.]
*[http://www.furious.com/perfect/sebadoh.html Sebadoh Interview]
*[http://www.sandiego.com/music/interview-sebadoh Jason Loewenstein interview February 1, 2011]
*[http://www.3sat.de/mediathek/?mode=play&obj=14619 Interview with Lou Barlow & Murph (Dinosaur Jr.) September 9, 2009] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110722082801/http://www.3sat.de/mediathek/?mode=play&obj=14619 |date=July 22, 2011 }}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20120825185422/http://www.talkrocktome.com/sebadoh-welcome-back-barlow/ Interview with Lou Barlow] (via Talk Rock To Me) August 17, 2012

{{Sebadoh}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Sebadoh| ]]
[[Category:Indie rock musical groups from Massachusetts]]
[[Category:Westfield, Massachusetts]]
[[Category:Lo-fi music groups]]
[[Category:Homestead Records artists]]
[[Category:Sub Pop artists]]
[[Category:Musical groups established in 1986]]
[[Category:Domino Recording Company artists]]
[[Category:Flying Nun Records artists]]
[[Category:1986 establishments in Massachusetts]]
[[Category:City Slang artists]]
[[Category:Dangerbird Records artists]]