Confidential sources are telling TMT that the sources who told Billboard that David Lee Roth is reuniting with Van Halen are full of shit. The real story is that David Lee Roth is reuniting (for the first time, dictionary be damned) with Dinosaur Jr. for a full tour. While no one in the Dinosaur Jr. camp will confirm or deny this, they have announced the title and tracklist of the band's next LP, Beyond.
Fat Possum will release the record, which has plenty of J Mascis, Lou Barlow & Murph -- and zero DLR -- on May 1. The album, the band's eighth, was recorded by Mascis and engineer John Angello (Hold Steady, Oxford Collapse) at Mascis' home studio. This is the first Dinosaur Jr. record since 1988's Bug to feature the original Jayloumurph lineup. In addition the album, the group also has a Roth-less DVD coming out. The live DVD, which was directed by Phillip Virus, Mascis' brother-in-law, includes performances from a couple of the band's December '05 reunion shows and will hit stores May 8.
Enough with the boring LP/DVD talk; here are those precious Roth tour details. Our sources have also confirmed some changes are afoot, which might make some Dino-thusiasts very unhappy. Gone from the band are Lou & Murph, replaced by Mascis' brother on drums and his 15-year-old son on bass. Lou's familiar cardigan-shaped bass will be replaced with one that looks like a giant Capri-Sun pouch, to better suit the younger Mascis' interests. While none of this has yet been confirmed, you can't deny that Dinosaur Jr. loves a good reunion. No doubt, a full list of tourdates is forthcoming.
Beyond tracklist: