J Mascis – What Do We Do Now – Limited Translucent Purple Vinyl, LP, Sub Pop, 2024

J Mascis – What Do We Do Now – Limited Translucent Purple Vinyl, LP, Sub Pop, 2024

Using his own Bisquiteen Studio in the waning days of the pandemic, J started working on writing a series of tunes on acoustic with a different dynamic than the stuff he creates for Dinosaur Jr.

“When I’m writing for the band,” he says, “I’m always trying to think of doing things Lou and Murph would fit into. Usually, I try to do the solo stuff more simply so I can play it by myself, but I really wanted to add the drums. Once that started, everything else just fell into place. So it ended up sounding a lot more like a band record.”

Western Mass local Ken Mauri (of the B52s) plays piano on several tracks, while Toronto musician Matthew “Doc” Dunn’s steel guitar manages to both widen and soften the musical edges of the music, giving it a full classicist profile.

J Mascis, born Joseph Donald Mascis Jr. on December 10, 1965, is an American musician, singer, and songwriter. He is best known as the frontman and primary songwriter for the alternative rock band Dinosaur Jr. Mascis is a highly influential figure in the indie and alternative rock scenes, particularly during the late 1980s and early 1990s.