Joseph Donald Mascis Jr. (born December 10, 1965), better known as J Mascis, is an American musician who is the singer, guitarist and main songwriter for the alternative rock band Dinosaur Jr. He has also released several albums as a solo artist and played drums and guitar on other projects. He was ranked number 74 in a ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...

'' list of the "100 Greatest Guitarists", and number 5 in a similar list for ''

Spin Spin or spinning most often refers to: * Spin (physics) or particle spin, a fundamental property of elementary particles * Spin quantum number, a number which defines the value of a particle's spin * Spinning (textiles), the creation of yarn or thr ...

'' magazine in 2012.

Biography

Mascis was born in

Amherst, Massachusetts Amherst () is a city in Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Connecticut River valley. Amherst has a council–manager form of government, and is considered a city under Massachusetts state law. Amherst is one of several Massach ...

, the son of a dentist, and grew up in the same area together with his sister Patty and older brother Mike. His mother, Theresa (an avid golfer), died in 1985 while his father, Joseph Sr., died in 1993. Mascis became a music fan and drumming enthusiast at the age of 9. He later joined the jazz ensemble in school as a drummer. At 17, Mascis joined the short-lived hardcore group Deep Wound with

Lou Barlow Louis Knox Barlow (born July 17, 1966) is an American alternative rock musician and songwriter. A founding member of the groups Dinosaur Jr., Sebadoh and The Folk Implosion, Barlow is credited with helping to pioneer the lo-fi style of rock ...

Scott Helland Scott Helland is an American alternative rock musician, acoustic guitarist, bassist and songwriter. A founding member of the groups Deep Wound, Outpatients, and Frenchy and the Punk. He also performs instrumental music as Guitarmy of One. Hell ...

, and Charlie Nakajima in the early 1980s. He went on to found Dinosaur Jr. with bassist Barlow and drummer Emmett Jefferson "Patrick" Murphy (aka " Murph") in 1984, switching to guitar in the process, and they achieved national success. His vocals have been described as "

Neil Young Neil Percival Young (born November 12, 1945) is a Canadian and American singer-songwriter. After embarking on a music career in Winnipeg in the 1960s, Young moved to Los Angeles, forming the folk rock group Buffalo Springfield. Since the begi ...

-like" and his guitar

riff A riff is a short, repeated motif or figure in the melody or accompaniment of a musical composition. Riffs are most often found in rock music, punk, heavy metal music, Latin, funk, and jazz, although classical music is also sometimes based ...

s as "monolithic". Mascis dismissed Barlow from Dinosaur Jr. in 1989 and over the next eight years recorded several more Dinosaur Jr. albums, as well as the 1996 acoustic solo album ''Martin + Me''. In 1989

Kurt Cobain Kurt Donald Cobain (February 20, 1967 – ) was an American musician. He was the lead vocalist, guitarist, primary songwriter, and a founding member of the grunge band Nirvana (band), Nirvana. Through his angsty songwriting and anti-establis ...

suggested that Mascis join

Nirvana Nirvana, in the Indian religions (Jainism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Sikhism), is the concept of an individual's passions being extinguished as the ultimate state of salvation, release, or liberation from suffering ('' duḥkha'') and from the ...

as a guitarist. The manager for Deep Wound was

Gerard Cosloy Gerard Cosloy (born 1964) is an American music industry executive. Biography Cosloy was raised in Wayland, Massachusetts, a western suburb of Boston. While he was in high school, he became involved in the local hardcore punk scene, put together ...

, who then went on to found Homestead Records. Homestead released Dinosaur Jr.'s first record. Mascis says that the reason why Dinosaur Jr.'s sound is not fully formed on that record is that they were more or less automatically signed to Homestead. Megan Jasper, vice president at Sub Pop Records, characterises this period as "J had some anger, like any punk rock kid. Usually, though, when a young person is angry, they tend to be really loud. And J wasn't. He was only loud when he played music". As a side project, he was the drummer in

Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

doom metal Doom metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music that typically uses slower tempos, low-tuned guitars and a much "thicker" or "heavier" sound than other heavy metal genres.K. Kahn-Harris, ''Extreme Metal: Music and Culture on the Edge'' ...

group Upsidedown Cross, who released a self-titled album on Taang! Records in 1991.Selzer, Jonathan (1991) "Signs of Life", ''Lime Lizard'', October 1991, p. 48-9 He wrote songs for the film '' Gas Food Lodging'', in which he made a cameo appearance. In 1996, he had a small part in the movie '' Grace of My Heart'' and provided a ballad and a

Beach Boys The Beach Boys are an American rock band formed in Hawthorne, California, in 1961. The group's original lineup consisted of brothers Brian, Dennis, and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and their friend Al Jardine. Distinguished by thei ...

-like song for the soundtrack. In 1998, he retired the Dinosaur Jr. name. In April 2005 Mascis, Barlow, and Murph reformed the band for a tour celebrating the re-release of the group's first three albums. The reunited line-up has since released five new albums: '' Beyond'' in 2007, ''

Farm A farm (also called an agricultural holding) is an area of land that is devoted primarily to agricultural processes with the primary objective of producing food and other crops; it is the basic facility in food production. The name is used fo ...

'' in 2009, ''

I Bet on Sky ''I Bet on Sky'' is the tenth studio album by the alternative rock band Dinosaur Jr. It was announced on June 13, 2012, and was released on September 17 in Europe and September 18 in the US. "Watch the Corners" was given a music video and promot ...

'' in 2012, '' Give a Glimpse of What Yer Not'' in 2016, and '' Sweep It Into Space'' in 2021.

Solo material

In 2000 he began producing albums with his new band, J Mascis + The Fog. In 2003, the house and studio he owned burned down. In August 2005 Mascis released '' J and Friends Sing and Chant for Amma'', a solo album under the J Mascis and Friends banner. The album consists of devotional songs dedicated to

Hindu Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...

religious leader

Mata Amritanandamayi Sri Mātā Amritānandamayī Devi (born Sudhamani Idamannel; 27 September 1953), often known as Amma ("Mother"), is an Indian Hindu spiritual leader, guru and humanitarian, who is revered as 'the hugging Hindu saint, saint' by her followers ...

, or Ammachi, about whom he had written "Ammaring" on the first J Mascis + The Fog album ''More Light''. The proceeds from the album are being donated to tsunami relief efforts Ammachi's organization is spearheading. In 2008 the six-track album was made available digitally on his own Baked Goods label. In 2006 Mascis returned to drumming with his newly formed heavy metal band

Witch Witchcraft is the use of magic by a person called a witch. Traditionally, "witchcraft" means the use of magic to inflict supernatural harm or misfortune on others, and this remains the most common and widespread meaning. According to ''Enc ...

for their self-titled debut album. Also that year, he collaborated with Evan Dando on a new Lemonheads album. ''

The Lemonheads The Lemonheads are an American alternative rock band formed in Boston in 1986 by Evan Dando, Ben Deily, and Jesse Peretz. Dando has remained the band's only constant member. After their initial punk-influenced releases and tours as an indep ...

'' was released that September, featuring Mascis playing lead guitar. In 2010 Mascis joined with John Petkovic and Tim Parnin of

Cobra Verde ''Cobra Verde'' (also known as ''Slave Coast'') is a 1987 German drama film directed by Werner Herzog and starring Klaus Kinski, in their fifth and final collaboration. Based upon Bruce Chatwin's 1980 novel '' The Viceroy of Ouidah'', the film d ...

and Dave Sweetapple of

to form Sweet Apple. The self-titled debut album was released on Tee Pee Records. Mascis plays drums, guitar, and sings on the album. Mascis released a mostly acoustic album in March 2011 titled '' Several Shades of Why'' on

Sub Pop Records Sub or SUB may refer to: Places * Juanda International Airport, Surabaya, Indonesia, IATA code SUB People * Bottom (BDSM), or "sub" for "submissive" * Substitute teacher Christianity * Sub tuum praesidium, an ancient hymn and prayer dedicated ...

. He was joined in the studio by several guest musicians, including Kurt Vile, Ben Bridwell and Sophie Trudeau. Mascis toured North America with Vile as support act to promote the album. In 2013

Richard Ayoade Richard Ayoade ( ; born 23 May 1977) is a British comedian, actor, writer, director and presenter. He played the role of socially awkward IT technician Maurice Moss in Channel 4 sitcom ''The IT Crowd'' (2006–2013), for which he won the 2014 Br ...

cast J Mascis in a small role, a caretaker, in his film '' The Double''. Mascis's electric guitar work is featured on the 2014

Strand of Oaks Strand of Oaks is the rock project by songwriter and producer Timothy Showalter (born July 20, 1982). Originally from Indiana, he currently resides in Austin, Texas. His music has been classified as Rock music, rock and folk music, folk, as well a ...

album ''Heal''. In April 2014 he played with reunited

on a secret gig after the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductions. He sang the songs "School", " Pennyroyal Tea" and "

Drain You "Drain You" is a song by American rock band Nirvana, written by vocalist and guitarist, Kurt Cobain. It is the eighth track on their second album, ''Nevermind'', released in September 1991. The song was released as a promotional single in late 19 ...

". In August 2014 he released the solo album '' Tied to a Star'' on Sub Pop and toured in support of it. Mascis joined Unknown Instructors on their fourth album, replacing Joe Baiza as guitarist. The album, ''

Unwilling to Explain ''Unwilling to Explain'' is the fourth album by United States, American Improvisation#Music, improvisational band Unknown Instructors, featuring Mike Watt (The Minutemen (band), The Minutemen, Firehose (band), fIREHOSE), George Hurley (Minutemen ...

'', was released in 2019.

Personal life

Mascis's wife, Luisa Mascis, née Reichenheim, whom he met in New York in the mid-1990s and married in 2004, is from

Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...

, Germany. They reside in

, in a house formerly owned by Robert Thurman, a professor of religion noted for his work on Buddhism, and father of actress

Uma Thurman Uma Karuna Thurman (born April 29, 1970) is an American actress. She has performed in a variety of films, from romantic comedies and dramas to science fiction and action films. Following her appearances on the December 1985 and May 1986 cover ...

. In September 2007 they had a baby boy named Rory. His brother-in-law is German filmmaker Philipp Reichenheim, professionally known as Philipp Virus, the director of the 2006 Dinosaur Jr. DVD ''Live in the Middle East''. He is a devotee of

, a Hindu guru and author. Mascis explained that he discovered her in the mid-1990s when "I was at my lowest, as the band got bigger, I got more depressed. I was looking for anyone to help, to feel better". In 1982 Mascis became

straight edge Straight edge (sometimes abbreviated as sXe or signified by XXX or simply X) is a subculture of hardcore punk whose adherents refrain from using alcohol, tobacco, and other recreational drugs in reaction to the punk subculture's excesses. Some ...

, part of a hardcore punk associated subculture whose adherents avoid drug and alcohol consumption. Since then, he has mostly been a teetotaler and never used other recreational drugs.

Signature guitars

Fender Squier J Mascis Jazzmaster - body

July 2007 saw the release of a signature guitar by Fender, the J Mascis Signature

Jazzmaster The Fender Jazzmaster is an electric guitar designed as a more expensive sibling of the Fender Stratocaster. First introduced at the 1958 NAMM Convention, it was initially marketed to jazz guitarists, but found favor among surf rock guitarist ...

. The instrument comes in a Purple Sparkle finish and, while otherwise visually similar to a standard Jazzmaster, features a few modifications J requested. December 2011 saw the release of the Squier by Fender J Mascis Jazzmaster. This features a basswood body, C-shaped maple neck, rosewood fingerboard with 9.5" radius and 21 jumbo frets, two high output single-coil Squier Jazzmaster pickups, three-position switching and dual tone circuits, gold anodized aluminum pickguard, aged white plastic parts (knobs, switch tip, pickup covers), Adjusto-Matic™ bridge with vintage-style floating tremolo tailpiece, vintage-style tuners, chrome hardware, Vintage White finish, and J Mascis signature on the back of the large '60s-style headstock. This model was discontinued in 2021. Due to demand and chatter on popular social media platforms, Fender re-released the model in early 2023. As of April 2024, the model continues to be produced. In August 2021 Fender released a new signature

Telecaster The Fender Telecaster, colloquially known as the Tele (), is an electric guitar produced by Fender (company), Fender. Together with its sister model the Fender Esquire, Esquire, it was the world's first mass-produced, commercially successfulLes ...

. This features an Alder body painted with a blue sparkle finish with a high-gloss polyester finish. It has custom pickups based on a 1958 Telecaster, a mirrored pickguard and a pre-worn Maple neck with a custom thinner profile, 21 frets and a 9.5" radius Maple fingerboard. The neck has a thin, part-worn Nitrocellulose lacquer satin finish. It also features a top-loader bridge.

Discography

Solo albums

Studio

*'' Several Shades of Why'' (2011) *'' Tied to a Star'' (2014) *'' Elastic Days'' (2018) *'' What Do We Do Now'' (2024)

Live

*'' Martin + Me'' (1996) *''The John Peel Sessions'' (2003) *''J Mascis Live at CBGB's'' (2006)

EPs

*''J Mascis Was Here'' (2000, Ultimatum Music)

Singles

Leaving on a Jet Plane "Leaving on a Jet Plane" is a song written and recorded by American singer John Denver in 1966, originally included on his debut demo recording ''John Denver Sings''. Its original title was "Babe I Hate to Go". He made several copies and gave t ...

" b/w "Too Hard" (2001, Sub Pop) *"Not Enough" (2011, Sub Pop) *"Is It Done" (2011, Sub Pop) *"Circle" (2011, Sub Pop) *"Let It Be Me" b/w "

Fade Into You "Fade into You" is a song by American alternative rock band Mazzy Star from their second studio album, '' So Tonight That I Might See'' (1993). The song was written by lyricist Hope Sandoval and composer David Roback, who also served as produc ...

" (2011, Sub Pop, split with

Greg Dulli Greg Dulli (born May 11, 1965) is an American musician from Hamilton, Ohio. Debuting as a member of the rock band the Afghan Whigs in 1986, Dulli has been a member of the Twilight Singers, Gutter Twins, and in 2020 released his debut solo albu ...

) *"Fade into You" (2013, Sub Pop, Keep) *"Every Morning" (2014, Sub Pop) *"Everything She Said" (2018, Sub Pop) *"Don't Do Me Like That" (2019, Sub Pop) *"Can't Believe We're Here" (2023, Sub Pop)

Dinosaur Jr.

*''

Dinosaur Dinosaurs are a diverse group of reptiles of the clade Dinosauria. They first appeared during the Triassic Geological period, period, between 243 and 233.23 million years ago (mya), although the exact origin and timing of the #Evolutio ...

'' (1985) *'' You're Living All Over Me'' (1987) *'' Bug'' (1988) *'' Whatever's Cool With Me'' (1991) *'' Green Mind'' (1991) *'' Where You Been'' (1993) *'' Without a Sound'' (1994) *'' Hand It Over'' (1997) *'' Beyond'' (2007) *''

'' (2009) *''

'' (2012) *'' Give a Glimpse of What Yer Not'' (2016) *'' Sweep It Into Space'' (2021)

J and Friends

*'' J and Friends Sing and Chant for Amma'' (2005)

J Mascis + The Fog

*'' More Light'' (2000) *'' Free So Free'' (2002)

Witch

*''

'' –

Tee Pee Records Tee Pee Records is an American independent rock music record label founded by Tony Presedo in 1993 in New York City. It is prominent for releasing music by Sleep, Witch, Graveyard, Earthless, High on Fire and the Brian Jonestown Massacre. It ...

(2006) *''

Paralyzed Paralysis (: paralyses; also known as plegia) is a loss of motor function in one or more muscles. Paralysis can also be accompanied by a loss of feeling (sensory loss) in the affected area if there is sensory damage. In the United States, r ...

'' – Tee Pee Records (2008)

Deep Wound

*''American Style'' (1982 – 7" – demo) *''Deep Wound'' (1983 – 7" – Radiobeat) *''Bands That Could Be God LP'' *''Discography'' (2006 – Compilation – Damaged Goods)

Upsidedown Cross

*Upsidedown Cross (1991)

Sweet Apple

*''Do You Remember 7"'' – Valley King Records (2010) *''Love & Desperation'' – Tee Pee Records (2010) *''I've Got a Feeling (That Won't Change) 7"'' – Damaged Goods (2010) *''Elected/No Government 7"'' – Outer Battery Records (2012) *''Wish You Could Stay (A Little Longer)/Traffic 7"'' – Outer Battery Records (2013) *''The Golden Age of Glitter'' – Tee Pee Records (2014)

Heavy Blanket

*''Heavy Blanket'' – Outer Battery Records (2012) *''Live at Tym Guitars – Brisbane, Australia'' – Tym Records (2013) *''In a Dutch Haze'' – Collaboration with Earthless – Outer Battery Records (2014)

Unknown Instructors

*''

'' (2019)

Other appearances

Buffalo Tom Buffalo Tom is an American alternative rock band from Boston, Massachusetts, formed in 1986. Its principal members are guitarist Bill Janovitz who also sings the majority of lead vocals, bassist and singer Chris Colbourn, and drummer Tom Maginn ...

- "Impossible" (1988, lead guitar) * Ciccone Youth - The White(y) Album (1988, guitar) * GobbleHoof - "GobbleHoof" (1990, drums) *

Mark Lanegan Mark William Lanegan (November 25, 1964 – February 22, 2022) was an American singer and songwriter. First becoming prominent as the lead singer for the early grunge band Screaming Trees, he was also known as a member of Queens of the Stone Age ...

- Whiskey for the Holy Ghost (1994, drums) * Mew – "Why Are You Looking Grave?" (2005, guest vocals) *

The Breeders The Breeders are an American alternative rock band based in Dayton, Ohio, consisting of members Kim Deal (rhythm guitar, lead vocals), her twin sister Kelley Deal (lead guitar, vocals), Josephine Wiggs (bass guitar, vocals) and Jim Macpherson ( ...

– "Do You Love Me Now Jr." (2012, guest vocals) * Japanese Voyeurs – "Feel" (2012, guitar and backing vocals) * ''One Track Heart: The Story of Krishna Das (OST)'' (2013, several tracks with Devadas) *

Fucked Up Fucked Up is a Canadian hardcore punk band from Toronto, Ontario, formed in 2001. The band consists of guitarists Mike Haliechuk and Josh Zucker, bassist Sandy Miranda, lead vocalist Damian Abraham and drummer Jonah Falco. From 2007 to 2021, t ...

– "Led By Hand" (2014, guitar and backing vocals) *

Band of Horses Band of Horses is an American Rock music, rock band formed in 2004 in Seattle, Seattle, Washington. Led by singer-songwriter Ben Bridwell, who has been the band's sole constant member throughout numerous line-up changes, the band's current line ...

– "In a Drawer" (2016, backing vocals) * The Breeders – " Divine Mascis" (2023, lead vocals)

References

External links

JMascis.com
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Mascis, J 1965 births Living people American alternative rock guitarists American heavy metal drummers American Hindus American rock guitarists American male guitarists American male singer-songwriters American rock singers American rock songwriters American male film actors American people of Italian descent Converts to Hinduism Dinosaur Jr. members Guitarists from Massachusetts People from Amherst, Massachusetts Singer-songwriters from Massachusetts University of Massachusetts Amherst alumni 20th-century American drummers American male drummers 20th-century American guitarists 20th-century American male musicians J Mascis + The Fog members 21st-century American guitarists 21st-century American male musicians Drummers from Massachusetts