Throwback Thursday: J Mascis

For this week’s Throwback Thursday we’re playing a set from Dinosaur Jr. to celebrate J Mascis’ birthday, which was this week.

It’s always refreshing to hear a new album from an, ahem, old band that doesn’t feel like a cynical cash grab, and the fact that Dinosaur Jr. just churned out another great one (this Fall’s I Bet On Sky) speaks to how continually legendary J Mascis is.  The band’s sound, led by Mascis’ distinct guitar playing, made them one of the most influential bands of the alternative rock scene.  To refer to Dinosaur Jr. as just alt-rock, however, would be reductive.  Even today, they don’t really sound like anything else.  They’ve had some hard rock in them, but the edges have always been softened by pop-like melodies, which is all then covered in a layer of fuzz and distortion.  Bassist Lou Barlow has said, ”We loved speed metal…and we loved wimpy-jangly stuff.”  The head of Homestead Records and former Mascis bandmate in Deep Wound, Gerald Cosloy, has likewise said, ”It was its own bizarre hybrid…It wasn’t exactly pop, it wasn’t exactly punk rock — it was completely its own thing.”  All of J Mascis’ work has always been that – completely its own thing.  Though many bands since Dinosaur Jr.’s beginning have tried to emulate their sound, none have ever succeeded.  With no signs of slowing down, Dinosaur Jr. has already or will likely outlast several of the bands they’ve influenced.  Tune in at 5pm for a set from this iconic band.

By Bentley J. Holt

If you liked this, check out:
Throwback Thursday: Led Zeppelin’s Celebration Day
This Week in Music History