What Do We Do Now, the latest effort from world-famous stoic maestro J Mascis, is available worldwide today via Sub Pop Records. What Do We Do Now features the standout singles “Can’t Believe We’re Here,” “Set Me Down” and “Right Behind You.”What Do We Do Now has received accolades from Guitar World, Brooklyn Vegan, Stereogum, MOJO, and Uncut, who call this new collection of songs “Mascis’ most fully formed and direct solo set to date.” Celebrating this new release, you can now watch the “Old Friends” video directed by Geddy Ruxpin.
J has added a North American show on March 9th at The Drake in his hometown of Amherst, MA, and newly announced UK and European dates in April. He will also be playing two solo headline shows in Australia, which coincidentally happens during a run with his other band, Dinosaur Jr. The dates include Sydney’s Liberty Hall on Tuesday, February 20th, and Brisbane at The Triffid on Saturday, February 24th. See below for a full list of shows.
Tue. Feb. 20 - Sydney, NSW - Liberty Hall Sat. Feb. 24 - Brisbane, - The Triffid Sun. Mar. 09 - Amherst, MA - The Drake Thu. Apr. 02 - Antwerp, BE - Trix Club Wed. Apr. 03 - Amsterdam, NL - Paradiso Tolhuistuin Fri. Apr. 05 - Berlin, DE - Peter Edel Sun. Apr. 07 - London, UK - EartH Mon. Apr. 08 - Manchester, UK - Gorilla Wed. Apr. 10 - Glasgow, UK - Garage Fri. Apr. 12 - Dublin, IR - The Button Factory
What Do We Do Now’s lead single, “Can’t Believe We’re Here,” is currently #14 on the Billboard AAA chart, seeing strong support from the likes of WXPN/Philadelphia, KEXP/Seattle, WFUV/New York, KCSN/Los Angeles, KBCO/Denver, and The Current/Minneapolis.
What people are saying about J Mascis: “a record of beautifully put-together songs” - The Quietus
“…What Do We Do Now, Mascis has created some of his best work outside Dinosaur Jr. His gently emotive voice, halfway between a croon and a croak, carries a set of acoustic-leaning folk-rock songs that are punctuated by Mascis’s unfurling guitar solos and some pummelling percussion.” - The Guardian
“Mascis sure knows the power of simple words… it’s an LP of insight and empathy, a hand on the shoulder that says: ‘Yeah, me too.’” - [4 out of 5] MOJO
“In contrast to his Dinosaur Jr. material, it’s a bit more acoustic, but it’s still sure to please fans of any of the alt-rock-god’s work because there’s a wild fuzzed-out solo in the middle. And it rocks.” - Guitar.com
“It all sounds so perfect with Mascis’ weary vocals and, just when you’re thinking this is a viable new direction for him, he lets a ragged solo rip to remind you who’s making this racket.” - Brooklyn Vegan
“A continually absorbing counterpoint to his work with Dinosaur Jr, J Mascis’ solo output finds the guitarist leaning towards his acoustic. Effects pedals are never far away, however, and he wails on this new release.” - CLASH
Tracklisting: 1. Can’t Believe We’re Here 2. What Do We Do Now 3. Right Behind You 4. You Don’t Understand Me 5. I Can’t Find You 6. Old Friends 7. It’s True 8. Set Me Down 9. Hangin Out 10. End Is Gettin Shaky
Next month, J Mascis will release What Do We Do Now, worldwide on Sub Pop Records. Following the friend-studded “Can’t Believe We’re Here” video and the electrifying single “Set Me Down” comes “Right Behind You,” a melodious new tune featuring keys, drums, and J’s classic shred.
J has scheduled two solo headline shows for 2024 in Australia, which coincidentally happens during a run with Dinosaur Jr. The dates include Sydney’s Liberty Hall on Tuesday, February 20th, and in Brisbane at The Triffid on Saturday, February 24th. Additional solo dates will be announced soon.
What Do We Do Now can be pre-ordered now from Sub Pop. North American orders from the Sub Pop Mega Mart will receive the limited Loser Edition on clear purple vinyl. In the UK and Europe, LP orders from Mega Mart 2 (the new, UK-based sibling site to the world-famous Sub Pop Mega Mart) will get neon pink Losers or a strictly limited edition run on Blue Curacao Vinyl available from this wonderful emporium – all whilst stock lasts!
What Do We Do Now is the fifth solo studio outing from J Mascis. The album was recorded at his studio Bisquiteen in Western Massachusetts, and is J’s first solo album that features full drum and electric leads, although the rhythm parts are still all acoustic. What Do We Do Now features guest musicians, including Western Mass local Ken Mauri of The B-52s on keys and Ontario-based polymath Matthew “Doc” Dunn on steel guitar. The album will be available on February 2nd, 2024 worldwide from Sub Pop.
J Mascis What Do We Do Now
Tracklisting: 1. Can’t Believe We’re Here 2. What Do We Do Now 3. Right Behind You 4. You Don’t Understand Me 5. I Can’t Find You 6. Old Friends 7. It’s True 8. Set Me Down 9. Hangin Out 10. End Is Gettin Shaky
In February, the world-famous stoic maestro J Mascis will release his fifth solo studio album, What Do We Do Now, worldwide on Sub Pop Records. On the heels of the friend-studded video for “Can’t Believe We’re Here” come the beguiling and electrifying “Set Me Down.”
J has scheduled two solo headline shows for 2024 in Australia, which coincidentally happens during a run with his other band, Dinosaur Jr. The dates include Sydney’s Liberty Hall on Tuesday, February 20th, and in Brisbane at The Triffid on Saturday, February 24th. Additional solo dates will be announced soon.
Mascis is currently on the road with Dinosaur Jr., who are touring to celebrate the 30th anniversary of their sixth studio album, Where You Been.
What Do We Do Now can be pre-ordered now from Sub Pop. North American orders from the Sub Pop Mega Mart will receive the limited Loser Edition on clear purple vinyl. In the UK and Europe, LP orders from Mega Mart 2 (the new, UK-based sibling site to the world-famous Sub Pop Mega Mart) will get neon pink Losers or a strictly limited edition run on Blue Curacao Vinyl available from this wonderful emporium – all whilst stock lasts!
Tracklisting: 1. Can’t Believe We’re Here 2. What Do We Do Now 3. Right Behind You 4. You Don’t Understand Me 5. I Can’t Find You 6. Old Friends 7. It’s True 8. Set Me Down 9. Hangin Out 10. End Is Gettin Shaky
On February 2nd, 2024, musical virtuoso J Mascis will release his fifth solo studio album, What Do We Do Now, worldwide on Sub Pop Records. Recorded at his studio Bisquiteen in Western Massachusetts, What Do We Do Now is J’s first solo album that features full drum and electric leads, although the rhythm parts are still all acoustic.
What Do We Do Now features guest musicians, including Western Mass local Ken Mauri of The B-52s on keys and Ontario-based polymath Matthew “Doc” Dunn on steel guitar.
Today, J also shares the star-strewn official video for What Do We Do Now’s lead single, “Can’t Believe We’re Here,” which features appearances from J and a few of his friends and foes. The video was edited by Adam Bale at Ballad Pictures. Click HERE to watch.
What Do We Do Now can be pre-ordered now from Sub Pop. North American orders from the Sub Pop Mega Mart will receive the limited Loser Edition on clear purple vinyl. In the UK and Europe, LP orders from Mega Mart 2 (the new, UK-based sibling site to the world-famous Sub Pop Mega Mart) will get neon pink Losers or a strictly limited edition run on Blue Curacao Vinyl available from this wonderful emporium – all whilst stock lasts!
Mascis is currently on the road with Dinosaur Jr., who are touring to celebrate the 30th anniversary of their sixth studio album, Where You Been—solo dates to be announced soon.
More on What Do We Do Now: What Do We Do Now is the fifth solo studio LP recorded by J Mascis since 1996. This is obviously not a very aggressive release schedule, but when you figure in the live albums, guest spots, and records done with his various other bands (Dinosaur Jr., The Fog, Heavy Blanket, Witch, Sweet Apple, and so on), well, to paraphrase Lou Reed, “J’s week beats your year.”
What Do We Do Now began to come together during the waning days of the pandemic. Utilizing his own Bisquiteen Studio, J started working on writing a series of tunes on acoustic with a different dynamic than the stuff he creates for Dino. “When I’m writing for the band,” he says, “I’m always trying to think of doing things Lou and Murph would fit into. For myself, I’m thinking more about what I can do with just an acoustic guitar, even for the leads. Of course, this time, I added full drums and electric leads, although the rhythm parts are still all acoustic. 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. I dunno why I did that exactly, but it’s just what happened.”
Two guest musicians are playing this time out; Western Mass local Ken Mauri (of The B-52s) plays piano on several tracks. Since J himself has some experience with keys, when asked why he needed a hired gun, he says, “Ken is great, and he plays all the keys. I tried playing some keyboards on the first Fog album, but I’m really only comfortable playing the white notes, so it’s kind of limiting. [laughs] Nowadays, I could just turn the pitch on a mini Mellotron to play different sounds, but black keys just seem hard. For whatever reason, I just like banging on the white ones. Seems like it’s harder to figure out how to stretch your fingers around the other ones.”
Mauri has no such qualms and plays all the keys very damn well. He sounds especially great on “I Can’t Find You,” where he is Jack Nitzsche to J’s Neil Young, creating one of the album’s loveliest tunes. The other guest musician, Matthew “Doc” Dunn, is also prominent on this track. Dunn’s steel guitar manages to both widen and soften the musical edges of the music, giving it a full classicist profile. Dunn is an Ontario-based polymath who J met through Matt Valentine. After J played on Doc’s great 2022 Sub Pop single, “Your Feel,” he figured it was time for payback. Both Dunn and Mauri add beautifully to the songs here, helping to transform them from acoustic sketches into full-blown post-core power ballads.
What Do We Do Now is the finest set of solo tunes J has yet penned, and the way they’re presented is just about perfect. Asked if he would be touring to support the album, J says he’ll be doing some weekend dates, but he probably won’t be putting a band together. And I’m sure these songs will sound great solo and acoustic, but the arrangements on this album are truly great and put a cool, different spin on Mascis’ instantly recognizable approach to making music.
So, what do we do now? Not sure. But apparently, what J does is to make one of his most killer records ever. Hats off to him.
-Byron Coley
J Mascis What Do We Do Now
Tracklisting: 1. Can’t Believe We’re Here 2. What Do We Do Now 3. Right Behind You 4. You Don’t Understand Me 5. I Can’t Find You 6. Old Friends 7. It’s True 8. Set Me Down 9. Hangin Out 10. End Is Gettin Shaky
You can now hear new Sub Pop Singles Club Vol. 6 contributions from Kim Gordon and J Mascis (“Abstract Blues” b/w “Slow Boy”), and BNH Deluxe (“Earth is Somewhere Out There” b/w “Turntable”), out today worldwide on all DSPs from Sub Pop.
Although Kim Gordon and J Mascis have been friends for decades and have performed live together a handful of times, they’ve never released music together. “Abstract Blues” marks the first recorded collaboration as a duo, and was originally written and performed in 2020 for SMooCH, a benefit for Seattle Children’s Hospital. In the video for the song, Fred Armisen plays bass, and Mascis’s son Rory plays drums (J played the drums on the recording). “Abstract Blues” is also being released in celebration of Mascis’s birthday today.
With a career spanning nearly four decades, Kim Gordon is one of the most prolific and visionary artists working today. A co-founder of the legendary Sonic Youth, Gordon has performed all over the world, collaborating with many of music’s most exciting figures including Tony Conrad, Ikue Mori, Julie Cafritz and Stephen Malkmus. Most recently, Gordon has been hitting the road with Body/Head, her spellbinding partnership with artist and musician Bill Nace. Despite the exhaustive nature of her résumé, the most reliable aspect of Gordon’s music may be its resistance to formula. Songs discover themselves as they unspool, each one performing a test of the medium’s possibilities and limits. Her command is astonishing, but Gordon’s artistic curiosity remains the guiding force behind her music.
Near the end of Reagan’s first term, the Western Massachusetts hardcore scene coughed up an insanely shaped chunk called Dinosaur. Comprised of WMHC vets, the trio was a miasmic tornado of guitar noise, bad attitude and near-subliminal pop-based-shape-shifting. The contours of their sound ebbed and flowed and mutated for 13 years - with the one constant being the scalp-fryingly loud guitar and deeply buried vocals of J Mascis - before the name was retired. Near the end of the band’s reign, J began releasing solo material, starting with the live, acoustic album Martin + Me. His solo work allowed the bones of J’s songs to be totally visible for the first time, surprising fans with how melodically elegant his compositions were, even if J still seemed interested in swallowing some of the words that most folks would have sung. While Dinosaur Jr reactivated in 2005, J maintained a concurrent focus on his solo work, resulting in four additional albums presented with a minimum of bombast and a surfeit of cool.
John Stephen RePass, professionally known as BNH Deluxe, is an American singer, songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist. He began producing ambient music/lo-fi hip-hop with nothing but a tablet and a headset, and over time his sound has expanded heavily, incorporating and experimenting with elements of alternative rock, indie pop, heavy metal, lofi, hip-hop, and avant-garde music.
Repass says of his Sub Pop single, “All I can say is that deep places within my heart and mind were the birthplaces of these two songs. I have grown, learned and have flipped many pages of my life since writing these, these songs hold immense value and memories to me. I’m so happy that this single is all of yours’ now. I recommend you listen with your mind wide open, and I recommend you feel along to it.”
The Sub Pop Singles Club Vol. 6 series includes twelve subscription-only 7” singles by an exciting array of artists, including John Waters, Jeff Tweedy, Duma, LIDS, Washed Out, Hand Habits, Porridge Radio, Sheltered Workshop Singers, TV Priest, and more. Only 1,000 subscriptions are available, and the series is nearly sold out. Hear music from the series via the Singles Club playlist, and subscribe here!
Kim Gordon and J Mascis “Abstract Blues” b/w “Slow Boy”
BNH Deluxe “Earth is Somewhere Out There” b/w “Turntable”
International tour dates include Japan (April) & Europe (May & July)
J Mascis has shared a cover of the classic Tom Petty song, “Don’t Do Me Like That” available today via all Digital Service Providers. This cover is chock-full of the classic Mascis shred that we’ve come to know and love. You can listen to this reconstructed ripper here above, and also on YouTube, Spotify or Apple Music.
Featured throughout the month of April, J Mascis will be hosting the weekly “Artist in Residence” feature on the Australian Radio station, Double J. You can listen to J share his record collection with you each Sunday Night (AU)/Saturday (US) here. The first playlist features the likes of Discharge, Joni Mitchell, Nirvana, America and, of course, some Neil Young. It’s going to be an exciting month of music, programmed by one of the truly great artists of our time.
[Photo Credit: Cara Totman]
J Mascis Tour Dates
Mascis has confirmed 2 headline shows on April 16th and 17th in Japan before crossing the pond in May, playing shows in Brighton, Leeds, Glasgow, Nottingham, Liverpool, Bristol, and Manchester. He will then return to Europe in late June/early July with shows in Athens, Berlin, Paris, Geneva, and Rome.
Apr. 16 - Tokyo, Japan - Shibuya WWWX Apr. 17 - Osaka, Japan - Drop May. 09 - Brighton, United Kingdom - Concorde 2 May. 10 - London, United Kingdom - Islington Assembly Hall May. 11- Leeds, UK - Belgrave Music Hall May. 13 - Glasgow, United Kingdom - St. Luke’s [SOLD OUT] May. 14 - Oxford, UK - O2 Academy Oxford May. 15 - Nottingham, United Kingdom - Rescue Rooms May. 17 - Liverpool, United Kingdom - Arts Club May. 18 - Bristol, United Kingdom - Thekla [SOLD OUT] May. 19 - Manchester, United Kingdom - Manchester Gorilla Jun. 15 - Provincetown, MA - Twenty Summers @ The Hawthorne Barn Jun. 21 - Athens, GR - AN Club Jul. 01 - Hamburg, Germany - Knust Jul. 03 - Berlin, Germany - Festsaal Kreuzberg Jul. 06 - Paris, France - La Maroquinerie Jul. 08 - Amsterdam, Netherlands - Paradiso Noord Jul. 09 - Rotown - Rotterdam, Netherlands [SOLD OUT] Jul. 11 - Genova, Italy - Giardini Luzzati Jul. 12 - Prato, Italy - Festival Delle Colline Jul. 14 - Rome Unplugged in Monti - Rome, Italy
