J Mascis – Can’t Believe We’re Here: 13th Floor New Song Of The Day

Today, J Mascis 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.

Here’s the blurb with more about the album along with news on the upcoming Dinosaur Jr shows coming to New Zealand and Australia

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.

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

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

J Mascis Facebook  / Instagram / Threads / X-Twitter 

#JMascis
#WhatDoWeDoNow
#CantBelieveWereHere

And there’s new Dinosaur Jr news today:

DINOSAUR JR. (US) ANNOUNCE SPECIAL GUESTS STEPMOTHER & OFFICE DOG FOR UPCOMING AUSTRALIA & NEW ZEALAND TOUR FEBRUARY & MARCH 2024

• US alternative rock pioneers Dinosaur Jr. announce special guests Stepmother & Office Dog will join them on their upcoming Australia and New Zealand headline tour for February and March 2024
• Australian band Stepmother will join Dinousaur Jr. on all AU dates while Auckland-based trio Office Dog will join for their Auckland show
• Celebrating 30 years of their landmark album, 1993’s Where You Been, Dinosaur Jr. will perform in Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth and Auckland
• Hits includes ‘Start Choppin’’, ‘Out There’ and ‘Get Me’
• Tickets for all shows on sale now via com/dinosaurjr
• Also performing Tent Pole: A Musical Jamboree, Geelong on Sat 17 Feb

With a live performance to remember and a sprawling discography of hits, don’t miss out on these highly-anticipated Dinosaur Jr. shows as they make their way across Australia and New Zealand next February & March with special guests Stepmother & Office Dog.

Tickets for all shows on sale now via frontiertouring.com/dinosaurjr

DINOSAUR JR. (US)
​CELEBRATING 30 YEARS OF WHERE YOU BEEN
​WITH SPECIAL GUESTS STEPMOTHER (AU ONLY) & OFFICE DOG (NZ ONLY)
​AUSTRALIAN & NEW ZEALAND TOUR
​FEBRUARY & MARCH 2024
​Presented by Frontier Touring and 95bFM (Auckland show only)

TICKETS ON SALE NOW
​via frontiertouring.com/dinosaurjr

Wednesday 21 February
​Enmore Theatre | Sydney, NSW
​Lic. All Ages
​With special guests Stepmother
​ticketek.com.au

Friday 23 February
​The Tivoli | Brisbane, QLD
​18+
​With special guests Stepmother
​ticketmaster.com.au ​

Monday 26 February 
​Hindley Street Music Hall | Adelaide, SA
​18+
​With special guests Stepmother
​moshtix.com.au

Wednesday 28 February
​The Astor Theatre | Perth, WA
​18+
​With special guests Stepmother
​ticketek.com.au ​

Saturday 2 March
​Town Hall | Auckland, NZ
​Presented by 95bFM
​Lic. All Ages
​With special guests Office Dog
​ticketmaster.co.nz

*Also performing at Tent Pole: A Musical Jamboree, Geelong, Sat 17 Feb
​more info via tentpolemusicfestival.com