J Mascis

J Mascis (born Joseph Donald Mascis on December 10, 1965) is an American musician, best-known as the singer, guitarist and songwriter for Dinosaur Jr, though he also has been an occasional producer and f

J Mascis (born Joseph Donald Mascis on December 10, 1965) is an American musician, best-known as the singer, guitarist and songwriter for Dinosaur Jr, though he also has been an occasional producer and film composer.

Born in Amherst, Massachusetts, son of a local dentist, Mascis formed the short-lived hardcore group Deep Wound with Lou Barlow and Scott Helland in the early 1980s. He started out on drums , but moved to guitar when he went on to found Dinosaur Jr. with bassist Barlow and drummer Emmett Jefferson 'Patrick' Murphy (aka 'Murph') in 1984 and achieved national success. His vocals have been described as "Neil Young-like" and his guitar riffs as "monolithic." After Mascis dismissed Barlow from Dinosaur Jr. in 1989, he recorded several more Dinosaur Jr. albums until 1997, including the 1996 acoustic solo album Martin & Me. Also in 1996, he had a small part in the movie "Grace of my Heart" and provided a ballad and a Beach Boys-like song for the soundtrack. He then went on to produce albums with his new band, J Mascis and the Fog, starting in 2000.