Dinosaur Jr.’s J Mascis to Release Psych Rock Record With Old Stoner Buddies

While fret-shredding indie legend J Mascis has been gentle as of late — with last year’s heartfelt solo disc ‘Several Shades of Why’ and a peppy Built to Spill synth collaboration — the Dinosaur Jr. frontman will refill the acidbath on May 8 with Heavy Blanket, a new hard-psych project that reunites Mascis with old friends Johnny Pancake and Pete Cougar, who share a dubious history.

The trio formed in high school: while Mascis was moshing with early hardcore band Deep Wound, the devil-may-care Pancake and Cougar were kicked out of marching band for “smoking weed out of a tuba,” reads a press release from the band's label, Dead Batter Records. Pancake’s uncle brought a boatload of Japanese psych records home after marine service, inspiring the ne’er-do-wells to make trip-rock happen.

Just before the two joined with Mascis to record their all-instrumental debut album, tragedy struck: Pancake nearly drowned in a quarry, Cougar went to prison, and Mascis formed Dinosaur Jr. Fast forward nearly two decades to last winter, when Mascis ran into Pancake on a ski slope. For some some inexplicable reason Pancake blamed his swimming accident on Pearl Jam, and implored Mascis to finish the long-languishing record to extract revenge on the Seattle band.

And they did.

Heavy Blanket's all-instrumental self-titled debut currently is available for preorder in CD, standard vinyl LP, and special purple vinyl editions, all featuring putrid punk art from Savage Pencil. In the meantime, check a clip of 'Dr. Marten’s Blues' and the complete track listing below.

'Heavy Blanket' Track Listing
1. 'Galloping Toward the Unknown'
2. Spit in the Eye'
3. Blockheads'
4. Corpuscle Through Time'
5. 'Dr Marten’s Blues'
6. 'No Telling No Trails

Watch a Promotional Video Featuring 'Dr. Marten's Blues'