J Interview…at the healthfood store? interview 2001

[AGAP]

Hey,

Figured I would waste my time in a more productive way today. Found this pretty cool interview, J talks about Watt, Puffy, and GG Allin. Best quote…you have to do what Watt says…or something like that [img]images/smiles/converted/wink.gif[/img]

http://www.eye.net/eye/issue/issue_02.01.01/music/mascis.html
Allison

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Happy J is here again
J MASCIS + THE FOG
BY STUART BERMAN

eye – 02.01.01

Happy J is here again
J MASCIS + THE FOG
with Puddy. Friday, Feb. 2. The Opera House, 735 Queen E. $17.50 from Ticketmaster, Rotate This, Sonic Temple.

BY STUART BERMAN
"I’m in the supermarket… the health-food supermarket," says J Mascis via cellular connection, and out goes the image of our La-Z-Boy-bound hero subsisting on Cheetos and exerting himself only when the channel must be changed. As the perfect physical embodiment of the term whatever (before it became what-ev-errr), Mascis pretty much invented indie-rock with Dinosaur Jr.: the nervous, agitated, confessional lyricism; crude production values that sounded like they were coming through those old, blown-woofer stereo speakers in your parents’ basement (and that sounded even better when played through such); and an onstage presence defined by the unbreakable bond between eyes and sneakers.

After a seven-year tenure with Sire/Warner ended in ’98, Dinosaur went the way of the dinosaur — but J’s recent solo debut, More Light (credited to J and his new backing band, the Fog), puts the ice age on hold with his most inspired set of My Bloody Crazy Horse-play since 1993’s Where You Been. It just goes to show that even if J’s eating habits have changed for the better, everything else about him is exactly as it should be: he’s still writing the sort of songs that amount to the musical equivalent of a shrug, and still getting the maximum number of decibels out of six strings.

And, being the practical sorta guy he is, J’s still answering journalistic queries with the fewest number of syllables necessary. Through the course of our 15-minute chat, there were brief moments that hinted at the possibility of the formation of something slightly resembling what you might call a conversation, but then, it was, just, like, well, whatever.

FOGGY NOTIONS
Like its namesake, the Fog is an amorphous, intangible entity. On record, J — who actually began his life in rock behind the drum kit — plays almost all the instruments with a little help from his friends: Guided by Voices singer Bob Pollard adds his Daltrey holler to three tracks, while My Bloody Valentine mastermind Kevin Shields — who, between the Fog and his recent stint as a Primal Scream touring guitarist, seems committed to working on anyone’s music but his own — makes his production presence very known on the astonishingly atomic closing title track.

But on the road, the Fog consolidate into a full-on power trio, with Mascis joined by latter-day Dino drummer George Berz and Minutemen bass god Mike Watt (with whom Mascis previously collaborated on a cover of the Funkadelic classic "Maggot Brain" for Watt’s ’95 album, Ball-Hog or Tugboat?). Here, Mascis clears the air on the Fog.

Do you plan on keeping the Fog an open-concept or has playing live made you want to keep it as a fixed trio?

"I don’t know… I guess it’s up to Watt, if he wants to do it."

If you had it your way, would he be playing with you all the time?

"Yeah."

Are you doing your cover of "Maggot Brain" on this tour?

"Yeah, sometimes Watt lobbies for that. Me and George don’t like it that much… but if Watt wants to play it, you kinda have to play it, or he makes us all very… you have to do what Watt wants to play."

MASCIS AT THE MOVIES
Mascis is more than happy to talk — so long as it’s in front of a camera, and his filmmaker friend Allison Anders is calling the shots. Mascis played a nomadic salesman in Anders’ 1992 road drama Gas, Food, Lodging and a producer in her 1996 Brill Building tribute, Grace of My Heart, and has a role in Anders’ recent Sundance entry, Things Behind the Sun.

What’s the movie about?

"It’s kinda depressing. I haven’t seen it yet."

What do you play?

"A drummer."

So it was a big stretch for you….

"Yeah… I looked at all the drummers I knew in the past to form my character."

Did you see Mark Kozolek from the Red House Painters in Almost Famous?

"No, what was he?"

He was the bass player in Stillwater.

"I don’t know the Red House Painters."

The British press used to lump you two together a lot — you know, you’re both supposedly sad people and all….

"Oh… right."

J & GG
Fun fact: J makes an appearance on shit-disturbing (in the literal sense of the term) N.Y.C. punk agitator GG Allin’s 1987 scum-rock opus, Hated in the Nation!

How the hell did you wind up on a GG Allin record?

"Oh yeah, I played a show with him in his band, it was pretty scary. Sounded like a good idea… till it was happening."

Then the shit started hitting the fan?

"Exactly. And then the mic started going up his butt."

MIXMASTER J
After proving his hip-hop chops with Del tha Funkee Homosapien on the Judgment Night soundtrack in ’93, Mascis was offered the chance to remix Puff Daddy’s 1998 single "Victory." Regrettably, Mascis’ dreams of becoming a rap-music mogul remain sadly unrealized.

What happened to the Puffy remix?

"Puff don’t like it."

Did you get any specific criticisms?

"No… just that Puff don’t like it."

Do you think he’s guilty in that shooting?

"I hope so. I heard Jennifer Lopez dumped him — that made me happy."

[SG]

Thanks for that Allison;I like the Red House Painters mention;my fav album so far this year is the Red House Painters album-Old Ramon;pretty slow stuff mostly but I`m into it.
Funny that J never heard of them,but that`s J.
Like the puff daddy mention about J being happy that Jennifer dumped him;he did`nt like J`s remix?guess he should stick to working with Jimmy Page.
I also dig the My Bloody Crazy Horse tag.

[everyonelovesjaron]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by salamiguy:
<STRONG>
Funny that J never heard of them,but that`s J.
</STRONG><HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Yeah, I was trying to figure out if he was kidding or what… I guess he was serious.

[Author]

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