The Breeders and J Mascis Deliver Consecrated Alt Rock on ‘Divine Mascis’
The Breeders and Dinosaur Jr.’s J Mascis are keeping the dream of alternative nation alive and rocking on their (sorta) new collaboration, “Divine Mascis.”
“Divine Mascis” is a kind of alternative (pun intended) take on “Divine Hammer,” a track off the Breeder’s 1993 classic, Last Splash. “Divine Mascis” — which will appear on the upcoming 30th anniversary reissue of Last Splash — is a previously unheard version of “Divine Hammer,” recorded during the original album session, with vocals (and of course a bit of guitar) from Mascis.
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The song also arrives with a music video, directed by Sabrina Nichols. In the visual, Mascis chills on a couch and performs “Divine Mascis” as a bunch of wild illustrations and special effects skitter across the screen.
In a recent interview with Uncut, the Breeders’ Kelley Deal explained the origins of “Divine Mascis,” recalling, “At the time, J Mascis was a guitar god… we sent him the tape to put guitar on, so when it came back and he’s got rid of our voices and just put his vocal on, we were like, ‘Wha?!’ But it’s really cute. There’s a freshness to it, and it’s just so weird. I like his voice and the idiosyncratic way he sings and delivers lines. So I thought it was really neat.”
The Last Splash reissue is set to arrive this Friday, Sept. 22. The band has also been celebrating the album’s anniversary on the road, during which they’ve been performing Last Splash in its entirety. They have shows in North America scheduled through the fall, with the run wrapping Oct. 25 in Seattle. The Breeders also have a massive 2024 in store, with the band not only opening a few dates for the Foo Fighters in New Zealand, but also Olivia Rodrigo during her shows in New York City and Los Angeles.
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