J Mascis - Martin + Me [Yellow]

A rare, acoustic glimpse behind the feedback of an alternative icon.

By the mid-1990s, J Mascis had already cemented Dinosaur Jr. as a cornerstone of the American underground. Yet, beneath the legendary stacks of Marshall amps lay a collection of songs that thrived on melody and melancholy. Martin + Me documents this revelation, capturing a late 1995 US tour where Mascis ventured out solo with nothing but his acoustic guitar. Long out of print since its original 1996 release, this luxurious yellow vinyl edition finally brings these intimate performances back to the turntable.

The album features stripped-back renditions of Dinosaur Jr. classics like "Repulsion," "Get Me," and "Keeblin," allowing Mascis’s idiosyncratic vocals and intricate guitar work to take center stage. What makes Martin + Me truly essential for collectors, however, is the eclectic range of covers that pepper the setlist—from a haunting take on The Smiths’ "The Boy With The Thorn In His Side" to a surprising nod to Carly Simon’s "Anticipation" and the southern-rock soul of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s "Every Mother’s Son." It is a vital, "unmasked" portrait of a master songwriter, proving that even without the fuzz, J Mascis remains one of the most compelling voices of his generation.