J Mascis quotes:

It's good to have certain restrictions sometimes, but it's definitely more fun to play really loud, with distortion.

Generally my songs are just some riffs slung together as an excuse for a guitar solo.

I play a Fender Jazzmaster and three stacks and a combo, two old Marshall Plexis and a Hiwatt combo and a Hiwatt combo with Marshall cabs.

Usually I like to have them, but going drum-less pushes everything in a new direction and makes it easier to keep things sounding different.

I was just reading about Paul Simon in 'Uncut', and it was fascinating. I never think about him much or think about his music or anything, but it's interesting to hear his ideas on stuff.

I prefer cynical people. Nice guys grow on trees.

I have a couple of gold teeth. I had braces for a year but I didn't wear the retainer.

It's harder to play drums than guitar, physically. I'm always kind of on the edge. I guess that's how I play everything: on the edge of my ability.

You might as well play at the show everyone else is playing at.

I'd definitely be into doing some zombie slaying music. That'd be cool.

I have limited interests. I really like all sorts of gear. Guitar gear. Recording gear. Stuff like that. I like music, you know.

I've always worn earplugs, but I'm sure my hearing's not great.

People have to do what they want to do.

When I play a solo I'm just expressing that moment. It can go horribly wrong easily enough.

Yeah, you know, I'm always into cassette. At least they seem to be the longest-lasting medium we used to have. I don't play cassettes much anymore, but I play records all the time.

It seemed so wimpy at first when I started to play [guitar]. So I started playing loud with lots of effects just to try to mimic the dynamic [of the drums]. Drums seemed a lot more expressive. [I was] Trying to emulate the feeling of playing the drums on the guitar - I guess that's why I played it so loud.

I don't have any tattoos but I've thought about getting Ernie, from Bert and Ernie, on my earlobe. He made a big impression on me as a kid. And I have pretty big earlobes.

All labels are offensive in some way.

I enjoy having some boundaries to work within. That's why I generally don't like alternate tunings and stuff like that. I like the boundaries of regular tunings.

I've never liked rehearsing too much.