Hear J Mascis Reinvent Elliott Smith’s ‘Waltz #2 (XO)’
Dinosaur Jr.‘s J Mascis unveiled a gritty reworking of Elliott Smith‘s “Waltz #2 (XO)” set to appear on the upcoming compilation, Say Yes! A Tribute to Elliott Smith.
Mascis filters Smith’s aching orchestral pop through a wall of fuzz, giving the Harry Nilsson-esque “Waltz #2” the aura of a Crazy Horse jam. But the always enigmatic musician takes it a step further, singing an almost entirely new set of lyrics inspired by “Waltz #2” and nodding to the original during the chorus when he unleashes a haggard, “There you go/ Expected to know, on and on and on.”
Along with Mascis, Say Yes! will feature contributions from Waxahatchee, Amanda Palmer, Sun Kil Moon and Mascis’ Dinosaur Jr. bandmate Lou Barlow. Several other cuts from the compilation are available to hear: Yuck’s rendition of “Bled White,” Julien Baker’s “Ballad of Big Nothing,” Juliana Hatfield’s “Needle In the Hay” (originally off the Wes Anderson tribute, I Saved Latin!) and Tomo Nakayama’s “Miss Misery.”
Say Yes! is set to arrive October 14th via American Laundromat.