Sweet Apple is the latest project from Dinosaur Jr.'s perennial shredder and Marshall enthusiast J Mascis. Along with Mascis, the band features Cobra Verde's Tim Parnin (guitar), John Petkovic (vocals/guitar) and Witch's Dave Sweetapple (bass/vocals).
The band's inception was spurred on by the death of Petkovic's mother. Just days after her passing, he jumped in his car and drove cross-country. Smoking cigarettes and listening to music, he took the drive as a way to clear his head. Despite having no real destination in mind except the east, he ended up arriving in New England, home to long-time friends Dave Sweetapple and J. Mascis. Both suggested Petkovic write songs so they could start a band. Shortly thereafter with Cobra Verde's Parnin on board, the group had begun work on an album. "I tell people that I saved John's life by starting this band," says Mascis. "But they don't believe me."
The result of all that work is Love and Desperation, a 12-song set recorded in Cleveland and Massachusetts, with John Agnello (Dinosaur Jr., Sonic Youth and The Hold Steady) and Don Depew (Cobra Verde, Guided by Voices). Of the album, Petkovic says, "I hadn't even played the guitar for months. And then, out of the blues, there were all these songs just coming out."
Pitchfork premiered a song from the new band today entitled "Do You Remember." Unsurprisingly, the song is chock full of rock. Petkovic sounds a bit like a Phil Lynott of Thin Lizzy and quite a bit like Bobby Hackney of Death (the '70s garage rock/punk band from Detroit). The music has a similar sound to the aforementioned bands, as well, with a flavor of late '80s/early '90s rock bands a la Dinosaur Jr. (that signature Mascis solo) and Superdrag.
Listen: Sweet Apple - "Do You Remember" (via Pitchfork)
Love and Desperation is out March 30, 2010 through Tee Pee Records.
Sweet Apple is currently working on a video for "Do You Remember" and plans to tour and perform at South by Southwest next year.
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