Mascis played in the hardcore band Deep Wound when he founded Dinosaur Jr. in 1984. They are still considered part of a select group of highly regarded bands in alternative rock. He reintroduced volume and attack into his songs at a time when 1980s hardcore had largely rejected those qualities. As a result, Mascis became an important influence on the rise of the grunge movement. Free So Free is Mascis’s second solo album, released in 2002.