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Dinosaur Jr’s J Mascis launches jigsaw subscription service
By Andy Malt | Published on Thursday 11 August 2022
Dinosaur Jr’s J Mascis has launched a new classic album cover jigsaw subscription service, allowing you to receive up to six puzzles a year. Just like you wanted.
Back in the mostly now forgotten days of the COVID-19 pandemic, of course, album cover jigsaws became big business. Artists including Radiohead, Nirvana, Jarvis Cocker and These New Puritans all began selling their own puzzles for fans stuck at home and with plenty of time on their hands.
While this flurry of album cover jigsaws might have seemed like something of a passing fad, which died out with the end of lockdown, Mascis is banking on that not being the case. He has launched Puzzle Heads, which offers two subscription tiers both offering to regularly ship an album cover jigsaw to your door.
Curated by Mascis and designer Aaron Draplin, the first puzzle to ship later this year will be one featuring the cover of David Bowie’s ‘Ziggy Stardust’. Others that will follow include Joy Division’s ‘Unknown Pleasures’ (notable for largely being just black), Sharon Van Etten and Angel Olsen’s ‘Like I Used To’ (a lot of solid red), ‘Star Wars’ by Wilco (vast areas of what I would call very dark grey), and Bad Brains’ ‘Bad Brains’ (sporadic yellow portions).
So, if you’re really into jigsaws where many of the pieces are indistinguishable from one another, this looks to be the subscription service for you. At least it might take your mind off the cold winter nights – and the fact that you spent money you could have used to pay off your spiralling heating bills on jigsaws.
“Much like the vinyl clubs we all love, Puzzle Heads will leave a puzzle with amazing iconography curated by the team on your doorstep every other month”, says the blurb on the company’s website. Although it is my understanding that vinyl clubs usually send actual albums. Perhaps I am mistaken.
Co-founder Brian Schwartz says: “All of us at Puzzle Heads love puzzles and we love music. We happen to have day jobs in music and so we have the network to license some of the most iconic cover imagery and rock n roll art out there. With J and Aaron helping to curate, we’ll make Puzzle Heads members come back for more. We hope all the Puzzle Heads out there enjoy many hours of piecing our puzzles. Get it together!”
That last bit is the company’s slogan, I believe. Not some sort of tough love.
At launch, the lower subscription tier – getting you three puzzles a year – will set you back $81 (currently reduced from the full price of $90) per year. For six puzzles, you’ll need to fork out $150 (or $180 if you hang around too long). The first 500 subscribers will also get a free puzzle matt. So, don’t delay, subscribe today!
