Guided by Voices
Encyclopedia
Guided by Voices is an American indie rock
band originating from Dayton, Ohio
. Beginning with the band's formation in 1983, it made frequent personnel changes but always maintained the presence of principal songwriter Robert Pollard
. Guided by Voices initially disbanded in 2004, though many of its former members remain musically involved in solo careers or other projects.
Noted at first for its lo-fi
aesthetic and typically Portastudio
four-tracks-to-cassette production methods, Guided by Voices' music revealed influences from post-British Invasion
garage rock
, psychedelic rock
, progressive rock
, punk rock
and post-punk
. The band also garnered much attention for its prolific output, with a seemingly endless stream of releases
. Most songs are in the two-minute range, but many are even shorter; often they end abruptly or are intertwined with odd and homemade sound effect
s.
In 2010, the "classic lineup" of Guided by Voices reunited to perform at Matador Records
21st anniversary party, and subsequently undertook a national tour.
in the early 1980s, Guided by Voices began their career as a bar band working the local scene. As lineups and day-jobs shifted, however, Pollard moved the band towards a studio-only orientation. Guided by Voices' recording career began with a stream of self-financed, independent releases including Devil Between My Toes
, Sandbox
, Self-Inflicted Aerial Nostalgia
, and Same Place The Fly Got Smashed
. With only a few hundred copies of each album being pressed, these tended to circulate only among the band members' family and friends.
in 1992 (of which only 500 copies were pressed, each with a unique, handmade cover), Guided by Voices for the first time gained some recognition outside of their hometown. This was due in part to gaining fans in the college rock
circuit and bands such as Sonic Youth
, R.E.M.
and The Breeders
. New York City and Philadelphia were host to Guided by Voices' return to the live stage (and first shows outside of Ohio) in 1993. At this time, the always-fluid Guided by Voices lineup coalesced around the core of Pollard, guitarists Tobin Sprout
and Mitch Mitchell
(not to be confused with Jimi Hendrix
's drummer), bassist Dan Toohey, and drummer Kevin Fennell
. Sprout, who was briefly featured in an early-'80s version of the band, had re-joined circa Propeller and soon became Pollard's primary musical foil, in addition to contributing several of his own songs to the band's catalog. 1993 also saw the release of Vampire on Titus
, as well as the Fast Japanese Spin Cycle
and Static Airplane Jive
EPs. Over the next year, the band began to receive national media exposure from sources such as Spin
magazine.
In 1994, after culling both new songs and reams of archival recordings from GBV's history, Pollard delivered the indie landmark Bee Thousand
via Scat Records
, with a distribution deal through indie label Matador Records
. Soon, the band officially signed with Matador, concurrent with Pollard and his bandmates finally retiring from their day jobs to work in music full-time. The band surprised early audiences accustomed to the generally shambling, lo-fi and collage-like quality of the records with their energetic live show, featuring Pollard's homegrown rock theatrics (consisting of karate-kicks, leaps, and Roger Daltrey
-inspired mic-twirling), Mitch Mitchell
's windmilling and chain smoking
, sometime bassist Greg Demos
' striped pants, a never-ending barrage of tunes that all seemed to clock in under 90 seconds, and prodigious alcohol consumption all around.
Their true Matador debut came in 1995 with Alien Lanes
, which, despite a five-figure recording allowance, was constructed out of home-recorded snippets on the cheap. The band's underground following continued to grow, with notices coming from mainstream sources such as MTV
and Rolling Stone
. After sessions for a concept album entitled The Power of Suck were aborted, the band assembled Under the Bushes Under the Stars
out of their first 24-track studio sessions, recorded with Kim Deal
and Steve Albini
among others, in 1996. However, the strain of heavy touring would ultimately lead to the demise of the "classic lineup", with Sprout deciding to retire from the road in order to focus on raising his first child, his painting, and his solo musical career. Sprout and Pollard marked the occasion by releasing simultaneous solo albums on the same day in 1996: Sprout's Carnival Boy and Pollard's Not in My Airforce
, with each making a guest appearance on the other's album. Pollard maintained an active, parallel solo and side project career alongside GBV releases for the remainder of that band's existence. These records were primarily self-released. Because GBV alumni were regularly featured, and songs from these albums were frequently included in GBV setlists, they are informally considered to be part of the GBV canon. Also in 1995, the band contributed the song "Sensational Gravity Boy" to the AIDS
benefit album Red Hot + Bothered
produced by the Red Hot Organization
.
glam rock
ers Cobra Verde
in 1997. The following album Mag Earwhig!
, combined a new hard-rocking swagger with classic lo-fi fragments and one track, "Jane of the Waking Universe", that featured the classic lineup for one last time. However, after another year of rigorous touring, the "Guided by Verde" lineup split in late 1997 following Pollard's announcement in an interview that he intended to work with other musicians on the next Guided by Voices project.
Cobra Verde's Doug Gillard
was tapped for yet another new Guided by Voices lineup in 1998, which also included "classic"-era bassist Greg Demos
, former Breeders
drummer Jim Macpherson
, and eventually, former Amps
/Breeders guitarist Nate Farley
. Departing from Matador, this lineup (without Farley) worked with producer Ric Ocasek
to create what was intended to be Guided by Voices' major label debut. Initially produced for Capitol Records
, Do the Collapse
was repeatedly delayed and finally released in mid-1999 on pseudo-indie label TVT
. (In the UK it was released on Creation Records
). Featuring a slick, heavily processed sound previously foreign to GBV albums, Do the Collapse failed to catch on at radio, and was for the most part greeted with mixed reviews.
Through touring heavily throughout 1999 and 2000, Guided by Voices' live act became legendary, with shows often stretching past the three-hour mark, and populated by an endless stream of new and classic songs, Pollard solo tracks, impromptu covers of The Who
, David Bowie
and The Rolling Stones
, all accompanied by continuous alcohol consumption. In addition to multiple swings through the United States and Europe, 2000 saw the band's first and only visits to Australia and Japan. 2000 was capped with the release of the massive Suitcase
, a four-disc, 100-song trawl through three decades worth of Pollard's enormous reserve of unreleased material. (Two more box sets of unreleased songs, Suitcase 2
and Suitcase 3
, were released in October 2005 and November 2009, respectively.)
2001's Isolation Drills
was recorded with Rob Schnapf
, who aimed to capture the band's live sound more closely than did Ocasek. Though the album debuted in Billboard's top 200 and received higher critical notices than its predecessor, it did not achieve the sought-after radio breakthrough.
, a departure from the previous two radio-aspiring albums, and a return to the band's mid-90's, mid-fi aesthetic. Universal Truths producer Todd Tobias
would also record the band's final two albums for Matador. 2003 saw the release of the prog-styled Earthquake Glue
, followed by the anthology box set Hardcore UFOs: Revelations, Epiphanies and Fast Food in the Western Hemisphere
and the greatest hits
compilation Best of Guided by Voices: Human Amusements at Hourly Rates.
In 2004, Pollard announced he was disbanding Guided by Voices following the release of the Half-Smiles of the Decomposed LP, and a final farewell tour. According to Pollard:
On November 9, 2004 Guided by Voices performed on the stage of Austin City Limits
, broadcast by PBS on January 22, 2005. Their last television appearance was on Late Night with Conan O'Brien
on December 2, 2004. They played the single, "Everybody Thinks I'm a Raincloud (When I'm Not Looking)". After a select round of final US shows, Guided by Voices played their final show at The Metro in Chicago on December 31, 2004. The four hour, 63-song marathon finale is documented on the DVD The Electrifying Conclusion.
. The album, titled From a Compound Eye
was a double LP produced by Todd Tobias
. Later Pollard albums have been released on Merge and Pollard's own label, Guided by Voices Inc.
Since GBV's demise, Pollard has frequently been asked about band reunions. In 2007 he told MAGNET
: "To me, it’s just cashing in. If you’re gonna get the band back together, it should be to support a new record, not just to play the hits. That’s like doing the county-fair circuit. I don’t see Guided By Voices reforming. For one thing, there were 50 or 60 people in Guided By Voices over time."
Pollard has also commented on the fact that GBV and his solo output are basicially the same, when he told Harp Magazine in 2005 "You know, a lot of people try to distinguish things between what is Robert Pollard and what is Guided By Voices. I tell them basically that there is no difference; I am Robert Pollard and I am Guided By Voices."
In 2008 Pollard admitted to almost bringing GBV back for his album Robert Pollard Is Off to Business
but decided against it, instead forming a new label titled Guided by Voices Inc.
The 1998–1999 lineup of the band reunited for a few songs at Pollard's 50th birthday in 2007.
In October 2008 it was announced that Guided by Voices' music would be used for a 3-D film
musical based on the life of Cleopatra to be directed by Steven Soderbergh
with script by former GBV member Jim Greer
.
Soderbergh and Greer will rewrite the lyrics of the songs to fit the story.
Soderbergh had previously used a Guided by Voices song in his film Full Frontal
, and wrote an introduction to Greer's book on the band.
Pollard wrote the soundtrack to Soderbergh's film Bubble
, and that music was released as Music for 'Bubble'
.
announced that the "Classic '93-'96 Lineup" would reunite to perform at the label's 21st Anniversary celebration in Las Vegas, in October of that year. A full reunion tour was subsequently announced, with the band selling out nearly every date. The tour included stops at Hoboken's Maxwell's
and the Southgate House in Newport, Kentucky, two venues that the band had built a history with due to legendary shows there in the past. When asked by Spinner
if there might ever be another proper GBV record Pollard said "I've thought about it sometimes but it's a very long shot," he says. "We all kind of do our own thing. I'm not completely eliminating the possibility."
On September 21, 2011, it was announced that a new GBV album, Let's Go Eat the Factory, has been recorded for release in January 2012. They have also confirmed their first post-reunion show in the UK at the All Tomorrow's Parties
'I'll Be Your Mirror' festival at Alexandra Palace, London.
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
band originating from Dayton, Ohio
Dayton, Ohio
Dayton is the 6th largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County, the fifth most populous county in the state. The population was 141,527 at the 2010 census. The Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 841,502 in the 2010 census...
. Beginning with the band's formation in 1983, it made frequent personnel changes but always maintained the presence of principal songwriter Robert Pollard
Robert Pollard
Robert Pollard is an American rock musician and singer-songwriter who is the leader and creative force behind indie rock group Guided by Voices, who disbanded in 2004, only to reform in 2010...
. Guided by Voices initially disbanded in 2004, though many of its former members remain musically involved in solo careers or other projects.
Noted at first for its lo-fi
Lo-fi music
Lo-fi is lower quality of sound recordings than the usual standard for music. The qualities of lo-fi are usually achieved by either degrading the quality of the recorded audio, or using certain equipment. Recent uses of the phrase have led to it becoming a genre, although it still remains as an...
aesthetic and typically Portastudio
Portastudio
The TASCAM Portastudio was the world's first four track recorder based on a standard compact audio cassette tape.When the original Portastudio 144 made its debut in 1979 it was a revolutionary creative tool...
four-tracks-to-cassette production methods, Guided by Voices' music revealed influences from post-British Invasion
British Invasion
The British Invasion is a term used to describe the large number of rock and roll, beat, rock, and pop performers from the United Kingdom who became popular in the United States during the time period from 1964 through 1966.- Background :...
garage rock
Garage rock
Garage rock is a raw form of rock and roll that was first popular in the United States and Canada from about 1963 to 1967. During the 1960s, it was not recognized as a separate music genre and had no specific name...
, psychedelic rock
Psychedelic rock
Psychedelic rock is a style of rock music that is inspired or influenced by psychedelic culture and attempts to replicate and enhance the mind-altering experiences of psychedelic drugs. It emerged during the mid 1960s among folk rock and blues rock bands in United States and the United Kingdom...
, progressive rock
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
, punk rock
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
and post-punk
Post-punk
Post-punk is a rock music movement with its roots in the late 1970s, following on the heels of the initial punk rock explosion of the mid-1970s. The genre retains its roots in the punk movement but is more introverted, complex and experimental...
. The band also garnered much attention for its prolific output, with a seemingly endless stream of releases
Guided by Voices discography
The Guided by Voices discography includes dozens of releases, both official and unofficial. Robert Pollard, the main creative force behind the band, is an extremely prolific songwriter, having written or co-written more than 1,000 songs...
. Most songs are in the two-minute range, but many are even shorter; often they end abruptly or are intertwined with odd and homemade sound effect
Sound effect
For the album by The Jam, see Sound Affects.Sound effects or audio effects are artificially created or enhanced sounds, or sound processes used to emphasize artistic or other content of films, television shows, live performance, animation, video games, music, or other media...
s.
In 2010, the "classic lineup" of Guided by Voices reunited to perform at Matador Records
Matador Records
Matador Records is an independent record label, with a roster of indie rock artists and bands.-History:Matador was started by Chris Lombardi in 1989 in his New York City apartment. The following year, Lombardi was joined by former Homestead Records manager Gerard Cosloy, and the two of them have...
21st anniversary party, and subsequently undertook a national tour.
Early history
Formed in Dayton, OhioDayton, Ohio
Dayton is the 6th largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County, the fifth most populous county in the state. The population was 141,527 at the 2010 census. The Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 841,502 in the 2010 census...
in the early 1980s, Guided by Voices began their career as a bar band working the local scene. As lineups and day-jobs shifted, however, Pollard moved the band towards a studio-only orientation. Guided by Voices' recording career began with a stream of self-financed, independent releases including Devil Between My Toes
Devil Between My Toes
Devil Between My Toes is the second release and first full album from Dayton, Ohio-based band Guided by Voices, released 15 February 1987 . Only 300 copies of the original vinyl were pressed...
, Sandbox
Sandbox (album)
-Track listing:#"Lips of Steel" – 1:33#"A Visit to the Creep Doctor" – 1:36#"Everyday" – 2:58#"Barricade" – 4:31#"Get to Know the Ropes" – 3:48#"Can't Stop" – 2:26#"The Drinking Jim Crow" – 1:36#"Trap Soul Door" – 1:15#"Common Rebels" – 2:03...
, Self-Inflicted Aerial Nostalgia
Self-Inflicted Aerial Nostalgia
Self-Inflicted Aerial Nostalgia is the third album by Dayton, Ohio musical group Guided by Voices.-Track listing:#"The Future Is in Eggs" – 3:29#"The Great Blake St...
, and Same Place The Fly Got Smashed
Same Place The Fly Got Smashed
Same Place the Fly Got Smashed is the fourth album from Dayton, OH's Guided by Voices. Often said to be a concept album about alcoholism, the album displays bandleader Robert Pollard's maturing songcraft and increasing interest in lo-fi soundscapes....
. With only a few hundred copies of each album being pressed, these tended to circulate only among the band members' family and friends.
Lo-fi
With the release of the ultra-limited album PropellerPropeller (album)
Propeller is the fifth album by Dayton, Ohio indie rock group Guided by Voices, considered by many to be one of their greatest works.-Description:...
in 1992 (of which only 500 copies were pressed, each with a unique, handmade cover), Guided by Voices for the first time gained some recognition outside of their hometown. This was due in part to gaining fans in the college rock
College rock
College rock is a term that was used in the United States to describe 1980s alternative rock before the term "alternative" came into common usage. The term's use of the word "college" refers to campus radio stations located at institutions of higher education in Canada and the United States, where...
circuit and bands such as Sonic Youth
Sonic Youth
Sonic Youth is an American alternative rock band from New York City, formed in 1981. The current lineup consists of Thurston Moore , Kim Gordon , Lee Ranaldo , Steve Shelley , and Mark Ibold .In their early career, Sonic Youth was associated with the No Wave art and music scene in New York City...
, R.E.M.
R.E.M.
R.E.M. was an American rock band formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1980 by singer Michael Stipe, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills and drummer Bill Berry. One of the first popular alternative rock bands, R.E.M. gained early attention due to Buck's ringing, arpeggiated guitar style and Stipe's...
and The Breeders
The Breeders
The Breeders are an American alternative rock band formed in 1988 by Kim Deal of the Pixies and Tanya Donelly of Throwing Muses. The band has experienced a number of line-up changes; the current line-up consists of Kim Deal , her twin sister Kelley Deal , Jose Medeles , Mando Lopez Todd the Fox...
. New York City and Philadelphia were host to Guided by Voices' return to the live stage (and first shows outside of Ohio) in 1993. At this time, the always-fluid Guided by Voices lineup coalesced around the core of Pollard, guitarists Tobin Sprout
Tobin Sprout
Tobin Sprout is an American artist and musician, best known for his contributions as a member of indie rock group Guided by Voices.-History:A self taught musician. From an early age he played with and was a major collaborator to the Dayton, OH band Guided By Voices...
and Mitch Mitchell
Mitch Mitchell (GBV)
Charles "Mitch" Mitchell III is a guitarist, songwriter and producer who played guitar in the early lineups of American band Guided by Voices from 1983 to 1996. After leaving the band, Mitchell formed his own group, Mitch Mitchell's Terrifying Experience. In late 2010, Guided by Voices embarked...
(not to be confused with Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter...
's drummer), bassist Dan Toohey, and drummer Kevin Fennell
Kevin Fennell
Kevin Fennel was a frequent drummer for Guided by Voices between 1983-1996. He left the band somewhat acrimoniously in 1996 while suffering from various health problems. Though thought to have coined the phrase "Guided by Voices is the devil", supposedly sincerely , he had apparently reconciled...
. Sprout, who was briefly featured in an early-'80s version of the band, had re-joined circa Propeller and soon became Pollard's primary musical foil, in addition to contributing several of his own songs to the band's catalog. 1993 also saw the release of Vampire on Titus
Vampire on Titus
Vampire on Titus is the sixth album by indie rock group Guided by Voices, from Dayton, Ohio, United States.The image on the cover is from The Vegetable Lamb of Tartary by Henry Lee, 1887...
, as well as the Fast Japanese Spin Cycle
Fast Japanese Spin Cycle
Fast Japanese Spin Cycle is an EP by Guided by Voices, released in 1994. Finished tied for 3rd in the EP category in the 1994 Pazz and Jop poll .-Side A:# "3rd World Birdwatching" – 0:42# "My Impression Now" – 2:07...
and Static Airplane Jive
Static Airplane Jive
Static Airplane Jive is a 1993 EP by Guided by Voices.-Side A:# "Big School" – 2:26# "Damn Good Mr. Jam" – 3:35-Side B:# "Rubber Man" – 0:34...
EPs. Over the next year, the band began to receive national media exposure from sources such as Spin
Spin (magazine)
Spin is a music magazine founded in 1985 by publisher Bob Guccione Jr.-History:In its early years, the magazine was noted for its broad music coverage with an emphasis on college-oriented rock music and on the ongoing emergence of hip-hop. The magazine was eclectic and bold, if sometimes haphazard...
magazine.
In 1994, after culling both new songs and reams of archival recordings from GBV's history, Pollard delivered the indie landmark Bee Thousand
Bee Thousand
Bee Thousand is the seventh album by American indie rock band Guided by Voices released on June 21, 1994. The album was recorded on consumer-quality audio recorders rather than in a studio, and many of the songs included were less than two minutes long...
via Scat Records
Scat Records
Scat Records is a St. Louis, Missouri-based independent record label. It was founded in Cleveland, Ohio in 1989, and many of the bands released on the label are originally from Ohio....
, with a distribution deal through indie label Matador Records
Matador Records
Matador Records is an independent record label, with a roster of indie rock artists and bands.-History:Matador was started by Chris Lombardi in 1989 in his New York City apartment. The following year, Lombardi was joined by former Homestead Records manager Gerard Cosloy, and the two of them have...
. Soon, the band officially signed with Matador, concurrent with Pollard and his bandmates finally retiring from their day jobs to work in music full-time. The band surprised early audiences accustomed to the generally shambling, lo-fi and collage-like quality of the records with their energetic live show, featuring Pollard's homegrown rock theatrics (consisting of karate-kicks, leaps, and Roger Daltrey
Roger Daltrey
Roger Harry Daltrey, CBE , is an English singer and actor, best known as the founder and lead singer of English rock band The Who. He has maintained a musical career as a solo artist and has also worked in the film industry, acting in a large number of films, theatre and television roles and also...
-inspired mic-twirling), Mitch Mitchell
Mitch Mitchell (GBV)
Charles "Mitch" Mitchell III is a guitarist, songwriter and producer who played guitar in the early lineups of American band Guided by Voices from 1983 to 1996. After leaving the band, Mitchell formed his own group, Mitch Mitchell's Terrifying Experience. In late 2010, Guided by Voices embarked...
's windmilling and chain smoking
Chain smoking
Chain smoking is the practice of lighting a new cigarette for personal consumption immediately after one that is finished, sometimes using the finished cigarette to light the next one. It is a common form of addiction.-Causes:...
, sometime bassist Greg Demos
Greg Demos
Greg Demos is a Dayton, Ohio musician best known as the bassist in Guided by Voices. By trade, he is a partner in the law firm of Fowler, Demos & Stueve in Lebanon, Ohio...
' striped pants, a never-ending barrage of tunes that all seemed to clock in under 90 seconds, and prodigious alcohol consumption all around.
Their true Matador debut came in 1995 with Alien Lanes
Alien Lanes
Alien Lanes is a 1995 album by lo-fi band Guided by Voices, their eighth full length album.Pitchfork Media included Alien Lanes in their 'Top 100 Albums of the 90s' polls, at No. 27. Magnet named it the best album of 1995....
, which, despite a five-figure recording allowance, was constructed out of home-recorded snippets on the cheap. The band's underground following continued to grow, with notices coming from mainstream sources such as MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
and Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
. After sessions for a concept album entitled The Power of Suck were aborted, the band assembled Under the Bushes Under the Stars
Under the Bushes Under the Stars
Under the Bushes Under the Stars is the ninth Guided by Voices album overall, and the last until 2012's Let's Go Eat the Factory to feature the "classic" lineup including Tobin Sprout, Mitch Mitchell, and Kevin Fennell in addition to leader Robert Pollard...
out of their first 24-track studio sessions, recorded with Kim Deal
Kim Deal
Kimberley Ann Deal is an American singer, songwriter and musician, best known as the bassist of the alternative rock band the Pixies and the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist for The Breeders. Deal first joined the Pixies in January 1986 as the band's bassist, adopting the stage name Mrs...
and Steve Albini
Steve Albini
Steven Frank Albini is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, audio engineer and music journalist. He was a member of Big Black, Rapeman, and Flour, and is currently a member of Shellac...
among others, in 1996. However, the strain of heavy touring would ultimately lead to the demise of the "classic lineup", with Sprout deciding to retire from the road in order to focus on raising his first child, his painting, and his solo musical career. Sprout and Pollard marked the occasion by releasing simultaneous solo albums on the same day in 1996: Sprout's Carnival Boy and Pollard's Not in My Airforce
Not in My Airforce
Not in My Airforce is Robert Pollard's first solo album, released simultaneously with Tobin Sprout's Carnival Boy, just as the "classic" Guided by Voices lineup was dissolving....
, with each making a guest appearance on the other's album. Pollard maintained an active, parallel solo and side project career alongside GBV releases for the remainder of that band's existence. These records were primarily self-released. Because GBV alumni were regularly featured, and songs from these albums were frequently included in GBV setlists, they are informally considered to be part of the GBV canon. Also in 1995, the band contributed the song "Sensational Gravity Boy" to the AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
benefit album Red Hot + Bothered
Red Hot + Bothered
Red Hot + Bothered is an anthology of the indie rock scene from the 1990s produced by Paul Heck. It was released as part of the Red Hot AIDS Benefit Series....
produced by the Red Hot Organization
Red Hot Organization
Red Hot Organization is a not-for-profit, 501 3, international organization dedicated to fighting AIDS through pop culture.Since its inception in 1989, over 400 artists, producers and directors have contributed to over 15 compilation albums, related television programs and media events to raise...
.
Major label
Pollard created a new incarnation of Guided by Voices with ClevelandCleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
glam rock
Glam rock
Glam rock is a style of rock and pop music that developed in the UK in the early 1970s, which was performed by singers and musicians who wore outrageous clothes, makeup and hairstyles, particularly platform-soled boots and glitter...
ers Cobra Verde
Cobra Verde (band)
Cobra Verde is a Cleveland, Ohio-based rock band best known for:* Being Robert Pollard's backing band for Guided by Voices from 1996 to late 1997.* Appearing in The OC as a Foreigner cover band in 2006....
in 1997. The following album Mag Earwhig!
Mag Earwhig!
Mag Earwhig! is a 1997 album release by indie rock band Guided by Voices. Following the dissolution of the "classic lineup," band-leader Robert Pollard hired Cleveland rockers Cobra Verde and formed a new GBV unit. This move was somewhat controversial among GBV fans, especially those who were...
, combined a new hard-rocking swagger with classic lo-fi fragments and one track, "Jane of the Waking Universe", that featured the classic lineup for one last time. However, after another year of rigorous touring, the "Guided by Verde" lineup split in late 1997 following Pollard's announcement in an interview that he intended to work with other musicians on the next Guided by Voices project.
Cobra Verde's Doug Gillard
Doug Gillard
Doug Gillard is a guitarist and songwriter from Cleveland, Ohio who has performed with bands and artists such as Death Of Samantha, Gem, Cobra Verde, Guided by Voices, Richard Buckner, Children's Crusade, Starvation Army, Yuji Oniki, My Dad is Dead, The Mice, Bill Fox, Fence Lions, Zest Of Yore,...
was tapped for yet another new Guided by Voices lineup in 1998, which also included "classic"-era bassist Greg Demos
Greg Demos
Greg Demos is a Dayton, Ohio musician best known as the bassist in Guided by Voices. By trade, he is a partner in the law firm of Fowler, Demos & Stueve in Lebanon, Ohio...
, former Breeders
The Breeders
The Breeders are an American alternative rock band formed in 1988 by Kim Deal of the Pixies and Tanya Donelly of Throwing Muses. The band has experienced a number of line-up changes; the current line-up consists of Kim Deal , her twin sister Kelley Deal , Jose Medeles , Mando Lopez Todd the Fox...
drummer Jim Macpherson
Jim Macpherson
Jim Macpherson is a United States percussionist who has played with well-known rock groups, including Guided by Voices, The Breeders, The Moping Swans, The Raging Mantras, Killjoys and The Amps...
, and eventually, former Amps
The Amps
The Amps were an indie-rock band from Dayton, Ohio. Formed by Kim Deal in 1995 after The Breeders went on hiatus, they first began touring as "Tammy Ampersand and the Amps" but it was later shortened to "The Amps."Their album Pacer was released in 1995.Kim Deal originally intended to play all of...
/Breeders guitarist Nate Farley
The Amps
The Amps were an indie-rock band from Dayton, Ohio. Formed by Kim Deal in 1995 after The Breeders went on hiatus, they first began touring as "Tammy Ampersand and the Amps" but it was later shortened to "The Amps."Their album Pacer was released in 1995.Kim Deal originally intended to play all of...
. Departing from Matador, this lineup (without Farley) worked with producer Ric Ocasek
Ric Ocasek
Ric Ocasek is an American musician and music producer. He is best known as lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist for the rock band, The Cars....
to create what was intended to be Guided by Voices' major label debut. Initially produced for Capitol Records
Capitol Records
Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...
, Do the Collapse
Do the Collapse
Do the Collapse is the 11th album by Dayton, Ohio indie rock group Guided by Voices. In contrast with their lo-fi reputation, the album features glossy production work from Ric Ocasek, and found a mixed reception from critics and fans....
was repeatedly delayed and finally released in mid-1999 on pseudo-indie label TVT
TVT Records
TVT Records was an independent US record label founded by Steve Gottlieb. Over the course of its 25 year history the label released some 25 Gold, Platinum and Multi-platinum releases. Its roster included Nine Inch Nails, Ja Rule, Lil Jon, Underworld, The KLF, Sevendust, Brian Jonestown Massacre and...
. (In the UK it was released on Creation Records
Creation Records
Creation Records was a British independent record label headed by Alan McGee. Along with Dick Green and Joe Foster, McGee founded Creation in 1983. The label lasted until its demise in 1999. The name came from the 1960s band The Creation , whom McGee greatly admired. McGee, Green and Foster were...
). Featuring a slick, heavily processed sound previously foreign to GBV albums, Do the Collapse failed to catch on at radio, and was for the most part greeted with mixed reviews.
Through touring heavily throughout 1999 and 2000, Guided by Voices' live act became legendary, with shows often stretching past the three-hour mark, and populated by an endless stream of new and classic songs, Pollard solo tracks, impromptu covers of The Who
The Who
The Who are an English rock band formed in 1964 by Roger Daltrey , Pete Townshend , John Entwistle and Keith Moon . They became known for energetic live performances which often included instrument destruction...
, David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
and The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
, all accompanied by continuous alcohol consumption. In addition to multiple swings through the United States and Europe, 2000 saw the band's first and only visits to Australia and Japan. 2000 was capped with the release of the massive Suitcase
Suitcase: Failed Experiments and Trashed Aircraft
Suitcase: Failed Experiments and Trashed Aircraft is a four-CD box set released by Guided by Voices in 2000. Named for the reputed literal Suitcase in which bandleader Robert Pollard allegedly stored his hundreds of unreleased tapes, the set is a trawl through decades worth of material from...
, a four-disc, 100-song trawl through three decades worth of Pollard's enormous reserve of unreleased material. (Two more box sets of unreleased songs, Suitcase 2
Suitcase 2: American Superdream Wow
Suitcase 2: American Superdream Wow is the second box set of 100 unreleased songs by Guided by Voices. As with the first Suitcase box set, each song is credited to a fictional band name...
and Suitcase 3
Suitcase 3: Up We Go Now
Suitcase 3: Up We Go Now is the third in a series of unreleased songs and instrumental sketches by the Dayton, Ohio band Guided By Voices, released on November 3rd, 2009 on GBV Inc...
, were released in October 2005 and November 2009, respectively.)
2001's Isolation Drills
Isolation Drills
Isolation Drills is the twelfth album by Dayton, Ohio indie rock group Guided by Voices. It was their second and final LP released under TVT Records and their second to feature a major rock producer in Rob Schnapf. The album was also their first to chart on the Billboard Top 200, peaking at #168...
was recorded with Rob Schnapf
Rob Schnapf
Rob Schnapf is an American record producer and musician. He was the co-producer of Elliott Smith's albums Either/Or, XO , Figure 8 and From a Basement on the Hill, for which he was recruited by Smith's family to complete after Smith's death.Schnapf, along with Rothrock and partner...
, who aimed to capture the band's live sound more closely than did Ocasek. Though the album debuted in Billboard's top 200 and received higher critical notices than its predecessor, it did not achieve the sought-after radio breakthrough.
Later years
After departing from TVT in 2002, Guided by Voices returned to Matador and released Universal Truths and CyclesUniversal Truths and Cycles
Universal Truths and Cycles is the thirteenth album by Dayton, Ohio indie rock group Guided by Voices. After releasing their previous two albums on TVT Records, Guided by Voices returned to Matador Records....
, a departure from the previous two radio-aspiring albums, and a return to the band's mid-90's, mid-fi aesthetic. Universal Truths producer Todd Tobias
Todd Tobias
Todd Tobias is a record producer and musician/ multi-instrumentalist best known for his work with Robert Pollard and his band Guided by Voices. Other projects include Circus Devils, Clouds Forming Crowns, the Sleeptalkers, The Library is on Fire, the Celebrity Pilots, Kramies, Brian Lisik, Slark...
would also record the band's final two albums for Matador. 2003 saw the release of the prog-styled Earthquake Glue
Earthquake Glue
Earthquake Glue is the 14th record by Dayton, Ohio rock group Guided by Voices. Working titles for the album included "Model Prisoners of the 5 Sense Realm", "Live Like Kings Forever", and "All Sinners Welcome". The first 25,000 copies were packaged in a numbered limited-edition digipak...
, followed by the anthology box set Hardcore UFOs: Revelations, Epiphanies and Fast Food in the Western Hemisphere
Hardcore UFOs: Revelations, Epiphanies and Fast Food in the Western Hemisphere
Hardcore UFOs: Revelations, Epiphanies and Fast Food in the Western Hemisphere is an anthology box set released by Guided by Voices in 2003.-Disc 1: Human Amusements at Hourly Rates:...
and the greatest hits
Greatest hits
A greatest hits album is a music compilation album of successful, previously released songs by a particular artist or band...
compilation Best of Guided by Voices: Human Amusements at Hourly Rates.
In 2004, Pollard announced he was disbanding Guided by Voices following the release of the Half-Smiles of the Decomposed LP, and a final farewell tour. According to Pollard:
- This feels like the last album for Guided by Voices. I've always said that when I make a record that I'm totally satisfied with as befitting a final album, then that will be it. And this is it.
On November 9, 2004 Guided by Voices performed on the stage of Austin City Limits
Austin City Limits
Austin City Limits is an American public television music program recorded live in Austin, Texas by Public Broadcasting Service Public television member station KLRU, and broadcast on many PBS stations around the United States...
, broadcast by PBS on January 22, 2005. Their last television appearance was on Late Night with Conan O'Brien
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
Late Night with Conan O'Brien is an American late-night talk show hosted by Conan O'Brien that aired 2,725 episodes on NBC between 1993 and 2009. The show featured varied comedic material, celebrity interviews, and musical and comedy performances. Late Night aired weeknights at 12:37 am...
on December 2, 2004. They played the single, "Everybody Thinks I'm a Raincloud (When I'm Not Looking)". After a select round of final US shows, Guided by Voices played their final show at The Metro in Chicago on December 31, 2004. The four hour, 63-song marathon finale is documented on the DVD The Electrifying Conclusion.
Post-GBV
Pollard released his first post-GBV album in 2006 on Merge RecordsMerge Records
Merge Records is an independent record label based in Durham, North Carolina. It was founded in 1989 by Laura Ballance and Mac McCaughan. It began as a way to release music from their band Superchunk and music created by friends, and has expanded to include artists from around the world and records...
. The album, titled From a Compound Eye
From A Compound Eye
From a Compound Eye is a Robert Pollard CD and double LP released in 2006. Though Pollard had already released several albums under his own name, this album, being the first released after the 2004 dissolution of his longtime vehicle Guided by Voices, was considered to be the official commencement...
was a double LP produced by Todd Tobias
Todd Tobias
Todd Tobias is a record producer and musician/ multi-instrumentalist best known for his work with Robert Pollard and his band Guided by Voices. Other projects include Circus Devils, Clouds Forming Crowns, the Sleeptalkers, The Library is on Fire, the Celebrity Pilots, Kramies, Brian Lisik, Slark...
. Later Pollard albums have been released on Merge and Pollard's own label, Guided by Voices Inc.
Since GBV's demise, Pollard has frequently been asked about band reunions. In 2007 he told MAGNET
Magnet (magazine)
Magnet is a music magazine which generally focuses on alternative, independent, or out-of-the-mainstream bands.-History:The magazine is published four times a year, and is independently owned and edited by Eric T. Miller. Music magazines with a similar focus in the 1990s era included Option,...
: "To me, it’s just cashing in. If you’re gonna get the band back together, it should be to support a new record, not just to play the hits. That’s like doing the county-fair circuit. I don’t see Guided By Voices reforming. For one thing, there were 50 or 60 people in Guided By Voices over time."
Pollard has also commented on the fact that GBV and his solo output are basicially the same, when he told Harp Magazine in 2005 "You know, a lot of people try to distinguish things between what is Robert Pollard and what is Guided By Voices. I tell them basically that there is no difference; I am Robert Pollard and I am Guided By Voices."
In 2008 Pollard admitted to almost bringing GBV back for his album Robert Pollard Is Off to Business
Robert Pollard Is Off to Business
Robert Pollard Is Off to Business is 11th studio album released by singer-songwriter Robert Pollard on June 2, 2008. This is the first LP release from Robert Pollard's new record label Guided by Voices Inc. All instrumentation on the album was performed by producer Todd Tobias...
but decided against it, instead forming a new label titled Guided by Voices Inc.
The 1998–1999 lineup of the band reunited for a few songs at Pollard's 50th birthday in 2007.
In October 2008 it was announced that Guided by Voices' music would be used for a 3-D film
3-D film
A 3-D film or S3D film is a motion picture that enhances the illusion of depth perception...
musical based on the life of Cleopatra to be directed by Steven Soderbergh
Steven Soderbergh
Steven Andrew Soderbergh is an American film producer, screenwriter, cinematographer, editor, and an Academy Award-winning film director. He is best known for directing commercial Hollywood films like Erin Brockovich, Traffic, and the remake of Ocean's Eleven, but he has also directed smaller less...
with script by former GBV member Jim Greer
James Greer
James Greer is an American novelist, screenwriter, musician, and critic. He lives in Los Angeles but spends much of his time in France.-Career as a musician/critic:Greer was Senior Editor and Senior Writer at Spin magazine in NYC in the early 90s...
.
Soderbergh and Greer will rewrite the lyrics of the songs to fit the story.
Soderbergh had previously used a Guided by Voices song in his film Full Frontal
Full Frontal (film)
Full Frontal is a 2002 film by Steven Soderbergh, about a day in the life of people in Hollywood. The film, starring Catherine Keener, David Duchovny, Julia Roberts, Mary McCormack and David Hyde Pierce was shot on digital video in under a month using the Canon XL-1s...
, and wrote an introduction to Greer's book on the band.
Pollard wrote the soundtrack to Soderbergh's film Bubble
Bubble (film)
Bubble is a movie directed by Steven Soderbergh. It was shot on high-definition video and was made for a relatively small budget of $1.6 million. It also featured some unusual production aspects.In traditional terms, the movie has no script...
, and that music was released as Music for 'Bubble'
Music for 'Bubble'
Music for 'Bubble' is an album by Robert Pollard, released in 2005. It collects his score for the Steven Soderbergh film Bubble.-Track listing:All songs written by Robert Pollard# "All Men Are Freezing" – 2:14# "747 Ego" – 2:07...
.
Reunion
In June 2010, Matador RecordsMatador Records
Matador Records is an independent record label, with a roster of indie rock artists and bands.-History:Matador was started by Chris Lombardi in 1989 in his New York City apartment. The following year, Lombardi was joined by former Homestead Records manager Gerard Cosloy, and the two of them have...
announced that the "Classic '93-'96 Lineup" would reunite to perform at the label's 21st Anniversary celebration in Las Vegas, in October of that year. A full reunion tour was subsequently announced, with the band selling out nearly every date. The tour included stops at Hoboken's Maxwell's
Maxwell's
Maxwell's is a music club in Hoboken, New Jersey that also has a restaurant. The intimate venue often attracts a wide variety of acts looking for a change from the New York City concert spaces across the river.-History:...
and the Southgate House in Newport, Kentucky, two venues that the band had built a history with due to legendary shows there in the past. When asked by Spinner
Spinner
Spinner may refer to:*Spinner Dolphin, a dolphin species*Spinnerbait, a type of fishing lure*Spinner , a graphical widget in a GUI*Spinner , a flying car from the film Blade Runner...
if there might ever be another proper GBV record Pollard said "I've thought about it sometimes but it's a very long shot," he says. "We all kind of do our own thing. I'm not completely eliminating the possibility."
On September 21, 2011, it was announced that a new GBV album, Let's Go Eat the Factory, has been recorded for release in January 2012. They have also confirmed their first post-reunion show in the UK at the All Tomorrow's Parties
All Tomorrow's Parties (music festival)
All Tomorrow's Parties is a music festival which takes place at Camber Sands holiday camp in East Sussex and Butlin's holiday camp in Minehead, Somerset, England....
'I'll Be Your Mirror' festival at Alexandra Palace, London.
Guided by Voices Day
In 2004, during the band's final tour, many cities around the United States proclaimed a certain day to be "Guided by Voices Day" in that city. Some of them include:- Houston, TexasHouston, TexasHouston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
– October 1 - Newport, KentuckyNewport, KentuckyNewport is a city in Campbell County, Kentucky, United States, at the confluence of the Ohio and Licking rivers. The population was 15,273 at the 2010 census. Historically, it was one of four county seats of Campbell County. Newport is part of the Greater Cincinnati, Ohio Metro Area which...
– October 22 - Bloomington, IndianaBloomington, IndianaBloomington is a city in and the county seat of Monroe County in the southern region of the U.S. state of Indiana. The population was 80,405 at the 2010 census....
– October 25 - Austin, TexasAustin, TexasAustin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
– November 5 - Dallas, TexasDallas, TexasDallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
– November 6 - San Diego, CaliforniaSan Diego, CaliforniaSan Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
– November 11 - Los Angeles, CaliforniaLos Angeles, CaliforniaLos Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
– November 12 - New York, New York – December 5
- Chicago, Illinois – December 30
Discography
- Devil Between My ToesDevil Between My ToesDevil Between My Toes is the second release and first full album from Dayton, Ohio-based band Guided by Voices, released 15 February 1987 . Only 300 copies of the original vinyl were pressed...
(1987) - SandboxSandbox (album)-Track listing:#"Lips of Steel" – 1:33#"A Visit to the Creep Doctor" – 1:36#"Everyday" – 2:58#"Barricade" – 4:31#"Get to Know the Ropes" – 3:48#"Can't Stop" – 2:26#"The Drinking Jim Crow" – 1:36#"Trap Soul Door" – 1:15#"Common Rebels" – 2:03...
(1987) - Self-Inflicted Aerial NostalgiaSelf-Inflicted Aerial NostalgiaSelf-Inflicted Aerial Nostalgia is the third album by Dayton, Ohio musical group Guided by Voices.-Track listing:#"The Future Is in Eggs" – 3:29#"The Great Blake St...
(1989) - Same Place the Fly Got SmashedSame Place The Fly Got SmashedSame Place the Fly Got Smashed is the fourth album from Dayton, OH's Guided by Voices. Often said to be a concept album about alcoholism, the album displays bandleader Robert Pollard's maturing songcraft and increasing interest in lo-fi soundscapes....
(1990) - PropellerPropeller (album)Propeller is the fifth album by Dayton, Ohio indie rock group Guided by Voices, considered by many to be one of their greatest works.-Description:...
(1992) - Vampire on TitusVampire on TitusVampire on Titus is the sixth album by indie rock group Guided by Voices, from Dayton, Ohio, United States.The image on the cover is from The Vegetable Lamb of Tartary by Henry Lee, 1887...
(1993) - Bee ThousandBee ThousandBee Thousand is the seventh album by American indie rock band Guided by Voices released on June 21, 1994. The album was recorded on consumer-quality audio recorders rather than in a studio, and many of the songs included were less than two minutes long...
(1994) - Alien LanesAlien LanesAlien Lanes is a 1995 album by lo-fi band Guided by Voices, their eighth full length album.Pitchfork Media included Alien Lanes in their 'Top 100 Albums of the 90s' polls, at No. 27. Magnet named it the best album of 1995....
(1995) - Under the Bushes Under the StarsUnder the Bushes Under the StarsUnder the Bushes Under the Stars is the ninth Guided by Voices album overall, and the last until 2012's Let's Go Eat the Factory to feature the "classic" lineup including Tobin Sprout, Mitch Mitchell, and Kevin Fennell in addition to leader Robert Pollard...
(1996) - Tonics & Twisted Chasers (1996)
- Mag Earwhig!Mag Earwhig!Mag Earwhig! is a 1997 album release by indie rock band Guided by Voices. Following the dissolution of the "classic lineup," band-leader Robert Pollard hired Cleveland rockers Cobra Verde and formed a new GBV unit. This move was somewhat controversial among GBV fans, especially those who were...
(1997) - Do the CollapseDo the CollapseDo the Collapse is the 11th album by Dayton, Ohio indie rock group Guided by Voices. In contrast with their lo-fi reputation, the album features glossy production work from Ric Ocasek, and found a mixed reception from critics and fans....
(1999) - Isolation DrillsIsolation DrillsIsolation Drills is the twelfth album by Dayton, Ohio indie rock group Guided by Voices. It was their second and final LP released under TVT Records and their second to feature a major rock producer in Rob Schnapf. The album was also their first to chart on the Billboard Top 200, peaking at #168...
(2001) - Universal Truths and CyclesUniversal Truths and CyclesUniversal Truths and Cycles is the thirteenth album by Dayton, Ohio indie rock group Guided by Voices. After releasing their previous two albums on TVT Records, Guided by Voices returned to Matador Records....
(2002) - Earthquake GlueEarthquake GlueEarthquake Glue is the 14th record by Dayton, Ohio rock group Guided by Voices. Working titles for the album included "Model Prisoners of the 5 Sense Realm", "Live Like Kings Forever", and "All Sinners Welcome". The first 25,000 copies were packaged in a numbered limited-edition digipak...
(2003) - Half Smiles of the DecomposedHalf Smiles of the DecomposedHalf Smiles of the Decomposed is the 15th album by Dayton, Ohio rock group Guided by Voices. It was the final album by the band before their 2010 reformation.-Track listing:All songs written by Robert Pollard....
(2004) - Let's Go Eat the FactoryLet's Go Eat the FactoryLet's Go Eat the Factory is the upcoming 16th album by Dayton, Ohio rock group Guided by Voices. The album is the first since their 2004 dissolution, and the first to feature the band's classic lineup since 1996's Under the Bushes, Under the Stars...
(2012) - Class Clown Spots a UFO (2012)