Concept

In a MAGNET interview Pollard stated the album's concept dates back to the 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....

song "Ex-Supermodel" in which he states "I write music for soundtracks now." Motel of Fools is intended to "appear to be a soundtrack" As Pollard stated "since no one contacts me to do soundtracks, I thought I’d do one on my own." Since making this statement 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...

 tapped Pollard to do songs for his movies Full Frontal

Full Frontal

Full Frontal may refer to:* Full Frontal , an Australian sketch comedy series which debuted in 1993* Full Frontal , a 2001 film by Kyle Schickner* Full Frontal , a 2002 film by Steven Soderbergh...

and 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...

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Pollard had a plot in mind but "didn't have enough songs" to fully flesh it out. Pollard took the "soundtrack" concept as far as making posters for the movie he had in his mind. Listening to the album is supposed to bring the listener into a motel filled with "all of these strange characters and fuck-ups."

Track listing

1. "In the House of Queen Charles Augustus" – 4:41
2. "Captain Black" – 3:00
3. "Red Ink Superman" – 5:29
4. "The Vault of Moons" – 3:53
5. "Saga of the Elk" – 2:56
6. "The Spanish Hammer" – 6:55
7. "Harrison Adams" – 4:59