Artist bio

Guided By Voices is the primary vehicle for Dayton, Ohio-based rocksmith Robert Pollard, and has proved one of the most tireless, exciting rock bands of its time.

Pollard, a former elementary school teacher, formed the group in 1985 around a group of Dayton musicians and friends, including frequent collaborator Tobin Sprout. Their first four albums didn't cross many radar screens, but 1992's excellent Propeller earned the group a modicum of national recognition, with such musical notaries as Kim Deal and Thurston Moore naming themselves fans.

Two years later, the group's second breakthrough came with Bee Thousand, a home-crafted epic, classic rock and roll album that exploded the group's popularity and almost overnight, instituting GBV as "the" quintessential indie rock band. The group signed a big record deal with Matador, and then proceeded to make their next album at home and keep the money. Smart guys, these Ohians.

But rock aspirations got the better of them. The group began experimenting with "real studios" and fleshing out their songs into full-on rockers and such in the late '90s. Pollard solidified his role as the band's driver in 1997, after Sprout left and Pollard kicked out the rest of the members, hiring indie rockers Cobra Verde as their replacements. CV guitarist Doug Gillard stayed on as Pollard's favorite post-Sprout sideman thereafter, while other members came and went and stayed and left, the most volatile seat being on the drum riser.

And last we heard, Pollard and his merry band of mischief-makers were still swilling Bud Light and rocking long into the night at a club near you. Get up slowly, and tear yourself away from your computer. You might be able to get there in time to catch set closer "My Valuable Hunting Knife>Baba O'Riley".

Albums by this artist

Half-Smiles Of The Decomposed (2004)

Human Amusements At Hourly Rates (2003)

Universal Truths And Cycles (2002)

Isolation Drills (2001)

Suitcase (2000)

Do The Collapse (1999)

Mag Earwhig! (1997)

Bulldog Skin 7" (1997)

Tonics and Twisted Chasters (1997)

Sunfish Holy Breakfast (1996)

Under The Bushes, Under The Stars (Recommended) (1996)

Alien Lanes (Recommended) (1996)

Bee Thousand (Recommended) (1994)

Crying Your Knife Away (1994)

The Grand Hour (1993)

Propeller (Recommended) (1992)

Concerts

March 18, 2002
The Dublin Pub, Dayton, Ohio

December 30, 2001
Apollo Theatre, New York

Features

Guided By Voices History: Part II: 1994-1999
Published October 31, 2005

Guided by Voices History: Part III: 1999-2004
Published October 31, 2005

Guided By Voices History: Part I: 1983-1994
Published October 30, 2005

GBV: A Eulogy: Or, Pollards We Have Known
Published December 30, 2004

NATN's Wholly Subjective Top 100 GBV Songs Of All Time:
Published December 30, 2004

The Top 100 Songs Thingy: Um, The Second Half.
Published December 30, 2004

Interviews

Doug Gillard
October 23, 2003

Rock Of Ages
March 27, 2001

Guided By Voices Trivee!

Test yer knowledge of the masters of the 24-second garage ditty!

» DJ THOM THOMAS | STAFF WRITER

1. Before christening his band Guided By Voices, Robert Pollard’s music went under the title:

A) Guided By Choices
B) Guided By Noises
C) King Shit And The Goldenboys
D) Alien Lanes

2. Guided By Voices' music has often been called:

A) The Dayton Super Sound
B) The Motown Sound
C) The AlexVanderPoolEra
D) Send in Striped White Jets
E) Hobbit Rock

3. Upcoming GBV releases:

A) Teenage FBI: 1970 - 1985 This 35-CD box set features rare singles, battle-of-the-band performances, and one-track demos of Robert Pollard and Tobin Sprout’s high-school, college, and post-graduate rock bands. Comes packaged in collector’s edition GBV Jansport Backpack.

B) Bob Pollard: Demos I Have Loved Vol. 1 In the first edition of a four-part limited series, hear various 30-second songs, rhyming couplets, favorite mistakes, and drunken anecdotes from Captain Bob himself as he narrates and guides you through the cd of Vampire On Titus outtakes.

C) TREE, DOOR, RED (Working Title) Armed with a notebook full of lyrics and a twelve pack of Bud Light, Pollard enters the studio with the remaining members of Doors to record his first album’s worth of spoken word. Liner notes by Ray Manzarek.

4. Historic GBV Performances:

A) In an effort to outdo Bruce Springsteen’s 15-night stand at Meadowlands arena, Robert Pollard books 60 consecutive dates at Cincinnati’s Bogarts nightclub.

B) Pollard interrupts transmission of NBC's Must-See-TV in order to challenge Stephen King to a creative steel-cage match to once and for all declare who is the most prolific wordsmith of all time! (Special Guest Referee: comedian Billy Connolly)

C) Guided By Voices: The USA Today Tour Pollard, MacPherson, Demos, Gillard, and Adrian Belew go out on stage using the current issue of USA Today as their setlist. Pollard yells out a headline and they make up a song on the spot based on it.

D) An Evening Under the Bushes and Under the Stars with Robert Pollard and the London Symphony Orchestra.

5. GBV TRADE NEWS:

A) Tobin Sprout has opted to sit out of the next three GBV releases due to a pending arbitration case with TVT records.

B) Robert Pollard recruits former "Big Red Machine" skipper Sparky Anderson to take over as tour manager for the European leg of the Do The Collapse Tour.

C) In order to beat the trade deadline, Anderson trades drummer Jim MacPherson to R.E.M for Joey Waronker and a bassist to be named later.

D) Pollard and Anderson fend off rumors that GBV have been talking with people from the Oasis camp about a move that could see brother Jim Pollard traded for brother Liam Gallagher.

E) In order to "beef up the roster," Guided By Voices sign on free agents Cecil Fielder and Aaron Neville to sing background vocals.

6. Future Guided By Voices Legal Hassles:

A) Tobin Sprout finds himself embroiled in a suit brought on by his former writing partner when Pollard sues Sprout for unlawfully using the Guided By Voices name to promote his recent appearance at the Indiana State Fair.

B) Robert Pollard finds himself citing the Neil Young Vs. David Geffen case of 1983 when his future label, Interscope Records, tries to sue Pollard for making music that doesn’t sound like himself.

C) Disappointed with the outcome of the case, Pollard starts writing "slave" on his cheek before retreating to his Dayton home studio to re-record the entire Guided By Voices catalog for release on his own label.

D) Robert Pollard finds himself in court once again when he sues himself for ripping off songs from earlier Guided By Voices releases. Pollard chooses to represent himself on both sides, thus making a mockery of the court. The accompanying soundtrack: Robert Pollard's Courtroom Rock (A Rock Opera) is slated for release on Rhino Records sometime in the near future, along with the straight-to-video documentary.

E) GBV backup singer Aaron Neville finds himself being sued by his mole for copyright infringement when Neville unlawfully uses Mole’s name to promote recent appearance at Indiana State Fair. Mole opts to represent self, thus making a mockery of the court. The accompanying soundtrack: A Mole's Day In Court (double live CD) is slated for release on Rhino Records sometime in the near future.

DJ THOM THOMAS | DJ Thom Thomas works in the deli by day, but by night he says/ "I'm DJ Thom Thomas! Come hear me romass!"