Artist bio

Robert Pollard is principally known as the frontman and leader of indie rock juggernaut Guided By Voices. But his recording career extends beyond GBV, with a series of albums released eponymously and pseudonomysly fulfilling his extracurricular creative urge.

Pollard formed GBV in 1985, but it wasn't until 1996 when he took the step beyond with the Matador release of Not In My Airforce, accompanied on the same day by a solo album from fellow GBV songwriter Tobin Sprout. The aquatic-themed Waved Out followed in 1998, but it wasn't until the following year's Kid Marine when Pollard decided to subtitle it "No. 1 in the Fading Captain Series." And the rest was history.

If you dozed through your history classes, though, the short story is that Pollard has exploited the Fading Captain moniker in the years since, often releasing three or four albums a year -- plus assorted compilations -- on local Dayton, Ohio label Rockathon. The man is a rock and roll genius, although subpar songs are a matter of course. It's hard to sum his work up in a few scant paragraphs, so instead I offer a Fading Captain salute: Bottoms Up, You Fantastic Bastard!

Albums by this artist

From A Compound Eye (2006)

Zoom 7" (2005)

Relaxation of the Asshole (2005)

Music For Bubble EP (2005)

Motel of Fools (2003)

Choreographed Man Of War (2001)

Speak Kindly Of Your Local Volunteer Fire Department (Recommended) (1999)

Kid Marine (1999)

Waved Out (1998)

Not In My Airforce (1996)

Robert Pollard

Motel of Fools

» JOHN WENZEL | STAFF WRITER

Robert Pollard

Motel of Fools

Fading Captain Series, 2003

RiYL: Pollard-phinalia.

Mr. Pollard, if I may, why do you do this to your fans? Why must you taunt us with half-finished, half-assed, half-memorable crap, then bitch slap us a few months later with the most brilliant song we've never heard? It's exhausting being one of your followers. Exhausting, frustrating and expensive as hell.

I'll readily admit that I buy pretty much anything you release. I'd pay $15 for a 20-minute CD if it contained a minute as good as "Indian Fables," "Tropical Robots" or "Drinker's Peace." Hell, I'd pay $30 for that shit. You've proven over and over that just when critics and GBV webgeeks have counted you out, you return in all your blazing glory, blinding the non-believers and heartening the faithful.

Still, it's hard to hang on when mini-LPs like Motel of Fools dot the crowded landscape of your release schedule. This EP contains exactly three minutes of memorable music. That's a scary ratio, Mr. Pollard. Some people like to think Motel of Fools is a lo-fi, avant-garde album of found sounds and collaged themes. I think most of us know better. You're only as experimental as your sobriety allows. Others have appreciated the diversity of contributors here (a host of GBV members/friends past and present), but how much can you appreciate contributions that amount to plinked piano keys and fuzzy analog noise?

To be fair, songs like "Captain Black" and "Harrison Adams" could pass for GBV outtakes, no problem. The hints of melody are tantalizing, and tantalizingly short. The vocals sound as tossed-off and strained as apple juice pulp. The production is (not surprisingly) all over the damn map, and the performances range from competent to laughable. I guess this would have sounded a lot cooler 10 years ago and five tracks stronger.

Uncle Bob, give us a sign of life here. Your Fading Captain Series is living up to its name, and not in a good way.

JOHN WENZEL | John is a Denver-based writer and former editor of Sponic magazine. John currently works for The Denver Post and Rockpile and has contributed to such noble but non-paying enterprises as Shredding Paper, Aversion.com, and Erasing Clouds. He's obsessed with the Dayton, Ohio '90s music scene but likes to think he's keen on some of the new bands the kids are listening to these days. John also helps run the Friendly Psychics Music recording collective. Email.